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pages_with_panda's reviews
165 reviews
A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.0
Didn't like it. The premise was very odd to begin with (Grandma told me a life isn't worth living unless I kiss someone 1000 times?) - and the characters were so annoying and unlikeable that I actually was glad for the ending. I forced myself to finish the book because I had predicted how it was going to end and oh my god I was right, but it was still awful.
The author tried so very hard to make this a tragic star-crossed lovers story but Rune was the most annoying, misogynistic, selfish brat. Meanwhile, Poppy had literally no personality and was "not like other girls." They had zero chemistry and their whole relationship was forced because they were childhood friends?
The entire conflict during the time skip was such garbage too. Hated both characters and how they acted.
I didn't think it was cute or romantic or anything. Don't waste your time.
13hrs, 1min.
(⚠️Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness
Moderate: Grief,
Minor: Sexual content, Drug use, )
The author tried so very hard to make this a tragic star-crossed lovers story but Rune was the most annoying, misogynistic, selfish brat. Meanwhile, Poppy had literally no personality and was "not like other girls." They had zero chemistry and their whole relationship was forced because they were childhood friends?
The entire conflict during the time skip was such garbage too. Hated both characters and how they acted.
I didn't think it was cute or romantic or anything. Don't waste your time.
13hrs, 1min.
(⚠️Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness
Moderate: Grief,
Minor: Sexual content, Drug use, )
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Sexual content
Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
5.0
(This is technically a collection version of the stories. This edition contains Books 1-2 so I split my review up between the books.)
BOOK 1:
It took me a few chapters to get into this, and there is a LOT of world building in the dialogue. It was a bit dense but once the story got going, I really enjoyed it.
At first I thought the thieves felt like side characters in their own story…Especially because we heard more about them from Alric’s thoughts, but I think the author used this as a really nice way to keep us in the dark of what Riyria was plotting. It makes their grand escape or trick or whatever even more satisfying when you’re guessing along with their victims on how they did it.
I also loved Arista!! I say this after finishing the entire series - She’s my favorite character and honestly she’s very well written.
Good story overall with a nice solid ending. No cliff hanger setting up the next books, which I appreciated!
BOOK 2
Same complaint as before in terms of how heavy the politics, and world building is. It was very dense and a little hard to get through certain POVs because of how much history there was. I was very confused but kept reading because I was invested in the characters and I’m so glad I did!!
There eventually is a nice mix of action & politics told from two different POVS, and even though the politics was hard to follow, I’m happy for it. The world building and history become so important and its complexity makes for a well-rounded, believable world.
When the stories finally collided I was SOO happy!! Finally it makes sense!
I literally sobbed at the end and had to take a break after finishing this one.. that’s really all I can say.
I did like the hints at the end pointing towards bigger things to come.
And agree with the author on this having a “short plot, big character development.” It really is true.
There’s a lot of tiny details that make a lot of sense in the grande scheme and it’s not a hard read. Interesting and mysterious but funny and adventurous.
694 pages.
(⚠️Content Warnings;
Graphic: death, violence, blood,
Moderate: death of parent, sexual assault, ableism,
Minor: bigotry, prejudice, rape, child death,
BOOK 1:
It took me a few chapters to get into this, and there is a LOT of world building in the dialogue. It was a bit dense but once the story got going, I really enjoyed it.
At first I thought the thieves felt like side characters in their own story…Especially because we heard more about them from Alric’s thoughts, but I think the author used this as a really nice way to keep us in the dark of what Riyria was plotting. It makes their grand escape or trick or whatever even more satisfying when you’re guessing along with their victims on how they did it.
I also loved Arista!! I say this after finishing the entire series - She’s my favorite character and honestly she’s very well written.
Good story overall with a nice solid ending. No cliff hanger setting up the next books, which I appreciated!
BOOK 2
Same complaint as before in terms of how heavy the politics, and world building is. It was very dense and a little hard to get through certain POVs because of how much history there was. I was very confused but kept reading because I was invested in the characters and I’m so glad I did!!
There eventually is a nice mix of action & politics told from two different POVS, and even though the politics was hard to follow, I’m happy for it. The world building and history become so important and its complexity makes for a well-rounded, believable world.
When the stories finally collided I was SOO happy!! Finally it makes sense!
I literally sobbed at the end and had to take a break after finishing this one.. that’s really all I can say.
I did like the hints at the end pointing towards bigger things to come.
And agree with the author on this having a “short plot, big character development.” It really is true.
There’s a lot of tiny details that make a lot of sense in the grande scheme and it’s not a hard read. Interesting and mysterious but funny and adventurous.
694 pages.
(⚠️Content Warnings;
Graphic: death, violence, blood,
Moderate: death of parent, sexual assault, ableism,
Minor: bigotry, prejudice, rape, child death,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Sexual assault, Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Rape
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez
Use of transphobic slurs and ableist slurs
dark
mysterious
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Because this is a collection of short stories by the author, I'm going to split the reviews up by story. I've also included content warnings for each story as well and a single sentence summary.
Angelita Unearthed: 5/5
Woman is haunted by the dead baby corpse of her great-aunt.
Really liked the story! Very simple but super creepy and unsettling. I thought the relationship between the two characters was kinda funny - almost siblings. Lowkey the last scene made me chuckle.
• Moderate: Death of a child, Body horror, Gore,
Our Lady of the Quarry: 4/5
Teenage kids sneak into a quarry for the summer.
Good story, nice build up. Love any kind of revenge story and this was no exception. Good for Natalie.
• Moderate: Sexual content,
• Minor: Death,
The Cart: 2/5
A mysterious stranger shows up the neighborhood before horrible things start happening.
I did like where this story was going for the most part,. Again, I like revenge stories...But the story fell apart at the end and I couldn't really make heads-or-tails of what happened.
• Moderate: Excrement, Violence, Classism,
• Minor: Racism, Suicide, Animal death, Cannibalism
The Well: 5/5
A young girl suffers from severe anxiety of death and monsters.
Another favorite. Very, very unsettling and dark. The mystery surrounding what happened to her during that first trip was so interesting. Very well done. Sad ending.
• Moderate: Suicide,
• Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts,
Rambla Triste: 2/5
A neighborhood is haunted by murdered children.
I couldn't really understand the premise for this one at all. Was a little interesting but didn't seem to have a point to the story.
• Moderate: Pedophilia, Child abuse,
• Minor: Excrement, Child death,
The Lookout: 3/5
A Lady in a tower overlooks the hotel where she lives and invites another women to visit.
Had a nice "The Shinning" vibe and also some mystery regarding the Lady Upstairs. An okay story.
• Graphic: Self-harm,
• Minor: Rape, Attempted suicide, Drug abuse
Where are you, Dear Heart? : 5/5
A girl becomes obsessed with irregular heartbeats and tries to find the most imperfectly perfect one.
Incredibly unsettling. Can't stop thinking about this premise and the absolute horror of it. "What the fuck did I just read!?" But in a good, horrific way.
• Graphic: Medical
• Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Ableism,
Meat: 5/5
Two super fanatical fans of a rock star exhume his body and eat his corpse.
Another very disturbing story. Very well laid out and I really liked it. Horrific.
• Graphic: Suicide, Cannibalism,
• Moderate: Self-harm, Vomit
• Minor: Blood
Neither Baptism or Birthday: 3/5
A man tries to record a girl's hallucinations.
Very creepy story. Interesting build up as well. Ending fell a little flat.
• Moderate: Sexual content, Pedophilias, Mental illness, Self-harm
The Kids That Came Back: 5/5
Hundreds of missing children rematerialize but are the same age as when they disappeared.
I really liked this one. Super unsettling and creepy. Had a nice buildup as well and an interesting POV from Machi. (Interesting enough, compared to the Spanish version, the English version of this story had added a few sections of backstory that I think were completely unnecessary, especially because they added some slurs. And really added nothing to the story.)
• Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide
• Minor: Kidnapping, Death, Transphobic slur, Drug abuse,
Dangers of Smoking in Bed: 1/5
Woman smokes in bed.
Uninteresting. Couldn't really get into it. Thought the title story would be great but it fell flat.
• Moderate: Fire,
• Minor: Death, Sexual content, Blood
Back When We Talked to the Dead: 3/4
A group of girls use an Ouiji board.
A basic premise but interesting anyways! Unsettling but not too bad.
• Minor: Ableism slur (Spanish version)
Overall review for the book: 4/5. Solid stories! This is a horror book so check content warnings. Not suitable for young readers.
Angelita Unearthed: 5/5
Woman is haunted by the dead baby corpse of her great-aunt.
Really liked the story! Very simple but super creepy and unsettling. I thought the relationship between the two characters was kinda funny - almost siblings. Lowkey the last scene made me chuckle.
• Moderate: Death of a child, Body horror, Gore,
Our Lady of the Quarry: 4/5
Teenage kids sneak into a quarry for the summer.
Good story, nice build up. Love any kind of revenge story and this was no exception. Good for Natalie.
• Moderate: Sexual content,
• Minor: Death,
The Cart: 2/5
A mysterious stranger shows up the neighborhood before horrible things start happening.
I did like where this story was going for the most part,. Again, I like revenge stories...But the story fell apart at the end and I couldn't really make heads-or-tails of what happened.
• Moderate: Excrement, Violence, Classism,
• Minor: Racism, Suicide, Animal death, Cannibalism
The Well: 5/5
A young girl suffers from severe anxiety of death and monsters.
Another favorite. Very, very unsettling and dark. The mystery surrounding what happened to her during that first trip was so interesting. Very well done. Sad ending.
• Moderate: Suicide,
• Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts,
Rambla Triste: 2/5
A neighborhood is haunted by murdered children.
I couldn't really understand the premise for this one at all. Was a little interesting but didn't seem to have a point to the story.
• Moderate: Pedophilia, Child abuse,
• Minor: Excrement, Child death,
The Lookout: 3/5
A Lady in a tower overlooks the hotel where she lives and invites another women to visit.
Had a nice "The Shinning" vibe and also some mystery regarding the Lady Upstairs. An okay story.
• Graphic: Self-harm,
• Minor: Rape, Attempted suicide, Drug abuse
Where are you, Dear Heart? : 5/5
A girl becomes obsessed with irregular heartbeats and tries to find the most imperfectly perfect one.
Incredibly unsettling. Can't stop thinking about this premise and the absolute horror of it. "What the fuck did I just read!?" But in a good, horrific way.
• Graphic: Medical
• Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Ableism,
Meat: 5/5
Two super fanatical fans of a rock star exhume his body and eat his corpse.
Another very disturbing story. Very well laid out and I really liked it. Horrific.
• Graphic: Suicide, Cannibalism,
• Moderate: Self-harm, Vomit
• Minor: Blood
Neither Baptism or Birthday: 3/5
A man tries to record a girl's hallucinations.
Very creepy story. Interesting build up as well. Ending fell a little flat.
• Moderate: Sexual content, Pedophilias, Mental illness, Self-harm
The Kids That Came Back: 5/5
Hundreds of missing children rematerialize but are the same age as when they disappeared.
I really liked this one. Super unsettling and creepy. Had a nice buildup as well and an interesting POV from Machi. (Interesting enough, compared to the Spanish version, the English version of this story had added a few sections of backstory that I think were completely unnecessary, especially because they added some slurs. And really added nothing to the story.)
• Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide
• Minor: Kidnapping, Death, Transphobic slur, Drug abuse,
Dangers of Smoking in Bed: 1/5
Woman smokes in bed.
Uninteresting. Couldn't really get into it. Thought the title story would be great but it fell flat.
• Moderate: Fire,
• Minor: Death, Sexual content, Blood
Back When We Talked to the Dead: 3/4
A group of girls use an Ouiji board.
A basic premise but interesting anyways! Unsettling but not too bad.
• Minor: Ableism slur (Spanish version)
Overall review for the book: 4/5. Solid stories! This is a horror book so check content warnings. Not suitable for young readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Sexual content, Medical content
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Classism
Minor: Animal death, Death, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
adventurous
dark
hopeful
- 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 really liked the entire series as a whole. The premise was interesting, El as a character who was the unwilling, snarky hero who still tried to do as little harm as she could, the overarching themes of classism and elitism...I think this book was a good ending for El's story, but I did think this book had a whole lot of things to get through in a very short amount of time.
My issue is with the pacing because we've spent two books, years setting up how to escape the Scholomancy, and then we're given half a book to explore the world outside and how to save it. There was a large amount of information given to us, new characters to meet with entirely new dynamics and politics from each enclave.
I did like the reveals though. The truth about the Enclaves, El's prophecy and her family, and how the book was ultimately about hope and wanting to do good for others without wanting a reward. I loved El's character for that. No matter how bad things got or how angry and hopeless she felt, she still didn't give in to that destructive power within her.
The pacing at the end was a little off too - It seems everything happens very, very quickly despite entire pages at the beginning where nothing happened, but even though I liked the happy-ish ending, I would've liked to see more of the aftermath and spent some more time with the characters.
Overall really good series. Might have teared up once or twice.
407 pages.
(⚠️Content Warnings;
Graphic: Death, Torture, Grief
My issue is with the pacing because we've spent two books, years setting up how to escape the Scholomancy, and then we're given half a book to explore the world outside and how to save it. There was a large amount of information given to us, new characters to meet with entirely new dynamics and politics from each enclave.
I did like the reveals though. The truth about the Enclaves, El's prophecy and her family, and how the book was ultimately about hope and wanting to do good for others without wanting a reward. I loved El's character for that. No matter how bad things got or how angry and hopeless she felt, she still didn't give in to that destructive power within her.
The pacing at the end was a little off too - It seems everything happens very, very quickly despite entire pages at the beginning where nothing happened, but even though I liked the happy-ish ending, I would've liked to see more of the aftermath and spent some more time with the characters.
Overall really good series. Might have teared up once or twice.
407 pages.
(⚠️Content Warnings;
Graphic: Death, Torture, Grief
Moderate: War, Child abuse, Child death
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent )
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, War
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent
Babel by R.F. Kuang
This was my second RF Kuang book so I may be a bit biased because I loved the last series, but I knew this was going to be deeply layered with soo many themes. I also knew that the ending was going to break my heart...It deals with racism, colonialism, classism, misogyny, and I ended up crying at the end...In short, I loved it.
The setting is 1828 Oxford. Robin Swift is a Babbler, a student of Babel - a part of Oxford that is dedicated to the art of translation - using words from different languages to create magic. He's Chinese, taken from his country at a young age for the explicit purpose of translating into English . His friends suffered the same fate and yet they're supposed to be grateful for the chance to grow the British empire.
I fell in love with most of the characters, and the ending was built up in a way that should've been expected from the beginning, but I still had hope and it somehow was still unexpected.
The magic system was extremely unique, a bit hard to understand but honestly I loved it. It's a super interesting way to bring different languages into a story without using something like latin as the language of spells (which is always the default).
You can tell Kuang put a lot of thought into this book and I'd definitely recommend it.
Some tags: Dark academia, found family.
Suicide
challenging
dark
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
4.0
This is no accident; this is a deliberate exploitation of foreign culture and foreign resources.
This was my second RF Kuang book so I may be a bit biased because I loved the last series, but I knew this was going to be deeply layered with soo many themes. I also knew that the ending was going to break my heart...It deals with racism, colonialism, classism, misogyny, and I ended up crying at the end...In short, I loved it.
The setting is 1828 Oxford. Robin Swift is a Babbler, a student of Babel - a part of Oxford that is dedicated to the art of translation - using words from different languages to create magic. He's Chinese, taken from his country at a young age for the explicit purpose of translating into English . His friends suffered the same fate and yet they're supposed to be grateful for the chance to grow the British empire.
I fell in love with most of the characters, and the ending was built up in a way that should've been expected from the beginning, but I still had hope and it somehow was still unexpected.
The magic system was extremely unique, a bit hard to understand but honestly I loved it. It's a super interesting way to bring different languages into a story without using something like latin as the language of spells (which is always the default).
You can tell Kuang put a lot of thought into this book and I'd definitely recommend it.
‘How strange,’ said Ramy. ‘To love the stuff and the language, but to hate the country.’ ‘Not as odd as you’d think,’ said Victoire. ‘There are people, after all, and then there are things.’
‘This is how colonialism works. It convinces us that the fallout from resistance is entirely our fault, that the immoral choice is resistance itself rather than the circumstances that demanded it.’
Some tags: Dark academia, found family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Colonisation
Moderate: Sexism, Slavery, War
Minor: Gun violence, Death of parent
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
The story was slow to move along, but I enjoyed seeing life through Feyi’s eyes as she grappled with survivor’s guilt, her grief, and how she tried to find a meaning of her life.
Feyi’s an artist who deals primarily in blood - a result of having survived a car crash that killed her husband. She’s reckless with her one-night stands.
The descriptions of her art pieces and the 3D exhibition that she sets up are so beautiful and tragic I had to pause for a second. I couldn’t imagine seeing something so beautiful in real life and really liked the descriptions of those.
The second half of the story has been described as “messy” and I don’t want to mention too much without spoiling the book, but I like that Feyi followed her heart, as cliche as it sounds.
Was she a messy character or did she not give a damn what other people expected of her?
Also I think it’s unfair to judge her on a “relationship” she didn’t even consent to be in. She had told Namir she didn’t want to date seriously. His expectations of her are not her problem.
Cheating
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.0
So let me start off by saying the writing and prose in the story was beautiful and poetic in a way that made the plot of the book secondary. Second, don’t read this and expect a traditional romance book. That’s NOT what this is.
“She didn’t have to end up with anyone, no matter how pretty the picture looked to strangers.”
The story was slow to move along, but I enjoyed seeing life through Feyi’s eyes as she grappled with survivor’s guilt, her grief, and how she tried to find a meaning of her life.
Feyi’s an artist who deals primarily in blood - a result of having survived a car crash that killed her husband. She’s reckless with her one-night stands.
The descriptions of her art pieces and the 3D exhibition that she sets up are so beautiful and tragic I had to pause for a second. I couldn’t imagine seeing something so beautiful in real life and really liked the descriptions of those.
“If she could do tonight, she could do anything—the rest of a life, for example.”
The second half of the story has been described as “messy” and I don’t want to mention too much without spoiling the book, but I like that Feyi followed her heart, as cliche as it sounds.
Was she a messy character or did she not give a damn what other people expected of her?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Car accident
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Homophobia
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo
emotional
informative
5.0
Just when I thought America couldn't surprise me, I pick up this book and realize how wrong I am.
I loved the way Oluo began from the very inception of America and moved chronology (for the most part) into 2021.
Her stories were easy to follow; from white cowboys to politicians through the ages. She picks specific people who would be the best examples of white mediocrity and tells their stories - bringing to light different racists that I honestly didn't know about it. She's also very careful to cite all her sources - nothing but facts here.
I also appreciated her inclusionary language - This isn't just a book for Black readers, she mentions ways that Indigenous people, all BIPOC, women, and LGBTQIA people have been hurt by white mediocracy.
I also loved her writing style not being totally detached from the quotes she was forced to share from racist white men. Her comments and insight made this heavy book a little lighter to read.
100% recommend.
I loved the way Oluo began from the very inception of America and moved chronology (for the most part) into 2021.
Her stories were easy to follow; from white cowboys to politicians through the ages. She picks specific people who would be the best examples of white mediocrity and tells their stories - bringing to light different racists that I honestly didn't know about it. She's also very careful to cite all her sources - nothing but facts here.
I also appreciated her inclusionary language - This isn't just a book for Black readers, she mentions ways that Indigenous people, all BIPOC, women, and LGBTQIA people have been hurt by white mediocracy.
I also loved her writing style not being totally detached from the quotes she was forced to share from racist white men. Her comments and insight made this heavy book a little lighter to read.
100% recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Sexism, Police brutality
Minor: Suicide, Mass/school shootings
Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova
368 pages.
(⚠️Content Warnings;
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, Confinement
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury )
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Slight spoilers ahead, I've marked them but felt like I couldn't discuss where the book was lacking without them.
This book felt like the exact opposite of the first one - it was faster-paced, with less action towards the beginning but enough action sprinkled about.
Renata and Castian felt forced and could've used more development, especially because we saw first hand Castian's cruelty towards Moira. You're telling me that we're supposed to believe he was "acting" when the first scene in the first book is him setting a house full of Moira on fire? With a child inside? I felt like he didn't do enough to deserve redemption.
Maybe this book was too fast-paced because I felt like we didn't have time to experience anything before we were moving on. It felt like some the author wanted to have the characters act out specific scenes for no real reason, especially at the beginning.
Overall an okay ending to the story, but Renata didn't seem to suffer any consequences for her actions later in the book, despite characters warning her of all these great dangers...of using the knife, for some reason none of those warnings applied to her.
She then forgets the love of her life (again) for like a few pages only to then immediately remembered him out of nowhere. She was supposed to die for using knife and for some reason didn’t?
On another note, I loved Leo so much. I would say the book had a diverse cast of characters that I loved. I just wished they were a little more fleshed out.
This book felt like the exact opposite of the first one - it was faster-paced, with less action towards the beginning but enough action sprinkled about.
Renata and Castian felt forced and could've used more development, especially because we saw first hand Castian's cruelty towards Moira.
Maybe this book was too fast-paced because I felt like we didn't have time to experience anything before we were moving on. It felt like some the author wanted to have the characters act out specific scenes for no real reason, especially at the beginning.
Overall an okay ending to the story, but Renata didn't seem to suffer any consequences for her actions later in the book, despite characters warning her of all these great dangers...
On another note, I loved Leo so much. I would say the book had a diverse cast of characters that I loved. I just wished they were a little more fleshed out.
“Kiss me and make me forget,” I whisper.
“No, Nati. When I kiss you again, truly kiss you, it will be to make you remember.”
“Then don't."
"Don't love you?"
"Hate me," he pleads. "I could endure your hatred. I would devour its fruit if it meant keeping you with me."
368 pages.
(⚠️Content Warnings;
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, Confinement
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury )
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Torture
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
The pacing felt really off for this book. The first half was very slow and some major plot points were predictable. The writing was very beautiful but it seemed at times that we were getting more poetry than plot, especially with how often we saw the memories of random side characters.
I wanted to like this book more than I actually did because of the Latine elements and it was very nice to see the diversity of dark-skinned characters, non-verbal characters who sign, and gay characters; but they weren't enough to save the story. The Spanish sprinkled in the story was also nice.
The second half of the book almost made up for the slow first half. There were some twists & mysteries at the end but there was definitely a huge cliffhanger.
Overall interesting enough to make me read the second book.
I wanted to like this book more than I actually did because of the Latine elements and it was very nice to see the diversity of dark-skinned characters, non-verbal characters who sign, and gay characters; but they weren't enough to save the story. The Spanish sprinkled in the story was also nice.
The second half of the book almost made up for the slow first half. There were some twists & mysteries at the end but there was definitely a huge cliffhanger.
Overall interesting enough to make me read the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual content
Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
A slow-paced, character driven story of five generations of a a Mexican/Indigenous family in Denver Colorado.
I really liked the back and forth between generations! It took a second for it to make sense and it was non-linear but I liked being able to connect the stories and characters.
I wanted to cry near the end for what happened to the family. Every generation had their own world-shattering problem and it was so personal.
I felt the ending was a bit abrupt though and I would’ve liked more details, but the last sentence was beautiful.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“We cannot know the depths of another’s sacrifice,”
This could be your loss. But it’s not. It’s mine, and you might think you’re lucky, but for every lucky person, unluckiness arrives. Our existence shouldn’t depend on luck. It should depend on justice, what is good, what is right.
A slow-paced, character driven story of five generations of a a Mexican/Indigenous family in Denver Colorado.
I really liked the back and forth between generations! It took a second for it to make sense and it was non-linear but I liked being able to connect the stories and characters.
I wanted to cry near the end for what happened to the family. Every generation had their own world-shattering problem and it was so personal.
I felt the ending was a bit abrupt though and I would’ve liked more details, but the last sentence was beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Abortion