cassmensah5's reviews
104 reviews

The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait by Carlos Fuentes, Frida Kahlo

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Body Language: Writers on Identity, Physicality, and Making Space for Ourselves by Matt Ortile, Nicole Chung

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

Queer Little Nightmares by David Ly, Daniel Zomparelli

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Body Horror: Capitalism, Fear, Misogyny, Jokes by Anne Elizabeth Moore

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5

Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror by Joe Vallese

emotional reflective fast-paced

4.75

I LOVED this collection. The authors told such vulnerable stories about their identities and expertly connected them to plots from some of my favorite movies. Some of these essays will stick with me for a long time. This book was so close to being an all time fav,  but the essay, “child’s play” made me deeply uncomfortable. I obviously don’t have all the context, but I couldn’t help but wonder as I read it how the author’s adopted child felt about the essay. At one point the author jokes that their child may be possessed like the character from The Exorcist. The comparison felt inherently dehumanizing and not nuanced. Overall, the collection is amazing and I hope more books commenting on the horror genre get made in the near future. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Ableism, Racism, and Transphobia

A Fortune for Your Disaster by Hanif Abdurraqib

challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

How to Carry Water: Selected Poems of Lucille Clifton by Lucille Clifton

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad

5.0