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readthesparrow's reviews
276 reviews
By Way of Sorrow by Robyn Gigl
dark
mysterious
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? No
3.5
A pretty decent legal thriller! Though there were some sticking points for me (it was very clear the author doesn't speak AAVE and there was a lot of summary instead of narrative in the second half), I still overall enjoyed the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Stalking
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy
All the Weyrs of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.
Just wasn't feeling the writing style and the harder sci-fi elements. I'll return to this book someday.
D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
If this book wasn’t about lesbians it would be zero stars.
If you want to read a book where the two main characters are constantly openly horny for each other but are also constantly hanging out with their families, I guess you might like this?
Also it’s allegedly about a reality TV show, but the execution of the whole “we are constantly being filmed and performing who we are” was so lackluster and confusing and… barely there? That it made me so frustrated. The characters motivations were told to us (basically everything that happens is told, not shown or developed) but those motivations barely made any sense because they aren’t developed or explored.
As it is, D’vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding was a frustrating slog to get through. I won’t say much else because frankly it might just be a matter of taste (I read this hoping it would make me like contemporary romance, no points for guessing how that ended up).
Also: a globe is already round. It’s a globe.
Also also: I thought we all agreed to leave calling eyes “[color] orbs” behind in the hellscape of 2010s Wattpad boy band Y/N fics, where that particular terrible turn of phrase belongs?
If you want to read a book where the two main characters are constantly openly horny for each other but are also constantly hanging out with their families, I guess you might like this?
Also it’s allegedly about a reality TV show, but the execution of the whole “we are constantly being filmed and performing who we are” was so lackluster and confusing and… barely there? That it made me so frustrated. The characters motivations were told to us (basically everything that happens is told, not shown or developed) but those motivations barely made any sense because they aren’t developed or explored.
As it is, D’vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding was a frustrating slog to get through. I won’t say much else because frankly it might just be a matter of taste (I read this hoping it would make me like contemporary romance, no points for guessing how that ended up).
Also: a globe is already round. It’s a globe.
Also also: I thought we all agreed to leave calling eyes “[color] orbs” behind in the hellscape of 2010s Wattpad boy band Y/N fics, where that particular terrible turn of phrase belongs?
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
- 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
4.5
Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 1 by Ryoko Kui
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
This entire series is not only one of the best manga series I have ever read, but also some of the best fantasy.
It's also a perfect first manga series for someone looking to get into reading manga; the character design, writing, and art style are all genuinely fantastic (seriously, Ryoko Kui is a master of designing different fantasy races and actually having them each look recognizably different in subtle ways).
Marcille best girl, Chilchuck best boy, everyone read this series and enjoy monster meals!!!!
It's also a perfect first manga series for someone looking to get into reading manga; the character design, writing, and art style are all genuinely fantastic (seriously, Ryoko Kui is a master of designing different fantasy races and actually having them each look recognizably different in subtle ways).
Marcille best girl, Chilchuck best boy, everyone read this series and enjoy monster meals!!!!
The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
(Emphasis mine)
Charlotte has to make a horrible, difficult choice--the best choice she can make, considering her position.It's not an easy choice to make, and if she could marry the person she actually loves, it's clear she would. She makes it very clear she is talking about her own circumstances. Oliver's response? Take it as a personal attack and tell her that this horrible, difficult, heart-breaking decision is her 'settling.' Ew.
After the wedding, Oliver visits Charlotte; during this visit Charlotte says that being married is great, actually, and she's super happy being Collins' wife. She loves maintaining the estate and Collins lets her girlfriend visit whenever so actually this is great! Charlotte and Oliver then trade apologies. Charlotte apologizes for "implying" Oliver would never find happiness (something which, mind you, she did Not Fucking Do during that argument), while Oliver apologizes for not supporting her. After this scene, Charlotte completely disappears from the narrative, only being mentioned briefly in passing by other characters.
In other words, once that specific argument between them is over, the narrative washes its hands of her. The reality of Charlotte's difficult choice, the danger it inherently puts her in, andCollins' willingness to forcibly out Oliver have for Charlotte's safety is given nary a thought, either by the narrative or by Oliver.
That last point also leads me into another, minor complaint; Oliver is extremely self-centered, in a way that seems unintended. This makes him extremely dislikable in moments when we are supposed to empathize with him (see discussion re: Charlotte).
The ending also does not reckon with or consider the power Oliver now holds as a man, nor does its characters actively challenge gender roles. For example, the fact that Oliver can now inherit property is a gender-affirming moment, not a horrifying reflection of misogyny. Oliver does not consider how he can use his manhood to help those around him, or the new power it gives him over his sisters and how that may change his relationship with them.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ultimately, Most Ardently is just fine and that's it. Inoffensive if you don't think about it and might hit that feel-good wish fulfillment vibe for some readers. However, if you want a well-written woman or a thoughtful, nuanced exploration of queerness, you'll need to look somewhere else.
Thank you again to the publishers for the e-ARC!
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Thank you to the publishers for providing an e-ARC through Netgalley!
REVIEW
I have conflicted feelings about Most Ardently.
On one hand, it was a quick, fluffy read, which did an excellent job at portraying the suffocating experience of being queer and closeted in an extremely hetero normative, misogynistic, gender essentialist society. I liked Oliver's relationship with Jane--I always love to see healthy, supportive sibling relationships in fiction.
The narrative is, at its core, YA wish fulfillment featuring a gay trans man x Pride and Prejudice. It's an easy, quick read.
Additionally, as someone who has no strong feelings about the Pride and Prejudice novel, nor has watched the 2005 movie, I still enjoyed the book as I read it and feel that, in this particular case, having read the original brought very little extra to the retelling reading experience. So this can totally be read without having read the original.
On the other hand, once I thought about the narrative beyond that very surface level wish fulfillment, I found to have several problems with Most Ardently.
I'll get the less in-depth one out of the way first.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the last quarter of the book feels very rushed. The ending is a happy one, yes, but I personally found it unfulfilling due to how rushed it was. For example,Mrs. Bennet--despite being extremely gender essentialist throughout the novel and disapproving of Oliver wearing trousers--immediately turns around and not only fully accepts but fully understands the concept of Oliver being a man. I'm not saying she should have rejected Oliver or not been accepting, but the choice to felt in opposition to her character. As a queer person, I would have liked to see a more realistic moment of an accepting but uneducated parent, rather than the sudden, perfect about heel to being cool with Oliver not being a woman that we got.
The more in-depth issue I have has to do with how the narrative handles gender.
First, most of the female characters essentially stop being characters at all. The sisters (beside Jane) barely exist, and Mrs. Bennet is even more shallow and annoying than she is in the original novel. Oliver's friendship with Charlotte, as discussed more in-depth below, is purely a device to have a side conflict.
Pride and Prejudice is such an iconic novel because of its sharp, witty social critique. While this novel retains most of the wit from the original, particularly in the dialogue, it only offers social critique on a very basic surface level: misogyny bad, queer people should be able to be happy.
There are moments where the novel begins to approach that social critique. Conversations between Oliver and his best friend, Charlotte, explore what it means to be a queer AFAB person in this society.
Charlotte's position is that marriage is a matter of survival, especially for people who are of a lower social class, and that marriage is an option that Oliver may eventually have to consider. Oliver's position is that marriage would be suffocating for him, and that entering a marriage would not be survival but death.
Both of these stances are valid. As a queer person, I am intimately aware that choices about gender expression, marriage, and financial support often have to be made as a question of survival, and the answer to those questions differ depending on the person. On the other hand, queer people do deserve joy and acceptance, and shouldn't have to hide themselves simply just to survive. However, deciding to come out and choose "authenticity" is not an option for many, many people.
However, the novel does not fully explore this dichotomy in a nuanced, caring way.
This conflict comes to a head in an argument between the two when Charlotte tells him that she is marrying Collins. (Quote taken from the e-ARC copy. May differ in final version.)
REVIEW
I have conflicted feelings about Most Ardently.
On one hand, it was a quick, fluffy read, which did an excellent job at portraying the suffocating experience of being queer and closeted in an extremely hetero normative, misogynistic, gender essentialist society. I liked Oliver's relationship with Jane--I always love to see healthy, supportive sibling relationships in fiction.
The narrative is, at its core, YA wish fulfillment featuring a gay trans man x Pride and Prejudice. It's an easy, quick read.
Additionally, as someone who has no strong feelings about the Pride and Prejudice novel, nor has watched the 2005 movie, I still enjoyed the book as I read it and feel that, in this particular case, having read the original brought very little extra to the retelling reading experience. So this can totally be read without having read the original.
On the other hand, once I thought about the narrative beyond that very surface level wish fulfillment, I found to have several problems with Most Ardently.
I'll get the less in-depth one out of the way first.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the last quarter of the book feels very rushed. The ending is a happy one, yes, but I personally found it unfulfilling due to how rushed it was. For example,
The more in-depth issue I have has to do with how the narrative handles gender.
First, most of the female characters essentially stop being characters at all. The sisters (beside Jane) barely exist, and Mrs. Bennet is even more shallow and annoying than she is in the original novel. Oliver's friendship with Charlotte, as discussed more in-depth below, is purely a device to have a side conflict.
Pride and Prejudice is such an iconic novel because of its sharp, witty social critique. While this novel retains most of the wit from the original, particularly in the dialogue, it only offers social critique on a very basic surface level: misogyny bad, queer people should be able to be happy.
There are moments where the novel begins to approach that social critique. Conversations between Oliver and his best friend, Charlotte, explore what it means to be a queer AFAB person in this society.
Charlotte's position is that marriage is a matter of survival, especially for people who are of a lower social class, and that marriage is an option that Oliver may eventually have to consider. Oliver's position is that marriage would be suffocating for him, and that entering a marriage would not be survival but death.
Both of these stances are valid. As a queer person, I am intimately aware that choices about gender expression, marriage, and financial support often have to be made as a question of survival, and the answer to those questions differ depending on the person. On the other hand, queer people do deserve joy and acceptance, and shouldn't have to hide themselves simply just to survive. However, deciding to come out and choose "authenticity" is not an option for many, many people.
However, the novel does not fully explore this dichotomy in a nuanced, caring way.
This conflict comes to a head in an argument between the two when Charlotte tells him that she is marrying Collins. (Quote taken from the e-ARC copy. May differ in final version.)
"But you aren't friends with Lu!" Oliver protested. "How will you ever be happy pretending to love someone you never could? You're in love with Lu, not Collins!"
"But I can't marry Lu, can I?!" Charlotte cried. Oliver's mouth snapped closed as his friend wiped at her glassy eyes. He'd never seen Charlotte cry before, and he'd certainly never imagined the first time would be because of him.
"Of course I would marry Lu if could, Oliver, but it's impossible!" she went on. "And even without marriage—which, by the way, would be crushing to me in and of itself—we'd never survive on our own. I can't—" Her voice tightened with emotion, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I can't live in a fantasy that will never happen. It's time to grow up. This is the best I could possibly hope for."
Oliver was frozen, his friend's pain blazing hot in his chest, mingling with his own. It wasn't until he tried to speak that he realized his own voice was strangled with the tears he was fighting to keep at bay. "I can't accept that," he said. "I refuse to settle for a future that will deny me the happiness I deserve-the happiness we both deserve."
"Then don't," Charlotte said, her voice frosting over. "But if it never comes to pass, don't say I didn't warn you."
(Emphasis mine)
Charlotte has to make a horrible, difficult choice--the best choice she can make, considering her position.
After the wedding, Oliver visits Charlotte; during this visit Charlotte says that
In other words, once that specific argument between them is over, the narrative washes its hands of her. The reality of Charlotte's difficult choice, the danger it inherently puts her in, and
That last point also leads me into another, minor complaint; Oliver is extremely self-centered, in a way that seems unintended. This makes him extremely dislikable in moments when we are supposed to empathize with him (see discussion re: Charlotte).
The ending also does not reckon with or consider the power Oliver now holds as a man, nor does its characters actively challenge gender roles. For example, the fact that Oliver can now inherit property is a gender-affirming moment, not a horrifying reflection of misogyny. Oliver does not consider how he can use his manhood to help those around him, or the new power it gives him over his sisters and how that may change his relationship with them.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ultimately, Most Ardently is just fine and that's it. Inoffensive if you don't think about it and might hit that feel-good wish fulfillment vibe for some readers. However, if you want a well-written woman or a thoughtful, nuanced exploration of queerness, you'll need to look somewhere else.
Thank you again to the publishers for the e-ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Dysphoria
Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Outing
The suicidal thoughts never become planning or specific ideation.
The Glow by Brooks Stanwood
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Things I Learned From The Glow:
- Charcuterie can be (bewilderingly) ethnic
- Smog can be ethnic
- 'homosexual' is a position in the publishing industry
- rent is now nearly triple in new york than what it was in the 70s, we live in a capitalist hell and and all landlords are predators
That was the kind of premium trash that could only be produced by a heterosexual couple in the 70s. Great job, team.
Also if you have a physical copy of this book don't take it out of your bag on a sunny day. It will flashbang you.
Also if you have a physical copy of this book don't take it out of your bag on a sunny day. It will flashbang you.
Content Warnings
Contains the anti-Semetic trope of stealing blood from the young to maintain eternal youth (though in this case it's also got the stink of colonial racism as the secret is taken from a "primitive tribe"
Lots of intense talk of healthy food and exercise
Lots of 70s-era misogyny, racism, homophobia, et cetera
Death Claims by Joseph Hansen
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0