chronically_theo's reviews
287 reviews

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

adventurous fast-paced

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

5.0

Really loved this especially the Asexual rep

These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling

adventurous informative lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Eh. It was good but not a favourite. 

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Read this years ago and still love it

Being Ace: An Anthology of Queer, Trans, Femme, and Disabled Stories of Asexual Love and Connection by Madeline Dyer

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Thank you to Net Galley for an Advanced Readers Copy of Being Ace. This was given in exchange for an honest review.
AHHH!
I loved this!!
First all the things I likes about it:

• There was an Ace Electric Wheelchair User MC!! It's so rare I see wheelchair users as main characters let alone LGBTQIA ones that are actually written by Wheelchair Users. I've been a wheelchair user for a while and I did a little happy dance when I first read it. I will definitely be reading any books Lara Ameen writes in the future!
• How many gender diverse Aces and side characters there were. There was also Neopronoun rep in one or two of the stories which was great. Plus casual mention of a character wearing a binder and gender neutral pronouns without any of the big speeches or explanations 
• So many Ace Autistics! Again I love seeing myself representated on page especially because the representation was written without it sounding like the poor Autistic character that can never find love that you can sadly find in a lot of books.
• Aces in historical contexts is really comforting to read about too. Especially because Asexuality is seen as a very modern thing.
• I know this is basically the last three points but it was so amazing to see so many non white abled cis het Asexuals.
•  And that they weren't all Aromantic too. (I am Aro just the stereotype or ignorance people have that all Aces are Aro too is really frustrating)

Now to things I didn't really like

• Some dived into the story too quickly. I know they are short stories but I had absolutely no clue what was happening at points and often had to reread from the start of the short story to understand what was happening. Eg I'd start one story and put it down and by the time I started reading again nothing made sense.
• no content warnings or author notes warning about what would occur at the start of each story. Some covered and talked about death or other potentially traumatic subjects with no warning. 
• How much detail was given about the only wheelchair user in the book. Given how none of these trans characters had to give so much personal information it would've been really cool to have they were a wheelchair user and not give the entire medical history. (Just my own opinion as a wheelchair user and how strangers feel entitled to my medical history.)

Overall I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to Aces who want to see themselves represented.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Acephobia/Arophobia

The Faithless by C.L. Clark

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? N/A

5.0

I ADORE. LOVE THE UNBROKEN SERIES. 

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.75

I love this but it's always so hard to get into. The font is really small and there are just too many names introduced at once. Once I'm a quarter of the way through I love it though.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

I really liked this book! Hope my library gets the rest of the series at some point

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

adventurous sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

So slow and dull with too many perspectives for me. Especially because the audiobook book only has one narrator for all the perspectives and I got confusing. It is well written and I can see why it got awards but it is so dull

A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

It was good and kept me entertained at work but it just wasn't really my thing. Might reread at some point to see if I find it better

Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood

dark emotional mysterious sad 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? N/A

4.0

Why are Greek myth books so sad??