Scan barcode
lcr16's reviews
42 reviews
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
An amazing set up for such a fun, complex plot! A transcriber for a sex and relationship therapist in the quirky small town of Hudson, NY becomes fascinated by a patient she nicknames Big Swiss. Big Swiss experienced a near-death assault years ago, but is insistent on not being defined as a victim because of her past trauma. Rather, she would like to discuss her inability to orgasm by herself or with her husband. Greta, the transcriber, really resonates with her insistence on overcoming her trauma by not letting it define her because and is drawn to Big Swiss when she recognizes her at a dog park. Their entanglement becomes a torrid sapphic love affair that balances intensity and tenderness. The relationship blossoms beautifully and really explores authentic queer sexuality. Beagin has such an interesting perspective on trauma and how it can be apart of our story, but we are more defined by our own actions than the actions of others. However, the quirky humor was not for me and Greta's ending disappointingly fell flat. Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for a copy in return for an honest review!
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
dark
informative
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Trespasses is such quietly haunting novel about Cushla, a catholic schoolteacher and bartender during the Troubles who falls madly for an older married Protestant barrister for the IRA, Michael. Kennedy crafts a forbidden romance into a larger narrative around the personal and political tension and danger during the Troubles. Cushla as a schoolteacher tries to look out for her community, including her young student little Davy. Her relationship trying to hold together his family as well as her own reflects the instability and poverty. Kennedy's writing style is beautifully simple and pure against the darker, suspenseful backdrop. The ending really drew me in and left me breathless! Thank you to NetGalley and Riverhead for the ARC for the honest review
Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I could not put this down! Motherthing is a phenomenal ghost story that explores the influence of a mother and child relationship as well as hereditary depression. Abbey and her husband move into her mother in law's house who is struggling with depression and dies by suicide. Her mother in law begins to haunt their home and in particular Abbey's husband Ralph. Abbey's dysfunctional relationship with her mother in law and her own mother makes it clear Abbey has no role model for motherhood, caregiving, or healthy relationships. This manifests in comfort objects such as an old cookbook and a childhood couch, much like Harlow's experiment of giving baby monkey's inanimate objects in place of mothers. Abbey is dependent, self-isolating, paranoid, and socially inept. This is made clear by her making jellied salmon in a big mold shaped like a fish to work and getting upset her coworker just wants to eat her yogurt, resulting in an outburst inquiring about her coworker's digestion. It's an incredibly funny scene. The writing style is incredibly funny at times, while being effervescently gorey. Motherthing truly gets at the root of childhood trauma, internal narratives, and hereditary mental illness. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for the ARC in return for an honest review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicide, Grief, Cannibalism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Blood, Gore, and Death of parent
Real Love by Rachel Lindsay
inspiring
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
3.0
I was very excited to read Rachel Lindsay’s first work in fiction and had to give it a read! The beginning is slow and the main character, Maya, is not very fun or interesting to follow initially. Her life is pretty sad and boring. However, once Maya’s younger sister Ella is introduced and Kai, the love interest, it really picks up steam! Kai’s influence on Maya launches a journey of self-discovery beyond just romance. The metaphor of her bare beige apartment and her wanting to add color to it translates well to her wanting to reconnect with her own passion life! If you’re a fan of the bachelor, this is a fun, light-hearted read with some popcorn-worthy drama I can’t spoil! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in return for an honest review
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol and Infidelity
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Never has a book been able to completely creep me out, and the next line make me chuckle from the blunt British humor that was characteristically so out of touch. Boy Parts is a very dark lampooning of rape culture that is grimly uncomfortable. Irina has a history of being a victim of sexual violence from men in power dynamics, whether it is her teacher or a guy at a party whom gave her drugs and alcohol to the point she was barely conscious. This as resulted in her trying to mirror the violence and do the exact same thing to men in her own fetish art by using the power dynamics of the artist/model. However, it becomes very clear she can not independently perpetrate the same violence as patriarchy. Her relationship with Eddie, the checkout boy from Tesco, is made more complex because she is unable to acknowledge that him being a low-income, man of color, that has also experienced male violence, changes their power dynamic completely. Irina's distorted, violent perspective prevents her from seeing compassion and power dynamics beyond men and women. She seems to spiral further and further, and truly becomes the most unlikeable main character I've ever read. Lastly, I mainly docked points because this was not the most enjoyable read because of how graphic it was and the sexual violence. It did grow on me once I finished and thought about it more. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Racism, Alcohol, Misogyny, Drug use, and Adult/minor relationship
For You and Only You by Caroline Kepnes
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was so excited to get my hands on this book! Kepnes manages to make you want Joe to get away with everything even though he's such a repugnant creep. It's an amazing formula of Joe being the romantic love interest who will do anything for the women he's interested in, and he WILL do anything. Wonder is an interesting love interest because she is just like Joe, an underdog, but she's a more talented writer. Joe loves to call himself a feminist, and believed Malanda was a hypocritical, bad feminist in the prior book. It's comical to see Joe call out misogyny, call himself a feminist, yet desire to control and violently dispose of women. The dynamic of Joe's misogynistic jealous of Wonder's book being so highly praised, while he felt overlooked really showed how much he wants to control women out of his own insecurity. I would have loved if the class discussion on his book had happened. It would have been interesting to see if Joe's perception of his book was truly off-base as most of his perception is. Overall, if you liked the series prior to this book, you're in for a treat! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better by Saira Rao, Regina Jackson
challenging
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Rao and Jackson invite you, presumably a white women, to sit with your discomfort around racism and your direct role in upholding white supremacy. Regina Jackson and Saira Rao run an organization called Race2Dinner where they are guests at a dinner party with white women to discuss their own racism. The casual conversational style of writing is engaging, fits well with the content around dinner parties, and flows well with the interspersed anecdotes that otherwise may have felt clunky. It’s very accessible, direct, and at times a even a little cheeky.
The retellings of the dinner parties explore the dynamics of groups of white women and their individually harmful behavior. The description of nice, but not kind hits the nail on the head. White women are conditioned to stay silent and keep the peace, rather than stand up for anything, let alone injustice. As well, white women’s tendency to speak nastily behind each other’s back is an example of upholding the patriarchy and white supremacy by expecting perfection. White supremacy is so ingrained into our lives as white women in our silence, search for perfection, defensiveness, and denial of reality.
The book also shared stories from both Jackson, Rao, and others to illustrate the detrimental impacts racism from white women in their lives. Whether it’s the grocery store, school, work, or their own community. To not be white is to be assumed to not be good enough, smart enough, capable enough, or safe enough. Even if you are tokenized. Jackson and Rao force you to check your ego and defensiveness at the door in order to start making real steps in anti-racism.
The retellings of the dinner parties explore the dynamics of groups of white women and their individually harmful behavior. The description of nice, but not kind hits the nail on the head. White women are conditioned to stay silent and keep the peace, rather than stand up for anything, let alone injustice. As well, white women’s tendency to speak nastily behind each other’s back is an example of upholding the patriarchy and white supremacy by expecting perfection. White supremacy is so ingrained into our lives as white women in our silence, search for perfection, defensiveness, and denial of reality.
The book also shared stories from both Jackson, Rao, and others to illustrate the detrimental impacts racism from white women in their lives. Whether it’s the grocery store, school, work, or their own community. To not be white is to be assumed to not be good enough, smart enough, capable enough, or safe enough. Even if you are tokenized. Jackson and Rao force you to check your ego and defensiveness at the door in order to start making real steps in anti-racism.
They're Going to Love You by Meg Howrey
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
A slow burn tragedy revolving around abandonment, the world of ballet, yearning to belong, and the ability to forgive. Carlisle grows up in the world of ballet. Her parents are separated, but both distinguished in the world of ballet. Her mother is preoccupied with her younger half-brother, and her father is dedicated to the survival of him and his partner, James, in New York in the midst of the AIDS crisis. It’s truly heartbreaking realizing Carlisle is no one’s favorite person, a visitor in her own family. The writing is lyrical and smooth, building up to an unraveling family. The author, Howrey, is a former dancer herself and it shows with the passion and emotion she brings to describing dance sequences to describe the emotional state of her characters. However, her strongest writing is when she slowly sits with the character’s darker emotions, particularly loneliness, grief, and betrayal. “A particular kind of glory that happens when we share our suffering and are seen… An exaltation. I’m loath to connect womanness with suffering, or suffering with greatness, but there it is.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A former influencer decides to undergo a controversial new surgery to undo her years of filler and plastic surgery in search of rebirth and regain her lose of innocence. In her younger years, Anna escapes her tumultuous home life to Los Angeles to become an influencer and is plucked from obscurity by a man, Jake, who becomes her manager and boyfriend. An exploitative relation develops as she’s pressured into plastic surgery, party, and drugs. A compassionate and page-turning exploration around body image and the cost of becoming desirable online. How can you achieve self-actualization while trying to market your own body?