Scan barcode
cloreadsbooks1364's reviews
470 reviews
How to Die Famous by Benjamin Dean
4.0
"Every time I landed on the front page, Omni Channel saw it as good publicity, hoping the millions of people analysing my life would also tune in to watch Sunset High. They were stirring the pot for their own gain. They didn't care what damage it did to me, so long as they got what they wanted."
How To Die Famous
By Benjamin Dean
4/5⭐️
Genres: YA, thriller, fiction
An actor disappears from the spotlight, a crew member falls off a balcony to his death, the lead actor goes missing... All of these events lead to the show Sunset High being deemed cursed, and when four young stars meet in LA to film the reboot it seems that the bad luck hasn't run out yet.
Abel enters the set determined to solve the mystery of his older brother's death, not believing that he simply fell off a hotel roof while working on the show three years prior. He plans to secretly leak stories to the press from the inside. Once there, he works with costars Lucky, Ryan and Ella, all who have a lot to deal with, to bring down Omni Channel once and for all.
Abel was an interesting protagonist, definitely not developed nearly as much as I'd like, but I enjoyed how quickly he bonded with his costars.
Lucky understood that his mother's death was due to paparazzi called by Omni, Ryan had a stalker and feared that she would be next to disappear, and Ella had to put up with her emotionally abusive, controlling mother who managed everything she did. All had a reason to hate the spotlight, leading to them working with Abel.
Throughout the novel we hear of the horrific treatment actors had to endure from Omni. Mila Stone, who disappeared from the spotlight after starring in the original Sunset High, tells Abel about how Omni made her feel unworthy and scared for her life. We also see Lucky and Ryan threatened. All four protagonists are commanded to hide their sexualities from the public.
The most appealing part of this novel was the mystery itself. Unfortunately the end twist was extremely predictable. However, I liked the fast pacing and the 4 different perspectives.
Overall, this was a good YA mystery thriller encircling the concept of fame and how the public eye can negatively affect celebrities, and how they are often controlled by others.
Queer rep:
Lesbian protagonist
Gay protagonists
Mspec protagonist
TWs: death, murder, homophobia, alcoholism, addiction, outing, stalking, car accident, emotional abuse
How To Die Famous
By Benjamin Dean
4/5⭐️
Genres: YA, thriller, fiction
An actor disappears from the spotlight, a crew member falls off a balcony to his death, the lead actor goes missing... All of these events lead to the show Sunset High being deemed cursed, and when four young stars meet in LA to film the reboot it seems that the bad luck hasn't run out yet.
Abel enters the set determined to solve the mystery of his older brother's death, not believing that he simply fell off a hotel roof while working on the show three years prior. He plans to secretly leak stories to the press from the inside. Once there, he works with costars Lucky, Ryan and Ella, all who have a lot to deal with, to bring down Omni Channel once and for all.
Abel was an interesting protagonist, definitely not developed nearly as much as I'd like, but I enjoyed how quickly he bonded with his costars.
Lucky understood that his mother's death was due to paparazzi called by Omni, Ryan had a stalker and feared that she would be next to disappear, and Ella had to put up with her emotionally abusive, controlling mother who managed everything she did. All had a reason to hate the spotlight, leading to them working with Abel.
Throughout the novel we hear of the horrific treatment actors had to endure from Omni. Mila Stone, who disappeared from the spotlight after starring in the original Sunset High, tells Abel about how Omni made her feel unworthy and scared for her life. We also see Lucky and Ryan threatened. All four protagonists are commanded to hide their sexualities from the public.
The most appealing part of this novel was the mystery itself. Unfortunately the end twist was extremely predictable. However, I liked the fast pacing and the 4 different perspectives.
Overall, this was a good YA mystery thriller encircling the concept of fame and how the public eye can negatively affect celebrities, and how they are often controlled by others.
Queer rep:
Lesbian protagonist
Gay protagonists
Mspec protagonist
TWs: death, murder, homophobia, alcoholism, addiction, outing, stalking, car accident, emotional abuse
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
5.0
Legends & Lattes is a cosy fantasy novel starring Viv, an orc and seasoned warrior. After years of fighting, it’s time for her to put up her broadsword and chase her dream of opening a coffee shop, even though most in the city of Thune have never heard of the beverage before.
Cosy is definitely the correct label for this book, it felt like a warm blanket. We watch Viv and her newfound allies build and open her café, their friendship growing with each challenge.
I liked Viv immensely, she is an extremely straightforward, blunt person, who knew exactly what she wanted the café to be. However, some things tend to go straight over her head, such as Tandri’s growing feelings for her throughout the novel.
Tandri was the side character who featured the most, advising and working alongside Viv, supporting her through everything that occurred.
Some lovable side-characters include Thimble, the shy baking genius who whips up cinnamon rolls, the crumbly “Thimblets”, and croissant-like pastries; Cal, who helped build the café and every addition to it; and Amity, the massive dire-cat who turns up exactly when needed.
The fantasy element comes in the form of many different species such as orcs (Viv), gnomes, succubus (Tandri), ratkins (Thimble), elves, and many more coexisting in the city. Some, such as Viv and Tandri, struggle with stereotypes associated with their species, people making assumptions about their lives. There are also magical objects and spells, which don’t feature heavily.
Overall, I adored this soft book, and highly recommend it!
TWs: fire, violence, stalking, sexual harassment, injury
Cosy is definitely the correct label for this book, it felt like a warm blanket. We watch Viv and her newfound allies build and open her café, their friendship growing with each challenge.
I liked Viv immensely, she is an extremely straightforward, blunt person, who knew exactly what she wanted the café to be. However, some things tend to go straight over her head, such as Tandri’s growing feelings for her throughout the novel.
Tandri was the side character who featured the most, advising and working alongside Viv, supporting her through everything that occurred.
Some lovable side-characters include Thimble, the shy baking genius who whips up cinnamon rolls, the crumbly “Thimblets”, and croissant-like pastries; Cal, who helped build the café and every addition to it; and Amity, the massive dire-cat who turns up exactly when needed.
The fantasy element comes in the form of many different species such as orcs (Viv), gnomes, succubus (Tandri), ratkins (Thimble), elves, and many more coexisting in the city. Some, such as Viv and Tandri, struggle with stereotypes associated with their species, people making assumptions about their lives. There are also magical objects and spells, which don’t feature heavily.
Overall, I adored this soft book, and highly recommend it!
TWs: fire, violence, stalking, sexual harassment, injury
All That's Left in the World by Erik J. Brown
4.0
All That's Left in the World
By Erik J. Brown
4/5⭐️
This is a post-apocalyptic novel set in the aftermath of a deadly pandemic which killed around 80% of the world's population. Jamie and Andrew, two teenage boys, meet after the death of everyone they knew, and try to find a way forward.
Andrew, an openly gay boy who has lost his entire family, is travelling through the woods when he gets caught in a bear trap. He stumbles to a house in the middle of nowhere, finding Jamie. A witty character, Andrew was constantly making jokes and pop culture references. He and Jamie find comfort in Andrew retelling the plot of films (as technology no longer works).
Jamie was living in his cabin with his mother when she died, leaving him with a notebook full of medical advice and a lot of supplies. He discovers his bisexuality throughout the book, as a group force him out of his house into travelling with Andrew to an airport, a journey in which their love for each other blooms.
Others they meet include the formidable elderly lady Henri, the authoritative group of Fort Caroline, and the shy Cara who helps them.
I enjoyed this book a lot, but would enjoy if more information was found about the state of any country that is not the USA. The protagonists were quite lovable, and I recommend it if you are fond of this genre.
Queer rep:
Bi protagonist
Gay protagonist
TWs: pandemic, death, gun violence, injury, murder, homophobia, violence, racism, vomit, sexism
By Erik J. Brown
4/5⭐️
This is a post-apocalyptic novel set in the aftermath of a deadly pandemic which killed around 80% of the world's population. Jamie and Andrew, two teenage boys, meet after the death of everyone they knew, and try to find a way forward.
Andrew, an openly gay boy who has lost his entire family, is travelling through the woods when he gets caught in a bear trap. He stumbles to a house in the middle of nowhere, finding Jamie. A witty character, Andrew was constantly making jokes and pop culture references. He and Jamie find comfort in Andrew retelling the plot of films (as technology no longer works).
Jamie was living in his cabin with his mother when she died, leaving him with a notebook full of medical advice and a lot of supplies. He discovers his bisexuality throughout the book, as a group force him out of his house into travelling with Andrew to an airport, a journey in which their love for each other blooms.
Others they meet include the formidable elderly lady Henri, the authoritative group of Fort Caroline, and the shy Cara who helps them.
I enjoyed this book a lot, but would enjoy if more information was found about the state of any country that is not the USA. The protagonists were quite lovable, and I recommend it if you are fond of this genre.
