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citrus_seasalt's reviews
316 reviews
Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Tsai
Finished this 14 minutes before my loan expiredđŞ Iâll give myself an extra day to decide on a rating. For now, Iâll just say that, regardless of what my overall rating turns out to be, this was intriguing from beginning to end, and the author clearly loves the original Frankenstein story. Sometimes this made for some awkward spoon-feeding of the themes, but Tsai understands it on a fundamental level for sure and that extends to their characters.
I thought the POV switches were subpar? All three POVs more or less have the same writing style, and if it werenât for the changes in personality reflected in their thoughts then I wouldnât know whoâs talking without a chapter name. Perhaps Ashâs writing can be excused, though, because diaâs âPOVâ is essentially a recollection of the story dia told an unreliable narrator? It didnât feel like that interchangeability was intentional, though. I do think that Ashâs genuine thought process was shown and the storytelling plot device was just used as the reason to include it. (Iâm assuming so, based on how the narrative treats dia.)
The writing also isnât subtle, sometimes (often?) to the point of repetition. Particularly in Zâs chapters, where the first half is establishing her motivations for creating Ash. Iâd be able to garner the message of a characterâs parallels from a sentence or a paragraph, but a chapter later it would be reiterated, and I kind of hate that it seemed like the readerbase wasnât trusted to pick up the inner workings of the characters? (This especially annoyed me when Plum started drawing comparisons to Z and Ash. She would constantly stress whenever sheâd find more of herself in either of them and⌠I knew that already, lmao???) However, I thought that style of writing worked best towards the end of Plumâs POV, as she struggled through her pregnancy. To me, it worked in capturing the patterns she noticed in her life, and that led to her current (toxic) situation with Z. In those moments where sheâs kind of dissecting the dysfunction of her life, itâs probably more important to be on-the-nose if sheâs having a couple of breakthroughs (which she was).
On the topic of the writing style: yes, it does still try to emulate Shelleyâs writing despite the difference in time period. (Both in the events of the story, and when it was written.) Sometime moments I thought it was an interesting homage, others I thought it made the dialogue stilted, but that was particularly in Zâs chaptersâ there were⌠occasional 19th-century formalities at different points in her chapters? I understand the creative choice behind how her POV was structured, though, I just didnât personally vibe with it. Iâm also still trying to wrap my head around what I think of Ash as a representation of the monster, because while I feel the ableism around dia needs to be addressed, Z isnât meant to be a good person and her opinions are frequently disagreed with. (I do acknowledge that some of the horror about dia, though, comes from diaâs origins and not just dia being disfigured/disabled.)
The ending was so abrupt?! Why did we skip right to the epilogue! So much mustâve had to happen off-page, wtf!
But, I really loved the queer representation! Plum, Z and even Ash categorize themselves in queer terms from their heritage rather than western terminology, and while specifically Plum and Z lived the struggles (and felt the expectations) of women, they werenât strictly defined by that gender. (I canât help but wonder if some of Plumâs uneasiness about her body towards the end was a bit of gender dysphoria?) I canât speak in-depth on the Asian representation, but it was interesting seeing the parallel biracial narratives, and the points of contention that came not just from having a white parent that needed to unlearn their racism, but also from navigating the scientific world as female-presenting people.
I have mixed feelings about the execution of âUnwieldy Creaturesâ, but I came here from JesseOnYoutubeâs recommendation, and I can see why they adored it so much. Iâm a little surprised it isnât talked about more often, to be honest?! Itâs a very creative interpretation of Frankenstein, and as far as sci-fi goes, has the most scientific-sounding explanations for all the shit that unfolds. (There were several pages of further reading I didnât have time to copy down, as much research went into writing this as the average fanfic.) (That is a compliment btw. I saw someone look into what space tasted like just so they could write a monsterfucking fic)
I thought the POV switches were subpar? All three POVs more or less have the same writing style, and if it werenât for the changes in personality reflected in their thoughts then I wouldnât know whoâs talking without a chapter name. Perhaps Ashâs writing can be excused, though, because diaâs âPOVâ is essentially a recollection of the story dia told an unreliable narrator? It didnât feel like that interchangeability was intentional, though. I do think that Ashâs genuine thought process was shown and the storytelling plot device was just used as the reason to include it. (Iâm assuming so, based on how the narrative treats dia.)
The writing also isnât subtle, sometimes (often?) to the point of repetition. Particularly in Zâs chapters, where the first half is establishing her motivations for creating Ash. Iâd be able to garner the message of a characterâs parallels from a sentence or a paragraph, but a chapter later it would be reiterated, and I kind of hate that it seemed like the readerbase wasnât trusted to pick up the inner workings of the characters? (This especially annoyed me when Plum started drawing comparisons to Z and Ash. She would constantly stress whenever sheâd find more of herself in either of them and⌠I knew that already, lmao???) However, I thought that style of writing worked best towards the end of Plumâs POV, as she struggled through her pregnancy. To me, it worked in capturing the patterns she noticed in her life, and that led to her current (toxic) situation with Z. In those moments where sheâs kind of dissecting the dysfunction of her life, itâs probably more important to be on-the-nose if sheâs having a couple of breakthroughs (which she was).
On the topic of the writing style: yes, it does still try to emulate Shelleyâs writing despite the difference in time period. (Both in the events of the story, and when it was written.) Sometime moments I thought it was an interesting homage, others I thought it made the dialogue stilted, but that was particularly in Zâs chaptersâ there were⌠occasional 19th-century formalities at different points in her chapters? I understand the creative choice behind how her POV was structured, though, I just didnât personally vibe with it. Iâm also still trying to wrap my head around what I think of Ash as a representation of the monster, because while I feel the ableism around dia needs to be addressed, Z isnât meant to be a good person and her opinions are frequently disagreed with. (I do acknowledge that some of the horror about dia, though, comes from diaâs origins and not just dia being disfigured/disabled.)
The ending was so abrupt?! Why did we skip right to the epilogue! So much mustâve had to happen off-page, wtf!
But, I really loved the queer representation! Plum, Z and even Ash categorize themselves in queer terms from their heritage rather than western terminology, and while specifically Plum and Z lived the struggles (and felt the expectations) of women, they werenât strictly defined by that gender. (I canât help but wonder if some of Plumâs uneasiness about her body towards the end was a bit of gender dysphoria?) I canât speak in-depth on the Asian representation, but it was interesting seeing the parallel biracial narratives, and the points of contention that came not just from having a white parent that needed to unlearn their racism, but also from navigating the scientific world as female-presenting people.
I have mixed feelings about the execution of âUnwieldy Creaturesâ, but I came here from JesseOnYoutubeâs recommendation, and I can see why they adored it so much. Iâm a little surprised it isnât talked about more often, to be honest?! Itâs a very creative interpretation of Frankenstein, and as far as sci-fi goes, has the most scientific-sounding explanations for all the shit that unfolds. (There were several pages of further reading I didnât have time to copy down, as much research went into writing this as the average fanfic.) (That is a compliment btw. I saw someone look into what space tasted like just so they could write a monsterfucking fic)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Outing
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Dysphoria
Super Late Bloomer: My Early Days in Transition by Julia Kaye
Not quite sure what to rate this because Iâm not used to rating comic collections like this, but I will say that it was comforting. Iâm not a trans womanâIâm transmasc and nonbinaryâ but I enjoyed reading about Julia navigating her womanhood and learning to recognize herself. Iâm currently at that dreadful back-and-forth stage Julia alluded to, where I feel out of place in my body, but the idea of medically transitioning scares me. Her struggles with dysphoria, especially, really hit.
All but one of her comics were very short (three panels each, to be exact), but they were all very honest. It was interesting seeing how her issues shifted (especially those around being perceived), the more she started to pass.
Also, I loved the art style! It was expressive and sometimes cute. Gave me a burst of artistic inspiration.
All but one of her comics were very short (three panels each, to be exact), but they were all very honest. It was interesting seeing how her issues shifted (especially those around being perceived), the more she started to pass.
Also, I loved the art style! It was expressive and sometimes cute. Gave me a burst of artistic inspiration.
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
4.5
too emotionally unwell to write a review. (Was it seeing me and a friend Iâve fallen terribly in love with in Mags and Nessa? Was it seeing the offerings Mags made to the monster and the state she was in, when I didnât know the trigger warnings and have been exceptionally depressed? Both? The world may never know.) For a YA graphic novel, it relied more heavily on visual storytelling and it definitely made the emotions feel more personal. I especially loved the authorâs use of multimedia and color.
Mags and Nessaâs romance was very sweet. It was wrecking me to see them take so long to leave behind the toxic relationships they would caution the other against, though. certified teenagers moment.
Not much else to say except for that I would need to give this a reread in order to analyze the narrativeâs inclusion of generational trauma, and how color in the panels is used as an indicator of Magsâs development. (On that last note! Holy shit, those last 20 pages. Gorgeous.) I thought by the length this would take me forever to finish, but I blew through it in two sessions.
Mags and Nessaâs romance was very sweet. It was wrecking me to see them take so long to leave behind the toxic relationships they would caution the other against, though. certified teenagers moment.
Not much else to say except for that I would need to give this a reread in order to analyze the narrativeâs inclusion of generational trauma, and how color in the panels is used as an indicator of Magsâs development. (On that last note! Holy shit, those last 20 pages. Gorgeous.) I thought by the length this would take me forever to finish, but I blew through it in two sessions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content, Gaslighting
Her Night With Santa by Adriana Herrera
3.5
Overall, hot and fun, if a little standard. A lot of my enjoyment definitely came from the narration, though. Also, it was my first time hearing Brooke Haydenâs narration, and I really loved the energy she brought to Kristina! She definitely noticed the humor in a premise as absurd as this one, but she also did her best to bring some softness to the (few) genuine moments scattered throughout (not that I could take it seriously, but thatâs the writingâs fault HAHA). Unfortunately, her other narration credits seem to be for romances I donât have any interest in reading, but I might listen to them just for her.
I wonât lie, Farnazâs chapters sounded like they were recorded in a closet. (It was oddly refreshing, though, bc Iâve never heard that in a Vico Ortiz audiobook before??đusually they record in a booth, I believe) Kristinaâs didnât have the same issue though, so that just created another reason for their two voices to clash. I donât think it was a major issue, though, except for that mediocre audio quality and consistently low, husky narration isnât the best mix lol?? (i did have to turn up my volume through my earbuds.)
I wasnât a fan of the instalove, there isnât a way to make a one night stand into a convincing romance IMO. I can see the visionâKristinaâs arc was very obvious!â but it was also hindered by how short this was. Some of the dialogue was a little awkward, and I didnât entirely vibe with the dirty talk but that mightâve been because of my gender dysphoria? (There were a decent number of lines that made me cringe.đ)
uh happy holidays everyone
I wonât lie, Farnazâs chapters sounded like they were recorded in a closet. (It was oddly refreshing, though, bc Iâve never heard that in a Vico Ortiz audiobook before??đusually they record in a booth, I believe) Kristinaâs didnât have the same issue though, so that just created another reason for their two voices to clash. I donât think it was a major issue, though, except for that mediocre audio quality and consistently low, husky narration isnât the best mix lol?? (i did have to turn up my volume through my earbuds.)
I wasnât a fan of the instalove, there isnât a way to make a one night stand into a convincing romance IMO. I can see the visionâKristinaâs arc was very obvious!â but it was also hindered by how short this was. Some of the dialogue was a little awkward, and I didnât entirely vibe with the dirty talk but that mightâve been because of my gender dysphoria? (There were a decent number of lines that made me cringe.đ)
uh happy holidays everyone
The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic
1.0
You know when you go onto Ao3, donât add any filters to your search, and two pages of results in you end up on the side of the site where itâs demented, gorey, and thereâs a couple âDead Dove: Do Not Eatâ fics, but nothing illegal yet? This is basically what reading this feels like. Though, everything about thisâthe dedication to misrepresenting every single mental disorder and illness depicted, the occasional fashion mentions, and the overt edginess(homophobic and ableist slurs included, lol)âmake it a relic of its 2013 publication.
Do not ask me to list the pros and cons of the writing. The only pro I can really think of is that the writing style was sometimes engaging.
(The logistics of anything in this book fall on their face if you think too much, but I didnât really care about that. There is no world where I would read mafia sports fiction where the main sport isnât even real, and expect a story that makes sense. My main issue was with how unpleasant it was to read)
I put this in the âbooks that made me cryâ shelf because reading this book ruined my mood twice. (Okay. One of those times was just external circumstances adding up, though, and the thought of reading the last 30 pages was enough to make me break.) Iâve heard the second book is better, though, so I might still read it. I will try to not be on the cusp of a breakdown this time.
Trigger warnings, for anyone who needs them: Ableism (in the narrative and from other characters), child abuse, physical and emotional abuse, murder, sexual assault (on-page, drugging involved), rape (implied) + rape jokes, homophobic slurs, a found family so dysfunctional I forgot that was one of the tropes.
Do not ask me to list the pros and cons of the writing. The only pro I can really think of is that the writing style was sometimes engaging.
(The logistics of anything in this book fall on their face if you think too much, but I didnât really care about that. There is no world where I would read mafia sports fiction where the main sport isnât even real, and expect a story that makes sense. My main issue was with how unpleasant it was to read)
I put this in the âbooks that made me cryâ shelf because reading this book ruined my mood twice. (Okay. One of those times was just external circumstances adding up, though, and the thought of reading the last 30 pages was enough to make me break.) Iâve heard the second book is better, though, so I might still read it. I will try to not be on the cusp of a breakdown this time.
Trigger warnings, for anyone who needs them: Ableism (in the narrative and from other characters), child abuse, physical and emotional abuse, murder, sexual assault (on-page, drugging involved), rape (implied) + rape jokes, homophobic slurs, a found family so dysfunctional I forgot that was one of the tropes.
Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas
(Do not even get me started on their attempts at being properly evil and smug.)
Maybe me connecting all Xioâs dots in record time (despite reading TST over a year ago) comes from me very quickly catching parallels to a character from a show I used to watch and analyze the fuck out of, thoughâŚ
The dialogue was awful. The tone stays funny despite the high stakes, but it makes almost every character interaction feel like a terrible Marvel movie. I am surprised there wasnât a âheâs right behind me, isnât heâ moment. (We did get a âyouâre the plan guy!â moment, though. WITH A CALLBACK TO IT, TOO. Two strikes.) Even Niya was starting to get on my nerves, which is⌠something, because I was already used to her having corny dialogue, courtesy of her being a herbo.
As of now, though, I have this above 1 star, so Iâll be listing my reasons for why, despite me writing several paragraphs of scathing criticism.
I can see a younger teenage audience really enjoying this, particularly those that grew up with the likes of kids/teen cartoons like She-Ra, but I personally found it too juvenile. Though, maybe this storytelling style would work best in visual form. Iâm not totally opposed to the idea of a TV adaptation. (Maybe thatâs because thereâd have to be a lack of an internal monologue?)
2.0
Ok, Iâm gonna be cursing excessively because I was very disappointed by this. Sorry to my Booksta friends that enjoyed it.
Settling on a 2.0, but I disliked reading this so much I might just lower it later out of spite (or have my Goodreads review as a ârounded upâ rating idk). Canât tell if I was disappointed because the frontal lobe developed more and Iâm just not as much a fan of Aiden Thomasâs humor, or because the plot had to drastically change because of the lack of the Trials (plus so many of the characters I had fun with last book were imprisoned).
Iâm aware a trademark of the YA genre is keeping things juvenile, but honestly every theme was hammered in, and every arc (ESPECIALLY XIOâS REDEMPTION, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS AN UNCONVINCING VILLAIN) was rushed as fuck. Even the politics felt half-baked? Anyhow; I feel like the only thing that was handled well was Chupacabra kicking Teo, Niya, and Aurelioâs ass the first time they fought because⌠yeah, there was NO way their power level (and lack of training on Teoâs part) could compare.
The ending was so fucking sad and the author only partially realizes it??? I have my gripes with Xio but my heart still broke in two for them especially. And the implications of how the other semidioses are going to live now were only partially addressed in the epilogue. I feel like there would be a LOTTT more grief from a bunch of teenagers coping with that đ¤¨
Xioâs pronouns were handled so awkwardly. I was so stoked to have nonbinary he/they representation, but they introduced their pronouns at the most awkward times just so the author could make jokes about other characters talking back to them while gendering them correctly. Iâm sure a couple of people will find that funny but I just cringed so bad I put my book down for a couple minutes.
Back to Xio: their POV took a while to grow on me. Their time spent trying to kiss up to the Obsidians was fucking excruciating to read. His motivations for doing so are already obvious, and yet their facade, struggle for validation and obvious lying to themself is analyzed on-page by the narrative.
Settling on a 2.0, but I disliked reading this so much I might just lower it later out of spite (or have my Goodreads review as a ârounded upâ rating idk). Canât tell if I was disappointed because the frontal lobe developed more and Iâm just not as much a fan of Aiden Thomasâs humor, or because the plot had to drastically change because of the lack of the Trials (plus so many of the characters I had fun with last book were imprisoned).
