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moonytoast's reviews
239 reviews
Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!
Brimming with rage, resilience, and deep questions around humanity and creation reminiscent of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Wrath Becomes Her is a genre-blending gem of history, fantasy, and horror. Following the death of his daughter at the hands of the Nazis, a man creates a golem in her likeness using kishuf—ancient magic derided as an abomination against God—in order to avenge her death. Vera is a creation of clay and steel and ink and human teeth designed to be the ultimate Nazi killer... but is that all she is? As she encounters people whom she recognizes from stolen memories and uncovers a plot to channel kishuf to wage war, Vera grapples with the complexities of humanity as well as the nature of her creation and whether she is allowed or deserves to have a life or purpose beyond the one she was given.
Set in Lithuania against the backdrop of World War II, the novel creates an immersive sense of foreboding and the tangible dangers for simply existing as a Jew. Traveling back roads and sneaking through dense forests in the dead of winter, the horrors of clandestine camps for Jewish refugees being found by Nazis or Soviets, the tangible dangers of resistance to the extermination of your people.... These elements all swirl together and fill the reader with the same dread the characters feel with their every move. I am not well-informed enough to know whether the historical elements of this book are entirely accurate, but the world created for this book does feel real and lived-in by these characters. Part of this is likely the writing style, which somehow manages to overwhelm my pet peeve of first-person narration within historical settings and evoke a sense of immersion in the story.
Vera is a stellar character that resonates with the queer experience of being perceived as "monstrous" by others, perhaps even by oneself, and the grappling with identity that comes with existing beyond the traditional roles, experiences and bodies the world demands. I feel a kinship with her: a rage that is both her own and inherited from another, a hunger for more than her assigned role or purpose, a hypervigilance of her own physicality. Her interactions with the various humans she encounters throughout the book are interesting to read; particularly the way that Vera's perception of herself morphs into something greater as her connections and care for the living grow. To see her journey from her creation to creator was deeply compelling.
Deftly pitched as Frankenstein meets Inglorious Basterds, Wrath Becomes Her is a compelling story of Jewish resilience and rage against the Nazi regime during the Second World War that further cements Polydoros as a talented author of young adult fiction.
Brimming with rage, resilience, and deep questions around humanity and creation reminiscent of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Wrath Becomes Her is a genre-blending gem of history, fantasy, and horror. Following the death of his daughter at the hands of the Nazis, a man creates a golem in her likeness using kishuf—ancient magic derided as an abomination against God—in order to avenge her death. Vera is a creation of clay and steel and ink and human teeth designed to be the ultimate Nazi killer... but is that all she is? As she encounters people whom she recognizes from stolen memories and uncovers a plot to channel kishuf to wage war, Vera grapples with the complexities of humanity as well as the nature of her creation and whether she is allowed or deserves to have a life or purpose beyond the one she was given.
Set in Lithuania against the backdrop of World War II, the novel creates an immersive sense of foreboding and the tangible dangers for simply existing as a Jew. Traveling back roads and sneaking through dense forests in the dead of winter, the horrors of clandestine camps for Jewish refugees being found by Nazis or Soviets, the tangible dangers of resistance to the extermination of your people.... These elements all swirl together and fill the reader with the same dread the characters feel with their every move. I am not well-informed enough to know whether the historical elements of this book are entirely accurate, but the world created for this book does feel real and lived-in by these characters. Part of this is likely the writing style, which somehow manages to overwhelm my pet peeve of first-person narration within historical settings and evoke a sense of immersion in the story.
Vera is a stellar character that resonates with the queer experience of being perceived as "monstrous" by others, perhaps even by oneself, and the grappling with identity that comes with existing beyond the traditional roles, experiences and bodies the world demands. I feel a kinship with her: a rage that is both her own and inherited from another, a hunger for more than her assigned role or purpose, a hypervigilance of her own physicality. Her interactions with the various humans she encounters throughout the book are interesting to read; particularly the way that Vera's perception of herself morphs into something greater as her connections and care for the living grow. To see her journey from her creation to creator was deeply compelling.
Deftly pitched as Frankenstein meets Inglorious Basterds, Wrath Becomes Her is a compelling story of Jewish resilience and rage against the Nazi regime during the Second World War that further cements Polydoros as a talented author of young adult fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Gore, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Genocide, and Grief
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
absolutely stunning work of nonfiction that makes me want to get
my hands on every single word this author has written and also watch a fuck ton of nature documentaries about the ocean
my hands on every single word this author has written and also watch a fuck ton of nature documentaries about the ocean
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, Dysphoria, Alcohol, and Sexual content
Rook by William Ritter
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Algonquin Young Reader's for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!
William Ritter’s Rook is a blessed return to form with its quirky, mystery-solving duo of Abigail Rook and R.F. Jackaby that demonstrates the true strength of the original Jackaby series. This novel picks up several months after the previous book, where an inter-dimensional war was waged, the veil between New Fiddleham and the other side was left partially open, and Abigail Rook inherited the title of the Seer from Jackaby. While it does essentially operate as a “standalone mystery” within the world Ritter has created, my first attempt at reading Rook—having only read the first book in the series—felt like jumping into a television series at the halfway point, i.e. watching Teen Wolf for the first time but starting with season 3B.
William Ritter’s Rook is a blessed return to form with its quirky, mystery-solving duo of Abigail Rook and R.F. Jackaby that demonstrates the true strength of the original Jackaby series. This novel picks up several months after the previous book, where an inter-dimensional war was waged, the veil between New Fiddleham and the other side was left partially open, and Abigail Rook inherited the title of the Seer from Jackaby. While it does essentially operate as a “standalone mystery” within the world Ritter has created, my first attempt at reading Rook—having only read the first book in the series—felt like jumping into a television series at the halfway point, i.e. watching Teen Wolf for the first time but starting with season 3B.
After holing herself up in 929 Augur Lane for months trying to understand and test her new powers, Abigail Rook returns to her role as a detective and is shocked to find how much supernatural chaos has been happening on the streets of New Fiddleham. Tasked with a new case, it is up to Abigail herself to solve a string of homicides and missing persons cases that threatens the new, tenuous dynamic between humans and the supernatural world.
I truly enjoyed seeing the way in which Abigail is struggling to adjust to her new role as the Seer and the shift in dynamic between her and Jackaby, now that he has lost the sight. (The Watson has become the Holmes, if you will.) Their different personalities and manners of investigating have been a fun draw to this series for me and I appreciated that the change in the role of Seer did not completely alter their dynamic and, frankly, further enhanced their friendship.
The original four books in the Jackaby series have their highs and lows and, while this may not technically be the fifth installment, I would consider it among the highs of the world Ritter created. These books shine when focused on the nitty-gritty of investigating odd supernatural mysteries, the dynamic between Rook and Jackaby, and their complicated love of the city of New Fiddleham and people—and creatures—who have made their home there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Murder and Kidnapping
The Dire King by William Ritter
adventurous
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, War, and Blood
Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
ooooooh okay i actually really enjoyed this one and the mystery here, it had much more tangible stakes and a personal resolve to uncover the mystery of jenny's death... it had the nice balance of energy and tension that made me hyperfixate so easily on CW's Nancy Drew
very excited to read the next one and then (FINALLY!!!!) get to the ARC of Rook i started a while ago
very excited to read the next one and then (FINALLY!!!!) get to the ARC of Rook i started a while ago
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, and Death
Minor: Transphobia, Sexual harassment, Hate crime, and Sexual violence
Still Life with Bones by Alexa Hagerty
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, War, Murder, Violence, Police brutality, Genocide, Gun violence, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Torture, and Sexual violence
Jackaby by William Ritter
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
as someone who was DEEP in the fandoms of buffy the vampire slayer, sherlock holmes, and psych…. this is SO up my alley it’s an abomination it took me this long to pick up the series
is it perfect? no, but honesty i don’t really care because it was a fun time! we love a supernatural mystery with a silly little detective guy who is 1000% neurodivergent and his zany crew: a young watsonian woman with a passion for adventure, a ghost who lives rent free in the detective’s home, a shapeshifting detective who (occasionally) moonlights as a hound, and a former sidekick reluctantly turned waterfowl!
this is such a wonderful blend of the mystery and historical setting of sherlock holmes, supernatural intrigue of buffy the vampire slayer, and zany comedy of psych. truly a book series for the girlies who grew up on superwholock tumblr (not derogatory).
is it perfect? no, but honesty i don’t really care because it was a fun time! we love a supernatural mystery with a silly little detective guy who is 1000% neurodivergent and his zany crew: a young watsonian woman with a passion for adventure, a ghost who lives rent free in the detective’s home, a shapeshifting detective who (occasionally) moonlights as a hound, and a former sidekick reluctantly turned waterfowl!
this is such a wonderful blend of the mystery and historical setting of sherlock holmes, supernatural intrigue of buffy the vampire slayer, and zany comedy of psych. truly a book series for the girlies who grew up on superwholock tumblr (not derogatory).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Confinement
The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Chalk full of tension, the thrills of augmented reality, and an interesting library of bird facts, Yume Kitasei’s The Deep Sky is a solid science fiction thriller set on the Phoenix, a spaceship transporting the highly selective crew from Earth to Planet X with the hopes of rebuilding humanity. When explosion kills several crew members—including the Captain—and derails their course, Asuka is tasked with unraveling the mystery of what caused the explosion… and which of the people on their ship is responsible.
I genuinely fell in love with the character of Asuka as the story unfolded and we as the reader learn more about her life before becoming one of the members aboard the Phoenix and the intense years of training before the final few were selected. Asuka feels much more connected to the reader, because she is an Alternate—a jack-of-all-trades, the second choice for a mission she had dedicated years of her life to potentially join. Her deeply fraught relationship with her mother and her special interest in birds further fleshes out her character in a way that enhances the drama and intrigue of the mystery-thriller sections of the novel.
Speaking of mystery-thriller…. I still don’t know if they’re for me, but I think this was a fairly competent thriller entry in the science fiction genre. There were moments where the confusing hallucinations brought on by Asuka’s DAR—a neural implant that allows for fully immersive augmented reality—that made me feel more confused than anxious while reading. I think that sort of element works better in a more visual medium compared to in a novel, but there were still cool and visually interesting moments. Additionally, some of the flashbacks undercut the tension that the previous chapter had been building, which made the pace sometimes feel a bit disjointed.
Despite some of my minor hangups with this book, I’m excited to see where Yume Kitasei goes in their future writing projects, because they have a great talent for character work and conveying interpersonal relationships between characters with an earnest nuance.
I would certainly recommend this for fans who love the dramatic tension, complex parent-child dynamics, and humanity of Interstellar.
I genuinely fell in love with the character of Asuka as the story unfolded and we as the reader learn more about her life before becoming one of the members aboard the Phoenix and the intense years of training before the final few were selected. Asuka feels much more connected to the reader, because she is an Alternate—a jack-of-all-trades, the second choice for a mission she had dedicated years of her life to potentially join. Her deeply fraught relationship with her mother and her special interest in birds further fleshes out her character in a way that enhances the drama and intrigue of the mystery-thriller sections of the novel.
Speaking of mystery-thriller…. I still don’t know if they’re for me, but I think this was a fairly competent thriller entry in the science fiction genre. There were moments where the confusing hallucinations brought on by Asuka’s DAR—a neural implant that allows for fully immersive augmented reality—that made me feel more confused than anxious while reading. I think that sort of element works better in a more visual medium compared to in a novel, but there were still cool and visually interesting moments. Additionally, some of the flashbacks undercut the tension that the previous chapter had been building, which made the pace sometimes feel a bit disjointed.
Despite some of my minor hangups with this book, I’m excited to see where Yume Kitasei goes in their future writing projects, because they have a great talent for character work and conveying interpersonal relationships between characters with an earnest nuance.
I would certainly recommend this for fans who love the dramatic tension, complex parent-child dynamics, and humanity of Interstellar.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Confinement, Medical content, and War
Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood by Maureen Ryan
I think this is a must-read nonfiction book for anyone loves film and television, even those who may not be as tuned into the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. It breaks down so many issues that have plagued and continue to plague Hollywood, which often create a toxic and abusive work environment for writers, actors, assistants and various workers across the entertainment industry, particularly lower to middle-level workers.
There is so much that this book digs into regarding various workplaces and an abundance of harrowing personal experiences from those she interviewed, but it's not a book without hope or a vision for a better future; Maureen Ryan demonstrates that Hollywood does not have to be this way and there are demonstrable changes that can be made to create a better, healthier work environment for everyone.
I, for one, hope that future comes sooner than later. If the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes put enough pressure on the AMPTP to come to the table and cede to the demands of those unions, that won't nearly solve all of the issues Ryan brings up in this book. But it would be a good start.
challenging
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
4.75
We have to remember one big truth about the entertainment industry—not just as it is presently constructed but as it has always been constructed. Those who run it care about power and money. Profits that used to be measured in millions now are measured in billions. Every penny has to be squeezed from every possible corner of the industry. [...] If those with power think it saves money to ignore monstrous behavior—if it save money to not care about who gets damaged, broken, or otherwise abused during the creative process—well, that's what happens.
I think this is a must-read nonfiction book for anyone loves film and television, even those who may not be as tuned into the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. It breaks down so many issues that have plagued and continue to plague Hollywood, which often create a toxic and abusive work environment for writers, actors, assistants and various workers across the entertainment industry, particularly lower to middle-level workers.
There is so much that this book digs into regarding various workplaces and an abundance of harrowing personal experiences from those she interviewed, but it's not a book without hope or a vision for a better future; Maureen Ryan demonstrates that Hollywood does not have to be this way and there are demonstrable changes that can be made to create a better, healthier work environment for everyone.
I, for one, hope that future comes sooner than later. If the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes put enough pressure on the AMPTP to come to the table and cede to the demands of those unions, that won't nearly solve all of the issues Ryan brings up in this book. But it would be a good start.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Racism