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kays_reading_journal's reviews
341 reviews
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
4.75
Just re read this for a book club and loved it even more than the first time! It was so fun reading more closely to come up with discussion questions. I think the ending felt a bit rushed but I absolutely loved everything else.
Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez
2.5
Listen- I probably shouldn't have picked this up. I don't love pining when there's nothing keeping them apart, I don't like sex before you kiss (its just doesnt make sense to me). But I have been yearning for Sapphic books, and I was so excited for the ace spec rep as someone on the ace spec.
Positive thoughts first: I enjoyed all the queer rep, and I enjoyed the message that it's okay to still be finding yourself after your early 20s.
Condensing my negative thoughts into a list as vague as possible as to not have spoilers:
1) I don't like the main character. She's holding grudges for things that happened ten years ago when all parties were children, despite never trying to tell the truth in the ten years since. I really struggled to hold sympathy for her. I enjoyed the LI at the start, but not after 60% iykyk.
2) too many vague facts. The synopsis says angela is a librarian, but later the book says she's waiting to move out till she can find an open librarian position. She already is one? And with her best friend? I don't understand this. Her schooling is also never really explained. She's 27 and taking online classes but we never find out why she's still in school or what she's even majoring in.
3) despite the scavenger hunt being in the synopsis and used in marketing on social media, it barely has a spot in the plot. If that's your reason for reading, don't let it be.
4) Ties in to number 1 but I didn't like how Angela seemed to be dissing on aromantic people time and time again. Krystal tells her time and time again that she can't feel love (and sure, she ends up being able to and having just been afraid) but I despise the way Angela reacts to it. How is she gonna sit here and say her cousins bullied her for not being super sexual and then sit here and say "Krystal just THINKS she cant feel romantic love but I know she can"
5) there were a lot of times during scenes where I felt that the dialougue of the characters didn't match their actions, or as if I was missing a lot of social cues.
6) ties into my first paragraph but I skipped all the sex scenes cuz having sex before you kiss just feels weird to me.
I honestly think the book just wasn't promoted well. I think marketing twisted what it was and set up an unreal expectation. One of the promo pics mentions unrequited crushes but it's never unrequited on page.
I think this would have been better promoted as a contemporary finding yourself/ mid life crisis with a subplot of romance.
Positive thoughts first: I enjoyed all the queer rep, and I enjoyed the message that it's okay to still be finding yourself after your early 20s.
Condensing my negative thoughts into a list as vague as possible as to not have spoilers:
1) I don't like the main character. She's holding grudges for things that happened ten years ago when all parties were children, despite never trying to tell the truth in the ten years since. I really struggled to hold sympathy for her. I enjoyed the LI at the start, but not after 60% iykyk.
2) too many vague facts. The synopsis says angela is a librarian, but later the book says she's waiting to move out till she can find an open librarian position. She already is one? And with her best friend? I don't understand this. Her schooling is also never really explained. She's 27 and taking online classes but we never find out why she's still in school or what she's even majoring in.
3) despite the scavenger hunt being in the synopsis and used in marketing on social media, it barely has a spot in the plot. If that's your reason for reading, don't let it be.
4) Ties in to number 1 but I didn't like how Angela seemed to be dissing on aromantic people time and time again. Krystal tells her time and time again that she can't feel love (and sure, she ends up being able to and having just been afraid) but I despise the way Angela reacts to it. How is she gonna sit here and say her cousins bullied her for not being super sexual and then sit here and say "Krystal just THINKS she cant feel romantic love but I know she can"
5) there were a lot of times during scenes where I felt that the dialougue of the characters didn't match their actions, or as if I was missing a lot of social cues.
6) ties into my first paragraph but I skipped all the sex scenes cuz having sex before you kiss just feels weird to me.
I honestly think the book just wasn't promoted well. I think marketing twisted what it was and set up an unreal expectation. One of the promo pics mentions unrequited crushes but it's never unrequited on page.
I think this would have been better promoted as a contemporary finding yourself/ mid life crisis with a subplot of romance.
Ollie In Between by Jess Callans
4.0
Explaining a few content warnings, review to come later: Self harm is listed as minor- there's an iffy scene where the thought is there. Deadnaming I listed as minor because Ollie is figuring themselves out throughout the novel. Ollie is their nickname (and later chosen name) but their full name is used often (which they hate).
