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pastelwriter's reviews
1082 reviews
Boyfriends, Volume One by refrainbow
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I absolutely adored this. I had a blast reading it, and I can’t wait to pick up more volumes!
First of all, I personally love the color scheme of this webtoon. I’m an absolute sucker for a pastel aesthetic, and that was half the reason I picked it up in the first place. Overall, the art style is adorable and extremely consistent. It's great!
The second reason I picked this up was for the polyamory. I loooove reading polyamorous stories. This one was especially a treat as it had an extremely healthy representation of a poly relationship. The characters have clear communication between each other, set boundaries early on, and renegotiate anything they want to try or consider. It’s peak communication 👌🏻 Plus, they’re all super sweet and loving to one another. It absolutely melts my heart! 💖
Something else I love about this is the variety of representation and queer experience. We have a bi character, trans character, gay character, pan character… It’s a wide array. There’s people who think the representation is “stereotypical “ because it uses character archetypes (nerd, prep, goth, and jock)…but that literally means that inherently it can’t be a stereotypical representation of the mlm experience…because the stereotypes of gay/queer men literally do not fit all these archetypes 🤦🏻♀️
In conclusion, this genuinely brought me so much joy to read. It really made me smile so much and laugh so much.
P.S. The qualms some people have with this creator… 🤦🏻♀️ y'all really just want to be haters. Go drink something that isn’t haterade because mercilessly attacking a trans masc, queer, Indonesian creator is disgusting.
First of all, I personally love the color scheme of this webtoon. I’m an absolute sucker for a pastel aesthetic, and that was half the reason I picked it up in the first place. Overall, the art style is adorable and extremely consistent. It's great!
The second reason I picked this up was for the polyamory. I loooove reading polyamorous stories. This one was especially a treat as it had an extremely healthy representation of a poly relationship. The characters have clear communication between each other, set boundaries early on, and renegotiate anything they want to try or consider. It’s peak communication 👌🏻 Plus, they’re all super sweet and loving to one another. It absolutely melts my heart! 💖
Something else I love about this is the variety of representation and queer experience. We have a bi character, trans character, gay character, pan character… It’s a wide array. There’s people who think the representation is “stereotypical “ because it uses character archetypes (nerd, prep, goth, and jock)…but that literally means that inherently it can’t be a stereotypical representation of the mlm experience…because the stereotypes of gay/queer men literally do not fit all these archetypes 🤦🏻♀️
In conclusion, this genuinely brought me so much joy to read. It really made me smile so much and laugh so much.
P.S. The qualms some people have with this creator… 🤦🏻♀️ y'all really just want to be haters. Go drink something that isn’t haterade because mercilessly attacking a trans masc, queer, Indonesian creator is disgusting.
Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
Reading this broke my spirit 😩
Once again, Mindy McGinnis hit me with an excellent read, but it hurt this time. It really did.
This truly doesn’t stray away from the difficult parts but also how easy it can be to fall into addiction. It vividly shares the rationalization a person can do in order to keep abusing drugs. It was heavy. It was maddening. It was heartbreaking. But I don’t regret reading it at all.
The main reason this wasn’t an obvious 5🌟 was because there was no reason for this to be a little over 400 pages. For a book mainly depicting addiction from the perspective of a character who is a softball player, there was not enough plot here to carry this successfully for that long of a page count.
Still. Mindy McGinnis is excellent at crafting interesting and complex characters, so I was still invested in what was happening as I read this.
Side note: Yeah, ngl. I loved having a Puerto Rican side character. Carolina is an icon 🙏🏻
Once again, Mindy McGinnis hit me with an excellent read, but it hurt this time. It really did.
This truly doesn’t stray away from the difficult parts but also how easy it can be to fall into addiction. It vividly shares the rationalization a person can do in order to keep abusing drugs. It was heavy. It was maddening. It was heartbreaking. But I don’t regret reading it at all.
The main reason this wasn’t an obvious 5🌟 was because there was no reason for this to be a little over 400 pages. For a book mainly depicting addiction from the perspective of a character who is a softball player, there was not enough plot here to carry this successfully for that long of a page count.
