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12 reviews
Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 4 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this book so fast man. This one was by far my absolute favorite of the series.
We start off in a wild intro to the book and I was really intrigued by the Bloody Fire Social. It was really cool to read about and definitely gets you right into the action and stuck on this book.
And there is nothing I love more in this series than Hua Cheng sticking around because he can and he wants to protect Xie. Just absolutely stunning in my opinion.
ALSO excuse me while I slam my hands on the table over Hua saying in round about words that Xie is his beloved!!! Beautiful. Stunning. A masterpiece. I know no one else caught it in the story but it’s still stunning.
This story was so good, it gave me a different feel than all the other books because of the characters and trying to find the Reverend of Empty Words. I just love how interesting it is to see the story follow these characters and give me so much each time. I also can’t get enough of Xie and Hua interacting, it’s so wonderful. I also LOVE how hurt Xie was over Hua’s joke of marriage and him telling people he had someone he loved. TELL HIM YOU IDIOT GOD. I need these two to have a long conversation of how much they care about each other RIGHT NOW.
The story gets better the longer it goes on, and I’m not at all surprised that Xie buts his head into Shi’s business again, he keeps doing that lol. He wants to help others so much and it’s so wonderful. I love seeing him reach out and give so much cause it’s who he is.
Now the best parts. THE KISSES. Kill me now I’m happy lmao. Xie gets SO WORRIED OVER HUA. I love how he was so worried and felt he had to give him oxygen and then immediately freaks out over the technical kiss lmao
I love these two so much and they really need to communicate sheesh.
The coffin scene. Enough said. I’m loving how Hua can get a rise out of Xie but no one else can, absolutely beautiful in my opinion. And the more we learn about what’s happening with Shi and Wudu just becomes more complicated and interesting.
The reveal of Reverend of Empty Words was WILD. AND THE HEAD WRENCHING? The art??? Gorgeous. Wild and crazy.
Hua Cheng bringing him back with kisses? Beautiful. And Xie pulling him back in? Also just CHEFS KISS. I cant tell you how happy this scene made me. But I really wish they’d just communicate and kiss for realsies.
And then we get THE SCENE. The one on the cover, the beautiful scene of Hua needing Xie and him being there for him. We also get this line: “Through the fog that clouded his mind, Xie Lian finally accepted something. Although every time this happened was out of his control and he had no choice…the truth was, he couldn’t resist his feelings. Every time.”
Excuse me while I ugly cry, HES GETTIN IT FOLKS. He’s finally admitting it to himself and I’m so happy god.
And then we get to the ending and it’s so funny Hua was staying around Xie as Lang, absolutely adorable in my opinion. And then we get another wrench with the Brocade Immortal and the cliff hangar. Wild and I cannot wait for the next book.
I love this series and will always recommend it. I will say looking back these books are heavily character driven. They do have plot and more but the characters are where I think these books really shine, and the relationships between them seem to push the story and narrative along the most.
Also am I the only one thinking the new ghost king is gonna be Shi? Interesting thoughts for when the next book comes lol
We start off in a wild intro to the book and I was really intrigued by the Bloody Fire Social. It was really cool to read about and definitely gets you right into the action and stuck on this book.
And there is nothing I love more in this series than Hua Cheng sticking around because he can and he wants to protect Xie. Just absolutely stunning in my opinion.
ALSO excuse me while I slam my hands on the table over Hua saying in round about words that Xie is his beloved!!! Beautiful. Stunning. A masterpiece. I know no one else caught it in the story but it’s still stunning.
This story was so good, it gave me a different feel than all the other books because of the characters and trying to find the Reverend of Empty Words. I just love how interesting it is to see the story follow these characters and give me so much each time. I also can’t get enough of Xie and Hua interacting, it’s so wonderful. I also LOVE how hurt Xie was over Hua’s joke of marriage and him telling people he had someone he loved. TELL HIM YOU IDIOT GOD. I need these two to have a long conversation of how much they care about each other RIGHT NOW.
The story gets better the longer it goes on, and I’m not at all surprised that Xie buts his head into Shi’s business again, he keeps doing that lol. He wants to help others so much and it’s so wonderful. I love seeing him reach out and give so much cause it’s who he is.
Now the best parts. THE KISSES. Kill me now I’m happy lmao. Xie gets SO WORRIED OVER HUA. I love how he was so worried and felt he had to give him oxygen and then immediately freaks out over the technical kiss lmao
I love these two so much and they really need to communicate sheesh.
The coffin scene. Enough said. I’m loving how Hua can get a rise out of Xie but no one else can, absolutely beautiful in my opinion. And the more we learn about what’s happening with Shi and Wudu just becomes more complicated and interesting.
The reveal of Reverend of Empty Words was WILD. AND THE HEAD WRENCHING? The art??? Gorgeous. Wild and crazy.
Hua Cheng bringing him back with kisses? Beautiful. And Xie pulling him back in? Also just CHEFS KISS. I cant tell you how happy this scene made me. But I really wish they’d just communicate and kiss for realsies.
And then we get THE SCENE. The one on the cover, the beautiful scene of Hua needing Xie and him being there for him. We also get this line: “Through the fog that clouded his mind, Xie Lian finally accepted something. Although every time this happened was out of his control and he had no choice…the truth was, he couldn’t resist his feelings. Every time.”
Excuse me while I ugly cry, HES GETTIN IT FOLKS. He’s finally admitting it to himself and I’m so happy god.
And then we get to the ending and it’s so funny Hua was staying around Xie as Lang, absolutely adorable in my opinion. And then we get another wrench with the Brocade Immortal and the cliff hangar. Wild and I cannot wait for the next book.
I love this series and will always recommend it. I will say looking back these books are heavily character driven. They do have plot and more but the characters are where I think these books really shine, and the relationships between them seem to push the story and narrative along the most.
Also am I the only one thinking the new ghost king is gonna be Shi? Interesting thoughts for when the next book comes lol
Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 3 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
First let me just say, this book was fantastic and I love it and I’m always going to love any of the books in this series because they’re wonderful. Now moving on lol
The first, I’d say half of this book, is a look into the past and Xie’s life when he was human/his first ascension. This gives so much context to his life and decisions and I have to say I did love that. I also wanted to get back to the present so bad because I wanted more Hua Cheng and Xie interactions lol
That being said seeing the past and how his decisions impacted Xianle and was so interesting. We start out with him having ascended and getting prayers and are immediately thrust into the problem by a man from Yong’an which was wild. This poor man had been through hell and needed help, but no one would help him or his people. And Qi Rong, like always, helps none of this situation.
Hearing the man’s story and seeing the impact of a drought in the people is, incredibly real and made me understand beyond a doubt why things happen they way they did.
My heart goes out to the people of Yong’an and to Xie who just wanted to help. Without spoilers, this blast to the past gives us all the context about the snippets we’ve gotten through book one and two and how they happened. Including the downfall of Xianle, and the human face disease. It gave so much context and I feel so sorry for everyone involved. There’s is nothing gold can do to stop a drought and there is nothing to do when you don’t have the water to give to refugees. They tried to help but it wasn’t enough and it was gut wrenching seeing the impact Xie’s decisions kept having and the pain and suffering people were having to go through. Everything happened and it all made sense and it all made my heart hurt for the people of Xianle and Yong’an. The first part of the book was incredibly impactful because it gave us the context we were missing for those incidents and also let us know even gods can’t fix everything. Despite what the people think, a god can’t fix all the problems of the world and Xie had to learn that in a very hard and painful way.
Also seeing Honghong-er being told by Xie that he should live for him, was so funny. I’m glad we got the context for that snippet we got in book one or two and the context makes it even better because of Hua Cheng.
With the end of the past segment we finally get back to current times and the festival was so funny. I love the other gods absolutely confused by San Lang and Xie’s relationship. Because it’s so funny how easy they are around each other and the gods are just so confused. And Hua’s complete domination of the festival for Xie was so fucking cute and I still can’t get over it.
ALSO HIM TEACHING HUA HOW TO WRITE. My heart can’t handle this.
The fetus spirit threw me for a loop but it also gave us the beautiful scene of Shi trying to tell everyone that Xie had never held hands or kissed anyone for it to be a lie and I just….that was so beautiful. Just perfection.
And I forgot to say how much I love Eming, so much and Ruoye, they’re both adorable and I love them.
And we get Shi back to give us the start of the next book and it was wonderful.
I can’t stress enough how much I love this book and this series. I recommend it a thousand percent and everyone should read it. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian are wonderful.
The first, I’d say half of this book, is a look into the past and Xie’s life when he was human/his first ascension. This gives so much context to his life and decisions and I have to say I did love that. I also wanted to get back to the present so bad because I wanted more Hua Cheng and Xie interactions lol
That being said seeing the past and how his decisions impacted Xianle and was so interesting. We start out with him having ascended and getting prayers and are immediately thrust into the problem by a man from Yong’an which was wild. This poor man had been through hell and needed help, but no one would help him or his people. And Qi Rong, like always, helps none of this situation.
Hearing the man’s story and seeing the impact of a drought in the people is, incredibly real and made me understand beyond a doubt why things happen they way they did.
My heart goes out to the people of Yong’an and to Xie who just wanted to help. Without spoilers, this blast to the past gives us all the context about the snippets we’ve gotten through book one and two and how they happened. Including the downfall of Xianle, and the human face disease. It gave so much context and I feel so sorry for everyone involved. There’s is nothing gold can do to stop a drought and there is nothing to do when you don’t have the water to give to refugees. They tried to help but it wasn’t enough and it was gut wrenching seeing the impact Xie’s decisions kept having and the pain and suffering people were having to go through. Everything happened and it all made sense and it all made my heart hurt for the people of Xianle and Yong’an. The first part of the book was incredibly impactful because it gave us the context we were missing for those incidents and also let us know even gods can’t fix everything. Despite what the people think, a god can’t fix all the problems of the world and Xie had to learn that in a very hard and painful way.
Also seeing Honghong-er being told by Xie that he should live for him, was so funny. I’m glad we got the context for that snippet we got in book one or two and the context makes it even better because of Hua Cheng.
With the end of the past segment we finally get back to current times and the festival was so funny. I love the other gods absolutely confused by San Lang and Xie’s relationship. Because it’s so funny how easy they are around each other and the gods are just so confused. And Hua’s complete domination of the festival for Xie was so fucking cute and I still can’t get over it.
ALSO HIM TEACHING HUA HOW TO WRITE. My heart can’t handle this.
The fetus spirit threw me for a loop but it also gave us the beautiful scene of Shi trying to tell everyone that Xie had never held hands or kissed anyone for it to be a lie and I just….that was so beautiful. Just perfection.
And I forgot to say how much I love Eming, so much and Ruoye, they’re both adorable and I love them.
And we get Shi back to give us the start of the next book and it was wonderful.
I can’t stress enough how much I love this book and this series. I recommend it a thousand percent and everyone should read it. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian are wonderful.
Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book my friends. There’s no easy way to explain how wonderful this book was ahhh
This story grabbed my attention immediately. The only reason it took so long to read it was because I only had book one and two and had to go buy three and four before I allowed myself to finish this book.
But once I did, it only took me a handful of hours because this book is so damn good. The plot of this one was so good and I felt like a lot of it was relationship building for some of the characters and it was WORTH IT! I love Hua Cheng and I love Xie, and them together? Chefs kiss. Seeing them interact and other characters so confused about their relationship makes me so happy lol. I was also not expecting a blast from the past but it was really cool to see Xie in a different element and to see who he was when he was younger. He was certainly more outgoing but he is def still the same guy we love.
First of all: him seeing Hua’s real face? STUNNING. The scene was so wonderful. And that only he knew it was real? CHEFS KISS.
Second: him taking blame? EXPECTED. Hua making sure Liang knew right? EXCELLENT. We stan Hua Cheng in this house. He stands up for Xie so much I love it!
Also getting some backstory and show of the past? I have no word except S T U N N I N G! ALSO HONGHONGER BEING SAN LANG?! FANTASTIC!
Also Qi Rong? Hate him. Lmao. He’s certainly a character and he definitely needed a different style of parenting that they just couldn’t give him I guess. He shouldn’t have been spoiled in such a way but alas there’s no way to change it.
I also love the ideas Xie had even as a child. He had such a mind on him and his beliefs were so wonderful. I cant get over his sense of Justice. Am I headcanoning that he’s autistic bc I am? Yes, yes I am.
ALSO him holding Honghong-er and telling him everything’s okay WARMED MY HEART SO MUCH. He held him and told him he’s not a monster and that, that made me love Xie even MORE! He’s such a good character and I can’t get over how much I love him okay.
This story grabbed my attention immediately. The only reason it took so long to read it was because I only had book one and two and had to go buy three and four before I allowed myself to finish this book.
But once I did, it only took me a handful of hours because this book is so damn good. The plot of this one was so good and I felt like a lot of it was relationship building for some of the characters and it was WORTH IT! I love Hua Cheng and I love Xie, and them together? Chefs kiss. Seeing them interact and other characters so confused about their relationship makes me so happy lol. I was also not expecting a blast from the past but it was really cool to see Xie in a different element and to see who he was when he was younger. He was certainly more outgoing but he is def still the same guy we love.
First of all: him seeing Hua’s real face? STUNNING. The scene was so wonderful. And that only he knew it was real? CHEFS KISS.
Second: him taking blame? EXPECTED. Hua making sure Liang knew right? EXCELLENT. We stan Hua Cheng in this house. He stands up for Xie so much I love it!
Also getting some backstory and show of the past? I have no word except S T U N N I N G! ALSO HONGHONGER BEING SAN LANG?! FANTASTIC!
Also Qi Rong? Hate him. Lmao. He’s certainly a character and he definitely needed a different style of parenting that they just couldn’t give him I guess. He shouldn’t have been spoiled in such a way but alas there’s no way to change it.
I also love the ideas Xie had even as a child. He had such a mind on him and his beliefs were so wonderful. I cant get over his sense of Justice. Am I headcanoning that he’s autistic bc I am? Yes, yes I am.
ALSO him holding Honghong-er and telling him everything’s okay WARMED MY HEART SO MUCH. He held him and told him he’s not a monster and that, that made me love Xie even MORE! He’s such a good character and I can’t get over how much I love him okay.
Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
God how do I explain how much I absolutely adore this book?
Let me start off by saying I have been hearing about this book for years and never picked it up. I heard about it on tumblr years ago and was like “that sounds cool”. But I never actually went looking for it, but in October I decided let’s try it. God am I so glad I did.
This book is fantastic. I love Xie so much, he’s my fave character and Hua is also a fave but no one can beat Xie for me. He’s so lovable it’s crazy.
For the plot of the book? Fantastic. This book felt very Demon Slayer/Supernatural to me. Going to fight ghosts/spirits and figure out bad guys? Gave me such nostalgia and feelings. It was absolutely fantastic and I loved the way the characters interact through the book. This book is absolutely a fave of 2022 and will probably be a fave forever. As will the rest of the series which I finished in like 2 days because I love this series so much.
I am absolutely gonna recommend this series to anyone. It is fun, it’s got some mystery of who is doing what, what’s going down. It’s got such a cool magic system and it made me remember how much I love Chinese cultivation stories. It’s such an interesting genre and I’m so big lad I get to dive in to these beautiful stories by Mxtx.
I don’t know how else to get people to read this book and series other than to yell that you should. So good!
Let me start off by saying I have been hearing about this book for years and never picked it up. I heard about it on tumblr years ago and was like “that sounds cool”. But I never actually went looking for it, but in October I decided let’s try it. God am I so glad I did.
This book is fantastic. I love Xie so much, he’s my fave character and Hua is also a fave but no one can beat Xie for me. He’s so lovable it’s crazy.
For the plot of the book? Fantastic. This book felt very Demon Slayer/Supernatural to me. Going to fight ghosts/spirits and figure out bad guys? Gave me such nostalgia and feelings. It was absolutely fantastic and I loved the way the characters interact through the book. This book is absolutely a fave of 2022 and will probably be a fave forever. As will the rest of the series which I finished in like 2 days because I love this series so much.
I am absolutely gonna recommend this series to anyone. It is fun, it’s got some mystery of who is doing what, what’s going down. It’s got such a cool magic system and it made me remember how much I love Chinese cultivation stories. It’s such an interesting genre and I’m so big lad I get to dive in to these beautiful stories by Mxtx.
I don’t know how else to get people to read this book and series other than to yell that you should. So good!
The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
I’d known this book was coming out but had forgotten the date, until I saw someone on booktok say they’d ordered it, I immediately ran to get a copy.
I am so glad I did. I love the Deathcast series so much. There’s something about these books and the characters and concept that are so human. It reminds you to live, and reminds you to love even when you don’t have much time left. There’s so much good in these books and being able to see the characters in this book and the start of Death Cast was such an interesting experience. I loved Valentino and Orion so much. They were so real.
And their struggles and lives were so real and heartbreaking and that they got to spend that time together was so beautifully devastating.
I cried when I read They Both Die At The End, but this one hit even harder. The tears did not stop coming the entire last 100 pages. Everything felt like a kick in the heart and the gut at the same time. This story was absolutely beautiful and hopeful about life and grief. And it was funny and lighthearted at times and so heavy at others because that’s how death and grief are.
My favorite things about this series is how it reminds you to live, no matter how much life you have left. And to also let yourself feel and live, even if it’s dangerous. Because it’s better to not have any or too many regrets. These books are sad but they are also so hopeful and beautiful and I will always recommend them, especially if you need a good cry. They are beyond beautiful and I couldn’t be happier that I get to experience them and these wonderful characters.
I am so glad I did. I love the Deathcast series so much. There’s something about these books and the characters and concept that are so human. It reminds you to live, and reminds you to love even when you don’t have much time left. There’s so much good in these books and being able to see the characters in this book and the start of Death Cast was such an interesting experience. I loved Valentino and Orion so much. They were so real.
And their struggles and lives were so real and heartbreaking and that they got to spend that time together was so beautifully devastating.
I cried when I read They Both Die At The End, but this one hit even harder. The tears did not stop coming the entire last 100 pages. Everything felt like a kick in the heart and the gut at the same time. This story was absolutely beautiful and hopeful about life and grief. And it was funny and lighthearted at times and so heavy at others because that’s how death and grief are.
My favorite things about this series is how it reminds you to live, no matter how much life you have left. And to also let yourself feel and live, even if it’s dangerous. Because it’s better to not have any or too many regrets. These books are sad but they are also so hopeful and beautiful and I will always recommend them, especially if you need a good cry. They are beyond beautiful and I couldn’t be happier that I get to experience them and these wonderful characters.
Bloom by Kevin Panetta
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.0
Really cute, loved watching the characters interact with each other. Zoomed through this, it was so good! I loved both Hector and Ari and it was just too cute. Def would recommend!
Pixels of You by Yuko Ota, Ananth Hirsh
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Was really cute and I really enjoyed it. The art style is gorgeous and the characters were enjoyable.
Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
So I had heard quite a bit about this book. And had recently read Hell Followed With Us, and I wanted a horror/gore read for October. So I decided to pick up Manhunt. I wanted gore, I wanted disgust, I wanted the same feelings I got from HFWU. I don’t think this is the book for that, at least it wasn’t for me.
Let me preface that as a trans person I love reading trans characters and the concept was incredibly interesting. I semi knew what I was getting into. I’d heard about this book from multiple people so I knew there was some heavy stuff in here. I knew it followed 2 trans women, a trans man, and a TERF. I knew there would be a lot of TERF shit and HOLYSHIT was there. I also knew rape was a theme and I’m glad I knew beforehand.
This is a heavy fucking book. I know it’s a commentary on TERFs and their ideologies and where they could lead in a fucked up world and that didn’t make it less fucked up. But it is a heavy fucking book and I would not recommend this to many or maybe any people if I’m being honest.
I did enjoy the book. There were funny quips and one liners, the main characters beside Ramona, had flaws but you could obviously tell were fleshed out people who were trying to live in an apocalypse and deal with their own shit along the way.
The writing was raw in its depictions of trans dysphoria and issues and a lot of trans shit. And it was an interesting look at all of it. And I enjoyed seeing into their thoughts and actions.
Ramona’s POV always pissed me off which it was supposed to I’m sure. She was the odd one out. The one obviously in the wrong and knowing it, and still making all those wrong decisions. She said she was in love and let that lover die just because. There were so many times she could have stood up, times so many people could have stood up and ended it, but they didn’t. From their safety they ignored the cries and pain of those that weren’t them and it screams of a privilege to not have to think. To be able to step away and live quietly while letting things happen because “I can’t do anything anyway.” It’s definitely a commentary on activism and it was really interesting to read, but I still didn’t sympathize.
There was a good amount in this book that was nice to read and interesting, but there was also a lot we probably could have done without. Authors can write what they want and if this is the story you want to write that’s fine, I will say though, that for a book that was only 293 pages, it didn’t need so many smut scenes. There were FIFTEEN. I annotated my book and let me tell you I love t4t smut scenes, it’s a great thing and I love to read smut in my books, but it was just SO much. By the end I was annoyed whenever a new one came up. And I wanted to be happy for the characters but it’s an apocalypse and they were so goddamn horny. It was exhausting by the end of the book. I get trying to showcase trans people and how normal it is for them to exist outside of surgeries but still, it was a lot.
And arguably I don’t think the rape scene needed to happen. It didn’t add much to the plot other than trauma to Beth and very little would have changed other than the disgust at it happening. I don’t feel it was necessary but again, traumatize your characters how you want it just felt really unnecessary to me. As we’d already been told about the horrible things the men were doing, we didn’t need front row seats, but if that was important to Beth’s character, it’s fine I just didn’t feel like it was there for anything but horror and gore. But I digress.
Teach was the head TERF and her beliefs and ideologies were horrendous. A lot of the TERFs in this book had realized after the virus had spread and men were now monsters that someone else could take over that monster slot and have the power to hurt others. I hated every time Teach would say something or monologue because it was always about how disgusting men were and the horrible things they were apparently programmed to do, while the TERFs were doing the exact same things to the trans people of the book. The horrible things they did were a power trip for most of the TERFs and it really stuck it that this is where these women wanted to be. They loved having a power they had craved before the men had turned and they just used it to hurt others because they could.
I won’t say this is a horrible book or story. There were parts I enjoyed and parts I absolutely hated. Parts that made me disgusted and parts that made me happy, but I don’t know if I’d recommend this book to anyone. It’s an interesting commentary and I won’t knock people from reading it, and I know most people who would want to, would even pick up this book, would be ready for all the shit in it.
It’s just a lot in so few pages and I’m not sure how else I’m supposed to feel about it. I wanted to love it, I wanted something different from this and it wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read and I actually finished it. It’s a horror book, and it fits its genre. It just wasn’t what I wanted it to be and there was just so much that was probably there to pad the page number, and I really wished people would have talked about their feelings and relationships instead of just having sex. There’s so much more to a relationship, even in an apocalypse then sex.
This wasn’t a fave of mine and I don’t know if I’d ever reread it, I don’t regret giving it a chance but I’d definitely not recommend unless someone really liked horror novels. If you want to pick this book up, go ahead, and try and enjoy and connect with the characters but do be mindful of the content warnings and if you don’t think you could stomach it or that it would be worth it, definitely pass this one up.
Let me preface that as a trans person I love reading trans characters and the concept was incredibly interesting. I semi knew what I was getting into. I’d heard about this book from multiple people so I knew there was some heavy stuff in here. I knew it followed 2 trans women, a trans man, and a TERF. I knew there would be a lot of TERF shit and HOLYSHIT was there. I also knew rape was a theme and I’m glad I knew beforehand.
This is a heavy fucking book. I know it’s a commentary on TERFs and their ideologies and where they could lead in a fucked up world and that didn’t make it less fucked up. But it is a heavy fucking book and I would not recommend this to many or maybe any people if I’m being honest.
I did enjoy the book. There were funny quips and one liners, the main characters beside Ramona, had flaws but you could obviously tell were fleshed out people who were trying to live in an apocalypse and deal with their own shit along the way.
The writing was raw in its depictions of trans dysphoria and issues and a lot of trans shit. And it was an interesting look at all of it. And I enjoyed seeing into their thoughts and actions.
Ramona’s POV always pissed me off which it was supposed to I’m sure. She was the odd one out. The one obviously in the wrong and knowing it, and still making all those wrong decisions. She said she was in love and let that lover die just because. There were so many times she could have stood up, times so many people could have stood up and ended it, but they didn’t. From their safety they ignored the cries and pain of those that weren’t them and it screams of a privilege to not have to think. To be able to step away and live quietly while letting things happen because “I can’t do anything anyway.” It’s definitely a commentary on activism and it was really interesting to read, but I still didn’t sympathize.
There was a good amount in this book that was nice to read and interesting, but there was also a lot we probably could have done without. Authors can write what they want and if this is the story you want to write that’s fine, I will say though, that for a book that was only 293 pages, it didn’t need so many smut scenes. There were FIFTEEN. I annotated my book and let me tell you I love t4t smut scenes, it’s a great thing and I love to read smut in my books, but it was just SO much. By the end I was annoyed whenever a new one came up. And I wanted to be happy for the characters but it’s an apocalypse and they were so goddamn horny. It was exhausting by the end of the book. I get trying to showcase trans people and how normal it is for them to exist outside of surgeries but still, it was a lot.
And arguably I don’t think the rape scene needed to happen. It didn’t add much to the plot other than trauma to Beth and very little would have changed other than the disgust at it happening. I don’t feel it was necessary but again, traumatize your characters how you want it just felt really unnecessary to me. As we’d already been told about the horrible things the men were doing, we didn’t need front row seats, but if that was important to Beth’s character, it’s fine I just didn’t feel like it was there for anything but horror and gore. But I digress.
Teach was the head TERF and her beliefs and ideologies were horrendous. A lot of the TERFs in this book had realized after the virus had spread and men were now monsters that someone else could take over that monster slot and have the power to hurt others. I hated every time Teach would say something or monologue because it was always about how disgusting men were and the horrible things they were apparently programmed to do, while the TERFs were doing the exact same things to the trans people of the book. The horrible things they did were a power trip for most of the TERFs and it really stuck it that this is where these women wanted to be. They loved having a power they had craved before the men had turned and they just used it to hurt others because they could.
I won’t say this is a horrible book or story. There were parts I enjoyed and parts I absolutely hated. Parts that made me disgusted and parts that made me happy, but I don’t know if I’d recommend this book to anyone. It’s an interesting commentary and I won’t knock people from reading it, and I know most people who would want to, would even pick up this book, would be ready for all the shit in it.
It’s just a lot in so few pages and I’m not sure how else I’m supposed to feel about it. I wanted to love it, I wanted something different from this and it wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read and I actually finished it. It’s a horror book, and it fits its genre. It just wasn’t what I wanted it to be and there was just so much that was probably there to pad the page number, and I really wished people would have talked about their feelings and relationships instead of just having sex. There’s so much more to a relationship, even in an apocalypse then sex.
This wasn’t a fave of mine and I don’t know if I’d ever reread it, I don’t regret giving it a chance but I’d definitely not recommend unless someone really liked horror novels. If you want to pick this book up, go ahead, and try and enjoy and connect with the characters but do be mindful of the content warnings and if you don’t think you could stomach it or that it would be worth it, definitely pass this one up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fatphobia, Excrement, Medical content, Alcohol, and Classism
Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
5.0
So this is one of my top 5 books of this year for sure and honestly probably my top book of this year.
I’m not one to usually read horror, I’ve read horror fanfics before but it’s not a genre I’m used to. But I saw the blurb for this book and the cover and knew I NEEDED it. And am I so fucking glad I bought it. Sad I wasn’t annotating when I read this book but that just gives me a reason to reread this book not that I needed another.
I loved the characters in this book. Excuse me if I get the names wrong I read this book probably a month or so ago but I had to review this and tell everyone especially angry queers to read this.
This book had so much trans and queer rage it was EXACTLY what I needed to read. Benji is a great character and I love the growth he shows throughout the book and the way he grows around all the other characters.
The horror of this book and the way the flood rips people apart is so interesting. As I said I’m not usually one for horror and gore but something about how Benji was being changed through the book was just so cool to read.
The way that Benji grows through the story to become Seraph is so interesting. I loved reading the changes and as horrible as I’m sure they were for Benji some of the writing was just so amazing in its descriptions and gore. When a piece of his cheek just, fell off to the floor with a splat….UGH.
There’s also the fact that this is a extreme religious ideology taken to the farthest extreme, of a culling of almost everyone on earth but the “””good ones”””. And the fact that it’s something we can see in current day, the calling for death is very shiver inducing.
But beside that this book is just such a good read. I loved the inclusion of multiple identities and the NEO PRONOUNS. Seeing a character that uses neopronouns like I do, warmed my heart so much. Plus seeing an autistic character so we’ll represented was so GOOD. This book gave me hope because even in the bleakness these queer kids had to go through they still stuck together and had hope.
I mentioned the rage in this book earlier and no character embodies that as much as Benji and his growth. I don’t want to spoil anything but the way he gives into his rage is just….chefs kiss. We all deserve to feel that rage because it’s real, and pushing it down doesn’t help or make it go away.
This book made me feel many things, happiness and being seen. Sadness at their circumstances but also hope that they were still living as best they could. Anger at those who had made the flood and hurt Benji, and vindication at the end.
This book was a breathe of fresh air for me in a way I didn’t expect. And I wish I could experience it again for the first time. It’s beautiful and heart wrenching over their circumstances and how they keep going despite it all. I would recommend this book to anyone (who wouldn’t get butthurt over neopronouns) and especially to other queers who want to experience someone like us changing into a monster, and that not being quite such a bad thing.
I’m not one to usually read horror, I’ve read horror fanfics before but it’s not a genre I’m used to. But I saw the blurb for this book and the cover and knew I NEEDED it. And am I so fucking glad I bought it. Sad I wasn’t annotating when I read this book but that just gives me a reason to reread this book not that I needed another.
I loved the characters in this book. Excuse me if I get the names wrong I read this book probably a month or so ago but I had to review this and tell everyone especially angry queers to read this.
This book had so much trans and queer rage it was EXACTLY what I needed to read. Benji is a great character and I love the growth he shows throughout the book and the way he grows around all the other characters.
The horror of this book and the way the flood rips people apart is so interesting. As I said I’m not usually one for horror and gore but something about how Benji was being changed through the book was just so cool to read.
The way that Benji grows through the story to become Seraph is so interesting. I loved reading the changes and as horrible as I’m sure they were for Benji some of the writing was just so amazing in its descriptions and gore. When a piece of his cheek just, fell off to the floor with a splat….UGH.
There’s also the fact that this is a extreme religious ideology taken to the farthest extreme, of a culling of almost everyone on earth but the “””good ones”””. And the fact that it’s something we can see in current day, the calling for death is very shiver inducing.
But beside that this book is just such a good read. I loved the inclusion of multiple identities and the NEO PRONOUNS. Seeing a character that uses neopronouns like I do, warmed my heart so much. Plus seeing an autistic character so we’ll represented was so GOOD. This book gave me hope because even in the bleakness these queer kids had to go through they still stuck together and had hope.
I mentioned the rage in this book earlier and no character embodies that as much as Benji and his growth. I don’t want to spoil anything but the way he gives into his rage is just….chefs kiss. We all deserve to feel that rage because it’s real, and pushing it down doesn’t help or make it go away.
This book made me feel many things, happiness and being seen. Sadness at their circumstances but also hope that they were still living as best they could. Anger at those who had made the flood and hurt Benji, and vindication at the end.
This book was a breathe of fresh air for me in a way I didn’t expect. And I wish I could experience it again for the first time. It’s beautiful and heart wrenching over their circumstances and how they keep going despite it all. I would recommend this book to anyone (who wouldn’t get butthurt over neopronouns) and especially to other queers who want to experience someone like us changing into a monster, and that not being quite such a bad thing.
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was not the kind of books I usually read, I’m not a big fan of poetry. But this book has made me rethink that for sure. I absolutely love the writing and the character in this book. Mike’s journey through the pages and as he aged and came into his own identity was beautiful. I loved all this little things and how he grew in his own confidence to the end. It was such a wonderful read and I love the way the characters grew and learned as most dumb kids usually do of course. Being different and not feeling like you fit in are such relatable emotions, not always in the same ways but it doesn’t have to be. This was such an easy enjoyable read and I loved most of the characters and the growth I saw from almost all of them. Except Jack and Alex. You know what you did bitches. I’m glad I finally picked this book up off my shelf and gave it a chance. Absolutely worth it!