chloeburton's reviews
151 reviews

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

4.0

are you tired of being nice? don’t you just want to go apeshit?

Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage

5.0

Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

dark

2.5

This was a big let down for me. I wish it was just separated from Macbeth entirely or just…a different story. It just doesn’t have any true semblance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. There’s a lot of issues I have with this but I don’t want to write an essay. There’s a lot here I really like though, too. I really love Ava Reid’s prose. The way she writes about the impact of trauma on the mind is truly remarkable. I really enjoy her writing style. I plan on trying one of the other books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Miscarriage, and Xenophobia

Macbeth: A Dagger of the Mind by Harold Bloom

3.0

This was fine, nothing earth shattering. Probably better for beginners rather than someone who has studied Macbeth. Very accessible and concise. 

Maeve Fly by CJ Leede

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

2.5

I really enjoyed the first two halves of the book. The writing is really engaging and quick, I liked the setting and the mixed tone. I like the idea of this freaky woman playing Elsa at Disney. Maybe this is too far into the zone of being splatterpunk for me. The last act all I could think was “I get it, you’ve read American Psycho.” And yes, I get that’s a thing she’s obviously doing on purpose but it becomes so overbearing by the end. I’ve already read American Psycho…and I didn’t care for it. 

That being said,  I do appreciate a fellow fan of Werewolf Bar Mitzvah. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.

I tried to care but I couldn’t 

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

5.0

happy lottery day besties

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Brendan O’Hea, Judi Dench

funny informative lighthearted reflective

5.0

Picked this up after it was mentioned in an article about Judi possibly retiring due to her eyesight, which is genuinely devastating. The audio book is a must, I loved listening to these conversations from two longtime friends. Really interesting interpretations and a lot of fun stories. I found that I work very similarly to Judi and that did stroke my ego a bit.

Beauty and the Beast by Lucy Kirkwood, Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve

3.0

Fun and subversive! It has a really interesting tone that I feel I probably need to see on stage to fully understand. I could see myself liking it more depending on direction. I hope I get to!