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citrus_seasalt's reviews
316 reviews
Secret of the Reaping by Kalynn Bayron
4.0
I actually liked this slightly more than the previous book!! The pacing was much better, since the mystery around Aaron was solved at the end of book 1. Yes, there were more slightly mysteries than vampire fighting in this book, too, but Boog didn’t have to question if the vampires existed like she did in the first one, so it was a lot easier to dive into the training and lore. Anyhow.
Like its predecessor, “Secret Of The Reaping” had plot twists that were all very predictable, with the exception of a couple details. I still enjoyed a couple of the reveals, though, and seeing the vampires create actual destruction and be threatening was pretty cool. (But even if a few parts made me nervous, I didn’t fear for the main characters, really? It’s pretty clear they’re gonna turn out alive, if a little emotionally scarred.) Also, while I said this before it’s so easy to see why “Stranger Things” is a comp title LOL. Sketchy government agencies? A friend group with one of the members changing for the monstrous, but still remaining an ally? Kids being amateur detectives about the paranormal? Rings a lot of bells except for the 80’s nostalgia.
But a nitpick—well, I guess the issue is bigger than that— I have is that this series doesn’t really… feel like a series?! Because of each book happening right after the other, and there being a few less plot points than I’m used to reading in middle grade novels, it feels like one arc split into several parts. While I think this would work spectacularly as a single-season show, actually reading it is disorienting because it makes every ending feel abrupt. I’m a little scared to read the final book for this reason, especially because there’s so much plot to cover and I can already tell that it probably would’ve worked better as a quartet. (A reviewer pointed this out, but this and book 1 feel like they were written without a clear idea of how many books there would be?)
Also, while I liked reading about Boog, Cedrick, Aaron and Jules again, I think there should’ve been a couple more pages to show how the different bonds within their friend group changed with everything they’re going through. There isn’t really time to focus on the different pairs/parts of the group like in book 1, and while Boog and Aaron had some really cool moments, they had the most development of everyone??
I’m still planning on finishing this series. The casual representation and the creepiness are very fun.
Like its predecessor, “Secret Of The Reaping” had plot twists that were all very predictable, with the exception of a couple details. I still enjoyed a couple of the reveals, though, and seeing the vampires create actual destruction and be threatening was pretty cool. (But even if a few parts made me nervous, I didn’t fear for the main characters, really? It’s pretty clear they’re gonna turn out alive, if a little emotionally scarred.) Also, while I said this before it’s so easy to see why “Stranger Things” is a comp title LOL. Sketchy government agencies? A friend group with one of the members changing for the monstrous, but still remaining an ally? Kids being amateur detectives about the paranormal? Rings a lot of bells except for the 80’s nostalgia.
But a nitpick—well, I guess the issue is bigger than that— I have is that this series doesn’t really… feel like a series?! Because of each book happening right after the other, and there being a few less plot points than I’m used to reading in middle grade novels, it feels like one arc split into several parts. While I think this would work spectacularly as a single-season show, actually reading it is disorienting because it makes every ending feel abrupt. I’m a little scared to read the final book for this reason, especially because there’s so much plot to cover and I can already tell that it probably would’ve worked better as a quartet. (A reviewer pointed this out, but this and book 1 feel like they were written without a clear idea of how many books there would be?)
Also, while I liked reading about Boog, Cedrick, Aaron and Jules again, I think there should’ve been a couple more pages to show how the different bonds within their friend group changed with everything they’re going through. There isn’t really time to focus on the different pairs/parts of the group like in book 1, and while Boog and Aaron had some really cool moments, they had the most development of everyone??
I’m still planning on finishing this series. The casual representation and the creepiness are very fun.
Elle Campbell Wins Their Weekend by Ben Kahn
3.5
Genuinely not sure what rating to give this, but I’m settling on 3.5 or a 3.75 stars. Some parts were undoubtedly cringy, but a bit less so than the reviews made me anticipate (thank god). The story was knowingly and unabashedly silly, the characters were made more of gimmicks than well-rounded personalities, and yet, there was still a very earnest discussion about nonbinary representation and figuring out what it’s like to be trans outside of the gender binary. I also appreciated there being a transfemme MC that doesn’t dress completely androgynous!
I have a lot of passionate feelings, but because I have a personal rule against swearing in middle grade reviews, my wording will be comically limited. Sorry.
While I think it’s common knowledge for queer people, particularly youth, to have these long-standing parasocial relationships with queer celebrities because they become lifelines of a sort, I don’t see many fiction books cover that. Yes, this was done in a lighthearted way that doesn’t dissect any of the ways that can go south and, yes, it was very self-indulgent. But Elle’s fanby naïveté, and them placing so much of their gender identity and expression around this fictional character and their actor, to a point where they have a couple thoughts about forging their own definition of their gender (and they’re kinda frustrated abt having to do that?) is just… so damn relatable???!!! I even appreciated the short conversation they had with Nuri! Elle didn’t get every single answer they wanted—that was kind of impossible—but, like, they still got to have support from both Nuri and their stepdad. (Jerome being emotional support was so sweet.) And also, their conversation was quite short and straight to the point, like fan interactions typically are. So while Elle continued to idolize Nuri, it didn’t feel like they crossed any lines, y’know?
Long, unnervingly personal rant aside, I also really enjoyed the representation in this novel. There’s some scumbag teachers in the first quarter, but to be honest, their appearances are minimal and a lot of the story is very full of queer joy. I enjoyed that a lot. (The laser tag plot was hilariously convoluted, but I loved Dawn and Elle’s interactions. They were cute, and totally gave away that the author only wrote comics before this.) I can see people being a little exasperated by Elle’s long gender-related internal monologues, but as another nonbinary person I found them relatable in a kinda soothing way, and also, they seemed to be appropriate for Elle’s age (+ where they were in their personal journey as a little baby queer). Curious to know what the target demographic or what the parents reading it alongside them would think, though.
Not much else to say other than this was a lot of fun to read (also, I laughed a couple times!), and I thought Elle and their mom were very sweet. I know she doesn’t interact with them for the second half of the novel, but the way she incorporated supportiveness of her kid’s identity into her mom rants was very sweet. (I’m not sure how else to word that, lol. Read the beginning and you might understand??)
I have a lot of passionate feelings, but because I have a personal rule against swearing in middle grade reviews, my wording will be comically limited. Sorry.
While I think it’s common knowledge for queer people, particularly youth, to have these long-standing parasocial relationships with queer celebrities because they become lifelines of a sort, I don’t see many fiction books cover that. Yes, this was done in a lighthearted way that doesn’t dissect any of the ways that can go south and, yes, it was very self-indulgent. But Elle’s fanby naïveté, and them placing so much of their gender identity and expression around this fictional character and their actor, to a point where they have a couple thoughts about forging their own definition of their gender (and they’re kinda frustrated abt having to do that?) is just… so damn relatable???!!! I even appreciated the short conversation they had with Nuri! Elle didn’t get every single answer they wanted—that was kind of impossible—but, like, they still got to have support from both Nuri and their stepdad. (Jerome being emotional support was so sweet.) And also, their conversation was quite short and straight to the point, like fan interactions typically are. So while Elle continued to idolize Nuri, it didn’t feel like they crossed any lines, y’know?
Long, unnervingly personal rant aside, I also really enjoyed the representation in this novel. There’s some scumbag teachers in the first quarter, but to be honest, their appearances are minimal and a lot of the story is very full of queer joy. I enjoyed that a lot. (The laser tag plot was hilariously convoluted, but I loved Dawn and Elle’s interactions. They were cute, and totally gave away that the author only wrote comics before this.) I can see people being a little exasperated by Elle’s long gender-related internal monologues, but as another nonbinary person I found them relatable in a kinda soothing way, and also, they seemed to be appropriate for Elle’s age (+ where they were in their personal journey as a little baby queer). Curious to know what the target demographic or what the parents reading it alongside them would think, though.
Not much else to say other than this was a lot of fun to read (also, I laughed a couple times!), and I thought Elle and their mom were very sweet. I know she doesn’t interact with them for the second half of the novel, but the way she incorporated supportiveness of her kid’s identity into her mom rants was very sweet. (I’m not sure how else to word that, lol. Read the beginning and you might understand??)
The Secret Sunshine Project by Benjamin Dean
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A very fun introduction to Benjamin Dean’s work!! The main characters were full of heart, the writing engaging (and great! I really liked how familial relationships and grief was captured throughout), and the story light and humorous while avoiding being embarrassing. Was the ending clichéd? Absolutely. (*cough* Rita’s turnaround *cough*) But to be fair, a lot of the book is. I found it charming, and the lively illustrations scattered throughout definitely added to it! 💕
Rita was a very fun villain!! Very classic children’s book™️. Comically evil, but in a silly way, and I kind of loved how despite the whole conflict revolving around her being vehemently against Pride happening, it’s… not for any queerphobic reasons, she just hates not being the center of attention (and fun) LOL???
My main issue, though, is that the pacing is a mess. The first half is great at introducing the characters and building them up, but the pride itself isn’t introduced until halfway through. I was anxiously checking the page numbers by the end, because SO MUCH had to be resolved so quickly! I would have also liked to see more of Norman and the townspeople.
Tbh I didn’t think I’d get to read this, but my library listened to my materials request, and I’m very glad they did! My town didn’t even have Pride until 2021 (I was part of that! I made the T-shirts! Haha!), so I wonder if there will be some other kid in my district that draws parallels to this book and really enjoys it.
Rita was a very fun villain!! Very classic children’s book™️. Comically evil, but in a silly way, and I kind of loved how despite the whole conflict revolving around her being vehemently against Pride happening, it’s… not for any queerphobic reasons, she just hates not being the center of attention (and fun) LOL???
My main issue, though, is that the pacing is a mess. The first half is great at introducing the characters and building them up, but the pride itself isn’t introduced until halfway through. I was anxiously checking the page numbers by the end, because SO MUCH had to be resolved so quickly! I would have also liked to see more of Norman and the townspeople.
Tbh I didn’t think I’d get to read this, but my library listened to my materials request, and I’m very glad they did! My town didn’t even have Pride until 2021 (I was part of that! I made the T-shirts! Haha!), so I wonder if there will be some other kid in my district that draws parallels to this book and really enjoys it.
Trans-Galactic Bike Ride: Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories of Transgender and Nonbinary Adventurers by Lydia Rogue
3.5
I might lower this to 3.5 stars because although I thought a lot of the stories were written well, quite a few of them became forgettable by the end. With a specific theme such as bicycling sci-fi, you’d think this collection would get repetitive, but every author managed to be creative and bizarre in some way. Sometimes I vibed with it, sometimes I didn’t, because although so many of these worlds were unique, the shortness of this anthology meant the depth they could’ve presented was compromised.
My personal favorites were “Clashing/Complementa” (that one was very cute but also action-packed!), and “Beyond” (I felt it was a strong end to the collection, and the mix of optimism and melancholy reflected the overarching theme of change. I also thought that of all the exposition-heavy stories, the worldbuilding was the most creative here).
My personal favorites were “Clashing/Complementa” (that one was very cute but also action-packed!), and “Beyond” (I felt it was a strong end to the collection, and the mix of optimism and melancholy reflected the overarching theme of change. I also thought that of all the exposition-heavy stories, the worldbuilding was the most creative here).
American Christmas by Adriana Herrera
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
Cute, but I’m all Christmas’ed out, and while I’m sure the exposition is there to make the story accessible to those reading the books out of order (🙋) it just feels like infodumping. Perhaps I’ll get around to finishing it next December.
Jasmine Is Haunted by Mark Oshiro
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
One of those books I a.) got from the bookstore before I even finished my library copy (my first book purchase of the year!! Yay), b.) struggled to read the further I got in, but not out of disinterest. The idea of letting go of the characters saddened me. (…But, after going through my own strange range of emotions, I was glad the journey was over. Look, I started getting attached to this book a la “Bianca Torre Is Afraid Of Everything 2023 coping mechanism”, and that was very fun until I got to the end and was once again slapped in the face by the paternal grief.)
