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mossybookworm's reviews
1107 reviews
Letters to the Purple Satin Killer by Joshua Chaplinsky
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
man. I'd really been looking forward to this but now that I'm done I'm just disappointed. ran on way too long, and genuinely got boring/meandering/unbelievable and unfunny/flat as satire which made me sad. I get what this was going for, and I wish it could have been that. I might have given him another chance, but I'm going to be honest - making up a Black woman to write the killer to complain about "lack of diversity in the killings" went from parody to just plain offensive to me and I won't be reading any more from this author
Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
this is short and nasty! it might not have been a very strong read for me but the horror of the central premise, unique visuals, and short length carried it for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse
Green Fuse Burning by Tiffany Morris
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lush and beautiful. i really liked the focus on nature's cycles and how grief and nature and life and death are all connected and all inform each other. i liked the framing with the art pieces, but thought the end was a little rushed/thesis-statement-y - but frankly i resonate with the thesis statement so whole heartedly it gets a pass.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Self harm
Character Limit by Kate Conger, Ryan Mac
informative
slow-paced
4.0
what a cruel and incompetent man. rip twitter
Be Kind, My Neighbor by Yugo Limbo
dark
emotional
medium-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
4.0
i'm learning that with silver sprocket books i often don't know what's going on 100% of the time, but it's gonna be a lush queer fever dream and i'm along for the ride.
Stalked by the Kraken by Lillian Lark
emotional
hopeful
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
rose and gideon and their personal kinks/dynamics weren't 100% my thing, but the world is so endearing and the focus on sex positivity and consent in relationships was so charming that it won me over. I can't wait to read more!
Cabin Fever: The Harrowing Journey of a Cruise Ship at the Dawn of a Pandemic by Michael Smith, Jonathan Franklin
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.0
this is so awful all the way around, but the thing that keeps blowing my mind is the fact that they still made crew pay exorbitant rates for wifi in the midst of all of this.
Fostering Wellness in the Workplace: A Handbook for Libraries: A Handbook for Libraries by Bobbi L. Newman
informative
4.0
almost too brief, but hopefully it will encourage people to dip their toe in if they're new/intimidated by the topic. covers a lot of essential ideas - especially Twanna Hodge's chapter - and serves as a good starting place. there were a few repeated and in-your-face typos that were frustrating.
Midnight on Beacon Street by Emily Ruth Verona
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I really feel what this book WANTED to be. There's a lot of nostalgia here - for childhood, for the early 90s and the horror movies of the era, for babysitting and the dynamics at play there. None of that particularly worked for me, and the jumping timeline made it fall even flatter. It would absolutely kill any sense of suspense and momentum and it felt like it was trying too hard to insert twists that weren't particularly compelling. The "clues" and even red herrings feel heavy handed. It feels like the book wants to read like an edge-of-your-seat slasher movie, but the characters read as unbelievable and annoying and the pacing was all wrong. I think the author nails a lot about being a kid, and especially being a young girl and a slightly older girl sizing each other up and trying to look out for themselves, but this wasn't enough to hold the book up for me. I'm frustrated because I think I would have enjoyed a shorter and more tightly edited version of this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm