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cassianlamb's reviews
754 reviews
Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Violence, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Confinement, Death of parent
Vesuvius by Cass Biehn
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received a free e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a lot darker than your typical YA book. There is quite a bit of trauma in it, which can be expected from a story that takes place at the fall of Pompeii. If you're looking for a lighthearted gay book, this is not it.
That being said, it is still enjoyable. The author is surprisingly accurate about Pompeii (from what I remember taking Latin, at least) though does change a few things to make it YA. I personally really loved that, as there are quite a few books out there that are only loosely related to Ancient Rome despite claiming they take place in that empire. One of the characters also has touch aversion, which is not something I read about a lot but I think was handled well.
Despite what a couple other reviews said, I'd say the bad decisions made by the characters might not necessarily seem bad at first glance. Some pan out pretty well and where mistakes are made, they're reasonable considering the trauma they've gone through. And while it is a YA book, it has a lot more cursing than I've typically seen, so it's more on the older end. I do think some other adults could enjoy this book without it being spoiled by the fact the characters are 17 (which would have been adulthood at the time anyways, which is another [understandable] inaccuracy for the book).
Overall, if you don't mind a sad book knowing the history of Pompeii, I think it is a good book to read.
This book is a lot darker than your typical YA book. There is quite a bit of trauma in it, which can be expected from a story that takes place at the fall of Pompeii. If you're looking for a lighthearted gay book, this is not it.
That being said, it is still enjoyable. The author is surprisingly accurate about Pompeii (from what I remember taking Latin, at least) though does change a few things to make it YA. I personally really loved that, as there are quite a few books out there that are only loosely related to Ancient Rome despite claiming they take place in that empire. One of the characters also has touch aversion, which is not something I read about a lot but I think was handled well.
Despite what a couple other reviews said, I'd say the bad decisions made by the characters might not necessarily seem bad at first glance. Some pan out pretty well and where mistakes are made, they're reasonable considering the trauma they've gone through. And while it is a YA book, it has a lot more cursing than I've typically seen, so it's more on the older end. I do think some other adults could enjoy this book without it being spoiled by the fact the characters are 17 (which would have been adulthood at the time anyways, which is another [understandable] inaccuracy for the book).
Overall, if you don't mind a sad book knowing the history of Pompeii, I think it is a good book to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Alcohol
Minor: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation
This book takes place in Pompeii of Ancient Rome. Colonization and slavery is mentioned. A character also has PTSD from childhood sexual assault from a priest. The worst of that isn't until the end of the book but the PTSD is throughout.
Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Gore, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Classism
Minor: Sexual content, Medical content, Outing
Unraveled by Shannon Messenger
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Death of parent
Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
There is questionable consent for some sexual scenes, and Zetian is not broken up with Shimin/he does not know about her relationship with Qin Zheng so it feels like infidelity to me.
Medical trauma related to pregnancy trigger warning in that Zetian was unaware she was being used to create a fetus via rivf
Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales by Melanie Gillman
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Homophobia, Transphobia
Minor: Deadnaming, Suicidal thoughts
Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity by Lee Mandelo
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is advertised as a futuristic book, but it really isn't. Out of 22 stories, less than half are actually futuristic. There are sci-fi and fantasy elements to some of the others, but not enough to make it sound like a futuristic society.
It is also advertised as "queer and trans" stories. I am not entirely sure why there is the distinction, but I do know that very few of the stories are about trans people (which was the reason I read this anthology). Even when there are trans characters, there is questionable content, such as suggesting people can be forced to be transgender or that you're not "really" your gender until you medically transition. It is possible I misinterpreted these stories, as I am sure at least the former is meant as humor, but as a trans person too this feels questionable. There are trans people who don't transition, and there are too many people who think we force people to be trans for me to be able to laugh at this.
Furthermore, many of these stories are in dystopian settings. Not that they have to be lighthearted, but given the political climate and the fact I thought this book was supposed to give us hope for the future, I really did not like that.
Mandelo says in the beginning he edited stories from both amateur and professional writers, and quite honestly you can really tell. There are stories in this anthology that feel more in place on Wattpad than they do here. For example, the second story "Trans World Takeover" has very bland storytelling, with absolutely no dialogue punctuation. I know there are books by professional authors that publish that way, but it is a pet peeve of mine at the very least.
I normally am fine giving ratings to anthologies, but there were some in this that I really liked and some I really did not. The 2 stars is for the anthology as a whole as the few I liked did not really make this worth it.
This book is advertised as a futuristic book, but it really isn't. Out of 22 stories, less than half are actually futuristic. There are sci-fi and fantasy elements to some of the others, but not enough to make it sound like a futuristic society.
It is also advertised as "queer and trans" stories. I am not entirely sure why there is the distinction, but I do know that very few of the stories are about trans people (which was the reason I read this anthology). Even when there are trans characters, there is questionable content, such as suggesting people can be forced to be transgender or that you're not "really" your gender until you medically transition. It is possible I misinterpreted these stories, as I am sure at least the former is meant as humor, but as a trans person too this feels questionable. There are trans people who don't transition, and there are too many people who think we force people to be trans for me to be able to laugh at this.
Furthermore, many of these stories are in dystopian settings. Not that they have to be lighthearted, but given the political climate and the fact I thought this book was supposed to give us hope for the future, I really did not like that.
Mandelo says in the beginning he edited stories from both amateur and professional writers, and quite honestly you can really tell. There are stories in this anthology that feel more in place on Wattpad than they do here. For example, the second story "Trans World Takeover" has very bland storytelling, with absolutely no dialogue punctuation. I know there are books by professional authors that publish that way, but it is a pet peeve of mine at the very least.
I normally am fine giving ratings to anthologies, but there were some in this that I really liked and some I really did not. The 2 stars is for the anthology as a whole as the few I liked did not really make this worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Outing, War, Injury/Injury detail
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Racism, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Abandonment
The Honeys by Ryan La Sala
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I don't even know if this book earned the two stars I gave it or if it got an extra star only for the person I read it with. This review might be a bit more of a rant than I'd like as I started writing it as I was reading.
Firstly to get it out of the way, this book is very confusing to read. The language is overly flowery so sometimes it's hard to tell what's going on in each chapter, not to mention there's a good chunk of the middle where nothing actually happens and it just drags on. It's possible some of my confusion comes from the length of time it took me to read this, but at the same time even actively reading I had to read sections repeatedly just to get an idea or for it to sink in. It does not help that there are too many named characters, and it feels impossible to keep track of them all. By the time it was over I was no longer sure who was who.
La Sala claims he researched bees but I'm not entirely sure he did, as beeswax candles typically don't have a strong smell, plus there is very little bee science beyond science fiction in this book. Even if he did research them, he certainly researched nothing else as that is not what upstate New York is like, summer camp would never be allowed to be like this (even outside of the cult practices), I doubt SUNY funds would go into that camp, among many other inaccuracies.
The author also utilizes the trauma of sexual assault as a plot device. There is no reason for this to be in this book as there are other things that could be investigated instead. While this is a character, it feels incredibly wrong to use that kind of pain in this way when it is basically a side-note in the story.
As for my main issue with this book, Ryan La Sala needs to take a serious look at his idea of gender. The vast majority of boys in this book are written as dude bros who joke around in the locker room, and the vast majority of girls are sorority girls who are into makeup but actually (shocker) are really strong. The boys all hate Mars for being genderfluid and gay, and the girls all take her in and accept her. Maybe it's different for genderfluid people than other trans people, but as a trans person myself I have absolutely never seen this kind of dynamic.
Not to mention, La Sala handles Mars being genderfluid horribly, to the point she basically becomes the token trans character in her own story. While being genderfluid basically is Mars's personality, gender struggles are only ever addressed for cis people (ex, the Honeys and sexism). While there are instances of transphobia, they're brushed under the rug, to the point even attempted murder is just "harassment."
