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looney_moons's reviews
248 reviews
Crimson Rivers by bizarrestars
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
The Divina Comedia of Dante Alighieri by James Romanes Sibbald
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
3.5
Electric Idol by Katee Robert
4.75
Characters: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Writing: 10
Plot: 8
Intrigue: 10
Logic: 8
Enjoyment: 10
Total: 9.43
Atmosphere: 10
Writing: 10
Plot: 8
Intrigue: 10
Logic: 8
Enjoyment: 10
Total: 9.43
Truthfully, Yours by Caden Armstrong
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
5.0
did I read this last year as a first draft yes am I still going to buy and read it also yes.
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez
challenging
dark
tense
slow-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
4.25
I will read anything Mariana Enriquez has ever written if it makes me feel even as close to feeling like this.
Ratings for the individual stories (rating is the average):
Angelita Unearthed: 4/5
Our Lady of the Quarry: 5/5
The Cart: 3/5
The Well: 5/5
Rambla Triste: 3/5
The Lookout: 3/5
Where Are You, Dear Heart: 4/5
Meat: 4/5
No Birthdays or Baptisms: 4/5
Kids Who Come Back: 5/5
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed: 3/5
Back When We Talked to the Dead: 3/5
Ratings for the individual stories (rating is the average):
Angelita Unearthed: 4/5
Our Lady of the Quarry: 5/5
The Cart: 3/5
The Well: 5/5
Rambla Triste: 3/5
The Lookout: 3/5
Where Are You, Dear Heart: 4/5
Meat: 4/5
No Birthdays or Baptisms: 4/5
Kids Who Come Back: 5/5
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed: 3/5
Back When We Talked to the Dead: 3/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts
Vladimir by Julia May Jonas
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When I saw that an upcoming book had the title Vladimir and that the blurb on the back was 'When I was a child, I loved old men, and I could tell that they also loved me,' I was hooked. I was sure it would give me the Nabokov-esque experience I've wanted desperately to relive since I first read Lolita in 2020. I was both weary and ecstatic when I was approved for the eArc on NetGalley. After all, I have yet to read a book with this type of subject matter that lives up to the critique that Lolita accomplished. And maybe it's the title of the book, but I was absolutely certain that this book would deal a lot more with age difference and power imbalanced relationships. What I got was wholly different from what I expected and, surprisingly to me, I kind of loved it? I've spent the last 12 hours since I finished the book trying to gather my thoughts about what it is about this story that works and what doesn't. Now, don't get me wrong - this book is absolutely about inappropriate relationships, but it is much more about a woman figuring out how to deal with her husband's affairs with younger women. It was an incredibly - I think - nuanced book on a terribly complex topic. More than anything, I was blown away at the journey the protagonist went through and how much I desperately wanted to know what would come next. Jonas managed to write an engaging story with a cast of extremely unlikable characters that still somehow got some of my sympathy. As a person who primarily connects with characters in literature, and someone who seeks out character-driven arcs it is with the highest compliment that I say that Jonas' characters is what kept me reading. A stunning debut from an author I cannot wait to read more from. I'm excited to tell you all that Vladimir gets its UK release on the 26th of May 2022. 4/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Kidnapping
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Drug use
New Animal by Ella Baxter
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan UK for giving me access to an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw New Animals on the front page of NetGalley for its UK release, I was intrigued. The cover looked incredible (I mean look at it! Big kudos to the cover designer!) and when I read that the main character worked in a funeral partner, I was morbidly hooked. With the added bonus of the book being about exploring sex and grief, this book was right up my street. New Animal tells the story of losing yourself in grief and in sex, and it also tells the story of finding yourself through those very things once again. While I think this is a great debut, I am hesitant to recommend this book. It is an incredibly difficult book to read, and it is most definitely not for everyone - and, unfortunately, it was nowhere near being the favourite I assumed it would be. I was hoping to be more connected to the protagonist, but unfortunately I found her a bit bland. While I understand that she was making decisions through grief, I also could not help feeling enraged at her for the choices she makes in the book - primarily because she, in her internal dialogue, tends to reflect on how bad of a choice it is to make. I wanted more character development, but the pace of the book was too quick for the character to follow it, and I wish there had been some more reflections on lust, sex, and, perhaps most importantly, grief and death. Nonetheless, New Animal is a completely okay debut, and I will definitely be picking up whatever Baxter releases next, albeit with some hesitation. 3/5 stars.
When I saw New Animals on the front page of NetGalley for its UK release, I was intrigued. The cover looked incredible (I mean look at it! Big kudos to the cover designer!) and when I read that the main character worked in a funeral partner, I was morbidly hooked. With the added bonus of the book being about exploring sex and grief, this book was right up my street. New Animal tells the story of losing yourself in grief and in sex, and it also tells the story of finding yourself through those very things once again. While I think this is a great debut, I am hesitant to recommend this book. It is an incredibly difficult book to read, and it is most definitely not for everyone - and, unfortunately, it was nowhere near being the favourite I assumed it would be. I was hoping to be more connected to the protagonist, but unfortunately I found her a bit bland. While I understand that she was making decisions through grief, I also could not help feeling enraged at her for the choices she makes in the book - primarily because she, in her internal dialogue, tends to reflect on how bad of a choice it is to make. I wanted more character development, but the pace of the book was too quick for the character to follow it, and I wish there had been some more reflections on lust, sex, and, perhaps most importantly, grief and death. Nonetheless, New Animal is a completely okay debut, and I will definitely be picking up whatever Baxter releases next, albeit with some hesitation. 3/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death and Abandonment
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I read all of this in one sitting and it just kept getting better and better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for giving me access to an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
It is not very often that a book takes me by complete surprise, but I am ecstatic to say that Memphis did exactly that. Stringfellow has managed to create a completely realistic, beautiful, heartbreaking story that is, in one word, magical. I don't remember the last time I was this enchanted by a book, much less a literary fiction novel. Stringfellow managed to make me feel for every single one of our main characters, and I know exactly how she did it:
It is not very often that a book takes me by complete surprise, but I am ecstatic to say that Memphis did exactly that. Stringfellow has managed to create a completely realistic, beautiful, heartbreaking story that is, in one word, magical. I don't remember the last time I was this enchanted by a book, much less a literary fiction novel. Stringfellow managed to make me feel for every single one of our main characters, and I know exactly how she did it:
she made them matter, each of them etched into my heart from the very first pages. Each woman had their own distinct personality, distinct voice within the novel, and yet you could feel how cohesive it was. I want to know many, many more things about the North women and the people who surround them. I have no doubt about it when I say that Tara M. Stringfellow is an author we should expect incredibly big things from - Memphis is simply the start. A magnificent debut, indeed, landing at 5/5 stars from this reviewer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death, Police brutality, and War