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cassianlamb's reviews
754 reviews
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I received a free e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book had a bit of a slow start so I ended up putting off finishing it for a while. However, after the first few chapters (which at least appeared to be long on the kindle) it picked up and I ended speeding through it in a little over a day.
Honestly it was predictable in some cases, but it was still very good. The characters had a nice found family going that made the book feel homey at times. The art also helped with picturing how they looked, and I wish more adult books had illustrations like that.
It should also be noted that there are historically accurate slurs, racism, and homophobia in the book. Most of it is not constant, but it is still present in this book. I'd say there's more racism against the main character than anything else, as that is the first thing most of the other characters see about him.
That being said, I think this is exactly the gay mermaid book needed. I remember when the author was doing fanart of Carry On by Rainbow Rowell for a fanfic (I might be wrong but I believe that became this book) and this book would be perfect for fans of Carry On. If anything When the Tides Held the Moon might even be better.
This book had a bit of a slow start so I ended up putting off finishing it for a while. However, after the first few chapters (which at least appeared to be long on the kindle) it picked up and I ended speeding through it in a little over a day.
Honestly it was predictable in some cases, but it was still very good. The characters had a nice found family going that made the book feel homey at times. The art also helped with picturing how they looked, and I wish more adult books had illustrations like that.
It should also be noted that there are historically accurate slurs, racism, and homophobia in the book. Most of it is not constant, but it is still present in this book. I'd say there's more racism against the main character than anything else, as that is the first thing most of the other characters see about him.
That being said, I think this is exactly the gay mermaid book needed. I remember when the author was doing fanart of Carry On by Rainbow Rowell for a fanfic (I might be wrong but I believe that became this book) and this book would be perfect for fans of Carry On. If anything When the Tides Held the Moon might even be better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death of parent
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation
Minor: Cursing, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Starglass by Phoebe North
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0