prosepander's reviews
17 reviews

Please Stop Trying to Leave Me by Alana Saab

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

All my existential dread wrapped up in almost 400 pages of deeply emotional prose. Please Stop Trying to Leave Me is the story of Norma, who has just started seeing her new therapist. Told in alternating chapters that cover Norma’s conversations with her therapist and a collection of her short stories, we slowly learn about the deepest parts of Norma: her derealization/depersonalization tendencies known as Oblivion, her relationship with queerness, her relationship with her family, and her relationship with love. 

This is not a light read. Throughout the novel we follow Norma through some of the roughest parts of her mental illness. Not only that, but Saab also raises some very real questions about how to operate in society when the ticking clock of climate change hovers over us, when our phones listen to us to provide a more relevant ad experience, and when we’re constantly exposed to violence, bigotry, and warfare on every screen? 

Ultimately, this was a rough read for me, but necessary. I saw myself in Norma, and though Please Stop Trying to Leave Me didn’t necessarily provide any answers, it was cathartic to watch her journey crawling out of Oblivion. 

 

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

dark emotional tense 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

4.5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of my most anticipated reads of the year and The Eyes Are the Best Part does not disappoint. When eldest daughter Ji-won’s father leaves for another woman, her mother is in shambles and her younger sister Ji-hyun is battling with her own anxiety. Buckling under the pressure of caring for her family and slipping grades, Ji-won is desperate. Enter, George: a white man Ji-won’s mother met at the grocery store. He is very interested in asian restaurants- and especially the waitresses therein. Under the gaze of his mouthwateringly blue eyes, Ji-won begins to unravel. 

I cannot believe this is a debut novel. Monika Kim did a stunning job with The Eyes Are the Best Part. It’s a creepy and gross novel that also at the same time feels… Hopeful. I’m tempted to even call this “good for her” horror. Despite Ji-won’s “eccentric” appetites and problematic behavior, I couldn’t help but feel sympathetic toward her as the mounting pressure of caring for her family and enduring the experience of being fetishized by the men around her dissolves her mental state. Ultimately, despite everything, I want her to be happy in the end. 

The Eyes Are the Best Part was an awesome read, and I recommend to fans of gore, slow descents into madness, and also A24 films (I think a movie adaptation would be perfect for A24 or even NEON).

The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After her father’s untimely suicide, Temperance has taken up the mantle as Warbler’s sole lamplighter; providing guiding light to the town of Warbler as mysterious and treacherous fog consumes the sleepy town every night. When girls start to go missing in the mist, and the proper authorities are of no use, it’s up to Temperance to shed light once again. The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell is a story about asking for help and trusting those you love. 

Usually, I’m not a consumer of Young Adult Fiction, but I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed The Lamplighter. Bell is very talented at building the suspenseful atmosphere of Warbler in the fog, and there were moments where I genuinely jumped. Additionally, Bell takes great care to put equal value to the different expressions of femininity Temperance and her sister (Yes, this is a dig at TV Arya and Sansa). 

I won’t spoil the ending, but I will say the way the novel wrapped up made me wonder who exactly Bell was writing The Lamplighter for. There are persistent themes of sexism that go along with the time period of the setting, which add to the dread of the story, but the end seems to be a cautionary tale- but for who? For women who keep their secrets to themselves, or is this a story for men to read so they can better make connections between the misogyny of then and now? 

Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

 Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If toxic lesbians with bad attitudes are your schtick, this is the book to read. Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn pays homage to lesbian pulp, a genre of novel popularized in the late 50’s and early 60’s. The book follows Astrid Dahl, a mildly successful novelist who is trying her best to stay under the radar after being canceled, but only a little! Honest! When one of her novels is optioned by famed actress Kat Gold, the pressure is on to remain on the straight and narrow- especially when Ivy, a lesbian pulp scholar, and Penelope, a vegan artist come into the scene. 

Funny and irreverent, Perfume & Pain is one of my most entertaining reads of the year so far. Astrid’s wannabe cynical narration found me snorting out loud. If BRAVO were to make a reality show about writers, Astrid would be at the top of the list- which I’m sure she would consider a compliment of the highest order. 

However, despite her penchant for making the worst decisions for herself whenever the opportunity presents itself, I couldn’t help but root for Astrid throughout. 

If you’re a fan of The L Word, Real Housewives, or the original novel of the same name, I highly recommend Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn.

 

Cinema Love by Jiaming Tang

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A story of love, loss, betrayal, and growth; Cinema Love by Jiaming Tang is not a story one will soon forget. 

Cinema Love is written in the voice of several narrators, including Old Second: a gay man who frequented the Workers’ Cinema: a cruising spot for the queer men in Mawei, Fuzhou, Bao Mei, who worked the ticket booth at the theater, and Yan Hua, who is married to another patron of the Workers’ Cinema. 

Each character is written with care and respect to their differing and sometimes contradictory views, I genuinely appreciate the nuance with which this story was penned. We have characters who are imperfect, some of whom make unforgivable choices, but we watch them grow anyway- despite everything. 

Not only is this a story about queerness, it’s also a story about immigrants, and Cinema Love provides a holistic view of these two experiences. 

All in all, this was a banger of a debut novel, and I for one can’t wait to see what Jiaming Tang does next. 

A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock is a verdant story about love, obsession, and what you’re willing to do with either. After getting his hands on a mysterious and unstudied species of mycelium, botanist Gregor Sandys decides to test the limits of the mycelium’s abilities and answer the question: What is consciousness? 

There’s a lot to love about this novel. I personally love the themes of found family for queer people. Gregor and his taxidermist partner, Simon are the best kind of gay dads for their gay daughters CHLOE (the titular Botanical Daughter) and Jennifer. Though chaotic and fraught with murder, watching the relationship blossom (ha) amongst this group of people was a treat to read. 

However, despite my love for queer relationships, there are a few issues I had while reading. Without going into spoilers, it felt as though the resolution of side plots were thrown to the wayside in an effort to focus more on the conclusion of the main plot. Additionally, I wasn’t incredibly satisfied with the way Gregor and Simon’s character arcs ended. Yes, they are different people by the novel’s end, but I’m not exactly sure I liked the people they became by the end. 

Overall, I loved the way Medlock described his world and his characters. I would recommend to anyone that loves a creature feature, queer found families, and has particular love for Frankenstein’s Monster.

Just Another Epic Love Poem by Parisa Akhbari

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On the surface, a queer love story between longtime friends, but on closer inspection, it’s a story about forgiveness, and learning to trust even when that trust has been broken, even when you know you’re going to be hurt. 

Normally I’m not a young adult lit reader, but I absolutely do not regret reading Just Another Epic Love Poem. Akhbari weaves lines of poetry throughout the story in such a purposeful way that I was completely enamored me the whole time I read. It brings me back to my early days in college when I wrote my own poetry, and it’s inspiring in that way. 

Watching Mitra’s journey through managing her anxiety and opening herself up to truly trust the people in her life that she loves was a very well-crafted arc that I truly enjoyed. When I read Akhbari’s About the Author blurb, I could see her training as a therapist shining through. She writes about forgiveness and trust in a nuanced and authentic way that I think is missing from other media that have the same themes. 

Ultimately, I think this is an important story not only for the young adults that it’s meant for, but for adults as well. 

Lies That Bind by April Yates, Rae Knowles

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*****

Lies That Bind is a dark romance centered around the relationship between Lorelei and Adele, both of whom keep dangerous secrets from each other. Upon the sudden arrival of the mysterious Viola, and the unexpected reappearance of the upper-echelon socialite Rose- Adele and Lorelei’s love for each other will be tested to its limits. 

This is a story about power dynamics and the lines between consent and abuse. Both Lorelei and Adele have their own experiences throughout the novel- coming apart and together again several times throughout. 

The thing I enjoyed most was the intrigue woven throughout the story. The mystery of Adele’s nature and the lengths people would go to unlock it kept me interested and engaged for most of the novel. 

However, this Lies that Bind ultimately didn’t work for me. While I understand the themes pertaining to cycles of abuse, power dynamics, and the importance of consent, I feel as though the impact fell flat in the accelerated timeline of the story. As far as I’m aware, the whole thing took place over a couple of months. Additionally, the motivations for the antagonists seemed weak, and I feel as though I was left with more questions about Adele’s nature than the novel was able to satisfy, nor particularly inclined to answer. 

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

adventurous dark informative mysterious tense 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

My favorite part of the novel was the wide cast of characters, each with their own varied ideas and motivations. All of which were treated with the same amount of respect in the narrative. I also very much enjoy

how we’re left with the lingering threat of the Elder. Watching, waiting for her moment to strike.

Additionally, I think the epilogue was fitting, though the ending was lacking. To me, it feels as though there was a possible sequel that never came to fruition. 

Initially, when reading, I thought the determining factor for characters that lived would be their willingness to see the Sirens as real and intelligent beings versus animals or science experiments. That didn’t turn out to be true.

While a few POV characters were lost, most of the characters we grew to care about lived to the end of the novel

. Honestly, I think we could have stood to lose a few more. It may sound callous, but it might have upped the stakes for the reader. 

Though the final act was rushed in the end, I still think Into the Drowning Deep is worth a read. The character development and intrigue from the Sirens more than makeup for a very quick ending.