nikki_flowers's reviews
156 reviews

Babel by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad 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 was brilliant in so many ways that I cannot even begin to adequately put into words. 

This is a book to help you decolonize your mind. The story itself is beautiful and the message is powerful. Fiction like this is so important. People need to see, these stories, to read these stories. Decolonial fiction like this gives us insight and hope and community and so much more. 

As I reflect back on my journey reading this masterpiece I cannot help but think of the events that were unfolding in the world at the same time. 

As I very slowly (for thoroughness sake, not a lack of interest) made my way through the book, I watched the world justify the genocide of Palestinians and the further colonization of Palestine. I watched so so many people, white girls and women in particular, obsess over this book but refuse to put the message into practice. If felt like a fetishization or infantilization of the book and its decolonial efforts. How many read this book and took what they wanted from it for their own selfish reasons and then watch Palestine burn and called Hamas terrorists or stayed completely silent. A completely colonizer move to take what you want from the book and leave the rest to burn regardless of the harm caused.

And yet, how many others read this work and felt its message in their bones. How many saw themselves on the page for the first time. How many people were awakened to liberations struggles. How many felt and cried and turned it into action. How many had hard and necessary conversations with themselves and/ or others because of this book.

That is the legacy of this book. The change it brought about to so many. The perverse colonizer response is not its legacy but rather further example of exactly why we need books like this. 

May this book live on in the hearts of those who have read it and may it fuel our souls in the liberation/mutual aid/revolution/abolition work we do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mass/school shootings, and Alcohol

peluda by Melissa Lozada-Oliva

hopeful inspiring reflective

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Cultural appropriation

I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-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

This will certainly be making its way into my classroom bookshelf! It is so important for kids to know that LGBTQ+ people have *always* existed. This is a lovely story, one told with deep love and care in a way I feel only a trans author could. (and very well researched). I won’t spoil anything but there were many scenes that meant so much to me as a nonbinary trans person, several of which brought me to tears (ones of joy). 

My only criticism (a personal preference rather than any *real* criticism of the work) is that I found Eleanore largely unlikeable for most of the book. I of course understand that her flaws were essential early on in showing her privilege and in setting up her necessary character development. And I think that it’s also very important to show her flaws and character development as a lesson for kids (who are the intended audience of this YA graphic novel). So while I, as an adult reader, did not enjoy her character, I do not think it fair to “downgrade” the book for it because it’s a very meaningful aspect of the book, especially for it’s intended audience.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Deadnaming, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

More tw: misgendering, anti-Black racism, elitism, anxiety disorder

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and War

Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-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

5.0

Look, I’m a simple lad, give me childhood friends to enemies to lovers (and a queer/trans normative world!!!!!!) and I’ll eat it up EVERY time

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting

The Carrying: Poems by Ada Limón

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

This books has remarked my love of poetry. Limón’s contemplations of womanhood, motherhood, the nation, have seeped deep in my bones. From them, new life has grown. Thank you Limón, for helping me find soul and beauty again.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infertility and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Death, Racism, Sexism, Dementia, Abortion, Death of parent, and Deportation

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Cursing and Dysphoria

Minor: Child death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

More CW: fantasy racism/xenophobia, ritual sacrifice

Echoes and Empires by Morgan Rhodes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Infertility, Sexual content, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

Darker by Four by June CL Tan

adventurous emotional mysterious 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Kika Hatzopoulou does it again! Such an amazing read!!!!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail