faefaesauce's reviews
246 reviews

A Quick & Easy Guide to Sex & Disability by A. Andrews

funny informative fast-paced

3.25

A well done brief overview! Imagery is very diverse, language is really accessible, and the breadth of topics is wide but not obscene. This touches on a lot of things and is an excellent introduction for people who don't quite know where to start, even able bodied people! 

Glint by Raven Kennedy

adventurous emotional 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

2.5

After the absolute travesty that was the first book, I expected this one to be phenomenal or I would send the whole series packing. This book is ...good. It definitely fleshes out the concept set up in book one a satisfying amount and the mystery/plot twist is neither under nor overexplained. This book seemed to have a clearer direction than the first and while it wasn't life changing by any means, the difference from book one was great enough I'll give book three a go. 

I really feel like books 1 and 2 could have been one book. If you pared both of them down in places and combined them you would have a very satisfying start to a very interesting fairy tale retelling. 

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.75

Beautiful: both artistically and in story. This book tackles so many conversations including disability, grief, uncertainty, hope, disappointment, distrust, empathy, and more. The pacing is exquisite and really illustrates life in a refuge camp in a way that is digestable but not oversimplified. I cried multiple times reading this and think everyone could benefit from learning Omar's story.

Gild by Raven Kennedy

adventurous slow-paced

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

2.0

I've heard "you just have to get through the first book and then the rest of the series is good" plenty of times but this is by far the worst offender. I could not tell you why we cared about this book until, I kid you not, 90% of the way in. We seem to just beebop around through Aurens life with no clear direction or purpose until literally the very end. And just as things are starting to maybe have a direction the book just ends. Book two better be amazing because I feel like I've been catfished.

TW: a fairly graphic SA scene

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan

emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

2.5

A good little fiction piece, reminds me of the American girl doll story books from my childhood. This gave me Secret Garden vibes, which isn't necessarily my genre but this seemed well done. 

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

Coming back to Emily's world took some getting used to. Her voice and the mechanics of her world are so specific that it's not a super easy transition. Totally worth it though because this series continues to be incredibly vivid and rich. The imagery is beautiful, the pacing is exquisite. You truly feel like it's organically happening and this woman can write a jump scare like no ones business. 

The new little faes we are introduced to this book are nightmare creatures. I will never sleep the same again. But so so worth it. 

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Even as a reread this book is still captivating. The story holds up, the emotions aren't rushed or forced. I know people can be frustrated that this one is slower than it's trilogy companions but I think giving this story space for organic progression was really important. This is what war is like. This is how it feels when you're in the "is it over?" stage. And the character growth all around is phenomenal. Truly a treasure. 

Unholy Land by Lavie Tidhar

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

A stunning, inventive, unique, mind boggling piece of science fiction. I will be thinking about this book for years to come. It sticks with you the way movies like Inception do. The imagery is vivid, the mechanics are new and interesting, the characters are all complex without having to spend a bunch of time explaining their depth. This was not a quick read for me because I had to stop and process so many times as I read. Wholly worth your time, truly a beautiful piece of literary artwork. 

The Broken Word: An Epic Poem of the British Empire in Kenya, and the Mau Mau Uprising Against It by Adam Foulds

dark emotional medium-paced

4.5

Absolutely beautiful. A vividly graphic and raw illustration of a bloody time in history presented in the coming of age framework of a boy we can all relate to. A truly stunning piece of art. I found myself wishing it was longer because I was learning so much reading it. 

Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli

informative inspiring slow-paced

2.75

A little oversimplified but the art is cute. There are definitely other kids books that talk about her story in a more in-depth way that are equally accessible.