ladypalutena's reviews
600 reviews

Lavender Clouds: Comics about Neurodivergence and Mental Health by Bex Ollerton

emotional reflective

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness

Adulthood Is a Gift! by Sarah Andersen

funny lighthearted

5.0

Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Dark and grim, and I couldn't put it down. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Dementia

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

emotional 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

3.5

A solid, cute story.

When Morgan's mom tries to make her feel better by making jokes about coming out of the closet... Those may be the best jokes in the book.

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

dark medium-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

3.75

I feel like it was harder to follow along with this book than the last two? 

Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'd read a whole trilogy of Darkling backstories. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

First off: I enjoyed the book. It was something different, and I haven't read anything like this before. 

However, the pacing was...odd. It would slow way down, then flip through a week's worth of time in a single page. I felt jerked around a bit, never able to settle down into a reading pace.

The author also has an odd habit of mentioning things and then never bringing them up again (unless they're going to show up in the second book). I think the biggest issue with this is

Arthie has a "magic" gun, and they go through great lengths to say that the gun was in a rock (like Excalibur) and that whoever pulled the gun from the rock would be the "rightful ruler" of the city. However, once Arthie pulls the gun out...nothing happens? She just has it. There's no mention of "Hey, she's supposed to be the rightful ruler but she pulled it out as a kid so they told her she couldn't be the ruler" or anything like that. It's just...glossed over.

The ending seems rushed, but I'm still going to read the second book. I need to know how all of this comes together in the end. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Slavery

Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies by The Xerces Society

informative

4.0

The Southeast Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden by Larry Mellichamp, Paula Gross

informative

4.0

Native Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees & Butterflies: Southeast by Jaret C. Daniels

informative

5.0

I have so many ideas for my native plant garden and this is helping so much.