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katherinenzr's reviews
450 reviews
Norma Jeane Baker of Troy by Anne Carson
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
The short blurb is: With Juniper & Thorn Ava Reid has cut out the raw heart of a fairytale and served it up to her reader on a platter. And what a meal it is. We’ve returned again to the world of Wolf and the Woodsman, which is so heavily steeped in folklore it practically drips with it. Marlinchen is the youngest of three sisters, a witch, and the daughter of a wizard with terrible curses, so she has always been tangled in fairytales. With her first taste of freedom all that begins to unravel, and leaves us with a story you won’t be able to put down.
The long blurb is: Ava Reid is able to capture childhood trauma and the effects that has on adults in ways that I have never seen another author do. I've read a lot of the negative reviews for this book, and everything people are complaining about is stuff that is done deliberately and with care in order to accurately depict what adults who experienced CSA and childhood abuse are often like. That being said, this is also a story about healing and survival, and it hits so incredibly hard. As someone who grew up in an abusive household, this book made me feel incredibly seen. That being said, it is also a horror book (which is what it's classified and marketed as!) It is not supposed to be a romance, it just happens to have a love interest. The story itself is not about that, and if you go in expecting it you will be disappointed! There are content warnings on this book for a reason! If you go in looking for a beautiful and honest depiction of trauma and survivorship, beautiful worldbuilding, and a character that's incredibly real and deeply human you are going to be blown away.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
The short blurb is: With Juniper & Thorn Ava Reid has cut out the raw heart of a fairytale and served it up to her reader on a platter. And what a meal it is. We’ve returned again to the world of Wolf and the Woodsman, which is so heavily steeped in folklore it practically drips with it. Marlinchen is the youngest of three sisters, a witch, and the daughter of a wizard with terrible curses, so she has always been tangled in fairytales. With her first taste of freedom all that begins to unravel, and leaves us with a story you won’t be able to put down.
The long blurb is: Ava Reid is able to capture childhood trauma and the effects that has on adults in ways that I have never seen another author do. I've read a lot of the negative reviews for this book, and everything people are complaining about is stuff that is done deliberately and with care in order to accurately depict what adults who experienced CSA and childhood abuse are often like. That being said, this is also a story about healing and survival, and it hits so incredibly hard. As someone who grew up in an abusive household, this book made me feel incredibly seen. That being said, it is also a horror book (which is what it's classified and marketed as!) It is not supposed to be a romance, it just happens to have a love interest. The story itself is not about that, and if you go in expecting it you will be disappointed! There are content warnings on this book for a reason! If you go in looking for a beautiful and honest depiction of trauma and survivorship, beautiful worldbuilding, and a character that's incredibly real and deeply human you are going to be blown away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Confinement, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Misogyny, Death, Gore, and Sexual assault
All of the things I tagged as content warnings are deliberately and compassionately done in the story, not an accident of the authors writing. This is a horror book. It's supposed to be horrifying.
The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Guet Imm, a young priestess, who may or may not have magical powers, joins up with a group of bandits and causes Problems on Purpose. This book is monstrously fun, incredibly sweet, and delightfully complex. You won’t want to miss out on this adventure.
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? No
4.5
I keep trying to write a review for this book and accidentally coming up with an essay. This is Sleeping Beauty as you’ve never seen it before --which is to say, it’s Sleeping Beauty from the point of view of Sleeping Beauty herself, determined to have a say in her own story. Zinnia Gray is slowly dying, and when she pricks her finger on a spinning wheel at midnight on her 21st birthday (as a joke) she wakes up in the perfect fairytale, where she knows she can change the ending. Viciously funny and beautifully heart-breaking, I’d take an anthology of every version of this story Alix E Harrow had to give.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Confinement
Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
mysterious
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
I’ve never read anything by Silvia Moreno-Garcia I didn’t absolutely love, so it’s no surprise I feel head over heels into this gritty, messy, wonderful story. While the plot itself is electrifying and action packed, the characters are complex and messy and real in a way that left me thinking about them for hours after I finished the book. Start this at your own risk --you won’t be able to put it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gun violence
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Emotional abuse
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
How Nghi Vo managed to capture a story of such epic proportions in just 118 pages is truly unfathomable to me. Chih, a cleric of The Singing Hills, and their companion, travels to the home that the now dead Empress lived in while she was in exile. Their job is to record all of human history, so when they meet Rabbit, the old woman, once the Empress’ handmaiden, they listen eagerly to her stories, cataloging each one with perfect care. This book is part riddle and part story, filled with intrigue, resistance, and revenge. Somehow it fits thousands of pages of history in just a tiny novella.
The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente, Ana Juan
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Outlawed by Anna North
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Outlawed is a fast-pace alternative western perfect for fans of Upright Women Wanted. Set in a world where sickness ravaged the United States in the late 1700’s, killing much of the population and making reproduction almost sacred, Ada flees from her hometown, to a convent, and eventually to the Hole in the Wall gang after being accused of witchcraft for her barrenness. I do wish this book had spent a little more time on character development, as it felt like I never really got to know any of the characters, and so I wasn’t worried for their safety or upset when they got hurt. <spoilers> It also frustrated me that not a single thing went right in the whole book --sure, show me that she’s not a perfect outlaw from the beginning or have a heist go wrong for dramatic effect, but you have to give me at least an interlude of things being good in order for me to care! </spoilers>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Misogyny, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Racism, and Self harm
Minor: Miscarriage and Rape