doogsley's reviews
140 reviews

The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-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? No

3.75

a lovely conclusion to a lovely trilogy. this one has a minor, more-serious tone shift from the previous two books as it tackles pollution as the main antagonist, leaning into environmentalism and biodiversity as major plot points. it still holds a brilliant warmth, nonetheless. i'll miss you roz! thank you for the adventures! i'll be back again, one day!

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

holy hell my heart aches 😭

Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee

hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

loved this duology sm 🥹 i’m highkey emotional that there’s no plans for any more dallergut strolls. i guess i’ll keep dreaming……. 😏

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

elusive, heady, staggering. to me, anyway. i don’t think these are negative qualities though. i wish i owned this physically so could chew on the plot(? lyrics, maybe?) in the margins. i also wish i had a globe in front of me so i could “follow along” with all of the purple earthly prose haha. def in a league of its own; i’ve never read anything quite like this. i think i enjoyed it more than i can currently integrate. def a book to revisit in my future.

chie, you’ll always be my babygirl.

“and the earth, a complex orchestra of sounds, an out-of-tune band practice of saws and woodwind, a spacey full-throttle distortion of engines, a speed-of-light battle between galactic tribes, a ricochet of trills from a damp rainforest morning, the opening bars of electronic trance, and behind it all a ringing sound, a sound gathered in a hollow throat. a fumbled harmony taking shape.”

The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

adventurous challenging hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-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? No

4.0

charming, thought-provoking, and kind. it’s not as good as book 1, but not detrimentally so. i love how accessible this story is whilst delivering hard-hitting, depth-embracing questions: where do i belong? what is my purpose? how can i be myself without fear? what is “home”? and how can i get there? my heart is so full. peak middle grade goodness. 🤖

Something in the Woods Loves You by Jarod K. Anderson

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

i slowly flowed through this book over the course of three months, picking it up intermittently, waiting for the pull to reenter this mystical, gentle, viscerally honest space.

every time i reentered anderson’s affirmative prose, it was exactly what i needed to hear, eerily resonant to my current lived experience, a mirror of a conversation held with my partner, a continuation of deep thoughts i stored away for a kinder moment.

this is a must-read for anyone who lives alongside depression. it’s vulnerable in the best ways, where i felt naked before its words. i must have over 100 highlighted sections. endless gentle wisdom for the wounded soul. i’ve been struggling with depressive and anxious flare-ups for a few months now, mirrors of my younger days that i thought were managed and soothed. it’s nice to read a book that reminds me that healing is never linear.

it may be a little intense for those in the throes of ideation and inner-drowning, but there is such a softness in the aesops and his path to recovery. a lot of anderson’s healing is rooted in choosing magic and kindness, trying over and over again, choosing community (in both humans and the earth) and staying reverent towards the subtle glory of Life Itself, despite the horrors.

i am swept up. i will read this over and over again throughout my little life. and i will continue to choose whimsy, mushrooms, spinning under the moon, and seeing myself in the eyes of caterpillars.

“maybe this isn’t a time for ideal, i thought. maybe it’s a time to learn to love the mess.” 🪻

Angels Before Man by Rafael Nicolás

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

i was breathless nearing the end of this book. such deliriously tragic head cinema. i adore the tonal shifts between act one and two; blushing whimsy into mania, horror, spirals upon spirals. the prose is violet, poetic, lush, visceral. lucifer is a phenomenal and devastating character. i'm unwell lmao. and, currently sprinting to the nearest b&n to get the special edition.

DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee

hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

super cozy n gentle read. slow vibes, low stakes, with thoughtful n whimsical world-building. the vibe is giving rilakkuma and kaoru - bite-sized vignettes in a fantasy world, highlighting mundane magic and inner-worlds more than an actual plot. it's honestly a sweet dollop of escapism rn lol. i'm an oneironaut (near-nightly lucid dreams) and appreciative of this dreamy magic. i'll def leap into the sequel the next time i gotta tune out and enter a calm lil world.

Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

wow. this one snuck up on me!! i wasn’t compelled for the first ~30% but i’m grateful i kept reading this lush lil fairy tale. the ending has me gagged lmao wow.

my favorite part is, easily, the atmosphere. it is SO ghibli, SO howl’s moving castle. the microflavors in this book are DELICIOUS. the violescent demonique-magical forest, a sentient mansion that leans in to listen to secrets, shelves adorned with crystals and skulls and jars of beetle shells, a dagger with a mother-of-pearl hilt shaped like a doe with “glittering turquoise eyes.” such a beautiful, haunting stage.

my biggest con: the romance and its pacing felt… off? unconvincing? “not-so-clever fox” is def up for Worst Pet Name lol. i also felt that the supporting cast/found family were worlds more interesting than our protags. however - without revealing anything specific ofc - the ending made liska and the leszy’s relationship a rewarding experience. again: wow.

if you’re seeking a folkloric, verdant, rheumy, whimsical read filled with thoughtful subversions and a mouthy “cat” mascot, perhaps give this novel a go. 🦌

Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil by Liz Greene

medium-paced

dated, yet informative. i'll be revisiting this as i continue my astrological studies.