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paper_mache_reader's reviews
207 reviews
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
5.0
The story is woven together beautifully with every different pov. We get so much more out of the story when we love every character in their own way! It was beautiful and read like a fairytale, every step of the journey.
The Circus Rose by Betsy Cornwell
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
One thing about me, I immediately love any piece of media about a circus.
I really enjoyed the two povs we get, how the form changes within the minds of our two main characters. I also thought it was a beautifully queer story, with cabaret boys and group relationships and a genderqueer love interest. And posing the circus as the ultimate accepting background makes perfect sense.
The main conflict was perhaps a bit predictable, but I thought the story was overall good enough that I would be happy to recommend it.
I really enjoyed the two povs we get, how the form changes within the minds of our two main characters. I also thought it was a beautifully queer story, with cabaret boys and group relationships and a genderqueer love interest. And posing the circus as the ultimate accepting background makes perfect sense.
The main conflict was perhaps a bit predictable, but I thought the story was overall good enough that I would be happy to recommend it.
Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
adventurous
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Every Version Ends in Death by Aliya Chaudhry
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
5.0
When Laana returns home for the funeral of her grandmother, she becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind the local ghost story. Town ghost/local fable Carolyn Haywood seems to have a completely different story depending on who you ask. Laana is swallowed up by memories upon returning to Clifton, though she unpacks both the mystery of "Creepy Carolyn" (and her own grief) with her friends Sairah and Faiz. Haunted by the idea of what her life would look like boiled down to the one sentence summary Carolyn is reduced to in most variations, Laana's journey is largely internal. Dealing with grief, memory, fate, and the double edged sword of loss, this book was beautiful in every way. While throughly Gothic and wonderfully haunting, I definitely wouldn't consider it horror.