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319 reviews
He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan
dark
emotional
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This is about to be one of my most personal and least objective reviews, but please, bear with me here.
To start off with the good that I simple cannot deny: this is an amazingly well-written novel. It is very raw, it doesn't hold back on the pain of its characters, the character studies continued to be fantastic, the plot was interesting the whole way through, the passages and the dialogue are beautifully written.
I especially loved the fact that you got the chance to see everyone from every other person's point of view. It was the epitome of experiencing morally gray characters in fiction, because it forces you to empathize with people who, undeniably, cause an unfathomable amount of harm. When you're looking at them through the eyes of another character, they seem unnecessarily cruel. But, when you're in their own mind, everything they do simply makes sense. You understand suddenly why they must be cold and selfish and sacrificing: there simply is no other way. It showcases Parker-Chan's impressive talent, as their writing forces you to admit that your own morals and lived experiences can solidify your convictions and make you truly believe that you are doing what is right, that it is what should or must be done.
However, this is, at its core, a story about people who hate themselves, and who hate themselves specifically for their queerness, their womanhood, and the womanhood that is imposed onto them by the fact that they are perceived as women or perceived as feminine. On a personal note, I have a reached a point in my life where, finally, more than not, I love and embrace my queerness, alongside my womanhood. Therefore, I could not allow myself to fully embrace this story, because that would mean putting myself in the shoes of these characters, and revisiting that self-hatred and that disgust about my queerness that plagued me for so many years. I had to keep some distance, for my own sanity, and still, it was an incredibly difficult book to get through.
The only character in this novel that doesn't hate themself is Zhu, which explains why her chapters were the ones that I actually enjoyed reading. I dreaded every time I got to the end of one of her chapters, because I knew that meant having to re-enter another character's mindset, which was proving to be increasingly more difficult as I advanced in the novel.
I can completely understand why this book would feel so cathartic to people. I wholeheartedly recognize the hatred, not only for oneself but also for the world around you, and the desire to get revenge and to embrace the monstrosity that is imposed onto you by assumptions and stereotypes. I understand the desire to feel pain and to bask in it and I understand how this book would feel extremely validating towards all of these feelings, because, just as pretty much every other queer person, I have lived through all of it.
I don't want my personal experience and feelings to impact my review too harshly. I can see its merit and I would be hard-pressed to find something tangible to point at and say "this was not good" or "this was bad writing" or "this should have been done differently". It is exactly the book that Parker-Chan set out to write. However, it's hard for me to give a perfect score to a book that... I don't think I actually liked. I wasn't enjoying myself, in any sense of the word, while reading this.
Not to say that everything must be easy and positive for me to enjoy it. I regularly pick up and love books that are filled with violence and address very heavy topics. But with all of those books, I wanted to keep reading. I didn't want the story to end, I wanted to keep following the characters on their journey, I wanted there to be more pages and more chapters... Not with this. I wanted this story to be over with as soon as possible, which proved to be difficult considering just how thick it is.
Had I not be so razor-focused on finishing this duology and seeing the conclusion to this story, I might have DNFed it. It's not the kind of book I could ever re-read, and I'm not sure I even want to think about it after I finish reviewing it.
Nonetheless, I would recommend it. As I mentioned, this was a very personal review, and all of the negatives are elements that may actually sell you on picking this up. However, heed my warning: this is a story for people who are ready to exist in a headspace that is riddled with internalized homophobia and misogyny, with extremely negative self-talk, and with an ocean's amount of self-hatred, so powerful, it is what drives a war that spans over kingdoms. If this is something that you think you, not only can handle, but actively want to experience, I guarantee this is the perfect book for you.
Source: NetGalley
To start off with the good that I simple cannot deny: this is an amazingly well-written novel. It is very raw, it doesn't hold back on the pain of its characters, the character studies continued to be fantastic, the plot was interesting the whole way through, the passages and the dialogue are beautifully written.
I especially loved the fact that you got the chance to see everyone from every other person's point of view. It was the epitome of experiencing morally gray characters in fiction, because it forces you to empathize with people who, undeniably, cause an unfathomable amount of harm. When you're looking at them through the eyes of another character, they seem unnecessarily cruel. But, when you're in their own mind, everything they do simply makes sense. You understand suddenly why they must be cold and selfish and sacrificing: there simply is no other way. It showcases Parker-Chan's impressive talent, as their writing forces you to admit that your own morals and lived experiences can solidify your convictions and make you truly believe that you are doing what is right, that it is what should or must be done.
However, this is, at its core, a story about people who hate themselves, and who hate themselves specifically for their queerness, their womanhood, and the womanhood that is imposed onto them by the fact that they are perceived as women or perceived as feminine. On a personal note, I have a reached a point in my life where, finally, more than not, I love and embrace my queerness, alongside my womanhood. Therefore, I could not allow myself to fully embrace this story, because that would mean putting myself in the shoes of these characters, and revisiting that self-hatred and that disgust about my queerness that plagued me for so many years. I had to keep some distance, for my own sanity, and still, it was an incredibly difficult book to get through.
The only character in this novel that doesn't hate themself is Zhu, which explains why her chapters were the ones that I actually enjoyed reading. I dreaded every time I got to the end of one of her chapters, because I knew that meant having to re-enter another character's mindset, which was proving to be increasingly more difficult as I advanced in the novel.
I can completely understand why this book would feel so cathartic to people. I wholeheartedly recognize the hatred, not only for oneself but also for the world around you, and the desire to get revenge and to embrace the monstrosity that is imposed onto you by assumptions and stereotypes. I understand the desire to feel pain and to bask in it and I understand how this book would feel extremely validating towards all of these feelings, because, just as pretty much every other queer person, I have lived through all of it.
I don't want my personal experience and feelings to impact my review too harshly. I can see its merit and I would be hard-pressed to find something tangible to point at and say "this was not good" or "this was bad writing" or "this should have been done differently". It is exactly the book that Parker-Chan set out to write. However, it's hard for me to give a perfect score to a book that... I don't think I actually liked. I wasn't enjoying myself, in any sense of the word, while reading this.
Not to say that everything must be easy and positive for me to enjoy it. I regularly pick up and love books that are filled with violence and address very heavy topics. But with all of those books, I wanted to keep reading. I didn't want the story to end, I wanted to keep following the characters on their journey, I wanted there to be more pages and more chapters... Not with this. I wanted this story to be over with as soon as possible, which proved to be difficult considering just how thick it is.
Had I not be so razor-focused on finishing this duology and seeing the conclusion to this story, I might have DNFed it. It's not the kind of book I could ever re-read, and I'm not sure I even want to think about it after I finish reviewing it.
Nonetheless, I would recommend it. As I mentioned, this was a very personal review, and all of the negatives are elements that may actually sell you on picking this up. However, heed my warning: this is a story for people who are ready to exist in a headspace that is riddled with internalized homophobia and misogyny, with extremely negative self-talk, and with an ocean's amount of self-hatred, so powerful, it is what drives a war that spans over kingdoms. If this is something that you think you, not only can handle, but actively want to experience, I guarantee this is the perfect book for you.
Source: NetGalley
Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
It's hard for me to write this review, because I don't know how much of it is an actual, objective criticism of the book itself, and how much of it is just me realizing I'm not into romance as much as I thought I was.
Starting off with the good: I'm in love with Phoebe. Like madly, truly, deeply, head over heels obsessed with her. She's the exact kind of lesbian I would let break my heart over and over and over again, and the only person I would have to blame for it is myself. She's so specifically my type that it definitely made, at least the first half of the novel, very entertaining.
I also think the flirting and the spice was really good. Granted, I'm not a regular romance reader, so I don't know what the standard is or what caliber people usually expect out of adult romances, but I enjoyed myself.
However, the flirting and the teasing was kind of the only thing holding the story together, and I ended up getting... kind of bored? I became a lot less motivated to pick it up around the 60% mark and I ended up taking like a week-long break before finally finishing it. I just didn't feel like getting back into it because it felt like it was going to be a lot of the same beats all over again and the whole thing just lost a lot of its charm for me.
I also don't know if I really connected to either of the main characters on any level (although maybe that's my fault for picking up a book about a sport for which I have an active disdain). The parts that made me the most emotional had to do with their families, but those relationships are pretty underdeveloped in the book. Of course, maybe Wilsner just didn't want to focus on that particular part of their lives and that's perfectly fine—as an author, you can do whatever you want with your characters. It's just that, on a personal note, I wasn't invested in the story in any real, substantial way.
Now, I'm not the kind of person that gets mad at the miscommunication trope, and I think that a lot of people's criticisms of it are slightly unjustified. But this was ridiculous, I mean... I skimmed through the last 50 pages or so because it just bothered me so much, I was actually getting mad. And then it somehow ended up not even being that big of a deal?
Which leads me to my final critique: there were so many moments that ended on such an anticlimactic note; it wasn't just unrealistic, it was bordering on the fantastical. The characters made so many mistakes that either a) I consider to be a huge problem that could only be resolved with multiple serious conversations and possibly some couples counseling or b) were deemed to be serious by the book and the characters themselves. So I would be anticipating some huge emotionally charged argument, only for the whole thing to be resolved 10 pages later with a little kiss and some sex. Now listen, I know how powerful those endorphins can be as much as the next lesbian, but dear god please see one conversation all the way through, I'm begging you.
I want to clarify that, as much as the last third of the book bothered me, I really was enjoying myself up until the 60% mark. I think if you regularly read romance novels, you might actually enjoy this. I mean, maybe the flirting and teasing really would be enough to keep you interested the entire way through, and maybe the ease with which the arguments are resolved will be comforting to you, instead of infuriating. Which is why I say it's hard for me to determine how specifically personal this review is. I probably wouldn't recommend it, just because I don't trust myself to know exactly to whom this would appeal, but I could understand why someone would enjoy this—it just wasn't for me.
Starting off with the good: I'm in love with Phoebe. Like madly, truly, deeply, head over heels obsessed with her. She's the exact kind of lesbian I would let break my heart over and over and over again, and the only person I would have to blame for it is myself. She's so specifically my type that it definitely made, at least the first half of the novel, very entertaining.
I also think the flirting and the spice was really good. Granted, I'm not a regular romance reader, so I don't know what the standard is or what caliber people usually expect out of adult romances, but I enjoyed myself.
However, the flirting and the teasing was kind of the only thing holding the story together, and I ended up getting... kind of bored? I became a lot less motivated to pick it up around the 60% mark and I ended up taking like a week-long break before finally finishing it. I just didn't feel like getting back into it because it felt like it was going to be a lot of the same beats all over again and the whole thing just lost a lot of its charm for me.
I also don't know if I really connected to either of the main characters on any level (although maybe that's my fault for picking up a book about a sport for which I have an active disdain). The parts that made me the most emotional had to do with their families, but those relationships are pretty underdeveloped in the book. Of course, maybe Wilsner just didn't want to focus on that particular part of their lives and that's perfectly fine—as an author, you can do whatever you want with your characters. It's just that, on a personal note, I wasn't invested in the story in any real, substantial way.
Now, I'm not the kind of person that gets mad at the miscommunication trope, and I think that a lot of people's criticisms of it are slightly unjustified. But this was ridiculous, I mean... I skimmed through the last 50 pages or so because it just bothered me so much, I was actually getting mad. And then it somehow ended up not even being that big of a deal?
Which leads me to my final critique: there were so many moments that ended on such an anticlimactic note; it wasn't just unrealistic, it was bordering on the fantastical. The characters made so many mistakes that either a) I consider to be a huge problem that could only be resolved with multiple serious conversations and possibly some couples counseling or b) were deemed to be serious by the book and the characters themselves. So I would be anticipating some huge emotionally charged argument, only for the whole thing to be resolved 10 pages later with a little kiss and some sex. Now listen, I know how powerful those endorphins can be as much as the next lesbian, but dear god please see one conversation all the way through, I'm begging you.
I want to clarify that, as much as the last third of the book bothered me, I really was enjoying myself up until the 60% mark. I think if you regularly read romance novels, you might actually enjoy this. I mean, maybe the flirting and teasing really would be enough to keep you interested the entire way through, and maybe the ease with which the arguments are resolved will be comforting to you, instead of infuriating. Which is why I say it's hard for me to determine how specifically personal this review is. I probably wouldn't recommend it, just because I don't trust myself to know exactly to whom this would appeal, but I could understand why someone would enjoy this—it just wasn't for me.
The Honeys by Ryan La Sala
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This isn't an exact science, but I've been picking up on this trend that the more Gender™ an author is, the better their horror novel will be. And The Honeys is the perfect example.
The two most impressive aspects of this book were, first of all, the way that La Sala addresses death and grief. The theme follows you throughout the story and the acknowledgments perfectly tie it together: "[...] I wrote this book not as a response to death, but as a tribute to the love that helped me through the wilds of grief". He so perfectly executes that exact feeling all throughout the novel and it makes for a wonderful reading experience.
The second thing is the way that La Sala explores specifically female friendships and "cliques" through the lens of a genderqueer main character who is more often than not, lumped in with the boys and a boy-ish identity in social settings. Most media that is centered around female friendships are looked at from the angle of a cis girl, and not to discredit any of these works, but The Honeys feels new and different specifically because of the main character's relationship to their gender identity and expression. It added a whole other element to the story and I could probably write an entire dissertation just on that specific component of the novel, it was a fantastic writing choice.
Another thing that I really loved about this was that the main character, Mars, was genuinely so funny. Not only in the dialogue, but even their narrative voice was so entertaining to follow. They were witty but also at times hilariously self-deprecating, in way that made them extremely endearing and relatable. It was so easy to root for them right from the get-go which made me that much more invested in the story.
I had such a good time with this, the horror was disgusting and I unrionically gasped out loud on multiple occasions. All the comments I had during the buddy read with my friend were just different variations of "OH MY GOD" and "WHAT?????". It was fantastic, I absolutely recommend it!
The two most impressive aspects of this book were, first of all, the way that La Sala addresses death and grief. The theme follows you throughout the story and the acknowledgments perfectly tie it together: "[...] I wrote this book not as a response to death, but as a tribute to the love that helped me through the wilds of grief". He so perfectly executes that exact feeling all throughout the novel and it makes for a wonderful reading experience.
The second thing is the way that La Sala explores specifically female friendships and "cliques" through the lens of a genderqueer main character who is more often than not, lumped in with the boys and a boy-ish identity in social settings. Most media that is centered around female friendships are looked at from the angle of a cis girl, and not to discredit any of these works, but The Honeys feels new and different specifically because of the main character's relationship to their gender identity and expression. It added a whole other element to the story and I could probably write an entire dissertation just on that specific component of the novel, it was a fantastic writing choice.
Another thing that I really loved about this was that the main character, Mars, was genuinely so funny. Not only in the dialogue, but even their narrative voice was so entertaining to follow. They were witty but also at times hilariously self-deprecating, in way that made them extremely endearing and relatable. It was so easy to root for them right from the get-go which made me that much more invested in the story.
I had such a good time with this, the horror was disgusting and I unrionically gasped out loud on multiple occasions. All the comments I had during the buddy read with my friend were just different variations of "OH MY GOD" and "WHAT?????". It was fantastic, I absolutely recommend it!
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Hey! Hey? Hi. Hey! Just out of sheer curiosity, maybe someone will happen to know the answer, but how in the ever-loving hell am I supposed to continue living my life like a sane, regular person after reading this book? Andrew Joseph White, you better expect my therapy bills to show up at your doorstep, because I don't think it will ever be humanly possible for me to recover from this.
I mean this book, at its core, embodies the mind-boggling, stomach-churning, true essence of horror and I am in love with every single one of its pages. It is fantastic and deserving of every single award a person can bestow on a novel. I thought Hell Followed with Us was stellar, but I could never, in a million years, have anticipated just how life-altering White's second book would be for me.
I think the word "disgusting" has lost all meaning for me, because everything included in this story far and above surpasses the realm of disgust. I'm talking about repugnance and vileness, I'm talking about the indefinite extent of human violence and evil. I was sick to my stomach the entire way through, and I'll probably exist in a state of general nausea for the rest of the week—it was spectacular.
This was also one of the most enticing narrative voices I've come across in a very long time. I simply could not look away. As horrifying as the passages were, as much as every single scene made my entire body cringe in on itself, my eyes refused to look away, even for a second. I was enthralled by, not just the main character himself, but specifically the way he was experiencing everything that was happening to him and everything that he was doing. I could read this a thousand times over and never get bored of it.
This is definitely not a book for the faint of heart, I will warn you. However, if you think you can stomach it, I recommend it so wholeheartedly. White really does have an amazing talent, and I cannot wait to see what he does next.
Source: NetGalley
I mean this book, at its core, embodies the mind-boggling, stomach-churning, true essence of horror and I am in love with every single one of its pages. It is fantastic and deserving of every single award a person can bestow on a novel. I thought Hell Followed with Us was stellar, but I could never, in a million years, have anticipated just how life-altering White's second book would be for me.
I think the word "disgusting" has lost all meaning for me, because everything included in this story far and above surpasses the realm of disgust. I'm talking about repugnance and vileness, I'm talking about the indefinite extent of human violence and evil. I was sick to my stomach the entire way through, and I'll probably exist in a state of general nausea for the rest of the week—it was spectacular.
This was also one of the most enticing narrative voices I've come across in a very long time. I simply could not look away. As horrifying as the passages were, as much as every single scene made my entire body cringe in on itself, my eyes refused to look away, even for a second. I was enthralled by, not just the main character himself, but specifically the way he was experiencing everything that was happening to him and everything that he was doing. I could read this a thousand times over and never get bored of it.
This is definitely not a book for the faint of heart, I will warn you. However, if you think you can stomach it, I recommend it so wholeheartedly. White really does have an amazing talent, and I cannot wait to see what he does next.
Source: NetGalley
She's Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This has been on my TBR for so long at this point, I've definitely built up a lot of expectations for it. And while I don't think I can say that it exceeded those expectations, it was still absolutely fascinating and I had a super great time with it.
The two main characters are girls who, if I knew them in real life, I would strongly suggest they stay hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from one another, because oh my god there's some toxic things going on between them, especially at the beginning of their relationship. And yet, while I was reading this book, I was actively rooting for them to get together and to stay together. I wanted them to have their happily ever after, despite all the super uncomfortable (but simultaneously very interesting) moments that happen between them as their relationship starts to grow. I think Heard did a great job of exploring the obsession that grows not only between artists and the people they put at the center of their craft, but also the one that often exists between young sapphic or queer teens in general. There was something magnetic about them, not only as individuals, but as a couple specifically, and I was enthralled by them.
I will say, the second half of the book shifted its focus away from their relationship, and delved deeper into some other aspect of the story. And while that part was also really interesting, I feel a bit... unsatisfied. I feel like the romance between the two main characters was no longer being explored as this complex, grey, confusing mess on the cusp of obsession and love, and they became rather quickly almost a regular couple without addressing everything else that had happened between them. I think I just wanted more from that, and I almost wish the book was less of a mystery, and more of a character study of two main girls—because that's really what got me hooked in the first half of the novel.
Regardless, I still had a great time with this, it was super interesting, and it definitely put on edge. If you want to explore the fine line between love and obsession, as well as the way that art, as an experience, can warp people's perception of others, this is the perfect book for you.
The two main characters are girls who, if I knew them in real life, I would strongly suggest they stay hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from one another, because oh my god there's some toxic things going on between them, especially at the beginning of their relationship. And yet, while I was reading this book, I was actively rooting for them to get together and to stay together. I wanted them to have their happily ever after, despite all the super uncomfortable (but simultaneously very interesting) moments that happen between them as their relationship starts to grow. I think Heard did a great job of exploring the obsession that grows not only between artists and the people they put at the center of their craft, but also the one that often exists between young sapphic or queer teens in general. There was something magnetic about them, not only as individuals, but as a couple specifically, and I was enthralled by them.
I will say, the second half of the book shifted its focus away from their relationship, and delved deeper into some other aspect of the story. And while that part was also really interesting, I feel a bit... unsatisfied. I feel like the romance between the two main characters was no longer being explored as this complex, grey, confusing mess on the cusp of obsession and love, and they became rather quickly almost a regular couple without addressing everything else that had happened between them. I think I just wanted more from that, and I almost wish the book was less of a mystery, and more of a character study of two main girls—because that's really what got me hooked in the first half of the novel.
Regardless, I still had a great time with this, it was super interesting, and it definitely put on edge. If you want to explore the fine line between love and obsession, as well as the way that art, as an experience, can warp people's perception of others, this is the perfect book for you.
Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh by Rachael Lippincott
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I am truly in awe at both Rachael Lippincott's and Alyson Derrick's ability to write novels that I devour within a day and that so completely overwhelm me with emotion and love, I am rendered to nothing but the shell of a man—and this one is absolutely no exception.
I'm not a huge fan of historical romances, and since I'm used to the more contemporary settings of Lippincott's other books, I was a bit worried about starting this one. But I was physically unable to put this down. I was immediately pulled into the story, and I started getting emotional right off the bat, within the very first chapters. I adored both of these characters, and each of their personal struggles were so relatable, I felt like this was written specifically for me. They were both so well fleshed out as individuals, but their love story is really what makes this book wonderful. I was laughing and giggling and blushing along with them, I could feel so deeply their longing for one another. This novel is the true embodiment of sapphic yearning, I'm obsessed.
I cannot recommend this enough, it is so worth the read, and I promise it will make you shed at least a few tears (or, if you're like me, it will fully dehydrate you)!
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for an advance reader copy of this novel. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I'm not a huge fan of historical romances, and since I'm used to the more contemporary settings of Lippincott's other books, I was a bit worried about starting this one. But I was physically unable to put this down. I was immediately pulled into the story, and I started getting emotional right off the bat, within the very first chapters. I adored both of these characters, and each of their personal struggles were so relatable, I felt like this was written specifically for me. They were both so well fleshed out as individuals, but their love story is really what makes this book wonderful. I was laughing and giggling and blushing along with them, I could feel so deeply their longing for one another. This novel is the true embodiment of sapphic yearning, I'm obsessed.
I cannot recommend this enough, it is so worth the read, and I promise it will make you shed at least a few tears (or, if you're like me, it will fully dehydrate you)!
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for an advance reader copy of this novel. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Night of the Living Queers by Shelly Page, Alex Brown
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The fact that this anthology exists, featuring so many astounding authors—some, writers that I have admired for so long—and centering such explicitly queer main characters of colour, is once again proof to me that the future of YA horror is so bright (in a dark and spooky way, of course) and I'm so excited to watch it continue to grow.
I really do think all of these stories are each such an amazing addition to the horror genre. Quite a few of them actually freaked me out, and I felt a sense of relief wash over me when I finally turned my light back on; I didn't even realize the stories had put me so on edge. They also all had so much depth and substance to them. I could read this anthology over and over again, and discover something new every time, so it definitely passed the test for me. When I find myself getting excited, flipping back and forth between pages to remember specific details or try to see if a theory of mine holds up with other earlier scenes or passages, that's when I know the author(s) executed their craft masterfully.
I'm also so in love with every single main character in this book. I wanted to reach out and hug each one of them, and I think it's so incredibly difficult, as an author, to get your reader deeply emotionally invested in your characters in 15-20 pages at most. But in each story, I felt almost immediately connected to its protagonist, which made the whole experience that much more visceral.
Although I really did love so many of these, I do have a favourite story: Save Me From Myself by Ayida Shonibar. Honorable mentions go to Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittelman and In You to Burn by Em X. Liu.
I do, however, have one rather large critique about this. As much as I loved all the different themes that were explored in the stories, and as interesting as it was to see all the different types of horror and subgenres that the authors picked to write (paranormal horror, monster horror, psychosocial horror, horror comedy), the entire thing as a whole felt a bit... lost. The main elements that tie all these stories together are 1- that they feature queer main characters of colour, and 2- that they are set on Halloween during a blue moon. And I love both of these things so much, but I wish there had been a more specific and concrete link throughout the anthology.
I had a problem transitioning from one story to another, it felt a bit jarring and uncoordinated. If all the stories had been specifically about the experience of being a queer person of colour, or if they just so happened to have QPOC as main characters but all discussed one specific theme such as grief, or if they had all at least been under the same subgenre of horror, I think it would have worked better for me.
It felt very odd, sometimes, jumping from an extremely emotional story to a horror comedy back to something heavy and devastating. And it made some of the stories feel almost incomplete? Because it seemed like there was no reason for all these stories to be in the same anthology together, a lot of them I thought would have worked even better as their own novella. I was often times not completely satisfied by an ending, because I new I would have to reposition myself in a completely new tone and setting, and I wouldn't be able to continue exploring that specific message in the rest of the anthology. Had there been a collective, overarching theme, I think this could have been a 5-star read.
That being said, I still really did love it, and I absolutely recommend it!
Source: NetGalley
I really do think all of these stories are each such an amazing addition to the horror genre. Quite a few of them actually freaked me out, and I felt a sense of relief wash over me when I finally turned my light back on; I didn't even realize the stories had put me so on edge. They also all had so much depth and substance to them. I could read this anthology over and over again, and discover something new every time, so it definitely passed the test for me. When I find myself getting excited, flipping back and forth between pages to remember specific details or try to see if a theory of mine holds up with other earlier scenes or passages, that's when I know the author(s) executed their craft masterfully.
I'm also so in love with every single main character in this book. I wanted to reach out and hug each one of them, and I think it's so incredibly difficult, as an author, to get your reader deeply emotionally invested in your characters in 15-20 pages at most. But in each story, I felt almost immediately connected to its protagonist, which made the whole experience that much more visceral.
Although I really did love so many of these, I do have a favourite story: Save Me From Myself by Ayida Shonibar. Honorable mentions go to Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittelman and In You to Burn by Em X. Liu.
I do, however, have one rather large critique about this. As much as I loved all the different themes that were explored in the stories, and as interesting as it was to see all the different types of horror and subgenres that the authors picked to write (paranormal horror, monster horror, psychosocial horror, horror comedy), the entire thing as a whole felt a bit... lost. The main elements that tie all these stories together are 1- that they feature queer main characters of colour, and 2- that they are set on Halloween during a blue moon. And I love both of these things so much, but I wish there had been a more specific and concrete link throughout the anthology.
I had a problem transitioning from one story to another, it felt a bit jarring and uncoordinated. If all the stories had been specifically about the experience of being a queer person of colour, or if they just so happened to have QPOC as main characters but all discussed one specific theme such as grief, or if they had all at least been under the same subgenre of horror, I think it would have worked better for me.
It felt very odd, sometimes, jumping from an extremely emotional story to a horror comedy back to something heavy and devastating. And it made some of the stories feel almost incomplete? Because it seemed like there was no reason for all these stories to be in the same anthology together, a lot of them I thought would have worked even better as their own novella. I was often times not completely satisfied by an ending, because I new I would have to reposition myself in a completely new tone and setting, and I wouldn't be able to continue exploring that specific message in the rest of the anthology. Had there been a collective, overarching theme, I think this could have been a 5-star read.
That being said, I still really did love it, and I absolutely recommend it!
Source: NetGalley
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I am not a gamer. I have terrible hand-eye coordination and have always been reluctant to do things I wasn't automatically good at. So, as much as I've always loved games and as fascinated as I am by animation, I never really entered the world of video games. And yet, about 4 chapters into this book, I made myself a Steam account and started playing my first game ever. For that alone, I think this book deserves its credit and praise.
One of the things I loved the most about this is that, as individual characters, I hated Sam and Sadie. They irked me on so many occasions, and if they were real people whom I knew in real life, I would do everything in my power to keep them far away from each other, to avoid the headache that is their dynamic. And yet... I cried so much. I wanted their love to flourish. I loved exploring their relationship together, in all of its many, complex facets. I could not put this book down, and I think I truly fell in love with them.
Zevin really has an amazing talent, and her writing skills are phenomenal. I tabbed pretty much every page of this book, there were just so many beautiful passages. The novel as a whole just made me feel so much, there really is no other way to put it. I became enthralled by the story and its characters, and even though I had complicated feelings towards them, I think that just added to the experience. It was real and it was heavy and it was hopeful and I had a wonderful time.
I think it's so worth all the hype, you will not be disappointed.
One of the things I loved the most about this is that, as individual characters, I hated Sam and Sadie. They irked me on so many occasions, and if they were real people whom I knew in real life, I would do everything in my power to keep them far away from each other, to avoid the headache that is their dynamic. And yet... I cried so much. I wanted their love to flourish. I loved exploring their relationship together, in all of its many, complex facets. I could not put this book down, and I think I truly fell in love with them.
Zevin really has an amazing talent, and her writing skills are phenomenal. I tabbed pretty much every page of this book, there were just so many beautiful passages. The novel as a whole just made me feel so much, there really is no other way to put it. I became enthralled by the story and its characters, and even though I had complicated feelings towards them, I think that just added to the experience. It was real and it was heavy and it was hopeful and I had a wonderful time.
I think it's so worth all the hype, you will not be disappointed.
Damned If You Do by Alex Brown
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I've been slowly getting more and more into horror comedy this year, and this is another great example of why I think the subgenre needs so much more love!
The rollercoaster of emotions Brown put me through with this story, making me actually laugh out loud while my tears were still actively flowing down my face due to the heartbreaking, soul-wrenching writing... That's true talent.
Of course, the main character here falls into my favourite book trope, that of the sapphic final girl who feels like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. I became so instantly attached to her, and I can't remember the last time I was so actively invested in a YA book couple. Cordelia is so insanely oblivious, it drove me up the walls in the best way possible. Her and Veronica deserve the world and I'm so in love with both of them.
My favourite aspect of this novel is the way that Brown kept up with the funny, witty inner dialogue and conversational tone throughout the story, but didn't let everything fall so deep into the "comedy" aspect that we missed out on any depth or analysis. There's a fascinating discussion here surrounding trauma and guilt and father figures that really molds itself through the character development, and that really grounds you as a reader into the general message and theme of love and survival.
The whole thing had me laughing, gasping, giggling, and crying. I finished it in two days, I stayed up until 2AM last night reading it because I just couldn't put it down. I had a lot of fun with it, I wholeheartedly recommend it, and I can't wait to read some more of Brown's work!
Thank you so much to the author for an advance reader copy of this novel. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The rollercoaster of emotions Brown put me through with this story, making me actually laugh out loud while my tears were still actively flowing down my face due to the heartbreaking, soul-wrenching writing... That's true talent.
Of course, the main character here falls into my favourite book trope, that of the sapphic final girl who feels like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. I became so instantly attached to her, and I can't remember the last time I was so actively invested in a YA book couple. Cordelia is so insanely oblivious, it drove me up the walls in the best way possible. Her and Veronica deserve the world and I'm so in love with both of them.
My favourite aspect of this novel is the way that Brown kept up with the funny, witty inner dialogue and conversational tone throughout the story, but didn't let everything fall so deep into the "comedy" aspect that we missed out on any depth or analysis. There's a fascinating discussion here surrounding trauma and guilt and father figures that really molds itself through the character development, and that really grounds you as a reader into the general message and theme of love and survival.
The whole thing had me laughing, gasping, giggling, and crying. I finished it in two days, I stayed up until 2AM last night reading it because I just couldn't put it down. I had a lot of fun with it, I wholeheartedly recommend it, and I can't wait to read some more of Brown's work!
Thank you so much to the author for an advance reader copy of this novel. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was definitely very cute!
I would say that my favourite part were the characters. Jaigirdar showed off her talent in this novel through Shireen, who was such a fully fleshed-out, realistic, complex, nuanced, and loveable main character. She went through all the events of the book in a way that wasn't completely irrational to the point of frustration, but in a way that was still messy, sometimes making the wrong decisions, basing herself more on how she felt instead of what was clearly the logical move. Considering her age and the general set up, it made the story feel very real, as well as keeping things entertaining.
I also really appreciated the way that Jaigirdar wrote this very lighthearted plot, with a fun baking-show backdrop, but still addressed a lot of very real issues through her characters. The racism and fatphobia that Shireen has to suffer during the competition wasn't glossed over or sugarcoated, but the story remained something that was sweet and easy to read through.
Of course, I'm obsessed with Chris, and she deserves so much more than what the world has to offer oh my god... Once again, I think Jaigirdar wrote a character who was not completely devoid of fault or who never made any mistakes, but was still loveable and very relatable.
The one thing I will say is that, out of all of Jaigirdar's works, this is the one I got the least attached to. I didn't build a super emotional connection to the characters, and while I was invested in the story, I didn't have quite the same life-changing experience as I did with The Henna Wars. Of course, this is a super personal observation though, and I could absolutely see other readers getting very attached to this book, so I would still definitely recommend it!
Source: NetGalley
I would say that my favourite part were the characters. Jaigirdar showed off her talent in this novel through Shireen, who was such a fully fleshed-out, realistic, complex, nuanced, and loveable main character. She went through all the events of the book in a way that wasn't completely irrational to the point of frustration, but in a way that was still messy, sometimes making the wrong decisions, basing herself more on how she felt instead of what was clearly the logical move. Considering her age and the general set up, it made the story feel very real, as well as keeping things entertaining.
I also really appreciated the way that Jaigirdar wrote this very lighthearted plot, with a fun baking-show backdrop, but still addressed a lot of very real issues through her characters. The racism and fatphobia that Shireen has to suffer during the competition wasn't glossed over or sugarcoated, but the story remained something that was sweet and easy to read through.
Of course, I'm obsessed with Chris, and she deserves so much more than what the world has to offer oh my god... Once again, I think Jaigirdar wrote a character who was not completely devoid of fault or who never made any mistakes, but was still loveable and very relatable.
The one thing I will say is that, out of all of Jaigirdar's works, this is the one I got the least attached to. I didn't build a super emotional connection to the characters, and while I was invested in the story, I didn't have quite the same life-changing experience as I did with The Henna Wars. Of course, this is a super personal observation though, and I could absolutely see other readers getting very attached to this book, so I would still definitely recommend it!
Source: NetGalley