jade_newcastle's reviews
51 reviews

Frankenstein Mary Shelly: 1831 text by Mary Shelley, Mary Shelley

dark emotional tense

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

5.0

Holy crap, this book was so good. There were so many scathing critiques of the culture Shelley lived in that haven't survived in adaption. People largely talk about Frankenstein as a story about hubris, which it definitely is, but it also has a lot to say about family dynamics, nature vs nurture, who gets viewed as pitiable vs who gets viewed as abominable, unreliable narrators... I'm already looking forward to rereading it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, and Stalking

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Death of parent, Classism, Mental illness, Child death, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Terminal illness, Misogyny, Incest, Racism, and Medical content

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

It feels like a crime to rate Tolkien anything less than 5 stars, but I really struggled with some of the pacing in this book.

Greywaren by Maggie Stiefvater

fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Addiction

Moonstruck, Vol. 1: Magic to Brew by Grace Ellis

funny lighthearted 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Racism

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Violence, Torture, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Confinement, Death, Blood, Physical abuse, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Classism, and Colonisation

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Murder, and Slavery

Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, War, and Suicide

Minor: Child abuse

Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites by Joy Demorra

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

This is my go-to comfort book right now! The romance is charming and healthy, the disability representation makes me feel seen, and the worldbuilding is intriguing. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Chronic illness, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Sexual content

Minor: Ableism, Biphobia, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Suicide, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Infertility

Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.25

I gasped out loud while reading the ending!

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous emotional slow-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking

Minor: Misogyny, Child abuse, and Slavery

Poison Kiss by Ana Mardoll

5.0

This was a great book! The characters were complex and lovable (especially the main trio) as well as being good representation of diverse races, genders, and orientations. I love the fact that the version of faeries used hearkened back to their original mythology of being evil kidnappers. I also liked that in times of conflict, everyone's strengths were used to help. No one felt superfluous. This book had some great world building. It did a good job of being a complete story while still setting up for the rest of the series.