fluoresensitive's reviews
527 reviews

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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

3.75

She said they crucified her soul, and that's when I knew this book was something special. Like I knew it was special earlier, but that sealed it for me. 2025, 1666... We are living deliciously, we are spitting in the face of God's cruel and thoughtless, bloodthirsty cult. 

Bumped it down to a 4 bc 3.75 wasn't fair and 5 is too much, like. I thought about it being in the same conversations as Between Two Fires and scoffed. Like, she's cute but she's not that cute. Fun, though! Not worth keeping on the shelf.

Actually bumping it down again, bc what do you mean she doesn't get to be the one to raze the town? What do you mean Samson gets the demon credit, that's no fun!

Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen

3.0

Twas okay! Was gonna say she's a huge win for the evil wife community, but she's not and she mostly just makes me sad for her. Like all that haterism and ambition and nothing come of it.

Out There Screaming by Jordan Peele, John Joseph Adams

emotional mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

I averaged out my feelings for each of the stories so here we are! Um! The ones that were good were REALLY good (Invasion of The Baby Snatchers by Lesley Nneka Arimah, Lasirèn by Erin E. Adams, The Most Strongest Obeah Woman by Nalo Hopkinson, for example).

The Uprising: Three Young Women Caught in the Fire That Changed America by Margaret Peterson Haddix

challenging dark reflective tense 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

5.0

YA books used to go so hard, like a book about women's rights and unionising and hating the rich and the cruelty of capitalism. At no point does Haddix go "aw both sides", like to the end she said "womp your daddy was a greedy, capitalistic killer boooo" like whoa! When are the kids gonna get a book about the Bhopal disaster or one of the countless mining disasters

Post-Traumatic by Chantal V. Johnson

medium-paced

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

3.75

Finally, self indulgent fiction for Black women, yay! But seriously, the writing was very beautiful, I just couldn’t stand being in the head of a self-obsessed, white man crazy lady. Like, she acts so weird in a way that’s familiar and unbearable in a very I Learned I Was Black in College way. Well!

More Perfect by Temi Oh

challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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

I knew it was a retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, I knew it and still when it all happened, when through the plot of government control and the overstepping of technology, IT happened, I was still gutted. And the knowledge that an Orpheus must always turn to look at their Eurydice, that love is turning ... Oh God. (Falls to my knees) Put me back in it, Hozier said! I WOULD DO IT AGAIN!

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes
Did not finish book.

Started it, first page hit by that over familiar, “this is fanfic with the serial numbers scraped off “/“I don’t take writing seriously, lol “ language and immediately said fuck no.

Before and After by Andrew Shanahan

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I feared this would be fatphobic and mean, but it was so fucking well written and kind, like baby this is a story about fear, agoraphobia, about shame. It gets weirdly Christian near the end but it makes sense for the story. All I want is for Ben and his beautiful dog to go to Disney world.

Gorilla, My Love by Toni Cade Bambara

funny reflective medium-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? Yes

4.0

Very compelling and cohesive short story collection, but I expected nothing else from Miss Bambara!

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

By god can mantel write some excellent dead white people.