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chemicalcain's reviews
16 reviews
Pyramids by Terry Pratchett
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
I love Terry Pratchett's satirical and irreverent writing. However, in this book it frequently scans as racism, belittling the history and traditions of Egypt. It's a fine line to tread. At least the protagonist is from the country in question - but it still comes across as someone who left his home country, experienced the wonder of Western culture, and saw his own culture as inferior afterwards. It moves a little faster once you hit the middle of the book, where more of the action and humor is about individual characters instead of the country as a whole. Interesting twists at the end as well.
Mort by Terry Pratchett
3.0
All my Discworld books are MP3 files that I've copied many times. I think my copy of Mort must be corrupted. I definitely remember Death's daughter having more lines when I read it in 2015.
O Human Star, Volume One by Blue Delliquanti
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Transphobia
The Life of John Taylor by B.H. Roberts
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
I was hoping to learn more about my ancestors as people, and the legacies and heritages they brought with them when they emigrated to the United States. I knew this book would stir up some of my religious trauma due to John Taylor's role in the LDS church, but I was hoping more of the book would be about John Taylor's personality, family, and choices. Unfortunately, it's entirely described through the lens of the LDS church. I'll probably try to pick this up at a later date, but for now it's too much of a slog.
MOLLY WAS HERE: A Novel by M.E. Howard
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
5.0
This is a very lively story about necromancy. The world seems to be inspired by the British Isles in a time when there would have been various city-states fighting for control of the land. The narrative introduces ideas about the world and its mythos throughout the story as the protagonist, Molly, learns more about the land she travels. Molly and her best friend both scan as autistic to me, in their sense of humor and mannerisms, and I really enjoyed that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, Murder, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Animal death
Minor: Sexual harassment
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Yesterday, I started reading Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I was upset when I had to go to sleep halfway through the story. Today, I woke up and read the rest of it in one sitting. If you enjoy magic realism, action and intrigue, and boys in love, this is a book to focus on.
The story centers around Yadriel, a 16-year-old trans boy, and his relationship with his Latinx community. Yadriel's home, the brujx cemetery, is vibrant with death and life in equal measure. I appreciate how much color Aiden Thomas describes within the cemetery, from the tombs and marigolds to the LA sky. This book tackles what it means to have a community and a family, and what binds us to each other. The mystery is well-developed for a YA target audience, too -- just enough information for you to guess at the ending and feel triumph at the reveal.
I would heartily recommend this book to anyone, but especially to people who enjoy teen fantasy, romance, and adventure. I wish I could have read this book when I was sixteen. Yadriel's desire for recognition and belonging feels intimately familiar. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time, and I'm proud to have it on my shelf.
The story centers around Yadriel, a 16-year-old trans boy, and his relationship with his Latinx community. Yadriel's home, the brujx cemetery, is vibrant with death and life in equal measure. I appreciate how much color Aiden Thomas describes within the cemetery, from the tombs and marigolds to the LA sky. This book tackles what it means to have a community and a family, and what binds us to each other. The mystery is well-developed for a YA target audience, too -- just enough information for you to guess at the ending and feel triumph at the reveal.
I would heartily recommend this book to anyone, but especially to people who enjoy teen fantasy, romance, and adventure. I wish I could have read this book when I was sixteen. Yadriel's desire for recognition and belonging feels intimately familiar. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time, and I'm proud to have it on my shelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Deadnaming, and Transphobia
Description of burn scars
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