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dracobatreads's reviews
249 reviews
5.0
“Te amo, Benedito.”
this is my first time reading a book from this author and it definitely won’t be the last. this book?!!!! this book was SO well written, the dialogue, descriptions, EVERYTHING about it was so eloquently put i was in awe. the topics that were touched on were discussed with so much care and love and i really appreciate the author taking the time to develop these important topics throughout the story. there was a lot more smut than i thought there was gonna be, but i actually really really enjoyed those scenes as someone who doesn’t really care for smut and i love the conversations they had. the scenes weren’t awkward and were written so well.
i fell in love with lex and ben with each page. the amount of love they had for one another, and their journey across the PCT, the journey they each had individually and the journey they had with each other was so beautifully written. i loved all the side characters and how involved they were in the story. i loved lex especially, as someone who is queer and grew up in a household that was religious, and that was diagnosed with autism as an adult, these topics touched my heart and made me tear up a bit.
overall this story was so beautiful, i cherished every moment and didn’t want it to end. queer adult stories are SO important. this story is something i will definitely remember and come back to. i definitely will be reading the previous book in the same universe as this one and the other works from this author.
3.0
This was a very interesting read. I was intrigued and really wanted to dive into this dark academia anthology novel, the descriptions of the different stories peaked my interest. It had lots of amazing authors that most people are familiar with, and I got introduced to many new authors that I will definitely be checking out their other works in the future. My favorite story was probably "The Professor of Ontography" by Helen Grant, a very dark, disturbing story that left me wanting more. There was good LGBTQIA+ representation that I really enjoyed too throughout this book.
Dark Academia is a genre that is one of my favorites, and a lot of the stories were disturbing, dark and gave off those dark academia vibes, and unfortunately a few of the stories did not. A lot of them felt like a "dark" story just loosely tied to school, and unfortunately fell a little bit flat for me personally. I did not enjoy some of the way certain topics were being handled or the language used for certain stories, but there were a lot of good reads to even it out.
Overall, it was a very decent read and if you like Anthology and Dark Academia stories you should definitely try this book out.
Thank you Titan Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review
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4.0
Kacen Callender is one of my go-to authors now. I absolutely loved "King and the Dragonflies" so I was so excited to get to read an e-ARC of this in advance. This was definitely a hard read. Hard in the sense that it covered SO many important topics such as homophobia, racism/colorism, drug abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, toxic relationships, the entertainment industry, consent, mental health, CPTSD and so much more (please read the cws beforehand in the book). They were handled with such beauty and care, and I actually really enjoyed how realistic everything was, especially the end and how sex positive this book was.
Even though logan was flawed, and had a lot of trauma, I still loved him. He made me so angry, made me laugh, and I felt for him and loved his story with each page I turned. I loved Mattie SO much. I loved how much he grew as a character, how confident he became towards the end and set boundaries for himself. While yes this is a romance, do not expect the HEA in your typical rom-com. The reason why I really enjoyed this book is because one I could relate, and two it didn't shy away from the raw and real things about stepping away, taking the time to heal and find yourself so you won't be too dependent on your partner, and coming back and giving each other a second chance when you know you're both in the right mind set to be together.
There were times I thought there was a lot of explaining and not a lot of showing here and there,
Spoiler
and I thought the plot with Briggs and the aftermath of everything with Logan leaving the industry could have been handled better,Spoiler
and possibly the ending just slightly longer, but overall, I really enjoyed this story. Kacen Callender has a great range from middle grade, YA and now adult books, which I absolutely love.Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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5.0
This is my first time reading a book from this author and I absolutely will be coming back for more of their work. I cannot stress this enough; this book has to be one of the most beautifully written books I've read in a minute. It was a short quick read filled with page after page of words that captured the story so eloquently.
It had everything I loved; horror, a strong women/character, good POC representation, informative, and a very good plot/story with a hint of romance. This folkloric fantasy filled with Latin American realism and deals with the devil was such an amazing journey to read. I will definitely be going back to read this gain and again. This book was such a surprise to me, I didn't think I would love it this much, and it quickly became one of my favorite reads of this year.
Thank you to Holiday House/PeachTree/Pixie + Ink and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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5.0
I don't think I've laughed this much reading a book since reading "The Long Run" by James Acker. This book was SO CUTE!!! It gave me secondhand embarrassment in the best way possible. Amazing trans and queer representation. This book was filled with so much joy, laughter, yes some hurt here and there, but I just loved the found family and friendship throughout and the supportive parents too. Also hands down the best dedication at the beginning of a book ever!!!!
I did not want this book to end. It was very silly and goofy, but not too silly. I loved every second and page of Asher and Noah interacting. The growth from both of them was so fun to see I was immersed in their story from the very beginning. My favourite thing about this book was probably how effortlessly funny it was. Yes there were references, lots of jokes and it was very lighthearted while simultaneously discussing important topics, but sometimes YA novels, since they are mostly written by adults not in the age range they are writing for, the jokes and references can be not funny and a little try hard/trying to sound and be relatable, but this was the perfect example of a book that was ACTUALLY funny without being too cringe.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it definitely lived up to everything and more. I will be reading this again and again for sure.
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5.0
This horror comedy was a very quick read, and I loved every second of it. I did not know what I was getting into when starting this book, I don't believe I've read any of this author's books, but I will definitely be coming back for more. (The little plot twist made the story even more interesting too)
Ford and Neuland's banter was my favorite thing about this book. Their back-and-forth dry humor really sold it for me. I loved the supernatural elements and the horror/gore descriptions, they really painted such a vivid picture in my head. I absolutely loved Tilda, her growth and how easily she fit with Ford and Newland.
While this was only a little over 100 pages the pacing was great, and it left just enough room open to continue this story while simultaneously giving you closure of this chapter. Overall, this was a pleasant surprise, and I will be coming back to read this in the future. And if the author is up to it, I would love to see more of these characters in the future.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Titan Books for the print ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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2.0
Real rating 2.5/5 stars rounded down.
if you wanna shut your brain off for 284 pages and not think too much then this book is for you. a lot of the dialogue sounds like those safety and diversity videos they make you watch at work.
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2.0
Real rating 2.5/5 stars rounded down.
I usually like monster romances, especially cozy ones, and the merch i saw on instagram is what made me read this book ngl lmao. But, this just read like some really rushed together wattpad fic. The dialogue was awkward and cringe, yes there was some cute parts and I’m really glad it was only like 160 pages. Will i be reading the rest of the series? Well, yes.
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5.0
I did not want this book to end. This has become a comfort read for me and one of my top reads of this year. I had so much fun from the very beginning and on each page. The journey the author took us on with Wren, struggling with his future, loss/grief, his asexuality and his his love life was lighthearted but touched on such important topics from start to finish.
Wren’s narration was SO FUNNY, like actually funny. it felt like an 18 year old was actually taking us through his thought process, it didn’t seem over the top, cringe and every joke landed. The message about figuring out what you want and what you need, doing things that are scary and finding people that will accept ALL of you was such a touching message throughout the story.
I absolutely LOVED how diverse this book was. It’s very rare to see ace and aromantic being represented in two main characters of the story. I loved Ryan, I saw so much in her in me (black goths that love halloween!!) and I loved Leo too especially. Wren and Leo’s love for one another was cute to see development. Even though it was fast paced, it still seemed believable too.
I wish this book could’ve gone on forever. I could stay here and ramble about everything I loved about it, how diverse it was etc but I don’t wanna be writing an essay of a review. I just wish certain things were fleshed out more (like Wren’s relationship with his dad) and maybe the ending just a tad bit longer too, but other than that I absolutely enjoyed very everything about this book. Even if YA isn’t your thing, I think this book will make everyone laugh and feel good. (Also that mini plot twist at the end was kinda unexpected ngl)
Thank you Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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5.0
This book was absolutely ADORABLE!! It was a very cute, lighthearted and fluffy read. The art was AMAZING, I lovedddd the author’s style. I loved PG and Momo so much and just reading about their growth and love for each other. Their character designs were the cutest.
I think my favourite thing was how diverse this graphic novel was and what great lesbian/sapphic representation was showcased in this. Every page, even the background characters was just filled with diversity which every book/graphic novel should have and I just felt so seen and very happy. This was a joy to read.
Thank you to Penguin Young Reader Group, Penguin Teen, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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