mbmartin42's reviews
324 reviews

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.75

Coup De Grâce by Sofia Ajram

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No

4.75

American Rapture by CJ Leede

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challenging dark emotional sad 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

3.75

Content Warnings

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

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4.25

“If you are loved, then you cannot be replaced.”

I absolutely loved Magic for Liars, so when I saw this on sale I immediately snapped it up without even bothering to read the synopsis. When I finally picked it up I had no idea the wild ride I was getting myself into. Perfect choice.

Overall, this is such a unique story and I absolutely love Gailey’s writing and storytelling ability. It just gets crazier with each new twist, and by the end the weight of this book feels immense. It tackles themes on individuality, grooming, the complexity of self, the morality of cloning, trauma, the cycles of abuse for both perpetrator & victim, & what it truly means to be human.

Although this is billed as a sci-fi thriller/mystery, I would classify it more as a slow burn domestic sci-fi. This is a very character driven story, mostly told in inner monologue; and I won’t lie, I felt that parts of this book did drag just a bit, but looking back it totally paid off in the end which ended up coming full circle.

XE Sands did a phenomenal job with the narrations, she really brought life to Evelyn and this story.

Was Evelyn immediately like-able? No. She’s a cutthroat b* who puts her work before all else. Not wanting to derail her research and career for the sake of starting a family. Baby’s aren’t easy and are very time consuming, you know. But I think her character arch is played out perfectly. Through the subplot of childhood flashbacks we get to see her relationship to her parents & their flawed marriage. As the older version of herself begins to fully examine and question how those relationships and experiences shaped her into who she is and how they directly affect both her actions and way of thinking.

What does it take to get you out of the way of thinking and the way you’re taught to be, to make something new for yourself, to unlearn everything that’s been imbedded?

I can’t really comment on how accurate or correct all the science elements were but ,boy, the emotional impact was a gut punch. So the sci-fi, to me, was merely the structure with which to hold this story together.

Reading Gailey’s authors note at the end made me realize how much of this story might be her own story wrapped up in science fiction. Which is absolutely heartbreaking but also uplifting hearing that she was able to overcome.

The Flesh of the Sea by Lor Gislason, Shelley Lavigne

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

“It was warm enough that most men slept outside under the stars. I looked up at them and realised that these are the same stars you see, Jean. Do you think of me when you gaze towards the sky?”

This was such a fun and fast paced read that was hard to put down. Alive with mischief, madness, and shenanigans there was never a dull moment. I love that the story unfolded through letters from Wil to Jean and Jean’s personal journal entries. Each one added a new adventure as well as fresh horrors and personal revelations. Plus that ending… 🥹

These pages are filled with pirates (of course!), a hint of whimsy, a splash of body horror, plenty of fantastical and ferocious beasts, found family, and a healthy dose of gay pining.

The perfect read to kick off the transrightsreadathon.

“There has been no great wisdom without an element of madness.”

Outlawed by Anna North

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adventurous hopeful tense fast-paced