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k80mae's reviews
63 reviews
Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"It's easy to think there's monsters in the woods when the woods are more than happy to let you die. But I don't believe in none of that, or ghosts, or God, because if I ain't got proof, I ain't budging. [...] But Saint Abernathy's dead, and I've been seeing him for weeks."
This book feels so much like a love letter that I almost feel like giving it a review does it a disservice. As someone who has family from West Virginia, who has relatives that were involved in the coal industry there, this book hits so very, very close to home. Reading of Miles' love for his home and his family despite everything made me wish I knew more about my own family history in a very real and complicated way.
Of all the trans autistic teens that Andrew Joseph White has written about, I think that Miles is the one who hits the closest to home. He feels like someone standing right beside me. Someone I would have known and tried to befriend had I been born later. Every character here feels so real. I think one of AJW's greatest strengths as a write, and something that he keeps proving with each subsequent release, is that every character on the page, no matter how small, has a life and a story. It feels elevated here to a new level simply because of how perfectly he tied these characters to the setting. Every character in this book feels so well-rounded and so real in such a distinct and familiar way. I have met these people. I have stood face to face with these people. I have visited graves of these people.
Compound Fracture has cemented just how unique and creative a writer AJW can be. He is constantly surprising and endlessly unflinching in his portrayal of how the world reacts to those it considers "other." This is the kind of book that would have changed my life if I could have read it as a teenager.
Thank you so much to NetGalley & Peachtree Teen for approving this ARC.
This book feels so much like a love letter that I almost feel like giving it a review does it a disservice. As someone who has family from West Virginia, who has relatives that were involved in the coal industry there, this book hits so very, very close to home. Reading of Miles' love for his home and his family despite everything made me wish I knew more about my own family history in a very real and complicated way.
Of all the trans autistic teens that Andrew Joseph White has written about, I think that Miles is the one who hits the closest to home. He feels like someone standing right beside me. Someone I would have known and tried to befriend had I been born later. Every character here feels so real. I think one of AJW's greatest strengths as a write, and something that he keeps proving with each subsequent release, is that every character on the page, no matter how small, has a life and a story. It feels elevated here to a new level simply because of how perfectly he tied these characters to the setting. Every character in this book feels so well-rounded and so real in such a distinct and familiar way. I have met these people. I have stood face to face with these people. I have visited graves of these people.
Compound Fracture has cemented just how unique and creative a writer AJW can be. He is constantly surprising and endlessly unflinching in his portrayal of how the world reacts to those it considers "other." This is the kind of book that would have changed my life if I could have read it as a teenager.
Thank you so much to NetGalley & Peachtree Teen for approving this ARC.
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
adventurous
lighthearted
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
3.5
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
adventurous
fast-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
4.5
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"The worst part about a spirit to me - what makes my heart hurt the most - is that their body takes the form of the worst thing ever done to them. Or the worst thing they ever did. Either one, whatever left the biggest scar on their soul."
Andrew Joseph White is quickly proving himself to have one of the most unique voices in literature. I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this book through NetGalley and while it did take me a minute to make my way through it, I read the last half of the book with a ferocity that could not be contained even by my work schedule.
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is an absolute masterful blending of genres. It is simultaneously a nuanced queer narrative, a historical fantasy, and a horror novel. Each character in this novel is nuanced and has a rich and complex backstory, even if Silas (and therefore the reader) never gets to know the true depth of it. White does such a good job of making the reader genuinely want good things for Silas and the girls of Braxton's that any tragedy that befalls them hits hard even when you know it is coming.
The body horror here is not nearly as intense as in Hell Followed With Us, but it feels more rooted in Silas' characterization. Even when I wanted to look away because it was gross and made me want to squirm, it felt disingenuous to do so because it was how Silas communicated his emotions and the world around him. And even though it may not be as intense or gory as what I found in Hell Followed With Us, it is overall far more visceral. There is one scene in particular thatinvolves Silas helping another girl perform an abortion via C-section that is a completely necessary moment for his character arc and self-image, but was truly horrific to read and imagine. It is a scene that is definitely going to stick with me because I have never seen someone write something so horrific while still feeling gentle. I do not know how White managed it.
I cannot wait to purchase the physical copy of this book and be able to see how the formatting works in print, especially during the climax. I can't wait to see what White does next because this was an absolutely stellar read for me!
Andrew Joseph White is quickly proving himself to have one of the most unique voices in literature. I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this book through NetGalley and while it did take me a minute to make my way through it, I read the last half of the book with a ferocity that could not be contained even by my work schedule.
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is an absolute masterful blending of genres. It is simultaneously a nuanced queer narrative, a historical fantasy, and a horror novel. Each character in this novel is nuanced and has a rich and complex backstory, even if Silas (and therefore the reader) never gets to know the true depth of it. White does such a good job of making the reader genuinely want good things for Silas and the girls of Braxton's that any tragedy that befalls them hits hard even when you know it is coming.
The body horror here is not nearly as intense as in Hell Followed With Us, but it feels more rooted in Silas' characterization. Even when I wanted to look away because it was gross and made me want to squirm, it felt disingenuous to do so because it was how Silas communicated his emotions and the world around him. And even though it may not be as intense or gory as what I found in Hell Followed With Us, it is overall far more visceral. There is one scene in particular that
I cannot wait to purchase the physical copy of this book and be able to see how the formatting works in print, especially during the climax. I can't wait to see what White does next because this was an absolutely stellar read for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, and Classism
Wolfsong by TJ Klune
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.25
I find myself struggling to write any kind of nuanced review for this book. On the one hand, I absolutely devoured it in just a little over a day. I read the first 300 pages in one sitting. I found the characters and their voices to be absolutely compelling, even if their arcs felt circuitous and repetitious at times. Ox especially had an absolutely wonderful narrative voice and made it so easy to be immersed in his story when normally, I find the first person POV absolutely grating. Every single one of his platonic relationships were compelling and interesting and I wish had been fleshed out even more than they were. The interpersonal dynamics here were fascinating and so much fun to read.
On the other hand, I don't know if I was really sold on the romance here. Next to Ox and the rest of the cast of characters, Joe did not feel nearly as fleshed out or strong of a character. Throughout the book, he was the only character whose voice I felt did not land for me. Considering he is the main romantic interest and driving force behind Ox's actions, it made it difficult to invest myself in the romance. What I find myself most distracted by, however, is that I was completely unable to look at the world-building and plot and not think that the author had to have been inspired by fandom for a very specific television show popular in the 2010s. Nearly every world-building element felt like a detail I had already seen before, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised to have found this on AO3. I don't want to outright say that this is a negative quality because I do think that it absolutely worked for this story, but it made for a very distracting read even as I sped through it.
Overall, I'm not sure if I will personally continue with the series, but this is absolutely the kind of book that has a very particular audience who I hope is able to find it.
On the other hand, I don't know if I was really sold on the romance here. Next to Ox and the rest of the cast of characters, Joe did not feel nearly as fleshed out or strong of a character. Throughout the book, he was the only character whose voice I felt did not land for me. Considering he is the main romantic interest and driving force behind Ox's actions, it made it difficult to invest myself in the romance. What I find myself most distracted by, however, is that I was completely unable to look at the world-building and plot and not think that the author had to have been inspired by fandom for a very specific television show popular in the 2010s. Nearly every world-building element felt like a detail I had already seen before, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised to have found this on AO3. I don't want to outright say that this is a negative quality because I do think that it absolutely worked for this story, but it made for a very distracting read even as I sped through it.
Overall, I'm not sure if I will personally continue with the series, but this is absolutely the kind of book that has a very particular audience who I hope is able to find it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Gore, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Alcoholism and Bullying
Sexual assault is threatened, but the description in that threat is repeatedly vivid so the SA tag is necessary. The adult/minor relationship is a bit of a grey area, but when Ox and Joe enter a romantic relationship, Joe is still only 17.
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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? N/A
4.5