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jayb1rd's reviews
14 reviews
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-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
3.75
I liked this! To me, the romances were a bit rushed - but given that this is a romantasy, not fantasy with a side of romance, I’m okay with that. I love the magic system and lore and especially loved the obeah and their dialogue. I’m excited to see where the series goes and genuinely think this would be a great book for people newer to the fantasy genre. I jumped in the deep end with Priory of the Orange Tree and think reading something like Faebound first would have really helped me get to grips with the genre.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language by Amanda Montell
funny
informative
fast-paced
3.75
really good for what it is, i would have enjoyed it more if i was coming into the topic completely blind but alas i am a linguistics grad. i genuinely think as an Intro To Feminist Language Stuff guide this would get a 4.5 but for my personal enjoyment, points were docked for a few things but most significantly the girlbossification of margaret thatcher and a weirdly homophobic response to catcallers
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Penance by Eliza Clark
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Penance is one hell of a book. At large, it is a critique of the true crime genre, focused specifically on a crime committed by teenage girls. It is a fictional republishing of an existing book, and we’re told on page 1 that what we’re about to read is a warped and manipulated ‘truth’. What the book does so well, I think, is make you forget that, through doing the exact things that make people grip onto true crime in the first place. The reason this book gets 5 starts to me is especially rooted in Clark’s horrifically accurate depictions of young girls in shitty towns, the horrible things they can do to each other (murder aside), and the exact nature of the online world. Finding a Homestuck reference literally gut-punched me. I was waaaaaay too online as a young teenager and the accuracy of the tumblr posts made me have to take a breather a few times lmaoooo. I couldn’t put this down and I’m super excited to see what else Eliza Clark writes, with an extra special spot in my heart for her roots in the North East of England.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Torture, Bullying, and Sexual assault
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.0
I really, really enjoyed this. Deonn’s biggest strength, in my opinion, is the way she tackles the issues of grief and history that are so central to the story. These aspects were by far my favourite part of the book - but that’s not surprising. The romance was cute and, surprisingly, I don’t mind the aspect of a love triangle being set up (though I am praying this somehow ends up vaguely poly), but definitely very YA. Which makes sense and I have no criticism about, because that’s who the book is for! The way Deonn managed to keep that YA feel (falling in love in 2 weeks huh) while tackling some huge topics is an incredible feat and I’m really looking forward to reading the next book(s) in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Death of parent, Grief, and Slavery
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Rape
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5