First and foremost, I really adored the inclusivity of the cast. Especially the queer rep!! As someone who had very fluid gender expression in middle school, Bea resonated so heavily with me. I was even able to clock when they’d start using they/them pronouns because the outfits they’d wear were similar to ones I would wear on the days I presented more masc.🥺 (Bea just had the advantage of no jorts layered over patterned leggings. And having an actual beanie! I’d stuff my hair under a cap, lord.) It was so trippy to see myself reflected in a book like that! 🥹
(Besides that, though, I did also enjoy Bea as a character. Were the twists about the reasons for all their actions very predictable? Yes, but I think younger readers will enjoy piecing everything together. And I still thought they were interesting.) (And oh, Bea influencing Jasmine’s style too😭💕that moment with her in the pink dress was just so cute.)
The sense of community throughout was endearing, made even moreso by how new its solidity and the feeling of it is to Jasmine. I thought that the neighbors felt more developed than the middle school teachers, though, likely because their interactions with Jasmine could be a lot more casual. But also because they felt the most like people, even if their emotions and issues were still viewed with the limited understanding of a child.
Of course, though, the Gay Supernatural Alliance was a prime example of character community I loved to read about! Their banter was oftentimes silly, but their friendship also felt authentic (age-typical anxieties, and arguments included). I did appreciate that while there was oftentimes conflict that came with a trio of kids with unmanaged grief trying deal with literal and metaphorical ghosts, none of it was toxic enough to make the GSA’s bond feel fragile. They were just hiccups that could be (and were) addressed and fixed.
I think in the middle, when the ghosts are just starting to be tracked but there’s not exactly a way to communicate with or trap them yet, that the chapters can get a bit repetitive. I didn’t have much of an issue with it because I thought the plot was exciting, but I can see other readers tuning out. Some other qualms I can think of are that some of the dialogue felt a little awkward—especially when it referenced modern slang, and that the ending was very “I know! We’ll use the power of friendship😃” LOL… Also, Spanish speakers (especially Mexican-Americans) correct me if I’m wrong, but some of the Spanish felt awkwardly placed?😭
I feel tempted to add more thoughts, but I don’t really have the bandwidth for it. Not now, probably not even in the future. Point is: I enjoyed this, and I’m glad to have this as a second book of the year. Makes me even more peeved that I couldn’t make it to Mark Oshiro’s book tour when they were literally in my state man
First and foremost, I really adored the inclusivity of the cast. Especially the queer rep!! As someone who had very fluid gender expression in middle school, Bea resonated so heavily with me. I was even able to clock when they’d start using they/them pronouns because the outfits they’d wear were similar to ones I would wear on the days I presented more masc.🥺 (Bea just had the advantage of no jorts layered over patterned leggings. And having an actual beanie! I’d stuff my hair under a cap, lord.) It was so trippy to see myself reflected in a book like that! 🥹
(Besides that, though, I did also enjoy Bea as a character. Were the twists about the reasons for all their actions very predictable? Yes, but I think younger readers will enjoy piecing everything together. And I still thought they were interesting.) (And oh, Bea influencing Jasmine’s style too😭💕that moment with her in the pink dress was just so cute.)
The sense of community throughout was endearing, made even moreso by how new its solidity and the feeling of it is to Jasmine. I thought that the neighbors felt more developed than the middle school teachers, though, likely because their interactions with Jasmine could be a lot more casual. But also because they felt the most like people, even if their emotions and issues were still viewed with the limited understanding of a child.
Of course, though, the Gay Supernatural Alliance was a prime example of character community I loved to read about! Their banter was oftentimes silly, but their friendship also felt authentic (age-typical anxieties, and arguments included). I did appreciate that while there was oftentimes conflict that came with a trio of kids with unmanaged grief trying deal with literal and metaphorical ghosts, none of it was toxic enough to make the GSA’s bond feel fragile. They were just hiccups that could be (and were) addressed and fixed.
I think in the middle, when the ghosts are just starting to be tracked but there’s not exactly a way to communicate with or trap them yet, that the chapters can get a bit repetitive. I didn’t have much of an issue with it because I thought the plot was exciting, but I can see other readers tuning out. Some other qualms I can think of are that some of the dialogue felt a little awkward—especially when it referenced modern slang, and that the ending was very “I know! We’ll use the power of friendship😃” LOL… Also, Spanish speakers (especially Mexican-Americans) correct me if I’m wrong, but some of the Spanish felt awkwardly placed?😭
I feel tempted to add more thoughts, but I don’t really have the bandwidth for it. Not now, probably not even in the future. Point is: I enjoyed this, and I’m glad to have this as a second book of the year. Makes me even more peeved that I couldn’t make it to Mark Oshiro’s book tour when they were literally in my state man
The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan
4.0
First book I finished in 2024!!! Dare I say the experience of getting ahold of this was as tumultuous as the story itself. Not a single library in a ten-mile radius had this in its database or its shelves, the only version on Amazon is the audiobook, this isn’t even on libro.fm, and when the materials request I sent in went through, I got a worn copy from a completely different library district that has an entire page ripped out. Wonderful. (Anyone who read pages 97-98, please let me know what happens.)
Back to “The Gloaming” itself! I’d describe it as dreamlike, beautifully written and unexpectedly bleak. While the writing style isn’t the most sophisticated, I think the attentiveness to the smaller or more human actions/details of the characters adds some realism to the emotions throughout. Particularly the grief that ripples through the Mara and her family. This is a more introspective than plot-focused novel, but I was still rarely bored, which is extraordinary for me reading litfic lol.
(But like another reviewer, I was disappointed by the lack of actual mermaids—the mermaids on the cover come from the consistent fairy tale references and Pearl’s performing job.)
The parents ended up being my favorites of the cast! That probably comes from them feeling the most developed, though. But their marriage, and Signe taking care of Peter as he’s slowly solidifying, broke me man. They’re very sweet with each other, but also kind of recognizing their shortcomings in how they’ve raised their kids. (I did recently read a play with a healthy hetero couple doomed by the narrative though, maybe I’m just drawing parallels bc I really liked that one, or I’m figuring out a trope I like lmao.) AND THEIR STATUE POSES… I really love the twist of what Peter’s turned out to be.
The writing, while sometimes flowery, was also ominous. Hinted at pages in advance, and a marker of a character’s emotional decline, the gradual statue transformations were so existential and horrifying to read about. Especially the internal monologues that followed the walks up the cliff (although, they were on-the-nose).
All the characters are very flawed, though, so it’s kind of hard to love everyone, particularly Islay and Mara: Islay’s resentment turning her downright rude to her sister was annoying to read about, even if I could track most of her thought process. Mara was also very idealistic and, while that’s addressed frequently, I disliked how that prevented her from seeing Pearl as an equal for a lot of the novel. (Should be noted that neither of those qualities are flaws of the writing. I think the only structure-related issue I found with the sisters’ arcs comes from the surface-level deconstructions of fairytale tropes, and repetition of some of the themes.)
The mix of vocabulary was an interesting touch, too! Most of the titles for the chapters are words in Scots, although there’s others in English that are ballet or boxing terms. All of them were carefully chosen depending on the themes of every chapter. I can imagine this being very fun to analyze as a book club.
I gave this 4 and not 5 stars, though, because I still wanted a bit more substance. Not only does the plot meander, but sometimes the characters felt a little flat. I would’ve especially liked to see more from Pearl, although I did like the final moment she had with Signe. The ending twist of the narrator confused me, and maybe as more time goes by it will frustrate me, but I liked the symbolism of the storm. (And I even liked leaving the story open-ended. Most of the book is about challenging simplistic perspectives of people and stories, or avoiding generalizing people as stories. It’s a good way to show that imo.)
I still think “The Gloaming” is a solid way to start the year, especially after finishing it on a cloudy snowy day. Its narrative will haunt me for a while. Thank you to Clau (radicalqueerreads on Instagram) for recommending this, I truly would have never put it on my radar otherwise!
Back to “The Gloaming” itself! I’d describe it as dreamlike, beautifully written and unexpectedly bleak. While the writing style isn’t the most sophisticated, I think the attentiveness to the smaller or more human actions/details of the characters adds some realism to the emotions throughout. Particularly the grief that ripples through the Mara and her family. This is a more introspective than plot-focused novel, but I was still rarely bored, which is extraordinary for me reading litfic lol.
(But like another reviewer, I was disappointed by the lack of actual mermaids—the mermaids on the cover come from the consistent fairy tale references and Pearl’s performing job.)
The parents ended up being my favorites of the cast! That probably comes from them feeling the most developed, though. But their marriage, and Signe taking care of Peter as he’s slowly solidifying, broke me man. They’re very sweet with each other, but also kind of recognizing their shortcomings in how they’ve raised their kids. (I did recently read a play with a healthy hetero couple doomed by the narrative though, maybe I’m just drawing parallels bc I really liked that one, or I’m figuring out a trope I like lmao.) AND THEIR STATUE POSES… I really love the twist of what Peter’s turned out to be.
The writing, while sometimes flowery, was also ominous. Hinted at pages in advance, and a marker of a character’s emotional decline, the gradual statue transformations were so existential and horrifying to read about. Especially the internal monologues that followed the walks up the cliff (although, they were on-the-nose).
All the characters are very flawed, though, so it’s kind of hard to love everyone, particularly Islay and Mara: Islay’s resentment turning her downright rude to her sister was annoying to read about, even if I could track most of her thought process. Mara was also very idealistic and, while that’s addressed frequently, I disliked how that prevented her from seeing Pearl as an equal for a lot of the novel. (Should be noted that neither of those qualities are flaws of the writing. I think the only structure-related issue I found with the sisters’ arcs comes from the surface-level deconstructions of fairytale tropes, and repetition of some of the themes.)
The mix of vocabulary was an interesting touch, too! Most of the titles for the chapters are words in Scots, although there’s others in English that are ballet or boxing terms. All of them were carefully chosen depending on the themes of every chapter. I can imagine this being very fun to analyze as a book club.
I gave this 4 and not 5 stars, though, because I still wanted a bit more substance. Not only does the plot meander, but sometimes the characters felt a little flat. I would’ve especially liked to see more from Pearl, although I did like the final moment she had with Signe. The ending twist of the narrator confused me, and maybe as more time goes by it will frustrate me, but I liked the symbolism of the storm. (And I even liked leaving the story open-ended. Most of the book is about challenging simplistic perspectives of people and stories, or avoiding generalizing people as stories. It’s a good way to show that imo.)
I still think “The Gloaming” is a solid way to start the year, especially after finishing it on a cloudy snowy day. Its narrative will haunt me for a while. Thank you to Clau (radicalqueerreads on Instagram) for recommending this, I truly would have never put it on my radar otherwise!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual content
The Longest Night by E.E. Ottoman
3.0
E.E. Ottoman-typical cozy + affirming queer vibes, and vividly described food. Rating would be slightly higher, if the typos and grammar errors weren’t so frequent it became distracting.
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
3.5
I might lower this to 3.5 stars, but we’ll see. While I’m with the other reviewers on how Marin’s emotions felt distant, that wasn’t a huge issue for me because I thought the book felt like roughly 230 pages of depression-related disassociation anyhow, and the simple prose captured her heartbreak. This is probably the closest to literary fiction that YA is gonna get?
I can see why this is so highly recommended. I haven’t read such a visceral, miserable depiction of grief in my life before. The story is meandering, but the gradual unraveling of Marin’s memories and the realism of her spiraling (also, I eat up YA books with easier writing styles) kept me turning the pages until I lost track of the numbers. The flashbacks felt like actual memories put onto a page, the bittersweetness in the homely visuals were tangible. However, I didn’t find the characters as complex as some of the reviews were saying they were. I would’ve liked to see them developed more, especially some of the interesting side characters Marin would dwell on. (Also, while the ending was still sweet in a way, it felt too much like Ana was pressuring Marin lol. Wasn’t a fan of the dialogue in that scene.)
Also, two (maybe three?) of the jokes were in poor taste. (One used the e slur, another joked about living off-grid and living in a teepee.) The consistent references to classics and lofty metaphors already make “We Are Okay” seem a little annoying and pretentious at times, that just exacerbated it.
I’m still coping with the loss of my father, so a lot of this felt relatable to me. Maybe that’s why I still thought of this positively, for the most part. Most of all, though, I am so grateful I was able to finish this before the end of the month. God is real because I can finally rest knowing that “Alien Abduction For Beginners” won’t be my last read of the year.