Mars also says themself they use all pronouns (pg 71 and 301 in my copy). There is a singular instance, maybe 2, where anything but he/him is used, including by the author in the summary. Any trans or nonbinary person who uses multiple pronouns would tell you not to do this, especially as Mars never suggests she has a preference for he/him. They're only used because he happens to be amab. Plus their gender is never treated like an actual gender, it's just lipgloss and makeup and gladiator sandals and once a skirt. If anything, the author wrote himself or a feminine gay man and at the last minute decided a genderfluid character would seem more interesting. There is absolutely nothing to suggest genuine genderfluid representation in this book, as gender is more than the clothing you wear or the pronouns you use.
This book is a disgrace to the concept of trans books. I think I'd have been more lenient if the author actually tried to write a trans character instead of whatever he thinks gender is as a (presumably) cis man. If he wrote about a cis gay boy instead (as I think he did before suddenly remembering otherwise) it would have been better too. But we got this mess instead. Don't waste your time.
Firstly to get it out of the way, this book is very confusing to read. The language is overly flowery so sometimes it's hard to tell what's going on in each chapter, not to mention there's a good chunk of the middle where nothing actually happens and it just drags on. It's possible some of my confusion comes from the length of time it took me to read this, but at the same time even actively reading I had to read sections repeatedly just to get an idea or for it to sink in. It does not help that there are too many named characters, and it feels impossible to keep track of them all. By the time it was over I was no longer sure who was who.
La Sala claims he researched bees but I'm not entirely sure he did, as beeswax candles typically don't have a strong smell, plus there is very little bee science beyond science fiction in this book. Even if he did research them, he certainly researched nothing else as that is not what upstate New York is like, summer camp would never be allowed to be like this (even outside of the cult practices), I doubt SUNY funds would go into that camp, among many other inaccuracies.
The author also utilizes the trauma of sexual assault as a plot device. There is no reason for this to be in this book as there are other things that could be investigated instead. While this is a character, it feels incredibly wrong to use that kind of pain in this way when it is basically a side-note in the story.
As for my main issue with this book, Ryan La Sala needs to take a serious look at his idea of gender. The vast majority of boys in this book are written as dude bros who joke around in the locker room, and the vast majority of girls are sorority girls who are into makeup but actually (shocker) are really strong. The boys all hate Mars for being genderfluid and gay, and the girls all take her in and accept her. Maybe it's different for genderfluid people than other trans people, but as a trans person myself I have absolutely never seen this kind of dynamic.
Not to mention, La Sala handles Mars being genderfluid horribly, to the point she basically becomes the token trans character in her own story. While being genderfluid basically is Mars's personality, gender struggles are only ever addressed for cis people (ex, the Honeys and sexism). While there are instances of transphobia, they're brushed under the rug, to the point even attempted murder is just "harassment."
Mars also says themself they use all pronouns (pg 71 and 301 in my copy). There is a singular instance, maybe 2, where anything but he/him is used, including by the author in the summary. Any trans or nonbinary person who uses multiple pronouns would tell you not to do this, especially as Mars never suggests she has a preference for he/him. They're only used because he happens to be amab. Plus their gender is never treated like an actual gender, it's just lipgloss and makeup and gladiator sandals and once a skirt. If anything, the author wrote himself or a feminine gay man and at the last minute decided a genderfluid character would seem more interesting. There is absolutely nothing to suggest genuine genderfluid representation in this book, as gender is more than the clothing you wear or the pronouns you use.
This book is a disgrace to the concept of trans books. I think I'd have been more lenient if the author actually tried to write a trans character instead of whatever he thinks gender is as a (presumably) cis man. If he wrote about a cis gay boy instead (as I think he did before suddenly remembering otherwise) it would have been better too. But we got this mess instead. Don't waste your time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Cannibalism, Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent