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sapphistoire's reviews
215 reviews
La fille dans l'écran by Lou Lubie, Manon Desveaux
5.0
La fille dans l’ecran est l’histoire de deux jeunes femmes, Coline et Marley. Coline vit en France et est une artiste en herbe. Elle vit actuellement dans une annexe de la maison de ses grands-parents et est en réalisant une bande dessinée. Elle a dû abandonner l’école en raison de son angoisse, mais sa mère pense que l’éducation formelle et un bon emploi sont les seuls moyens de réussir. En cherchant de l’inspiration pour sa bande dessinée, elle tombe par hasard sur la photographie en ligne de Marley. Marley vit au Québec et elle a abandonné la photographie pour une “vie sociale trépidante”. Elle travaille dans un café, vit avec son petit ami mais il semble que sa vie ne menait a rien. Après que Coline ait envoyé un courriel demandant la permission d’utiliser sa photographie comme référence, les deux se sont liés d’amitié.
Je ne sais pas trop comment faire la critique d’une bande dessinée sans rien gâcher et sans insérer des photos des choses que j’ai aimées ! Mais je peux dire sans hésiter que c’est l’une des meilleures bandes dessinées que j’ai jamais lues ! Sur un côté des pages, nous avons l’histoire de Coline, tout en noir et blanc, et sur l’autre, celle de Marley, en toute couleur. Le fait d’avoir ces différences a été très utile, en particulier lorsque leurs histoires se déroulaient exactement au même moment. Les petits bouts de SMS et d’e-mails qui se sont glissés entre les deux pages étaient un excellent moyen d’introduire le dialogue et de montrer que leur relation s’est développée. En fait, j’ai trouvé toute la mise en page de la bande dessinée particulièrement génial ! Il y avait tellement de petits détails qui la rendaient si géniale – du circuit d’autobus indiqué sur la page pour briser les panneaux, aux représentations presque tangibles de l’angoisse de Coline.
Comme c’est le cas dans la plupart des bandes dessinées, on ne voit pas vraiment les pensées et le dialogue intérieur des personnages, et je pense que cela a été très bien solutionné ici. Chaque fois que Coline était vraiment heureuse de quelque chose, de petites fleurs apparaissaient au-dessus de sa tête. Il y avait aussi une scène où leurs deux têtes se transformaient en emojis, ce qui était bien mieux que ce qu’il n’y paraît, je vous le promets !
Ce roman graphique m’a fait rire à haut voix à plusieurs reprises. Il y a une scène où Marley essaie de prendre un selfie à envoyer à Coline et la caméra la déforme complètement et je pensais que ça a vraiment mis le doigt dessus ! Mais il y a aussi des sujets lourds qui sont traités. Bien sûr, il y a les angoisses de Coline et le fait que sa mère soit opposée à la carrière qu’elle a choisie, mais Marley est aussi dans une relation abusive, ce qui était parfois très difficile à lire. En le lisant, on voulait juste le meilleur pour les deux femmes.
La romance dans cette bande dessiné était très “slowburn” et ils étaient des amies proches avant d’être des amoureux, ce que j’adorais. J’adorais voir les fins de leurs emails passer de “amicalement” à “bises” et puis à envoyer des textos non stop ! Leur première rencontre a été absolument adorable et j’ai adoré la façon dont le noir et blanc et les couleurs se mélangaient lorsqu’ils sont ensemble ! J’étais aussi très heureuse de voir deux femmes s’embrasser sur la couverture ! Une victoire pour les wlw!
Dans l’ensemble, j’ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à lire cette bande dessinée ! Le français n’était pas trop compliqué et je n’ai eu beaucoup de mal qu’avec quelques termes d’argot, alors je vous recommande de le lire, même si vous pensez que votre français n’est pas tout à fait à un niveau élevé ! C’était une bande dessinée si mignone et si drôle et je suis si heureuse de l’avoir sur mon étagère !
Je ne sais pas trop comment faire la critique d’une bande dessinée sans rien gâcher et sans insérer des photos des choses que j’ai aimées ! Mais je peux dire sans hésiter que c’est l’une des meilleures bandes dessinées que j’ai jamais lues ! Sur un côté des pages, nous avons l’histoire de Coline, tout en noir et blanc, et sur l’autre, celle de Marley, en toute couleur. Le fait d’avoir ces différences a été très utile, en particulier lorsque leurs histoires se déroulaient exactement au même moment. Les petits bouts de SMS et d’e-mails qui se sont glissés entre les deux pages étaient un excellent moyen d’introduire le dialogue et de montrer que leur relation s’est développée. En fait, j’ai trouvé toute la mise en page de la bande dessinée particulièrement génial ! Il y avait tellement de petits détails qui la rendaient si géniale – du circuit d’autobus indiqué sur la page pour briser les panneaux, aux représentations presque tangibles de l’angoisse de Coline.
Comme c’est le cas dans la plupart des bandes dessinées, on ne voit pas vraiment les pensées et le dialogue intérieur des personnages, et je pense que cela a été très bien solutionné ici. Chaque fois que Coline était vraiment heureuse de quelque chose, de petites fleurs apparaissaient au-dessus de sa tête. Il y avait aussi une scène où leurs deux têtes se transformaient en emojis, ce qui était bien mieux que ce qu’il n’y paraît, je vous le promets !
Ce roman graphique m’a fait rire à haut voix à plusieurs reprises. Il y a une scène où Marley essaie de prendre un selfie à envoyer à Coline et la caméra la déforme complètement et je pensais que ça a vraiment mis le doigt dessus ! Mais il y a aussi des sujets lourds qui sont traités. Bien sûr, il y a les angoisses de Coline et le fait que sa mère soit opposée à la carrière qu’elle a choisie, mais Marley est aussi dans une relation abusive, ce qui était parfois très difficile à lire. En le lisant, on voulait juste le meilleur pour les deux femmes.
La romance dans cette bande dessiné était très “slowburn” et ils étaient des amies proches avant d’être des amoureux, ce que j’adorais. J’adorais voir les fins de leurs emails passer de “amicalement” à “bises” et puis à envoyer des textos non stop ! Leur première rencontre a été absolument adorable et j’ai adoré la façon dont le noir et blanc et les couleurs se mélangaient lorsqu’ils sont ensemble ! J’étais aussi très heureuse de voir deux femmes s’embrasser sur la couverture ! Une victoire pour les wlw!
Dans l’ensemble, j’ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à lire cette bande dessinée ! Le français n’était pas trop compliqué et je n’ai eu beaucoup de mal qu’avec quelques termes d’argot, alors je vous recommande de le lire, même si vous pensez que votre français n’est pas tout à fait à un niveau élevé ! C’était une bande dessinée si mignone et si drôle et je suis si heureuse de l’avoir sur mon étagère !
Knit One, Girl Two by Shira Glassman
3.0
This was cute but at times felt a bit cringey (all the fanfic/fanart sections). I loved the fat rep and all the references to the main characters' religion! A really nice concept but I didn't click with the characters and it ended very abruptly.
Falling For Her by Margaux Fox
4.0
ACAB but this was a fun, quick novella that really intrigued me from the get go! I loved the high stakes plot and, although I guessed the main plot twist pretty early on, the execution still managed to surprise me! The writing was much better in this than her rugby novella but I felt the ending of this one was just too quickly and too perfectly wrapped up for me. Regardless, I'm excited to try out more of Margaux Fox's novellas!
Play With Me by Margaux Fox
4.0
I've played rugby for over ten years and as soon as I heard about this novella I knew I immediately had to read it! You could tell that this novella was well researched - the giant bag of physio tape and the pre-match changing room rituals that are all so familiar to me of course made their appearance in here. The only thing regarding this that felt a bit odd was the scale of the rugby team - having a doctor nearby and plenty of fans watching in particular seemed quite unrealistic, although, granted, women's rugby might be more popular in England than it is in Scotland, and this may be the reason for it. One other tiny detail that got to me as an ex-rugby coach is the concussion test not happening right as the love interest received her head injury on the pitch! But as I say, that's really just me being nit-picky!
This was a really fast paced and fun read and, honestly, the sex scene was everything I could have hoped for! The only reason I didn't give this a five stars was that the writing style felt very clunky and very stop start, but other than that, a great, quick read!
This was a really fast paced and fun read and, honestly, the sex scene was everything I could have hoped for! The only reason I didn't give this a five stars was that the writing style felt very clunky and very stop start, but other than that, a great, quick read!
The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown
5.0
From the synopsis it seems very clear that this book is meant to be a thriller – it follows Sydney, who just recently lost her dad, and thinks that there might be someone behind his death, rather than the simple car accident that everyone believes it to be. At his funeral, Sydney sees the popular girl, June, standing at the back and can’t help but think that it’s a bit strange that she’s showed up here. What makes things even stranger are the messages from a restricted number threatening her and raising even more questions about her dad’s death. It was only after getting about three quarters of the way through the book that I came to the conclusion that it isn’t, in fact, a thriller at all. At most I’d describe it as a dark contemporary novel. And that is absolutely fine with me! I’m not a thriller reader in general (and not the biggest fan of them regardless), so it was quite a nice surprise. Instead, it focuses more on the characters, their relationships and their emotions.
Which brings me onto the themes of the book. It is quite plain to see that the book deals with death, grief, healing and love. Sydney loses her father right at the start of the book and we can see the toll that that has on her and her mother. The first few chapters or so follow Sydney directly after the funeral, shutting herself away from the world and keeping to herself in her room. We see her taking up some very unhealthy coping mechanisms – looking up videos of people dying on a dodgy website just to feel something – and acting up at school. Sydney’s grief feels like a physical weight on the story, with each word chosen specifically by the author to make that dark, grimy heaviness feel all the more real. We also see Sydney’s relationship with her best friend suffer as a consequence and it’s impossible to not notice how isolated she is becoming.
However, just like a shining ray of sunshine, June enters into Sydney’s life and changes it for the better. June was really one of the highlights of the book for me – in fact the characters in general were. We quickly learn the June was one of Sydney’s father’s therapy patients and that she has been privately dealing with a very tough situation, although we do not find out what. But regardless of this situation, June is an extremely soft, extremely caring person. She’s a people pleaser. She almost takes Sydney under her wing and introduces her to a whole new world. Their friends to lovers romance was so full of mutual yearning, I just couldn’t get enough. There’s a scene where June and Sydney are at a house party and they escape all of the hustle and bustle and drunk football players to just sit on the roof together under a blanket, and their conversations and the palpable tension between them just felt so reminiscent of so many of my experiences at house parties with girls I liked growing up.
Then there’s Leo. Sydney meets Leo at group therapy for teens who are dealing with the loss of a loved one. At first, their relationship is rocky – they seem almost desperate to hate each other. But slowly, they start to open up to one another. Leo believes Sydney at a time when no one else does. Their friendship was truly so heartwarming that it really made me want a Leo in my life too! The scene where they’re dancing together at the school dance to songs they just don’t know and they’re grinning from ear to ear just filled me with so much joy, my heart felt so full!
As for Sydney, she was such a complicated main character. You rooted for her the whole time, even when she was doing some very self destructive things. As someone who’s dad has been very unwell for a large part of their life, some of this book particularly hit home a bit too hard, especially right at the start when Sydney is at her dad’s funeral, and the week or so after. My girlfriend is an aspiring mortician and being the loving girlfriend that I am I have extensively researched this kind of work (it’s honestly super interesting, I highly recommend getting lost in mortician TikTok for a few hours) and so I’m well aware of the proceedings, of the grief, but Savannah Brown’s writing just made it all feel almost too real at times.
Speaking of the author’s writing, it is absolutely one of the most unique things about this book. I have never read a thriller, or supposed thriller, so beautifully written before. I have been a long time follower of Savannah Brown, going back to her Youtube days with her long brown hair and her poetry videos, and you can tell that her love of poetry has also seeped its way into her prose. This book is filled to the brim with lush metaphors and swooping, beautiful descriptions. I’ve already mentioned how she expertly made Sydney’s grief weigh on the novel, but the atmosphere in general just felt so real – the slow easing into Autumn drifting into the biting chill of Winter; the spinning confidence of being drunk at a house party full of almost strangers; the cold alienation of feeling like everyone knows something you don’t. Even more impressive is how she manages to make the dialogue so unbelievably realistic. Often when I am reading a YA novel, the conversations seem stilted, almost as if they were written by an AI robot that has been programmed to mimic teenager’s speech, but sometimes messes up a bit along the way. However, I never once felt this way whilst reading The Truth About Keeping Secrets, everything felt so authentic.
Finally, I’m going to go back to my very first point. I’m so glad that this didn’t read like a thriller and I think that it was all the better for it. This book felt like I was being seen and like the author knew exactly what I wanted from a book and handed it to me on a silver platter. It felt simultaneously like a sharp wake up call and also a long hug from someone who knew what it was like to go through what I’m going through. I wish I could go back and read this book again for the first time, to savour it like my last meal. But since I cannot do that, I guess I’ll have to settle for deeply encouraging you all to pick it up instead!
Which brings me onto the themes of the book. It is quite plain to see that the book deals with death, grief, healing and love. Sydney loses her father right at the start of the book and we can see the toll that that has on her and her mother. The first few chapters or so follow Sydney directly after the funeral, shutting herself away from the world and keeping to herself in her room. We see her taking up some very unhealthy coping mechanisms – looking up videos of people dying on a dodgy website just to feel something – and acting up at school. Sydney’s grief feels like a physical weight on the story, with each word chosen specifically by the author to make that dark, grimy heaviness feel all the more real. We also see Sydney’s relationship with her best friend suffer as a consequence and it’s impossible to not notice how isolated she is becoming.
However, just like a shining ray of sunshine, June enters into Sydney’s life and changes it for the better. June was really one of the highlights of the book for me – in fact the characters in general were. We quickly learn the June was one of Sydney’s father’s therapy patients and that she has been privately dealing with a very tough situation, although we do not find out what. But regardless of this situation, June is an extremely soft, extremely caring person. She’s a people pleaser. She almost takes Sydney under her wing and introduces her to a whole new world. Their friends to lovers romance was so full of mutual yearning, I just couldn’t get enough. There’s a scene where June and Sydney are at a house party and they escape all of the hustle and bustle and drunk football players to just sit on the roof together under a blanket, and their conversations and the palpable tension between them just felt so reminiscent of so many of my experiences at house parties with girls I liked growing up.
Then there’s Leo. Sydney meets Leo at group therapy for teens who are dealing with the loss of a loved one. At first, their relationship is rocky – they seem almost desperate to hate each other. But slowly, they start to open up to one another. Leo believes Sydney at a time when no one else does. Their friendship was truly so heartwarming that it really made me want a Leo in my life too! The scene where they’re dancing together at the school dance to songs they just don’t know and they’re grinning from ear to ear just filled me with so much joy, my heart felt so full!
As for Sydney, she was such a complicated main character. You rooted for her the whole time, even when she was doing some very self destructive things. As someone who’s dad has been very unwell for a large part of their life, some of this book particularly hit home a bit too hard, especially right at the start when Sydney is at her dad’s funeral, and the week or so after. My girlfriend is an aspiring mortician and being the loving girlfriend that I am I have extensively researched this kind of work (it’s honestly super interesting, I highly recommend getting lost in mortician TikTok for a few hours) and so I’m well aware of the proceedings, of the grief, but Savannah Brown’s writing just made it all feel almost too real at times.
Speaking of the author’s writing, it is absolutely one of the most unique things about this book. I have never read a thriller, or supposed thriller, so beautifully written before. I have been a long time follower of Savannah Brown, going back to her Youtube days with her long brown hair and her poetry videos, and you can tell that her love of poetry has also seeped its way into her prose. This book is filled to the brim with lush metaphors and swooping, beautiful descriptions. I’ve already mentioned how she expertly made Sydney’s grief weigh on the novel, but the atmosphere in general just felt so real – the slow easing into Autumn drifting into the biting chill of Winter; the spinning confidence of being drunk at a house party full of almost strangers; the cold alienation of feeling like everyone knows something you don’t. Even more impressive is how she manages to make the dialogue so unbelievably realistic. Often when I am reading a YA novel, the conversations seem stilted, almost as if they were written by an AI robot that has been programmed to mimic teenager’s speech, but sometimes messes up a bit along the way. However, I never once felt this way whilst reading The Truth About Keeping Secrets, everything felt so authentic.
Finally, I’m going to go back to my very first point. I’m so glad that this didn’t read like a thriller and I think that it was all the better for it. This book felt like I was being seen and like the author knew exactly what I wanted from a book and handed it to me on a silver platter. It felt simultaneously like a sharp wake up call and also a long hug from someone who knew what it was like to go through what I’m going through. I wish I could go back and read this book again for the first time, to savour it like my last meal. But since I cannot do that, I guess I’ll have to settle for deeply encouraging you all to pick it up instead!
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
4.0
This book is so utterly sugary sweet and adorable! Our main character Liz has always felt a little bit like an outsider all through school – she’s got great grades, she’s in the school band, and she’s a little bit awkward. She has a great group of friends around her but has never felt like she really fits in. She’s an extremely hard worker and hopes to go to a very prestigious university to eventually become a doctor to help haematology patients, like her late mother, and younger brother. However, her music scholarship falls through and she needs to find another way to afford college. So, with a bit of encouragement from her brother and best friend Gabi, she decides to run for prom queen. Liz was such a sweet main character! She often put others before herself, even when it maybe wasn’t the best for her and was always helping those less fortunate – the scene with her and Mack reading to all the kids was the absolute cutest! The side characters were also so, so good! I really loved Jordan, who was one of Liz’s best friends when they were younger, but drifted apart from her as they started growing up. Their himbo/lesbian friendship dynamic is literally one of my favourite tropes! Jordan was always looking out for Liz and helping her through tough situations. He was her biggest cheerleader and was just an absolute sweetheart – he deserves the world! Talking of absolute sweethearts who deserve the world, I think Quinn is such an underrated character, no-one ever talks about her! She was always so kind to Liz and was always so accommodating of her feelings and stood up for her, even against her other friends. Liz’s best friend group, Gabi, Britt and Stone were so supportive of her and I loved their dynamic (especially Stone always rambling about astrology or some wishy-washy made up nonsense), I know it is a tiny detail, but I was so excited to see Britt being part of a girl’s rugby team just like I was!!
There’s also Liz’s relationship with her brother and grandparents. Liz lost her mum at a young age to sickle cell disease, so lives with her grandparents, while her younger brother is also currently struggling with the hereditary illness. There was some discussion throughout the book about someone you love having a life threatening illness, which really hit home for me as someone whose family member is dealing with cancer. The book discusses the fear that lingers in the back of your mind that you’re just constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop and that things are just going to get worse. The book also shows Liz dealing with anxiety very well and very sensitively, particularly showing how her friends helped her deal with it in her worst moments.
My favourite aspect of the book was, of course, the romance between Liz and Mack! Mack is the kind of cool, indie skater girl that I would definitely have had a crush on in high school! Seeing their relationship grow and becoming more comfortable with each other and really understanding each other was so sweet. There were several points where I was grinning from ear to ear, it was just so cute!!!!
Of course, I have to mention why the book didn’t receive a full five stars from me – and it’s completely a me problem, not a problem with a book. The writing at times felt very cringey (no spoilers but everyone clapping at the end – or is it just an American thing?) and juvenile, but I am very aware that this book is targeted at someone much younger than I am, so please take this criticism with a pinch of salt, if you are the intended audience! Regardless, I really, really enjoyed this book and it’s one that I wish I could have read when I was a teen, because I know how seen and understood it would have made me feel. I really wish that every sapphic girl, particularly every Black sapphic girl, could get their hands on this book, because it really is such an important read.
