quillnqueer's reviews
417 reviews

The Goat by Anne Fleming

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A Wes Anderson movie in a novella, this can be read by any age

Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park

reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

The amount of books I've read this year about pining should be studied

Woodworm by Layla Martínez

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

Weird house, weird women and female rage with a perfect layer of horror.

The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow

emotional sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I'm fine I insist, while visibly weeping over a 30 page story of lost love

Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

Mind blowing sex would solve at least 70% of this woman's problems, but I respected that a 1950s bakers wife did not give a damn about gender, she just wanted to get DOWN

Layoverland by Gabby Noone

emotional funny reflective fast-paced

4.0

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

For early 2010s YA, this novel really surprised me by being a strong portrait of grief and hypersexuality after the death of a sibling. While it did use some known tropes, these added lighter moments to the emotional story.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

emotional sad medium-paced

4.0

This is such a raw portrayal of grief that I could really relate to, where after a tragedy the main character has simply packed a bag and left, before starting college as if nothing had happened. Staying there over Christmas with the best friend and lover she abandoned, Marin has to finally confront her grief.

I liked that this wasn't a romance focused book, and the way Marin and Mabel had to reflect over their past relationship now Mabel is in a new one felt really realistic, and the outcome made sense to me. I didn't go into this story knowing it was Queer, so this was a welcome surprise.

This has that Bleachers "Merry Christmas, Please Don't Call" vibe of college dorms, snowy winters and discussions over hastily cooked food that really made the story great, and made me emotionally connect with the story and characters.

Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami

mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.0

This story is an absolute fever dream. Telling the story of the earth towards it's potential end through a series of interconnected stories, we get a picture of clones, artificial intelligence and psychic abilities, and the story leaves us to try and piece what is happening together.

I really enjoyed this, although it could be a little vague at times I felt the characters shone through, and were memorable. There's a POV switch each chapter, and I enjoyed my time with each, while looking forward to the new piece of the story that the next would bring me.

How We Became Wicked by Alexander Yates

adventurous hopeful fast-paced

4.0

I've been reading some really solid Dystopian stories this year, and How We Became Wicked is no exception. Telling the story of two girls, one living in a small enclosed town away from the outside infected, and one living on a small island with her mother, infected Grandfather and soon to be baby sibling.

This has some truly clever twists and turns, and I thought that the title was an incredibly clever play on words. There's also a plot twist which I almost started working out before it was revealed, but the reveal was really satisfying, and made the story much more memorable for me.