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jurizprudence's reviews
235 reviews
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5
are monsters under your bed, or just hiding in plain sight?
such an impactful and important read about seeing past the mundane illusions that in-denial societies have set and addressing abuse in all its horrifying, oftentimes deceitful visages. i am astounded by how thought-provoking, profound, and heartbreaking this novella was, how excellent and diverse the representation of identity was written, and how for a limited number of pages, it was able to effectively unpack and discuss heavy topics without being too explicit. i absolutely loved the whimsical language and prose; i grew attached to the main characters—jam, pet, and redemption—and it's silly but i want to protect them; and i appreciated the metaphors of good/angels and bad/monsters, knowing that this could be easily read and interpeted by younger readers. i just know that i will still spend time thinking about this on the days to come—in fact, this story and its messages will certainly stay with me forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Vomit, Pedophilia, and Violence
The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Abortion
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
so beautifully-written, brutal in its honesty, and heartbreaking.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
“ . . . you can be hurt by people who look just like you. Not only can it happen, it probably will, because the world is full of hurt people who hurt people.”
so beautifully-written, brutal in its honesty, and heartbreaking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Biphobia, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Alcohol, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Minor: Racism, Classism, Bullying, Confinement, Dementia, and Pregnancy
The Deepwater Bride & Other Stories by Tamsyn Muir
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
as the title implies, this is a collection of short stories by tamsyn muir that appeared on several sff magazines and issues before, each one either a hit or a miss. i loved that the deepwater bride is emphasized, because honestly that novelet was a delight that kinda relieved my gideon and harrow withdrawal.
the house that made the sixteen loops of time:
a magical house that throws bouts of ridiculous tantrums and its very patient, 42-year old owner. and also her best friend that she has feelings with. sweet and humorous. 3.5 stars.
the magician's apprentice:
what does it mean to be a master magic-wielder? eating away the childhood/adulthood of the girl you train in order to somewhat soothe your loneliness? or grooming her into the pleasures of cannibalism-based magic, because using magic has its toll on the physical body? both. intriguing and at times unsettling. 3.75 stars.
chew
juicy fruit and a revenant's revenge tale focused on crimes committed by soldiers post-ww2, particularly on women, told by a young boy. this was sad and i know it has a deeper meaning but i'm too tired to dive on that, and also this has some kind of cannibalism. again. 4.25 stars.
the deepwater bride
what if there's a lovecraftian horror, one that reboots the cthulhu myth, about girls with abandonment issues, complicated relationship with duty and desire, and are defined by their alienation and isolation from society. and also make it sapphic. sounds familiar? could honestly work as a griddlehark au, just switch up the names and it's perfect. weird, funny, beautiful. absolute favorite. 5 stars.
union
government-issued splice-wives meant to help farmers with farming and taking care of children, except they don't act normal and everything gets messy. has sci-fi aspects and body horror, and all the while confusing. 3 stars.
the woman in the hill
a cave that lures women, and the madness that comes with it. told through a letter the mc wrote to a friend. very hmmm. 4 stars.
the house that made the sixteen loops of time:
a magical house that throws bouts of ridiculous tantrums and its very patient, 42-year old owner. and also her best friend that she has feelings with. sweet and humorous. 3.5 stars.
the magician's apprentice:
what does it mean to be a master magic-wielder? eating away the childhood/adulthood of the girl you train in order to somewhat soothe your loneliness? or grooming her into the pleasures of cannibalism-based magic, because using magic has its toll on the physical body? both. intriguing and at times unsettling. 3.75 stars.
chew
juicy fruit and a revenant's revenge tale focused on crimes committed by soldiers post-ww2, particularly on women, told by a young boy. this was sad and i know it has a deeper meaning but i'm too tired to dive on that, and also this has some kind of cannibalism. again. 4.25 stars.
the deepwater bride
what if there's a lovecraftian horror, one that reboots the cthulhu myth, about girls with abandonment issues, complicated relationship with duty and desire, and are defined by their alienation and isolation from society. and also make it sapphic. sounds familiar? could honestly work as a griddlehark au, just switch up the names and it's perfect. weird, funny, beautiful. absolute favorite. 5 stars.
union
government-issued splice-wives meant to help farmers with farming and taking care of children, except they don't act normal and everything gets messy. has sci-fi aspects and body horror, and all the while confusing. 3 stars.
the woman in the hill
a cave that lures women, and the madness that comes with it. told through a letter the mc wrote to a friend. very hmmm. 4 stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Rape, Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Sexual violence
Minor: War
The Deepwater Bride by Tamsyn Muir
set in a gloomy town where bad omens in the form of octopodes and goblin sharks start appearing in the most unexpected places, this story is about hester blake, a seer, and her search for the sacrificial bride a certain leviathan god will take among the townspeople.
for over 20+ pages this story took me in a roller coaster ride of emotions the same way gideon the ninth did. i kid you not i was crying as i was nearing the end (bc i'm having gtn ending flashbacks ugh and also i got attached to hester and rainbow) but it actually turned up fine so yay shouldn't have worried that much and wasted my tears smh
anyways, here are my favorite quotes and passages from this novelet, just because (MIGHT BE SPOILER-Y):
WHEN I TELL YOU MY TEARS STOPPED FALLING SO FAST ASFSG LOOK AT ME AND TELL ME THAT DIDN'T REMIND YOU OF CORONA AS DESCRIBED BY JUDITH "A PRINCESS, A KING" tamsyn i see u
am i a person or just a collection of the deepwater bride quotes? yeah i think that's enough to show how much i loved this story i just wish tamsyn will be pushed by some divine spirit to write more abt this world and these characters bc this isn't enough, i need a 400-page novel abt hester and rainbow my new beloveds
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
2022 so far has been a year of revelations, one of them being that i'd read and adore pretty much anything tamsyn muir wrote, writes, and will write (except the homestuck fics sorry). she has that blend of wit, humour, and beautiful writing in every piece and character she has written that is her trademark alone and i won't ever get enough of it. feels like her way of writing only appeals to a very specific audience, and that audience is me, or at least i fit in that group.
set in a gloomy town where bad omens in the form of octopodes and goblin sharks start appearing in the most unexpected places, this story is about hester blake, a seer, and her search for the sacrificial bride a certain leviathan god will take among the townspeople.
for over 20+ pages this story took me in a roller coaster ride of emotions the same way gideon the ninth did. i kid you not i was crying as i was nearing the end (bc i'm having gtn ending flashbacks ugh and also i got attached to hester and rainbow) but it actually turned up fine so yay shouldn't have worried that much and wasted my tears smh
anyways, here are my favorite quotes and passages from this novelet, just because (MIGHT BE SPOILER-Y):
“In the time of our crawling Night Lord's ascendancy, foretold by exodus of starlight into his sucking astral wounds, I turned sixteen and received Barbie's Dream Car.”
tamsyn muir and her opening lines, everyone. right off the bat i knew i'm gonna love this. i couldn't explain it but she gets my humour 😩
“For the first time I pitied this pretty girl with her bright hair and her Chucks, her long-limbed soda-coloured legs, her ingenuous smile. She would be taken to a place in the deep, dark below where lay unnamed monstrosity, where the devouring hunger lurked far beyond light and there was no Katy Perry.”
“What about those other girls?
“What, them?” Rainbow flapped a dismissive hand. “Who cares? You're the one I want to like me.”
screaming crying grinning like an idiot
“Let's go get McNuggets.”
“Miss Kipley,” I said, and my tongue did not speak the music of mortal tongues, “you are a fucking lunatic.”
“That night I thought about what I'd end up writing: the despot of the Breathless Depths took a local girl to wife, one with a bedazzled Samsung.”
“That night I thought again about what I'd have to write: the many-limbed horror who lies beneath the waves stole a local girl to wife, and she wore the world's skankiest short-shorts and laughed at my jokes.”
“First of all, you know damn well you were born in the morning — your mom made me go get her a McGriddle,” said Mar.
mcgriddle!! griddle!! gideon
“The drowned lord who dwells in dark water will claim you. The moon won't rise tonight, and you'll never update your Tumblr again.”
imagine being sixteen and hearing someone tell you that! i'd laugh and cry simultaneously
“You're a prize dumbass trying to save me from myself, Hester Blake.”
I said, “You're the only one I wanted to like me.”
<333
“I've come for my bride,” said Rainbow, the abyssal king. “Yo, Hester. Marry me.”
am i a person or just a collection of the deepwater bride quotes? yeah i think that's enough to show how much i loved this story i just wish tamsyn will be pushed by some divine spirit to write more abt this world and these characters bc this isn't enough, i need a 400-page novel abt hester and rainbow my new beloveds
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Death and Suicide
Minor: Grief and Racial slurs
Black Beth: Vengeance Be Thy Name by DaNi, Alec Worley, Blas Gallego
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
My thanks to Netgalley and Rebelion Publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest interview.
Black Beth is the story of Beth, a woman turned warrior on the hunt for vengeance for her home, people, and all those who need help fighting evil. The comic is divided into two parts: the original story by Blas Gallego, which appeared in the pages of Scream back in the 1980s, and a colored continuation of the titular's story, written and drawn by various authors and artists.
The stories were too fast-paced and action-packed to provide much characterization for both Beth and Quido, which turned me off to them. The art style was great, with the colored one being the highlight for me (Black Beth and the Devils of Al-Kadesh). Story-wise, I liked The Witch Tree the most because I believe it added a layer to Beth's character by exposing one of her flaws and vulnerable moments in the form of mourning her mother. Overall, it was a good collection that might appeal to readers who enjoy YA fantasy and graphic novels.
3.0 stars.
Black Beth is the story of Beth, a woman turned warrior on the hunt for vengeance for her home, people, and all those who need help fighting evil. The comic is divided into two parts: the original story by Blas Gallego, which appeared in the pages of Scream back in the 1980s, and a colored continuation of the titular's story, written and drawn by various authors and artists.
The stories were too fast-paced and action-packed to provide much characterization for both Beth and Quido, which turned me off to them. The art style was great, with the colored one being the highlight for me (Black Beth and the Devils of Al-Kadesh). Story-wise, I liked The Witch Tree the most because I believe it added a layer to Beth's character by exposing one of her flaws and vulnerable moments in the form of mourning her mother. Overall, it was a good collection that might appeal to readers who enjoy YA fantasy and graphic novels.
3.0 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Kidnapping and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.25
shara fcking wheeler, am i right
my first cmq and i adored it! they say don't read this if you're a queer kid that grew up in a religious environment and yeah, true, i came out sobbing from my room once i finished it
my first cmq and i adored it! they say don't read this if you're a queer kid that grew up in a religious environment and yeah, true, i came out sobbing from my room once i finished it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Religious bigotry
Minor: Racism
The Very Pulse of the Machine by Michael Swanwick
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
And now I see with eye serene
The very pulse of the machine
new fav episode of love, death + robots just dropped ✌️😗 and just like with sonnie's edge, i had to read the short story it was inspired from.
the very pulse of the machine is a survivalist adventure story about a female astronaut, martha kivelsen, stranded on the surface of the moon io. to make contact with the orbiter, she must trek to safety dragging the body of her co-pilot while using potentially mind-warping drugs to deal with her body's exhaustion, and ultimately stay sane as a voice starts reciting poetry to her.
while the episode was a psychedelic dream i felt entranced by, this short story was a delight i enjoyed from beginning to end. i loved every second of reading this. for a limited number of pages, it surprised me to feel connected with martha and to still worry for her fate, even though i already knew how it'll end. despite being a dire survivalist story, there was still an air of amusement about how martha first perceived io, its nature, and its communication with her. io's interaction with her blurs between mysterious, inscrutable, and compassionate. i liked that. i don't mind a few laughs and "awww" moments. there's something funny and scary with how our minds work under dreadful situations, which was neatly portrayed in this—that, and the fact that martha was high on meth and might or might not be hallucinating and projecting her memories of her dead expedition partner into her environment, a moon that designs itself as a machine, and martha its creator. which is interesting. lots to chew about on that one. was any of it real or was she just super high? was io really a machine or was everything about it just martha's way of coping, heightened with hallucinogenic drugs and sleep deprivation? my only gripe is that it's too short—i would've loved to read more about martha. melancholic and strangely uplifting, this is a great short story, one that builds up to a worthwhile, slightly ambiguous ending and leaves you wanting for more.
if you only had to watch one episode of love, death + robots this season, watch the very pulse of the machine. i promise it's irrevocably beautiful—the animation is like a moving moebius painting, the score and dialogue are evocative, the story is compelling, existential, and a little bit heart-wrenching at the end. i teared up. then watched it again and again. it even gives a new meaning to the phrase "spacing out", and i love it all the more for that. read this short story too, for a richer experience.
being able to consume this story through different forms was something i hold dear. it resonated with me—it felt special. it made me feel a lot—in the best possible way. i can't even begin to articulate it.
if it counts, both the episode and short story reminded me of the luminous dead (another piece of literature that i really loved) what with the concept of being/getting drugged to survive in an unstable and dangerous environment. such great examples of stories with man vs. nature/man vs. himself conflicts. that's what drew me in once i knew what exactly was happening in the episode.
The very pulse of the machine
new fav episode of love, death + robots just dropped ✌️😗 and just like with sonnie's edge, i had to read the short story it was inspired from.
the very pulse of the machine is a survivalist adventure story about a female astronaut, martha kivelsen, stranded on the surface of the moon io. to make contact with the orbiter, she must trek to safety dragging the body of her co-pilot while using potentially mind-warping drugs to deal with her body's exhaustion, and ultimately stay sane as a voice starts reciting poetry to her.
while the episode was a psychedelic dream i felt entranced by, this short story was a delight i enjoyed from beginning to end. i loved every second of reading this. for a limited number of pages, it surprised me to feel connected with martha and to still worry for her fate, even though i already knew how it'll end. despite being a dire survivalist story, there was still an air of amusement about how martha first perceived io, its nature, and its communication with her. io's interaction with her blurs between mysterious, inscrutable, and compassionate. i liked that. i don't mind a few laughs and "awww" moments. there's something funny and scary with how our minds work under dreadful situations, which was neatly portrayed in this—that, and the fact that martha was high on meth and might or might not be hallucinating and projecting her memories of her dead expedition partner into her environment, a moon that designs itself as a machine, and martha its creator. which is interesting. lots to chew about on that one. was any of it real or was she just super high? was io really a machine or was everything about it just martha's way of coping, heightened with hallucinogenic drugs and sleep deprivation? my only gripe is that it's too short—i would've loved to read more about martha. melancholic and strangely uplifting, this is a great short story, one that builds up to a worthwhile, slightly ambiguous ending and leaves you wanting for more.
if you only had to watch one episode of love, death + robots this season, watch the very pulse of the machine. i promise it's irrevocably beautiful—the animation is like a moving moebius painting, the score and dialogue are evocative, the story is compelling, existential, and a little bit heart-wrenching at the end. i teared up. then watched it again and again. it even gives a new meaning to the phrase "spacing out", and i love it all the more for that. read this short story too, for a richer experience.
being able to consume this story through different forms was something i hold dear. it resonated with me—it felt special. it made me feel a lot—in the best possible way. i can't even begin to articulate it.
if it counts, both the episode and short story reminded me of the luminous dead (another piece of literature that i really loved) what with the concept of being/getting drugged to survive in an unstable and dangerous environment. such great examples of stories with man vs. nature/man vs. himself conflicts. that's what drew me in once i knew what exactly was happening in the episode.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Drug use
The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
most bizarre and gross book i've read since the locked tomb—that says something. so much body horror that sometimes it's hard to focus on the plot. with the advertisement lines "all-women space opera" and "biopunk horror lesbians", it was promising. i should've loved it, because the concept of this book is really up my alley. however, it fell flat in the middle and i do think that i was kept in the dark for a longer time than necessary before the final reveal and/or plot twist. i also didn't really feel that much connection with the characters (i liked zan a bit, i wasn't impressed with jayd, rasida was underwhelming, the three friends zan made along the way were fun, i guess) and the world-building confused me all the while.
anyways, this is just about women being awful and doing horrible things to each other for the greater good.
anyways, this is just about women being awful and doing horrible things to each other for the greater good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Blood, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Gun violence, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, War, Genocide, and Injury/Injury detail
Sonnie's Edge by Peter F. Hamilton
dark
medium-paced
3.75
been watching love, death + robots these past few days and thought i'd read the short story my favorite episode was based from—i loved this, of course. i enjoyed sonnie's edge the episode adaptation more tho, but i appreciated that this short offered extra information about certain things, like how the affinity link works between the beastie and pilot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Rape, and Sexual violence