Scan barcode
despinareviews's reviews
134 reviews
Wandance, Volume 1 by Coffee
4.0
3.5 stars, rounded up.
This is a manga about a young boy with a stutter, Kabo, who joins a dance club after observing his beautiful (and very quirky) classmate, Wanda, dancing in the school grounds. I found the art style a bit difficult to get into, with the faces being drawn in a very unique style (this isn't a bad thing, it just takes a minute to adjust!). I found the drawings of the dance movements very clear, though I stuggled to conceptualise them as an actual dance. The characters are likeable and I found me rooting for Kabo to find a hobby and explore that side of him, and learn to live with his stutter too!
Overall quite a nice start to a dance manga, so if you're looking for that kind of thing this'll be great. I personally don't think I'll continue with the series because I struggle with sports/dance in 2D and conceptualising it into 3D, but this could become a great anime one day!
I received a complimentary copy of this volume in exchange for an honest review from Kodansha via NetGalley, which I leave voluntarily.
This is a manga about a young boy with a stutter, Kabo, who joins a dance club after observing his beautiful (and very quirky) classmate, Wanda, dancing in the school grounds. I found the art style a bit difficult to get into, with the faces being drawn in a very unique style (this isn't a bad thing, it just takes a minute to adjust!). I found the drawings of the dance movements very clear, though I stuggled to conceptualise them as an actual dance. The characters are likeable and I found me rooting for Kabo to find a hobby and explore that side of him, and learn to live with his stutter too!
Overall quite a nice start to a dance manga, so if you're looking for that kind of thing this'll be great. I personally don't think I'll continue with the series because I struggle with sports/dance in 2D and conceptualising it into 3D, but this could become a great anime one day!
I received a complimentary copy of this volume in exchange for an honest review from Kodansha via NetGalley, which I leave voluntarily.
Golden Gold 1 by Seita Horio
4.0
This first volume is the start of what seems to be an incredibly confusing and eerie story, but one I am invested in already (pun intended!). The art style is very detailed and the story is very creepy in a good way where something just feels ... off. And you know it does. But you can't explain what exactly is causing the feeling or have any idea of the trajectory of the story, which I love.
I am going to continue this one because I think it's going to be one of those weird and interesting gems you find sometimes in manga. Not what I expected *at all*!
I received a complimentary copy of this volume from Kodansha via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.
I am going to continue this one because I think it's going to be one of those weird and interesting gems you find sometimes in manga. Not what I expected *at all*!
I received a complimentary copy of this volume from Kodansha via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
5.0
4.75 stars rounded up
Plot: After being coerced by the powerful Order of Babel to 'acquire' an artifact for them, Severin (a wealthy man whose rightful inheritance was stolen from him) gathers a group of unique individuals to help him with his task - his brother in all but blood, a dancer with a serious secret, an engineer with strong abilities and a troubled past, and a historian who was banished. This takes place in Paris in 1889 in a version of the world where a type of ability called forging exists.
Review: This book really blew my mind - I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, and I was literally on the edge of my seat some of the time. The switched POVs really helped (we get a number of perspectives from the different members of the crew) and I believe gave the book a different feel. My only potential poing of constructive criticism is that it felt a bit long at places, however there was never a point where I felt bored or tuned out. The different representation in this book was great too - people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds, an autistic character (as an autistic woman myself it is great to see someone who displays neurodiversity in a way books often shy away from), as well as LGBT representation. Each character felt distinct and though it took me a minute to get used to the large cast, it didn't take too long before I was invested in every single one and their story. Overall an absolutely brilliant read and I am so happy to have received this book!
Potential triggers for
Narrators: The narrators of the audiobook did a brilliant job of portraying the different emotions and the personalities of different characters as we went through the story. Our male narrator took the segments in the POV of male characters and our female narrator did the reverse, and yet all the characters had a similar 'voice' throughout. There are many accents which had to be done for this audiobook, primarily French, which I think is incredibly difficult but was executed I think quite well. I truly have to congratulate them on making me feel like I knew where each charater was in the room in the way they spoke - a combination of good story and good narrating!
Highly recommend and I cannot wait for the next installment in the series to be translated into audiobook format as I have started the series in audiobook and would value continuing it in the same format!
I have been provided with this audiobook complimentary via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.
Plot: After being coerced by the powerful Order of Babel to 'acquire' an artifact for them, Severin (a wealthy man whose rightful inheritance was stolen from him) gathers a group of unique individuals to help him with his task - his brother in all but blood, a dancer with a serious secret, an engineer with strong abilities and a troubled past, and a historian who was banished. This takes place in Paris in 1889 in a version of the world where a type of ability called forging exists.
Review: This book really blew my mind - I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, and I was literally on the edge of my seat some of the time. The switched POVs really helped (we get a number of perspectives from the different members of the crew) and I believe gave the book a different feel. My only potential poing of constructive criticism is that it felt a bit long at places, however there was never a point where I felt bored or tuned out. The different representation in this book was great too - people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds, an autistic character (as an autistic woman myself it is great to see someone who displays neurodiversity in a way books often shy away from), as well as LGBT representation. Each character felt distinct and though it took me a minute to get used to the large cast, it didn't take too long before I was invested in every single one and their story. Overall an absolutely brilliant read and I am so happy to have received this book!
Potential triggers for
Spoiler
child abuse, torture and deathNarrators: The narrators of the audiobook did a brilliant job of portraying the different emotions and the personalities of different characters as we went through the story. Our male narrator took the segments in the POV of male characters and our female narrator did the reverse, and yet all the characters had a similar 'voice' throughout. There are many accents which had to be done for this audiobook, primarily French, which I think is incredibly difficult but was executed I think quite well. I truly have to congratulate them on making me feel like I knew where each charater was in the room in the way they spoke - a combination of good story and good narrating!
Highly recommend and I cannot wait for the next installment in the series to be translated into audiobook format as I have started the series in audiobook and would value continuing it in the same format!
I have been provided with this audiobook complimentary via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.
If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So
5.0
This book follows our main character Elsie in the summer between her A-Levels and the start of university. Elsie has a crush on Ada, a beautiful and brilliant fanfiction writer she met on Tumblr but has not yet met in person. Everything goes well until her childhood best friend, Joan, comes back into her life.
In this pivotal time in her life, Elsie finds herself struggling with identity - her identity as a woman from Hong Kong in the face of a society which does not deem her traditionally (caucasian standards) beautiful, her identity as a young bisexual woman whose parents may or may not accept her identity, her identity as someone dipping her toe into the LGBT+ community she is a part of, but unable to quite come out to her family, Struggling with things like the way she presents herself to the world, now girly and feminine in a way she often doesn't feel matches her, she also has difficulty expressing herself through her clothes, not just her words.
This story felt like a tribute to the young fandom Tumblr LGBT+ kids. Many of us made friends on that app who felt like the only people who understood us - we could hyper-obsess over a manga/tv show/film and make fanfics and edits and that was totally acceptable within that app. People could be themselves. Perhaps I enjoyed this book so much because I felt it call me out, and at the same time do so in such a loving way it felt comforting.
Elsie makes mistakes, and I found her incredibly impulsive - but honestly, what a realistic change to a flawless hero some authors would choose to make her at the ripe old age of 18. In a way I am glad she is so impulsive, because this is something I feel I could see in a real life person, and who would likely try to work on that at their next stage in life! A character whose inner thoughts deal with all the difficulties she's having, the thought processes she is going through and though you don't always relate, you can absolutely understand where she's coming from.
Overall, I found this book charming, heart-warming and at the same time felt like it covered quite serious topics in such a tasteful way. Genuinely recommend, especially to teenagers who are at that stage in their lives but as a 24 year old I loved it all the same!
Trigger warnings:
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Little Tiger Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.
In this pivotal time in her life, Elsie finds herself struggling with identity - her identity as a woman from Hong Kong in the face of a society which does not deem her traditionally (caucasian standards) beautiful, her identity as a young bisexual woman whose parents may or may not accept her identity, her identity as someone dipping her toe into the LGBT+ community she is a part of, but unable to quite come out to her family, Struggling with things like the way she presents herself to the world, now girly and feminine in a way she often doesn't feel matches her, she also has difficulty expressing herself through her clothes, not just her words.
This story felt like a tribute to the young fandom Tumblr LGBT+ kids. Many of us made friends on that app who felt like the only people who understood us - we could hyper-obsess over a manga/tv show/film and make fanfics and edits and that was totally acceptable within that app. People could be themselves. Perhaps I enjoyed this book so much because I felt it call me out, and at the same time do so in such a loving way it felt comforting.
Elsie makes mistakes, and I found her incredibly impulsive - but honestly, what a realistic change to a flawless hero some authors would choose to make her at the ripe old age of 18. In a way I am glad she is so impulsive, because this is something I feel I could see in a real life person, and who would likely try to work on that at their next stage in life! A character whose inner thoughts deal with all the difficulties she's having, the thought processes she is going through and though you don't always relate, you can absolutely understand where she's coming from.
Overall, I found this book charming, heart-warming and at the same time felt like it covered quite serious topics in such a tasteful way. Genuinely recommend, especially to teenagers who are at that stage in their lives but as a 24 year old I loved it all the same!
Trigger warnings:
Spoiler
mentions of abusive/toxic relationships (off page, only referenced), homophobia (implied and consequences, no slurs that I can recall)I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Little Tiger Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
5.0
This story focuses on two authors, January - a romance author who has generally had a very positive outlook on the world until her father died, and Augustus (Gus) - her college rival from her writing course who always seemed to see the world in a depressing and negative light. They begin living next to each other on a beach through circumstances I won't spoil, but end up making a bet - if January can write a more serious novel, and Gus can write a happy romance story, the person who sells the book first wins. They begin weekly outings to 'train' each other in their own specialism. It's really cool to have books within books, and I didn't expect to have full inner-storylines explored.
This book was the perfect romance book for me. It had a great combination of seriousness (dealing with grief and a shattered idea of a person you thought you knew), with witty banter and a great character dynamic which is unparalleled to any other romance book I have read. This wasn't grumpy x sunshine in the traditional sense, in fact I would argue the whole point of the book is to play with the idea that someone who is 'grumpy' and someone who is 'sunshine' are more than their assigned roles. Beach Read also had incredibly believable dialogue, and the chemistry the two characters had was exemplified in the way they spoke to one another.
This is told in one POV, January's - normally in romances I enjoy a dual POV but I think the single POV really worked to increase our sense of mystery about Gus's thoughts, putting ourselves squarely in January's shoes of trying to figure him out. Overall I highly recommend this one, best romance I've read so far!
PS. Shadi is the bff we all need.
This book was the perfect romance book for me. It had a great combination of seriousness (dealing with grief and a shattered idea of a person you thought you knew), with witty banter and a great character dynamic which is unparalleled to any other romance book I have read. This wasn't grumpy x sunshine in the traditional sense, in fact I would argue the whole point of the book is to play with the idea that someone who is 'grumpy' and someone who is 'sunshine' are more than their assigned roles. Beach Read also had incredibly believable dialogue, and the chemistry the two characters had was exemplified in the way they spoke to one another.
This is told in one POV, January's - normally in romances I enjoy a dual POV but I think the single POV really worked to increase our sense of mystery about Gus's thoughts, putting ourselves squarely in January's shoes of trying to figure him out. Overall I highly recommend this one, best romance I've read so far!
PS. Shadi is the bff we all need.
Cornered by Chani Lynn Feener, Chani Lynn Feener
3.0
Plot: This book follows Jade and her friend Amelia who, while trying to escape those chasing them, fall through a portal into another world and find themselves being hunted. The books was quite dark and I would definitely only recommend it for an adult mature audience.
Review: This is a novella and is very short, which meant it felt like the first part in a book, rather than its' own complete story - I didn't feel like anything wrapped up, but instead things were only starting. The story didn't get a conclusion, simply a cliffhanger which made me feel like it should have been part of a book rather than a standalone in a series.
That said, I really love Feener's writing style and came to this book off of one of her YA books (also a portal fantasy but VERY different in tone and content) and I have to say that the place she absolutely excels is fighting and action sequences, so those were incredibly enjoyable and I really felt myself immersed as that part of the story was going along. I will probably continue the series to get the full story where I'll be able to review best, but given only the first installment I am going to have to only give this a 3 stars - the story overall may be higher and I may revise the rating later.
I received an advance review copy for free through BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review: This is a novella and is very short, which meant it felt like the first part in a book, rather than its' own complete story - I didn't feel like anything wrapped up, but instead things were only starting. The story didn't get a conclusion, simply a cliffhanger which made me feel like it should have been part of a book rather than a standalone in a series.
That said, I really love Feener's writing style and came to this book off of one of her YA books (also a portal fantasy but VERY different in tone and content) and I have to say that the place she absolutely excels is fighting and action sequences, so those were incredibly enjoyable and I really felt myself immersed as that part of the story was going along. I will probably continue the series to get the full story where I'll be able to review best, but given only the first installment I am going to have to only give this a 3 stars - the story overall may be higher and I may revise the rating later.
I received an advance review copy for free through BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World, Vol. 1 by Norihito Sasaki, Riko Korie, Nana Mikoshiba
5.0
4.5 rounded up
This story follows our MC Ray White as he enters the Arnold Academy of Magic as an ordinary person, not from a prestigious family of artistocrats like the rest of the academy. He quickly makes enemies as well as a few selected friends, though they don't know about his mysterious past and identity.
This was VERY enjoyable - the characters were all incredibly likeable and unique to one another (though I will say some of the characters gave me Mushoku Tensei vibes in terms of design!). The fight scenes were actually easy to understand and very well drawn in a way a lot of shounen sometimes doesn't feel as clear. There was action, there was friendship, there was cuteness and there was the start of a plot I think I can really get into. Overall, I will be reading the next volume and hope it continues on the high note it started on.
I received a complimentary copy of this volume by Kodansha via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.
This story follows our MC Ray White as he enters the Arnold Academy of Magic as an ordinary person, not from a prestigious family of artistocrats like the rest of the academy. He quickly makes enemies as well as a few selected friends, though they don't know about his mysterious past and identity.
This was VERY enjoyable - the characters were all incredibly likeable and unique to one another (though I will say some of the characters gave me Mushoku Tensei vibes in terms of design!). The fight scenes were actually easy to understand and very well drawn in a way a lot of shounen sometimes doesn't feel as clear. There was action, there was friendship, there was cuteness and there was the start of a plot I think I can really get into. Overall, I will be reading the next volume and hope it continues on the high note it started on.
I received a complimentary copy of this volume by Kodansha via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.