Scan barcode
destdest's reviews
2482 reviews
The Smoke That Thunders by Erhu Kome
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Unfortunately, this wasn’t a good read for me. I wanted to like this much more than I did. The cover, West African setting, and the title really drew me to this.
The pacing wasn’t slow, but I didn’t mesh well with the writing style. So much of it felt like unnecessary details or sterile. We have a fox spirit, kidnapping, and trying to unite two kingdoms! Narborhi is educated and can fight hand-to-hand combat. Nothing about that sounds boring but the execution was.
One of the main conflicts/themes is that Narborhi has seen the horrors of marriage going wrong and leaving women destitute or shells of themselves. Her mother's experience really shaped her worldview.
I like that the book acknowledges that marriage (at least certainly at her age - 16 years old) isn't for everyone. Despite that, many of the characters (one of the male leads even) desired marriage but didn't gaslight or belittle Narborhi's feelings. There's a balance of good and terrible marriage(s) here, but the power imbalances with the majority of the young brides are made very clear.
I liked the Red Tapestry once it was introduced, a haven for women to showcase their skills and talents.
The pacing wasn’t slow, but I didn’t mesh well with the writing style. So much of it felt like unnecessary details or sterile. We have a fox spirit, kidnapping, and trying to unite two kingdoms! Narborhi is educated and can fight hand-to-hand combat. Nothing about that sounds boring but the execution was.
One of the main conflicts/themes is that Narborhi has seen the horrors of marriage going wrong and leaving women destitute or shells of themselves. Her mother's experience really shaped her worldview.
I like that the book acknowledges that marriage (at least certainly at her age - 16 years old) isn't for everyone. Despite that, many of the characters (one of the male leads even) desired marriage but didn't gaslight or belittle Narborhi's feelings. There's a balance of good and terrible marriage(s) here, but the power imbalances with the majority of the young brides are made very clear.
I liked the Red Tapestry once it was introduced, a haven for women to showcase their skills and talents.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang
emotional
lighthearted
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
The Happy Shop by Brittany Long Olsen
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I just adored how sweet and tender this story was and the magical realism.
Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood by bell hooks
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
There’s so much the eyes of a child see that adults tend not to notice.
The memoir is mainly told in the third person. Very rarely is "I" used here. It creates a bit of distance between hook and her younger self. It's less about her and more about the exploration of girlhood or relevant things of that period that could connect with readers. hook's thoughts on marriage are very clear when you see how she came to those conclusions/her observations.
A running theme is the color of black (technically, we know it's not a color, but you get the idea). hooks always saw it as beautiful, but it was enforced to be a woman's color only; it was tied to maturity or mourning, not for young girls.
hook’s youth seemed very restrictive with her feeling out of place and constantly reprimanded for her outspokenness and questioning of gender roles. She has some nice lines here, and I wish I had learned of her work earlier.
The memoir is mainly told in the third person. Very rarely is "I" used here. It creates a bit of distance between hook and her younger self. It's less about her and more about the exploration of girlhood or relevant things of that period that could connect with readers. hook's thoughts on marriage are very clear when you see how she came to those conclusions/her observations.
A running theme is the color of black (technically, we know it's not a color, but you get the idea). hooks always saw it as beautiful, but it was enforced to be a woman's color only; it was tied to maturity or mourning, not for young girls.
hook’s youth seemed very restrictive with her feeling out of place and constantly reprimanded for her outspokenness and questioning of gender roles. She has some nice lines here, and I wish I had learned of her work earlier.
Coral's Reef Vol. 1 by David Lumsdon
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.0
I say this in love, but this has a very Deviantart + early 2000’s cartoon vibe.
With the fast pace, the constant winking, the sister with a weird obsession with her brother so she sabotages other girls, and the slapstick (coral and lilyanna ending up naked seems to be a recurring joke, I guess).
Still, it’s a relatively cute slice of life with fantasy characters. The love triangle with Nick Inferno and Lance (he's a jerk but seems to have genuine feelings for her) was also entertaining.
SN: Lilyanna’s design is too cute! The Orca Whale dude looked hilarious
With the fast pace, the constant winking, the sister with a weird obsession with her brother so she sabotages other girls, and the slapstick (coral and lilyanna ending up naked seems to be a recurring joke, I guess).
Still, it’s a relatively cute slice of life with fantasy characters. The love triangle with Nick Inferno and Lance (he's a jerk but seems to have genuine feelings for her) was also entertaining.
SN: Lilyanna’s design is too cute! The Orca Whale dude looked hilarious
Enlighten Me by Minh Lê
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Waverider by Kazu Kibuishi
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
I really need to reread this series from the beginning for full enjoyment (end of an era y'all - the first book was 16 years ago 💀), but this was a pretty great conclusion with me trying to remember the major plot points.
I love how it doesn't fall into "the chosen one" trope because ... we need everyone to save the day. we can't pin our hope all on one human being. peace and conflict will always be with us. negative thoughts festering turns us into monsters.
the elves - conclusion
as a kid, I remember Trellis being one of my favorite characters for his Zuko arc as a kid, and the vague Zutara vibes he and emily had. Also, he gave up the throne to become leader of the stonekeepers. I really have to reread the series because I don't know if I should be feeling cheated or surprised at a great subversion
Riva's potential kind of fizzled out. What's her part to play in the future besides being a trellis' wife?she was like a mayour at one point. surely, she's overseeing something too
I love how it doesn't fall into "the chosen one" trope because ...
the elves - conclusion
Riva's potential kind of fizzled out. What's her part to play in the future besides being a trellis' wife?she was like a mayour at one point. surely, she's overseeing something too
Unicorn Boy, Volume 1 by Dave Roman
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Pretty good but I wished the flashback sequences had been clearer. Also, 1 point for originality with changing child sacrifice to cat sacrifice
Ultraviolet by Aida Salazar
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Hand clap! Elio's head is in the clouds, seeing ultraviolet with his first girlfriend, Camelia.
The story's straightforward and unsubtle, but the plainness should benefit the MG audience. It acknowledges the weird feelings the process of puberty can bring, toxic masculinity, and consent through Elio's eyes. It even calls out the rise of red pill influencers such as Andrew Tate because young boys are the main ones being polluted by him.
There's Mexican slang galore that’s easy to figure out in context though “pedo face” will cause a lot of head scratching. I still don’t get the meaning either. The dialogue is a little off though not quite “How do you do fellow kids?"
But the ending was exceptional, and I enjoyed the resolution.
The story's straightforward and unsubtle, but the plainness should benefit the MG audience. It acknowledges the weird feelings the process of puberty can bring, toxic masculinity, and consent through Elio's eyes. It even calls out the rise of red pill influencers such as Andrew Tate because young boys are the main ones being polluted by him.
There's Mexican slang galore that’s easy to figure out in context though “pedo face” will cause a lot of head scratching. I still don’t get the meaning either. The dialogue is a little off though not quite “How do you do fellow kids?"
But the ending was exceptional, and I enjoyed the resolution.