Iâm aware a trademark of the YA genre is keeping things juvenile, but honestly every theme was hammered in, and every arc (ESPECIALLY XIOâS REDEMPTION, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS AN UNCONVINCING VILLAIN) was rushed as fuck. Even the politics felt half-baked? Anyhow; I feel like the only thing that was handled well was Chupacabra kicking Teo, Niya, and Aurelioâs ass the first time they fought because⌠yeah, there was NO way their power level (and lack of training on Teoâs part) could compare.
The ending was so fucking sad and the author only partially realizes it??? I have my gripes with Xio but my heart still broke in two for them especially. And the implications of how the other semidioses are going to live now were only partially addressed in the epilogue. I feel like there would be a LOTTT more grief from a bunch of teenagers coping with that đ¤¨
Xioâs pronouns were handled so awkwardly. I was so stoked to have nonbinary he/they representation, but they introduced their pronouns at the most awkward times just so the author could make jokes about other characters talking back to them while gendering them correctly. Iâm sure a couple of people will find that funny but I just cringed so bad I put my book down for a couple minutes.
Back to Xio: their POV took a while to grow on me. Their time spent trying to kiss up to the Obsidians was fucking excruciating to read. His motivations for doing so are already obvious, and yet their facade, struggle for validation and obvious lying to themself is analyzed on-page by the narrative.
Xio shook himself. âVengeance is the name of the game,â he said, shuttering his guilt behind a well-crafted facade.
(Do not even get me started on their attempts at being properly evil and smug.)
Maybe me connecting all Xioâs dots in record time (despite reading TST over a year ago) comes from me very quickly catching parallels to a character from a show I used to watch and analyze the fuck out of, thoughâŚ
The dialogue was awful. The tone stays funny despite the high stakes, but it makes almost every character interaction feel like a terrible Marvel movie. I am surprised there wasnât a âheâs right behind me, isnât heâ moment. (We did get a âyouâre the plan guy!â moment, though. WITH A CALLBACK TO IT, TOO. Two strikes.) Even Niya was starting to get on my nerves, which is⌠something, because I was already used to her having corny dialogue, courtesy of her being a herbo.
As of now, though, I have this above 1 star, so Iâll be listing my reasons for why, despite me writing several paragraphs of scathing criticism.
- First, although I had gripes with both Teo and Xioâs POVs, their juxtaposition was interesting. Xioâs became more fun once I saw them on the path toward redemption and saw them get called out, but unfortunately, their reunion with the main trio was way too quick to provide any meaningful ways for them to make amends.
- Secondly, the lack of subtlety, the lighthearted teenage-appropriate voice with an otherwise dark (but still action-packed) plot, and the casual queer rep felt nostalgic. Iâll hint at why, towards the end of the review.
- Third, there were still some interesting characters, even if their complexity was only a shredâMala Suerte, for instance. (He seriously grew on me this book.)
- And overall, while the plot is generic, the world itself isnât, at least to me. I liked learning about more of it.
I can see a younger teenage audience really enjoying this, particularly those that grew up with the likes of kids/teen cartoons like She-Ra, but I personally found it too juvenile. Though, maybe this storytelling style would work best in visual form. Iâm not totally opposed to the idea of a TV adaptation. (Maybe thatâs because thereâd have to be a lack of an internal monologue?)
Blackjack + Moonshine by Sirius
4.0
What a book to be the first (published) erotica Iâve read in full, LMAO! Thank you to my Instagram mutual (and fiend), finding.of.the.book.fae, for recommending this. It was a wild ride.
(Sidenote: I love that this is inspired by a drag performance the author did?!?! But also that makes so much sense in retrospect!)
âBlackjack + Moonshineâ is as sexy as itâs advertised to be, but itâs dark and tense in equal measure. The unabashedly Southern setting is stuffy in several ways, from the unrelenting heat, to Jesseâs inability to be himself in an unkind environment. (Itâs surprisingly character-focused, but maybe I shouldâve expected that from a novella with a smaller cast, and following a âdescent into the river of oblivionâ.) And despite the storyâs focus on debauchery and devils, religious trauma isnât a massive focus of the book? Not to say it doesnât exist, though. Itâs just reserved for the underlying discomfort beneath the constant references to Christianity throughout. (Maybe if I give this a reread Iâll look those over and revise my review.)
Bee, what a bastard. I enjoyed his devilish charm (haha) and suaveness, usually I find characters of his nature to be annoying, but it sells how he was able to con Jesse. (Bee definitely has a (kinda) hidden attachment to him, their relationship is a little too mutually codependent for that to not be the caseâŚ) While I donât think it was surprising the lengths heâd go to ensnare him, I was surprised at how the story continued to roll with the gradually escalating violence and horror. It was definitely merciless. I feel like the story started ending just when things were taking a turn for the seriously bleak and bizarre, though, but heyâthe author said thereâs more to Bee and Jesseâs story, and Iâm definitely going to read it all.
(still canât get over how Jesse got ofmd s1 ep10 izzy handsâd except he wasnât the one doing the cannibalizing )
Jesse, on the other hand, while I could empathize with his desperation, I think he frustrated me too much for me to be able to latch onto him as much? Though, maybe that comes from him also being a pawn in his own story. (I feel like I enjoyed the other characters and how their relationships/dynamics fucked with him more than Jesse himself.) (fly high, Leslie ) However! I was also pleasantly surprised at the authorâs dedication to writing Jesse as physically disabled for the last third of the book after That Incident. It seemed written from experience. (His disability, not the cannibalism(?), for context.)
Only other thing I was bummed by was that the plot wasnât as heavy as I thought it would be. Jesseâs strange transition itself wasnât really talked about in more specific terms until the 70% mark, for instance. Though, thatâs on me for going into literal erotica for the plot. (And also not knowing there wouldnât really be body horror, at least with the MC. Not much of his body is talked about in detail.)
This definitely isnât going to be everyoneâs cup of tea. But! I still enjoyed it a lot. Glad to read some messed up trans stories like this. I will be looking forward to the rest of the Dread South novellas.
(Sidenote: I love that this is inspired by a drag performance the author did?!?! But also that makes so much sense in retrospect!)
âBlackjack + Moonshineâ is as sexy as itâs advertised to be, but itâs dark and tense in equal measure. The unabashedly Southern setting is stuffy in several ways, from the unrelenting heat, to Jesseâs inability to be himself in an unkind environment. (Itâs surprisingly character-focused, but maybe I shouldâve expected that from a novella with a smaller cast, and following a âdescent into the river of oblivionâ.) And despite the storyâs focus on debauchery and devils, religious trauma isnât a massive focus of the book? Not to say it doesnât exist, though. Itâs just reserved for the underlying discomfort beneath the constant references to Christianity throughout. (Maybe if I give this a reread Iâll look those over and revise my review.)
Bee, what a bastard. I enjoyed his devilish charm (haha) and suaveness, usually I find characters of his nature to be annoying, but it sells how he was able to con Jesse. (Bee definitely has a (kinda) hidden attachment to him, their relationship is a little too mutually codependent for that to not be the caseâŚ) While I donât think it was surprising the lengths heâd go to ensnare him, I was surprised at how the story continued to roll with the gradually escalating violence and horror. It was definitely merciless. I feel like the story started ending just when things were taking a turn for the seriously bleak and bizarre, though, but heyâthe author said thereâs more to Bee and Jesseâs story, and Iâm definitely going to read it all.
(
Jesse, on the other hand, while I could empathize with his desperation, I think he frustrated me too much for me to be able to latch onto him as much? Though, maybe that comes from him also being a pawn in his own story. (I feel like I enjoyed the other characters and how their relationships/dynamics fucked with him more than Jesse himself.) (
Only other thing I was bummed by was that the plot wasnât as heavy as I thought it would be. Jesseâs strange transition itself wasnât really talked about in more specific terms until the 70% mark, for instance. Though, thatâs on me for going into literal erotica for the plot. (And also not knowing there wouldnât really be body horror, at least with the MC. Not much of his body is talked about in detail.)
This definitely isnât going to be everyoneâs cup of tea. But! I still enjoyed it a lot. Glad to read some messed up trans stories like this. I will be looking forward to the rest of the Dread South novellas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit
Minor: Ableism
Till the Last Beat of My Heart by Louangie Bou-Montes
4.0
Read this in a couple days and it felt like much longer, not in a tedious way it just took up a lot of my brain in the same way a month-long TV show hyperfixation does haha!! :) Cemetery Boys being in the comp titles was very fittingâ theyâre both queer urban fantasies (also starring Latino leads), with an undead love interest, and a surprising amount of fun in what seems like a very sad premise. Although, yes, there is still room for grief (as is the case in stories surrounding mortality). Plus, the characters being childhood friends excused the romance being a little fast-paced lol (some the logic of their past falling-out confused me a bit, though?)
(Take my Cemetery Boys-specific nostalgia with a grain of salt, though, I was: a) sixteen when I first read it, b) it was the first book I read with a trans MC, c) Iâm not Mexican and canât speak on the rep in that book.)
Iâm also a big fan of family being involved in the plot. While a lot of the main conflict hinged on YA logic (ok, why would you be a mortician and not tell your son heâs a necromancer), a lot of that I was still able to overlook. Some of thatâs because of personal bias, yes(again, I enjoyed reading this book), but I really enjoyed the way that Jaxon was able to connect with his mom, and even some of the issues the adults had with how heâd try to sacrifice himself for Christian or keep secrets. (I predicted pretty quickly how Jaxonâs dad died.)
Christian was very sweet. Totally one of those "golden retriever" characters, and sometimes that made him a little corny, but we as readers could still glimpse his worries and desperation to cling onto his half-life. (And, he had a lot of soft moments with Jaxon, of course.) And on the topic of the characters, I thought the friend side characters were entertainingâ Regan especially. (Her and Jaxon have very strong sibling vibes. I enjoyed her constant input, too.)
The horror wasnât very effective, though? I donât know. I was just expecting more, and the descriptions of the reanimated people and things were more creepy in concept than description. This book feels more like an off-kilter fantasy than a horror romance, imo.
(Bonus points though for this being literally the first romance Iâve read with black leads that *doesnât* focus around racial trauma??!)
Honestly, from the romance, to the conflict, surprisingly heavy coming-of-age plot, and the resolution, this is probably the most YA that a YA Iâve read has been (or itâs at least in my top 10). IDGAF! I still found this charming.
(Take my Cemetery Boys-specific nostalgia with a grain of salt, though, I was: a) sixteen when I first read it, b) it was the first book I read with a trans MC, c) Iâm not Mexican and canât speak on the rep in that book.)
Iâm also a big fan of family being involved in the plot. While a lot of the main conflict hinged on YA logic (ok, why would you be a mortician and not tell your son heâs a necromancer), a lot of that I was still able to overlook. Some of thatâs because of personal bias, yes(again, I enjoyed reading this book), but I really enjoyed the way that Jaxon was able to connect with his mom, and even some of the issues the adults had with how heâd try to sacrifice himself for Christian or keep secrets. (I predicted pretty quickly how Jaxonâs dad died.)
Christian was very sweet. Totally one of those "golden retriever" characters, and sometimes that made him a little corny, but we as readers could still glimpse his worries and desperation to cling onto his half-life. (And, he had a lot of soft moments with Jaxon, of course.) And on the topic of the characters, I thought the friend side characters were entertainingâ Regan especially. (Her and Jaxon have very strong sibling vibes. I enjoyed her constant input, too.)
The horror wasnât very effective, though? I donât know. I was just expecting more, and the descriptions of the reanimated people and things were more creepy in concept than description. This book feels more like an off-kilter fantasy than a horror romance, imo.
(Bonus points though for this being literally the first romance Iâve read with black leads that *doesnât* focus around racial trauma??!)
Honestly, from the romance, to the conflict, surprisingly heavy coming-of-age plot, and the resolution, this is probably the most YA that a YA Iâve read has been (or itâs at least in my top 10). IDGAF! I still found this charming.
Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction by Joshua Whitehead
3.5
Like basically every anthology Iâve read, there were some duds, but when have I ever picked up an anthology to not enjoy the range in writing styles, concepts and ways stories will or wonât find a way to burrow themselves within my mind?
I think more than a couple of these stories couldâve benefitted from a larger page countâeven with the stories I rated higher, thereâs only so much time you can introduce a convincing sci-fi world and characters to get your reader to resonate with. Still, there was an ever-present sense of melancholy and community that I enjoyed.
Some standouts:
⢠âANDWĂNIKĂDJIGANâ(4âď¸) - Or, as I called it in my Goodreads statuses, âBeta MĂ gòdizâ! I can see how this was adapted into a full-length novel, the writing was engrossing. And honestly, itâs a beautiful story about storytelling and passing down culture through it. (Also, queer love!) Though, because of the shortened length, a lot of details of the world itself were kept vague. For as much as I complained about the large amount of POVs in MĂ gòdiz, now I can really see their purpose in fleshing out the story and adding more perspectives haha. But. I feel like if I didnât already love âMĂ gòdizâ, I would be indifferent to this story.
⢠âSTORY FOR A BOTTLEâ(4.25âď¸) - While not the first story in this collection to take on a letter approach/format, I feel this one does it more convincingly. The abandoned world of New America was interesting, Darcy Little Badgerâs descriptions on the different settings really clicked for me. (I donât have any put together, professional-sounding reviewer words for that. I just like her writing style.) I also enjoyed the imperfect, but honest, teenage POV.
⢠âELOISEâ(4.5âď¸) - Arguably, the best was saved for last. Dystopia at its finestâ both surreal and cynical. The exposition was timed well and it was easy to fall into the flow of the story, I enjoyed seeing Cassieâs thoughts change and question a little more of her reality the further along in the story we got. My only gripe is that the ending was strange, and Iâm still trying to make sense of it?
Iâd like to mention âTHE ARK OF THE TURTLEâS BACKâ, just because it was interesting to read something by jaye simpson that was in prose instead of poetry. Maybe I was quick to pick up on this because Iâve followed jayeâs Instagram and view her stories consistently, but the theme of Nichiiwad wanting to be a queer mother, relative, or/and elder for her family honestly made this story feel emotional. I liked her as a character, and how she always kept a part of Earth with her. Though, I donât have this story in the standouts because there wasnât enough time with the larger cast of characters, and I wasnât as satisfied as I was with the other stories by authors Iâve liked. (The exposition also comes kind of abruptly because Nichiiwad is conked out right before the change in setting. Though, I did appreciate getting information the same time as the MC.)
Sidenote: I see a lot of people praising âABACUSâ or calling it a standout, but while I liked some of the worldbuilding in that one, I didnât like the pop culture references, and the romance was (predictably, but still unpleasantly,) bizarre.
Overall, though, I really loved getting to read several different stories with 2spirit characters at the forefront. Even if some readers donât like the little time given to try to grasp each story and world, the perspectives offered are still valuable.
I think more than a couple of these stories couldâve benefitted from a larger page countâeven with the stories I rated higher, thereâs only so much time you can introduce a convincing sci-fi world and characters to get your reader to resonate with. Still, there was an ever-present sense of melancholy and community that I enjoyed.
Some standouts:
⢠âANDWĂNIKĂDJIGANâ(4âď¸) - Or, as I called it in my Goodreads statuses, âBeta MĂ gòdizâ! I can see how this was adapted into a full-length novel, the writing was engrossing. And honestly, itâs a beautiful story about storytelling and passing down culture through it. (Also, queer love!) Though, because of the shortened length, a lot of details of the world itself were kept vague. For as much as I complained about the large amount of POVs in MĂ gòdiz, now I can really see their purpose in fleshing out the story and adding more perspectives haha. But. I feel like if I didnât already love âMĂ gòdizâ, I would be indifferent to this story.
⢠âSTORY FOR A BOTTLEâ(4.25âď¸) - While not the first story in this collection to take on a letter approach/format, I feel this one does it more convincingly. The abandoned world of New America was interesting, Darcy Little Badgerâs descriptions on the different settings really clicked for me. (I donât have any put together, professional-sounding reviewer words for that. I just like her writing style.) I also enjoyed the imperfect, but honest, teenage POV.
⢠âELOISEâ(4.5âď¸) - Arguably, the best was saved for last. Dystopia at its finestâ both surreal and cynical. The exposition was timed well and it was easy to fall into the flow of the story, I enjoyed seeing Cassieâs thoughts change and question a little more of her reality the further along in the story we got. My only gripe is that the ending was strange, and Iâm still trying to make sense of it?
Iâd like to mention âTHE ARK OF THE TURTLEâS BACKâ, just because it was interesting to read something by jaye simpson that was in prose instead of poetry. Maybe I was quick to pick up on this because Iâve followed jayeâs Instagram and view her stories consistently, but the theme of Nichiiwad wanting to be a queer mother, relative, or/and elder for her family honestly made this story feel emotional. I liked her as a character, and how she always kept a part of Earth with her. Though, I donât have this story in the standouts because there wasnât enough time with the larger cast of characters, and I wasnât as satisfied as I was with the other stories by authors Iâve liked. (The exposition also comes kind of abruptly because Nichiiwad is conked out right before the change in setting. Though, I did appreciate getting information the same time as the MC.)
Sidenote: I see a lot of people praising âABACUSâ or calling it a standout, but while I liked some of the worldbuilding in that one, I didnât like the pop culture references, and the romance was (predictably, but still unpleasantly,) bizarre.
Overall, though, I really loved getting to read several different stories with 2spirit characters at the forefront. Even if some readers donât like the little time given to try to grasp each story and world, the perspectives offered are still valuable.