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eddiesourboy's reviews
136 reviews
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
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
4.75
the events before and after There There are just as interesting and moving as the original piece. tommy orange is such a talented author and the voice actors in the audiobook did a phenomenal job bringing his characters to life.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
absolutely sobbing in my car thanks to the amazing narration and incredibly compelling writing. there are so many parallels to things happening right now. it hits close to home.
Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
another important piece of queer history that kind of confuses me but I enjoyed nonetheless
The Young and Evil by Charles Henri-Ford, Parker Tyler
this is a fascinating book but I truly could not tell you what is going on for most of it. the writing is very "of it's time" which is to say confusing and often outdated. still, I found myself highlighting a lot of beautiful lines and re-reading passages to gain a better understanding. the way these men interact with each other is horrible and beautiful. fans of queer history will want to read this as it is definitely a significant book, if not necessarily a great one.
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I bemoan them most under sheets at night when their eyes rimmed with masculinity see nothing and their lymphlips are smothered by the irondomed sky.
this is a fascinating book but I truly could not tell you what is going on for most of it. the writing is very "of it's time" which is to say confusing and often outdated. still, I found myself highlighting a lot of beautiful lines and re-reading passages to gain a better understanding. the way these men interact with each other is horrible and beautiful. fans of queer history will want to read this as it is definitely a significant book, if not necessarily a great one.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
i have so many emotions around this book. i am so obsessed. i forgot how good this series is. while this was not quite as exciting as the first book, it gives insight into the world of Panem and the other districts, along with further character development for everyone. the moment Katniss hangs the dummy sticks with me. shes so fucking cool
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
a beautiful story about octopuses and human connection. appropriately, I have been reading this at my job at an aquarium and it has given me a lot of insight. i really enjoyed it.
The Hunger Games: Special Edition by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I first read this book when it came out, and now years later I found myself sobbing through it. What a goddamn emotional rollercoaster. Being able to understand it to it's full extent now that I'm an adult & having read the prequel adds soooo much to this, and I already loved it as a kid.
Horse Barbie by Geena Rocero
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Disclaimer: Geena is my friend and she sent me a copy of this book for free. I love her dearly. However I think I am still more than capable of being objective here.
Geena's story pulls you in. I remember watching her TED talk for the first time years ago, not long after I myself came out. I had never seen a transgender adult before, I didn't think they existed. To say I found it inspiring is an understatement. Then, I had the opportunity to meet her in person. She cooked a meal and ate with me and a few other people. We exchanged information and kept in touch. I was so excited when she told me she wrote a book, because I aspire to do the same someday.
Do I love her writing style? Well. It's complicated. The conversational tone is too casual at times, throwing "I mean" and "Basically" at the start of so many sentences was a bit annoying. Additionally, there are a lot of times where instead of description, she compares things to actors or scenes in films. If these comparisons were in tandem to an actual description I would be ok with it, as it's clear that media is an important part of the story. However, having to google what an actor looks like in order to get an idea of someone is disruptive to reading -- but if you don't do it, how do you know what all these people look like?
When she includes descriptions, they are very nice and give you a sense of what she is experiencing. I loved learning about all the different places she has been and the people she has met. I also learned a lot about the culture and history of the Philippines. The best parts of this story are the ones where the emotions run highest. I felt the anxiety she felt telling Lorenzo about her transness, the love she had for her family and the emotional turmoil of losing her father, the trust she had for Norman and the relief when he accepted her for who she was, and of course the power of going on stage and telling the world her truth. Geena is an amazing presence and it shines through her work. She has done so much, been so many places, and accomplished so much. Being transgender is scary, but also beautiful and empowering. At first, I was skeptical about how many things seemed to go right for her. Where was the pain, the conflict, the struggle? But the hardships are there, detailed but not dwelled on. Geena moves forward through it all, and honestly, that is a good thing. This book is ultimately about trans joy and how we can be whatever we want to be. Our stories don't need to be tragic to be moving.
Geena's story pulls you in. I remember watching her TED talk for the first time years ago, not long after I myself came out. I had never seen a transgender adult before, I didn't think they existed. To say I found it inspiring is an understatement. Then, I had the opportunity to meet her in person. She cooked a meal and ate with me and a few other people. We exchanged information and kept in touch. I was so excited when she told me she wrote a book, because I aspire to do the same someday.
Do I love her writing style? Well. It's complicated. The conversational tone is too casual at times, throwing "I mean" and "Basically" at the start of so many sentences was a bit annoying. Additionally, there are a lot of times where instead of description, she compares things to actors or scenes in films. If these comparisons were in tandem to an actual description I would be ok with it, as it's clear that media is an important part of the story. However, having to google what an actor looks like in order to get an idea of someone is disruptive to reading -- but if you don't do it, how do you know what all these people look like?
When she includes descriptions, they are very nice and give you a sense of what she is experiencing. I loved learning about all the different places she has been and the people she has met. I also learned a lot about the culture and history of the Philippines. The best parts of this story are the ones where the emotions run highest. I felt the anxiety she felt telling Lorenzo about her transness, the love she had for her family and the emotional turmoil of losing her father, the trust she had for Norman and the relief when he accepted her for who she was, and of course the power of going on stage and telling the world her truth. Geena is an amazing presence and it shines through her work. She has done so much, been so many places, and accomplished so much. Being transgender is scary, but also beautiful and empowering. At first, I was skeptical about how many things seemed to go right for her. Where was the pain, the conflict, the struggle? But the hardships are there, detailed but not dwelled on. Geena moves forward through it all, and honestly, that is a good thing. This book is ultimately about trans joy and how we can be whatever we want to be. Our stories don't need to be tragic to be moving.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Suzanne Collins is the absolute greatest of all time when it comes to dystopian novels. Never in my life did I expect to feel any amount of sympathy for a young President Snow, but here I am. Seeing his early days and learning about the origins of the Hunger Games was riveting. All the characters were so well thought out and even the things I saw coming were exciting to watch play out. If you liked the Hunger Games trilogy and aren't sure about a prequel, you NEED to read this. And if you've never read any of the Hunger Games novels, I think starting here would do just as well as starting with the original book. It works standalone just as well. I'm excited to re-read the rest of this series now.
Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
amazing writing throughout each and every story. loved reading dystopian stuff that emphasized how racism and capitalism could get Even More out of hand. as someone who's worked retail I related to the stories that showed the potential extremes of customer service -- sometimes it really does feel like everyone's going to die. my favorite story was Zimmer Land, which was a truly haunting concept and had my favorite lines
People say "sell your soul" like it's easy. But your soul is yours and it's not for sale. Even if you try, it'll still be there, waiting for you to remember it.
and my least favorite story was Lark Street because I truly could not tell what the message was supposed to be there and it creeped me out. but regardless, everything else was great in general and id recommend this to anyone interested in dystopian afro-futurism!