poisoned_icecream's reviews
2023 reviews

Limitless: Poetry of an Aromantic & Asexual Journey by Patrick Bex

hopeful informative reflective

This poetry collection is about growing up not knowing about asexuality and aromanticism in an amatonormative culture. They're all accessible and do an excellent job at showing how difficult life can be when someone doesn't fit the norm, but also how freeing self acceptance is. I really enjoyed this collection and am excited to read anything else Patrick Bex puts out in the future.

Romantic Killer, Vol. 1 by Wataru Momose

challenging funny lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

Poor Anzu, all she wants in life are video games, her cat, and chocolate. Unfortunately those are taken away from her by a stupid, horrible, obnoxious fairy named Riri that wants her to become romantically and sexually involved with a generic hot guy. Fuck Riri, the entire time I wanted to throw him against a wall and then stomp on him over and over until he's dead or gives up on forcing romance and sex onto Anzu. This manga is a great example of how enraging amatonormativity is, regardless of whether Anzu is canonically aroace or not (I see her as aroace and nobody will change my mind about that).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia

PTSD Radio 2 by Masaaki Nakayama

challenging dark mysterious tense

This is so creepy and terrifying. Just like the first two volumes, volumes three and four are written as short vignettes. I dreaded turning the page but it's so fun that that I sped through it.

Evocation by S.T. Gibson

challenging emotional hopeful 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

David is a medium who needs help with a demon that has been possessing him, so he turns to his ex-boyfriend and rival Rhys and Rhys's wife Moira. While working together to solve David's dilemna, he and Rhys start to get close like they used to be, and David develops a strong friendship and psychic bond with Moira. This book shows how poly relationships require a lot of communication, trust and healthy boundaries in order to work. At times I was frustrated with David and Rhys because of how they wouldn't just talk about their feelings and they put Moira through their drama, but once they finally talked it got better between all three of them.

Hairspray and Switchblades by V. Castro

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

Maya works as an exotic dancer to support herself and her younger sister Magdalena after their parents were murdered. There is also a serial killer on the loose. I really enjoyed this. The way Maya and Magdalena look out for each other was so sweet. Also really liked the gory and bloody moments. The only thing I didn't like is when "female" is used as a noun. Aside from that I really liked this novella, along with everything else I've read by V. Castro.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail

Good Night, Sleep Tight by Brian Evenson

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

These stories are so strange and unsettling. They all managed to remind me of The Twilight Zone. There's a decent mix of horror and science fiction, and all of them are thought-provoking in their own way. All of the stories have similar themes but told in different ways, such as what it means to be human, servitude and slavery, childhood fears, and climate change. Brian Evenson is a talented writer and I am definitely gonna be reading more of his writing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Mental illness, Slavery, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, Classism

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Pregnancy

White Pines by Gemma Amor

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Megs goes to the home she inherited from her grandmother after her the dissolution of her marriage. There she uncovers secrets and terrifying revelations about her family history, as well an island called White Pines. This excellently combines folk horror with cosmic horror, and Megs is such a flawed and interesting character. The moments between her and Matthew bored me, but overall I enjoyed this book. Many of the images were so well written that they will forever be in my head :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail

Hotell by John Lees

dark emotional mysterious sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This is about a motel in which scary things happen to the people who stay there. I'm glad I borrowed this from the library. All of these stories are interconnected, which I enjoyed seeing. I did not care for the first and second stories, but the third and final were more interesting in my opinion. The first is about a pregnant woman who left her abusive boyfriend and the second is about a husband whose wife keeps coming back to life each time he murders her. The third one is about a woman searching for answers about her sister. The final story is about a man who's convinced his mentally ill son is actually possessed by a demon, which made me more sad than scared. Right now I'm not motivated to read the next volume, but maybe I'll change my mind.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy

One Good Turn by Sarah Wallace

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

Nell Birks wants to do honest work and learn to cast spells after living her entire life as a pickpocket, but when she prevents a wealthy man from being robbed, she is told to break into and steal from the home of a powerful spellcaster named Finlington. This leads her to becoming Finlington's pupil and assistant.

This is such a sweet fantasy novella about friendship. Nell is a very endearing character and I adored the friendship between her and Pip. It is also nice to read about an aromantic lesbian who is unapologetic about wanting sex without romance. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it is more telling than showing, but that to me is a minor issue and did not make me enjoy this less. I will definitely read more from this author.

The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Darby was fired from the company he was working at in New York, so when he calls his mom and she tells him that she's moving to a condo, he decides to move back to Oak Falls to help with the move. He also reconnects with his childhood friend, who he hasn't spoken to in a really long time. When he enters an independent bookstore called In Between Books, he travels to 2009 and sees himself as a teen before he transitioned.

This is both a beautiful book but also so frustrating. Every time Darby and Michael interacted I wanted them to just talk to each other already. Miscommunication in books annoys me so much. When they finally talk and are friends again instead of just people who knew each other as teens, I was so relieved. I also very much enjoyed seeing chosen/found family in this book. If I ever read this again it'll be as an audiobook because at times it lost my attention.