There’s also Liz’s relationship with her brother and grandparents. Liz lost her mum at a young age to sickle cell disease, so lives with her grandparents, while her younger brother is also currently struggling with the hereditary illness. There was some discussion throughout the book about someone you love having a life threatening illness, which really hit home for me as someone whose family member is dealing with cancer. The book discusses the fear that lingers in the back of your mind that you’re just constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop and that things are just going to get worse. The book also shows Liz dealing with anxiety very well and very sensitively, particularly showing how her friends helped her deal with it in her worst moments.
My favourite aspect of the book was, of course, the romance between Liz and Mack! Mack is the kind of cool, indie skater girl that I would definitely have had a crush on in high school! Seeing their relationship grow and becoming more comfortable with each other and really understanding each other was so sweet. There were several points where I was grinning from ear to ear, it was just so cute!!!!
Of course, I have to mention why the book didn’t receive a full five stars from me – and it’s completely a me problem, not a problem with a book. The writing at times felt very cringey (no spoilers but everyone clapping at the end – or is it just an American thing?) and juvenile, but I am very aware that this book is targeted at someone much younger than I am, so please take this criticism with a pinch of salt, if you are the intended audience! Regardless, I really, really enjoyed this book and it’s one that I wish I could have read when I was a teen, because I know how seen and understood it would have made me feel. I really wish that every sapphic girl, particularly every Black sapphic girl, could get their hands on this book, because it really is such an important read.
Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
5.0
This just made me absolutely sob like a baby! I can't recommend this graphic novel enough!
Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos
4.0
As this is a thriller, I’m going to try and keep this review as vague as possible! Instead of trying to describe scenes, I’m going to first talk about things that I liked, and then about things that didn’t quite make it a five star read for me!
First of all, I loved the atmosphere in this book! Caroline attends a private school and it was so easy for me to picture the sprawling grounds and expensive campus in my mind whilst reading it, even though it’s an American private school and, admittedly, I’ve only seen a couple of Scottish private schools in the flesh! We also spend some time at a dingy bar and I think the atmosphere of a rundown, dodgy, roadside bar was captured perfectly! Without spoiling anything in the book, this was a common theme throughout and I think, especially for a debut novel, Andrea Contos did an amazing job with the realistic and gritty world building!
The second thing I loved, although I can’t really say much about it, was the plot! I read this book in two days and the first night I stayed up so late trying to read one more chapter before my eyelids got too heavy to continue, I was that invested in the story. I absolutely flew through the second half of the book the next day and, even though I always like to guess the big twist or reveal at the end, I never once got close to it in this one, and boy was I shocked!
I also really loved the characters, particularly the side characters. I loved Aubrey, who is so passionate and talented and an amazing actress. She was timid and always wanted the best for people, but when push came to shove, she was often Caroline’s best asset, so to speak. I also really enjoyed Jake’s complex character, with a difficult family background and yet a very privileged upbringing, he was, surprisingly, a character I cared a lot about.
However, saying that, I did have a couple of problems with the characters, which is one of two reasons this book is not a five star read for me. First of all, Caroline is a very privileged private school student. Yes, she does acknowledge privilege throughout, and yes she has been through some very, very tough times but she just didn’t feel believable. She felt like every other YA thriller main female character. There’s a scene in the book where Caroline and Jake are at a party thrown by some teenagers that go to another, not private, school. Somehow they manage to blend in, even though, if you’ve been to a house party with a private school student there, you know exactly how much they stick out like a sore thumb. Caroline also had this kind of grittiness about her which I feel didn’t really go all that well with her upbringing.
The other reason it wasn’t a five star was because some of the plot didn’t feel that well developed for me. Whilst reading it, particularly in the first half of the book, I felt that there were some loose threads with some of the evidence that Caroline found, and some of the places she visited. Particularly, when she met up with the headteacher’s wife – nothing really seemed to come of it. Also, with regards to the reveal at the end, there wasn’t really a motive as to why the person who did it, did it. It just felt like, oh here’s who did these bad things, let’s wrap it up nicely!
Regardless, this was one of the most gripping and interesting YA thrillers that I’ve read and I would definitely recommend that you pick it up if it at all sounds interesting to you! It’s a great debut and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for Andrea Contos’ other books in the future!
First of all, I loved the atmosphere in this book! Caroline attends a private school and it was so easy for me to picture the sprawling grounds and expensive campus in my mind whilst reading it, even though it’s an American private school and, admittedly, I’ve only seen a couple of Scottish private schools in the flesh! We also spend some time at a dingy bar and I think the atmosphere of a rundown, dodgy, roadside bar was captured perfectly! Without spoiling anything in the book, this was a common theme throughout and I think, especially for a debut novel, Andrea Contos did an amazing job with the realistic and gritty world building!
The second thing I loved, although I can’t really say much about it, was the plot! I read this book in two days and the first night I stayed up so late trying to read one more chapter before my eyelids got too heavy to continue, I was that invested in the story. I absolutely flew through the second half of the book the next day and, even though I always like to guess the big twist or reveal at the end, I never once got close to it in this one, and boy was I shocked!
I also really loved the characters, particularly the side characters. I loved Aubrey, who is so passionate and talented and an amazing actress. She was timid and always wanted the best for people, but when push came to shove, she was often Caroline’s best asset, so to speak. I also really enjoyed Jake’s complex character, with a difficult family background and yet a very privileged upbringing, he was, surprisingly, a character I cared a lot about.
However, saying that, I did have a couple of problems with the characters, which is one of two reasons this book is not a five star read for me. First of all, Caroline is a very privileged private school student. Yes, she does acknowledge privilege throughout, and yes she has been through some very, very tough times but she just didn’t feel believable. She felt like every other YA thriller main female character. There’s a scene in the book where Caroline and Jake are at a party thrown by some teenagers that go to another, not private, school. Somehow they manage to blend in, even though, if you’ve been to a house party with a private school student there, you know exactly how much they stick out like a sore thumb. Caroline also had this kind of grittiness about her which I feel didn’t really go all that well with her upbringing.
The other reason it wasn’t a five star was because some of the plot didn’t feel that well developed for me. Whilst reading it, particularly in the first half of the book, I felt that there were some loose threads with some of the evidence that Caroline found, and some of the places she visited. Particularly, when she met up with the headteacher’s wife – nothing really seemed to come of it. Also, with regards to the reveal at the end, there wasn’t really a motive as to why the person who did it, did it. It just felt like, oh here’s who did these bad things, let’s wrap it up nicely!
Regardless, this was one of the most gripping and interesting YA thrillers that I’ve read and I would definitely recommend that you pick it up if it at all sounds interesting to you! It’s a great debut and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for Andrea Contos’ other books in the future!
Belle Révolte by Linsey Miller
5.0
I originally pre-ordered this book right at the start of the year after finding out that it is a sapphic prince and the pauper retelling with a French inspired fantasy world (also just look at that cover!), because, honestly, who doesn’t want that in a book? But after trying to read it earlier in the year and not getting through the first few pages (thanks fantasy reading slump) I put it down. I have to say, I’m so glad I pulled it out of my TBR jar this month because it absolutely blew me away and I can honestly say that it’s one of the best stand alone fantasy novels I’ve ever read!
I loved both our main characters, Annette and Emilie, equally and never once wished I was reading from the other’s perspective. Emilie starts off as a young noble woman who is being forced into going to finishing school to learn the midnight arts by her mother, who has never really understood her, when all she really wants to do is learn how to wield the noonday arts and become a physician. However, young women are not allowed to become physicians, as it is seen as a man’s job. So, Emilie trades places with Annette, who wishes to go to the finishing school but does not have the money to do so, while Emilie goes to the University to study to become a hack. Emilie was so stubborn and cocky and I loved her snarkiness! Her competition with Charles to become a better healer than the other was so fun to read! Annette is one of the strongest female characters I think I’ve ever read. She deals with so much throughout the novel (I don’t want to give away any spoilers) and yet is always thinking of others. They are honestly two of my favourite characters I have ever read from. I also loved the ‘side’ characters and all the friendships and relationships throughout and the found families were, of course, absolutely *chef’s kiss*!
The atmosphere and world-building was absolutely phenomenal! There are two different types of magic – the midnight arts (divining, scrying) and the noonday arts (healing, fighting) – which are seen as opposites. Women are often steered towards the midnight arts and men towards the noonday arts. The way these different magic systems work was so original and so interesting, particularly the use of hacks, so that those wielding the noonday arts can do so in a much stronger manner. The two schools for the two different kinds of magic – Mlle Gardinier’s School (midnight) and The University (noonday) – were both so interesting and they both had the same atmosphere as their respective magics would suggest. Elsewhere, we also see the war camps in Segance and also, briefly, Bosquet, which were both so bustling and busy.
As for the plot, I was always on the edge of my seat. This book is so much darker than I expected it to be. Although the start of the book was a tad info-dumpy the rest of the book seemed to fly by. The resistance, headed by Laurel, played a large part and the discussions on gender and power were done so well. There were a few deaths that caught me by surprise and absolutely destroyed me, and the last 100 pages or so were so fast paced I ended up reading until the earlier hours of the morning because I couldn’t go to sleep without finishing (and that ending! I NEED a sequel!)!
I’m going to briefly touch on the rep – Annette is a biromantic ace girl who talks about being in relationships with both boys and girls and discusses being ace several times throughout the book. She also enters into a sapphic relationship in the book! Charles is a trans man and the discussion on gender also includes being trans in this world. There are other characters throughout who are part of the LGBT community, including a lesbian couple (whom I LOVED) and there are several characters of colour as well.
I tried to keep this review as calm and composed as possible when really I want to rave about this book non stop! All I can say is read this book now! It really is just So Good!!
I loved both our main characters, Annette and Emilie, equally and never once wished I was reading from the other’s perspective. Emilie starts off as a young noble woman who is being forced into going to finishing school to learn the midnight arts by her mother, who has never really understood her, when all she really wants to do is learn how to wield the noonday arts and become a physician. However, young women are not allowed to become physicians, as it is seen as a man’s job. So, Emilie trades places with Annette, who wishes to go to the finishing school but does not have the money to do so, while Emilie goes to the University to study to become a hack. Emilie was so stubborn and cocky and I loved her snarkiness! Her competition with Charles to become a better healer than the other was so fun to read! Annette is one of the strongest female characters I think I’ve ever read. She deals with so much throughout the novel (I don’t want to give away any spoilers) and yet is always thinking of others. They are honestly two of my favourite characters I have ever read from. I also loved the ‘side’ characters and all the friendships and relationships throughout and the found families were, of course, absolutely *chef’s kiss*!
The atmosphere and world-building was absolutely phenomenal! There are two different types of magic – the midnight arts (divining, scrying) and the noonday arts (healing, fighting) – which are seen as opposites. Women are often steered towards the midnight arts and men towards the noonday arts. The way these different magic systems work was so original and so interesting, particularly the use of hacks, so that those wielding the noonday arts can do so in a much stronger manner. The two schools for the two different kinds of magic – Mlle Gardinier’s School (midnight) and The University (noonday) – were both so interesting and they both had the same atmosphere as their respective magics would suggest. Elsewhere, we also see the war camps in Segance and also, briefly, Bosquet, which were both so bustling and busy.
As for the plot, I was always on the edge of my seat. This book is so much darker than I expected it to be. Although the start of the book was a tad info-dumpy the rest of the book seemed to fly by. The resistance, headed by Laurel, played a large part and the discussions on gender and power were done so well. There were a few deaths that caught me by surprise and absolutely destroyed me, and the last 100 pages or so were so fast paced I ended up reading until the earlier hours of the morning because I couldn’t go to sleep without finishing (and that ending! I NEED a sequel!)!
I’m going to briefly touch on the rep – Annette is a biromantic ace girl who talks about being in relationships with both boys and girls and discusses being ace several times throughout the book. She also enters into a sapphic relationship in the book! Charles is a trans man and the discussion on gender also includes being trans in this world. There are other characters throughout who are part of the LGBT community, including a lesbian couple (whom I LOVED) and there are several characters of colour as well.
I tried to keep this review as calm and composed as possible when really I want to rave about this book non stop! All I can say is read this book now! It really is just So Good!!