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leonidskies's reviews
142 reviews
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera
challenging
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.25
A delightfully strange book, unlike anything I've read so far but a lot like something I'd like to read a lot more of in the future. The Saint of Bright Doors doesn't quite come off in the way it presents itself on its blurb, but not in a bad way. It's filled with a seemingly mundane, everyday horror that reminds you, through its effortless links to a more supernatural horror, that the horrors it recounts shouldn't be mundane at all. It's incisive and deeply political, yet interwoven with the effortlessly personal.
There's a haunting narrative of privilege and resistance and oppression throughout, constructed on top of a fantastical world with an enrapturing story that just *fits*. It's strange, yet it all makes a lot of sense. It didn't take long for the book to be immersive, and despite the novelty of a lot of the concepts to me, I didn't find anything particularly hard to follow. Shoutout to the moment, of course, that completely flipped the whole book on its head maybe 80% of the way in; absolutely incredible setup. This is just a Good Book, folks.
There's a haunting narrative of privilege and resistance and oppression throughout, constructed on top of a fantastical world with an enrapturing story that just *fits*. It's strange, yet it all makes a lot of sense. It didn't take long for the book to be immersive, and despite the novelty of a lot of the concepts to me, I didn't find anything particularly hard to follow. Shoutout to the moment, of course, that completely flipped the whole book on its head maybe 80% of the way in; absolutely incredible setup. This is just a Good Book, folks.
The Nation's Saddest Love Poems by Sam J. Grudgings
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
A tenderly sad collection, packed full of so much love. Grudgings has a fantastic way with language, each allusory meaning flowing effortlessly into the next. I also really enjoyed the motifs returned to across the collection.
Husband Material by Alexis Hall
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
This is a great book let down only by its ending - until the final 20-ish pages, it's heartfelt, incredibly funny, and has immensely charming characters. It's a wonderful sequel that builds on existing characters in interesting ways. It's a good, simple queer rom com.
Oliver in particular shines through in this book, with all his flaws and virtues. The only thing that really didn't work for me was the ending - not for the writing decision made, but for the way it was paced. It felt rushed enough that it didn't quite work for me, souring an otherwise amazing book. It's still really good, though!
Oliver in particular shines through in this book, with all his flaws and virtues. The only thing that really didn't work for me was the ending - not for the writing decision made, but for the way it was paced. It felt rushed enough that it didn't quite work for me, souring an otherwise amazing book. It's still really good, though!
Streamline by Lauren Melissa Ellzey
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I received an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.
I liked bits of this book but tired of others. It was a cute romance, though I'll admit it was because I 100% assumed the whole time that this was a romance with a trans lesbian. The warmth and good feelings from the later parts definitely made that part the highlight of the book, but the build-up was disappointing in comparison.
I really liked the way autism was written about in this book - it was easily the strongest part of the way the story was conveyed. I also really liked the importance of friendships and family relationships alongside the romance aspects.
However, the rest of the book was lacking in several aspects. The editing especially could have done with some work - there were a handful of continuity errors that occasionally pulled me out of the story when I noticed them, and I sometimes lost the thread of what was going on. I also didn't quite click with the actual MMORPG setting or the rules of the streaming platform, though especially the former - there were parts that felt a little like the author had adapted prose from other writing from the perspective of a character within the game's setting rather than it being about playing a video game, and that didn't work for me.
Overall, while I wish a greater portion of the novel was more openly featuring a trans woman, this was a pretty cute read. Not super my thing, but it might work better for fans of gaming-based romances.
I liked bits of this book but tired of others. It was a cute romance, though I'll admit it was because I 100% assumed the whole time that this was a romance with a trans lesbian. The warmth and good feelings from the later parts definitely made that part the highlight of the book, but the build-up was disappointing in comparison.
I really liked the way autism was written about in this book - it was easily the strongest part of the way the story was conveyed. I also really liked the importance of friendships and family relationships alongside the romance aspects.
However, the rest of the book was lacking in several aspects. The editing especially could have done with some work - there were a handful of continuity errors that occasionally pulled me out of the story when I noticed them, and I sometimes lost the thread of what was going on. I also didn't quite click with the actual MMORPG setting or the rules of the streaming platform, though especially the former - there were parts that felt a little like the author had adapted prose from other writing from the perspective of a character within the game's setting rather than it being about playing a video game, and that didn't work for me.
Overall, while I wish a greater portion of the novel was more openly featuring a trans woman, this was a pretty cute read. Not super my thing, but it might work better for fans of gaming-based romances.
Babel by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
A lot (a lot!) of people have said a lot of things about this book. I'm going to give it a shot too.
After I finished this book, I was devastated - terrible, horrible things happen to very good people, and that's the whole point. But while what struck me towards the final parts was the tragedy and its near inevitability in the face of colonial power, what hit me time and again as I read (this is a little longer than my usual reads, so it took me a while) was how incisive the writing was.
Despite his hesitance, Robin sees what's happening around him and understands - not always fully, and not without his personal limits, but he sees nonetheless. To me, that made both his action and inaction more powerful. Everything in this book felt so considered and exact, fully aware of its implications and meanings. It's rare that I've read politically-focused fiction like this that's so clear about exactly what it means and manages to strike the point time and again.
There was also something particularly wonderful in this book as a work set in Oxford - I was at the university at the same time as the author and so many of the Oxford-shaped emotions hit me right where it hurt. That mix of joy, hope, misery, and isolation, combined with the slap across the face of privileged peers and contented academics alike spoke right to my heart. Ow.
This is a book that really inspired me to pick up my more political-process writing again. It's hard to want to write about politics in such a direct way in fiction in our current landscape, and this book being so heartfelt and cutting at the same time is precious to me in making me feel so strongly that it's worth it.
After I finished this book, I was devastated - terrible, horrible things happen to very good people, and that's the whole point. But while what struck me towards the final parts was the tragedy and its near inevitability in the face of colonial power, what hit me time and again as I read (this is a little longer than my usual reads, so it took me a while) was how incisive the writing was.
Despite his hesitance, Robin sees what's happening around him and understands - not always fully, and not without his personal limits, but he sees nonetheless. To me, that made both his action and inaction more powerful. Everything in this book felt so considered and exact, fully aware of its implications and meanings. It's rare that I've read politically-focused fiction like this that's so clear about exactly what it means and manages to strike the point time and again.
There was also something particularly wonderful in this book as a work set in Oxford - I was at the university at the same time as the author and so many of the Oxford-shaped emotions hit me right where it hurt. That mix of joy, hope, misery, and isolation, combined with the slap across the face of privileged peers and contented academics alike spoke right to my heart. Ow.
This is a book that really inspired me to pick up my more political-process writing again. It's hard to want to write about politics in such a direct way in fiction in our current landscape, and this book being so heartfelt and cutting at the same time is precious to me in making me feel so strongly that it's worth it.
Earth to Alis by Lex Carlow
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-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
5.0
I received an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.
I'm struggling to put all my thoughts together on this one, but I'll say this: this book is phenomenal.
I felt an immense amount of emotion reading this book. This kind of work is, to me, the best kind of piece contemporary YA has to offer - unflinching in its honesty, hope, and boundless empathy. The subject material is heavy, enough so that I had to put the book down on multiple occasions to feel able to keep reading (this is only a compliment, I promise), but that makes the emotions hit all the harder and the highs soar ever higher.
Being a teenager is messy, and being a mentally ill teenager is even more so. Carlow tackles that so sensitively and realistically that I'm still reeling (again, this is a compliment!) and I'm overjoyed I read this book. There's space for people who do good things and bad things without their being dismissed as good or bad people with nothing else going on. Knowing that Alis would lash out and mess up wasn't off-putting, just... comforting, in a way. He messes up time and again and the grace and understanding he receives from the narrative is really, truly precious. Nothing felt truly like it was there for shock value, no matter how bad things got. This book was so thoroughly human.
I love that Alis is gender nonconforming and no one who matters has anything but kind words for that. I love that Craig is queer and it's normal for him and everyone around him. I loved how real the friendships felt (I ADORE Noor), and how the teachers weren't pinnacles of terrible or saintly but were instead real people who were varying levels of prepared for everything happening. I'm coming back around to how human everyone felt, because that's the ultimate descriptor of this book. It was wonderful.
I want to thank the author, if she sees this, for sharing such an incredible, heartfelt story. I want to encourage anyone ELSE reading this to read this book. It's a journey, and it'll stick with me for a while.
I'm struggling to put all my thoughts together on this one, but I'll say this: this book is phenomenal.
I felt an immense amount of emotion reading this book. This kind of work is, to me, the best kind of piece contemporary YA has to offer - unflinching in its honesty, hope, and boundless empathy. The subject material is heavy, enough so that I had to put the book down on multiple occasions to feel able to keep reading (this is only a compliment, I promise), but that makes the emotions hit all the harder and the highs soar ever higher.
Being a teenager is messy, and being a mentally ill teenager is even more so. Carlow tackles that so sensitively and realistically that I'm still reeling (again, this is a compliment!) and I'm overjoyed I read this book. There's space for people who do good things and bad things without their being dismissed as good or bad people with nothing else going on. Knowing that Alis would lash out and mess up wasn't off-putting, just... comforting, in a way. He messes up time and again and the grace and understanding he receives from the narrative is really, truly precious. Nothing felt truly like it was there for shock value, no matter how bad things got. This book was so thoroughly human.
I love that Alis is gender nonconforming and no one who matters has anything but kind words for that. I love that Craig is queer and it's normal for him and everyone around him. I loved how real the friendships felt (I ADORE Noor), and how the teachers weren't pinnacles of terrible or saintly but were instead real people who were varying levels of prepared for everything happening. I'm coming back around to how human everyone felt, because that's the ultimate descriptor of this book. It was wonderful.
I want to thank the author, if she sees this, for sharing such an incredible, heartfelt story. I want to encourage anyone ELSE reading this to read this book. It's a journey, and it'll stick with me for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Blood, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
Through Ash We Grow: Poems by J.R. Rogue
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
3.25
I received an advance copy of this work in exchange for my review.
This was a nice collection of poetry to take a moment to read! There were some really nice turns of phrase and a really lovely, consistently sweet atmosphere across the poems. My favourite was Safe & Sheltered. The collection itself was a very fast, easy read - soft but not particularly gripping.
3/5 from me - it was nice but didn't feel all that special (and, though maybe I just don't 'get' it, I didn't understand why the poems always used "&" instead of the word "and').
This was a nice collection of poetry to take a moment to read! There were some really nice turns of phrase and a really lovely, consistently sweet atmosphere across the poems. My favourite was Safe & Sheltered. The collection itself was a very fast, easy read - soft but not particularly gripping.
3/5 from me - it was nice but didn't feel all that special (and, though maybe I just don't 'get' it, I didn't understand why the poems always used "&" instead of the word "and').
It Was a Riot by Daniel Hall
The main character is HIV-positive and repeatedly has unsafe sex while untested during the book. He is dying of AIDS at the end of the book.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.
I didn't really enjoy this book - it unfortunately failed to grab me. The breadth of the story and characters was impressive, but the prose and pacing let it down. If you're a fan of very direct prose and no holds barred pacing, it might be your thing - for me it erred towards unsubtle to the point of boredom and rushed, especially towards the end of the novel.
A lot of the characters were messy in a very real way, and I appreciated it for that. I wish the book had focused more on its strongest characters rather than hurtling through its narrative - there was a LOT going on here, all carefully linked together to the themes, but it didn't quite work.
As someone who's conducted historical research on periods contained within this novel, I felt that its engagement with the history was surface level. If you're less familiar with the history, though, this book might be more for you! It's very compassionate in its examination of gay, working class men. However, there are elements - especially the depiction of the main character - which veer alarmingly towards negative and thoughtless depiction of HIV-positive men.
I'd recommend this to people who are looking for a medium paced read that's always very clear in its style, and are okay reading sad stories. It didn't quite fit together for me, but it might be a better fit for someone else.
I didn't really enjoy this book - it unfortunately failed to grab me. The breadth of the story and characters was impressive, but the prose and pacing let it down. If you're a fan of very direct prose and no holds barred pacing, it might be your thing - for me it erred towards unsubtle to the point of boredom and rushed, especially towards the end of the novel.
A lot of the characters were messy in a very real way, and I appreciated it for that. I wish the book had focused more on its strongest characters rather than hurtling through its narrative - there was a LOT going on here, all carefully linked together to the themes, but it didn't quite work.
As someone who's conducted historical research on periods contained within this novel, I felt that its engagement with the history was surface level. If you're less familiar with the history, though, this book might be more for you! It's very compassionate in its examination of gay, working class men. However, there are elements - especially the depiction of the main character - which veer alarmingly towards negative and thoughtless depiction of HIV-positive men.
I'd recommend this to people who are looking for a medium paced read that's always very clear in its style, and are okay reading sad stories. It didn't quite fit together for me, but it might be a better fit for someone else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Suicide and Abortion
Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I was provided with an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.
This is a really solid book for someone who thinks they'll enjoy its constituent parts - sapphic annoyances to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, scrappy found family kind of stuff. Unfortunately this didn't really do it for me.
This is a 3-star book for me not because the whole book is average, but because the first half dragged for me personally. It really picked up in the second half, and I enjoyed a lot of what the author was going for in that part. There were a lot of good, emotional moments that hit really hard in that second half, and I'm glad I stuck the book out!
The book is still quite a way off release as of when I picked up the advance copy, so hopefully one of my bigger issues will be partially remedied by the final publishing date - this book needs another copy edit. There are some glaring historical inaccuracies in the language and an instance where a nonbinary character is misgendered unintentionally.
Beyond this, though, there's a sweet romance and some lovely characters at its core. If you enjoy the tropes I mentioned closer to the top of my review, you may well enjoy this book more than I did!
This is a really solid book for someone who thinks they'll enjoy its constituent parts - sapphic annoyances to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, scrappy found family kind of stuff. Unfortunately this didn't really do it for me.
This is a 3-star book for me not because the whole book is average, but because the first half dragged for me personally. It really picked up in the second half, and I enjoyed a lot of what the author was going for in that part. There were a lot of good, emotional moments that hit really hard in that second half, and I'm glad I stuck the book out!
The book is still quite a way off release as of when I picked up the advance copy, so hopefully one of my bigger issues will be partially remedied by the final publishing date - this book needs another copy edit. There are some glaring historical inaccuracies in the language and an instance where a nonbinary character is misgendered unintentionally.
Beyond this, though, there's a sweet romance and some lovely characters at its core. If you enjoy the tropes I mentioned closer to the top of my review, you may well enjoy this book more than I did!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death and Death of parent
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book deserves its place as classic sci fi - it's an immensely interesting, almost academic kind of book. I didn't find myself particularly attached or excited, but it was a very solid book with a good story and phenomenal world building. This was the first Le Guin I'd ever read, and I don't think it was what I expected (it's more dated than I anticipated, but less dated than its publishing date would imply), but I wasn't at all disappointed.