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cjwitch's reviews
107 reviews
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
A simple and very sweet graphic novel about genderfluid teen struggling with his identity and the dressmaker who accepts him completely as he is. This story warmed my heart and I just wanted to hug Sebastian throughout. Without spoiling anything, the ending left me smiling wildly.
The art is absolutely lovely as well!
I am so glad I read this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Outing
Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Murderbot from Mensah’s POV
I don’t think there will ever be a book or story in this series that I don’t immediately adore. This short story is told from Dr. Mensah’s POV, following her abduction and rescue in Exit Strategy. She is dealing with some PTSD, refusing help, and MurderBot is offering comfort in a very MurderBot fashion: spying on her, sending her funny data files, and just being its lovable self.
I loved getting to see MuderBot from Mensah’s perspective and loved getting to know Mensah’s better in her own right.
I don’t think there will ever be a book or story in this series that I don’t immediately adore. This short story is told from Dr. Mensah’s POV, following her abduction and rescue in Exit Strategy. She is dealing with some PTSD, refusing help, and MurderBot is offering comfort in a very MurderBot fashion: spying on her, sending her funny data files, and just being its lovable self.
I loved getting to see MuderBot from Mensah’s perspective and loved getting to know Mensah’s better in her own right.
How Do I Draw These Memories? by Jonell Joshua
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
If you are have ever sat with someone as they shuffled through a box of old photos, pulling them out at random and telling you about them, you'll have a good idea of how this memoir is told - through flashes of disconnected memories, occassionally out of order, but somehow precious and full of family and life and love. This book is a true time capsule of what it was like to grow up in the 90's and early 00's.
What I liked:
- The unique story telling style where it's mostly told through text format, but switches to graphic novel format or the sharing of photographs.
- The huge dose of nostalgia this book gave me, filling me with memories of my own childhood and family.
What I struggled with:
- The memories shared throughout the book are disjointed fragments that don't follow a natural flow of storytelling and feel like random moments that the author is reflecting on. The end does come together somewhat, but overall the fragmented storytelling was difficult for me.
What I liked:
- The unique story telling style where it's mostly told through text format, but switches to graphic novel format or the sharing of photographs.
- The huge dose of nostalgia this book gave me, filling me with memories of my own childhood and family.
What I struggled with:
- The memories shared throughout the book are disjointed fragments that don't follow a natural flow of storytelling and feel like random moments that the author is reflecting on. The end does come together somewhat, but overall the fragmented storytelling was difficult for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
The Witcher meets The Golden Compass
This book has everything I love: found family, a diverse BIPOC cast, a range of disability rep, a queer normative world, and flawed and often morally-gray characters. It comes together to create an interesting world and plot that, while not wholly unique, captures and keeps you invested from page one.
The start of this book, following a fast paced prologue, is a bit slow as the characters come together and begin their quest. I personally enjoyed it as it set up stakes of the book and introduced us to some side characters that I immediately loved and hope make further appearances in later books. By around the midway point, as the pilgrimage is underway, the story picks up and the plot begins to take shape. The mystery around Inara and her powers and connection to a god kept me guessing and Elogast's unwavering loyalty and love of baking had my whole heart. And while not every character is immediately lovable (looking at you, Skedi), by the end, I was rooting for them all.
This is a book that left me wanting more. An excellent opening to what will eventually be a trilogy, and I cannot wait to see where it goes!
This book has everything I love: found family, a diverse BIPOC cast, a range of disability rep, a queer normative world, and flawed and often morally-gray characters. It comes together to create an interesting world and plot that, while not wholly unique, captures and keeps you invested from page one.
The start of this book, following a fast paced prologue, is a bit slow as the characters come together and begin their quest. I personally enjoyed it as it set up stakes of the book and introduced us to some side characters that I immediately loved and hope make further appearances in later books. By around the midway point, as the pilgrimage is underway, the story picks up and the plot begins to take shape. The mystery around Inara and her powers and connection to a god kept me guessing and Elogast's unwavering loyalty and love of baking had my whole heart. And while not every character is immediately lovable (looking at you, Skedi), by the end, I was rooting for them all.
This is a book that left me wanting more. An excellent opening to what will eventually be a trilogy, and I cannot wait to see where it goes!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
A beautifully written tale about what some people will do for power, and what that power costs from others.
This novella packs so much punch into so few pages, with a flowing narration that begins like the beginning of a myth and evolves along the way as Tutu, the young MMC, begins to learn the truths of the world he inhabits. Tutu's desperation and drive to save his mother had me hanging onto every word and his pain and rage as he learns what is behind the lies of his life is heart-wrenching.
As more and more of the truth is uncovered during Tutu's journey, this book slowly begins to become more and more relevant to events happening in the world today. The lies that Tutu has known feel eerily similar to the lies that people in power tell all over our world.
My favorite (spoiler-free) quote from the book is "Evil in one place is evil in every place."
This novella packs so much punch into so few pages, with a flowing narration that begins like the beginning of a myth and evolves along the way as Tutu, the young MMC, begins to learn the truths of the world he inhabits. Tutu's desperation and drive to save his mother had me hanging onto every word and his pain and rage as he learns what is behind the lies of his life is heart-wrenching.
As more and more of the truth is uncovered during Tutu's journey, this book slowly begins to become more and more relevant to events happening in the world today. The lies that Tutu has known feel eerily similar to the lies that people in power tell all over our world.
My favorite (spoiler-free) quote from the book is "Evil in one place is evil in every place."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
challenging
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Speculative Fiction is a genre that I've just recently begun to explore and this book is not just the best of the genre that I have read so far, but one of the best books that I have read, period. Chain-Gang All-Stars is engaging, fast-paced and beautifully written, balancing brutal violence with love and gentleness. It has numerous POVs, including from prisoners, fans of the "games," protesters, and that of people both working in and running the events. It can be hard to follow at times, especially with the few time jumps that occur, but the plot never feels lost or overwrought.
This book will make you uncomfortable. It will frustrate you. It will depress you. And, hopefully, it will make you want to take action. Because this may be speculative fiction, but it is here and now. It is how we treat prisoners. How we disregard life in so many ways. It's how the American legal system is unbalanced and often fails the people who are put at it's mercy. The footnotes, which give facts about real life events and statistics, heighten that reality even further.
One of the things that I loved about this book is that, despite everything, it didn't leave me feeling hopeless. There is no guide for how to fix everything. In fact, there is acknowledgement that there is no easy answer and that no one person is likely to be able to figure it out alone. But it makes you aware and makes you question and that is the beginning of change.
This book will make you uncomfortable. It will frustrate you. It will depress you. And, hopefully, it will make you want to take action. Because this may be speculative fiction, but it is here and now. It is how we treat prisoners. How we disregard life in so many ways. It's how the American legal system is unbalanced and often fails the people who are put at it's mercy. The footnotes, which give facts about real life events and statistics, heighten that reality even further.
One of the things that I loved about this book is that, despite everything, it didn't leave me feeling hopeless. There is no guide for how to fix everything. In fact, there is acknowledgement that there is no easy answer and that no one person is likely to be able to figure it out alone. But it makes you aware and makes you question and that is the beginning of change.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide and Police brutality
Minor: Rape
The Beauty of Your Face: A Novel by Sahar Mustafah
challenging
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
This book begins in Afaf's present day, where she is the principal of an Islamic girls school that is the target of a mass shooting. It then immediately jumps back in time to her early childhood. Most of the book is spent exploring Afaf's past, her childhood and her journey into adulthood, with flashes back to the shooting taking place between each major time period of her life. These flashes of the shooting are told mainly from the POV of the shooter and are both jarring and disturbing to read.
Afaf's past is littered with pain and growth and eventually joy and love. This part of the story begins when Afaf is ten years old and her older sister goes missing. It follows the impact that this has on herself and her family, and focuses on how "other" Afaf feels both inside and outside of her home. For years Afaf's family is torn apart by loss and Afaf struggles with no sense of belonging, until her father first discovers and then introduces her to the Muslim community. It is through her newfound faith and community that Afaf finally connects with herself.
This book showcases the complexities of being a 1st generation immigrant, and of being both Arab and Muslim in a pre and post 9/11 world. The reader is emersed in Middle Eastern culture, foods and language and customs, in a way that is rich and welcoming, especially as Afaf begins to embrace her faith.
The Beauty of Your Face is at times incredibly beautiful and often intensely painful. I think I cried through the entirety of the last 20% of it. It is so relevant to current times and however difficult this book may be, I urge you to pick to this up.
Afaf's past is littered with pain and growth and eventually joy and love. This part of the story begins when Afaf is ten years old and her older sister goes missing. It follows the impact that this has on herself and her family, and focuses on how "other" Afaf feels both inside and outside of her home. For years Afaf's family is torn apart by loss and Afaf struggles with no sense of belonging, until her father first discovers and then introduces her to the Muslim community. It is through her newfound faith and community that Afaf finally connects with herself.
This book showcases the complexities of being a 1st generation immigrant, and of being both Arab and Muslim in a pre and post 9/11 world. The reader is emersed in Middle Eastern culture, foods and language and customs, in a way that is rich and welcoming, especially as Afaf begins to embrace her faith.
The Beauty of Your Face is at times incredibly beautiful and often intensely painful. I think I cried through the entirety of the last 20% of it. It is so relevant to current times and however difficult this book may be, I urge you to pick to this up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Islamophobia, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Car accident, and Alcohol
Mother Country by Etaf Rum
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A beautiful and powerful story a young Palestinian American woman writes to her mother, confronting the shame and fear that she learned in childhood and how she came to understand her mother through her own experiences with marriage and motherhood. This story is about a woman trying to live a better life than her mother was able to live, and to be a better mother to her children so that her children could live a better life in turn. It's about trauma and courage and striving to forever do better by the next generation.
This was heavy and sad, as the unnamed narrator first runs from and then confronts the traumas that had been passed down to her, but by the end there was a note of hope and love finally understood.
This was heavy and sad, as the unnamed narrator first runs from and then confronts the traumas that had been passed down to her, but by the end there was a note of hope and love finally understood.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
The first 4 novellas of The MurderBot Diaries are tied together with an overarching plot and Exit Strategy was the perfect conclusion to it. Heartwarming, hilarious, and my current favorite piece of media on the entertainment feed.
This book was more action-packed than the earlier books in the series, but MurderBot was still MurderBot and it somehow makes even life and death situations funny and lighthearted. MurderBot also got to further explore the tentative friendships that it formed with the Preservation crew from All Systems Red and seeing them reconnect was EVERYTHING. MurderBot is awkward and unsure and sometimes very afraid of rejection (even while thinking it SHOULD be rejected), but it cares so much about the humans it claims and it sort of hates that it cares and refuses to admit to it (while admitting it at every turn).
As always, MurderBot is the most relatable and lovable character in existence.
Side note: it's discovery of giant display screens in hotels was nothing short of perfection.
This book was more action-packed than the earlier books in the series, but MurderBot was still MurderBot and it somehow makes even life and death situations funny and lighthearted. MurderBot also got to further explore the tentative friendships that it formed with the Preservation crew from All Systems Red and seeing them reconnect was EVERYTHING. MurderBot is awkward and unsure and sometimes very afraid of rejection (even while thinking it SHOULD be rejected), but it cares so much about the humans it claims and it sort of hates that it cares and refuses to admit to it (while admitting it at every turn).
As always, MurderBot is the most relatable and lovable character in existence.
Side note: it's discovery of giant display screens in hotels was nothing short of perfection.
You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Going into the book, I expected something different from what it is. What I found was a book about emotional, particularly parental, trauma and the very human responses to it. This book was difficult in the beginning, the FMC deeply unlikeable and her perspective both unhealthy and unenjoyable through much of the book.
What I did love about the book, and what kept me engaged from the start, was the non-linear storytelling, which flashes between the FMC's present and her past. It allows us glimpses into the traumas that fuel her present day actions and allows the reader to see the vulnerability behind the FMC's rough edges.
Despite her flaws, the FMC's drive to self-analysis and personal growth is admirable. Even when she knows that the growth won't fix her most recent relationship, she recognizes the need to improve for herself and her own future.
By the end, my dislike of the unnamed FMC had diminished somewhat, though I never gained a true love of the character. Still, somehow I found that I enjoyed this book; enjoyed the journey that the FMC took and the growth that she achieved and the way her view of her mother evolved.
1st Generation Palestinian-American
Bisexual FMC
Generational Trauma
Therapy and Healing
Introspection
What I did love about the book, and what kept me engaged from the start, was the non-linear storytelling, which flashes between the FMC's present and her past. It allows us glimpses into the traumas that fuel her present day actions and allows the reader to see the vulnerability behind the FMC's rough edges.
Despite her flaws, the FMC's drive to self-analysis and personal growth is admirable. Even when she knows that the growth won't fix her most recent relationship, she recognizes the need to improve for herself and her own future.
By the end, my dislike of the unnamed FMC had diminished somewhat, though I never gained a true love of the character. Still, somehow I found that I enjoyed this book; enjoyed the journey that the FMC took and the growth that she achieved and the way her view of her mother evolved.
1st Generation Palestinian-American
Bisexual FMC
Generational Trauma
Therapy and Healing
Introspection
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Addiction, Biphobia, and Homophobia