sinisterbeard's reviews
468 reviews

The Pomegranate London Issue 6 by Kaitlin Goodpaster, Steve Denehan, Sharon Black, Simon Parker, Rushia Wick, Ian Inglis, Maggie Wadey, Kate Noakes, Mick Wood, Ellen Harrold, Anbur Ghouro, Paul Stephenson, Michelle Penn, Bianca Pina, Daniel Hinds, Emma Lara Jones, Vanessa Lampert, Maggie Castle

For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.

The Teacher's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

BRAT: A Ghost Story by Gabriel Smith

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective fast-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

2.75

Stylistically fabulous but deeply flawed and self-gratifying, much like the lead character, and, from interviews, the author. 

Now She is Witch by Kirsty Logan

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Murder, Abandonment, War

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.

Too jaunty for me.

Ariel: The Restored Edition by Sylvia Plath

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

3.0

Look, I hate Ted Hughes as much as the next guy, but Ariel was better for being shorter and having way fewer poems about bees. Like, that is a distracting amount of poems about bees.

A Short History of Queer Women by Kirsty Loehr

funny informative fast-paced

3.0

Informative, but the chummy comedy tone bashes up against some of the darker subject material and (not this book's fault) classicism keeps it focussed primarily on the rich until the modern day.

Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Could have easily been a third of the size and been a great short story.

Stone Animals by Kelly Link

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Bunnies aren't just cute like everybody supposes!
They've got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses!
And what's with all the carrots?
What do they need such good eyesight for anyway?
Bunnies!
Bunnies!
It must be bunnies!

Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0