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caracabe's reviews
90 reviews
Soft Places by Betty Rocksteady
4.0
A hybrid prose/graphic novella. The transitions between the two formats is integral to the telling, not a gimmick. The story itself blends cosmic and very personal horror.
The Book of Queer Saints by Mae Murray, Eric Raglin, Perry Ruhland, LC von Hessen, James Bennett, George Daniel Lea, Nikki R. Leigh, Joe Koch, K.S. Walker, Hailey Piper, Briar Ripley Page, Joshua R. Pangborn, Eric LaRocca, Belle Tolls
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
To quote from the foreword by Sam Richard: “This book is full of queer representation that is messy and ugly and uncomfortable and painful. It’s a book full of queer characters who are cruel and conflicted and complex and interesting. Yes, queer joy, but also: queer rage, queer hostility, queer panic, queer madness, queer violence, queer horror.”
It’s an anthology, so of course I connected with some stories more than others, but all are well-written, imaginative, and (like all the best monster stories) ruthlessly human.
It’s an anthology, so of course I connected with some stories more than others, but all are well-written, imaginative, and (like all the best monster stories) ruthlessly human.
Proof of the Sun by Eve Ott
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Disclaimer: The author is a friend of mine.
Proof of the Sun is a short chapbook of poems about the author’s experience of childhood sexual abuse. The writing is beautiful, though that seems odd to say given the subject matter. Ott tells her story with incisive honesty, expressing anger and pain, of course, but also finding hope and even humor in her experiences.
Proof of the Sun is a short chapbook of poems about the author’s experience of childhood sexual abuse. The writing is beautiful, though that seems odd to say given the subject matter. Ott tells her story with incisive honesty, expressing anger and pain, of course, but also finding hope and even humor in her experiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Pedophilia
The Virgin of the Seven Daggers: Excursions into Fantasy by Vernon Lee
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
A collection of stories in the realm of the fantastic. Lee was a master of diversely sumptuous prose styles, though her pacing might be too leisurely for today’s taste. She had a sharp sense of irony, and a vivid and twisted imagination. The orientalism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia, all common in her time, spoil parts of these stories now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia, Antisemitism, and Racism
The Mathematical Tourist: Snapshots of Modern Mathematics by Ivars Peterson
informative
medium-paced
3.25
Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0