poisoned_icecream's reviews
2022 reviews

Dark Blood Comes from the Feet by Emma J. Gibbon

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Some of these stories were just okay in my opinion, but the majority impressed me. There are witches, vampires, small blue monsters, hauntings, and cannibals in these stories. I really enjoyed the writing and this has made me eager to check out more from Emma J. Gibbon.
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The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense
This is such a fun, delightful, and creepy collection of stories. Every single story managed to both heartbroken and frightened. The illustrations are captivating as well. I'm definitely going to check out more of Abby Howard's comics.
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The Hatchling by Vyria Durav

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-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
It would have been better if this fantasy novella had more showing and less telling, but it's still nice to read about a trans woman becoming a dragon and getting revenge on the men who bullied her.
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In the Vanishers' Palace by Aliette de Bodard

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective fast-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
Sometimes I think I never again want to read books with dragons, but I refuse to let that one popular, overhyped, overrated, and stupid fantasy romance series ruin dragons for me.

Anyway this is an interesting sapphic reimagining of Beauty and the Beast set in a Vietnamese-inspired world. One of the women is a scholar who gets sold to a dragon. The romance was too insta-love for me but a lot of readers enjoy that so whatever. I really liked the writing even if at times I had to reread a passage or an entire paragraph. This is my second time reading a book from this author, and I'm not sure I want to read more from her.
Romantic Killer, Vol. 2 by Wataru Momose

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This series is so fun, silly, and ridiculous. In this volume the fairy Riri shows up in human form pretending to be Anzu's cousin. She continues to be as insufferable and manipulative as usual. Also there's a new rich guy who's extremely annoying and needs to get punched. The things I really didn't like are having to see the phrase "just friends" and the part where a random man breaks into Anzu's home and steals her mother's underwear. The fact that Anzu keeps ruining Riri's attempts to "fix" her with magic so she's "normal" is what's motivating me to keep reading this manga.
Casual by Koji A. Dae

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Valya is seven months pregnant and has depression and anxiety. She gets an implant game called Casual that helps her to feel relaxed. However she is expected to have it shut down as she gets closer to her due date. If she wants to continue using Casual, then she has to have to sign up for a trial that would mean an implant would get put into her baby's brain.

It took me a while to finish this because I'm tokophobic and childfree, and I hate human babies. However this is definitely a thought-provoking scifi book about motherhood and mental illness. Also it was annoying having to read "everyone wants sex" and "everyone settles down" because neither of those statements are true. Even though I didn't always like this I'd still recommend it and I will read more by Koji A. Dae.
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Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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
Quinn's dad Glenn moves them to a small town called Kettle Springs after the death of her mother. The town has a clown mascot named Frendo. When Quinn goes to a party with her new friends, a bunch of adults dressed as Frendo go on a killing spree.

This book started out slow and then got fast when the killings started. There was already some tension between the teens and adults, which is especially obvious with an asshole teacher and the sheriff. Many of the deaths are creative and brutal. My favorite moments were when despicable characters died. Also it would be nice if I never again had to read about making a place "great again" but unfortunately that is an unrealistic expectation, since there will always be people who cling to traditions that are outdated and don't benefit everyone. Anyway, I really like this book and will totally read the sequel.
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Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place by Neema Avashia

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This is such an interesting collection of essays about growing up in West Virginia as an Indian person. Neema Avashia does a great job at showing her affection for Appalchia and the people with whom she grew close to and even considers family, while also acknowledging the racism and xenophobia she had to deal with. This book was on my radar since I first heard of it and I'm so glad I finally got to read it.
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Beauty Salon by Mario Bellatin

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dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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
An unnamed narrator goes from running a beauty salon before it becomes a mortuary for men who are sick and dying of a plague. The narrator also describes the fish he's kept throughout his life and the ways they'd die, as well as the times he'd dress up as a woman while tending to his salon when his salon was in business, and also at night he'd dress up as a woman and have sex with men. It was painful to read this but the writing is exquisive and captivating, and despite the cruelty and descriptions of illness and neglect there is still a lot of empathy and kindness in this short book.
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MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious by MrBallen

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adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective
I've only started listening to MrBallen's podcast this year and have been enjoying it, so I knew I had to read this book. There are some disturbing and strange stories in the comic. For instance one is about a giant, and another is about a woman who had a nightmare about thorns piercing her head. The story about a beast and a soft-hearted, "cowardly" child who stood up to it is the only I didn't care for, as it seems too much of an urban legend. All of these are supposed to be true, and while I'm not sure I believe them, I don't dismiss them either. They're all intriguing and captivating, and the illustrations are absolutely exquisite.
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