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lowercaselena's reviews
84 reviews
Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cult classic is about lola, a jaded new yorker about to get married who suddenly starts to encounter every one of her exes about town, except it's not really a coincidence...
reviewing this 6 months after reading it and i genuinely do not remember most of the events of this book or even how it ended, besides one striking paragraph about men that reveals lola's her fascination for masculinity and the attraction/repulsion impulse behind her dating life. kind of has cool girl monologue iconic potential!
what stayed with me really is the impression of a smart, well written book, that sadly doesn't dive satisfyingly into the issues it brings up (love, dating, wellness culture and its cultish ways...) and unfortunately having a disaster woman as a protagonist and exposing her dysfunction doesn't necessarily make for compelling character exploration. it's still a fun read and i finished it quickly, but it lacks a little bit of heart i think.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
reviewing this 6 months after reading it and i genuinely do not remember most of the events of this book or even how it ended, besides one striking paragraph about men that reveals lola's her fascination for masculinity and the attraction/repulsion impulse behind her dating life. kind of has cool girl monologue iconic potential!
what stayed with me really is the impression of a smart, well written book, that sadly doesn't dive satisfyingly into the issues it brings up (love, dating, wellness culture and its cultish ways...) and unfortunately having a disaster woman as a protagonist and exposing her dysfunction doesn't necessarily make for compelling character exploration. it's still a fun read and i finished it quickly, but it lacks a little bit of heart i think.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Girlcrush by Florence Given
funny
fast-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? Yes
1.0
genuinely feel bad being so harsh on an author's debut novel but this was not a novel. i understand ARCs can be a little unfinished but this was genuinely a first draft, the narrative is all over the place, the characters are tiring cliches, the prose is very much 8th grader who just discovered self insert fanfic... it's actually sad because the topics that the story wants to tackle are worth exploring, and the author obviously has an inside point of view on the trappings of influence and virality, and there is a cinematic ambition of sorts but honestly it would've been better off sold as a script idea to a screenwriter who knows what they're doing
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I quite enjoyed meet me in the margins and finished it in about a day! The premise is fun, although a little unrealistic, and the plot rolls out pleasantly and predictably. The main characters are fine, even if Savannah's quirky thing was a little too try hard at times. I struggled to make sense of their family dynamic that was so often teased but never fully explored and thought it was a shame the many comments regarding body image went unaddressed. I liked the love interest, he was a charming little shit and the bits of backstory were well constructed.
Overall i had a good experience reading this, despite my frustrations with the writing style and the many asides and details that made it hard to suspend my disbelief and get fully into the story, especially in the beginning.
I'd recommend it if you're into romances for book lovers and know a bit about Nashville, i think you would really appreciate the sense of place that is present in the book :^)
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Overall i had a good experience reading this, despite my frustrations with the writing style and the many asides and details that made it hard to suspend my disbelief and get fully into the story, especially in the beginning.
I'd recommend it if you're into romances for book lovers and know a bit about Nashville, i think you would really appreciate the sense of place that is present in the book :^)
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
emotional
reflective
slow-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
2.5
i listened to the audiobook and i’m gonna be honest i was scrolling apps for a good part of this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
wasn’t very captivating to me, just a really straight forward book about a woman figuring things out post grad. it SHOULD have been relatable but i didnt really buy any of the characters and their dynamics except with grace and her father. i loved that actually, made me tear up twice, and it’s the only relationship that felt real and embodied in the book
the prose was so repetitive and exhausting, littered with stars, universe metaphors and references to the sun and honey, which stopped feeling novel to me in 2014 after six months on poetry tumblr. it’s like the author learned four astronomy facts and romanticised them to death.
the characters don’t feel their age at all, i do not buy that they are in their late 20s to 30s. sure learning to identify and healthily express your wants and needs is a theme of the book, but there is a weird immaturity in the way they interact, flirt in pop culture references and viral tweets and it’s like.... i’ve seen this before? no one feels Real like idk, the dialogue is full of overwritten sentimental platitudes in the line of “we are two lonely creatures from the stars my honey sun girl” or whatever the fuck like idk. this book is populated with characters of many ethnicities in the most inorganic way, mostly because the secondary characters are all cut out from different archetypes that aim at making them feel “distinct” but instead make them feel flat.
i wanted to like this so badly that i ignored the red flags of the prologue and the first chapter. because it’s textbook what you’re told not to do in your first creative writing class. and of course rules are meant to be broken but it’s very obviously a first book, and the author is probably still working on finding an individual voice
and tbh there is a lot of heart to this, even if it is a bit mundane, it’s made by someone who cares a lot. i feel like a lot of people will find comfort in the slow pace at which it unveils, the rather laid back and mostly tensionless relationships, the mellow and open ended conclusion.
i found myself bored or frustrated or annoyed pretty often, and i never truly let myself go enough to appreciate the book, i just couldn’t suspend my disbelief and live in the world the author was painting
it was not for me! but it’s for someone out there!! and i hope they find this book :)
Dreaming of You by Melissa Lozada-Oliva
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.0
i had actually never listened to selena's music before, so first of all thank you for introducing me to the soundtrack of my life for the next few months.
dreaming of you is a novel in verse that follows our narrator as she resuscitates selena, and the consequences of that decision. It's poetry that touches on the magic, using horror elements to highlight the difficulties of fame, growing up in a world that doesn't feel made for you, and the uncertainties of navigating life and romance as a woman. To me it straddles the line between horror and speculative almost historical fiction ? we love a slightly revisionist but academically supported reading !
It's a funny book that made me laugh, and it's also tender, clever, slightly weird and creepy. There are poems that honestly brought me to tears and the little experimentations with form felt truly meaningful. There's a balance in the poems between going forward with the story and having moments of poetic pause, there's a strong nostalgia too, and a vivid quality to how the past shows up on the page. I really liked the way technology, digital and analog, kind of "interferes" in the novel.
so yes!! more more more. It hits specific points i love in poetry where it blends specific cultural references that i don't always get, slightly autobiographical moments, weirdness, academic perspectives... it's just steeped in intertextuality in a way that hits my soft spots. and i love it <3
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
dreaming of you is a novel in verse that follows our narrator as she resuscitates selena, and the consequences of that decision. It's poetry that touches on the magic, using horror elements to highlight the difficulties of fame, growing up in a world that doesn't feel made for you, and the uncertainties of navigating life and romance as a woman. To me it straddles the line between horror and speculative almost historical fiction ? we love a slightly revisionist but academically supported reading !
It's a funny book that made me laugh, and it's also tender, clever, slightly weird and creepy. There are poems that honestly brought me to tears and the little experimentations with form felt truly meaningful. There's a balance in the poems between going forward with the story and having moments of poetic pause, there's a strong nostalgia too, and a vivid quality to how the past shows up on the page. I really liked the way technology, digital and analog, kind of "interferes" in the novel.
so yes!! more more more. It hits specific points i love in poetry where it blends specific cultural references that i don't always get, slightly autobiographical moments, weirdness, academic perspectives... it's just steeped in intertextuality in a way that hits my soft spots. and i love it <3
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
quite literally a train station novel, one that you pick up at the kiosk and put down at the end of your journey, so much fun and fast paced goodness, tight action scenes, great character dynamics, perfect blend of entertainment and cathartic violence and im intrigued to see how the screen adaptation works out
i would've given this four stars but the presence of transphobia, especially the way it's "used" in the book really undercut my enjoyment, so be mindful of that before picking it up
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
i would've given this four stars but the presence of transphobia, especially the way it's "used" in the book really undercut my enjoyment, so be mindful of that before picking it up
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Transphobia
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A heart warming, fluffy sapphic romance with a cheerleading backdrop that doesn't shy away from addressing the difficult parts of transitioning and being out as a teenager. i just felt like it went by so quickly and i didn't get to know these characters as well as i would've liked, but there is definitely potential for this to be a series that explores other characters or even cheerleading more in depth
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Girl One by Sara Flannery Murphy
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
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? Yes
5.0
This book definitely haunted me for a few weeks after i read it, i had a small crisis and i was SO eager to discuss it with others.
It's a book that asks a lot of questions, its main premise being "what if someone had figured out a way to procreate without male dna, back in the 70s?" and "what if there were some cultish undertones?" but also "what if it was destroyed by human fear?" and i'm excited to say that I found the answers brilliant. We follow josephine, the first girl born of those experiments as she attempts the finish what was interrupted by tragedy, but is herself interrupted by the sudden disappearance of her mother, with which she had a fraught relationship. Despite this, she takes it upon herself to find her in a quest that takes her across the us, at a thriller road trip pace, where she will learn difficult truths about her past and her mother's legacy.
It's also a coming of age story, josephine grows so much, and learns to see her mother as a whole woman. It's a novel that touches on reproductive issues, desire, progress etc in a way that feel relevant to the current age while sticking to its 70s-90s setting. Even if you expect some of the (multiple) plot twists, it's so satisfying to see it unfold and have all the pieces of the puzzle slot together.
I loved how cinematic it was, especially the ending, i easily visualised the different settings, and i could totally see a movie being made.
It's a book that asks a lot of questions, its main premise being "what if someone had figured out a way to procreate without male dna, back in the 70s?" and "what if there were some cultish undertones?" but also "what if it was destroyed by human fear?" and i'm excited to say that I found the answers brilliant. We follow josephine, the first girl born of those experiments as she attempts the finish what was interrupted by tragedy, but is herself interrupted by the sudden disappearance of her mother, with which she had a fraught relationship. Despite this, she takes it upon herself to find her in a quest that takes her across the us, at a thriller road trip pace, where she will learn difficult truths about her past and her mother's legacy.
It's also a coming of age story, josephine grows so much, and learns to see her mother as a whole woman. It's a novel that touches on reproductive issues, desire, progress etc in a way that feel relevant to the current age while sticking to its 70s-90s setting. Even if you expect some of the (multiple) plot twists, it's so satisfying to see it unfold and have all the pieces of the puzzle slot together.
I loved how cinematic it was, especially the ending, i easily visualised the different settings, and i could totally see a movie being made.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A group of students part of a mystery writing club go on vacation on the site of a gruesome murder, what they don't know is that they have been led into a trap by someone seeking revenge, and that they're all in danger. This novel is an obvious tribute to Agatha Christie's 'And then there were none', and lovingly references other mystery writers, something that i couldn't quite appreciate as I have no knowledge of the genre. The writing was quite dry and the dialogues felt stilted, even when taking into account the fact that those are pretentios students from the 80's (secret history who?). The characters are obvious flat archetypes which work well with the story being told but left me wanting more. The most exciting part was when all the exposition was done and the murders started happening, I could feel that the writer/translator was more in their comfort zone, and I had definitely gotten into a groove with the writing style too. There's a BIG twist near the end which completely blindsided me, but once again, i'm not a seasoned msytery reader so take that with the grain of salt. I felt like the ending was overexplained and gave away too much, it kind of whimpered instead of ending strong.
While not really my cup of tea, it was an overall good (and quick!) reading experience, would recommend it for someone who would like a twist on a classic "no exit" trope, in a japanese context.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
While not really my cup of tea, it was an overall good (and quick!) reading experience, would recommend it for someone who would like a twist on a classic "no exit" trope, in a japanese context.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Lonely Receiver #5 by Zac Thompson
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
2.5
this is a graphic novel set in a (near?) future where artificial intelligence is able to create the perfect partner for you, with which to have otherwordly sex, thanks to body modifications and an organic phonelike device. catrin is bonded with rhion, her AI until they're not; and it sends her on a long spiral to rock bottom.
still unsure about how i feel about this. although the art style is gorgeous, i thought the narrative was lacking. I was expecting to be horrified by this but i was just perplexed. the sci fi elements are interesting but underdeveloped as is the central relationship.
it could've worked as a character study if we were given any insight into who this character is. i am very pro unlikeable/unreliable main character, but besides her neediness, possessiveness and lack of direction, we learn very little about catrin. she just felt like a conduit for the writer to explore ideas about technology, relationships, and codependence within them, with a side dish of porn/sex addiction? idk it felt like it lacked a cohesive, human anchor, but maybe that was the point.
i think what contributed to it was the fact that a lot of the text felt stream of consciousness and there wasn't much in the way of worldbuilding. there was a lot of gratuitous nudity and disturbing visuals but i don't really hold it against the authors, however this book was miscategorized as YA which is something that should be fixed.
to come back to the illustrations, i really liked the character design choices and the overall colour palette, even if at times i felt overwhelmed with visual information, i think this is the downsides of reading a graphic novel on a screen.
it wasn't for me, but i would recommend it for people who liked the movies her and ex machina, although it is not as tight on plot and suspense but more on the side of emotionally troubling. i would love to read a story set in that universe that dives more into the world building, maybe even the divide between people who have embraced this technology and those who reject it.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
still unsure about how i feel about this. although the art style is gorgeous, i thought the narrative was lacking. I was expecting to be horrified by this but i was just perplexed. the sci fi elements are interesting but underdeveloped as is the central relationship.
it could've worked as a character study if we were given any insight into who this character is. i am very pro unlikeable/unreliable main character, but besides her neediness, possessiveness and lack of direction, we learn very little about catrin. she just felt like a conduit for the writer to explore ideas about technology, relationships, and codependence within them, with a side dish of porn/sex addiction? idk it felt like it lacked a cohesive, human anchor, but maybe that was the point.
i think what contributed to it was the fact that a lot of the text felt stream of consciousness and there wasn't much in the way of worldbuilding. there was a lot of gratuitous nudity and disturbing visuals but i don't really hold it against the authors, however this book was miscategorized as YA which is something that should be fixed.
to come back to the illustrations, i really liked the character design choices and the overall colour palette, even if at times i felt overwhelmed with visual information, i think this is the downsides of reading a graphic novel on a screen.
it wasn't for me, but i would recommend it for people who liked the movies her and ex machina, although it is not as tight on plot and suspense but more on the side of emotionally troubling. i would love to read a story set in that universe that dives more into the world building, maybe even the divide between people who have embraced this technology and those who reject it.
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood