menage_a_livre's reviews
63 reviews

The Rose Bride: A Retelling of The White Bride and the Black Bride by Nancy Holder

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Before Midnight: A Retelling of Cinderella by Cameron Dokey

adventurous emotional medium-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? Yes

3.0

Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguié

lighthearted 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? No

3.0

youthjuice by E.K. Sathue

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This is apparently the year for Indigenous fantasy for me. Elatsoe was a little difficult for me to get into but once I was into it, I was in. The way Little Badger writes is just so immersive and fluid that I could see everything playing out in my head. While I have a good imagination, the way she describes certain things (especially Ellie calling ghosts to her) had a little bit more added realism for how I pictured the narrative playing out. I initially thought Elatsoe would be like...dystopian futuristic sci fi but boy was I wrong. The book is like if magical realism, urban fantasy, and murder mystery had a baby. If you're looking to read more Indigenous voices this year, I would absolutely recommend this book. 

Eat a Peach by Gabe Ulla, David Chang
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.

I was into the premise of the book for a little but then it kept becoming the same thing over and over again. The writing style was insufferable and felt incredibly self-important and insincere, while also remaining self-deprecating. I decided to move on rather than keep trying to slog through. This book could have been 200 pages instead of 300+. 

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

dark reflective tense medium-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

4.25

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

adventurous emotional 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

4.5

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.

I love retellings. Circe is one of my favourites and I’m very excited to read Medea by Rosie Hewlett. So I was excited when someone recommended Clytemnestra. Boy howdy was I wrong in being excited. 

People ~elsewhere~ have said that calling the prose wooden is an insult to trees and I agree heartily with this statement. It feels clunky and unpolished. There are also three historical inaccuracies in the first few chapters which was such a weird thing to come across. For example, Casati has Clytemnestra quote a Biblical proverb and she calls Spartiates a group of women warriors (which is wrong). I thought I could trudge along and the book would get better but then Theseus abducted and raped Helen, Clytemnestra’s younger sister. There are so many references to sexual assault and this book is supposed to be “empowering” and about vengeance but Jesus Christ the constant mention of SA is so incredibly exhausting. I know that Helen does get abducted and assaulted in the original myths, but this is supposed to be a *retelling*. Anyways 0/10 just go read literally anything else. I’m going to read about mermaids or something.


Also whoever recommended this to me: you and I officially have beef and I’m going to fistfight you in the Denny’s parking lot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and War