Scan barcode
hobbithopeful's reviews
227 reviews
The Default World by Naomi Kanakia
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Raw and at times brutal in its grotesque descriptions and honest writing, at times I wanted to look away from the story and give up, and yet I still found myself swallowing down every chapter that left me with a bitter aftertaste when I finally finished.
The story had a rocky start for me, and I didn’t start truly stop tabbing every single moment of awkward writing or excess dialogue until the second half of the story. At some point between Jhanvi’s spiraling out, and Henry being a flaccid man, I just couldn’t look away. That could partially be contributed to the fact my power is still out because of Hurricane Beryl. I am at a loss for entertainment now. (Fuck you, weather)
I did enjoy the descriptions, they had my stomach twisting, masterfully so.
“…but she plunged onward, blindly, licking and slobbering, running her tongue and throat over it as he moaned….”
“Her wooden dick sawed mechanically into and out of him…”
“…with her hairy skin puddling underneath her on the sheets and her sad, lank hair static-charged and standing straight out, framing her boxy face…”
I will say this is where Kanakia excels. At writing in such a way, the reader feels dirty and gross the vivid descriptions capturing the scene and conveying a sense of unease and rawness.
“She went to his bed, got naked, climbed under the covers—a man with long, thin hair and two blobs of subcutaneous fat on his chest.”
It reminded me of when I read Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt, the same level of grossness to the writing style. I wished the rest of the writing continued in that same level.
I also did enjoy how gender dysphoria was brought up, and the overall discussion of what Jhanvi would do to be a woman. I lost the quote and wish I had tabbed it but there is a moment where she mentions wanting to suck the essence of being a woman out of her housemates, and if that isn’t gender envy and the struggle of trans people, I don’t know what is. It was so raw and honest, and my enby was like: yes that.
The plot was far different then I expected, and instead felt it was more aptly as one woman’s downward spiral, and the lengths she will go to feel desired and get what she wants.
A huge issue I have with this story, is that it doesn’t feel at all anything like the back cover promises. When I am recommended a book that is marketed to me as “darkly funny”, I expect to at least chuckle. Perhaps a weak smile. I don’t expect pages and pages of sexual assault, bigotry, racism, and more. There are no content warnings, I went into this full raw dogging it, and felt totally off balance. I got through it, but I like to be able to know what I’m getting into.
This story didn’t feel darkly funny, in fact it felt incredibly depressing, full of triggers, (There is SO MUCH SEXUAL ASSAULT) and more akin to a horror story than anything else. (Tempted to shelf it as horror) There are entire pages devoted to chunks and chunks of dialogue, where it doesn’t feel like a real conversation, and instead people for some reason having these obscure and deep observations about the world around them. Jhanvi spent most of the time talking at people, and I was so confused why the other person would just listen and respond. Quite frankly the fact she just moved in and started living there, read to me as everyone else was justified in wanting her to go. And it's not like she didn’t have a job and a place already back home, she did, until she ditched it all. It read nearly like BPD to me, and I was surprised her mental health was never brought up. (Girl needs ALL THE THERAPY!)
Half of this book would be lost if Jhanvi spent less time telling others how ugly and worthless she was. (The red flag is the size of a small country now.)
“’I’m disgusting. I’m a monster. I’m like something from a nightmare.’”
Another part of the blurb where it says: “Soon, she has to choose between doing what’s right and doing what’s right for her.” I would say that is an inherently false statement, Jhanvi right from page one doesn’t do the right thing, and that trend continues the whole story and even at the end continues her own self-described evil. She also doesn’t do what’s right for her either, self-destructivity was maxed out.
It takes a bold author to write a book with not only a terrible main character, but with a full set of characters, all truly bad people. Jhanvi is billed as somehow being a “sensitive” heroine, and I don’t like how this is being pitched as questioning the promise of “found family”. Found family at its essence, comes from queer culture. Of your own family rejecting you and CHOOSING others near you who are good and kind, and who love you. The whole premises of this story where instead it’s just a group of people together only because they’re roommates and sleeping together, and have money tangled up in each other’s business, is not at all what a found family is. You can’t critique and question the whole trope and promise when you’re not even establishing what the correct baseline for found family is. Showing up and forcibly moving into someone else’s home is not at all how you come to be in a found family. (Though a point could be made that Henry, Audrey, and Katie are a found family, though it reads more as just a close friendship or poly) I would say it is more accurate to white people being granola, a hippie free love lifestyle that usually is selective to those above a certain salary bracket and who bill themselves as being liberal and accepting.
Jhanvi is an abusive person that does horrible things to the people around her, and also experiences abuse throughout the story. She somehow manages to make these all-knowing comments about other people, as if she magically knows everything about them, yet also continues to incredibly childish and immature, as well as well. Horrible.
Jhanvi was hard to stomach, manipulative at best, a self-victimizer at worst, she truly was not lying when she said she had a “white soul”.
“She might look dark and look marginalized, but she had the soul of a skinny white girl…”
This was hard to read.
“…’but I’m literally the most marginalized person here.’”
If her race wasn’t mentioned, it would be easy to read her as being white, just because she is so desperate to victimize herself. It reminds me of white queer people who finally are able to claim a marginalized card when they come out and use it whenever they can. She constantly throws tantrums, abuses the people around her, and is a general villain.
Jhanvi meets Toni, and right off the bat she picks apart her appearance, touching her this way and that.
“Look, your facial hair is sparse.’ She touched Toni’s face, ran her thumb over the bristles on the chin. ‘It won’t cost you nearly as much as it’ll cost me. Start doing lasering, invest in that…You’ve got that boyish frame that’s a nice basic start—no fat to take away, just fat to add, and that thin chest will look good even with small breasts.’”
The red flags aren’t flags anymore, they’re neon.
Jhanvi also repeatedly makes physical contact with Roshie, without consent, even after being told no.
“Jhanvi pounced, wrapping her arms around her friend…Roshie fought free and whirled around…’Don’t do that!’ Roshie waved a finger.”
It’s not far off to say even the way every woman was described was inherently misogynistic in nature. I can’t remember the last time I read a book where every single woman’s appearance was picked apart and described in such detail, down to their height. Actually, yes, I can. There’s a reason I stay away from books written by cis men, they usually describe women’s heights down to the inch, always giving them perfect bodies and even detailing their breasts in such a way I feel dirty after reading.
“She was short, maybe 5’3 or so, and her brown hair was perpetually in a ponytail. She looked like a gymnast, slight at first glance, almost elfin, but her arms and thighs and back were knotted muscle.”
That’s not to say every woman is given this treatment, Roshie is instead repeatedly talked about in terms of her acne scars and “pugnacious” appearance. It isn’t a difficult leap to see how different the treatment and appearance white women vs. BIPOC women are given, though how it lands at times feels almost too far to the other side of the coin and instead sways into nearly feeling stereotypical in nature. Roshie’s personality and anger is so frequently brought up, as if she isn’t allowed the same space to be a boss bitch like the white women are.
It is difficult to say if it was intentional on Kanakia’s part or not, I haven’t read any of her other books, so I am unable to say if this is solely contained to this book or not. Though even Roshie is described as “…her little fists swinging…” because heaven forbid every other woman besides Jhanvi be skinny and perfect. Even at the end, Jhanvi is unable to see her (Roshie) as beautiful.
“…unshaven pits and arms—the Persian girl’s curse, she was hairy as fuck. Not beautiful, never beautiful, never that.”
There were moments I was confused about terms or wording, and when leggings kept being used as clothing descriptions, I realized it was because the author is likely from a far older generation then me. I have never heard anyone describe another person as a “sex friend”, and moment like that I wish were adjusted to actually make sense. (Online sexting, roleplay, fuck buddy, one sided online relationship, like there’s options, people!)
Truly one of the things missing was more stringent editing. There was such an excess of exclamation points, em dashes, and ellipses. I counted on one page, there was 4 em dashes. It’s not necessary, and others were composed of less letters and actual words and instead I stared at a page nearly full of ellipses. Other times I would find myself broken out of reading because there were SO many exclamation points. (5 on page 56 alone) Sentences in a row that lost their emotional impact and instead landed weakly, a period would have sufficed.
This is the first book I’ve read by Naomi Kanakia, and at this point I am unsure if I would read anything else by her. I would actually read a critical essay from her; her writing feels like it would be strong in that regard.
It's difficult to recommend a book that was nothing like I expected or was prepared for. Personally, I would not recommend this book, unless you enjoy this type of adult fiction. It is not to my tastes, and I really don’t think enough happened in it, most of it was devoted to Jhanvi having long conversations and complaining about the world or relationships but it feels like nothing actually happened. (Growth, not found.) Jhanvi is also completely aware of this, yet still doesn’t quite get it.
“Perhaps this ecosystem needed Jhanvi’s evilness, just as the bay needed the scuttling crabs to consume the dead fish. Without her, there would be no cleansing scorn to clear away the bullshit and
Jhanvi just continues to make these deep and out of place observations as if she is somehow still both above and beneath everyone else and yet still hates herself, and the friends seem to accept her, at least Roshie does. It reads as insincere and hollow, an intentional point I’d like to think. Jhanvi doesn’t become a better person, doesn’t leave the situation and the people she’s been abusing the whole book (and who have abused her), and instead stays and I can only shudder to think what will come of her continued presence in their lives.
Thank you to the publisher for this arc
The story had a rocky start for me, and I didn’t start truly stop tabbing every single moment of awkward writing or excess dialogue until the second half of the story. At some point between Jhanvi’s spiraling out, and Henry being a flaccid man, I just couldn’t look away. That could partially be contributed to the fact my power is still out because of Hurricane Beryl. I am at a loss for entertainment now. (Fuck you, weather)
I did enjoy the descriptions, they had my stomach twisting, masterfully so.
“…but she plunged onward, blindly, licking and slobbering, running her tongue and throat over it as he moaned….”
“Her wooden dick sawed mechanically into and out of him…”
“…with her hairy skin puddling underneath her on the sheets and her sad, lank hair static-charged and standing straight out, framing her boxy face…”
I will say this is where Kanakia excels. At writing in such a way, the reader feels dirty and gross the vivid descriptions capturing the scene and conveying a sense of unease and rawness.
“She went to his bed, got naked, climbed under the covers—a man with long, thin hair and two blobs of subcutaneous fat on his chest.”
It reminded me of when I read Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt, the same level of grossness to the writing style. I wished the rest of the writing continued in that same level.
I also did enjoy how gender dysphoria was brought up, and the overall discussion of what Jhanvi would do to be a woman. I lost the quote and wish I had tabbed it but there is a moment where she mentions wanting to suck the essence of being a woman out of her housemates, and if that isn’t gender envy and the struggle of trans people, I don’t know what is. It was so raw and honest, and my enby was like: yes that.
The plot was far different then I expected, and instead felt it was more aptly as one woman’s downward spiral, and the lengths she will go to feel desired and get what she wants.
A huge issue I have with this story, is that it doesn’t feel at all anything like the back cover promises. When I am recommended a book that is marketed to me as “darkly funny”, I expect to at least chuckle. Perhaps a weak smile. I don’t expect pages and pages of sexual assault, bigotry, racism, and more. There are no content warnings, I went into this full raw dogging it, and felt totally off balance. I got through it, but I like to be able to know what I’m getting into.
This story didn’t feel darkly funny, in fact it felt incredibly depressing, full of triggers, (There is SO MUCH SEXUAL ASSAULT) and more akin to a horror story than anything else. (Tempted to shelf it as horror) There are entire pages devoted to chunks and chunks of dialogue, where it doesn’t feel like a real conversation, and instead people for some reason having these obscure and deep observations about the world around them. Jhanvi spent most of the time talking at people, and I was so confused why the other person would just listen and respond. Quite frankly the fact she just moved in and started living there, read to me as everyone else was justified in wanting her to go. And it's not like she didn’t have a job and a place already back home, she did, until she ditched it all. It read nearly like BPD to me, and I was surprised her mental health was never brought up. (Girl needs ALL THE THERAPY!)
Half of this book would be lost if Jhanvi spent less time telling others how ugly and worthless she was. (The red flag is the size of a small country now.)
“’I’m disgusting. I’m a monster. I’m like something from a nightmare.’”
Another part of the blurb where it says: “Soon, she has to choose between doing what’s right and doing what’s right for her.” I would say that is an inherently false statement, Jhanvi right from page one doesn’t do the right thing, and that trend continues the whole story and even at the end continues her own self-described evil. She also doesn’t do what’s right for her either, self-destructivity was maxed out.
It takes a bold author to write a book with not only a terrible main character, but with a full set of characters, all truly bad people. Jhanvi is billed as somehow being a “sensitive” heroine, and I don’t like how this is being pitched as questioning the promise of “found family”. Found family at its essence, comes from queer culture. Of your own family rejecting you and CHOOSING others near you who are good and kind, and who love you. The whole premises of this story where instead it’s just a group of people together only because they’re roommates and sleeping together, and have money tangled up in each other’s business, is not at all what a found family is. You can’t critique and question the whole trope and promise when you’re not even establishing what the correct baseline for found family is. Showing up and forcibly moving into someone else’s home is not at all how you come to be in a found family. (Though a point could be made that Henry, Audrey, and Katie are a found family, though it reads more as just a close friendship or poly) I would say it is more accurate to white people being granola, a hippie free love lifestyle that usually is selective to those above a certain salary bracket and who bill themselves as being liberal and accepting.
Jhanvi is an abusive person that does horrible things to the people around her, and also experiences abuse throughout the story. She somehow manages to make these all-knowing comments about other people, as if she magically knows everything about them, yet also continues to incredibly childish and immature, as well as well. Horrible.
Jhanvi was hard to stomach, manipulative at best, a self-victimizer at worst, she truly was not lying when she said she had a “white soul”.
“She might look dark and look marginalized, but she had the soul of a skinny white girl…”
This was hard to read.
“…’but I’m literally the most marginalized person here.’”
If her race wasn’t mentioned, it would be easy to read her as being white, just because she is so desperate to victimize herself. It reminds me of white queer people who finally are able to claim a marginalized card when they come out and use it whenever they can. She constantly throws tantrums, abuses the people around her, and is a general villain.
Jhanvi meets Toni, and right off the bat she picks apart her appearance, touching her this way and that.
“Look, your facial hair is sparse.’ She touched Toni’s face, ran her thumb over the bristles on the chin. ‘It won’t cost you nearly as much as it’ll cost me. Start doing lasering, invest in that…You’ve got that boyish frame that’s a nice basic start—no fat to take away, just fat to add, and that thin chest will look good even with small breasts.’”
The red flags aren’t flags anymore, they’re neon.
Jhanvi also repeatedly makes physical contact with Roshie, without consent, even after being told no.
“Jhanvi pounced, wrapping her arms around her friend…Roshie fought free and whirled around…’Don’t do that!’ Roshie waved a finger.”
It’s not far off to say even the way every woman was described was inherently misogynistic in nature. I can’t remember the last time I read a book where every single woman’s appearance was picked apart and described in such detail, down to their height. Actually, yes, I can. There’s a reason I stay away from books written by cis men, they usually describe women’s heights down to the inch, always giving them perfect bodies and even detailing their breasts in such a way I feel dirty after reading.
“She was short, maybe 5’3 or so, and her brown hair was perpetually in a ponytail. She looked like a gymnast, slight at first glance, almost elfin, but her arms and thighs and back were knotted muscle.”
That’s not to say every woman is given this treatment, Roshie is instead repeatedly talked about in terms of her acne scars and “pugnacious” appearance. It isn’t a difficult leap to see how different the treatment and appearance white women vs. BIPOC women are given, though how it lands at times feels almost too far to the other side of the coin and instead sways into nearly feeling stereotypical in nature. Roshie’s personality and anger is so frequently brought up, as if she isn’t allowed the same space to be a boss bitch like the white women are.
It is difficult to say if it was intentional on Kanakia’s part or not, I haven’t read any of her other books, so I am unable to say if this is solely contained to this book or not. Though even Roshie is described as “…her little fists swinging…” because heaven forbid every other woman besides Jhanvi be skinny and perfect. Even at the end, Jhanvi is unable to see her (Roshie) as beautiful.
“…unshaven pits and arms—the Persian girl’s curse, she was hairy as fuck. Not beautiful, never beautiful, never that.”
There were moments I was confused about terms or wording, and when leggings kept being used as clothing descriptions, I realized it was because the author is likely from a far older generation then me. I have never heard anyone describe another person as a “sex friend”, and moment like that I wish were adjusted to actually make sense. (Online sexting, roleplay, fuck buddy, one sided online relationship, like there’s options, people!)
Truly one of the things missing was more stringent editing. There was such an excess of exclamation points, em dashes, and ellipses. I counted on one page, there was 4 em dashes. It’s not necessary, and others were composed of less letters and actual words and instead I stared at a page nearly full of ellipses. Other times I would find myself broken out of reading because there were SO many exclamation points. (5 on page 56 alone) Sentences in a row that lost their emotional impact and instead landed weakly, a period would have sufficed.
This is the first book I’ve read by Naomi Kanakia, and at this point I am unsure if I would read anything else by her. I would actually read a critical essay from her; her writing feels like it would be strong in that regard.
It's difficult to recommend a book that was nothing like I expected or was prepared for. Personally, I would not recommend this book, unless you enjoy this type of adult fiction. It is not to my tastes, and I really don’t think enough happened in it, most of it was devoted to Jhanvi having long conversations and complaining about the world or relationships but it feels like nothing actually happened. (Growth, not found.) Jhanvi is also completely aware of this, yet still doesn’t quite get it.
“Perhaps this ecosystem needed Jhanvi’s evilness, just as the bay needed the scuttling crabs to consume the dead fish. Without her, there would be no cleansing scorn to clear away the bullshit and
Jhanvi just continues to make these deep and out of place observations as if she is somehow still both above and beneath everyone else and yet still hates herself, and the friends seem to accept her, at least Roshie does. It reads as insincere and hollow, an intentional point I’d like to think. Jhanvi doesn’t become a better person, doesn’t leave the situation and the people she’s been abusing the whole book (and who have abused her), and instead stays and I can only shudder to think what will come of her continued presence in their lives.
Thank you to the publisher for this arc
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism
Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A thoroughly funny read that had so much heart and nuance, with witty banter and a diverse set of characters I adored.
I love any storyline or premise where royalty falls in love with a normal person, yet this one still managed to stay fresh and the heartfelt topics that were interlaced through the plot knocked it out of the park for me. (Like, yes please give me a diverse and queer book!)
Jadon has spent his entire life trying to act as the perfect prince, yet it seems the media keeps tearing him down at every second, always waiting to jump on any chance he slips up. While trying to rebuild his image, he figures out who he wants to be in, and meets a boy that could threaten everything he’s trying to fix.
While we all know where the book is going to end, the journey kept me heavily invested, I couldn’t stop reading. No one was perfect, but instead nuanced. And can I just say how delighted I always am to read a book where most characters are in fact, NOT white? It was glorious.
“’Relax those ass cheeks,’ Karan instructs. ‘Melanin dominance, remember?’”
I tabbed this book so much, because I couldn’t stop GIGGLING reading this! Every few minutes I was stopping to send to tab a line of dialogue, I’ve never read such well written banter between characters before.
“‘You seem upset,’ I say, breathing normally again.
‘What gave it away, Benoit Blanc?’”
Jadon and Reiss had such great chemistry, it felt so natural, their relationship and flirting.
‘” Isn’t there a fancier title?’ He interrupts. ‘Like Royal Suitor? A duke? His Royal Arrogance’s— ‘
‘Royal Attractiveness,’ I correct. ‘Royal <i>Adorableness</i>.’
‘Royal Assholeness.’
‘You’d be okay with everyone calling you His Royal Assholeness’s consort?’”
Sometimes I read romances, and it feels like there is zero chemistry between characters, or suddenly the romance just happens without any built up which just feels cheap. But not here!
I recently dnf’d another book where the dialogue was so stilted, repetitive, and boring, and that was ADULT fiction. This is ya and yet quite frankly every single page of Prince of Palisades was leagues above the other book. Every character was cheeky and well written, easy banter feeling like I was listening in on a conversation and making me forget I was reading.
“‘Greg, royalty is in our living room, and I <i>burned </i>the damn meatloaf.’”
A boon to be sure, since I am currently sans power because of a hurricane, and trying not to think about when my a/c will be restored and how much longer I’ll have to eat tuna and dry goods. (Damn you, hurricane Beryl)
‘Welcome to California! Everyone’s either queer or not-so-secretly hating you for being queer.’
“Isn’t that all of America?’ Lo proposes.
‘The whole world, actually,’ Reiss sighs.
‘Wow. That got dark,’ Karan says.”
It reads so well! That is the kind of dark humor I say to my friends, and it just fits so well.
I adored this book, and when I adore books, I write a lot about them. (Like what I did with The Stardust Grail, so enjoy my picking at this book)
Even among all the funny moments, there was still a great message that was present. How Jadon was treated differently for being one of the few Black princes, and the only openly gay one for instance.
“‘This world treats you like a man instead of allowing you to be a boy. They treat all Black children that way. Expecting excellence. Perfection. To grow up before you should.’”
There is so much nuance and weight to this statement, so much truth to it. Jadon is treated differently; we see as such with other experts from young royals at the chapter heads throughout the story. Others act out far more, and yet receive more grace, there isn’t a witch hunt, or people targeting them.
There’s also a moment when Jadon and Reiss arevisiting Palisades, and Reiss mentions feeling so comfortable because of how it’s full of people that look like him.
“‘Is it weird,’ he says outside a teashop, ‘that I feel so safe here?’…’Everyone looks like’—his eyelashes flutter when he inhales— ‘like me’.”
That <b>feeling</b> resonated so deeply with me. It’s the same feeling I got when I visited El Salvador the other month. Surrounded by other brown people, with no white people around, I felt like I could breathe. Like there was a weight lifted off my shoulders that I hadn’t even been aware of. A sense of community and safety and belonging. I do live in Houston, which is extremely diverse, but it’s just different to be standing in a street and look around you and see no white people. It’s indescribable.
The scene where Jadon finally decides to stop being neutral, is honestly great symbolism for how so many people are afraid to stand up for what’s right. As we all know, it’s never easy. It’s not supposed to be easy, if it was everyone would do it. People like to claim they are allies until they must be uncomfortable and be in a tense situation. As an enby, this whole plot point was perfect.
<i>“’You can’t choose comfort over inconvenience. You can’t be silent because it’s easier…It’s our duty to protect communities, even if they’re not our own."</i>
It’s hard to pick a favorite character when THERE WERE SO MANY, (more on that in a bit!) but if I had to choose, I really adored Reiss’s parents.
“We’re barely inside before his mom yells, ‘Door stays open!’
‘Babe, that’s a prince!’ Mr. Hayes hisses.
They were two of my favorite side characters, by far. Because honestly, who wouldn’t have the same reaction to meeting royalty.
“’You’ve gotta try my potato salad!’ Mr. Hayes announces, breaking the tension.
His wife glares at him in a <i>you did not just offer a queen potato salad </i>way.”
One last quick thing I loved, the small discussion of consent Jadon and Reiss had before intimacy. Say it with me kids, consent is sexy. That is all.
There were only two small issues I had with this story. First, there were moments I did have a slight trouble keeping up with certain characters, there were quite a few introduced, and I must admit some of the side ones started to blur together to the point of confusion, some of the names I kept getting mixed up with who was who.
And then to put it in perspective, this is all of the names we get total of characters that have lines of dialogue: Karan, Kaden, Khalia, Kofi, Ajani, Annika, Nathan, Nadia, Reiss, Grace, Morgan, Barnard, Jadon, Headmaster Parker, Lo, Léon, Luc, Dr. Garza Villa, Samuel, Dom, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Hayes, Mia, Papa, Mom, Senator Miller, Ime. That’s quite a lot of names. The K names got me, as well as the A’s. I mixed some of them up. (This is about a 337 page ya book) I wish there were less characters introduced, some of them felt unnecessary to the plot, just because there were already so many others.
My other issue is, while everything was dealt with and handled, I feel like the situation with Kofi was glossed over a bit much. I do feel a bit of the quality of writing slightly wavered as the book wrapped up, and while Winters excels in dialogue, the internal moments at least towards the end did not feel as strong. (and yes, I’m nitpicking because this story was amazing and the moments where it wasn’t were jarring) The story seemed to imply that Jadon didn’t take the time to invest in his friendship or have that level of care to ask about Kofi.
“…’I needed a friend.’
‘You don’t know what that word means.’
It’s another sting to the face. He’s right. We’ve been around each other for years but I don’t know Kofi…I never asked.”
I felt a little confused about the direction the scene went because after that revelation it then seemed to imply that Kofi was just bitter and selfish and Jadon instead chose the new friends he had, even though it also stated he wanted loneliness and distance. In a way it was odd that Jadon would choose to forgive and wrap things up with everyone else but just not Kofi. Everyone else is so nuanced and not perfect, I thought Kofi would be given the same treatment. Instead, Jadon just ends up walking off. It feels like that whole scene could have been cut and never happened.
Another example of a moment where I side eyed the writing:
“I was made of gasoline. He was the one holding a match. But were we ever more than just two boys watching our fire burn the world down?”
I truly didn’t understand the purpose of that sentence, as the book never mentioned the two getting into any true troubles or issues, and that moment broke me out of my reading. Compared to the rest of the strong and impactful writing, this one felt much weaker, and far more…well you know, (I hate to say cringe) then the rest of the book. And then of course we get this sentence:
“As I unleashed the last flames swelling inside me. Now in the aftermath, I sit on my bed. Fists curled in my lap. Exhaustion creeping in my bones. The fire extinguished.”
The moments of fire being mentioned, the metaphors, doesn’t feel like it fits. It just made me make a bit of a face, because it doesn’t carry the emotional weight I had come to expect from Winters writing, and that the rest of the story had excelled at.
This was my first book by Julian Winters, I am absolutely in love with his writing now. Especially when it comes to banter, Winters easily sits at my top author now when I think of who I like writing dialogue. I absolutely love finding a new-to-me author, because it means their other books are all sitting ready for me to read, and I know I am going to love them just as much.
<b>I HIGHLY recommend this book, a royal romcom with a hilarious BIPOC cast, fantastic dialogue, and real issues that give heart to the humor.</b> Now quick, someone shred all of Winters’s other books so I can liquify them and inject them into my veins.
<i>Thank you, Penguin for this Arc,
Quotes are subject to change, as this was an arc and an unfinished copy </i>
I love any storyline or premise where royalty falls in love with a normal person, yet this one still managed to stay fresh and the heartfelt topics that were interlaced through the plot knocked it out of the park for me. (Like, yes please give me a diverse and queer book!)
Jadon has spent his entire life trying to act as the perfect prince, yet it seems the media keeps tearing him down at every second, always waiting to jump on any chance he slips up. While trying to rebuild his image, he figures out who he wants to be in, and meets a boy that could threaten everything he’s trying to fix.
While we all know where the book is going to end, the journey kept me heavily invested, I couldn’t stop reading. No one was perfect, but instead nuanced. And can I just say how delighted I always am to read a book where most characters are in fact, NOT white? It was glorious.
“’Relax those ass cheeks,’ Karan instructs. ‘Melanin dominance, remember?’”
I tabbed this book so much, because I couldn’t stop GIGGLING reading this! Every few minutes I was stopping to send to tab a line of dialogue, I’ve never read such well written banter between characters before.
“‘You seem upset,’ I say, breathing normally again.
‘What gave it away, Benoit Blanc?’”
Jadon and Reiss had such great chemistry, it felt so natural, their relationship and flirting.
‘” Isn’t there a fancier title?’ He interrupts. ‘Like Royal Suitor? A duke? His Royal Arrogance’s— ‘
‘Royal Attractiveness,’ I correct. ‘Royal <i>Adorableness</i>.’
‘Royal Assholeness.’
‘You’d be okay with everyone calling you His Royal Assholeness’s consort?’”
Sometimes I read romances, and it feels like there is zero chemistry between characters, or suddenly the romance just happens without any built up which just feels cheap. But not here!
I recently dnf’d another book where the dialogue was so stilted, repetitive, and boring, and that was ADULT fiction. This is ya and yet quite frankly every single page of Prince of Palisades was leagues above the other book. Every character was cheeky and well written, easy banter feeling like I was listening in on a conversation and making me forget I was reading.
“‘Greg, royalty is in our living room, and I <i>burned </i>the damn meatloaf.’”
A boon to be sure, since I am currently sans power because of a hurricane, and trying not to think about when my a/c will be restored and how much longer I’ll have to eat tuna and dry goods. (Damn you, hurricane Beryl)
‘Welcome to California! Everyone’s either queer or not-so-secretly hating you for being queer.’
“Isn’t that all of America?’ Lo proposes.
‘The whole world, actually,’ Reiss sighs.
‘Wow. That got dark,’ Karan says.”
It reads so well! That is the kind of dark humor I say to my friends, and it just fits so well.
I adored this book, and when I adore books, I write a lot about them. (Like what I did with The Stardust Grail, so enjoy my picking at this book)
Even among all the funny moments, there was still a great message that was present. How Jadon was treated differently for being one of the few Black princes, and the only openly gay one for instance.
“‘This world treats you like a man instead of allowing you to be a boy. They treat all Black children that way. Expecting excellence. Perfection. To grow up before you should.’”
There is so much nuance and weight to this statement, so much truth to it. Jadon is treated differently; we see as such with other experts from young royals at the chapter heads throughout the story. Others act out far more, and yet receive more grace, there isn’t a witch hunt, or people targeting them.
There’s also a moment when Jadon and Reiss are
“‘Is it weird,’ he says outside a teashop, ‘that I feel so safe here?’…’Everyone looks like’—his eyelashes flutter when he inhales— ‘like me’.”
That <b>feeling</b> resonated so deeply with me. It’s the same feeling I got when I visited El Salvador the other month. Surrounded by other brown people, with no white people around, I felt like I could breathe. Like there was a weight lifted off my shoulders that I hadn’t even been aware of. A sense of community and safety and belonging. I do live in Houston, which is extremely diverse, but it’s just different to be standing in a street and look around you and see no white people. It’s indescribable.
<i>“’You can’t choose comfort over inconvenience. You can’t be silent because it’s easier…It’s our duty to protect communities, even if they’re not our own."</i>
It’s hard to pick a favorite character when THERE WERE SO MANY, (more on that in a bit!) but if I had to choose, I really adored Reiss’s parents.
“We’re barely inside before his mom yells, ‘Door stays open!’
‘Babe, that’s a prince!’ Mr. Hayes hisses.
“’You’ve gotta try my potato salad!’ Mr. Hayes announces, breaking the tension.
His wife glares at him in a <i>you did not just offer a queen potato salad </i>way.”
One last quick thing I loved, the small discussion of consent Jadon and Reiss had before intimacy. Say it with me kids, consent is sexy. That is all.
There were only two small issues I had with this story. First, there were moments I did have a slight trouble keeping up with certain characters, there were quite a few introduced, and I must admit some of the side ones started to blur together to the point of confusion, some of the names I kept getting mixed up with who was who.
And then to put it in perspective, this is all of the names we get total of characters that have lines of dialogue: Karan, Kaden, Khalia, Kofi, Ajani, Annika, Nathan, Nadia, Reiss, Grace, Morgan, Barnard, Jadon, Headmaster Parker, Lo, Léon, Luc, Dr. Garza Villa, Samuel, Dom, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Hayes, Mia, Papa, Mom, Senator Miller, Ime. That’s quite a lot of names. The K names got me, as well as the A’s. I mixed some of them up. (This is about a 337 page ya book) I wish there were less characters introduced, some of them felt unnecessary to the plot, just because there were already so many others.
My other issue is, while everything was dealt with and handled, I feel like the situation with
“…’I needed a friend.’
‘You don’t know what that word means.’
It’s another sting to the face. He’s right. We’ve been around each other for years but I don’t know Kofi…I never asked.”
Another example of a moment where I side eyed the writing:
“I was made of gasoline. He was the one holding a match. But were we ever more than just two boys watching our fire burn the world down?”
I truly didn’t understand the purpose of that sentence, as the book never mentioned the two getting into any true troubles or issues, and that moment broke me out of my reading. Compared to the rest of the strong and impactful writing, this one felt much weaker, and far more…well you know, (I hate to say cringe) then the rest of the book. And then of course we get this sentence:
“As I unleashed the last flames swelling inside me. Now in the aftermath, I sit on my bed. Fists curled in my lap. Exhaustion creeping in my bones. The fire extinguished.”
The moments of fire being mentioned, the metaphors, doesn’t feel like it fits. It just made me make a bit of a face, because it doesn’t carry the emotional weight I had come to expect from Winters writing, and that the rest of the story had excelled at.
This was my first book by Julian Winters, I am absolutely in love with his writing now. Especially when it comes to banter, Winters easily sits at my top author now when I think of who I like writing dialogue. I absolutely love finding a new-to-me author, because it means their other books are all sitting ready for me to read, and I know I am going to love them just as much.
<b>I HIGHLY recommend this book, a royal romcom with a hilarious BIPOC cast, fantastic dialogue, and real issues that give heart to the humor.</b> Now quick, someone shred all of Winters’s other books so I can liquify them and inject them into my veins.
<i>Thank you, Penguin for this Arc,
Quotes are subject to change, as this was an arc and an unfinished copy </i>
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Racism, and Classism
Exes & Foes by Amanda Woody
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
An enjoyable book with funny parts and sad moments that I loved and were 5 stars, and other parts that had me cringing away from the story and feeling like it was a 2 or 3 star read because of how painfully certain characters were written.
Love triangles in any form are inherently difficult to do well in this day and era, with many readers now expecting a triad, or even a poly romance to come out of it instead. Inherently fighting or competing for a girl feels so old fashioned and out of place now. Exes & Foes turns this on its head by having the two main characters competing instead for a side character, and instead focus more on each other.
There are moments in the beginning where I laughed out loud, and felt I was in for an enjoyable read;
"She's way too cute and I'm the pinnacle of mediocrity stuffed into the body of a linguine-limbed behemoth."
I was having a good time, and then the love interest that Caleb and Emma compete for enters the scene, and my feelings quickly became mixed.
Everything to do with Juliet is giving "manic pixie dream girl", and shows the pitfalls many white authors fall into when writing a BIPOC character, being so afraid of writing them flawed that they are instead written so flat and perfectly that they give little to the story other than a plot device. Juliet's only purpose is to bring Emma and Caleb together, and from the moment she comes on page she is both sexualized greatly and also infantilized in her interactions. (She also 100% does not read as a BIPOC character) Everything she wears is described in great detail, far more than even our MC's. (It's very clear Juliet is meant to be neurodivergent coded, or even autistic, yet it felt more like someone writing how they wish they were treated by others) Everything she does is viewed as quirky and cute, and our mc's swoon over her and everything they do do. To make matters worse, at the end it is revealed that Juliet knew the whole time that Caleb and Emma were competing and in fact worked to bring them together. Truly taking further away from the character who is only used as a plot point to bring others together, a magical BIPOC godparent that authors so love to include. There is nothing else to their character. While I did enjoy the inclusion of ace and gender figuring out rep, the way it was written just felt...not cohesive, and even at times the shifting to their character felt so out of place amongst everything else happening.
There were times it almost read like a y/n story in the beginning with every cringey thing Juliet did. I felt physically pained during every finger gun. Physically. Pained.
"'Can't',she gives me finger guns."
'"She gives me hoarse, flimsy laughter. And more finger guns."
Even when Juliet plays video games everyone in the chat just swoons over the physical aspects and how amazing they are. Great job, y/n.
The second chunk of the book is a complete shift in the story, and I truly wish the author had just given greater attention to Emma and Caleb instead, and spent more time on the more serious topics because that is where this book shined. I felt like I was reading a completely different story. I didn't expect to be fully sobbing with how painfully real and well emotional abuse and neglect was written, nor did I expect to see how well it translated onto page. It almost felt like a disservice to have so little of the story devoted to the true meat of the matter, and I wish it was different.
Everything Emma goes through, how her mother treats her, I was sobbing, and added more money to my therapy jar.
"...'Just because you don't hit us doesn't mean you're not abusing us in other ways.'"
Emma and Caleb finally coming together felt so beautiful and raw. I really wished they were given the story they deserved. Though there were moments later in the book where it almost felt like everything was so neatly wrapped up and a lot of the conversations almost felt a little like...someone writing conversations with how they wish they would have gone instead, or moments from their life that they wish had happened. I truly hope that makes sense, dear reader. I did have a lot of difficulties with how many points were just forgotten about by the end. We are just disregarding that Emma seemed to really care about soccer, is still in an abusive situation, among other things. Quite frankly it almost gives the message in a way that there is nothing that can't be done if you are in an abusive situation like that and if you just talk back to your parent everything will be fine. I was surprised that Caleb and his mother didn't immediately invite Emma to live with them, an abusive parent doesn't just stop being abusive after a lifetime after being told off once.
It was so difficult to figure out how to rate this book, because the second chunk I was like, TAKE MY MONEY, FIVE STARS! While the first chunk felt like quite frankly a 2 to 3 star read, and I foresee many readers potentially dnf'ing it just because of various moments in the story that just feel like a 'and everyone clapped moment.'
Writing this review out, I feel I should have perhaps given it 3 stars instead of 4, but I have already committed, and I am biased because of my own mommy issues, so I am sticking with 4 stars.
Personally, I say take a look at some of the reviews before you dive into this one. It might be to your tastes, or it might not, but this one isn't for everyone.
This was my first book by Woody, and I am currently on the fence if I were to read anything more of their work. It is clear they can write, and well. But the flat and at times y/n style that Juliet was written really keeps sticking with me, even though I loved all the great queer rep and the trauma writing. If their next book is different, I might try it.
Complete side note, in the beginning of the story, Juliet's body is mentioned being round, or wide several times. The cover doesn't convey that, so I am at a loss if they are meant to be a plus sized character or not. And if she is, I wish the cover showed that.
Thank you Penguin for this arc
Quotes are subject to change because this is an arc
Love triangles in any form are inherently difficult to do well in this day and era, with many readers now expecting a triad, or even a poly romance to come out of it instead. Inherently fighting or competing for a girl feels so old fashioned and out of place now. Exes & Foes turns this on its head by having the two main characters competing instead for a side character, and instead focus more on each other.
There are moments in the beginning where I laughed out loud, and felt I was in for an enjoyable read;
"She's way too cute and I'm the pinnacle of mediocrity stuffed into the body of a linguine-limbed behemoth."
I was having a good time, and then the love interest that Caleb and Emma compete for enters the scene, and my feelings quickly became mixed.
Everything to do with Juliet is giving "manic pixie dream girl", and shows the pitfalls many white authors fall into when writing a BIPOC character, being so afraid of writing them flawed that they are instead written so flat and perfectly that they give little to the story other than a plot device. Juliet's only purpose is to bring Emma and Caleb together, and from the moment she comes on page she is both sexualized greatly and also infantilized in her interactions. (She also 100% does not read as a BIPOC character) Everything she wears is described in great detail, far more than even our MC's. (It's very clear Juliet is meant to be neurodivergent coded, or even autistic, yet it felt more like someone writing how they wish they were treated by others) Everything she does is viewed as quirky and cute, and our mc's swoon over her and everything they do do. To make matters worse, at the end it is revealed that Juliet
There were times it almost read like a y/n story in the beginning with every cringey thing Juliet did. I felt physically pained during every finger gun. Physically. Pained.
"'Can't',she gives me finger guns."
'"She gives me hoarse, flimsy laughter. And more finger guns."
Even when Juliet plays video games everyone in the chat just swoons over the physical aspects and how amazing they are. Great job, y/n.
The second chunk of the book is a complete shift in the story, and I truly wish the author had just given greater attention to Emma and Caleb instead, and spent more time on the more serious topics because that is where this book shined. I felt like I was reading a completely different story. I didn't expect to be fully sobbing with how painfully real and well emotional abuse and neglect was written, nor did I expect to see how well it translated onto page. It almost felt like a disservice to have so little of the story devoted to the true meat of the matter, and I wish it was different.
Everything Emma goes through, how her mother treats her, I was sobbing, and added more money to my therapy jar.
"...'Just because you don't hit us doesn't mean you're not abusing us in other ways.'"
Emma and Caleb finally coming together felt so beautiful and raw. I really wished they were given the story they deserved. Though there were moments later in the book where it almost felt like everything was so neatly wrapped up and a lot of the conversations almost felt a little like...someone writing conversations with how they wish they would have gone instead, or moments from their life that they wish had happened. I truly hope that makes sense, dear reader. I did have a lot of difficulties with how many points were just forgotten about by the end.
It was so difficult to figure out how to rate this book, because the second chunk I was like, TAKE MY MONEY, FIVE STARS! While the first chunk felt like quite frankly a 2 to 3 star read, and I foresee many readers potentially dnf'ing it just because of various moments in the story that just feel like a 'and everyone clapped moment.'
Writing this review out, I feel I should have perhaps given it 3 stars instead of 4, but I have already committed, and I am biased because of my own mommy issues, so I am sticking with 4 stars.
Personally, I say take a look at some of the reviews before you dive into this one. It might be to your tastes, or it might not, but this one isn't for everyone.
This was my first book by Woody, and I am currently on the fence if I were to read anything more of their work. It is clear they can write, and well. But the flat and at times y/n style that Juliet was written really keeps sticking with me, even though I loved all the great queer rep and the trauma writing. If their next book is different, I might try it.
Complete side note, in the beginning of the story, Juliet's body is mentioned being round, or wide several times. The cover doesn't convey that, so I am at a loss if they are meant to be a plus sized character or not. And if she is, I wish the cover showed that.
Thank you Penguin for this arc
Quotes are subject to change because this is an arc
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Abandonment
Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A decent and magical book that was fun to read with great representation and tropes that sometimes overshadowed a plot that even the characters were questioning the accuracy of.
Let me be clear, there are books you enjoy because they are fun to read and have amazing writing and books you really have to force yourself not to focus on the plot holes and the writing in order to enjoy them. This was the later, but I did end up having a fairly good time until the second half.
I really did love the inclusion of a genderfluid character like Ramsay. I have never read a book that describes gender so beautifully, and the concept of binary. It really touched my soul and made me feel happy, just like how every scene with Ash and his binder felt relatable to me. The romance between the three mc did end up feeling sweet, if not a bit rushed and flat.
"'Energy is infinite, and love is energy, so love has the potential to be infinite, too.'"
We had so much build up towards the end, I was ready for a big dramatic showdown, massive battle scene, or some confrontation. Instead it kind of felt like... a let down? Almost too easy in a way? There were several moments I had to stop and wonder what the point of the whole story was if characters could have done things a certain way from the beginning.
My biggest pet peeve is as follows; why on earth was Lord Alexander wanting to make Ash his new adviser? It makes zero sense. Even the characters realize it. "And even if Ash had stopped his father, he was still an untrained, unlicensed alchemist with no mind for politics."
And then we have Ash acting as if he hadn't had any growth or change the whole book, just nearly spitting in the face of authority. Like? Color me confused because talking back to a man who could have you killed in a moment, why would you suddenly be prideful again for no reason? Yes, have your moment and stand up for yourself, but I was a little shocked by the context. Ash has a whole moment of realization before this and then it's what, gone? I think of interactions I've had with authority figures, nearly tripping over myself to not piss them off, (fellow BIPOC, you know what I mean) something that is engraved in our very souls from a young age. And after finally getting everything resolved Ash nearly risks it all and then just saunters out of there. (And then everyone clapped moment)
It was a really weak point of the book for me.
I like all the characters, I really do. It just almost felt like the author went into writing this with the intent of having certain tropes or having a poly romance and worked backwards from there. I loved Callum, but truly his whole character and storyline could have been left out and the book could have been stronger. (Or it should have been longer, the ending felt rushed)
I'm not saying this was a book built on tropes, because that is very far from the truth. But the way this book has been marketed, and blurbed, really pushes the whole "polyamorous and queer" representation. Which yes, I was so happy to see and get. But by the time it finally comes into play it honestly feels a little late in book for it. Then we come to the ending and it's...meant to be a bit of a cliffhanger moment I guess? After everything works out perfectly for everyone? I understand what I was meant to feel, but I just didn't feel it.
I felt the battle sequences were weak as well, being able to conjure and fight by imagining things is great, but it lacks the impact of tense combat or showing what it would look like.
I found myself having some of the same issues with their writing style, and how glossed over some plot points become. The pacing changes several times and I liked the first chunk of the book better than the last. Some of the characters feel like they're there just to serve as plot devices, and others lose their growth over the course of the book. I think if this was much longer we could have more time of developing relationships and better pacing. I'm honestly not sure what the point of even including Tobias to such an extent was if he wasn't going to be used as a red or as a truly major plot point. He just felt there to cause strife and further development of Ash.
I do recommend this book, it is a fun read, just not a solid one. Just know what you're getting into before you pick it up.
3.5 stars>
Complete random additional thought: Does anyone else agree this book was really male dominated? Curious if I'm crazy, because it felt like most/all of the side characters apart from plot device Marlowe were male.
Let me be clear, there are books you enjoy because they are fun to read and have amazing writing and books you really have to force yourself not to focus on the plot holes and the writing in order to enjoy them. This was the later, but I did end up having a fairly good time until the second half.
I really did love the inclusion of a genderfluid character like Ramsay. I have never read a book that describes gender so beautifully, and the concept of binary. It really touched my soul and made me feel happy, just like how every scene with Ash and his binder felt relatable to me. The romance between the three mc did end up feeling sweet, if not a bit rushed and flat.
"'Energy is infinite, and love is energy, so love has the potential to be infinite, too.'"
We had so much build up towards the end, I was ready for a big dramatic showdown, massive battle scene, or some confrontation. Instead it kind of felt like... a let down? Almost too easy in a way? There were several moments I had to stop and wonder what the point of the whole story was if characters could have done things a certain way from the beginning.
My biggest pet peeve is as follows;
And then we have Ash acting as if he hadn't had any growth or change the whole book, just nearly spitting in the face of authority. Like? Color me confused because talking back to a man who could have you killed in a moment, why would you suddenly be prideful again for no reason? Yes, have your moment and stand up for yourself, but I was a little shocked by the context. Ash has a whole moment of realization before this and then it's what, gone? I think of interactions I've had with authority figures, nearly tripping over myself to not piss them off, (fellow BIPOC, you know what I mean) something that is engraved in our very souls from a young age. And after finally getting everything resolved Ash nearly risks it all and then just saunters out of there. (And then everyone clapped moment)
It was a really weak point of the book for me.
I like all the characters, I really do. It just almost felt like the author went into writing this with the intent of having certain tropes or having a poly romance and worked backwards from there. I loved Callum, but truly his whole character and storyline could have been left out and the book could have been stronger. (Or it should have been longer, the ending felt rushed)
I'm not saying this was a book built on tropes, because that is very far from the truth. But the way this book has been marketed, and blurbed, really pushes the whole "polyamorous and queer" representation. Which yes, I was so happy to see and get. But by the time it finally comes into play it honestly feels a little late in book for it. Then we come to the ending and it's...meant to be a bit of a cliffhanger moment I guess? After everything works out perfectly for everyone? I understand what I was meant to feel, but I just didn't feel it.
I felt the battle sequences were weak as well, being able to conjure and fight by imagining things is great, but it lacks the impact of tense combat or showing what it would look like.
I found myself having some of the same issues with their writing style, and how glossed over some plot points become. The pacing changes several times and I liked the first chunk of the book better than the last. Some of the characters feel like they're there just to serve as plot devices, and others lose their growth over the course of the book. I think if this was much longer we could have more time of developing relationships and better pacing. I'm honestly not sure what the point of even including Tobias to such an extent was if he wasn't going to be used as a red or as a truly major plot point. He just felt there to cause strife and further development of Ash.
I do recommend this book, it is a fun read, just not a solid one. Just know what you're getting into before you pick it up.
3.5 stars>
Complete random additional thought: Does anyone else agree this book was really male dominated? Curious if I'm crazy, because it felt like most/all of the side characters apart from plot device Marlowe were male.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Racism
The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.
The best thing about this book is the cover. The stilted and at times cringey dialogue, repetitive words, and quite frankly poor writing made it an immediate bore to read.
Where to even begin? The Honey Witch is being marketed as a cozy sapphic fantasy, but I have never had more trouble trying to get through a book. And I bought a copy, so it is RARE for me to just waste money like this.
The book opens up and right away we are treated to the main character being not like other girls. Dear read, I adore strong badass fmc, especially if they hate men and society. (The Invocations for instances, angry sapphic witches and feminism)
"She waves goodbye and then takes off in a run, knowing that she will not allow herself to be tamed."
It's easy to see the character that the author wants to depict, wild, and different. But just the way it is written just made me kind of want to chuckle in a way, it felt difficult to take seriously.
Things quickly went downhill, and I realized I had no desire to finish this book.
There were so many repeated words and sentence structures, I wanted to bang my head against a wall, and ask where the editor had gone. I was subjected to such sentences such as these:
"Marigold gasps louder then she meant to." And not a few paragraphs later: "'Mother,' Marigold gasps." WHY IS SO MUCH GASPING HAPPENING? Mayhap the air be difficult to breathe?
We continue. With lots of yelling. This all takes place within the same opened pages.
"'She is not like you, Mother,' her mother yells." and then we get: "'Spared me?' She yells as she stands."
Lots of interrupting now:
"'If this is true,' her mother interrupts..." and then close after: "Desperate for answers, Marigold interrupts and says..." Perhaps it is a family affliction.
We get such gems such as these:
"'Oh please,' her mother says as she rolls her eyes and regards Althea with disgust."
Oh, and there is a problem with Marigold's jaw, sucks they don't have a dentist I guess.
"Marigold's jaw drops as she..."
"Marigold's jaw falls to the floor."
Also there is the mention of Marigold "stiffening" several different times over the chapter. Like we get it. She's stiff. The condition is then passed to Althea who starts stiffening as well.
I could go on. But I won't. Because I do not wish me to subject myself further to such a book. Bless anyone who actually made it through this.
I did a deep dive into this book and reviews after giving up, and came to the conclusion that apparently what is a large plot point of the book doesn't even make sense or is necessary. So I am truly glad I gave up.
I feel lied to in a way. It seems everyone and their mother is reading this right now and liking it. And I just can't help but feel like I read a different book then everyone else. Just because it is
sapphic, does not give it a pass for being an utter slog to read. I didn't want to savor or devour this book, it just gave me a stomach ache and nearly sent me into a book slump.
I do NOT recommend this book whatsoever, no matter your tastes. And that, dear reader, is rare for me to say.
Where to even begin? The Honey Witch is being marketed as a cozy sapphic fantasy, but I have never had more trouble trying to get through a book. And I bought a copy, so it is RARE for me to just waste money like this.
The book opens up and right away we are treated to the main character being not like other girls. Dear read, I adore strong badass fmc, especially if they hate men and society. (The Invocations for instances, angry sapphic witches and feminism)
"She waves goodbye and then takes off in a run, knowing that she will not allow herself to be tamed."
It's easy to see the character that the author wants to depict, wild, and different. But just the way it is written just made me kind of want to chuckle in a way, it felt difficult to take seriously.
Things quickly went downhill, and I realized I had no desire to finish this book.
There were so many repeated words and sentence structures, I wanted to bang my head against a wall, and ask where the editor had gone. I was subjected to such sentences such as these:
"Marigold gasps louder then she meant to." And not a few paragraphs later: "'Mother,' Marigold gasps." WHY IS SO MUCH GASPING HAPPENING? Mayhap the air be difficult to breathe?
We continue. With lots of yelling. This all takes place within the same opened pages.
"'She is not like you, Mother,' her mother yells." and then we get: "'Spared me?' She yells as she stands."
Lots of interrupting now:
"'If this is true,' her mother interrupts..." and then close after: "Desperate for answers, Marigold interrupts and says..." Perhaps it is a family affliction.
We get such gems such as these:
"'Oh please,' her mother says as she rolls her eyes and regards Althea with disgust."
Oh, and there is a problem with Marigold's jaw, sucks they don't have a dentist I guess.
"Marigold's jaw drops as she..."
"Marigold's jaw falls to the floor."
Also there is the mention of Marigold "stiffening" several different times over the chapter. Like we get it. She's stiff. The condition is then passed to Althea who starts stiffening as well.
I could go on. But I won't. Because I do not wish me to subject myself further to such a book. Bless anyone who actually made it through this.
I did a deep dive into this book and reviews after giving up, and came to the conclusion that apparently what is a large plot point of the book doesn't even make sense or is necessary. So I am truly glad I gave up.
I feel lied to in a way. It seems everyone and their mother is reading this right now and liking it. And I just can't help but feel like I read a different book then everyone else. Just because it is
sapphic, does not give it a pass for being an utter slog to read. I didn't want to savor or devour this book, it just gave me a stomach ache and nearly sent me into a book slump.
I do NOT recommend this book whatsoever, no matter your tastes. And that, dear reader, is rare for me to say.
The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It feels unfair to try to summarize this fantastic gem of a book in just a few words, to call this just a story about an anti-colonial space heist does not truly encompasse the emotional weight and joy this book brought to me. But fear not dear reader, for I shall do my best anyways to extoll the virtues of this book so you to will be convinced to read it and be as enthralled as I was.
Maya has given up her life of searching for the grail, and is mildly trying to force herself to focus on being a graduate student. But her dreams are deep, change is coming, and she is going to have to go back to stealing whether she wants to or not.
Besides all the obvious reasons I was excited to read this, a few hit close to home for me. One of my (gathering dust) degrees is in art history, and so Maya being an art thief and having (rightfully strong) opinions about Earth displaying other culture's artifacts just hit so good.
"'I just love your accent,' said Judy, as a segue to asking what she really wanted to: 'Where are you from?'"
As always, Kitasei writes microaggressions in that sly, prickling way that sticks under your skin just like they do in real life.
This was billed to me as a lighter read, compared to The Deep Sky. I found myself laughing more often, chuckling at the banter between characters, and humorous moments that felt profoundly relatable.
You were right when you told me that life cannot stay the same, and we cannot wait for dreams to come to us.
And then I reached chapter thirty-nine, and my heart was torn to FUCKING TATTERS! ...and maybe it all came down to a fundamental misunderstanding between their people, a failure to see what the other would do in fear." It was gut wrenching. The writing style Kitasei so masterfully weaves shifts between fast-paced action scenes, to more fraught moments, to even lighter ones with ease. You don't even realize it's happening until your heart is racing and the pages are crinkling because you're clutching them so hard.
Let me take a tangent dear reader, and discuss a little bit about this book.
It is with utmost irony that the very thing that Maya studies, anthropology, is what gets her in the end. One of the first things you learn in anthropology is the importance of never judging another culture, because by doing so you are already putting your own magically higher on a pedestal and making others conform to what your culture views right and wrong, or "normal". And in the end Maya realizes, several times, how much she has unintentionally humanized Auncle, and subsequently all the Frenro. Viewing the Frenro as something to be saved, something that needed help. Never once considering the implications that Maya knew to be true, and what that could mean. The reveal of the nodes, the Whole, and the virus got me. IT GOT ME SO GOOD. Masterfully done. Or maybe the theme of this book is just ignorance, and human hubris. Going to the planet after being warned to stay away, getting millions of Belzoar's killed, thinking to save a species and also your own somehow. Maybe just hubris in general with what happened to the Belzoar's, and to Dr. Huang.
I am not quite sure, though I am taking a literary analysis swing here, that the Infected and how they are treated is a call back to the (quite frankly still ongoing) COVID pandemic, and how stereotypes and racism led to a rise in hate crime against Asian Americans, and further mistreatment and prejudge. I would even go so far as to say the way Frenro aren't allowed to land on Earth could be a metaphor for immigration and restrictions on visiting from different countries because of racism.
But that is my take, so who knows how far off the mark I may be.
I was most surprised by the number of non-binary characters. (Assuming as such, based on pronouns) I've seldom read a book where there are those, and never one like this where there were several. The subtle inclusion without it being a conversation is a whole different kind of representation that just makes me happy. (Love you Pickle, give me your style! Also Greg!)
Speaking of characters I love, it's hard to pick a favorite. Wil grew on me like a spiky and stubborn bush. Medix was equal parts comedic relief, and thoughtful, yet painful belonging. For what does it mean to be human, and why not be a little bit of everything. For why is it that humans would be the only ones that are right in their emotions. Auncle's descriptions and dialogue was so fun to read, it was easy to imagine xe in all the squid like glory, over trusting and changing size.
"Even if your tubular insides feel twisty."
It almost irks me to say I might have enjoyed reading about Liam the most, but his ignorance and bumbling was endearing as it was infuriating how much I wanted to slap him. And of course Maya, relatable in a way that was almost painful, sparkling in a way her passion for what she cared about and her intelligence led her to such situations that made me want to shake her.
I was incredibly thankful for the timing of this. I had just dnf'd another book and was feeling morbidly displeased, on the precipice of falling into a reading slump. I had half a mind to just open up Ao3, but told myself to just read the first few pages to see if I could get into it. (And then of course, I didn't stop reading!)
There were a few moments in the first chapter where I was nervous, worried it wouldn't live up to the last book that Kitasei wrote. The more I read, the more I fell in however, and after that first chapter and every one that followed I just couldn't stop reading. (In fact I read this until just after midnight, and then I subsequently facetimed my best friend to rave and just go "omg omg omg omg" several thousand times)
There are books you give five stars because you enjoy them and they were fun to read. There are books that get five stars because they were just well written and smart, and you feel like your brain expanded.
And then there are books like this. Rare treasures, that are both enjoyable and well written. Stories that make you think and grow, laugh and cry. Ones that when you finish you feel somehow like you've become a better person after reading. Stories that make me want to shake Kitasei's hand and say "thank you for this experience", because reading The Stardust Grail is an experience, one I won't soon forget. (If that was not painfully obvious for how much I've just raved about it)
While the ending left room to be sure, for another in the series, I doubt we will get a sequel. I would love one though, but much like The Deep Sky, I think it is intended that way on purpose, open ended, hopeful. Though I would like another book very much, if only that would delve into them forming tighter bonds with each other, and exploring more of the concepts of what it means to be an Infected, a part of the Whole, and the quest for more Frenro. There is just so much more I want answers to, but I don't think I'll get them. Which is why this review has become less of a review and more of an analysis/I don't know.
There is no question about if I recommend this book or not. READ THIS BOOK NOW! As was Kitasei's other book, this is a must read, perfect for lovers of well written stories about space, connection, and how painfully we all are just trying to do our best.
I received this book as an arc in the mail by the author, but as always, all opinions are my own, quotes are subject to change
One more thing to say, if you dear reader, are in fact still here, after whatever this review has turned into.
There is something inherently magical about how Kitasei writes. Everything flows wonderfully. From her prose, to her descriptions. The moments in describing something as mundane as leather briefcase and how much that tells you about Liam, just shows how GREAT of a writer she is.
."..probably had been in his family for a hundred years, and it was made of real leather, like from an actual cow that had eaten pasture grass all its life...like he massaged it nightly with oil...she was surprised he'd risked bringing it along."
This is her second book, and you know how when you read an author you just *know*, with that bone deep certainty that they are going to go on and do amazing things and blow up one day? That's how I feel about Kitasei. It would also be a boon to me, for then I would have more people to discuss her books with, and more to read by her.
Next book when?
Maya has given up her life of searching for the grail, and is mildly trying to force herself to focus on being a graduate student. But her dreams are deep, change is coming, and she is going to have to go back to stealing whether she wants to or not.
Besides all the obvious reasons I was excited to read this, a few hit close to home for me. One of my (gathering dust) degrees is in art history, and so Maya being an art thief and having (rightfully strong) opinions about Earth displaying other culture's artifacts just hit so good.
"'I just love your accent,' said Judy, as a segue to asking what she really wanted to: 'Where are you from?'"
As always, Kitasei writes microaggressions in that sly, prickling way that sticks under your skin just like they do in real life.
This was billed to me as a lighter read, compared to The Deep Sky. I found myself laughing more often, chuckling at the banter between characters, and humorous moments that felt profoundly relatable.
You were right when you told me that life cannot stay the same, and we cannot wait for dreams to come to us.
And then I reached chapter thirty-nine, and
Let me take a tangent dear reader, and discuss a little bit about this book.
I am not quite sure, though I am taking a literary analysis swing here, that the Infected and how they are treated is a call back to the (quite frankly still ongoing) COVID pandemic, and how stereotypes and racism led to a rise in hate crime against Asian Americans, and further mistreatment and prejudge. I would even go so far as to say the way Frenro aren't allowed to land on Earth could be a metaphor for immigration and restrictions on visiting from different countries because of racism.
But that is my take, so who knows how far off the mark I may be.
I was most surprised by the number of non-binary characters. (Assuming as such, based on pronouns) I've seldom read a book where there are those, and never one like this where there were several. The subtle inclusion without it being a conversation is a whole different kind of representation that just makes me happy. (Love you Pickle, give me your style! Also Greg!)
Speaking of characters I love, it's hard to pick a favorite. Wil grew on me like a spiky and stubborn bush. Medix was equal parts comedic relief, and thoughtful, yet painful belonging. For what does it mean to be human, and why not be a little bit of everything. For why is it that humans would be the only ones that are right in their emotions. Auncle's descriptions and dialogue was so fun to read, it was easy to imagine xe in all the squid like glory, over trusting and changing size.
"Even if your tubular insides feel twisty."
It almost irks me to say I might have enjoyed reading about Liam the most, but his ignorance and bumbling was endearing as it was infuriating how much I wanted to slap him. And of course Maya, relatable in a way that was almost painful, sparkling in a way her passion for what she cared about and her intelligence led her to such situations that made me want to shake her.
I was incredibly thankful for the timing of this. I had just dnf'd another book and was feeling morbidly displeased, on the precipice of falling into a reading slump. I had half a mind to just open up Ao3, but told myself to just read the first few pages to see if I could get into it. (And then of course, I didn't stop reading!)
There were a few moments in the first chapter where I was nervous, worried it wouldn't live up to the last book that Kitasei wrote. The more I read, the more I fell in however, and after that first chapter and every one that followed I just couldn't stop reading. (In fact I read this until just after midnight, and then I subsequently facetimed my best friend to rave and just go "omg omg omg omg" several thousand times)
There are books you give five stars because you enjoy them and they were fun to read. There are books that get five stars because they were just well written and smart, and you feel like your brain expanded.
And then there are books like this. Rare treasures, that are both enjoyable and well written. Stories that make you think and grow, laugh and cry. Ones that when you finish you feel somehow like you've become a better person after reading. Stories that make me want to shake Kitasei's hand and say "thank you for this experience", because reading The Stardust Grail is an experience, one I won't soon forget. (If that was not painfully obvious for how much I've just raved about it)
While the ending left room to be sure, for another in the series, I doubt we will get a sequel. I would love one though, but much like The Deep Sky, I think it is intended that way on purpose, open ended, hopeful.
There is no question about if I recommend this book or not. READ THIS BOOK NOW! As was Kitasei's other book, this is a must read, perfect for lovers of well written stories about space, connection, and how painfully we all are just trying to do our best.
I received this book as an arc in the mail by the author, but as always, all opinions are my own, quotes are subject to change
One more thing to say, if you dear reader, are in fact still here, after whatever this review has turned into.
There is something inherently magical about how Kitasei writes. Everything flows wonderfully. From her prose, to her descriptions. The moments in describing something as mundane as leather briefcase and how much that tells you about Liam, just shows how GREAT of a writer she is.
."..probably had been in his family for a hundred years, and it was made of real leather, like from an actual cow that had eaten pasture grass all its life...like he massaged it nightly with oil...she was surprised he'd risked bringing it along."
This is her second book, and you know how when you read an author you just *know*, with that bone deep certainty that they are going to go on and do amazing things and blow up one day? That's how I feel about Kitasei. It would also be a boon to me, for then I would have more people to discuss her books with, and more to read by her.
Next book when?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Genocide, Torture, and Medical trauma
The Prospects by KT Hoffman
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
A book I picked up by chance, that is now one of my favorites. Funny, sweet, and with writing as great as the characters and the story, The Prospects is easily going to be one of my top reads of 2024. This is going to be a whopper of a review, because I truly adored this book.
It's difficult to know where to start, when I loved everything so dearly, so let's talk about the writing first.
Hoffman made baseball, and sports interesting, which is a testament to how great his writing is. I myself have never been one for baseball, albeit I do enjoy a hot dog on the rare chance I am dragged to a game. (Sorry Astros, I'm a terrible fan) Somehow Hoffman made the moments during games exciting and thrilling, moreso then even some actions sequences I have read, or war scenes. Even in downtime, the snappy and witty banter between characters felt so natural, so simple. I had to remind myself I was reading a book and not listening in on conversations. I wasn't sure where this book was going to go when I first picked it up, I had mistakenly assumed it was focused on Gene and Luis, when it feels narrow minded to say a book of this depth only did that. It felt more akin to reading about Gene and his journey of learning to let himself want more, and what that means.
"Wanting has always felt presumptuous-to ask for something, something unlikely and rare, and then actually, really hope to get it? All for himself? He doesn't do that."
Gene has my entire heart, as well as any other organs I can spare, my love for him overflows. It is a lovely thing, to be known when you read a book, and that is how I felt reading Gene's story. His struggles with wanting, with leaving the comfortable place he has carved for himself. Much like a nice old sock, why would you leave it and want or try for anything further when you just got to where you are? Vince was a character I felt surprising attachment to right off the bat (pun intended), be it because he not only serves as a best friend to Gene, but also as an almost father figure in how much Gene admires and looks up to him. I was glad when none of these characters were perfect, not even Gene is exempt from doing things and saying things that just aren't good, or healthy. When Vince started crying and had to leave the field, I felt my own eyes well with tears because you could feel the sheer frustration of and heart wrenching of that scene, of having that moment taken away. Even when Vince is shown to be not so perfect, it is so aching real, because while Gene goes through his own struggles, so does Vince. The ageism that Vince faces, and his own desires to keep going with the sport that has been his life and that he is in love with, made me tear up. I never considered before what aging players have to go through, gentle ribbing and teasing likely hitting spots that are sore and ache because of the countdown they have, their own bodies giving up long before they are ready.
It is admittedly rare to find a book nowadays by a white author that has not only diversity in its writing, but good diversity, where the POC characters actually read that way and aren't just thrown in randomly for that good ol, "look, I'm not just writing about white people" vibes. I was continuously reminded of Luis's skin color (in a good way), not just by the author bringing it up randomly, but by his struggles, his family, and what he goes through differently then Gene. The inclusion of Luis and his anxiety, and how others perceive him as being more standoffish then he actually is, was masterfully done.
"But instead, he has his knees hugged up to his chest, his head shoved between them, his knuckles waxy white where he grips his elbows, his arms making a bracket around his body, as if to protect himself."
I feel so often when reading books about gay romance, one of the characters will be more masculine then the other, or presented in such a way where it is so clear that one is bigger, or somehow tougher, setting gender and queer society back years and years by the reinforcement of gender roles it feels. The way Gene and Luis slide fluidly between affection and want, neither of them huge and barrel chested, just felt like such a love letter in a way I can't quite put into words. Perhaps my own self commiserating with Gene and the terrible truth that no matter what I do or how hard I work out, I will never truly be any bigger, or gain the broadness and sheer masculinity that some men just seem to have that comes naturally. I just adore how Gene still paints his nails, wears earrings, has become comfortable enough in his identity to have a space that feels like him, and not feel like he has to commit fully to any gender stereotypes.
Because I somehow managed to go into this book completely blind, I had no idea this was even an adult romance and had spicy scenes in it. I was fully prepared for that fade to black moment, and then was so blown away and happily surprised when instead I was treated to sweet and intimate scenes between Luis and Gene. I haven't read any (one, but it was very poorly written) explicit scenes before between a man and a FTM, but how they were written in this book is how I now require them to be done. I was worried for a moment, that there would be those awkward conversations and moments of awkwardness, instead I was blessed with queer joy, and it was invalidating as it was steamy.
They lie chest to chest, one of Luis's legs slotted between Gene's, pressed up close against him, kissing without any direction at all until Gene starts to rock his hips.
I flipped to the back of the book at one point to read the author blurb, because it was truly so difficult to comprehend a book this truly fantastic being a debut novel. Yet it is. Hoffman, you will never see this, but thank you for this absolute gem of a book. It reads like it came from the heart, love soaked in every line and page. For baseball, for identity, for wanting. I felt both validated and fulfilled after reading, and I know I will treasure this story for years to come.
An absolute home run, one of my favorite reads of 2024, a MUST read!
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go catch an Astros game, because I think baseball might just be more exciting now that I understand it.
It's difficult to know where to start, when I loved everything so dearly, so let's talk about the writing first.
Hoffman made baseball, and sports interesting, which is a testament to how great his writing is. I myself have never been one for baseball, albeit I do enjoy a hot dog on the rare chance I am dragged to a game. (Sorry Astros, I'm a terrible fan) Somehow Hoffman made the moments during games exciting and thrilling, moreso then even some actions sequences I have read, or war scenes. Even in downtime, the snappy and witty banter between characters felt so natural, so simple. I had to remind myself I was reading a book and not listening in on conversations. I wasn't sure where this book was going to go when I first picked it up, I had mistakenly assumed it was focused on Gene and Luis, when it feels narrow minded to say a book of this depth only did that. It felt more akin to reading about Gene and his journey of learning to let himself want more, and what that means.
"Wanting has always felt presumptuous-to ask for something, something unlikely and rare, and then actually, really hope to get it? All for himself? He doesn't do that."
Gene has my entire heart, as well as any other organs I can spare, my love for him overflows. It is a lovely thing, to be known when you read a book, and that is how I felt reading Gene's story. His struggles with wanting, with leaving the comfortable place he has carved for himself. Much like a nice old sock, why would you leave it and want or try for anything further when you just got to where you are? Vince was a character I felt surprising attachment to right off the bat (pun intended), be it because he not only serves as a best friend to Gene, but also as an almost father figure in how much Gene admires and looks up to him. I was glad when none of these characters were perfect, not even Gene is exempt from doing things and saying things that just aren't good, or healthy. When
It is admittedly rare to find a book nowadays by a white author that has not only diversity in its writing, but good diversity, where the POC characters actually read that way and aren't just thrown in randomly for that good ol, "look, I'm not just writing about white people" vibes. I was continuously reminded of Luis's skin color (in a good way), not just by the author bringing it up randomly, but by his struggles, his family, and what he goes through differently then Gene. The inclusion of Luis and his anxiety, and how others perceive him as being more standoffish then he actually is, was masterfully done.
"But instead, he has his knees hugged up to his chest, his head shoved between them, his knuckles waxy white where he grips his elbows, his arms making a bracket around his body, as if to protect himself."
I feel so often when reading books about gay romance, one of the characters will be more masculine then the other, or presented in such a way where it is so clear that one is bigger, or somehow tougher, setting gender and queer society back years and years by the reinforcement of gender roles it feels. The way Gene and Luis slide fluidly between affection and want, neither of them huge and barrel chested, just felt like such a love letter in a way I can't quite put into words. Perhaps my own self commiserating with Gene and the terrible truth that no matter what I do or how hard I work out, I will never truly be any bigger, or gain the broadness and sheer masculinity that some men just seem to have that comes naturally. I just adore how Gene still paints his nails, wears earrings, has become comfortable enough in his identity to have a space that feels like him, and not feel like he has to commit fully to any gender stereotypes.
Because I somehow managed to go into this book completely blind, I had no idea this was even an adult romance and had spicy scenes in it. I was fully prepared for that fade to black moment, and then was so blown away and happily surprised when instead I was treated to sweet and intimate scenes between Luis and Gene. I haven't read any (one, but it was very poorly written) explicit scenes before between a man and a FTM, but how they were written in this book is how I now require them to be done. I was worried for a moment, that there would be those awkward conversations and moments of awkwardness, instead I was blessed with queer joy, and it was invalidating as it was steamy.
They lie chest to chest, one of Luis's legs slotted between Gene's, pressed up close against him, kissing without any direction at all until Gene starts to rock his hips.
I flipped to the back of the book at one point to read the author blurb, because it was truly so difficult to comprehend a book this truly fantastic being a debut novel. Yet it is. Hoffman, you will never see this, but thank you for this absolute gem of a book. It reads like it came from the heart, love soaked in every line and page. For baseball, for identity, for wanting. I felt both validated and fulfilled after reading, and I know I will treasure this story for years to come.
An absolute home run, one of my favorite reads of 2024, a MUST read!
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go catch an Astros game, because I think baseball might just be more exciting now that I understand it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Alcohol
Ageism
Wish You Weren't Here by Erin Baldwin
funny
lighthearted
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
The perfectly silly enemies to lovers sapphic camp romance you never knew you needed, an absolute treat to read!
Easily one of my favorite books that I've read lately, this was an absolute delight and a romp to read. I could hardly go a few pages without smiling or laughing.
We all know what's going to happen in this book, right off the bat, but Baldwin still manages to keep it fresh and unexpected with how much heart and thought goes into the characters and the story itself. Juliette and Priya are well rounded and painfully human in their interactions with each other. As the book goes on, the longing glances and yearning looks were sprinkled so well amidst the occasional arguments or tension. Long before Juliette realizes it, you the reader will be be like, YOU WANT TO KISS HER FACE GIRL! Please just take a load at this writing, because it just captures that baby gay vibe so well.
"Every atom of my being goes motionless. Her hair brushes my cheek. Her shoulder presses into mine, but she keeps leaning, reaching for something behind me."
I loved the growth the characters go through over the book, and how the "friendship" that Priya and Juliette develop changes each of them for the better.
If you were ever sent off to summer camp as a child, (as I was, for many a year) you know that Baldwin didn't just nail the silliness and comadire of camp. She absolutely captured the essence and feeling of it. The interactions, the not wanting to leave, even the camp nicknames. It made me feel like I was back at camp. One of my favorite parts of reading this was the different counselors, such as Flagstaff, and how they all interacted with the campers. I never felt overburdened by the number of characters, they were all balanced well with the story and I never felt lost.
Not many authors can balance the right amount of world building with how much of it to share. It was clear that there was a lot that could have been delved with in regards to Juliette's family, and how it has shaped her current insecurities and competitive (slightly intense) nature. The amount we were shown made it easy to paint the picture of her family being, well not the best. Not abusive per say, but clearly prioritizing winning and being the best. Quite frankly I would argue that they were abusive, any parents who pit their kids against each other and only gives attention and time to those who are going to be a prodigy, are textbook assholes. (Can we get some therapy in aisle three, please?) I do like that it was primarily unresolved, because it was so realistic. The story isn't about. Juliette confronting her family, it's about her growing up just a bit and realizing how wrong her perceptions of Priya were. And of course, their fantastic romance.
I am going to need someone to send the author a fruit basket or something, because we were BLESSED with an epilogue and I was so grateful. It didn't feel unnecessary either, but just made the ending all the sweeter and wrapped up any lingering questions I had. (Dare I say, a perfect ending to a perfect story?)
There were a few times Juliette gave me, well not mean girl vibes per say, but she was so insecure and the way it manifested was being judgemental of others, it was a bit of a bully vibes at times. As in, I could see her being difficult to someone or not so nice or welcoming just because she was jealous. It was obvious where it was all coming from, (read earlier spoiler) but it didn't make it any less true.
Easily one of the best and most enjoyable books I've had the pleasure of reading lately, I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THIS! READ THIS! The perfect sapphic book for summer. I will eagerly await Baldwin's next book, with the same anticipation of a child counting down the days till they get to go back to summer camp.
I also adore the cover, it is always a treat when a book with excellent writing is given the cover it deserves and that matches its vibe. Excellent colors, composition, and one that will stand out on any shelf.
Thank you Penguin for this Arc, any quotes are subject to change before publishing
Easily one of my favorite books that I've read lately, this was an absolute delight and a romp to read. I could hardly go a few pages without smiling or laughing.
We all know what's going to happen in this book, right off the bat, but Baldwin still manages to keep it fresh and unexpected with how much heart and thought goes into the characters and the story itself. Juliette and Priya are well rounded and painfully human in their interactions with each other. As the book goes on, the longing glances and yearning looks were sprinkled so well amidst the occasional arguments or tension. Long before Juliette realizes it, you the reader will be be like, YOU WANT TO KISS HER FACE GIRL! Please just take a load at this writing, because it just captures that baby gay vibe so well.
"Every atom of my being goes motionless. Her hair brushes my cheek. Her shoulder presses into mine, but she keeps leaning, reaching for something behind me."
I loved the growth the characters go through over the book, and how the "friendship" that Priya and Juliette develop changes each of them for the better.
If you were ever sent off to summer camp as a child, (as I was, for many a year) you know that Baldwin didn't just nail the silliness and comadire of camp. She absolutely captured the essence and feeling of it. The interactions, the not wanting to leave, even the camp nicknames. It made me feel like I was back at camp. One of my favorite parts of reading this was the different counselors, such as Flagstaff, and how they all interacted with the campers. I never felt overburdened by the number of characters, they were all balanced well with the story and I never felt lost.
Not many authors can balance the right amount of world building with how much of it to share. It was clear that there was a lot that could have been delved with in regards to Juliette's family, and how it has shaped her current insecurities and competitive (slightly intense) nature.
I am going to need someone to send the author a fruit basket or something, because we were BLESSED with an epilogue and I was so grateful. It didn't feel unnecessary either, but just made the ending all the sweeter and wrapped up any lingering questions I had. (Dare I say, a perfect ending to a perfect story?)
There were a few times Juliette gave me, well not mean girl vibes per say, but she was so insecure and the way it manifested was being judgemental of others, it was a bit of a bully vibes at times. As in, I could see her being difficult to someone or not so nice or welcoming just because she was jealous. It was obvious where it was all coming from, (read earlier spoiler) but it didn't make it any less true.
Easily one of the best and most enjoyable books I've had the pleasure of reading lately, I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THIS! READ THIS! The perfect sapphic book for summer. I will eagerly await Baldwin's next book, with the same anticipation of a child counting down the days till they get to go back to summer camp.
I also adore the cover, it is always a treat when a book with excellent writing is given the cover it deserves and that matches its vibe. Excellent colors, composition, and one that will stand out on any shelf.
Thank you Penguin for this Arc, any quotes are subject to change before publishing
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying and Emotional abuse
Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts by Adam Sass
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Honest, funny, and all too close to home, Adam Sass stuns yet again in a thorny romance about curses, love, and the raw emotion of dealing with a brain that would rather be a beast than a bunny.
Grant would rather stay hidden in his depression pit, yet ends up instead at the suggestion of his family, helping to facelift and bring back from despair his aunt's vineyard and B&B. Add in one hot gardener who is also his ex best friend, and who broke his heart and things get...complicated. And very, very, messy. Sass has such a unique writing style and I've yet to find another author who so perfectly captures complex and messy characters who aren't perfect. Characters who are terribly, honestly human, and struggling to figure themselves out. When I think of writers who capture (my at least), queer experience, Sass is always at the forefront of my mind.
Part of the reason I had trouble with Grant as a character at times, is because it is never easy reading a book that is basically holding a mirror to yourself and all of your (quite frankly unresolved) issues. I myself struggle will pulling frequent "Grant moments", retreating from the world for weeks or months, only emerging like a shade to sometimes eat, and haunt my apartment like a wraith of some terribly dramatic play or period drama.
A quote that very succinctly captures who Grant is at a character, in all his glory and mental health issues:
"I emerged from a three-day depression hole less than an hour ago, and I'm still gonna be the cutest one in the room. Who else but me? I can do it all! Lowest lows, highest highs."
There were moments when reading, when I turned and looked at a non existent camera b, as if to say, 'I feel attacked right now', because so many moments it felt more as if Grant's growth and troubles was parallel to my stupid brain and everything I struggle with. Even at times where I wanted to bemoan how messy he was being, or get annoyed at his pettiness or jealousy, I had to take a step back and think, 'no but for real, I would/have done the same thing.'
I really enjoyed the depictions of food and the messy family relationships. I did grow quite hungry reading this, which is always a sign that that the prose and imagery had thoroughly reached my appetite. Speaking of hungry, the boys in this book were Thirsty, with a capital T. The chemistry between Grant and Ben was written so well, it didn't feel forced or out of nowhere. Their banter and flirting was done so well, reading two characters fight against their own yearning and feelings is always such a treat when they finally come together.
One more quick thing I loved, the mention of therapy, medication, and the very real reality of dealing with mental health and the never ending journey that is. Spot on in a way that was so raw and honest, yet again hitting me in my chest because it so very much resembled my own.
"She's such a good friend- no matter how long we go without talking, she's there for me when I come back." This is another sentence that felt like it was plucked straight from my life, and perfectly encompasses anyone who has those who stick by you even when you tend to ghost everyone at frequent occurrences.
I think it could be argued that there were moments when Sass took out a proverbial soap box, to educate the reader as much as characters in the story, such as when talking about how to give space to a queer child. Though I won't lie, it was healing, cathartic and realistic in how the family interacted. Especially how Grant was able to pinpoint that his nephew would be having a when not if coming out.
At the same time, there are a times sentences like this, where words like 'my thorniest thorn', and 'childhood ashes like phoenixes,' were likely intended to be taken seriously but it was difficult too.
He saw my weirdest, most serial-killer behavior- my thorniest thorn-and it only made him want to help me more....Adult Ben and Adult Grant have emerged from our childhood ashes like phoenixes." These moments and other moments of choice writing broke me out of my reading at times to just blink, pulled out of the immersive story I had been so far loving.
I did find the ending one of the weakest parts of the book, apart from how perfectly everything lined up and how the main characters were perfectly fine with wearing someone else's robes and staying in a stranger's apartment, it lacked what the rest of the story had in terms of strong writing and felt a bit plot convenient. (On the other hand I am torn because I am always delighted to read a queer story where there is a happy ending and no one is killed off or other angsty things happen. (Looking at you, nearly every show ever with queer characters!) If the last chunk had stayed as strong and consistent as the rest of the book, this would have easily been a five star read for me.
I do recommend this book, especially perfect for fans of Adam Sass's writing style, this story is sweet and full bodied, worth every page.
Thank you to Penguin for this ARC, NOTE any quotes are subject to change since this is an ARC that I read and reviewed
Grant would rather stay hidden in his depression pit, yet ends up instead at the suggestion of his family, helping to facelift and bring back from despair his aunt's vineyard and B&B. Add in one hot gardener who is also his ex best friend, and who broke his heart and things get...complicated. And very, very, messy. Sass has such a unique writing style and I've yet to find another author who so perfectly captures complex and messy characters who aren't perfect. Characters who are terribly, honestly human, and struggling to figure themselves out. When I think of writers who capture (my at least), queer experience, Sass is always at the forefront of my mind.
Part of the reason I had trouble with Grant as a character at times, is because it is never easy reading a book that is basically holding a mirror to yourself and all of your (quite frankly unresolved) issues. I myself struggle will pulling frequent "Grant moments", retreating from the world for weeks or months, only emerging like a shade to sometimes eat, and haunt my apartment like a wraith of some terribly dramatic play or period drama.
A quote that very succinctly captures who Grant is at a character, in all his glory and mental health issues:
"I emerged from a three-day depression hole less than an hour ago, and I'm still gonna be the cutest one in the room. Who else but me? I can do it all! Lowest lows, highest highs."
There were moments when reading, when I turned and looked at a non existent camera b, as if to say, 'I feel attacked right now', because so many moments it felt more as if Grant's growth and troubles was parallel to my stupid brain and everything I struggle with. Even at times where I wanted to bemoan how messy he was being, or get annoyed at his pettiness or jealousy, I had to take a step back and think, 'no but for real, I would/have done the same thing.'
I really enjoyed the depictions of food and the messy family relationships. I did grow quite hungry reading this, which is always a sign that that the prose and imagery had thoroughly reached my appetite. Speaking of hungry, the boys in this book were Thirsty, with a capital T. The chemistry between Grant and Ben was written so well, it didn't feel forced or out of nowhere. Their banter and flirting was done so well, reading two characters fight against their own yearning and feelings is always such a treat when they finally come together.
One more quick thing I loved, the mention of therapy, medication, and the very real reality of dealing with mental health and the never ending journey that is. Spot on in a way that was so raw and honest, yet again hitting me in my chest because it so very much resembled my own.
"She's such a good friend- no matter how long we go without talking, she's there for me when I come back." This is another sentence that felt like it was plucked straight from my life, and perfectly encompasses anyone who has those who stick by you even when you tend to ghost everyone at frequent occurrences.
I think it could be argued that there were moments when Sass took out a proverbial soap box, to educate the reader as much as characters in the story, such as when talking about how to give space to a queer child. Though I won't lie, it was healing, cathartic and realistic in how the family interacted. Especially how Grant was able to pinpoint that his nephew would be having a when not if coming out.
At the same time, there are a times sentences like this, where words like 'my thorniest thorn', and 'childhood ashes like phoenixes,' were likely intended to be taken seriously but it was difficult too.
He saw my weirdest, most serial-killer behavior- my thorniest thorn-and it only made him want to help me more....Adult Ben and Adult Grant have emerged from our childhood ashes like phoenixes." These moments and other moments of choice writing broke me out of my reading at times to just blink, pulled out of the immersive story I had been so far loving.
I did find the ending one of the weakest parts of the book, apart from how perfectly everything lined up and how the main characters were perfectly fine with wearing someone else's robes and staying in a stranger's apartment, it lacked what the rest of the story had in terms of strong writing and felt a bit plot convenient. (On the other hand I am torn because I am always delighted to read a queer story where there is a happy ending and no one is killed off or other angsty things happen. (Looking at you, nearly every show ever with queer characters!) If the last chunk had stayed as strong and consistent as the rest of the book, this would have easily been a five star read for me.
I do recommend this book, especially perfect for fans of Adam Sass's writing style, this story is sweet and full bodied, worth every page.
Thank you to Penguin for this ARC, NOTE any quotes are subject to change since this is an ARC that I read and reviewed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Death, Misogyny, and Sexual content
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
funny
lighthearted
fast-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? No
4.5
I've never laughed so hard reading such a steamy romance, I couldn't stop smiling throughout the whole story. As irreverent as it is sweet, who knew the adventure that would come from getting drunk and saving a demon? Cin as a character is laugh out loud relatable and funny, she truly wants nothing more then to just mind her business and not be caught up in any adventures or main character-ing. Of course that is not how the story goes!
Fallon is peak male romance lead, masculine and protective, and more then willing to rip a man's arm clean off just as easily as he is able to kiss Cin senseless. (And he does both of those tasks quite frequently!) It is difficult not to fall in love with Lemming's writing, the amount of fun she seemed to have had in these pages makes reading it such a treat and delight. There is quite a bit of slang and jargon that will surely be outdated in a few years time, but for now it hits in that sweet spot of sounding just like how any other unwilling heroine might.
There are several scenes that get quite spicy, and they are written very well. VERY. WELL. I am not saying I am willing to be whisked away on a quest and gain a demon mate in the process, but I'm not NOT saying that. (Please any technologically aware demons, hit me up if you're reading this.)
A highlight of reading is all of the food parts, Cin loves to eat and all the food descriptors and her passion for her next meal also made my stomach growl, and kept the story light. A memorable scene is when Cin found out she had declared herself the cheese queen. I had to pause and just laugh to myself because it felt so silly, yet so right for this story. "Because I fully remember you tasking several orcs to bring you cheese. Then you sat in the captain;'s chair and the words 'I am the cheese queen' definitely came out of your mouth."
I do wish there were parts that weren't so rushed, the beginning was nice, but it quickly ramped up to the point the ending felt quite a bit rushed. I did enjoy it, even if Cin fell in love over the span of such a short time period, I can't say I wouldn't do the same when faced with such a sexy dragon.
It is a testament to Lemming's writing that even with how quickly the plot flies by in this short read, it sticks in your mind and leaves you satiated. But that is to say the pacing is far different in the beginning then it is in the end. When I realized there was only a few chapters left I was wondering just how the tasks the hero's were trying to accomplish was going to get done, with all the travel that been mentioned. In a way a part of it did feel a tinge unsatisfying, but it was so much fun I didn't truly mind.
This is my first book of Kimberly Lemming's, I NEED to read the rest of the series now. If you're looking for a funny and steamy short read, this is perfect for you, highly recommend!
Fallon is peak male romance lead, masculine and protective, and more then willing to rip a man's arm clean off just as easily as he is able to kiss Cin senseless. (And he does both of those tasks quite frequently!) It is difficult not to fall in love with Lemming's writing, the amount of fun she seemed to have had in these pages makes reading it such a treat and delight. There is quite a bit of slang and jargon that will surely be outdated in a few years time, but for now it hits in that sweet spot of sounding just like how any other unwilling heroine might.
There are several scenes that get quite spicy, and they are written very well. VERY. WELL. I am not saying I am willing to be whisked away on a quest and gain a demon mate in the process, but I'm not NOT saying that. (Please any technologically aware demons, hit me up if you're reading this.)
A highlight of reading is all of the food parts, Cin loves to eat and all the food descriptors and her passion for her next meal also made my stomach growl, and kept the story light. A memorable scene is when Cin found out she had declared herself the cheese queen. I had to pause and just laugh to myself because it felt so silly, yet so right for this story. "Because I fully remember you tasking several orcs to bring you cheese. Then you sat in the captain;'s chair and the words 'I am the cheese queen' definitely came out of your mouth."
I do wish there were parts that weren't so rushed, the beginning was nice, but it quickly ramped up to the point the ending felt quite a bit rushed. I did enjoy it, even if Cin fell in love over the span of such a short time period, I can't say I wouldn't do the same when faced with such a sexy dragon.
It is a testament to Lemming's writing that even with how quickly the plot flies by in this short read, it sticks in your mind and leaves you satiated. But that is to say the pacing is far different in the beginning then it is in the end. When I realized there was only a few chapters left I was wondering just how the tasks the hero's were trying to accomplish was going to get done, with all the travel that been mentioned. In a way a part of it did feel a tinge unsatisfying, but it was so much fun I didn't truly mind.
This is my first book of Kimberly Lemming's, I NEED to read the rest of the series now. If you're looking for a funny and steamy short read, this is perfect for you, highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Murder
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Sexual harassment