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sauvageloup's reviews
526 reviews
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
amazing, stunning, funny, poignant, I loved it!
pros:
- the characters are all so loveable, their dialogue feels realistic as well as witty. The development from enemies to friends (Art and Gwen) and acquaintances to lovers (Art and Gabriel and Gwen and Bridget) felt well written and not rushed.
- I loved how their flaws were written and developed throughout, Gwen being cowardly/afraid, Gabriel very rigid in his ideas of kingliness, Art's recklessness and difficulty in talking about his feelings, and Bridget.. well she doesnt have any major flaws I think!
- it's a chunky book but feels the exact right length and i loved the whole story with its twists and turns.
- i felt especially for Art, who suffers from depression, coming from an abusive father and his previous lover who rejected him cruelly, and Art's struggle to keep his head above water, while being so daring and loving and big hearted, was both so painful and emotional.
- the shameless trope inclusive of gays with swords and fake dating was brilliant, while other tropes were flipped a bit, with Gabriel being both bookish and badass with a sword.
- I was really relieved they all made it at the end, I dont think my heart could've taken it otherwise!
- I also loved the inclusion of Bridget and Art not being white, with representation of how the middle ages wasnt a white wash. I wouldve maybe liked a bit more information on their backgrounds and families.
- I loved the setting too, with the mix of medieval times but not the "real" king Arthur characters, how their mythology had carried on till their time. I also really enjoyed how magic was hinted at buy never confirmed, with the helpful magician and the crow and the protective amulets from Elaine.
- there was also disability rep with Bridget suffering from what I assume was endometriosis, and I felt like Gwen had some signs of autism, with her desire to stick to routines and her difficulty understanding Art's motives at times. Also Gabriel ends up having part of his arm amputated after the battle and this is never brought up negatively, or like Art might not love Gabriel any more
- they all struggle with accepting their homosexuality (though I think it's more internal for Art) in the time period, but I love how this was handled, and how interpretations of the arthurian lore and characters was incorporated and used by Croucher.
cons:
- I think only negatives was that I felt some things weren't quite concluded, like Art didnt seem to find help for his depression or therapy-like treatment or meds, just that he was meant to be healed by getting away from his dad (valid) and Gabriel's love (less valid).
- I felt we saw less of Art and Gabriel's romance overall than Gwen and Bridget's, but that might be wrong.
but overall, I adored the book and the writing and seeing that Croucher also uses all pronouns made me love them more! will definitely read more of their books.
pros:
- the characters are all so loveable, their dialogue feels realistic as well as witty.
- I loved how their flaws were written and developed throughout, Gwen being cowardly/afraid, Gabriel very rigid in his ideas of kingliness, Art's recklessness and difficulty in talking about his feelings, and Bridget.. well she doesnt have any major flaws I think!
- it's a chunky book but feels the exact right length and i loved the whole story with its twists and turns.
- i felt especially for Art,
- the shameless trope inclusive of gays with swords and fake dating was brilliant, while other tropes were flipped a bit, with Gabriel being both bookish and badass with a sword.
-
- I also loved the inclusion of Bridget and Art not being white, with representation of how the middle ages wasnt a white wash. I wouldve maybe liked a bit more information on their backgrounds and families.
- I loved the setting too, with the mix of medieval times but not the "real" king Arthur characters, how their mythology had carried on till their time.
- there was also disability rep with Bridget suffering from what I assume was endometriosis, and I felt like Gwen had some signs of autism, with her desire to stick to routines and her difficulty understanding Art's motives at times.
- they all struggle with accepting their homosexuality (though I think it's more internal for Art) in the time period, but I love how this was handled, and how interpretations of the arthurian lore and characters was incorporated and used by Croucher.
cons:
- I think only negatives was that I felt some things weren't quite concluded, like Art didnt seem to find help for his depression or therapy-like treatment or meds, just that he was meant to be healed by getting away from his dad (valid) and Gabriel's love (less valid).
- I felt we saw less of Art and Gabriel's romance overall than Gwen and Bridget's, but that might be wrong.
but overall, I adored the book and the writing and seeing that Croucher also uses all pronouns made me love them more! will definitely read more of their books.
The Djinn Falls in Love & Other Stories by Jared Shurin, Mahvesh Murad
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
I think I'll abstain from a star rating on this one considering I've forgotten the stories in the first half
Pros:
- there are some compelling stories in here, which were really creative and unusual.
- I especially liked Reap by Sami Shah (very gripping), The Jinn Hunter's Apprentice by E J Swift (the spaceship element was rly cool), Message in a bottle by K J Parker (premise was great, inconclusive end) and Bring Your Own Spoon by Saad Z Hossain (enjoyed the post apocalyptic vibes and the hopeful note).
- probably others from the start I liked but I forget, since this book was a year in reading (whattttt)
cons:
- i think maybe the format isnt for me, or not stories this short. i never wanted to carry on reading, and invest in a new story all over again. they were over too soon for me to have any attachment, and jumping straight from one story to another didnt appeal.
- some stories were very misogynistic and grim and i just didnt enjoy them
overall, a mix of great and mediocre stories, also my problem because I didnt gel with short stories format.
Pros:
- there are some compelling stories in here, which were really creative and unusual.
- I especially liked Reap by Sami Shah (very gripping), The Jinn Hunter's Apprentice by E J Swift (the spaceship element was rly cool), Message in a bottle by K J Parker (premise was great, inconclusive end) and Bring Your Own Spoon by Saad Z Hossain (enjoyed the post apocalyptic vibes and the hopeful note).
- probably others from the start I liked but I forget, since this book was a year in reading (whattttt)
cons:
- i think maybe the format isnt for me, or not stories this short. i never wanted to carry on reading, and invest in a new story all over again. they were over too soon for me to have any attachment, and jumping straight from one story to another didnt appeal.
- some stories were very misogynistic and grim and i just didnt enjoy them
overall, a mix of great and mediocre stories, also my problem because I didnt gel with short stories format.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, and Violence
Cupid's Revenge by Wibke Brueggemann
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
a solid fun romp with some emotional bits and lots of humorous banter. more sexual content than expected but done well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
another extremely gripping read!
pros:
- the writing is just addictive, even though 600+ pages of small text, I didnt want to put it down.
- overall, i enjoyed this more than the first i think, there were less tropes i didnt like and the writing felt better.
- xaden does finally tell violet his secrets which was character growth.
- the twists and turns were fun to read and I didnt predict many, if any, of them.
- while impulsive, violet does show her intellect in figuring shit out and I liked how protective she was of Sloane and that she confided in her friends despite xaden's reservations.
- I like the reveal about andarna being a whole different species, even if it did make violet even more of a "Special" woman, in that andarna picked her out of everyone. And I liked andarna's sass and rebellion as a teenage dragon, as well as her wing being damaged by her disruptive sleep. that felt like good consequences for how Andarna saved violet's life
- I liked the bits of humor, with ridoc and tairn's sarcastic sass, as well as Andarna's.
- the angst overall was excellent, there was all different types and all of the characters went through the wringer in one way or another!
- I also liked the team dynamics a lot, with ridoc, imogen, rhiannon and the rest banding round violet and teasing her.
cons:
- biggest issue was just how many names there were. i just lost track. needed a list of characters and their roles desperately. I couldnt remember who garrick was, was still learning dragon names at the end, and thought Tairn was the biggest dragon. i did read it fast, but it did suffer from the fantasy book disease of an overstuffed cast (imo).
- the argument between xaden and violet was repetitive, which was noted but still a bit frustrating. like, the growth in xaden finally revealing his big secret(s) seems to just be that violet wore him down and he was worried they'd die. so.
- I didnt like violet's mum being redeemed tbh. I prefer the message that it's ok not to reconcile with abusive parents, and I didnt really enjoy the revelations about her mum making xaden protect violet and her mum dying for her. maybe a personal preference tho.
- Cat was an annoying development and I didny really enjoy any of her sections. I think women managing to work together and get on dispite history involving a man is far more interesting than being petty. I know its brought up that Cat just wants xaden's crown, but it still felt like the catty (hah) ex trope.
- also, just personally, I skipped some of the sex. i thought the sexual tension between them was written great, but I would have been happy with a fade to black. but that's just how the book is.
all in all, this was highly addictive and I loved a lot of the ideas and the bits of humour. despite some significant flaws, definitely want to read the next!
pros:
- the writing is just addictive, even though 600+ pages of small text, I didnt want to put it down.
- overall, i enjoyed this more than the first i think, there were less tropes i didnt like and the writing felt better.
- xaden does finally tell violet his secrets which was character growth.
- the twists and turns were fun to read and I didnt predict many, if any, of them.
- while impulsive, violet does show her intellect in figuring shit out and I liked
- I like the reveal about
- I liked the bits of humor, with ridoc and tairn's sarcastic sass, as well as Andarna's.
- the angst overall was excellent, there was all different types and all of the characters went through the wringer in one way or another!
- I also liked the team dynamics a lot, with ridoc, imogen, rhiannon and the rest banding round violet and teasing her.
cons:
- biggest issue was just how many names there were. i just lost track. needed a list of characters and their roles desperately. I couldnt remember who garrick was, was still learning dragon names at the end, and thought Tairn was the biggest dragon. i did read it fast, but it did suffer from the fantasy book disease of an overstuffed cast (imo).
- the argument between xaden and violet was repetitive, which was noted but still a bit frustrating. like, the growth in xaden finally revealing his big secret(s) seems to just be that violet wore him down and he was worried they'd die. so.
-
- Cat was an annoying development and I didny really enjoy any of her sections. I think women managing to work together and get on dispite history involving a man is far more interesting than being petty. I know its brought up that Cat just wants xaden's crown, but it still felt like the catty (hah) ex trope.
- also, just personally, I skipped some of the sex. i thought the sexual tension between them was written great, but I would have been happy with a fade to black. but that's just how the book is.
all in all, this was highly addictive and I loved a lot of the ideas and the bits of humour. despite some significant flaws, definitely want to read the next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
a really beautiful read with a lot of poignancy.
pacing felt a little slow in a couple of places but that was part of the charm.
loved the mix of depicting the time periods racism, lily dealing with the loss of her mother, the goings on with August, may and June, and the beautiful descriptions of them and the surroundings and the bees.
pacing felt a little slow in a couple of places but that was part of the charm.
loved the mix of depicting the time periods racism, lily dealing with the loss of her mother, the goings on with August, may and June, and the beautiful descriptions of them and the surroundings and the bees.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Ithaca by Claire North
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hard to rate this one since I read it rather piecemeal and I cant hold a coherent sense of it in my head
pros:
- the characters all have distinct personalities and dialogue, which is written well. Penelope is focused, hera is snippy, telemachus is foolish, etc. but they're all complex too. there were some nice additions to the canon, kenamon and teodora (or I didnt remember them anyway), and it was nice having some decent characters.
- there is dry humor, especially in here's perspective
- I like the concept on focusing on outwardly quieter female power, and looking at hera and penelope, and the other women from a different angle than the mythology does.
cons:
- it did feel too slow a lot of the time, with a lot of meandering and introspection.
- it was frustrating seeing telemachus ignore his mother repeatedly, and aspects of the myths play out, but that's not a book criticism, just that inevitable tragedy isnt rly my genre.
so overall, I appreciated the writing quality and definitely enjoyed meeting Claire North and hearing her discuss her work, but this wasnt quite my type of book, a bit too slow.
pros:
- the characters all have distinct personalities and dialogue, which is written well. Penelope is focused, hera is snippy, telemachus is foolish, etc. but they're all complex too. there were some nice additions to the canon, kenamon and teodora (or I didnt remember them anyway), and it was nice having some decent characters.
- there is dry humor, especially in here's perspective
- I like the concept on focusing on outwardly quieter female power, and looking at hera and penelope, and the other women from a different angle than the mythology does.
cons:
- it did feel too slow a lot of the time, with a lot of meandering and introspection.
- it was frustrating seeing telemachus ignore his mother repeatedly, and aspects of the myths play out, but that's not a book criticism, just that inevitable tragedy isnt rly my genre.
so overall, I appreciated the writing quality and definitely enjoyed meeting Claire North and hearing her discuss her work, but this wasnt quite my type of book, a bit too slow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Xenophobia
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
reread 20/09/2024
- I think I pretty much agree with my previous review, though a bit less harsh on the tropes - if they work, they work! and they're fun to read.
- Also interesting to read it again after hearing Yarros discuss Dane and her opinion that he was just being overprotective and not the Bad Guy. I still don't really agree but it was interesting to see him from that angle.
- also I quite liked the Xaden POV in the last chapter this time around, good to see his thought process.
- I did stall just before the end this time, maybe bc I already knew the big twist, but the rest was v gripping.
- still a 4/5
giving a four for pure grippingness, as I was totally glued to this. fair bit of unoriginality though.
pros:
- it's pretty unputdownable, constantly keeping the tension high and the ball rolling. very good writing and pacing in that sense as there was never a dull bit.
- the different scenes were written well too, the fighting, dialogue, reflection and romance were all solid.
- I liked the setting, the dragons, the politics and worldbuilding, but the characters were the strong point. xaden and violet were both compelling and conflicted in their own ways.
- especially liked the fleshing out of the side characters. I was definitely emotional when Amber's dragon grieved and Liam died. . Yarros does a good job of giving enough details about side characters to make them feel real.
- I hear from my friend with Eds that Violet's was written well and it's great to see more disability representation, since its sadly lacking. great that she wasnt magically cured of it, and was supported by others throughout the story even as others tried to take her out.
- focus on sibling relationships was cool too, great to see mira and violets positive sisterhood and rhiannon and her sister.
- a fair number of twists were unpredictable, like getting 2 dragons, xaden taking her to the rebuilt city and brennan being alive
- I also liked that the characters were 20y/o plus, and the women were called that, not girls.
- inclusion of queer side characters was great to see too, including rhiannon and Heaton, neither of which faced any discrimination for it.
cons:
- it was all very classic YA tropes with an adult bent. Dane and xaden were immediately obviously love interests (twilight) though I'm glad Dane was revealed as shitty pretty fast. , we have a murdery military school and a catch the flag games (like divergent and percy jackson), untrustworthy leadership and rebellion (hunger games). also knife throwing and the MC getting the best dragon and the best magic and the hot unavailable older man, whilst being a tiny little pixie girl with silver hair. and enemies to lovers of course
- though called clever, violet does have some dim moments for sure, like she really didnt expect xaden to be part of a rebellion at all?? honestly.
- also didnt like the last chapter being xadens POV. it sounded the exact same to violets which was disappointing and was unneeded. he was better just through violets eyes.
- overall, I would have liked some more real failures for violet, and less cliches. plus some more real violence rather than the squeamish stuff. go big or go home for the morally grey characters is what I say.
but it still gets a four because it was very gripping, I did like xaden and violet and their chemistry, plus the side characters and the dragons.
- I think I pretty much agree with my previous review, though a bit less harsh on the tropes - if they work, they work! and they're fun to read.
- Also interesting to read it again after hearing Yarros discuss Dane and her opinion that he was just being overprotective and not the Bad Guy. I still don't really agree but it was interesting to see him from that angle.
- also I quite liked the Xaden POV in the last chapter this time around, good to see his thought process.
- I did stall just before the end this time, maybe bc I already knew the big twist, but the rest was v gripping.
- still a 4/5
giving a four for pure grippingness, as I was totally glued to this. fair bit of unoriginality though.
pros:
- it's pretty unputdownable, constantly keeping the tension high and the ball rolling. very good writing and pacing in that sense as there was never a dull bit.
- the different scenes were written well too, the fighting, dialogue, reflection and romance were all solid.
- I liked the setting, the dragons, the politics and worldbuilding, but the characters were the strong point. xaden and violet were both compelling and conflicted in their own ways.
- especially liked the fleshing out of the side characters. I was definitely emotional when
- I hear from my friend with Eds that Violet's was written well and it's great to see more disability representation, since its sadly lacking. great that she wasnt magically cured of it, and was supported by others throughout the story even as others tried to take her out.
- focus on sibling relationships was cool too, great to see mira and violets positive sisterhood and rhiannon and her sister.
- a fair number of twists were unpredictable, like
- I also liked that the characters were 20y/o plus, and the women were called that, not girls.
- inclusion of queer side characters was great to see too, including rhiannon and Heaton, neither of which faced any discrimination for it.
cons:
- it was all very classic YA tropes with an adult bent. Dane and xaden were immediately obviously love interests (twilight)
- though called clever, violet does have some dim moments for sure,
- also didnt like the last chapter being xadens POV. it sounded the exact same to violets which was disappointing and was unneeded. he was better just through violets eyes.
- overall, I would have liked some more real failures for violet, and less cliches. plus some more real violence rather than the squeamish stuff. go big or go home for the morally grey characters is what I say.
but it still gets a four because it was very gripping, I did like xaden and violet and their chemistry, plus the side characters and the dragons.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Vomit, Medical content, and Death of parent
Nimona by ND Stevenson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a really fun rollercoaster of a graphic novel, v different from the film but with it's own up sides
pros:
- interesting exploration of good and evil, morality and immorality. we see the same look at what makes a hero or villain as in the movie, but nimona is a lot more dubious morality, as is the director and ambrosius. ballister holds his position of no murder wherever he can, but does have no compulsions of robbing a bank and is a more established and badass villain.
- ballisters character was very interesting, he praises and accepts nimona more, encourages her as his sidekick, and has much less doubt than movie bal. the theme of nonbinary-ness is less emphasised and instead we look at morality more. he has far more of a reason to be a villain with ambrosius deliberately chopping his arm off, and then the institute being ableist.
- ambrosius was much darker, and refused to admit he did wrong till late in the book. they were never rly affectionate on page before the final page, and no kisses. much more of an arch nemesis than a breakup vibe.
- nimona was still likeable despite her gung ho attitude to murdering guards. she sees very black and white while ballister is aware of nuance. whilst childish, she isnt a child much in the comic until shes actually captured, which made her character feel different. I felt there was also a different focus on trauma, isolation and the impact of it, nimona in the movie seemed affected in her depression and suicide attempt with the sword and her upset over the little girl's reaction, whereas comic nimona reacts with pure rage most of the time and doesnt forgive ballister, who cant get through to her through talking and has to use a weapon against her. it showed that sometimes support comes too little, too late and she was experiencing a trauma response.
- I did overall appreciate the more adult feel of the comic with ambrosius's darker personality, the director's torture of nimona, nimona's constant violence, the gory art, the physical altercation between bal and ambrosius in the pub, etc.
- I liked the art style a lot and would like to reread to appreciate it more. the dialogue is fab too, there was no weak bit.
- the plot spread over a wide time line with a few flashbacks too, and was woven together very well. everything from the planting the virus in the apples, the different institution perspectives, nimona's fake background, bal and ambrosius's relationship and fighting flowed together really well and added interesting complexity.
- the side character of dr blitzmeyer was interesting too, a fellow scientist like ballister. he sees her indifference to his reputation as friendship, whereas she is surprised by his trust and openness. she was a bit of a plot device but added comedy and i liked her.
- there are really funny bits too, amidst the dark aspects, with funny dialogue. some came off better in movie, but the textual jokes were great too.
- I liked the twist too of nimona being able to separate herself into two selves and control the other one. she becomes her anger and her vulnerable side, separated. the monster and the inner child. when separated they lose the balance that let them trust and work with bal. cool and interesting application of nimona's abilities.
cons:
- nimona is harder to like with her unsympathetic disregard for people's lives and as much as its understandable, you get to love her more through ballister than because of herself at least at first. I felt movie nimona had her sad backstory played up more, and her violence played down.
- compared to the movie, I missed the transgender focus and the theme of acceptance and moving past prejudice. perhaps a result of the authors developing gender identity. the added on screen gayness of bal and ambrosius was great too.
- did think the other scientist was a bit of a plot device and we didnt see much of her.
- liked the flashbacks to gloreth and nimona's friendship in the movie, not present in the comic.
overall, very enjoyable and different from the movie in a lot of ways, but with parallels too.
pros:
- interesting exploration of good and evil, morality and immorality. we see the same look at what makes a hero or villain as in the movie, but nimona is a lot more dubious morality, as is the director and ambrosius. ballister holds his position of no murder wherever he can, but does have no compulsions of robbing a bank and is a more established and badass villain.
- ballisters character was very interesting, he praises and accepts nimona more, encourages her as his sidekick, and has much less doubt than movie bal. the theme of nonbinary-ness is less emphasised and instead we look at morality more. he has far more of a reason to be a villain with ambrosius deliberately chopping his arm off, and then the institute being ableist.
- ambrosius was much darker, and refused to admit he did wrong till late in the book. they were never rly affectionate on page before the final page, and no kisses. much more of an arch nemesis than a breakup vibe.
- nimona was still likeable despite her gung ho attitude to murdering guards. she sees very black and white while ballister is aware of nuance. whilst childish, she isnt a child much in the comic until
- I did overall appreciate the more adult feel of the comic
- I liked the art style a lot and would like to reread to appreciate it more. the dialogue is fab too, there was no weak bit.
- the plot spread over a wide time line with a few flashbacks too, and was woven together very well. everything from the
- the side character of dr blitzmeyer was interesting too, a fellow scientist like ballister. he sees her indifference to his reputation as friendship, whereas she is surprised by his trust and openness. she was a bit of a plot device but added comedy and i liked her.
- there are really funny bits too, amidst the dark aspects, with funny dialogue. some came off better in movie, but the textual jokes were great too.
- I liked the twist too of nimona
cons:
- nimona is harder to like with her unsympathetic disregard for people's lives and as much as its understandable, you get to love her more through ballister than because of herself at least at first. I felt movie nimona had her sad backstory played up more, and her violence played down.
- compared to the movie, I missed the transgender focus and the theme of acceptance and moving past prejudice. perhaps a result of the authors developing gender identity. the added on screen gayness of bal and ambrosius was great too.
- did think the other scientist was a bit of a plot device and we didnt see much of her.
- liked the flashbacks to gloreth and nimona's friendship in the movie, not present in the comic.
overall, very enjoyable and different from the movie in a lot of ways, but with parallels too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, and Vomit
The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
a fun supernatural, dystopian mystery read, enjoyed it.
pros:
- the writing style was different and fun. I got a real sense of who Ropa was and liked her a lot. her character comes through through the writing, with a quirky mix of slang and complicated language and concepts. shes both smart and street smart.
- I also really loved priya and gran as side characters, they were great. priya was a lot of fun to read, and ropa's love for her gran was obvious.
- there was also some lovely descriptions in Huchu's writing, creating a great atmosphere.
- the horror was also genuinely creepy with the Brounie, the eyeless milkman, the unaging siobhan
- while the mystery was great, the tensions ropa had about still bringing money in and helping her family felt very real. she really feels she has to carry everything and doesnt tell anyone older than her, apart from Callender, who fails her.
- I likes the dystopian Edinburgh a lot, made a nice change from London, and the implied breakdown of society which was hinted at but never entirely explained, was interesting.
- priya's magical wheelchair was fab, really interesting application of magic.
- and the bits of African culture, the mbira helping ground the spirits and gran's magic, were great, enjoyed learning about them.
cons:
- I never got a real sense of Jomo, he seemed quite hapless and not particularly helpful, didnt quite get Ropa's loyalty to him.
- occasionally the slang dialogue did feel a bit forced but not often.
- the two main bits of the plot seemed very disparat . the creepy brounie house and the children having elixir made from them were only barely linked.
- I did get a bit frustrated with the refusal to give an in depth explanation of a lot of things, like the collapse of Edinburgh, why the milkman had no eyes, why only the faces of the kids got old, what happened with Ropa's mum, why Ropa's magic didnt work (tho I guess it said at the end that she just needed to be angry enough), how Priya's wheelchair magic worked (why could she go on ceilings but not up a steep hill?). I mean, it's a mystery story and a series so some of these are understandable but there did seem to be a bit too much vagueness at times.
but overall, really enjoyed this read :)
pros:
- the writing style was different and fun. I got a real sense of who Ropa was and liked her a lot. her character comes through through the writing, with a quirky mix of slang and complicated language and concepts. shes both smart and street smart.
- I also really loved priya and gran as side characters, they were great. priya was a lot of fun to read, and ropa's love for her gran was obvious.
- there was also some lovely descriptions in Huchu's writing, creating a great atmosphere.
- the horror was also genuinely creepy
- while the mystery was great, the tensions ropa had about still bringing money in and helping her family felt very real. she really feels she has to carry everything and doesnt tell anyone older than her, apart from Callender, who fails her.
- I likes the dystopian Edinburgh a lot, made a nice change from London, and the implied breakdown of society which was hinted at but never entirely explained, was interesting.
- priya's magical wheelchair was fab, really interesting application of magic.
- and the bits of African culture, the mbira helping ground the spirits and gran's magic, were great, enjoyed learning about them.
cons:
- I never got a real sense of Jomo, he seemed quite hapless and not particularly helpful, didnt quite get Ropa's loyalty to him.
- occasionally the slang dialogue did feel a bit forced but not often.
- the two main bits of the plot seemed very disparat .
- I did get a bit frustrated with the refusal to give an in depth explanation of a lot of things, like
but overall, really enjoyed this read :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Sexism
a past character's gambling addiction is discussed.
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
I didn't know this was a verse novel going into it, so that was a surprise, but i rly liked it all the same.
pros:
- poetic language, with some very good poems and thoughtful writing. it carried the story along quickly, moving through time and settings with no confusion and vividly.
- a very accessible story about lots of complicated ideas around identity, race, gender, christianity, coming of age, etc. it covers a lot of topics without feeling rushed or shallow.
- I was especially interested in the MC's exploration of his mixed race heritage and culture and feelings as a British guy and how being black influenced his queer experience. I didnt know much about that at all so that was very rewarding to read.
- the characters were all interesting and you rooted for them or disliked them depending on the character. some were complicated, like daisy and Rowan and had growth. I liked how it spanned a full 2 decades of life really well. we could see Michael's whole journey from barbie playing child to realised and accepted black gay drag queen.
- interesting also to see a British perspective as other books I've read have had a US one.
cons:
- I found the start quite childish in tone. I know it was focused on a child and told from his POV, but the simplistic language felt dull. but i got into it fast and enjoyed the uni sections much more.
- maybe there could have been more depth of background characters, or the book just felt much shorter because of the prose. but I did like it a lot. would have liked to see Michaels and Kieran relationship go further.
overall, a fun, different read from my usual. not prose like I expected but good!
pros:
- poetic language, with some very good poems and thoughtful writing. it carried the story along quickly, moving through time and settings with no confusion and vividly.
- a very accessible story about lots of complicated ideas around identity, race, gender, christianity, coming of age, etc. it covers a lot of topics without feeling rushed or shallow.
- I was especially interested in the MC's exploration of his mixed race heritage and culture and feelings as a British guy and how being black influenced his queer experience. I didnt know much about that at all so that was very rewarding to read.
- the characters were all interesting and you rooted for them or disliked them depending on the character. some were complicated, like daisy and Rowan and had growth. I liked how it spanned a full 2 decades of life really well. we could see Michael's whole journey from barbie playing child to realised and accepted black gay drag queen.
- interesting also to see a British perspective as other books I've read have had a US one.
cons:
- I found the start quite childish in tone. I know it was focused on a child and told from his POV, but the simplistic language felt dull. but i got into it fast and enjoyed the uni sections much more.
- maybe there could have been more depth of background characters, or the book just felt much shorter because of the prose. but I did like it a lot. would have liked to see Michaels and Kieran relationship go further.
overall, a fun, different read from my usual. not prose like I expected but good!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, and Violence