I can see why this is so highly recommended. I haven’t read such a visceral, miserable depiction of grief in my life before. The story is meandering, but the gradual unraveling of Marin’s memories and the realism of her spiraling (also, I eat up YA books with easier writing styles) kept me turning the pages until I lost track of the numbers. The flashbacks felt like actual memories put onto a page, the bittersweetness in the homely visuals were tangible. However, I didn’t find the characters as complex as some of the reviews were saying they were. I would’ve liked to see them developed more, especially some of the interesting side characters Marin would dwell on. (Also, while the ending was still sweet in a way, it felt too much like Ana was pressuring Marin lol. Wasn’t a fan of the dialogue in that scene.)
Also, two (maybe three?) of the jokes were in poor taste. (One used the e slur, another joked about living off-grid and living in a teepee.) The consistent references to classics and lofty metaphors already make “We Are Okay” seem a little annoying and pretentious at times, that just exacerbated it.
I’m still coping with the loss of my father, so a lot of this felt relatable to me. Maybe that’s why I still thought of this positively, for the most part. Most of all, though, I am so grateful I was able to finish this before the end of the month. God is real because I can finally rest knowing that “Alien Abduction For Beginners” won’t be my last read of the year.
Alien Abduction for Beginners by Skye MacKinnon
But I will say that the author sounded nice in her note at the end. It crushed me a bit to leave such a low rating, but I genuinely can’t find anything redeemable. My mistake, perhaps, for venturing too far out of my comfort zone.
1.0
Extra star added because I did enjoy Bridget Bordeaux’s narration as Trish, while I wasn’t the biggest fan of her masculine voices, I did like how she voiced her character’s confusion. (Honestly, her POV chapters, in both narration and writing, were the highlights of this novella.) To be honest, she’s kind of the only reason I picked this up, I have “A Sky Of Emerald Stars” on my audio TBR (she voices Sadie’s POV!) but wanted to hear what she narrated like beforehand and this was the most bizarre choice I saw on her catalogue.
Not a big fan of this. I saw someone in the reviews be all shocked about the alien cumbut the only abnormal thing it does is stain skin like a permanent marker. Nothing special there, it’s just a little silly. The POVs of the aliens were more painful to read than amusing, especially with the theatrical, often tonally inappropriate narration done for them. I’m also bummed we didn’t get more of Trish’s POV, not just for the preferences listed in the first paragraph, but also because I felt it objectified her more. (The aliens’ lack of knowledge about women, while probably laughed at by the narrative, makes a lot of their conversations about Trish and sex feel robotic and locker room-adjacent. It was a little uncomfortable, to say the least.) Xil’s surface-level feminism also made me roll my eyes, it took a little too long for that to be made fun of.
The writing style was also very janky, from a human POV being in very little of the novel. Straightforward, but not in a clinical way? It was just awkward? I know that was intentional, I still think it took away practically all the appeal of the sex scenes.
Other critiques:
Not a big fan of this. I saw someone in the reviews be all shocked about the alien cum
The writing style was also very janky, from a human POV being in very little of the novel. Straightforward, but not in a clinical way? It was just awkward? I know that was intentional, I still think it took away practically all the appeal of the sex scenes.
Other critiques:
- Maybe it’s because of other works I’ve read about alien characters (that are… on the depths of Ao3, I admit), but this was not nearly as bizarre as the plot made it seem. The story seems to think it’s much freakier than it actually is— case in point: Trish’s repeated internal monologue of “I was probed by aliens, and liked it!” and other variations.
- Wasn’t Trish first described as having dark skin??? With some kind of braid pattern??? Her cover image being a whole white woman REALLY threw me off, what even constitutes as dark lmao, but also she would have been ABYSMAL rep so idc
- How can the aliens be described as genetically similar to humans, but not be made up of water or even know what it is? Surely that would provide a couple issues???
- (Leaving this without a spoiler warning because it’s in the novella titles, I realize.) Not intending on reading the other books in this series, but the change in course difficulty (from beginner to advanced) is such a sudden jump?? Should I even be thinking about logic for a book like this, though?
But I will say that the author sounded nice in her note at the end. It crushed me a bit to leave such a low rating, but I genuinely can’t find anything redeemable. My mistake, perhaps, for venturing too far out of my comfort zone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Kidnapping
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
(Don’t be intimidated by the suicidal thoughts TW. It’s just Trish being miserable on Earth and simultaneously almost dying from heatstroke/exhaustion.)