Queer rep:
Bi protagonist
Gay protagonist
TWs: pandemic, death, gun violence, injury, murder, homophobia, violence, racism, vomit, sexism
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
5.0
"Remember this: the world as it once was. The way things appear in the instant before they go under: first assured, then shipwrecked. The ease with which facts presumed permanent can change. There was dry land, once, and also the concept of drowning as emergency, a thing to be thrashed against. Now, there is simply inevitability, the narrowing gaps between floodplains, islands of viable space on which people build doggedly, insistently, upwards"
Private Rites
By Julia Armfield
5/5
Genre: speculative fiction
Armfield never fails to astonish me with her writing talent, particularly when creating an atmosphere throughout her works. The entirety of Private Rites has a murky, tense atmosphere, even during the fast-paced concluding chapter. It somehow felt viscous, dragging me slowly along and leaving me at the end feeling quite pleased with the consistency.
Private Rites is set in a time when global warming has led to constant rainfall, people losing family, homes, employment to the flooding. They have learnt to adapt in some ways, using ferries and just trying to keep going as normal. Three sisters, Isla, Irene, and Agnes, gather in the wake of their father (a famous architect) passing away. We observe the trio as they go about their daily lives, learn about their difficult childhoods and conflicted feeling about each other.
The root of all issues faced in this book is the protagonists’ father, a distant, emotionally abusive man, who constantly compared his daughters to enhance their dislike of each-other. He does not care at all about his children or their lives. Isla and Irene tried to protect themselves and each other from him while growing up, whereas Agnes (being ten/eleven years younger) had to put up with him for years alone. This has led to the three barely being in contact, and every interaction ending with an argument of some sort. A number of years before the present plotline, their father offered each girl a large sum of money and promised that he would never give them anything again whether they accepted him or not. Upon his death, he leaves his house to a surprised Agnes.
A paragraph from Isla’s perspective, in which she recalls a birthday as a young girl: "Their father had presented Isla with a water balloon of exotic fish and she had asked him several questions about their provenance, which appeared to irritate him, for he plugged the bathroom sink and poured them out to thrash about in shallow water, telling her that all that mattered was where they found themselves right now. Later on, he gave her a tank to move them into, though by this point she had been crouching by the sink for several hours with her hands in the water, trying to ascertain which of the fish was still alive."
Isla, the eldest sister, slowly unravels into increasing distress and indirection throughout the novel. Her ex is divorcing her, she has nobody to turn to, nothing to focus on as nobody seems to need her steadfast nature. Irene, my favourite of the characters, is known for her sharp nature, balanced by her calm partner, Jude. Their relationship was one of the things I adored the most. Agnes, the younger half-sister, spends the novel learning to love a woman named Stephanie, unused to being in a relationship and having a person who knows her well. She observes a number of people acting strangely around her, adding an eerie undercurrent to the book, which leads to the horror-esque revelation at the end.
This is ultimately a book about people, how they keep going and grip on to routine and normalcy as the world slowly breaks down, how a family who could have been close are estranged due to the treatment of their parent, how some people would do anything to feel that things will improve in the future.
"It is an accepted belief that things fall apart. The question of whether or not the falling apart is necessary is separate and usually secondary. People still discuss this, of course: the fact of the turn, the moment a warning mutated into the only possible outcome. When, people ask, was the last time you remember thinking oh it's raining again. When was your last real sunburn, your last flying ant day, your last good look at the stars. It is easy to think about these things, recollections of things passing fast from your grip, and decide they are simply too much to acknowledge."
Queer rep:
Queer protagonists
Nonbinary side-character
Sapphic side-character
TWs: death, suicide, emotional abuse, grief, self-harm, sexual content
Private Rites
By Julia Armfield
5/5
Genre: speculative fiction
Armfield never fails to astonish me with her writing talent, particularly when creating an atmosphere throughout her works. The entirety of Private Rites has a murky, tense atmosphere, even during the fast-paced concluding chapter. It somehow felt viscous, dragging me slowly along and leaving me at the end feeling quite pleased with the consistency.
Private Rites is set in a time when global warming has led to constant rainfall, people losing family, homes, employment to the flooding. They have learnt to adapt in some ways, using ferries and just trying to keep going as normal. Three sisters, Isla, Irene, and Agnes, gather in the wake of their father (a famous architect) passing away. We observe the trio as they go about their daily lives, learn about their difficult childhoods and conflicted feeling about each other.
The root of all issues faced in this book is the protagonists’ father, a distant, emotionally abusive man, who constantly compared his daughters to enhance their dislike of each-other. He does not care at all about his children or their lives. Isla and Irene tried to protect themselves and each other from him while growing up, whereas Agnes (being ten/eleven years younger) had to put up with him for years alone. This has led to the three barely being in contact, and every interaction ending with an argument of some sort. A number of years before the present plotline, their father offered each girl a large sum of money and promised that he would never give them anything again whether they accepted him or not. Upon his death, he leaves his house to a surprised Agnes.
A paragraph from Isla’s perspective, in which she recalls a birthday as a young girl: "Their father had presented Isla with a water balloon of exotic fish and she had asked him several questions about their provenance, which appeared to irritate him, for he plugged the bathroom sink and poured them out to thrash about in shallow water, telling her that all that mattered was where they found themselves right now. Later on, he gave her a tank to move them into, though by this point she had been crouching by the sink for several hours with her hands in the water, trying to ascertain which of the fish was still alive."
Isla, the eldest sister, slowly unravels into increasing distress and indirection throughout the novel. Her ex is divorcing her, she has nobody to turn to, nothing to focus on as nobody seems to need her steadfast nature. Irene, my favourite of the characters, is known for her sharp nature, balanced by her calm partner, Jude. Their relationship was one of the things I adored the most. Agnes, the younger half-sister, spends the novel learning to love a woman named Stephanie, unused to being in a relationship and having a person who knows her well. She observes a number of people acting strangely around her, adding an eerie undercurrent to the book, which leads to the horror-esque revelation at the end.
This is ultimately a book about people, how they keep going and grip on to routine and normalcy as the world slowly breaks down, how a family who could have been close are estranged due to the treatment of their parent, how some people would do anything to feel that things will improve in the future.
"It is an accepted belief that things fall apart. The question of whether or not the falling apart is necessary is separate and usually secondary. People still discuss this, of course: the fact of the turn, the moment a warning mutated into the only possible outcome. When, people ask, was the last time you remember thinking oh it's raining again. When was your last real sunburn, your last flying ant day, your last good look at the stars. It is easy to think about these things, recollections of things passing fast from your grip, and decide they are simply too much to acknowledge."
Queer rep:
Queer protagonists
Nonbinary side-character
Sapphic side-character
TWs: death, suicide, emotional abuse, grief, self-harm, sexual content
Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie
2.75
I think I'm officially too old for books like this.
Nice premise, too unrealistic.
Unlikable protagonist.
Also, are we just going to ignore what Shelby was doing to her sister!? Why didn't Lauren say something to the parents about the literal abuse their daughter is committing on their OTHER DAUGHTER
Nice premise, too unrealistic.
Unlikable protagonist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This explosive sequel flings us back into the world of Iron Widow exactly where we left it, with Wu Zetian now having to deal with Qin Zheng, the absolute menace she has released from a 200-year sleep who she has to marry. It’s primarily set in a political climate, Qin Zheng’s new labourism ideals being implemented across Huaxia, with the evil rich men being brutally executed.
This one was slower paced than Iron Widow, but we meet many new brilliant characters, such as the quick-thinking mathematician Taiping and the highly intelligent Wan’er, while also seeing old characters such as the tough Qieluo and one of Zetian’s loves, Yizhi.
I adored the tense relationship between Zetian and Qin Zheng, how it developed and how it’s set to develop in the next sequel. I do hate Qin Zheng, obviously, but he is a great character. Zetian is still the furious feminist we met in the first book, and I still loved her as much as I did then.
The insane ending really increased the sci-fi aspect of this series, in the moment I thought that it didn’t fit very well with the atmosphere of the previous chapters, but I’m glad we get another book to see some more world-building (or is it space-building now?).
Queer rep:
Queer protagonist
Bi side characters (Yizhi and Shimin)
Sapphic side characters
Enby side character
(check out xiranjayzhao.com to see memes, art of the chrysalis, and hilarious character descriptions, and give them a follow on Insta)
(Also, the award for best author photos ever hereby goes to Xiran Jay Zhou)
This one was slower paced than Iron Widow, but we meet many new brilliant characters, such as the quick-thinking mathematician Taiping and the highly intelligent Wan’er, while also seeing old characters such as the tough Qieluo and one of Zetian’s loves, Yizhi.
I adored the tense relationship between Zetian and Qin Zheng, how it developed and how it’s set to develop in the next sequel. I do hate Qin Zheng, obviously, but he is a great character. Zetian is still the furious feminist we met in the first book, and I still loved her as much as I did then.
The insane ending really increased the sci-fi aspect of this series, in the moment I thought that it didn’t fit very well with the atmosphere of the previous chapters, but I’m glad we get another book to see some more world-building (or is it space-building now?).
Queer rep:
Queer protagonist
Bi side characters (Yizhi and Shimin)
Sapphic side characters
Enby side character
(check out xiranjayzhao.com to see memes, art of the chrysalis, and hilarious character descriptions, and give them a follow on Insta)
(Also, the award for best author photos ever hereby goes to Xiran Jay Zhou)
Peter Darling by Austin Chant
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"'You liked it when Hook was trying to hurt you', Ernest had said.
That wasn't quite right, because he had liked it when Hook wasn't trying to hurt him too. It wasn't only the threat that had captured Peter's attention. It was the way Hook had leapt in to meet him when he started telling stories of war and violence, as eager as Peter was to brawl and scheme. It was the way he had given Peter his full attention, the full force of his ruthlessness, without ever worrying if Peter could handle it. Everyone else had followed him at best, at worst tried to stop him or change him. Hook had matched him, and had never tried to protect Peter. He had always done his worst. That was what felt so good."
Peter Darling
By Austin Chant
4.5/5⭐️
Peter Darling is a Peter Pan retelling in which Peter returns to Neverland as a young man after a decade away, ready to reunite with the Lost Boys and make war with Hook. He is delighted to find that Hook has missed him dearly, and their attempts to murder each other soon develop into something deeper...
I read this book after seeing Laurie (@queerkidreads on Insta) recommend it, and consumed it in two sittings. It's quite short and fast-paced, easy to become immersed in. The two protagonists, Peter and James, are equally confident and vicious, also unable to focus on anything but each-other. The growth of romance between them was immensely satisfying to read, and I found myself hoping that they'd get a happy ending.
The Queer twist, Peter being a trans boy who could live in a different body while in Neverland, that being the reason he ran away, was very interesting.
I was slightly disappointed that Ernest didn't get much time to shine, he felt underdeveloped for such a likable character.
The idea of Neverland in this book was very different from the original, the pirates and boys being fabricated by the real people who run away to there, such as Peter and Hook. I particularly liked how Tinker Bell had many eyes, and how the fairies were so heavily involved in the plot.
Overall, I'm rating this book 4.5/5. It was unique and I highly recommend it!
Queer rep:
Trans protagonist (ftm)
Achillean protagonists
That wasn't quite right, because he had liked it when Hook wasn't trying to hurt him too. It wasn't only the threat that had captured Peter's attention. It was the way Hook had leapt in to meet him when he started telling stories of war and violence, as eager as Peter was to brawl and scheme. It was the way he had given Peter his full attention, the full force of his ruthlessness, without ever worrying if Peter could handle it. Everyone else had followed him at best, at worst tried to stop him or change him. Hook had matched him, and had never tried to protect Peter. He had always done his worst. That was what felt so good."
Peter Darling
By Austin Chant
4.5/5⭐️
Peter Darling is a Peter Pan retelling in which Peter returns to Neverland as a young man after a decade away, ready to reunite with the Lost Boys and make war with Hook. He is delighted to find that Hook has missed him dearly, and their attempts to murder each other soon develop into something deeper...
I read this book after seeing Laurie (@queerkidreads on Insta) recommend it, and consumed it in two sittings. It's quite short and fast-paced, easy to become immersed in. The two protagonists, Peter and James, are equally confident and vicious, also unable to focus on anything but each-other. The growth of romance between them was immensely satisfying to read, and I found myself hoping that they'd get a happy ending.
The Queer twist, Peter being a trans boy who could live in a different body while in Neverland, that being the reason he ran away, was very interesting.
I was slightly disappointed that Ernest didn't get much time to shine, he felt underdeveloped for such a likable character.
The idea of Neverland in this book was very different from the original, the pirates and boys being fabricated by the real people who run away to there, such as Peter and Hook. I particularly liked how Tinker Bell had many eyes, and how the fairies were so heavily involved in the plot.
Overall, I'm rating this book 4.5/5. It was unique and I highly recommend it!
Queer rep:
Trans protagonist (ftm)
Achillean protagonists