To start my review: this is such an incredible book to be published right now. Queer kids will always exist and I'm so glad that there's so much queer literature for kids being published. That being said, I just personally wish this had been a bit more hopeful. There's a lot of content warnings that I noted (the book didn't offer any) and there's a lot of despair and darkness as Ollie navigates their gender identity, middle school, grief of a parent, and what is pointing to be undiagnosed autism (although the book never explicitly mentions it). While there is hope sprinkled throughout the book, there wasn't enough for me personally.
I did enjoy that the author included Ollie getting their first period. It's a time that's stressful and can be embarrassing for everyone who goes through it, so I really enjoyed seeing all their friends and family stepping in to help them feel more comfortable.
Lastly, I kind of wish their neurodivergence had been explored more. Sure, Ollie's journey figuring out their gender is the main story, but every single aspect of it is influenced by the way they see the world through a non neurotypical way. For example: constantly not thinking anyone else makes sense, copying faces and phrases as a way to fit in, not liking change, thinking other people's smiles are fake.
To start my review: this is such an incredible book to be published right now. Queer kids will always exist and I'm so glad that there's so much queer literature for kids being published. That being said, I just personally wish this had been a bit more hopeful. There's a lot of content warnings that I noted (the book didn't offer any) and there's a lot of despair and darkness as Ollie navigates their gender identity, middle school, grief of a parent, and what is pointing to be undiagnosed autism (although the book never explicitly mentions it). While there is hope sprinkled throughout the book, there wasn't enough for me personally.
I did enjoy that the author included Ollie getting their first period. It's a time that's stressful and can be embarrassing for everyone who goes through it, so I really enjoyed seeing all their friends and family stepping in to help them feel more comfortable.
Lastly, I kind of wish their neurodivergence had been explored more. Sure, Ollie's journey figuring out their gender is the main story, but every single aspect of it is influenced by the way they see the world through a non neurotypical way. For example: constantly not thinking anyone else makes sense, copying faces and phrases as a way to fit in, not liking change, thinking other people's smiles are fake.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Grief, Outing, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Body shaming, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Deadnaming and Self harm
Bea Mullins Takes a Shot by Emily Deibert
5.0
I really enjoyed this! It made me miss sports lol. It was the perfect amount of coming of age mixed with romance for me.
It's mentioned in the authors note that there may be inaccuracies with the league due to how far women's sports (hockey specifically) have already come since the author started writing the book and I think that's so neat!
I thought all the characters were perfect for their age, all their actions made sense for middle school drama while also not being overboard. Would recommend!
It's mentioned in the authors note that there may be inaccuracies with the league due to how far women's sports (hockey specifically) have already come since the author started writing the book and I think that's so neat!
I thought all the characters were perfect for their age, all their actions made sense for middle school drama while also not being overboard. Would recommend!
Finna by Nino Cipri
5.0
Finishes this last night and really enjoyed it despite not really being in the mood for an audiobook
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Alright- I kind of hated it. I haven't seen the movie, had no idea what was gonna happen. It just feels... kinda unedited? Like everything is happening and plot twists are kind of hinted at but also kept so insanely vague that it just made me hate Sophie.
It felt like almost all the plot happened in the last 10% of the book and that SUCKS. If I was not reading this for a book club I would've dnfed it soooo much earlier. I always kind of thought this book would be my jam but God I never want to read a word by the author again.
It felt like almost all the plot happened in the last 10% of the book and that SUCKS. If I was not reading this for a book club I would've dnfed it soooo much earlier. I always kind of thought this book would be my jam but God I never want to read a word by the author again.
Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young
I enjoyed this but not as much as her other work. I think after seeing this couple in Out on a Limb, I just didn't feel like this was the dynamic I was expecting. It was also a bit darker than I expected. There are content warnings for death of a parent, but it's pretty on page as the story goes back and forth from the present and past to show how the maim character was doing around the time her mom died.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Kirby's Lessons for Falling (in Love) by Laura Gao
4.5
I requested this arc because I read Messy Roots by the author and absolutely loved it (also the title is so enticing!). I won't lie I wasn't super into it at the beginning. I'm not huge into astrology so I found Bex a bit annoying. But when we got more into the story and Kirby's life, I really enjoyed it. This book made me cry but in a great way. I think Laura Gao is just incredible at writing about family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Xenophobia