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ribbenkast's reviews
88 reviews
You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
What a disappointment! I was looking for a quick read and after seeing a lot of praise for Cinderella isn't dead by the same author I thought I should give this book a chance. I'll never trust Tiktok to tell me which author's are good ever again.
The characters were shallow stereotypes of teens who talk in a way an old person thinks teens talk, with refrences that are already outdated by the time the book was published. Other dialogue was just put there to be blatend exposition to the audience and felt so unnatural.
The summary made it seem like this book was going to be a meta-commentary about horror and slashers, like Scream or Cabin in the woods. However it was anything but, in fact it seemed like the author doesn't have an understanding of how horror works at all. The admittedly creative setting of a slasher-movie recreation camp was underused and might've well not been there, even though it's the selling point of the book. The only reason I kept reading was because of the way it was set up. I was waiting for the book to suddenly become clever, for all of the shitty almost parody like dialogue to suddenly make sense. it never did.
Despite the book being only 220 pages, almost nothing happens in the first 130-150. After that things are happening so quick and badly planned out un-forshadowed "twists" keep being thrown at you, you barely have time to process them. The twists don't work anyway because none of the characters who are "in on" the twist have behaved in line with their true intentions. None of their previous actions make sense in light of this new information, even if their intention was trying to trick the main characters (and by extend the reader.)
In the end it was just a simple slasher story that does nothing new with the genre and falls apart when you think about it too much. I have no interest in reading another book by Kalynn Bayron, maybe she's better in a different genre but I have low hopes. If this is the horror she writes, she should've stuck to fantasy.
The characters were shallow stereotypes of teens who talk in a way an old person thinks teens talk, with refrences that are already outdated by the time the book was published. Other dialogue was just put there to be blatend exposition to the audience and felt so unnatural.
The summary made it seem like this book was going to be a meta-commentary about horror and slashers, like Scream or Cabin in the woods. However it was anything but, in fact it seemed like the author doesn't have an understanding of how horror works at all. The admittedly creative setting of a slasher-movie recreation camp was underused and might've well not been there, even though it's the selling point of the book. The only reason I kept reading was because of the way it was set up. I was waiting for the book to suddenly become clever, for all of the shitty almost parody like dialogue to suddenly make sense. it never did.
Despite the book being only 220 pages, almost nothing happens in the first 130-150. After that things are happening so quick and badly planned out un-forshadowed "twists" keep being thrown at you, you barely have time to process them. The twists don't work anyway because none of the characters who are "in on" the twist have behaved in line with their true intentions. None of their previous actions make sense in light of this new information, even if their intention was trying to trick the main characters (and by extend the reader.)
In the end it was just a simple slasher story that does nothing new with the genre and falls apart when you think about it too much. I have no interest in reading another book by Kalynn Bayron, maybe she's better in a different genre but I have low hopes. If this is the horror she writes, she should've stuck to fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, Body horror, Gore, Murder, and Torture
The Hike by Drew Magary
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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
I rarely give books 5 stars but this is the first time I had to. The book is funny, tense, the prose is amazingly well written and the ending will leave me contemplating live for a few days.
it's Alice in Wonderland but more adult and it has a bunch of (ne essary) gore in it. I feel like it's very hard to write a fitting ending to these kinds of stories but Drew Magary has pulled of the perfect ending that won't disappoint. This book was a joy from start to finish
it's Alice in Wonderland but more adult and it has a bunch of (ne essary) gore in it. I feel like it's very hard to write a fitting ending to these kinds of stories but Drew Magary has pulled of the perfect ending that won't disappoint. This book was a joy from start to finish
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Vomit, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Sexual content, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Confinement, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical trauma
big bug gore
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
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
4.75
This book is amazing. The author has crafted an amazing tense world that makes you upset and keep wanting to flip the page. However this is not a happy book.
The book is aware of its ya tropes, distopian world with an extraordinarily girl and a love triangle but manages to make them feel fresh and flips them on their head. Zetian is an amazing main character full of female rage who never backs down or gets more mellow. She's hurt, she's not a good person but you understand all her actions, they feel justified. Truly an anti-hero you love to keep rooting for.
The romance part was really well done. As a polyamorous person, this was the first time i saw a love like mone in mainstream media and it made me tear up.
amazing read, the ending left me both satisfied, angry and hopeful for a sequel.
The book is aware of its ya tropes, distopian world with an extraordinarily girl and a love triangle but manages to make them feel fresh and flips them on their head. Zetian is an amazing main character full of female rage who never backs down or gets more mellow. She's hurt, she's not a good person but you understand all her actions, they feel justified. Truly an anti-hero you love to keep rooting for.
The romance part was really well done. As a polyamorous person, this was the first time i saw a love like mone in mainstream media and it made me tear up.
amazing read, the ending left me both satisfied, angry and hopeful for a sequel.
A Worthy Opponent by Katee Robert
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was a fun read. If you're looking for a spicy book with BDSM, crime bosses and a marriage of convenience trope this is the right book for you. The plot was fun but admittedly a bit thin. I was expecting more from the final confrontation with the main villain as i found his character interesting, but that unfortunately didn't happen. The spice was 5/5 🌶️ and well written.
I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The book is a collection of an unhinged but very self aware woman who perfectly reflects on race and gender. It made me laugh sometimes and often made me think.
The book however has zero plot, and doesn't go anywhere. It is just a reflection but had no actual built up towards an ending. This is not a flaw but should be mentioned.
The book however has zero plot, and doesn't go anywhere. It is just a reflection but had no actual built up towards an ending. This is not a flaw but should be mentioned.
Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
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
4.0
A great book! I love reading horror and especially body horror. I'm in particular interested in body horror as a methaphor for being trans. (Not in the sense that being trans is a horror, but more in the sense getting a body you don't recognize, the world seeing you different from who you are, and eventually using a new body to fight back) I think the author did this especially well. There was a lot of diversity in this book and even though not every character was completly fleshed out (such is the case in every book) I felt like the depictions where very ernest. I especially liked the way Nick's autism was handeld.
That being said, the book was a bit on the nose sometimes. It felt like the author was litterally spelling out the themes for us (like found family) without giving the reader some credit in figuring it out themselves. I personally prefere to be shown those themes, not to be told. The world was well crafted but some twists where a bit too predictable, for example Nick being in the same deadsqaud as Theo wasn't as big of a refeal as it should have been and Benji could've and should've connected the dots himself before he read Nick's letter whilst others weren't properly forshadowed at all. for example Sister Kipling suddenly being on Benji's side felt like a major ex machina
All in all I would defintily recomand this book, I couldn't put it down and read the back half of the book in one sitting. It's a very enjoyable YA read with some interesting themes I haven't really seen before. You'll have a good time if you like horror, even more so if you like queer horror.
That being said, the book was a bit on the nose sometimes. It felt like the author was litterally spelling out the themes for us (like found family) without giving the reader some credit in figuring it out themselves. I personally prefere to be shown those themes, not to be told. The world was well crafted but some twists where a bit too predictable, for example
All in all I would defintily recomand this book, I couldn't put it down and read the back half of the book in one sitting. It's a very enjoyable YA read with some interesting themes I haven't really seen before. You'll have a good time if you like horror, even more so if you like queer horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Body horror, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Deadnaming
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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
3.75
It's a nice YA book about two boys falling in love. It's not that deep and I had a good time with it. I would've loved to have these kinds of books available when I was queer in high school. It's a bit fanfiction thrope heavy, but I think that's part of it's charm.
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, Rape, Death, and Addiction
Moderate: Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Gore, and Toxic friendship
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