grimalkintoes's reviews
140 reviews

Chainsaw Man, Vol. 7 by Tatsuki Fujimoto

dark funny medium-paced

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

5.0

Chainsaw Man, Vol. 6 by Tatsuki Fujimoto

dark funny medium-paced

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

5.0

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

No horror franchise is complete without the time-honored tradition of a slasher sequel. Frendo Lives brings the kills, the thrills, and a solid contemporary critique of conspiracy culture. 

Party & Prey by Steve Orlando, Steve Foxe, Mike Marts, Alex Sanchez

dark medium-paced

5.0

Party & Prey is a beautiful work of bloody social commentary. Featuring an older gay serial killer who preys upon younger men in an attempt to reclaim his youth, and a man who has no other choice than to protect his community himself, this graphic novels tells a tale of queer betrayal, survival, and gory retribution.

From the Afterword:
"Alan Pleasance is not Ed Buck. He's not Jeffrey Dahmer or Bruce McArthur or any other real-life gay serial killer. The stories of the men and boys victimized by these all-too-human monsters are not ours to tell, especially since many of them were further marginalized within the queer communities as people of color. But ideas like PARTY & PREY don't spring fully formed out of nowhere."

"We knew from the beginning that PARTY & PREY couldn't hinge on knights with shining badges riding in to save the day—but we also knew that our 'villain' wasn't going to be someone from outside of the community, easily written off as an external threat."

"Real communities are messy, complicated and never monoliths. Pretending that there are no wolves among the flock is one of the factors that lets those wolves bloody their teeth for too long before getting caught—if they ever are." 

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton, James Patterson

hopeful tense slow-paced

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

2.0

Forgive me Dolly, for I have sinned*.

*disliked Run Rose Run.

This was my first James Patterson novel ever and I absolutely hated it. Predictable, formulaic, and 200 pages too long. As a librarian, though, I do see the merit in books like Patterson's — his short chapters and entertaining storylines akin to Lifetime television capture readers and I can't diss that. The Dolly Parton feature was admittedly *chef's kiss*, too. 

Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure: A Graphic Novel by Lewis Hancox

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure is a (trans)parent (ha!) memoir full of angst, vulnerability, and so many quips about growing up in the early 2000s when studded belts and MySpace emo culture reigned supreme. Told from the point of view of Lewis pretransition, St. Hell is as much a love letter to Lewis' high school self as it is to other trans teens. 

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

dark medium-paced

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

5.0

Alluring and visceral, Sarah Gailey's Just Like Home cuts with such precision that you're left with no other option than to cradle it softly in your arms, protecting it from all harm. Through haunting prose and disgusting details, Gailey weaves the most monstrous of love stories — between a father, a girl, and a house.

"The house swallowed the sound immediately, because it was a house that knew how to stay quiet."

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton

adventurous funny hopeful reflective 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

4.0

Kira Jane Buxton's Hollow Kingdom is unlike anything you have ever read before. Set in an apocalyptic Seattle, an unusual duo set out in an attempt to save humanity. Weird, zany, fresh — Hollow Kingdom eats at the part of you that yearns for familial connection, no matter the form it takes.

Though I admit the tale drags in certain areas, the momentum stagnant and a bit redundant, this one is worth the read for the prose and humor alone. It's worth the second read, too, if you're feeling particularly hungry for Cheetos and the crass musings of one very special domesticated crow.

“I cannot recommend this to you enough: find something that you believe in, right down deep in the depths of your silvery plumage, and then throw your heart at it, blood and valves and veins and all. Because I did this, the world, though brambled and frothing at the mouth, looked more vibrant; blues were bluer, and even the fetid puddles that collected under rusting cars tasted as sweet as summer wine.” 

Crumbs by Danie Stirling

lighthearted relaxing 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

Came for the cozy kitchen witch vibes, stayed for the (bitter)sweet teen romance. 

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.0

Trevor Noah's Born a Crime is an illuminating memoir about a son, his mother, and the panoptic arm of South African apartheid. Hard around the edges, tender at the core.

"Being chosen is the greatest gift you can give to another human being."