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crackedspines_'s reviews
153 reviews
Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
sexual content - nothing explicit like erotica but not *fully* closed door either
mental illness - detailed depictions of depression
alcohol/ism - includes underage drinking
injury/injury detail - sports injuries
Sugar and Spice by Eli Wray
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? It's complicated
OVERALL: Sugar & Spice is a sweet, comforting story full of warmth and trans joy. It’s a short, easy read but still has some depth to it.
PLOT: The book follows Mason in their journey to learn how to bake gluten-free cookies for their crush, Natalie, and it is so cute! I loved watching the two slowly grow closer and lean into the romance. One quick note I have is that there is one line where Mason is referred to using he/him pronouns despite being referred to exclusively as they/them every other time. It’s never explicitly said that they only use they/them pronouns but to only have he/him used once and it not being started that they use multiple sets of pronouns it made me a bit uneasy.
THEME: Both characters are trans and there are themes of trans acceptance and identity woven throughout the story. It’s truly a story of trans joy; Natalie and Mason find comfort and understanding in each other and I appreciated the nuanced portrayal of gender as well as the joy of two trans people feeling safe and accepted. There were so many little details that made the romance even sweeter - the characters asking each other where they want to be touched, turning away while they change, validation of found family.
CHARACTERS: Mason is the absolute sweetest and so lovable. They were also super relatable, both in their anxiety and their experience of gender. Natalie was the same - both characters are the very definition of cinnamon rolls.
I highly recommend Sugar & Spice if you are looking for a short, lighthearted book of trans acceptance and love with cute, cliche-in-the-best-way romance scenes.
PLOT: The book follows Mason in their journey to learn how to bake gluten-free cookies for their crush, Natalie, and it is so cute! I loved watching the two slowly grow closer and lean into the romance. One quick note I have is that there is one line where Mason is referred to using he/him pronouns despite being referred to exclusively as they/them every other time. It’s never explicitly said that they only use they/them pronouns but to only have he/him used once and it not being started that they use multiple sets of pronouns it made me a bit uneasy.
THEME: Both characters are trans and there are themes of trans acceptance and identity woven throughout the story. It’s truly a story of trans joy; Natalie and Mason find comfort and understanding in each other and I appreciated the nuanced portrayal of gender as well as the joy of two trans people feeling safe and accepted. There were so many little details that made the romance even sweeter - the characters asking each other where they want to be touched, turning away while they change, validation of found family.
CHARACTERS: Mason is the absolute sweetest and so lovable. They were also super relatable, both in their anxiety and their experience of gender. Natalie was the same - both characters are the very definition of cinnamon rolls.
I highly recommend Sugar & Spice if you are looking for a short, lighthearted book of trans acceptance and love with cute, cliche-in-the-best-way romance scenes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Transphobia
The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
5.0
ARC REVIEW
Thank you so much to @candlewickpress for my ARC!
REP: agender bisexual main character, demisexual transgender/non-binary love interest, many queer central side characters (trans woman, several polyamorous characters, a pansexual drag queen, etc), Black, Latine, and other POC side characters
OVERALL: This was one of my most anticipated of the year and it did NOT disappoint! It’s my ideal book. Queer-normative, an almost entirely queer cast, sweet, comforting + easy to read. This is a new comfort read for me. I can see myself rereading it whenever I want the familiarity of a reread or to escape.
PLOT: I’m obsessed with the premise of this book. It was so much fun to watch Syd figure out Syd’s magic and try to clean up the messes made by it. The romance was also really cute.
SETTING: the Proud Muffin sounds incredible - freshly made baked goods in a cozy bakery with a queer community space. I’m obsessed with it.
WORLD-BUILDING: The world-building is very light, which I loved. For most of the book there’s minimal explanation of the magic system; just Syd exploring and slowly learning. Towards the end there’s a short explanation that goes a bit more in-depth. I enjoyed the light world-building. It made the book more relaxing. But the explanations at the end were also fun! It was the perfect amount to answer some questions without a complex magic system.
STRUCTURE: The recipes are so fun!!! The recipes for genders and things like “the best day” were fun to read, and all of the baked goods sound delicious. I’m excited to bake my way through this book.
THEMES: Despite being a lighthearted, fun read, The Heartbreak Bakery also delves into some more thoughtful, emotional topics. We follow Syd’s journey of learning Syd has magic and falling in love with Harley, but also of learning more about Syd’s own emotions and facing hard truths about Syd’s ex + their relationship.
WRITING: The writing is absolutely beautiful. The book is full of food/baking metaphors and it really made it feel like I got to see the world through Syd’s eyes.
CHARACTERS: I mentioned this above but Syd has such an amazing character arc. And I loved all of the characters - Harley, Marisol, Jessalee…all of them are well developed, lovable, and fun.
Thank you so much to @candlewickpress for my ARC!
REP: agender bisexual main character, demisexual transgender/non-binary love interest, many queer central side characters (trans woman, several polyamorous characters, a pansexual drag queen, etc), Black, Latine, and other POC side characters
OVERALL: This was one of my most anticipated of the year and it did NOT disappoint! It’s my ideal book. Queer-normative, an almost entirely queer cast, sweet, comforting + easy to read. This is a new comfort read for me. I can see myself rereading it whenever I want the familiarity of a reread or to escape.
PLOT: I’m obsessed with the premise of this book. It was so much fun to watch Syd figure out Syd’s magic and try to clean up the messes made by it. The romance was also really cute.
SETTING: the Proud Muffin sounds incredible - freshly made baked goods in a cozy bakery with a queer community space. I’m obsessed with it.
WORLD-BUILDING: The world-building is very light, which I loved. For most of the book there’s minimal explanation of the magic system; just Syd exploring and slowly learning. Towards the end there’s a short explanation that goes a bit more in-depth. I enjoyed the light world-building. It made the book more relaxing. But the explanations at the end were also fun! It was the perfect amount to answer some questions without a complex magic system.
STRUCTURE: The recipes are so fun!!! The recipes for genders and things like “the best day” were fun to read, and all of the baked goods sound delicious. I’m excited to bake my way through this book.
THEMES: Despite being a lighthearted, fun read, The Heartbreak Bakery also delves into some more thoughtful, emotional topics. We follow Syd’s journey of learning Syd has magic and falling in love with Harley, but also of learning more about Syd’s own emotions and facing hard truths about Syd’s ex + their relationship.
WRITING: The writing is absolutely beautiful. The book is full of food/baking metaphors and it really made it feel like I got to see the world through Syd’s eyes.
CHARACTERS: I mentioned this above but Syd has such an amazing character arc. And I loved all of the characters - Harley, Marisol, Jessalee…all of them are well developed, lovable, and fun.
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia, Transphobia, Dysphoria
Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
OVERALL: BPAR is an incredible book. The trans rep was so relatable for me, and it covered a lot of important topics. The writing style wasn’t my favorite, and I had some issues, but overall I really enjoyed it. I’m so glad I was able to read this book and I’m excited for Ray Stoeve’s next one!
PLOT: Dean’s growth as a character was so heartwarming to read. I was rooting for him through the entire book and I was very satisfied with the way the book ended.
THEMES: Something I really enjoyed about this book was the discussion of how Dean’s trans identity affected his relationship with Zoe. It’s a difficult topic to discuss but Stoeve did it gracefully. There’s also a strong theme of queer family and community, and it was so sweet. However, there is one scene I didn’t like: when Dean goes to a queer group, he’s too nervous to say his pronouns are he/him, so Jade says he hasn’t picked pronouns (which is what he told her). Then Isaac, the group leader, says “‘No problem […] you have options. He? She? They?’” This positions those as the only options, and it’s not okay to pressure someone into picking pronouns. Some people don’t use pronouns, and some people just aren’t ready yet.
WRITING: I didn’t really like the writing much. Stoeve relied on run-on sentences as well as long sentences that were technically grammatically correct but read as incomplete. This is fully a personal preference though, and even though I didn’t love the writing it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book too much.
CHARACTERS: I have SO MUCH love for all of the characters. Dean, our flawed, trying-his-best trans main character. Ronnie was the absolute best friend, and I love him for that. And while I hate Zoe, she was a complex, well-developed character. I do wish that Allison’s behavior was addressed more head-on, and it was very strange that it wasn’t mentioned that she was Japanese until Chapter 15. Her Japanese identity felt like an afterthought.
PLOT: Dean’s growth as a character was so heartwarming to read. I was rooting for him through the entire book and I was very satisfied with the way the book ended.
THEMES: Something I really enjoyed about this book was the discussion of how Dean’s trans identity affected his relationship with Zoe. It’s a difficult topic to discuss but Stoeve did it gracefully. There’s also a strong theme of queer family and community, and it was so sweet. However, there is one scene I didn’t like: when Dean goes to a queer group, he’s too nervous to say his pronouns are he/him, so Jade says he hasn’t picked pronouns (which is what he told her). Then Isaac, the group leader, says “‘No problem […] you have options. He? She? They?’” This positions those as the only options, and it’s not okay to pressure someone into picking pronouns. Some people don’t use pronouns, and some people just aren’t ready yet.
WRITING: I didn’t really like the writing much. Stoeve relied on run-on sentences as well as long sentences that were technically grammatically correct but read as incomplete. This is fully a personal preference though, and even though I didn’t love the writing it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book too much.
CHARACTERS: I have SO MUCH love for all of the characters. Dean, our flawed, trying-his-best trans main character. Ronnie was the absolute best friend, and I love him for that. And while I hate Zoe, she was a complex, well-developed character. I do wish that Allison’s behavior was addressed more head-on, and it was very strange that it wasn’t mentioned that she was Japanese until Chapter 15. Her Japanese identity felt like an afterthought.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia
Moderate: Violence
Sugar Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
OVERALL: I adore this book. Hannah Moskowitz NAILED the Dirty Dancing vibes! Add in the unapologetic Jewish rep, lesbian journey of discovery, and Trans Dad and Sugar Summer is (almost) the perfect book.
PLOT: My one major problem with the book is the romance. Yes, I knew from the start who the couple was going to be. It’s a Dirty Dancing retelling. But Mara is 20 and Esther is 17. Obviously that’s an adult and a minor. But my issue is not with just that. It’s with the way Mara treats Esther throughout the first half of the book - she constantly called Esther young and a baby and treated her like a child. That dynamic plus their ages made the relationship really uncomfortable.
SETTING: I love that Moskowitz took the classic Dirty Dancing setting and wrote it as a Jewish summer resort.
THEMES: Sugar Summer is full of comforting, important, honest themes. It explores antisemitism, racism, classism, queerphobias, and self-discovery. My only issue was the scene where the POC love interest spent pages telling the white main character how she’s “different” and not like other white people. Moskowitz is light skinned, and Mara is not, so that was very uncomfortable and white-people-pleasing.
WRITING: The writing was solidly okay. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t dislike it. There are a fair amount of typos. It wasn’t a dealbreaker for me because the book is so good, but it could’ve used another round of edits.
CHARACTERS: I love the characters. Esther’s development is amazing. It’s really powerful to read about her journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance. Tristan is literally one of my favorite characters EVER. He is the ultimate Wise Older Queer, and his character was infinitely comforting to me.
PLOT: My one major problem with the book is the romance. Yes, I knew from the start who the couple was going to be. It’s a Dirty Dancing retelling. But Mara is 20 and Esther is 17. Obviously that’s an adult and a minor. But my issue is not with just that. It’s with the way Mara treats Esther throughout the first half of the book - she constantly called Esther young and a baby and treated her like a child. That dynamic plus their ages made the relationship really uncomfortable.
SETTING: I love that Moskowitz took the classic Dirty Dancing setting and wrote it as a Jewish summer resort.
THEMES: Sugar Summer is full of comforting, important, honest themes. It explores antisemitism, racism, classism, queerphobias, and self-discovery. My only issue was the scene where the POC love interest spent pages telling the white main character how she’s “different” and not like other white people. Moskowitz is light skinned, and Mara is not, so that was very uncomfortable and white-people-pleasing.
WRITING: The writing was solidly okay. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t dislike it. There are a fair amount of typos. It wasn’t a dealbreaker for me because the book is so good, but it could’ve used another round of edits.
CHARACTERS: I love the characters. Esther’s development is amazing. It’s really powerful to read about her journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance. Tristan is literally one of my favorite characters EVER. He is the ultimate Wise Older Queer, and his character was infinitely comforting to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Transphobia, Lesbophobia
Moderate: Antisemitism, Outing
Minor: Racism
Comet's First Christmas by Delilah Night
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Rep: many lesbians, panic attacks/disorder
The only saving grace of this book was that it’s sapphic. There were MANY lesbian characters, and their queerness was fully normalized. Which was really nice. The anxiety rep was *okay.* I loved the normalization of mindfulness/grounding/coping techniques that a lot of people dismiss as silly or childish or unrealistic. These are things that genuinely do help a lot of people with anxiety and panic disorders (myself included), and we need to stop making fun of them. But overall the rep felt a bit forced and stilted? It’s certainly not bad rep, and I won’t say it’s inaccurate, especially since the author based a lot of it off her own experiences. What I mean is the way it was written was awkward and forced.
Other than that, I won’t hesitate to say I hate this book. I went into it hoping to just laugh at the ridiculousness of a reindeer shifter romance, and obviously that part was indeed ridiculous. The main character ate hay in human form, and the shifters don’t own actual clothes?? They just morph to be wearing whatever outfit they want instead of putting on clothes. But the entire premise was really creepy and uncomfortable??
The plot of this book is that someone is going around and talking people out of believing in Santa. The reindeer and elves have magic phones that allow them to track who believes and who doesn’t and who’s naughty and nice (including lists of exactly the “naughty” and “nice” things they do). So to “fix the issue,” the reindeer and elves stalk the people who stopped believing, and convince them to believe in Christmas again. It’s not okay to fully STALK people, use that information to visit them at their houses, places of work, etc., and take it upon yourself to change their beliefs.
The only saving grace of this book was that it’s sapphic. There were MANY lesbian characters, and their queerness was fully normalized. Which was really nice. The anxiety rep was *okay.* I loved the normalization of mindfulness/grounding/coping techniques that a lot of people dismiss as silly or childish or unrealistic. These are things that genuinely do help a lot of people with anxiety and panic disorders (myself included), and we need to stop making fun of them. But overall the rep felt a bit forced and stilted? It’s certainly not bad rep, and I won’t say it’s inaccurate, especially since the author based a lot of it off her own experiences. What I mean is the way it was written was awkward and forced.
Other than that, I won’t hesitate to say I hate this book. I went into it hoping to just laugh at the ridiculousness of a reindeer shifter romance, and obviously that part was indeed ridiculous. The main character ate hay in human form, and the shifters don’t own actual clothes?? They just morph to be wearing whatever outfit they want instead of putting on clothes. But the entire premise was really creepy and uncomfortable??
The plot of this book is that someone is going around and talking people out of believing in Santa. The reindeer and elves have magic phones that allow them to track who believes and who doesn’t and who’s naughty and nice (including lists of exactly the “naughty” and “nice” things they do). So to “fix the issue,” the reindeer and elves stalk the people who stopped believing, and convince them to believe in Christmas again. It’s not okay to fully STALK people, use that information to visit them at their houses, places of work, etc., and take it upon yourself to change their beliefs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking
There's Magic Between Us by Jillian Maria
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Rep: pansexual main character, lesbian* Chinese love interest, sapphic side character, genderfluid side character
OVERALL: There’s Magic Between Us was a sweet, enjoyable read centered on magic, self discovery, and queer joy. I had some issues but overall I loved it and highly recommend it.
PLOT: The pacing worked really nicely for this story, and the plot twists! Every one surprised me even more than the last, but there was enough buildup to each one that they felt realistic for the story + characters.
SETTING AND WORLD-BUILDING: There are two main settings, Fairbrooke/the forest and Fierborne , and they’re both so captivating. The settings and magic system are very well-developed. The magical elements are strongly present, but not so much that it’s overwhelming. I’d still categorize this as magical realism. I wish I could spend more time in the forest!
WRITING: Overall, the writing was nice. I don’t have any strong feelings about it. But there were parts that were repetitive, where I wish the author had come up with a different detail to focus on or way to describe the situation. There was also one line that felt somewhat trans exclusionary. When Lydia and Eden meet, Lydia thinks “I do sort of want to find out if she’s into girls, though. It’s always good to know if your friends are some flavor of queer or not.” It’s not blatantly transphobic or anything, but it does imply that by finding out if Eden likes girls she will inherently know if Eden is queer or not.
CHARACTERS: Lydia, the main character, is headstrong and fierce, and she made for a fascinating POV character. I loved her at the beginning of the book, but also loved seeing her development. I also loved Eden’s character; her backstory was very well-developed! But I had some issues with the Asian rep there. Eden is Chinese and is described several times as having “golden skin,” but she’s depicted as very pale on the cover. If she has gold skin, the cover should reflect that, and it’s not realistic for her to blush, which she did once towards the end of the book. If she’s pale-skinned, gold is not an appropriate descriptor.
*the word “lesbian” is never specifically used, but when the love interest is asked about what she looks for in a potential partner, she only mentions girls.
OVERALL: There’s Magic Between Us was a sweet, enjoyable read centered on magic, self discovery, and queer joy. I had some issues but overall I loved it and highly recommend it.
PLOT: The pacing worked really nicely for this story, and the plot twists! Every one surprised me even more than the last, but there was enough buildup to each one that they felt realistic for the story + characters.
SETTING AND WORLD-BUILDING: There are two main settings, Fairbrooke/the forest and
WRITING: Overall, the writing was nice. I don’t have any strong feelings about it. But there were parts that were repetitive, where I wish the author had come up with a different detail to focus on or way to describe the situation. There was also one line that felt somewhat trans exclusionary. When Lydia and Eden meet, Lydia thinks “I do sort of want to find out if she’s into girls, though. It’s always good to know if your friends are some flavor of queer or not.” It’s not blatantly transphobic or anything, but it does imply that by finding out if Eden likes girls she will inherently know if Eden is queer or not.
CHARACTERS: Lydia, the main character, is headstrong and fierce, and she made for a fascinating POV character. I loved her at the beginning of the book, but also loved seeing her development. I also loved Eden’s character; her backstory was very well-developed! But I had some issues with the Asian rep there. Eden is Chinese and is described several times as having “golden skin,” but she’s depicted as very pale on the cover. If she has gold skin, the cover should reflect that, and it’s not realistic for her to blush, which she did once towards the end of the book. If she’s pale-skinned, gold is not an appropriate descriptor.
*the word “lesbian” is never specifically used, but when the love interest is asked about what she looks for in a potential partner, she only mentions girls.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Death of parent
Caroline's Heart by Austin Chant
dark
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
This book is so far out of my comfort zone. It’s an adult romance, it’s about cowboys in the south. I was excited, but also a bit hesitant, to pick it up. But I’m so glad I did. Caroline’s Heart is a strange little book, and I say that fondly. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever read.
The characters are so strong and well-developed. Cecily is introduced as a prickly, aloof witch, and throughout the story she both grows and reveals more of her story. Roy is the absolute SWEETEST. He may be 25 but he is my BABY.
Despite the historical, south setting, Caroline’s Heart is full of trans joy and acceptance. A little thrill went through my heart when Roy was met with complete acceptance and understanding.
The magic system in this book was utterly fascinating. The more I learned about how magic worked in this world, the hungrier I grew for more! Maybe I just don’t read enough fantasy, but I thought the magic was so cool and very different.
At under 100 pages, Caroline’s Heart is an extremely quick read. It took me a while because I am disabled but for most people it would be quick. And I did read the last four (out of nine) chapters all in one go.
I can’t wait for this book to go back into print in July so I can buy a physical copy and annotate the SHIT out of it.
The characters are so strong and well-developed. Cecily is introduced as a prickly, aloof witch, and throughout the story she both grows and reveals more of her story. Roy is the absolute SWEETEST. He may be 25 but he is my BABY.
Despite the historical, south setting, Caroline’s Heart is full of trans joy and acceptance. A little thrill went through my heart when Roy was met with complete acceptance and understanding.
The magic system in this book was utterly fascinating. The more I learned about how magic worked in this world, the hungrier I grew for more! Maybe I just don’t read enough fantasy, but I thought the magic was so cool and very different.
At under 100 pages, Caroline’s Heart is an extremely quick read. It took me a while because I am disabled but for most people it would be quick. And I did read the last four (out of nine) chapters all in one go.
I can’t wait for this book to go back into print in July so I can buy a physical copy and annotate the SHIT out of it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content
The Ghosts We Keep by Mason Deaver
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
OVERALL: I adore this book. It’s one of the best books I’ve read. The complex, thoughtful exploration of grief + loneliness was beautiful. I cried multiple times while reading and used a ridiculous amount of tabs.
STRUCTURE: I really liked the dual, sorta-non-linear timeline. It made a lot of sense for this story.
THEME: This book explored a lot of complicated, emotional themes. It was a very authentic representation of grief, loneliness, and family.
WRITING: Mason Deaver’s writing was striking. They put so many elusive feelings into words so perfectly.
CHARACTERS: The characters were dimensional and unique and real - Marcus and Ethan both had many layers, as did Vanessa and Joel, but in a very different way. The characters had full, satisfying arcs and all felt like their own individual people. I especially enjoyed the raw, honest portrayal of Liam’s grief. He was not always a likable character in the most strict sense; he fucked up sometimes. But I liked them more for it. It felt REAL, to show them reacting that way to the loss of their brother.
STRUCTURE: I really liked the dual, sorta-non-linear timeline. It made a lot of sense for this story.
THEME: This book explored a lot of complicated, emotional themes. It was a very authentic representation of grief, loneliness, and family.
WRITING: Mason Deaver’s writing was striking. They put so many elusive feelings into words so perfectly.
CHARACTERS: The characters were dimensional and unique and real - Marcus and Ethan both had many layers, as did Vanessa and Joel, but in a very different way. The characters had full, satisfying arcs and all felt like their own individual people. I especially enjoyed the raw, honest portrayal of Liam’s grief. He was not always a likable character in the most strict sense; he fucked up sometimes. But I liked them more for it. It felt REAL, to show them reacting that way to the loss of their brother.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship
misgendering
Two Grooms on a Cake: The Story of America's First Gay Wedding by Rob Sanders
informative
lighthearted
OVERALL: This is a really cute, informative book that would be so great for children. I love the illustrations as well as the factual information included.
STORY: It was so fun to follow Jack and Michael’s journey and learn more about America’s first legally married gay couple, as well as the battle towards marriage rights for all queer couples.
STRUCTURE: The blurb about the real Jack and Michael and timeline at the end were nice! However, I wish there was slightly more info included in the timeline. For example, it mentions the Defense of Marriage Act, but doesn’t explain what the act was, so a reader who hasn’t previously heard of DOMA has no idea if that’s good or bad for queer couples. The other issue I had with the book is that the text was REALLY small. This makes it inaccessible to many disabled readers, including myself; I was only able to read it because I had a digital copy and could zoom in.
ILLUSTRATIONS: I absolutely love the art style of the illustrations! the muted, vintage color palette added such a nice vibe and the drawings were so detailed.
STORY: It was so fun to follow Jack and Michael’s journey and learn more about America’s first legally married gay couple, as well as the battle towards marriage rights for all queer couples.
STRUCTURE: The blurb about the real Jack and Michael and timeline at the end were nice! However, I wish there was slightly more info included in the timeline. For example, it mentions the Defense of Marriage Act, but doesn’t explain what the act was, so a reader who hasn’t previously heard of DOMA has no idea if that’s good or bad for queer couples. The other issue I had with the book is that the text was REALLY small. This makes it inaccessible to many disabled readers, including myself; I was only able to read it because I had a digital copy and could zoom in.
ILLUSTRATIONS: I absolutely love the art style of the illustrations! the muted, vintage color palette added such a nice vibe and the drawings were so detailed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia