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slaywithsteph's reviews
189 reviews
Chlorine by Jade Song
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Competitive school swimmer + queerness + mermaid pyschosis = Chlorine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Bullying, Medical trauma, Body horror, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Body shaming, and Child death
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha
Following the lives of four Korean women, this book is a slice-of-life without much plot. There’s little character growth but ample character exploration.
As a non-Korean, I cannot say if the author successfully details the obsessive — and sometimes surgery-heavy — world of Korean beauty standards, but it feels realistic to me.
However, what really brought it down for me was the book felt unbalanced in that I’m not sure why Wonna’s story existed in this. It’s not that she wasn’t interesting; it’s that she felt out of place with the other characters. Though, I do love the concept of a girl down the hall being included, it just felt like her entire storyline was so jarringly different, it felt like she was piece-mealed into the book. Maybe a fourth POV could have tied her in better? But I digress.
I went in with zero expectations, and so I was startled by several moments throughout the book. It took me until the final chapters to even realize this was likely a slice-of-life book, so I spent a lot of time wondering where the plot was going to come in.
Overall, I think Cha succeeded in what she wanted to do with the three main characters, and I very much appreciated how relaxing this was to read.
dark
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I would live my life so much better than you if I had your face.
Following the lives of four Korean women, this book is a slice-of-life without much plot. There’s little character growth but ample character exploration.
As a non-Korean, I cannot say if the author successfully details the obsessive — and sometimes surgery-heavy — world of Korean beauty standards, but it feels realistic to me.
However, what really brought it down for me was the book felt unbalanced in that I’m not sure why Wonna’s story existed in this. It’s not that she wasn’t interesting; it’s that she felt out of place with the other characters. Though, I do love the concept of a girl down the hall being included, it just felt like her entire storyline was so jarringly different, it felt like she was piece-mealed into the book. Maybe a fourth POV could have tied her in better? But I digress.
I went in with zero expectations, and so I was startled by several moments throughout the book. It took me until the final chapters to even realize this was likely a slice-of-life book, so I spent a lot of time wondering where the plot was going to come in.
Overall, I think Cha succeeded in what she wanted to do with the three main characters, and I very much appreciated how relaxing this was to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Classism, Body shaming, and Miscarriage
Korean beauty standards, beauty standards
Misery by Stephen King
challenging
dark
tense
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Medical trauma, Addiction, Body horror, Blood, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Dysphoria, Alcoholism, and Car accident
Moderate talk of death of infants, killing of infants
Big Little Spells by Hazel Beck
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Mental illness
Moderate: Animal death, Toxic friendship, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
Antiasexualism
You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose
Grace Evans, an attractive city woman, visits a ranch in the middle of nowhere to get away from her busy city life and gets a little cozy with her host Calvin, an attractive cowboy. However, there’s a locked door, a missing woman, a sheriff snooping around and an angry ex that complicate the love budding between Grace and Calvin.
I don’t know if it’s the sheer number of horror/thriller movies, television shows and books that I’ve consumed, but I find myself knowing the ending at the very beginning, so the twists in this one weren’t really all that surprising to me.
That said, I love the red herrings thrown in and at least twice, I thought, “Huh, maybe I’ll be wrong and so-so will be the killer.”
The book flops between Grace and Calvin’s POV, and I found this enjoyable and adding to the fun and mystery.
The love story (and triangleish?) was cringey and meh. It was more of a lust plot than love, in my opinion, and there was a little of smut.
It’s good for what it is, but if you’re not a fan of cringe and lust stories, I suggest steering clear, because you have to wade through half the book before the thriller part of the plot kicks in.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
They say love makes you blind. This wasn’t love though. This was lust, and it makes you downright stupid.
Grace Evans, an attractive city woman, visits a ranch in the middle of nowhere to get away from her busy city life and gets a little cozy with her host Calvin, an attractive cowboy. However, there’s a locked door, a missing woman, a sheriff snooping around and an angry ex that complicate the love budding between Grace and Calvin.
I don’t know if it’s the sheer number of horror/thriller movies, television shows and books that I’ve consumed, but I find myself knowing the ending at the very beginning, so the twists in this one weren’t really all that surprising to me.
That said, I love the red herrings thrown in and at least twice, I thought, “Huh, maybe I’ll be wrong and so-so will be the killer.”
The book flops between Grace and Calvin’s POV, and I found this enjoyable and adding to the fun and mystery.
The love story (and triangleish?) was cringey and meh. It was more of a lust plot than love, in my opinion, and there was a little of smut.
It’s good for what it is, but if you’re not a fan of cringe and lust stories, I suggest steering clear, because you have to wade through half the book before the thriller part of the plot kicks in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Murder, Violence, Car accident, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Stalking, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Alcohol, Death, and Gore
Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
5.0
Unhinged. This is the unhinged version of Yellowface. The plot which stirs the pot is ridiculously hilarious but the journey I took with Ingrid was not.
Where she began in a pool of her own internalized racism, she emerged with eyes wide open. Where she once made herself smaller, she reclaimed her space. Where she began unsure, she became certain. Where she began meek, she ended strong.
This is a book that I will remember.
Where she began in a pool of her own internalized racism, she emerged with eyes wide open. Where she once made herself smaller, she reclaimed her space. Where she began unsure, she became certain. Where she began meek, she ended strong.
This is a book that I will remember.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Police brutality, Deportation, and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence and Misogyny
Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Emberson Wilde talks to herself with the same attitude every young (and more experienced) woman should: Full of self-confidence and power. It’s such a jarring difference from my own self talk, which is often insecure and self-deprecating, I initially felt a sense derision, but this is how we should feel about ourselves.
The main character is a HBIC, and she means business. Once she finds herself casting magic without meaning to and discovers her memories have been altered, Emerson — Em — takes the task of saving her town in stride. And why would she stumble anyways? Wildes always rise.
This was a fun, lighthearted tale of magic and witches and a mysterious imbalance to the natural order of things. I plan to read the sequel, too.
The main character is a HBIC, and she means business. Once she finds herself casting magic without meaning to and discovers her memories have been altered, Emerson — Em — takes the task of saving her town in stride. And why would she stumble anyways? Wildes always rise.
This was a fun, lighthearted tale of magic and witches and a mysterious imbalance to the natural order of things. I plan to read the sequel, too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death and Terminal illness
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
After killing a wolf while hunting in the woods, Feyre is confronted by a beast demanding justice, sending the girl, who is also the sole provider for her family, to the Fae lands, where she is to live out the rest of her days as payment for the life she took. Feyre learns of a blight affecting the lands of the Fae, which will soon spill over into the human lands. Will Feyre help rid the world of this mysterious blight? And if she does, how will she survive?
This is a Beaty and the Beast + Cupid and Psyche inspired romance first and an adventurous fantasy second. If you’re wanting primarily adventure, I’d recommend skipping this one.
The drama! Am I right? This moment in particular really reminded me of a moment in Buffy: The Vampire Slayerseason 2 finale, when Buffy must kill Angelus only to find her lover’s soul has been restored moments too late and must choose between him or saving the world.
I’m late to the ACOTAR party, and I almost want to say this is overhyped. Is it fun? Sure! Did I find immense enjoyment in reading it? More like pleasant joy.
Throughout the book, I can see where inspiration has been drawn, and I do love a good romance, but I don’t think this is particularly amazingly written. It’s decently written, and it succeeds where it needs to.
I’m not convinced SJM was ready for the TikTok sensation this series has become, and while I plan to continue the series eventually, I’m rather certain I’ll find the powers of the Fae, their world, etc., less fleshed out and with more plot holes than I’d really prefer. If I remember, I’ll update this review with whether my fears are misplaced or not.
Tropes: Beauty and the Beast; broken bird; enemies to lovers; anachronism stew; interspecies relationship; medieval European fantasy; Fae; high courts; my word is my vow; immortal young adults; huntress; fantasy romance
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
"Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all.“
After killing a wolf while hunting in the woods, Feyre is confronted by a beast demanding justice, sending the girl, who is also the sole provider for her family, to the Fae lands, where she is to live out the rest of her days as payment for the life she took. Feyre learns of a blight affecting the lands of the Fae, which will soon spill over into the human lands. Will Feyre help rid the world of this mysterious blight? And if she does, how will she survive?
This is a Beaty and the Beast + Cupid and Psyche inspired romance first and an adventurous fantasy second. If you’re wanting primarily adventure, I’d recommend skipping this one.
I love you," I said,and stabbed him.
The drama! Am I right? This moment in particular really reminded me of a moment in Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
I’m late to the ACOTAR party, and I almost want to say this is overhyped. Is it fun? Sure! Did I find immense enjoyment in reading it? More like pleasant joy.
Throughout the book, I can see where inspiration has been drawn, and I do love a good romance, but I don’t think this is particularly amazingly written. It’s decently written, and it succeeds where it needs to.
I’m not convinced SJM was ready for the TikTok sensation this series has become, and while I plan to continue the series eventually, I’m rather certain I’ll find the powers of the Fae, their world, etc., less fleshed out and with more plot holes than I’d really prefer. If I remember, I’ll update this review with whether my fears are misplaced or not.
Tropes: Beauty and the Beast; broken bird; enemies to lovers; anachronism stew; interspecies relationship; medieval European fantasy; Fae; high courts; my word is my vow; immortal young adults; huntress; fantasy romance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Animal death
Moderate: Blood and Excrement
Adultification of a child