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hobbithopeful's reviews
223 reviews
This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron H. Aceves
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.5
The best way to get over someone, is to get under someone else...right?
Enrique (Quique) is trying to get over a one-sided crush on his friend Saleem by having a hot slut summer. Quique's parents don't know that he is bisexual, and he has zero dating skills but that doesn't stop him from pursuing 3 different guys. All with very different results.
I love how sex positive this book is, people who don't like those elements always confuse me. Let's think back to when we were all teenagers okay? Hormones and horniness doesn't magically appear when you become an adult!
One of my biggest issues with reading YA books is sometimes the teenagers don't read like teenagers. This was not the case here, Quique is messy and just trying to figure himself out. I love the friendship he has with Fabiola, and how supportive his parents try to be with his mental health.
I am so grateful that Quique didn't end up with the white guy! I never know why so many BIPOC authors love having their characters have multiple love interests and then always end up with that specific person. MAJOR props to Aceves for actually writing the white character how a white person...well you'll see when you read it.
I've had this book on my tbr for a long time, I put off reading it because I was afraid the content was going to be too heavy for me. There are discussions around mental health, and biphobia, but nothing at all what I thought it might be about. I wish I had read it sooner.
The only reason this isn't 5 stars for me, I did have a few problems with some of the pacing at time, I felt like I kept waiting for the plot to move forward. I also had trouble caring about some of Quique's love interests.
All in all I really I enjoyed this book, I always love reading stories by chicano authors.
Highly recommend, perfect for fans of queer diverse stories with messy main characters! This is my first book by Aaron H. Aceves, and I will definitely read more of his writing.
Enrique (Quique) is trying to get over a one-sided crush on his friend Saleem by having a hot slut summer. Quique's parents don't know that he is bisexual, and he has zero dating skills but that doesn't stop him from pursuing 3 different guys. All with very different results.
I love how sex positive this book is, people who don't like those elements always confuse me. Let's think back to when we were all teenagers okay? Hormones and horniness doesn't magically appear when you become an adult!
One of my biggest issues with reading YA books is sometimes the teenagers don't read like teenagers. This was not the case here, Quique is messy and just trying to figure himself out. I love the friendship he has with Fabiola, and how supportive his parents try to be with his mental health.
I am so grateful that Quique didn't
I've had this book on my tbr for a long time, I put off reading it because I was afraid the content was going to be too heavy for me. There are discussions around mental health, and biphobia, but nothing at all what I thought it might be about. I wish I had read it sooner.
The only reason this isn't 5 stars for me, I did have a few problems with some of the pacing at time, I felt like I kept waiting for the plot to move forward. I also had trouble caring about some of Quique's love interests.
All in all I really I enjoyed this book, I always love reading stories by chicano authors.
Highly recommend, perfect for fans of queer diverse stories with messy main characters! This is my first book by Aaron H. Aceves, and I will definitely read more of his writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia and Racism
The Name-Bearer by Natalia Hernandez
adventurous
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? No
4.25
Magic, fantasy, badass ladies, and oh so queer, The Name-Bearer has been on my tbr forever, and I am so happy I finally got to read it.
A LATINX FANTASY! Take all my money! I feel like I am so incredibly biased because I was so excited to read a book with such inclusion of culture and diversity. Reading a book that includes your own culture always just feels so special and comforting. The rich food descriptions and detailed clothing made it feel like I was stepping into the world and experiencing everything that the name-bearer did. My favorite part of the book is when she is training with her friends and finally having that family she's always wanted. I like how everyone has their own strengths, and she isn't just immediately the best at everything.
I think the biggest issue for me is the writing. There is so much telling going on rather than showing, it made it hard at times to stay engaged with the plot and the writing. It is a big bookish peeve of mine that I have to read summaries of events instead of actually reading the event itself. There are also so many times in every chapter where a character will do something and then it will explain itself further. For example:
"The wizard brought a long,tapered finger to his lips to indicate that she should be silent". The reader can easily deduce the fact he wants her to be silent because of him just putting his finger to his mouth, explaining it further is just redundant and unnecessary. However I know this is an indie book, and I always take into consideration the resources available to indie authors when they self publish.
The viewpoint that Hernandez writes from primarily focuses on the name-bearer, but at certain moments when she interacts with other characters it will focus on their inner monologue, or further explain their actions. The ending is very unexpected, it kinda felt like it came out of nowhere.
I enjoyed this book, it has a rich environment, and incredible lore. I am excited to read the next one!
I would recommend this book!
The book cover is absolutely gorgeous and I am so obsessed with it.
A LATINX FANTASY! Take all my money! I feel like I am so incredibly biased because I was so excited to read a book with such inclusion of culture and diversity. Reading a book that includes your own culture always just feels so special and comforting. The rich food descriptions and detailed clothing made it feel like I was stepping into the world and experiencing everything that the name-bearer did. My favorite part of the book is when she is training with her friends and finally having that family she's always wanted. I like how everyone has their own strengths, and she isn't just immediately the best at everything.
I think the biggest issue for me is the writing. There is so much telling going on rather than showing, it made it hard at times to stay engaged with the plot and the writing. It is a big bookish peeve of mine that I have to read summaries of events instead of actually reading the event itself. There are also so many times in every chapter where a character will do something and then it will explain itself further. For example:
"The wizard brought a long,tapered finger to his lips to indicate that she should be silent". The reader can easily deduce the fact he wants her to be silent because of him just putting his finger to his mouth, explaining it further is just redundant and unnecessary. However I know this is an indie book, and I always take into consideration the resources available to indie authors when they self publish.
The viewpoint that Hernandez writes from primarily focuses on the name-bearer, but at certain moments when she interacts with other characters it will focus on their inner monologue, or further explain their actions. The ending is very unexpected, it kinda felt like it came out of nowhere.
I enjoyed this book, it has a rich environment, and incredible lore. I am excited to read the next one!
I would recommend this book!
The book cover is absolutely gorgeous and I am so obsessed with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Blood
Minor: War and Sexual harassment
The Kraken's Prize by Luna Joya
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Sweet, steamy, and over all too soon, The Kraken's Prize is a must for any fans of tentacle based romance.
We follow Ava, she has an overbearing mother because of her TBI, and all she wants to do is explore the world. Seb is a feared kraken pirate captain, who will stop at nothing to find the sea witch who cursed him and his crew. Of course his plans get a bit derailed when he has to save Ava's life..
This is the second book in the series, and I actually liked this more than the first! Any hang-ups or nitpicky issues I had with the first one, are non existent here. I wish it was longer because I was enjoying the characters, the story, and the relationship between Seb and Ava.
I really like the illustration inclusion at the end of all the "adorable" guardians that the girls have bonded with so far! (And a sneak peek at upcoming cuties!) I especially enjoy the new "found family" Ava has with the crew, and how they all make pictures for her to help remember. As a proud member of the cute journals and pens community, it was cool to see that included as one of her hobbies.
It is so rare to see romance, especially monster romance with disability rep, and The Kraken's Prize shows how masterfully it can be done. Seb never infantalizes her, but provides support and care, understanding that she is perfectly capable of knowing her needs and wants.
Of course there is some lovely tension between Ava and Seb, let's just say he has tentacles and knows how to use them! There's something about reading fated mates that is always so comforting, maybe the fact the person is going to stand by you no matter what. There's a reason I always save monster romance for when I'm feeling particularly down, they just always cheer me up and are so fun to read.
Perfect for fans of tentacles, monster romance, or just good books in general, I definitely recommend this book! I am so excited that with each book that comes out they keep getting better and better, I can't wait to read what Luna Joya writes next.
Thank you to the author for this ARC
We follow Ava, she has an overbearing mother because of her TBI, and all she wants to do is explore the world. Seb is a feared kraken pirate captain, who will stop at nothing to find the sea witch who cursed him and his crew. Of course his plans get a bit derailed when he has to save Ava's life..
This is the second book in the series, and I actually liked this more than the first! Any hang-ups or nitpicky issues I had with the first one, are non existent here. I wish it was longer because I was enjoying the characters, the story, and the relationship between Seb and Ava.
I really like the illustration inclusion at the end of all the "adorable" guardians that the girls have bonded with so far! (And a sneak peek at upcoming cuties!) I especially enjoy the new "found family" Ava has with the crew, and how they all make pictures for her to help remember. As a proud member of the cute journals and pens community, it was cool to see that included as one of her hobbies.
It is so rare to see romance, especially monster romance with disability rep, and The Kraken's Prize shows how masterfully it can be done. Seb never infantalizes her, but provides support and care, understanding that she is perfectly capable of knowing her needs and wants.
Of course there is some lovely tension between Ava and Seb, let's just say he has tentacles and knows how to use them! There's something about reading fated mates that is always so comforting, maybe the fact the person is going to stand by you no matter what. There's a reason I always save monster romance for when I'm feeling particularly down, they just always cheer me up and are so fun to read.
Perfect for fans of tentacles, monster romance, or just good books in general, I definitely recommend this book! I am so excited that with each book that comes out they keep getting better and better, I can't wait to read what Luna Joya writes next.
Thank you to the author for this ARC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Violence and Toxic relationship
When We Make It by Elisabet Velasquez
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
Powerful and moving, When We Make It follows Sarai and her experience growing up. The book follows her struggles with identity, family, and what's it like to grow up moving from place to place because of housing insecurity.
I very much enjoyed reading this, though it is very heavy. I would caution anyone wanting to check it out to look at content warnings first. Everything from domestic abuse, to sexual assault, to racism, this books dives into some very real and very hard topics. I would probably have waited to read it had I known how prevalent the sexual assault was, and the reaction of others to it.
If you like The Poet X, you'll love this.
I highly recommend! This is my first book by Elisabet Velasquez, and I can't wait to read more.
I very much enjoyed reading this, though it is very heavy. I would caution anyone wanting to check it out to look at content warnings first. Everything from domestic abuse, to sexual assault, to racism, this books dives into some very real and very hard topics. I would probably have waited to read it had I known how prevalent the sexual assault was, and the reaction of others to it.
If you like The Poet X, you'll love this.
I highly recommend! This is my first book by Elisabet Velasquez, and I can't wait to read more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Pregnancy
Moderate: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Drug use, and Alcohol
Minor: Death, Racism, and Gun violence
Nightbreaker by Coco Ma
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Thank you Penguin for this ARC
You know those books you can't put down? The ones you stay up all night reading because you're so immersed in the story you can't wait till the next day to find out what happens next? This is one of those books.
Rei has trained her entire life to hunt Deathlings, grotesque creatures that take over Manhattan at night, and have irrevocably changed the city. Her only dream is to become a Maverick, the elite task force that has no equal for their strength and kill count. To do so she must win a tournament and prove herself, no easy task when one of her opponents is her ex boyfriend. (Plus, not everyone survives the tournament!)
This is one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a hot minute. I love the characters, and how diverse the story is. The world building and lore is so engaging and there were no plot holes to be found. Every little question I had regarding the story is masterfully executed and explained. A pitfall of fantasy stories can often be how much exposition is thrown at you in an attempt to explain the world and how everything works. That is not in a problem in Nightbreaker! This story does not shy away from a body count either, I genuinely didn't know who was going to survive, or make it through in one piece.
One of my favorite aspects of this is the technology and all the different artifacts. There are so many different items that all grant different powers, and I can't wait to find out more.
Rei is a badass, she can fight and knows how to hold her own. She isn't that stereotypical "perfect" fantasy heroine either. She has lots of faults, and shows great character growth through the story.
There is a little bit of romance, coming at you by way of Kieran, Rei's ex boyfriend. I really enjoyed their chemistry, plus I love when badass fmc have a supportive love interest. (I hate the trope that modern media is shifting to that you to be independent means no partner!) Also the ending, oh my gosh guys the ending! Quick y'all read this so we can discuss please.
It's very, very, rare that I say this, but I would LOVE to see a movie or tv show made out of this book.
I love this book so much, I want to own a physical copy, and I can't wait for the next book in the series! I HIGHLY recommend this especially if you LOVE fantasy books! This is the first book by Coco Ma I have read, I am now going to go request all her books!
You know those books you can't put down? The ones you stay up all night reading because you're so immersed in the story you can't wait till the next day to find out what happens next? This is one of those books.
Rei has trained her entire life to hunt Deathlings, grotesque creatures that take over Manhattan at night, and have irrevocably changed the city. Her only dream is to become a Maverick, the elite task force that has no equal for their strength and kill count. To do so she must win a tournament and prove herself, no easy task when one of her opponents is her ex boyfriend. (Plus, not everyone survives the tournament!)
This is one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a hot minute. I love the characters, and how diverse the story is. The world building and lore is so engaging and there were no plot holes to be found. Every little question I had regarding the story is masterfully executed and explained. A pitfall of fantasy stories can often be how much exposition is thrown at you in an attempt to explain the world and how everything works. That is not in a problem in Nightbreaker! This story does not shy away from a body count either, I genuinely didn't know who was going to survive, or make it through in one piece.
One of my favorite aspects of this is the technology and all the different artifacts. There are so many different items that all grant different powers, and I can't wait to find out more.
Rei is a badass, she can fight and knows how to hold her own. She isn't that stereotypical "perfect" fantasy heroine either. She has lots of faults, and shows great character growth through the story.
There is a little bit of romance, coming at you by way of Kieran, Rei's ex boyfriend. I really enjoyed their chemistry, plus I love when badass fmc have a supportive love interest. (I hate the trope that modern media is shifting to that you to be independent means no partner!) Also the ending, oh my gosh guys the ending! Quick y'all read this so we can discuss please.
It's very, very, rare that I say this, but I would LOVE to see a movie or tv show made out of this book.
I love this book so much, I want to own a physical copy, and I can't wait for the next book in the series! I HIGHLY recommend this especially if you LOVE fantasy books! This is the first book by Coco Ma I have read, I am now going to go request all her books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Blood, Murder, Death, and Gore
Minor: Death of parent
The Last Girls Standing by Jennifer Dugan
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thank you Penguin for this ARC
A sapphic horror novel that depicts trauma in one of the worst lights I've ever seen in a book, with a depressing end message.
Sloan and Cherry are the lone survivors of a summer camp massacre. Deeply traumatized they find solace in each other, but Sloan has holes in her memories, and begins to question what really happened.
I honestly have no idea what I just read. And not in a "wow that was so fantastic and different, but in a I had no idea where any of this story was going".
I do think the premise is interesting, as well as the writing. Just like Sloan, I felt completely lost and unsure of who to trust. There are a lot of great tense moments, and so much gaslighting. I was ready to point fingers at literally everyone in this book.
I don't know Dugan's background, I don't know if she has experienced trauma and CPTSD such as Sloan has. I'm not sure if writing this in a way was cathartic for her. For me someone who suffers from CPTSD, I found this book to be an inaccurate and quite frankly offensive depiction of trauma. There is so much wrong in how this book depicts what it is like to go through trauma therapy, and how the characters react to trauma.The end message of the story seems to be one of "you'll never recover from your trauma and instead spiral and continue hurting others". So that was great to read. Sloan just ends up cracking and killing Cherry, to what end? To show that we can't heal? To show that we will continue hurting others?
I do think the ambiguous ending hurt the book, and just further leaned into the "you won't heal from trauma" stereotype.
If you decide to read this, please check your triggers/content warnings.
Personally I didn't have a good time reading this, and wouldn't personally recommend it.
A sapphic horror novel that depicts trauma in one of the worst lights I've ever seen in a book, with a depressing end message.
Sloan and Cherry are the lone survivors of a summer camp massacre. Deeply traumatized they find solace in each other, but Sloan has holes in her memories, and begins to question what really happened.
I honestly have no idea what I just read. And not in a "wow that was so fantastic and different, but in a I had no idea where any of this story was going".
I do think the premise is interesting, as well as the writing. Just like Sloan, I felt completely lost and unsure of who to trust. There are a lot of great tense moments, and so much gaslighting. I was ready to point fingers at literally everyone in this book.
I don't know Dugan's background, I don't know if she has experienced trauma and CPTSD such as Sloan has. I'm not sure if writing this in a way was cathartic for her. For me someone who suffers from CPTSD, I found this book to be an inaccurate and quite frankly offensive depiction of trauma. There is so much wrong in how this book depicts what it is like to go through trauma therapy, and how the characters react to trauma.
I do think the ambiguous ending hurt the book, and just further leaned into the "you won't heal from trauma" stereotype.
If you decide to read this, please check your triggers/content warnings.
Personally I didn't have a good time reading this, and wouldn't personally recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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? No
5.0
As beautiful as it is heartbreaking, Ander & Santi Were Here is a masterful romance about belonging, immigration, and fighting against a system not built to actually help people.
Ander is fairly content painting murals, and working at their family's' taquería. New waiter Santi immediately catches their eye, and the two become inexplicably close. But Santi is undocumented, and ICE agents aren't just a looming distant threat, they are a very present and very real one.
This is now one of my favorite books of all time. If you ever want to read any books I rec, please make this one of them.
I spent so much of the book on edge, worried about ICE and what would happen. Every happy moment, every bit of love Ander and Santi experience together just made me more nervous for the inevitable. I do think this is intentionally done by Villa, so the reader gets a small idea of the sense of impending doom that Santi experiences every day. All the racism, how ICE treats people, everything is so on the nose, so much so that it was difficult to read a times. Overall this is a very sweet and loving story, but those moments take you by surprise and hurt. I wish the world could read this, or at least every single Texan because there are so many misunderstandings and stereotypes around the immigration experience. Immigrants are truly held to such a higher and insane standard. Just because someone isn't a doctor or a genius doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to live here and thrive. America has been built on the back of immigrants, and continues to thrive off of exploiting their labor.
There is a lot of español in this book and it is written in so seamlessly and I am so happy to see the inclusion of it. Anyone who wants to complain come meet me in a dark alley...I just want to talk. People who always want to complain about español in books or even calling it spanglish never seem to have a problem with any other language or culture doing it. I spent a lot of time in San Antonio growing up, so reading this felt so nostalgic for me. All the little things I enjoyed about visiting all came flooding back and I felt this homesickness.
If you go into reading this on an empty stomach, beware! All the delicious food descriptions and mouth-watering meals had my stomach grumbling the whole time. I had to make a plan to go get pan dulce because this book made me crave it!
Ander's family is supportive, loving, and such a heart-warming and sweet spot in this. Reading all their interactions and genuine love for eachother is so nice to see. While homophobia is incredibly prevalent in the Hispanic community, it's nice to see a family that isn't like that.
Ander loves painting, and their worries and struggle with worrying about being not Mexican enough or too Mexican with their art is such a reality for so many Mexican American artists. The way their adviser was so racist and all his microaggression to Ander UGH! It made me so mad, and brought me back to my college experience.
I absolutely fell in love with this book. It is one of my new top reads of 2023, and I have found a new favorite author in Jonny Garza Villa. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS, READ IT! Now I'm going to go request Villa's entire collection from the library.
The cover for this is phenomenal. I don't often see that style of font on book covers, but it works so perfectly here. There is so much great depth and lighting in the illustration, it conveys such love and yearning. Often when I see book covers depicting BIPOC characters, especially those of a darker complexion, usually they look like a smudge because the artist doesn't understand how to draw them. I am so glad this isn't the case here. (Also obsessed with Santi's cactus crown!)
Ander is fairly content painting murals, and working at their family's' taquería. New waiter Santi immediately catches their eye, and the two become inexplicably close. But Santi is undocumented, and ICE agents aren't just a looming distant threat, they are a very present and very real one.
This is now one of my favorite books of all time. If you ever want to read any books I rec, please make this one of them.
I spent so much of the book on edge, worried about ICE and what would happen. Every happy moment, every bit of love Ander and Santi experience together just made me more nervous for the inevitable. I do think this is intentionally done by Villa, so the reader gets a small idea of the sense of impending doom that Santi experiences every day. All the racism, how ICE treats people, everything is so on the nose, so much so that it was difficult to read a times. Overall this is a very sweet and loving story, but those moments take you by surprise and hurt. I wish the world could read this, or at least every single Texan because there are so many misunderstandings and stereotypes around the immigration experience. Immigrants are truly held to such a higher and insane standard. Just because someone isn't a doctor or a genius doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to live here and thrive. America has been built on the back of immigrants, and continues to thrive off of exploiting their labor.
There is a lot of español in this book and it is written in so seamlessly and I am so happy to see the inclusion of it. Anyone who wants to complain come meet me in a dark alley...I just want to talk. People who always want to complain about español in books or even calling it spanglish never seem to have a problem with any other language or culture doing it. I spent a lot of time in San Antonio growing up, so reading this felt so nostalgic for me. All the little things I enjoyed about visiting all came flooding back and I felt this homesickness.
If you go into reading this on an empty stomach, beware! All the delicious food descriptions and mouth-watering meals had my stomach grumbling the whole time. I had to make a plan to go get pan dulce because this book made me crave it!
Ander's family is supportive, loving, and such a heart-warming and sweet spot in this. Reading all their interactions and genuine love for eachother is so nice to see. While homophobia is incredibly prevalent in the Hispanic community, it's nice to see a family that isn't like that.
Ander loves painting, and their worries and struggle with worrying about being not Mexican enough or too Mexican with their art is such a reality for so many Mexican American artists. The way their adviser was so racist and all his microaggression to Ander UGH! It made me so mad, and brought me back to my college experience.
I absolutely fell in love with this book. It is one of my new top reads of 2023, and I have found a new favorite author in Jonny Garza Villa. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS, READ IT! Now I'm going to go request Villa's entire collection from the library.
The cover for this is phenomenal. I don't often see that style of font on book covers, but it works so perfectly here. There is so much great depth and lighting in the illustration, it conveys such love and yearning. Often when I see book covers depicting BIPOC characters, especially those of a darker complexion, usually they look like a smudge because the artist doesn't understand how to draw them. I am so glad this isn't the case here. (Also obsessed with Santi's cactus crown!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Deportation, and Xenophobia
Minor: Homophobia and Death of parent
Zhara by S. Jae-Jones
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
2.5 stars
I love fantasy, especially mythology, so I was so excited to read this, but the execution made me regret reading it.
An overall boring read, it lacked the type of writing that made you want to stay up all night. I don't know exactly what it is about this story or the style that makes it so hard to stay engaged with, but I largely attribute my dislike to the writing. The dialogue was very cheesy at times, and there is a lot of telling rather then showing that occurs in this book. The characters were hard to like, and the disability rep is quite frankly terrible. Suzhan was infantilized numerous times, and it feels like the author has no idea what it is actually like to live as a blind person. She is treated more as an invalid then an actual person. It reads more of an after thought then something that was put genuine time and research into.
The characters just feel so...I can't even put into words what is so wrong with them. They are fleshed out, and have different characteristics, they just feel dull. A book about fantasy and magic should never feel dull.
I did enjoy the world-building and all the magic, that was very fun to read.
It becomes very obvious within the first few chapters what is going to happen. While that is not unusual for books, instead of being excited by the journey from point a to point b, it lacked substance.
There is a lot of queer rep, in that the characters that are queer seem to flirt with everything that moves.
It has taken me an inordinate amount of time to slog through this book. I received it as an ARC through Netgalley, and heavily considered dnf-ing it several times.
I personally would not recommend this, nor I will I be reading the next book in the series. At this time I don't think the authors' writing style is for me either.
This is a winning cover, it is absolutely gorgeous, and a lot of people will definitely buy this for how pretty it looks. The composition and design work seamlessly, and I love the font used.
Thank you netgalley for this ARC
I love fantasy, especially mythology, so I was so excited to read this, but the execution made me regret reading it.
An overall boring read, it lacked the type of writing that made you want to stay up all night. I don't know exactly what it is about this story or the style that makes it so hard to stay engaged with, but I largely attribute my dislike to the writing. The dialogue was very cheesy at times, and there is a lot of telling rather then showing that occurs in this book. The characters were hard to like, and the disability rep is quite frankly terrible. Suzhan was infantilized numerous times, and it feels like the author has no idea what it is actually like to live as a blind person. She is treated more as an invalid then an actual person. It reads more of an after thought then something that was put genuine time and research into.
The characters just feel so...I can't even put into words what is so wrong with them. They are fleshed out, and have different characteristics, they just feel dull. A book about fantasy and magic should never feel dull.
I did enjoy the world-building and all the magic, that was very fun to read.
It becomes very obvious within the first few chapters what is going to happen. While that is not unusual for books, instead of being excited by the journey from point a to point b, it lacked substance.
There is a lot of queer rep, in that the characters that are queer seem to flirt with everything that moves.
It has taken me an inordinate amount of time to slog through this book. I received it as an ARC through Netgalley, and heavily considered dnf-ing it several times.
I personally would not recommend this, nor I will I be reading the next book in the series. At this time I don't think the authors' writing style is for me either.
This is a winning cover, it is absolutely gorgeous, and a lot of people will definitely buy this for how pretty it looks. The composition and design work seamlessly, and I love the font used.
Thank you netgalley for this ARC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Body horror
Minor: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Death of parent
The Meadows by Stephanie Oakes
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars Thank you Penguin for this ARC
Powerful, emotional, and quite frankly traumatizing, The Meadows is a queer dystopian novel I won't soon forget.
Eleanor has dreamed of being chosen for a speciality school her whole life, only the best of the best get accepted. What she finds at the school is the opposite of what she expected, and soon it's clear why every girl was chosen to attend.
The book is comprised mostly of flashbacks to Eleanor's time at the school, with moments from the present interspersed throughout. It's odd to say I found a book symbolizing conversion therapy, and having a lot of parallels with the The Handmaid's Tale so enjoyable, but I did. Oakes has a way of making you feel as suffocated and isolated as the characters, and at times I felt I was losing myself as much as Eleanor was. I think it's clear to see from just how much I wrote on this book, how much it made me think and has stuck in my brain.
I am so thankful the inclusion and discussion of racism was brought up. You really can't have a perfect uniform society, without people who don't match the ideal having to change themselves constantly. Sheila and her battle to retain her sense of self is symbolized by her hair, and her fight and the eventual events just killed me to read. The matrons are masters of quiet and insidious abuse. No raised hands, no torture, just a long and slow process where they slowly break and domesticate everyone's spirits. I'd almost classify this is a horror with how true to life it is, and how utterly terrifying it is to watch a slow torture. Because a the end of the day, that's what it was. Torture and abuse. Not the kind you think of when you read those words, the bruises left aren't noticeable. But the effects never go away, and we see Eleanor struggle with everything she went through years later. (As well as the other students) What's worse is that it is constantly framed as being a "choice". It's so ironic that a book where the society got rid of religion would so heavily still read like religious trauma. I am not nuanced enough to know why I feel that way, but I am sure someone smarter than me could figure out why I made those parallels. (It is basically a cult guys, join and conform, or die and be cast out, though they make it seem like a choice)
This quote gutted me when I read it, and I just can't stop thinking about it.
"Maybe for the ones who get good at pretending, it won't come out for years and years...Or they'll, quite without warning, walk into the ocean until their life disappears. And everyone will be stunned. And everyone will blink in perplexed anger. She was so happy. Always so happy." *
I feel the common response to someone who commits or attempts to commit suicide is always one of "but they seemed so happy, but they were always smiling, we had no idea!" When in reality if anyone had ever taken the time to know the person or look for more then two seconds past the surface, they would see the cracks and the sadness, and the pain. There is so much symbolism to found, particularly centering around homophobia, and how that makes us hate each other and ourselves. At the end of the day, all anyone ever wants is to be accepted, loved, and to be able to be themselves. (Poor Eleanor takes so long to get any of these!)
I really love this book (but Avery, why didn't you give it 5 stars?!), but for me I did have a few issues with the ending, and how the tone changed. I'm always happy to see a book end on hope, and not retain that overwhelming sense of hopelessness sadness that comes with topics like these. For this one, I do find it almost too abrupt of a departure from the rest of the story. Everyone gets a happy ending (except Betty) and all end up saved, or finding their way through one of the doors. It almost felt like it was lacking the emotional impact, or the characters had too heavy of plot armor. I do think June should have been killed, or died from her wounds. At the very least I wish we had seen more characters face the brutal consequences that everyone is constantly afraid of. We even get told about prisons that torture subservients, yet never glimpse that. Every single character mentioned basically gets a happy ending. (Except Betty) It feels like once the end happened it was just a domino effect of "everything is going to be okay now!" In keeping with the tone of the book, I do think it would have had a greater emotional impact had it been more sad, yet still retained the note of hope for the majority of characters. It's odd that all of the book is stuck in my mind because I love it, but the ending I don't even dwell on because it isn't of consequence.
With the technology, there are a few pieces that I am a bit confused on still, or didn't quite understand. Everyone is being watched and lives in fear, yet Eleanor has ample time to escape. She is literally able to walk around her hometown and just hang out for a few days. I know they mention the peacekeeper have left the area, but it doesn't make sense for how she was able to be so subservient when she was in the city still. If the algorithm is able to detect and know when the people are queer or not, wouldn't it be able to pick up on her erratic behavior? She literally asks the matches to see pseudo Rose, which considering her backstory and file should have been a red flag immediately, and had security on her. There are men who constantly watched everything the students did at The Meadows, they would have known about her and Rose. If anything with the heart racing and eye contact, they would have realized Eleanor still had feelings for her. Technology in this book seemed to be used to explain a lot when convenient, then left us with plot holes for how much it was used to gloss everything over. I will say the argument can be made that society itself was responsible for much of the imposed rules and punishment, and the big bad guys in charge really were just symbolism for how we view each other and that internalized homophobia.
Touching on that, I do wish we got to see more of who was actually in charge, and responsible for all of the ongoing cruelty. (Again I understand how it could have just been less people then thought, and just a few loud voices which the public picked up, and the reality became society was punishing itself and there was no "big bad") Other then the obvious context clues of them being white men, I kinda wanted to know more. ALSO JUSTICE FOR THE POOR FROG! The symbolism there was excellent, though I sobbed like a baby.
I HIGHLY recommend this book, just please be kind to yourself and look at the content warnings first. (Always available on storygraph guys, don't forget!) This is my first book to read of Stephanie Oakes, and I must say I am hooked. I can't wait to read her others!
The cover is incredibly powerful, symbolic, and suits the book perfectly. On so many levels Eleanor didn't want to see her face, because she couldn't face herself and accept who she is. To see the painting that Rose did, albeit smeared, shows so much symbolism and conveys so much. I am always happy to see a book that does not try to sugar coat its contents, or pretend that the inside contains a happy rainbow sparkle world, when really it is covering depressing and traumatizing material. I would buy this book for the cover, and the content!
*Quote comes from an ARC of the book, and not the finished publication
Powerful, emotional, and quite frankly traumatizing, The Meadows is a queer dystopian novel I won't soon forget.
Eleanor has dreamed of being chosen for a speciality school her whole life, only the best of the best get accepted. What she finds at the school is the opposite of what she expected, and soon it's clear why every girl was chosen to attend.
The book is comprised mostly of flashbacks to Eleanor's time at the school, with moments from the present interspersed throughout. It's odd to say I found a book symbolizing conversion therapy, and having a lot of parallels with the The Handmaid's Tale so enjoyable, but I did. Oakes has a way of making you feel as suffocated and isolated as the characters, and at times I felt I was losing myself as much as Eleanor was. I think it's clear to see from just how much I wrote on this book, how much it made me think and has stuck in my brain.
I am so thankful the inclusion and discussion of racism was brought up. You really can't have a perfect uniform society, without people who don't match the ideal having to change themselves constantly. Sheila and her battle to retain her sense of self is symbolized by her hair, and her fight and the eventual events just killed me to read. The matrons are masters of quiet and insidious abuse. No raised hands, no torture, just a long and slow process where they slowly break and domesticate everyone's spirits. I'd almost classify this is a horror with how true to life it is, and how utterly terrifying it is to watch a slow torture. Because a the end of the day, that's what it was. Torture and abuse. Not the kind you think of when you read those words, the bruises left aren't noticeable. But the effects never go away, and we see Eleanor struggle with everything she went through years later. (As well as the other students) What's worse is that it is constantly framed as being a "choice". It's so ironic that a book where the society got rid of religion would so heavily still read like religious trauma. I am not nuanced enough to know why I feel that way, but I am sure someone smarter than me could figure out why I made those parallels. (It is basically a cult guys, join and conform, or die and be cast out, though they make it seem like a choice)
This quote gutted me when I read it, and I just can't stop thinking about it.
"Maybe for the ones who get good at pretending, it won't come out for years and years...Or they'll, quite without warning, walk into the ocean until their life disappears. And everyone will be stunned. And everyone will blink in perplexed anger. She was so happy. Always so happy." *
I feel the common response to someone who commits or attempts to commit suicide is always one of "but they seemed so happy, but they were always smiling, we had no idea!" When in reality if anyone had ever taken the time to know the person or look for more then two seconds past the surface, they would see the cracks and the sadness, and the pain. There is so much symbolism to found, particularly centering around homophobia, and how that makes us hate each other and ourselves. At the end of the day, all anyone ever wants is to be accepted, loved, and to be able to be themselves. (Poor Eleanor takes so long to get any of these!)
I really love this book (but Avery, why didn't you give it 5 stars?!), but for me I did have a few issues with the ending, and how the tone changed.
With the technology, there are a few pieces that I am a bit confused on still, or didn't quite understand.
Touching on that, I do wish we got to see more of who was actually in charge, and responsible for all of the ongoing cruelty. (Again I understand how it could have just been less people then thought, and just a few loud voices which the public picked up, and the reality became society was punishing itself and there was no "big bad") Other then the obvious context clues of them being white men, I kinda wanted to know more. ALSO JUSTICE FOR THE POOR FROG! The symbolism there was excellent, though I sobbed like a baby.
I HIGHLY recommend this book, just please be kind to yourself and look at the content warnings first. (Always available on storygraph guys, don't forget!) This is my first book to read of Stephanie Oakes, and I must say I am hooked. I can't wait to read her others!
The cover is incredibly powerful, symbolic, and suits the book perfectly. On so many levels Eleanor didn't want to see her face, because she couldn't face herself and accept who she is. To see the painting that Rose did, albeit smeared, shows so much symbolism and conveys so much. I am always happy to see a book that does not try to sugar coat its contents, or pretend that the inside contains a happy rainbow sparkle world, when really it is covering depressing and traumatizing material. I would buy this book for the cover, and the content!
*Quote comes from an ARC of the book, and not the finished publication
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Outing, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, Animal death, Bullying, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm, Domestic abuse, and Dysphoria
Minor: Death of parent, Death, Suicide, Torture, Pregnancy, and Murder
Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Incredibly disappointing, the only reason I pushed myself to finish this is because I kept hoping the writing of the beginning would come back. I was wrong.
The beginning sucked me in and I was absolutely in love with the story. Sadly it went downhill immediately. The plot was completely lost after the timeskip. The story changed numerous times, and at no point made any coherent sense or followed any sort of structure. I had absolutely no idea what any of the point was.
By the end Dèmi has become so ridiculously overpowered, and so many twists and reveals happen firmly establishing her a mary sue type character. So many plot events happen to the end that just make no sense and felt more and more outlandish as they occurred. Dèmi gets everything a main character could possibly want: adopted by forest spirits, fights the King, somehow avoids instant death because she's special, can use all the magic LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON HERE! Of course the reveal about her Father was just another moment in the long line of ridiculousness. The plot armor was plot armoring.
Seperate but a huge ick of mine, this happens towards the end by the time I had given up on liking the book.We need to discuss why BIPOC authors love writing love triangles that have the BIPOC fmc ending up with the white guy. Why does this always happen! Especially because they always have to be the son or nephew of some super racist guy. It's just, UGH. The chemistry Dèmi has with Collin and Jonas was fine? I rarely see a book do love triangles well, and this is no different. It's difficult to keep a serious tone when the fmc is waffling between two guys who really aren't that different or special.
All in all it felt like the book had no idea what it was supposed to be about. I liked the setting, the magic, and the different creatures, but everything in terms of plot made little to no sense. I did also enjoy the parallels with colonialism, and all of the food depictions. I did get quite hungry reading this.
I am not going to read the next book, and I don't know if I would read anything by Ehigbor Okosun anytime soon. Maybe further down the line with her next series.
I would personally NOT recommend this book.
Love the cover, the cover is so amazing. The book will likely do pretty well because it is a gorgeous piece of art, the perfect blend between composition and design. People will definitely pick this book up because of it, and truly it is likely the books saving grace.
The beginning sucked me in and I was absolutely in love with the story. Sadly it went downhill immediately. The plot was completely lost after the timeskip. The story changed numerous times, and at no point made any coherent sense or followed any sort of structure. I had absolutely no idea what any of the point was.
By the end Dèmi has become so ridiculously overpowered, and so many twists and reveals happen firmly establishing her a mary sue type character. So many plot events happen to the end that just make no sense and felt more and more outlandish as they occurred. Dèmi gets everything a main character could possibly want:
Seperate but a huge ick of mine, this happens towards the end by the time I had given up on liking the book.We need to discuss why BIPOC authors love writing love triangles that have the BIPOC fmc ending up with the
All in all it felt like the book had no idea what it was supposed to be about. I liked the setting, the magic, and the different creatures, but everything in terms of plot made little to no sense. I did also enjoy the parallels with colonialism, and all of the food depictions. I did get quite hungry reading this.
I am not going to read the next book, and I don't know if I would read anything by Ehigbor Okosun anytime soon. Maybe further down the line with her next series.
I would personally NOT recommend this book.
Love the cover, the cover is so amazing. The book will likely do pretty well because it is a gorgeous piece of art, the perfect blend between composition and design. People will definitely pick this book up because of it, and truly it is likely the books saving grace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Racial slurs, Colonisation, and Blood
Minor: Rape, War, and Sexual assault