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kait_sixcrowsbooks's reviews
194 reviews
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Someone get this man an editor…jfc
Unscrewed: Women, Sex, Power, and How to Stop Letting the System Screw Us All by Jaclyn Friedman
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
So here’s the thing: I originally read this book back in undergrad for a class called Reading and Resisting Sexual Violence. It was a fascinating class, and I learned a lot, both from my two instructors and my peers. I genuinely enjoyed it. I read most of the chapters of Unscrewed for the class so a good majority of the book was something that I already read. However, it was really interesting to read back through my annotations from five years ago, some quips that I don’t really understand the context anymore. But I also truly enjoyed the chapters that I read for the first time. It was all super informative, and it made me feel like I was back in my GWS program again, of which I felt a bit nostalgic about.
However, do I think Friedman set out for what the blurb/summary described on the inside flap? I’m not sure. There was a lot of talk about fauxpowerment as a concept on the flap, but I think only one or two chapters dedicated themselves to it. There were quite a few organizations and women forefronting those organizations that were described, which I thought were really cool. But there only seemed to be a few pages dedicated to what “regular” people can do when they can’t shift their lives towards one of full-time activism. Overall, while it was still an interesting book and I enjoyed myself walking through memory lane, I thought Unscrewed’s argument was simply okay — not too bad, but certainly not the best.
However, do I think Friedman set out for what the blurb/summary described on the inside flap? I’m not sure. There was a lot of talk about fauxpowerment as a concept on the flap, but I think only one or two chapters dedicated themselves to it. There were quite a few organizations and women forefronting those organizations that were described, which I thought were really cool. But there only seemed to be a few pages dedicated to what “regular” people can do when they can’t shift their lives towards one of full-time activism. Overall, while it was still an interesting book and I enjoyed myself walking through memory lane, I thought Unscrewed’s argument was simply okay — not too bad, but certainly not the best.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My first Emily Henry book, and it was wonderful! I enjoyed the balance between the serious aspects of both Gus and January’s lives and their progressing relationship. The side characters were interesting, though I wished we saw a bit more of Sonia on-page. I felt like she was there for like 2 scenes and that’s it. But otherwise, the story was fun, and I’ll definitely be checking out Henry’s other books!
Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.5
Ahhh, this was so so good! What a wonderful book, honestly. It was a friend rec for that 12 friend recs in 12 months meme thing that was going around booktwt in the beginning of the year, and I’m so glad Kaz recc’d it to me!
Ace of Shades is the first book in a YA fantasy series that follows good-girl Enne trying to find her adoptive mother Lourdes and gang lord Levi who’s trying to get out from underneath an immense debt. I know one of the comps is Six of Crows and while I don’t really agree wholeheartedly, I do think that there’s a similar vibe, especially in the later half of the book.
Overall, I quite enjoyed the book — the characters were engaging, and I thought the plot was interesting. While I was a bit lost re: the worldbuilding and the different families and such, it wasn’t enough that I was completely confused on what was going on. I think it’s one of those things you pick up more as you go throughout the series. The beginning was a tad slow, but I think the story starts to really take hold and shine once you get past the first hundred pages. And even the first part of the book isn’t necessarily bad — I was enjoying the deep dive as Enne explored New Reynes trying to look for Lourdes. It just took a while to fully grip me is all.
But yeah, I really can’t wait to see what’s next for this crew of characters; I can tell it’s gonna be something big.
Ace of Shades is the first book in a YA fantasy series that follows good-girl Enne trying to find her adoptive mother Lourdes and gang lord Levi who’s trying to get out from underneath an immense debt. I know one of the comps is Six of Crows and while I don’t really agree wholeheartedly, I do think that there’s a similar vibe, especially in the later half of the book.
Overall, I quite enjoyed the book — the characters were engaging, and I thought the plot was interesting. While I was a bit lost re: the worldbuilding and the different families and such, it wasn’t enough that I was completely confused on what was going on. I think it’s one of those things you pick up more as you go throughout the series. The beginning was a tad slow, but I think the story starts to really take hold and shine once you get past the first hundred pages. And even the first part of the book isn’t necessarily bad — I was enjoying the deep dive as Enne explored New Reynes trying to look for Lourdes. It just took a while to fully grip me is all.
But yeah, I really can’t wait to see what’s next for this crew of characters; I can tell it’s gonna be something big.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death
Minor: Pedophilia, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
By Your Side by Margherita Scialla
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Y’all, this short story has my HEART, oh my goodness. I’m so glad I requested an ARC from the author because this was so cute.
By Your Side by Margherita Scialla is a short story about Emma, a bi allo college student who recently caught her boyfriend cheating and broke up with him. She lives with her life-long friend Dawson and their friend they both met in college, Noah, who is aromantic. Emma spends the story working through her feelings not only towards Noah, but also about her prior relationships in general.
I thought this story was simply lovely. The short story format, while not something I’m entirely familiar with as they aren’t something I look out for on a regular basis, really helped the narrative in my opinion. I feel like if it was anymore drawn out, it wouldn’t be as poignant. In a way — and I mean this in the best way possible — it feels as if it were written like a fanfic would be. There seems to be an assumption that, at the very least, we know and care about who these characters are so while we are given a bit of background on how they meet, the story isn’t bogged down.
The writing itself was quick to read and easy. If I didn’t start it so late in the afternoon, I definitely would have finished this in one sitting because I loved how the story just seemed to flow. The focus was mainly on Emma as she processed through her break-up, her previous relationships, and (most of all) her relationships with both Dawson and Noah and how they differed from each other. I loved this deep-dive we see, and honestly I wish we saw more of it. I really think this could have made a wonderful novella, something that would have allowed for more depth. Not to say that I thought this story was shallow in any way, but I did feel that there were parts I wish we could have seen more of, such as the aspect of being in a queer-platonic relationship with an aro person as you’re allo. But also, who am I kidding, I also truly enjoyed the characters and wish I could’ve seen more of them, if only for my own benefit, lol.
Seriously, though, By Your Side is a wonderful little story, and I hope it can warm others’ hearts as it did mine.
Y’all, this short story has my HEART, oh my goodness. I’m so glad I requested an ARC from the author because this was so cute.
By Your Side by Margherita Scialla is a short story about Emma, a bi allo college student who recently caught her boyfriend cheating and broke up with him. She lives with her life-long friend Dawson and their friend they both met in college, Noah, who is aromantic. Emma spends the story working through her feelings not only towards Noah, but also about her prior relationships in general.
I thought this story was simply lovely. The short story format, while not something I’m entirely familiar with as they aren’t something I look out for on a regular basis, really helped the narrative in my opinion. I feel like if it was anymore drawn out, it wouldn’t be as poignant. In a way — and I mean this in the best way possible — it feels as if it were written like a fanfic would be. There seems to be an assumption that, at the very least, we know and care about who these characters are so while we are given a bit of background on how they meet, the story isn’t bogged down.
The writing itself was quick to read and easy. If I didn’t start it so late in the afternoon, I definitely would have finished this in one sitting because I loved how the story just seemed to flow. The focus was mainly on Emma as she processed through her break-up, her previous relationships, and (most of all) her relationships with both Dawson and Noah and how they differed from each other. I loved this deep-dive we see, and honestly I wish we saw more of it. I really think this could have made a wonderful novella, something that would have allowed for more depth. Not to say that I thought this story was shallow in any way, but I did feel that there were parts I wish we could have seen more of, such as the aspect of being in a queer-platonic relationship with an aro person as you’re allo. But also, who am I kidding, I also truly enjoyed the characters and wish I could’ve seen more of them, if only for my own benefit, lol.
Seriously, though, By Your Side is a wonderful little story, and I hope it can warm others’ hearts as it did mine.
Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Y’all. Oh my god. What a phenomenal book.
Putting aside Yalom’s fatphobia and misogyny (because yeesh, there was lots of it, and I hope he did work through that on his own time like he mentioned), this book really spoke to me. His analysis of his clients, especially when it pertained to more existential ideas such as death anxiety, was truly enlightening. I thought a lot about how certain bits and pieces from each case pertained to me and what that means for me.
An instructor recommended this book to my class a while ago, and I’m glad he did. It made me think a lot.
Putting aside Yalom’s fatphobia and misogyny (because yeesh, there was lots of it, and I hope he did work through that on his own time like he mentioned), this book really spoke to me. His analysis of his clients, especially when it pertained to more existential ideas such as death anxiety, was truly enlightening. I thought a lot about how certain bits and pieces from each case pertained to me and what that means for me.
An instructor recommended this book to my class a while ago, and I’m glad he did. It made me think a lot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Rape
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
Wrote a review for the physical copy 👍🏻
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
So, so, so much information on trauma, its relationship with mind and body, and treatment for it. As a counselor-in-training, I found it to be incredibly helpful in how I conceptualize trauma with future clients.
I will take a moment to point out, though, that the ways in which the author/researcher can discuss clients and their trauma can seem a bit...brusque, in a way. Perhaps triggering, depending on the person, which is why I probably wouldn’t recommend it as a general self-help book.
I especially appreciated the chapter on EMDR — for the longest time, I couldn’t get a good enough grasp on what it was and how it worked, but this book was a great resource for that. Overall, I thought the book to be a good resource for my professional development in general.
I will take a moment to point out, though, that the ways in which the author/researcher can discuss clients and their trauma can seem a bit...brusque, in a way. Perhaps triggering, depending on the person, which is why I probably wouldn’t recommend it as a general self-help book.
I especially appreciated the chapter on EMDR — for the longest time, I couldn’t get a good enough grasp on what it was and how it worked, but this book was a great resource for that. Overall, I thought the book to be a good resource for my professional development in general.
The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
What a cute book, I really liked it! The Forgotten Girl follows best friends Iris and Daniel, two Black students who live in a North Carolina town. They are given a class project where they have to research something related to their town, and they decide to do it on local segregated cemeteries after they discover a forgotten gravesite while playing out in the snow one night. The project starts to take an eerie turn when Iris starts having dreams about a girl who was buried in one of those forgotten graves, as well as a personal one since she feels that she’s being forgotten, both by her school and by her parents.
Overall, I thought it was a fun reading experience. It was a quick read for me (someone who is most definitely not the intended age group), one that if I actually read consistently I would have had done in a day or two of starting it. I liked all the characters — I thought Iris and Daniel were both strong protagonists, and the side characters (particularly their families) had some depth to them, too. I particularly liked Vashti (Iris’ younger sister) and Suga (Daniel’s grandmother).
The themes themselves were pretty interesting, too, and I think they were interwoven with the story well for the intended audience. I liked the exploration of Iris’ feelings of being forgotten, both with her school/step team and within her own family as her parents seem to pay more attention to her little sister than to her. Daniel’s progression throughout the story was also nice to watch, too, as the reader explores his feelings towards his father’s death.
Though, there were a few things that had me going “...huh?”. They mostly surrounded Daniel and his development throughout the story. His conundrum at the end, during what I think was supposed to be the climax (but didn’t really feel like it?), seemed pretty abrupt to me. I won’t give anything away, but it’s like he changed his mind within a few paragraphs for something that...doesn’t really make sense for him to change within such a short amount of time. Also to do with him: what happened to his relationship with basketball at the end? Throughout the story, the reader is reminded multiple times that he used to love basketball, that his friends were trying to get him back into it after his father passed away. Maybe I missed it, but it didn’t seem like it was wrapped up all that well, considering his development near the end of the book.
However, I still thought the story itself was a good one, and I particularly enjoyed learning about segregated cemeteries — I’m sure there are a lot of kids who read this that will either connect with one of the themes that the main characters struggle with, or will at least learn a thing or two about segregation outside of what they may normally be taught in school.
Overall, I thought it was a fun reading experience. It was a quick read for me (someone who is most definitely not the intended age group), one that if I actually read consistently I would have had done in a day or two of starting it. I liked all the characters — I thought Iris and Daniel were both strong protagonists, and the side characters (particularly their families) had some depth to them, too. I particularly liked Vashti (Iris’ younger sister) and Suga (Daniel’s grandmother).
The themes themselves were pretty interesting, too, and I think they were interwoven with the story well for the intended audience. I liked the exploration of Iris’ feelings of being forgotten, both with her school/step team and within her own family as her parents seem to pay more attention to her little sister than to her. Daniel’s progression throughout the story was also nice to watch, too, as the reader explores his feelings towards his father’s death.
Though, there were a few things that had me going “...huh?”. They mostly surrounded Daniel and his development throughout the story. His conundrum at the end, during what I think was supposed to be the climax (but didn’t really feel like it?), seemed pretty abrupt to me. I won’t give anything away, but it’s like he changed his mind within a few paragraphs for something that...doesn’t really make sense for him to change within such a short amount of time. Also to do with him: what happened to his relationship with basketball at the end? Throughout the story, the reader is reminded multiple times that he used to love basketball, that his friends were trying to get him back into it after his father passed away. Maybe I missed it, but it didn’t seem like it was wrapped up all that well, considering his development near the end of the book.
However, I still thought the story itself was a good one, and I particularly enjoyed learning about segregated cemeteries — I’m sure there are a lot of kids who read this that will either connect with one of the themes that the main characters struggle with, or will at least learn a thing or two about segregation outside of what they may normally be taught in school.
Jade City by Fonda Lee
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
All I have to say is “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”. What a good fucking book, y’all.