sleepyshelves's reviews
153 reviews

Forest of Secrets by Erin Hunter

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated

i fuckin LOVE yellowfang. cinderpaw is my baby. and i think something is afoot. idk what. but something!

Nell of Gumbling: My Extremely Normal Fairy-Tale Life by Emma Steinkellner

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adventurous challenging emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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

4.25

holy MOLY i want to give this to my niece immediately. so stinkin cute. so beautifully done. the art is gorgeous, but the journal story telling medium is so cool. love me an epistolary novel. now an epistolary graphic novel?!

Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse

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3.5

Hide by Kiersten White

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I went into this unbelievably excited. Like read-the-synopsis-turned-to-my-mom-and-cackled excited. About 60% of the way through I was feeling let down because it wasn't what I had anticipated it to be. Now that I've finished, I'm glad I pushed through that 60-75% mark.
I never thought when I was younger that my favorite part of the book would be the author's note or acknowledgements at the end, but Kiersten White's finak thoughts really made this whole book for me. There were so many choices that I couldn't quite understand, and reading her parting words, everything just...clicked.
This is a great book. It is a wonderful experience, and it draws so beautifully from its inspiration - though that's dark, bizarre, and even unexpectedly classical. I really feel as though the book suffered from its marketing and copy. The book design itself is gorgeous (shout out to books that tell you about the typeface used, you're the real ones!), BUT the jacket copy lends itself to a different narrative. One that sets readers up for a bit of a strange ride.
White's voice in this book is just so cinematic. I found myself reading passages aloud to my gf because they were just so cleverly rendered.
Ultimately, mixed feelings about it but generally very positive.

Content Warnings

MANU by Kelly Fernández

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

3.0

The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-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

Here's the things about reading anything by Molly Knox Ostertag: I always know I'm going to open it at the right time. I know I'm going to love it and hold it and cherish it. I know I'm going to put it off and then I'm going to want to live in the pages and then it's going to end too soon. I know the world is going to feel so perfect and special for whoever I am when I do read it. And then I'm gonna be so pissed off I have to return it to the goddamn library.
I'll have a real review later. I have some processing to do.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

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adventurous challenging inspiring reflective tense slow-paced