Still. Mindy McGinnis is excellent at crafting interesting and complex characters, so I was still invested in what was happening as I read this.
Side note: Yeah, ngl. I loved having a Puerto Rican side character. Carolina is an icon 🙏🏻
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This was a phenomenal novel. It truly leaves no doubt as to why it has maintained its relevancy. This is so not only because of its content but because of its craft.
One of the amazing things about this novel is how complexly Butler wrote each of the characters. All of them are far from perfect, and you can see both what might make them charming and horrifying. It was truly remarkable.
It’s a novel that explores not just how slavery continues to have lasting impacts on both Black and white people, but also a novel that explores the concept of how far you would go to preserve your own existence. How much would you be willing to overlook in order to make sure you get to exist in the future? What would it take for you to commit violence against another human being? What does it mean to care for someone who has and will continue to harm you?
This book explores that and so much more. It was a challenging read, but a worthwhile one. I am definitely grateful that I finally got around to reading it because of my sci-fi book club.
One of the amazing things about this novel is how complexly Butler wrote each of the characters. All of them are far from perfect, and you can see both what might make them charming and horrifying. It was truly remarkable.
It’s a novel that explores not just how slavery continues to have lasting impacts on both Black and white people, but also a novel that explores the concept of how far you would go to preserve your own existence. How much would you be willing to overlook in order to make sure you get to exist in the future? What would it take for you to commit violence against another human being? What does it mean to care for someone who has and will continue to harm you?
This book explores that and so much more. It was a challenging read, but a worthwhile one. I am definitely grateful that I finally got around to reading it because of my sci-fi book club.
Asiri and the Amaru by Natalia Hernandez
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I had such a great time reading this! I feel like a dummy for taking so long to pick this up!
This was exactly the cozy read I needed after dealing with some difficult shit that happened this month. It made me feel warm and happy. It was a delight to follow Asiri and Dario as they fell in love.
As a huge animal lover, I’m an absolute sucker for character who also love all kinds of animals, but in the case of Asiri also have the ability to talk to them as well! It was so funny how different the animals were from one another. They each had a unique voice that made them interesting additions to the narrative.
The only sad thing was how Dario kept misinterpreting Asiri because she kept getting annoyed at the animals talking to her, and he thought she was getting annoyed at him. My ADHD sweetheart of a man did not deserve that kind of stress 😔 At least ultimately that all gets cleared up as Asiri doesn’t find it annoying at all how excited Dario gets when talking about animal facts. We love to see it 🙏🏻
Now I just desperately need the sequel 😩👌🏻
This was exactly the cozy read I needed after dealing with some difficult shit that happened this month. It made me feel warm and happy. It was a delight to follow Asiri and Dario as they fell in love.
As a huge animal lover, I’m an absolute sucker for character who also love all kinds of animals, but in the case of Asiri also have the ability to talk to them as well! It was so funny how different the animals were from one another. They each had a unique voice that made them interesting additions to the narrative.
The only sad thing was how Dario kept misinterpreting Asiri because she kept getting annoyed at the animals talking to her, and he thought she was getting annoyed at him. My ADHD sweetheart of a man did not deserve that kind of stress 😔 At least ultimately that all gets cleared up as Asiri doesn’t find it annoying at all how excited Dario gets when talking about animal facts. We love to see it 🙏🏻
Now I just desperately need the sequel 😩👌🏻
A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is my first mid read from McGinnis, and I’m so sad 😭 This just didn’t hit the way I thought it would.
Overall, I don’t think the book is bad. I think it’s a perfectly okay book, which is why it’s standing at a 3🌟 rating. The truth of the matter is that I’m used to McGinnis’ books being a little more deranged, and this one was just missing that edge I’ve come to love when reading her works.
I would say that the only reason I continued on with this story was because I liked Lydia and Bristal. Their dynamic was super engaging, and they left me wishing they’d been plopped into the plot of a different novel. This one was a little too slow for them. It needed more urgency to keep up with two very strong-willed characters.
And that’s ultimately my main complaint about this novel. I felt no urgency. Since the characters were basically, from the get-go, only trying to solve a cold case… It didn’t feel imperative for them to solve it. The stakes of them needing their history credit and Lydia having an extra edge to get into college just simply weren’t enough. I think it would’ve worked out better if there had been a recent murder, and that’s what unlocked interest and impetus into digging into a 30 year old case.
As it was, the only thing I genuinely enjoyed about this book was the characters. The plot was lackluster, and it took way too long for the characters to do something truly unexpected and grasp my attention fully.
All in all, this will certainly not stop me from reading more books by McGinnis, but I’m sad to say it wasn’t another definitive win as the other four books I’ve read by her have been 😔
Overall, I don’t think the book is bad. I think it’s a perfectly okay book, which is why it’s standing at a 3🌟 rating. The truth of the matter is that I’m used to McGinnis’ books being a little more deranged, and this one was just missing that edge I’ve come to love when reading her works.
I would say that the only reason I continued on with this story was because I liked Lydia and Bristal. Their dynamic was super engaging, and they left me wishing they’d been plopped into the plot of a different novel. This one was a little too slow for them. It needed more urgency to keep up with two very strong-willed characters.
And that’s ultimately my main complaint about this novel. I felt no urgency. Since the characters were basically, from the get-go, only trying to solve a cold case… It didn’t feel imperative for them to solve it. The stakes of them needing their history credit and Lydia having an extra edge to get into college just simply weren’t enough. I think it would’ve worked out better if there had been a recent murder, and that’s what unlocked interest and impetus into digging into a 30 year old case.
As it was, the only thing I genuinely enjoyed about this book was the characters. The plot was lackluster, and it took way too long for the characters to do something truly unexpected and grasp my attention fully.
All in all, this will certainly not stop me from reading more books by McGinnis, but I’m sad to say it wasn’t another definitive win as the other four books I’ve read by her have been 😔
Hell and Its Pleasures: A Prince of Lust Story by Lucien Burr
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Well this was…definitely darker than the first installment in this series.
I must admit I enjoyed this less because the degradation here was more intense. My guy literally has a sexual encounter with a demon taking the visage of his old bishop…which he wasn’t sexually attracted to…but was attracted to his power I guess. It was a mess, and I wasn’t into it.
For the most part I was fine with the other major sexual encounter Alessandro has in here…but I didn’t need the part where he’s bloated with semen and has to basically shit it out 💀 Not appealing. Must confess that wasn’t enjoyable to read at all.
Still. I understand why this second novella pushed the boundaries further as that’s the whole point. Alessandro must leave behind his faith and self-hatred in order to be worthy of Asmodeus’ time… but this didn’t change how unpleasant certain moments in this were.
Still. I plan to read the sequel 🤷🏻♀️ I want to know what happens next 👀
I must admit I enjoyed this less because the degradation here was more intense.
For the most part I was fine with the other major sexual encounter Alessandro has in here…but I didn’t need the part where he’s bloated with semen and has to basically shit it out 💀
Still. I understand why this second novella pushed the boundaries further as that’s the whole point. Alessandro must leave behind his faith and self-hatred in order to be worthy of Asmodeus’ time… but this didn’t change how unpleasant certain moments in this were.
Still. I plan to read the sequel 🤷🏻♀️ I want to know what happens next 👀
Prince of Lust by Lucien Burr
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I had a wonderful time reading this novella! It was exactly what I needed it to be: short, smutty, and blasphemous 💁🏻♀️✨
There’s not much to say about this, however, because it’s so short. Still, I enjoyed myself with it despite the fact that usually I’m not into darker erotica with submissive characters who like being degraded.
Some of the stuff I did like was the fact that this had blood play. I’m always down for that because of my vampire brain rot problems 😂 In addition, I’m also definitely into the idea of a priest falling for temptation and succumbing to the sin of lust. Therefore, I was very pleased with how, once the demon was summoned, Asmodeus was basically throwing Alessandro around and demanding he be clear about what he wanted.
It was great! I look forward to reading the sequel ✌🏻
There’s not much to say about this, however, because it’s so short. Still, I enjoyed myself with it despite the fact that usually I’m not into darker erotica with submissive characters who like being degraded.
Some of the stuff I did like was the fact that this had blood play. I’m always down for that because of my vampire brain rot problems 😂 In addition, I’m also definitely into the idea of a priest falling for temptation and succumbing to the sin of lust. Therefore, I was very pleased with how, once the demon was summoned, Asmodeus was basically throwing Alessandro around and demanding he be clear about what he wanted.
It was great! I look forward to reading the sequel ✌🏻
Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
This was…fine. To be honest, I enjoyed myself throughout most of it. However, I don’t feel compelled to give it more than 3🌟 😅
My main complaint is that this book didn’t need to be this long. I was never bored, per se, but I was keenly aware of its length as I kept listening to the audiobook. The pacing was a bit too slow.
In general, though, I liked Aspeth and Hawk. I enjoyed following their relationship as they got closer and fell in love. It was sweet following them, and definitely steamy. I was genuinely impressed, though, that it took so long for the cave fucking to happen 😂 Truly the conquest moon took ages to happen. Regardless. The restraint (to an extent) was surprising.
I also absolutely adored Lark and Meridan (?). They were so cuuuteee!!! I absolutely need more of them! 💖😭💖 I beg and plead. If I’m honest, I will only continue reading the series if the sequel follows them. This is my truth 😔
P. S. How the hell does a slitherskin look? I was imagining some sort of snake/frog/turtle hybrid, but I’m still perplexed.
My main complaint is that this book didn’t need to be this long. I was never bored, per se, but I was keenly aware of its length as I kept listening to the audiobook. The pacing was a bit too slow.
In general, though, I liked Aspeth and Hawk. I enjoyed following their relationship as they got closer and fell in love. It was sweet following them, and definitely steamy. I was genuinely impressed, though, that it took so long for the cave fucking to happen 😂 Truly the conquest moon took ages to happen. Regardless. The restraint (to an extent) was surprising.
I also absolutely adored Lark and Meridan (?). They were so cuuuteee!!! I absolutely need more of them! 💖😭💖 I beg and plead. If I’m honest, I will only continue reading the series if the sequel follows them. This is my truth 😔
P. S. How the hell does a slitherskin look? I was imagining some sort of snake/frog/turtle hybrid, but I’m still perplexed.
Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 2 by Ryoko Kui
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
If I’m being honest, I prefer the anime. I think the anime has more of a cozy feel because it’s in color. I also think the narrative flow is better in the anime because we can “sit” in certain scenes for longer than in the manga.
So, the manga itself isn’t terrible. I just don’t think I would’ve fallen in love with the story if I’d first encountered it in this format.
However, if I do appreciate something, it is being able to read about my beloved Chilchuck 💖 No regrets there. I adore him with everything in my heart and soul ✨
So, the manga itself isn’t terrible. I just don’t think I would’ve fallen in love with the story if I’d first encountered it in this format.
However, if I do appreciate something, it is being able to read about my beloved Chilchuck 💖 No regrets there. I adore him with everything in my heart and soul ✨
The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 4 by 945
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
I don’t even know what to rate this 🧍🏻♀️ I was having a lovely time…and then a bucket of angst was dumped on me. I’m speechless.
I started this series for a silly little time, despite the “dangerous” aspect of the narrative, and I definitely did not have a silly little time in this volume. What happens between Eui-joon and Gunwoo genuinely shook me. I was not expecting Eui-joon to come face to face with the coldest side of Gunwoo, and that fucking up everything. Eui-joon had finally been fully comfortable admitting his feelings to Gunwoo, and then everything went to shit.
How can I live laugh love under these conditions? I despair. I need this shit to be fixed ASAP 😭
I started this series for a silly little time, despite the “dangerous” aspect of the narrative, and I definitely did not have a silly little time in this volume. What happens between Eui-joon and Gunwoo genuinely shook me. I was not expecting Eui-joon to come face to face with the coldest side of Gunwoo, and that fucking up everything. Eui-joon had finally been fully comfortable admitting his feelings to Gunwoo, and then everything went to shit.
How can I live laugh love under these conditions? I despair. I need this shit to be fixed ASAP 😭