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cortanasreadingnook's reviews
355 reviews
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I genuinely didn’t expect this to be a deeply sorrowful story. This coming of age, young adult graphic novel tackles two teenage girls spending a life-changing summer together. The art style is very beautiful and compliments the heartwrenching yet equally hopeful story that the writers were trying to tell.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexism, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s Squad is basically a lesbian Teen Wolf! It’s a queer, haunting fantasy about teenage girls killing predators. But when the police start looking for a suspect, everything starts getting more complicated. Between getting away from the police and falling for a friend, can Becca keep this charade up?
The illustrator did such an amazing job with the art style, following the chic of those old superhero comics in the 80s and 90s. I really enjoyed this, and it was extremely fun to read about women seeking vengeance against entitled assholes (AKA the fucking patriarchy). 6/10!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Abandonment
Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Regina is captain of the cheerleading team and is the most popular girl in school. Not only that, but she’s had her life set out for the next 10 years, along with her girlfriend, Chloe Kitagawa. But when Chloe starts failing English and jeopardizes Regina’s expected future, she decides to hire Hawkins, the mascot who has a crush on her… and who is apparently Chloe’s childhood friend.
Belle of the Ball is basically a lesbian mean girls with a pretty limited, yet engaging color scheme. The story started out strongly, but it’s such a turn off when there’s emotional cheating, even though arguably it did all work out in the end. I wanted to like this, but every single relationship in this book is manipulative or toxic. The characters individually had so much potential but none of them were fully fleshed out towards the end.
Belle of the Ball is basically a lesbian mean girls with a pretty limited, yet engaging color scheme. The story started out strongly, but it’s such a turn off when there’s emotional cheating, even though arguably it did all work out in the end. I wanted to like this, but every single relationship in this book is manipulative or toxic. The characters individually had so much potential but none of them were fully fleshed out towards the end.
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This is such a cute graphic novel about the lesbian daughter of a count who became a crossdresser after her father’s passing and an activist princess. What makes it more fun is that the characters are named after different varieties of cheese. If you love cheese and sapphics then count this one in! IT’S SO PINK LIKE PRETTY PRETTY ALL PINK! I LOVED IT. This story is also very much inspired by her real-life wife, Emily and their love story. It’s like Chappell roan meets grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s so adorable.
Eighteen Roses by Shannon C.F. Rogers
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
Big thanks to Shannon C.F. Rogers and Feiwel & Friends for sending me a review copy through NetGalley! This doesn’t affect my review in any way.
Happy book birthday to Eighteen Roses! This heartwarming, coming-of-age young adult novel features family, the growing pains of friendship, and Filipino-American diaspora.
I loved this book simply because it was genuine in its representation of Filipino family dynamics. Luz is very relatable and frankly, it surprised me how much of myself I saw in her anger and envy of the world. I liked how the author was able to write about a characters’ detachment from their culture and identity. I also adamantly refused to not have a debutante ball and I understood Luz’s resentment throughout this book. Moreso, the difficult relationship she has with her mother is so REAL that at times I wanted to tear up. Growing up with festered bitterness or simply sadness for either one of your parents is something you will eventually come to terms with because they will remain unchanged, and this book perfectly captures that. I also loved how this navigates friendships and self-discovery. Her chemistry with Esme was so nostalgic because I have it with my best friend as well. Overall, I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a book that centers on personal growth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Racial slurs and Terminal illness
Blood Jade by Julia Vee, Ken Bebelle
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. This doesn’t affect my thoughts in any way.
I genuinely liked the concept of Phoenix Hoard as a trilogy. It is a nod to Japanese and Chinese diaspora, it involves elements of Asian folklore, intricate clan politics, and thrilling, action-filled storytelling. However, I believe my time with this series is done, because though I had fun with certain parts, I had trouble with the lengthy, significantly slowed down the pacing of the book so I skimmed through many parts. I would still recommend this because almost all of Asia finally got featured in a fantasy book, which is no small feat, given that East Asia normally gets highlighted. But instead, the writers were able to incorporate a few characters from SEA, South Asia, and more. The story mostly emphasizes power play and plot has gotten significantly thicker with no clear villain in sight, which I find interesting.
As an Asian myself, I have a clear understanding and respect for Emiko’s responsibilities as not only the former Butcher, but as the now Sentinel of San Francisco. I could also see myself in the way she navigates her life and duties. SHE IS VERY RELATABLE.
I understand other readers’ excitement for this book, but its best part is that a lot of eldest daughters and achievers of the family would empathize with her character because she is folklore’s mirrorball on steroids with an obsession for KitKats. I also think that Emiko has a very colorful personality and her comebacks at most were hilarious.
I genuinely liked the concept of Phoenix Hoard as a trilogy. It is a nod to Japanese and Chinese diaspora, it involves elements of Asian folklore, intricate clan politics, and thrilling, action-filled storytelling. However, I believe my time with this series is done, because though I had fun with certain parts, I had trouble with the lengthy, significantly slowed down the pacing of the book so I skimmed through many parts. I would still recommend this because almost all of Asia finally got featured in a fantasy book, which is no small feat, given that East Asia normally gets highlighted. But instead, the writers were able to incorporate a few characters from SEA, South Asia, and more. The story mostly emphasizes power play and plot has gotten significantly thicker with no clear villain in sight, which I find interesting.
As an Asian myself, I have a clear understanding and respect for Emiko’s responsibilities as not only the former Butcher, but as the now Sentinel of San Francisco. I could also see myself in the way she navigates her life and duties. SHE IS VERY RELATABLE.
I understand other readers’ excitement for this book, but its best part is that a lot of eldest daughters and achievers of the family would empathize with her character because she is folklore’s mirrorball on steroids with an obsession for KitKats. I also think that Emiko has a very colorful personality and her comebacks at most were hilarious.
Girls Who Burn by MK Pagano
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you guys like the idea of The Summer I Turned Pretty turning into a small-town thriller-romance, then I highly recommend MK Pagano’s Girls Who Burn. This is a standalone mystery about two childhood frenemies rekindling a past “flame” while catching a murderer.
Gave this book a 4-star rating simply because the mystery behind the murders that Addie tries to unearth with Seth lies in so much drama. I loved the chemistry between all of the characters because their roles in the story made the pacing more engaging. Addie is an incredibly unreliable narrator, making the storytelling equally confusing and thrilling, which added to the fun. Furthermore, it heavily implies the advantages that people in power have, especially that of men. It really is a fucked-up version of TSITP, and arguably the plot is a bit generic, I still stayed for the drama. This book is also perfect for fans of The Ivies and Dead Girls Society.
I buddy read this with my good friend Krys @dismalhoneydews/@cherryivies.
Gave this book a 4-star rating simply because the mystery behind the murders that Addie tries to unearth with Seth lies in so much drama. I loved the chemistry between all of the characters because their roles in the story made the pacing more engaging. Addie is an incredibly unreliable narrator, making the storytelling equally confusing and thrilling, which added to the fun. Furthermore, it heavily implies the advantages that people in power have, especially that of men. It really is a fucked-up version of TSITP, and arguably the plot is a bit generic, I still stayed for the drama. This book is also perfect for fans of The Ivies and Dead Girls Society.
I buddy read this with my good friend Krys @dismalhoneydews/@cherryivies.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Murder
Moderate: Gaslighting and Abandonment
Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thanks to Feiwel & Friends for sending me an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This doesn’t affect my thoughts about the book in any way. Don’t Let The Forest In will be out on October 29, 2024!
What made me like this book is that it gives justice to psychological horror, painting an eerie dark academia aesthetic and carries a haunting form of storytelling through striking prose. C.G. Drews’s writing style is very beautiful and descriptive so that I could easily create the scenes in my mind from her words alone. To add, the characterization of the main character Andrew was well done, especially as we read through him traversing through the spectrum of asexuality and he had a delightfully dark dynamic with Thomas that keeps a reader going. Moreover, it took me through the experiences of having ED, panic attack/ disorder, and anxiety. As someone that fits one of these boxes, it was very realistic to read and allowed me to empathize with him. Overall, this book is deeply rooted in gothic fiction and is a dark and twisted tale about loss and grief and I greatly recommend!
What made me like this book is that it gives justice to psychological horror, painting an eerie dark academia aesthetic and carries a haunting form of storytelling through striking prose. C.G. Drews’s writing style is very beautiful and descriptive so that I could easily create the scenes in my mind from her words alone. To add, the characterization of the main character Andrew was well done, especially as we read through him traversing through the spectrum of asexuality and he had a delightfully dark dynamic with Thomas that keeps a reader going. Moreover, it took me through the experiences of having ED, panic attack/ disorder, and anxiety. As someone that fits one of these boxes, it was very realistic to read and allowed me to empathize with him. Overall, this book is deeply rooted in gothic fiction and is a dark and twisted tale about loss and grief and I greatly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Hopeless by Elsie Silver
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I frankly did not expect to like Beau and Bailey because I’ve seen other readers say this is the weakest book/ship from Chestnut Springs, but it definitely wasn’t so bad! I was discouraged to read this even before I started Powerless because of the “pubes shaving” joke, but I was proven wrong like in Jasper and Sloane’s book. The fake dating/engagement trope was new to read in small town romance, so I didn’t find it boring at all. They undoubtedly had that charming, intense chemistry. I was also very much ready to say goodbye to these characters like Elsie herself, and Hopeless was a good story to end it with. The cameos were worth my time and the smut was exceptional. The way Beau’s character eventually deals with his saviour complex and trauma were fairly handled, in my opinion. He and Bailey just fit so perfectly with each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail