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sauvageloup's reviews
526 reviews
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
glad to have read this, because the concept is fresh and interesting, and I need to read more wholly sapphic books. but it tried to do too much and didnt pull it off.
this review on tumblr by flying-elliska has all my thoughts well said:
https://www.tumblr.com/flying-elliska/672822130083233792/and-now-for-sapphic-reads-time-the-sequel-tm?source=share
pros:
- the setting was a fleshed out character in itself and I loved that. the orchard apples, the tower, the orangerie, the beach, etc.
- I liked the story of the original woman, simone, who lived on the land.
- some imagery was definitely creepy and disturbing, especially eating wasps.
- the main characters were interesting, and I liked that they became a poly triad rather than a love triangle.
cons:
- too many characters, too much rambling, too meta, too plotty and just too long.
- I never really got truly creeped out. it just didnt sink deep enough into that and there wasnt enough real danger. the deaths were distant and over fast. didnt feel that sad at any of them.
- more interesting to see more flo and Clara for sure.
a different read for sure and I'm glad I read it, but disappointing and a bit slow too.
this review on tumblr by flying-elliska has all my thoughts well said:
https://www.tumblr.com/flying-elliska/672822130083233792/and-now-for-sapphic-reads-time-the-sequel-tm?source=share
pros:
- the setting was a fleshed out character in itself and I loved that. the orchard apples, the tower, the orangerie, the beach, etc.
- I liked the story of the original woman, simone, who lived on the land.
- some imagery was definitely creepy and disturbing, especially eating wasps.
- the main characters were interesting, and I liked that they became a poly triad rather than a love triangle.
cons:
- too many characters, too much rambling, too meta, too plotty and just too long.
- I never really got truly creeped out. it just didnt sink deep enough into that and there wasnt enough real danger. the deaths were distant and over fast. didnt feel that sad at any of them.
- more interesting to see more flo and Clara for sure.
a different read for sure and I'm glad I read it, but disappointing and a bit slow too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
a beautiful middle school summer friendship/ romance
pros:
- quality of the writing surprised me with its loveliness. dialogue is quite meandering and ordinary in places, but theres some rly poetic bits and a sweetness under it all.
- Jeremy and evan are such nice characters. Jeremy forgave his father repeatedly and felt bad for him, but still stood up for himself and evan. I liked how Jeremy's dad felt real with his problems and ugly coping, though he was still thoroughly dislike able. Jeremy's mum felt realistic too, with her own things going on outside of Jeremy, like regular parents.
- the nature descriptions, the town and the bird language was all very lovely, quite vivid.
- and I liked the text conversations, they felt real without being dull. Jeremy's anxiety about messing up was also relatable whilst never getting too frustrating for the reader.
- nice pacing, very sweet and imminently readable.
cons:
- didnt forgive Jeremy's dad if that was the intent. them working it out felt maybe a little fast
- would've been nice to meet Evan's grandma more.
- Jeremy could honestly have been more angry
- would've been nice to have a hint at them reuniting, more than just next summer. but maybe just bc didnt want it to end!
a very sweet read that I wish was longer or had a sequel! a little simple maybe but lovely.
pros:
- quality of the writing surprised me with its loveliness. dialogue is quite meandering and ordinary in places, but theres some rly poetic bits and a sweetness under it all.
- Jeremy and evan are such nice characters. Jeremy forgave his father repeatedly and felt bad for him, but still stood up for himself and evan. I liked how Jeremy's dad felt real with his problems and ugly coping, though he was still thoroughly dislike able. Jeremy's mum felt realistic too, with her own things going on outside of Jeremy, like regular parents.
- the nature descriptions, the town and the bird language was all very lovely, quite vivid.
- and I liked the text conversations, they felt real without being dull. Jeremy's anxiety about messing up was also relatable whilst never getting too frustrating for the reader.
- nice pacing, very sweet and imminently readable.
cons:
- didnt forgive Jeremy's dad if that was the intent. them working it out felt maybe a little fast
- would've been nice to meet Evan's grandma more.
- Jeremy could honestly have been more angry
- would've been nice to have a hint at them reuniting, more than just next summer. but maybe just bc didnt want it to end!
a very sweet read that I wish was longer or had a sequel! a little simple maybe but lovely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
the boys have a tense near death experience involving getting caught out by the tide, worrying they will drown, and standing on a ledge for 6 hours. this is not too intense as the tone is soft and romantic
In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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? No
3.5
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
a fascinating space opera, not usually my genre but really enjoyed it.
pros:
- cool and innovative world building, very original. loved the details of the technology, the poetry culture, the complicated politics, the empire and its colonialism, the naming structure, the way they have clones more than kids it seem , etc.
- Mahit's love and hate relationship with the empire's culture and people, and how she desperately wants to be part of it, but sees its flaws and loves her own people. I loved the ending where she decides to go back home while she still wants to. really shows her growth in character and the complicated nature of her relationship with the empire
- the writing was lovely, super evocative and descriptive, very visual.
- the romance between mahit and three seagrass at the end was not focused on but a sweet moment too.
- loved the relationships and the details of the side characters. and the gently mentioned queerness that wasnt a big point but quietly there and no bigotry or question was raised about it.
- also loved the turns in plot, always surprising especially the big reveal at the end about the new emperor, which fixed a lot of problems and worked so well. and Mahit managing to get her mental guy back again.
- it also left more to be explored, with the imminent threat of aliens, Mahit heading back home and facing the woman who sabotaged her mind thing, and I want to hear more about the emperor's 90% clone and if he'll really turn out like his "father". </spoilers>
cons:
- I was losing track of the characters a fair bit. partly bc of their unusual names I think, and bc of the sheer no. tho I did take a break in the middle too. But I didnt realise there was a character and word glossary at the back which I should've checked.
- I did find it slightly sad that we didnt get to see more of Mahits mental guy, since she missed him so much but we barely knew him so I didnt relate much. and when he did come back, I didnt love him that much, bc he'd sold out this info and wasnt as likeable as Mahit, or we didnt see as much of him
- I did just generally find it a bit of a slow read, but I think that's just the genre and it isnt rly a criticism. it definitely really got going in the 2nd half too, it didnt drag at all.
so overall, a really good read and I plan to read the 2nd book when the library gets it for me :) thanks to @deadlypapercut for getting it for me.
pros:
- cool and innovative world building, very original. loved the details of the technology, the poetry culture, the complicated politics, the empire and its colonialism, the naming structure, the way they have clones more than kids it seem , etc.
- Mahit's love and hate relationship with the empire's culture and people, and how she desperately wants to be part of it, but sees its flaws and loves her own people.
- the writing was lovely, super evocative and descriptive, very visual.
- the romance
- loved the relationships and the details of the side characters. and the gently mentioned queerness that wasnt a big point but quietly there and no bigotry or question was raised about it.
- also loved the turns in plot, always surprising
- it also left more to be explored, with the imminent threat of aliens, Mahit heading back home and facing the woman who sabotaged her mind thing, and I want to hear more about the emperor's 90% clone and if he'll really turn out like his "father". </spoilers>
cons:
- I was losing track of the characters a fair bit. partly bc of their unusual names I think, and bc of the sheer no. tho I did take a break in the middle too. But I didnt realise there was a character and word glossary at the back which I should've checked.
- I did find it slightly sad that we didnt get to see more of Mahits mental guy, since she missed him so much but we barely knew him so I didnt relate much.
- I did just generally find it a bit of a slow read, but I think that's just the genre and it isnt rly a criticism. it definitely really got going in the 2nd half too, it didnt drag at all.
so overall, a really good read and I plan to read the 2nd book when the library gets it for me :) thanks to @deadlypapercut for getting it for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
The Witcher: House of Glass #1 by Paul Tobin
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
a mysterious and thrilling adventure graphic novel. really cool to see the witcher in another format.
pros:
- very cool and atmospheric art! though the detailed close ups were best. liked the designs
- the bits of humour were snarky and fun, and I liked the story's twists and turns.
cons:
- the women were literally maiden/wife, hag and whore, which was pretty crap. disappointed that geralt didnt help Marta with her vengeance, but maybe he knew Marta needed to do it herself.
overall, a good read, would definitely read more in the series
pros:
- very cool and atmospheric art! though the detailed close ups were best. liked the designs
- the bits of humour were snarky and fun, and I liked the story's twists and turns.
cons:
- the women were literally maiden/wife, hag and whore, which was pretty crap. disappointed that geralt didnt help Marta with her vengeance, but maybe he knew Marta needed to do it herself.
overall, a good read, would definitely read more in the series
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Infidelity
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-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
4.5
very poetic, very reflective and human
pros:
- beautiful language, beautiful dialogue that I definitely want to read again. a rawness to the expressions and a lack of concern with moralising.
- elio is much more complicated and contradictory in the book, he wants so badly and doesn't shy from portraying that in the book, even if the character isnt always so brave.
- a poignant reminder about not being afraid of seizing your desires, no matter the difficulty or taboo or opinions of others. that people grow and change and die but some experiences can be so powerful.
- the film had a much less controversial or deep view than the book, which had elio acting hot and cold and cruelly at times, and Oliver somewhat the same, which made me like the characters less perhaps, but also added a much more human element. also, the end is far richer in how it stretches into the future, though it's very sad.
- I liked the exploration of different seasons of life, the burning spark of youth, the deeper, longer burn later on. and the depiction of memory, since elio has moments he remembers better, and Oliver adds details that illuminate bits of the story we weren't originally told. it felt more real and like a diary that way. even if it took a bit of getting used to, and irked slightly at the start when I just wanted all of it, not just the bits older elio remembered.
cons:
- few cons included above
- I did feel less compassion towards the early characters perhaps because of the on and off, the lack of communication. but this is understandable and I didnt hold it against them as the book progressed.
- I didnt agree with how little joy Oliver seemed to get from his future life, nor elio really. to call living with his wife and children a coma seemed cruel.
- the lack of important female characters is a real shame. the women who are there are for sex and to fulfil society's expectations of a picket fence life and little else. even elio's mother really has a very little role compared to his father. the other female characters are just flings, the house keeper or a sick, pre-publescent girl. while I understand the nature of the book is to focus on elio and Oliver's relationship, the lack of value given to relationships with women, platonic or romantic, and the lack of loyalty they seem to inspire was noticeable. although elio does make a throwaway mention that it could have been a man or a woman who caused such a fundamental shift for him.
overall, a strong, poetic, shockingly but refreshingly intimate and raw book with beautiful depictions of lust and love.
pros:
- beautiful language, beautiful dialogue that I definitely want to read again. a rawness to the expressions and a lack of concern with moralising.
- elio is much more complicated and contradictory in the book, he wants so badly and doesn't shy from portraying that in the book, even if the character isnt always so brave.
- a poignant reminder about not being afraid of seizing your desires, no matter the difficulty or taboo or opinions of others. that people grow and change and die but some experiences can be so powerful.
- the film had a much less controversial or deep view than the book, which had elio acting hot and cold and cruelly at times, and Oliver somewhat the same, which made me like the characters less perhaps, but also added a much more human element. also, the end is far richer in how it stretches into the future, though it's very sad.
- I liked the exploration of different seasons of life, the burning spark of youth, the deeper, longer burn later on. and the depiction of memory, since elio has moments he remembers better, and Oliver adds details that illuminate bits of the story we weren't originally told. it felt more real and like a diary that way. even if it took a bit of getting used to, and irked slightly at the start when I just wanted all of it, not just the bits older elio remembered.
cons:
- few cons included above
- I did feel less compassion towards the early characters perhaps because of the on and off, the lack of communication. but this is understandable and I didnt hold it against them as the book progressed.
- I didnt agree with how little joy Oliver seemed to get from his future life, nor elio really. to call living with his wife and children a coma seemed cruel.
- the lack of important female characters is a real shame. the women who are there are for sex and to fulfil society's expectations of a picket fence life and little else. even elio's mother really has a very little role compared to his father. the other female characters are just flings, the house keeper or a sick, pre-publescent girl. while I understand the nature of the book is to focus on elio and Oliver's relationship, the lack of value given to relationships with women, platonic or romantic, and the lack of loyalty they seem to inspire was noticeable. although elio does make a throwaway mention that it could have been a man or a woman who caused such a fundamental shift for him.
overall, a strong, poetic, shockingly but refreshingly intimate and raw book with beautiful depictions of lust and love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Terminal illness, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Bloom by Kevin Panetta
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? Yes
3.0
a fun, light hearted read with light angst and pretty artwork.
pros:
- Ari and Hector are sweet characters which would probably be more relatable for younger readers/teenagers, it's a kind of coming of age story more than a romance, with Ari seeming much younger than Hector.
- the art work is lovely, I like the style and the atmosphere the book creates.
- it was nice to see the friends and parents involved in the story.
- the baking montages were cute, would probably appeal to someone who liked cooking/baking more.
cons:
- Felt like maybe this graphic novel was aimed younger than me. But even so, the plot lacked major resolution for me personally. Ari's wrongful idolising of Cameron (and him not standing up to him) is never really addressed, Ari just leaves the shared flat.
- though Ari decides to stay with his parents, theres no resolution with his liking of music and to explore, just that his city experience wasnt great and he gave up on it. no real deep discussion of why he changed his mind.
- also, we get Ari apologising to Hector but no explanation for why he lied, and then no growing romance between them?? just a cut scene to the winter? for a romance graphic novel, theres not much romance. should be marketed as more coming of age and friendship.
- the parents didnt make an effort to really understand Ari's desire to move. and Hector pushes aside Ari's unhappy feelings and calls him clingy when he leaves. theres very little communication between them, especially when Ari seems to be exhibiting anxiety symptoms.
- the splitting up of the band and Cameron blaming ari was also a big deal and wasnt addressed much.
- also, shame there wasnt a little more details to the art. it created an overall feeling well and communicated actions, but no little details to find with closer inspection like Alice Oseman does.
overall, a nice but shallow read that left me with some frustration. some of that was from poor marketing and me being the wrong age, I think, but also lack of plot resolution in many places.
pros:
- Ari and Hector are sweet characters which would probably be more relatable for younger readers/teenagers, it's a kind of coming of age story more than a romance, with Ari seeming much younger than Hector.
- the art work is lovely, I like the style and the atmosphere the book creates.
- it was nice to see the friends and parents involved in the story.
- the baking montages were cute, would probably appeal to someone who liked cooking/baking more.
cons:
- Felt like maybe this graphic novel was aimed younger than me. But even so, the plot lacked major resolution for me personally. Ari's wrongful idolising of Cameron (and him not standing up to him) is never really addressed, Ari just leaves the shared flat.
- though Ari decides to stay with his parents, theres no resolution with his liking of music and to explore, just that his city experience wasnt great and he gave up on it. no real deep discussion of why he changed his mind.
- also, we get Ari apologising to Hector but no explanation for why he lied, and then no growing romance between them?? just a cut scene to the winter? for a romance graphic novel, theres not much romance. should be marketed as more coming of age and friendship.
- the parents didnt make an effort to really understand Ari's desire to move. and Hector pushes aside Ari's unhappy feelings and calls him clingy when he leaves. theres very little communication between them, especially when Ari seems to be exhibiting anxiety symptoms.
- the splitting up of the band and Cameron blaming ari was also a big deal and wasnt addressed much.
- also, shame there wasnt a little more details to the art. it created an overall feeling well and communicated actions, but no little details to find with closer inspection like Alice Oseman does.
overall, a nice but shallow read that left me with some frustration. some of that was from poor marketing and me being the wrong age, I think, but also lack of plot resolution in many places.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship
debatable whether Cameron's treatment of Ari is quite emotional abuse, but its definitely a toxic friendship and he says cruel things. issue isn't properly addressed either.
Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
3.5
a very respectable and interesting autobiography with insight into Tom's life.
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
while slow to get started, hugely enjoyed this, especially after half way
pros:
- the ingenuity and originality of the magical system is fab, I love the dark rituals and magic that the societies come up with.
- the plot is intricate and intriguing, with plot twists, but theres always hints that the reader can spot afterwards like with Michelle wearing turtlenecks to show shes in league with the vampire, and Anselm suddenly changing personality because hes possessed. they were both clear but subtle and I didnt see it till after the reveal
- I do really like the characters, they're all so different and their own people, Alex, Darlington, Turner, Dawes and Mercy, but also all the side characters have their own motivations
- the writing is very good, with some rly vivid imagery and turns of phrase that I wish I'd marked
- I love the extremely grey morality in how we have a lot of compassion for Alex, but she is a dark soldier of a character and so is Darlington. that's never minimalised and actually takes front stage in the book.
- the setting is basically a character itself and while I didnt really fall in love with it, I still appreciated the research and beauty of it all
- I also liked how it didnt shy away from linking magical exploitation to real life, like with the runaway slaves map, and how it was never brushed aside. it showed the dark side of the magical and wealthy.
cons:
- it's a dense book, with a lot of time switches near the start, which threw me. keeping track of characters can be tricky and I definitely needed the summary of the 1st bk to remember a lot of things. the complexity if the book all comes together near the end but it takes some getting your head round and was partly why it took me a longer time to read.
- I do kind of wish the series had started at a different point. leigh mentioned it might have been a much longer series and I kind of wish we'd seen the events with hellie and Alex's introduction to lethe by Darlington first hand, rather than in erratic flashbacks. it was hard to feel very invested in Darlington's return for a lot of it because we dont get to view himself ourselves, only through glimpses through Alex.
- sometimes things happened in the plot that felt a bit random, too much out of nowhere. like when they got the tattoos of the salt animals that would repeatedly save their lives, it was just snuck in there as a little ritual they did like on a whim. why didnt they do some more protection earlier on? while some plot points came together nicely, sometimes it did feel kind of episodic and thrown from one plot point to the next, rather than a tightly woven web. but that also sort of fits the chaos of Alex's character so idk
but overall I did really like it, especially the badass last scene and I very much want to read the next one. (it was also amazing to meet and see leigh talk, would do that again also)
pros:
- the ingenuity and originality of the magical system is fab, I love the dark rituals and magic that the societies come up with.
- the plot is intricate and intriguing, with plot twists, but theres always hints that the reader can spot afterwards
- I do really like the characters, they're all so different and their own people, Alex, Darlington, Turner, Dawes and Mercy, but also all the side characters have their own motivations
- the writing is very good, with some rly vivid imagery and turns of phrase that I wish I'd marked
- I love the extremely grey morality in how we have a lot of compassion for Alex, but she is a dark soldier of a character and so is Darlington. that's never minimalised and actually takes front stage in the book.
- the setting is basically a character itself and while I didnt really fall in love with it, I still appreciated the research and beauty of it all
- I also liked how it didnt shy away from linking magical exploitation to real life, like with the runaway slaves map, and how it was never brushed aside. it showed the dark side of the magical and wealthy.
cons:
- it's a dense book, with a lot of time switches near the start, which threw me. keeping track of characters can be tricky and I definitely needed the summary of the 1st bk to remember a lot of things. the complexity if the book all comes together near the end but it takes some getting your head round and was partly why it took me a longer time to read.
- I do kind of wish the series had started at a different point. leigh mentioned it might have been a much longer series and I kind of wish we'd seen the events with hellie and Alex's introduction to lethe by Darlington first hand, rather than in erratic flashbacks. it was hard to feel very invested in Darlington's return for a lot of it because we dont get to view himself ourselves, only through glimpses through Alex.
- sometimes things happened in the plot that felt a bit random, too much out of nowhere.
but overall I did really like it, especially the badass last scene and I very much want to read the next one. (it was also amazing to meet and see leigh talk, would do that again also)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
focus on animal death and violence in one graphic scene.
the self harm is to do with cutting an arm for a magical ritual
the suicide attempt/thoughts are a brief mention by a side character but do come up a couple times
The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
firstly Rowling has shit political views. we all know this. I do feel bad reading this but I got it from the library and shes getting no profit from me. unfortunately shes a good writer.
pros:
- very gripping, couldn't put down
- characters were interesting and complex overall
- did a convincing job of showing online spaces
cons:
- the sheer pettiness underlying lots of her comments is a lot. the whole plotline is narcissistic. I get the point shes trying to make (toxic online spaces driving innocent creators to misery. bad ppl hiding building up gullible fans with claims of creator's being homophobic/racist/ableist, etc. ppl being blinded by this that they miss true predators, sexists and racists) but it misses all the joy of online friends, and generally reads like shes bitter about the criticism.
- she also misses the very real need for criticism. she mocks "SJWs" but her own views could be called that by some alt right. she's determined to see that fans are acting as a mob with no critical thinking skills, where I think shes blinded by confirmation bias and her ego and lacks the ability to be compassionate and tolerant. anyway. her views are made very clear in the book and it feels petty.
- underwhelming ending, not helped by me thinking for some reason that this one the last one. was disappointed.
- its dragged too long now. think this should've been last one for sure.
overall, disappointing and frustrating, because it was good up until a sour end, much like her.
pros:
- very gripping, couldn't put down
- characters were interesting and complex overall
- did a convincing job of showing online spaces
cons:
- the sheer pettiness underlying lots of her comments is a lot. the whole plotline is narcissistic. I get the point shes trying to make (toxic online spaces driving innocent creators to misery. bad ppl hiding building up gullible fans with claims of creator's being homophobic/racist/ableist, etc. ppl being blinded by this that they miss true predators, sexists and racists) but it misses all the joy of online friends, and generally reads like shes bitter about the criticism.
- she also misses the very real need for criticism. she mocks "SJWs" but her own views could be called that by some alt right. she's determined to see that fans are acting as a mob with no critical thinking skills, where I think shes blinded by confirmation bias and her ego and lacks the ability to be compassionate and tolerant. anyway. her views are made very clear in the book and it feels petty.
- underwhelming ending, not helped by me thinking for some reason that this one the last one. was disappointed.
- its dragged too long now. think this should've been last one for sure.
overall, disappointing and frustrating, because it was good up until a sour end, much like her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail