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sweetheartstitches's reviews
162 reviews
So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I’m actually really bummed I didn’t like this book. This has been one of my most anticipated reads since last year and my library finally got a digital copy. With my Libby app ready to go, I was ready for a chaotic and bloody journey. That is, unfortunately, not what I got.
The entire book takes place in just about 5 days. There really is no plot; the plot is watching these two best friends come to terms with their vampirism and struggle with their thirst. As someone who’s been obsessed with vampire since about 2007, the vampire “lore” - if you can even call it that - was basically nonexistent. These vampires don’t even have fangs!
We go on this journey with Sloane and her best friend, Naomi. They’re opposites in every way. Which, when done well, is a dynamic I absolutely love. However, their opposite traits really just brought out the worst in the other. I was constantly being told how strong this friendship is, how much Sloane cannot live without Naomi, how they’ve been through so much, and know each other so well, but with how they interacted with each other over the course of the book, I’m struggling to understand how and why these two women are friends.
The main character, Sloane, who’s head we are stuck in throughout the novel, is literally the worst woman to become a vampire. She’s wishy-washy, a major hypocrite, and loves being a victim (this is something she literally admits). She projects all her anger at Naomi, especially for the circumstances that turned them into vampires, but Sloane refuses to take responsibility for anything. Look, I love complicated, messy, female characters - I will defend them until my last breath. Sloane was not complicated, though. Ultimately, because we spend so little time with her, her character was not able to be explored to its fullest.
This book also suffered from a very cringey case of insta-lust. Which, sure, I love it when vampires are bloody, hedonistic, and sexy, but this was not that.
The other vampires were much more interesting than Sloane and Naomi. I wish this book was about them, their histories, how they found each other, and why they decide to live this nomadic lifestyle.
I did enjoy Harrison’s writing style. The book could get tense, gory, and bloody when it needed to. However, that is not enough to save this wet paper towel of a horror novel about vampires.
The entire book takes place in just about 5 days. There really is no plot; the plot is watching these two best friends come to terms with their vampirism and struggle with their thirst. As someone who’s been obsessed with vampire since about 2007, the vampire “lore” - if you can even call it that - was basically nonexistent. These vampires don’t even have fangs!
We go on this journey with Sloane and her best friend, Naomi. They’re opposites in every way. Which, when done well, is a dynamic I absolutely love. However, their opposite traits really just brought out the worst in the other. I was constantly being told how strong this friendship is, how much Sloane cannot live without Naomi, how they’ve been through so much, and know each other so well, but with how they interacted with each other over the course of the book, I’m struggling to understand how and why these two women are friends.
The main character, Sloane, who’s head we are stuck in throughout the novel, is literally the worst woman to become a vampire. She’s wishy-washy, a major hypocrite, and loves being a victim (this is something she literally admits). She projects all her anger at Naomi, especially for the circumstances that turned them into vampires, but Sloane refuses to take responsibility for anything. Look, I love complicated, messy, female characters - I will defend them until my last breath. Sloane was not complicated, though. Ultimately, because we spend so little time with her, her character was not able to be explored to its fullest.
This book also suffered from a very cringey case of insta-lust. Which, sure, I love it when vampires are bloody, hedonistic, and sexy, but this was not that.
The other vampires were much more interesting than Sloane and Naomi. I wish this book was about them, their histories, how they found each other, and why they decide to live this nomadic lifestyle.
I did enjoy Harrison’s writing style. The book could get tense, gory, and bloody when it needed to. However, that is not enough to save this wet paper towel of a horror novel about vampires.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Cannibalism
Minor: Animal death, Drug use, and Stalking
Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I read this almost a full month ago, forgot to leave a review, because I really needed sit and think about how I felt about this book. When I picked it up, I had really wanted to like it. The premise sounded incredibly promising, but the execution fell incredibly flat for me. I struggled to finish this book; I ultimately did because I have a personal struggle DNF-ing a book, and I just wanted to finish it because it was due back at the library, and I’m trying to catch up on my reading goal.
We follow Kidan, our FMC, who is trying to find her missing sister who she believes has been kidnapped by vampires. To get closer to finding her sister, Kidan attends a secret university where vampires and humans learn how to coexist. Once she gets to the school and starts investigating her sister’s disappearance, her prime suspect is the vampire Susenyos, her mortal enemy.
Firstly, I found the worldbuilding to be muddled, unclear, and very difficult to follow. There is usually a learning curve when I’m reading a fantasy story as I’m picking up the pieces of how this original world works, but nothing about this world was explained well. The magic system was very confusing, the lore surrounding the vampires was lacking, and the just amount of families tied with the university was so confusing I couldn’t remember which family was which.
The characters were also very bland and one-dimensional. I really wish the author had taken more time developing the characters, their relationships, and the magic system; the book really could have benefited from a few more edits before it was published.
Also, we need to abolish the trope in fiction - namely, fantasy and romance - where the FMC is young (usually 18, 19), and the MMC is 100s of years old. The dynamic is predatory, creepy, and full of power imbalances. We’re constantly reminded of how fragile and weak Kidan is compared to Susenyos; he’s constantly pinning her down, physically restraining her, and overpowering her through brute strength. I think this model of relationship is especially dangerous in YA fiction; we don’t need to be teaching younger readers - especially young girls - that it’s fun and sexy when older men try to take advantage of them in the name of “love.”
Enemies-to-lovers my foot. This trope is almost always never done well, and this is no exception. It honestly just boiled down to ‘I hate you’, ‘No I hate you’ ‘I’m going to bite you’ ‘Let’s make out.’ The MMC was so annoying and childish; playing pranks then escalating to full on lying, gaslighting, and manipulation. Boring, boo, I’m throwing tomatoes.
Overall, there were a few interesting ideas (black vampires, Ethiopian mythology, magical houses that feel like their own character, dark academia) but it seriously fell flat in its execution. I found out this is supposed to be a series, so I will probably not be continuing with the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
dark
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
“The first time you lose a parent, a part of you gets trapped there; trapped less in the moment of grief than in the knowledge of the end of childhood, the inevitable dwindling of the days.”
Familial grief and trauma never fails to make me absolutely feral. Julia Armfield knocked this out of the park - struggling sibling relationships, trauma from their abusive & neglectful father, all set against an apocalyptic backdrop brought on by a climate crisis. Armfield’s prose is absolutely beautiful; poetic yet gut-wrenching all in one.
The story follows three sisters, Isla, Irene, and Agnes after the death of their prolific, architect father. All the while, their world has been impacted by climate change; never ending rains and storms have caused massive floods, leading people to move further and further toward the sky. There’s a sinister undercurrent woven throughout the story; small hints adding up to a bigger picture that explodes the final chapter.
Armfield is a powerhouse when it comes to my new favorite subgenre: waterlogged lesbians. Her ability to write these complicated, real relationships with the sisters was devasting in the best way possible. Even the sisters own relationships - we get to see how their love lives differ, how they each struggle to accept - and even want - love.
While all this familial grief and turmoil is happening, the apocalypse is raging on. However, humanity’s reaction the crisis is, well, normal; people are still struggling to get to work despite power outages, flooding, protests, and buildings collapsing. The cycle of capitalism and abuse go hand-in-hand; humanity still trudges to work and the sisters still cannot escape the abuse of their father.
The horror is subtle, atmospheric. A rising dread like the rise of the flood. With each chapter I felt uneasy, wondering when the shoe was about to drop. Like Armfield’s other novel, the horror is speculative as well, with no right or definitive answer; and I know that kind of story is not for everyone. I, however, love not only a book that makes me feel awful (lovingly), but one I can continue and continue to think about once I’ve finished the story. Armfield has easily become one of my auto-read authors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Homophobia, and Infidelity
Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
described as a "sapphic rivals to lovers rom-com for fans of ted lasso and a league of their own", cleat cute is about two soccer teammates (veteran grace Henderson and rookie phoebe matthews) who fall in love as their soccer team gears up for the world cup.
i picked up this book because i was in a horrendous reading slump; i've found that reading light-hearted rom-coms helps get me out of my slumps. i picked up cleat cute because i enjoyed meryl wilsner's other work, mistakes were made. however, cleat cute fell very flat to me.
i'll start off with what i did like about the book. the pacing was very quick, and i finished the book in about 4 days. i also enjoy wilsner's writing style. they write characters very well, in my opinion - they feel like real people. they talk and act like regular people do, which is important to me in a contemporary romance. i know not everyone loves pop culture references, but i honestly don't mind them, and they're something i've come to expect within the genre. the romance itself was very sweet. the few smutty scenes were very hot and heavy, but in a romantic way, which is a lens i really appreciate when reading intimate scenes.
however, in terms of what i didn't like, there's, well, a lot. i don't think i've read a book where the characters inner monologue so much. yes, it was an established character trait for both the main characters - as they're both neurodivergent - that they tend to be in their own head a lot, but how that translates onto the page is a lot of word salad about nothing; they're constantly going back and forth with themselves inside their heads, ruminating on the same thoughts over and over. wilsner is very guilty of telling, not showing. stop telling me that "grace does this" or "phoebe likes that" - show me!
i also hate the miscommunication trope and this book is very guilty of that. it was hard to believe the characters in this book were in their mid to late 20s, post college, with how they acted. yes, confrontation can be hard. yes, it can be difficult to explain how you feel or why you acted a certain why, but getting upset at something that was misconstrued or misinterpreted, not talking about it for a few days, but then one simple conversation clears everything up and now we're having make-up sex felt very juvenile. nothing felt 100% resolved, and most of the conflicts were based on either a misinterpretation of events or a miscommunication that could have been resolved with a simple conversation.
this book being described as "rivals to lovers" is very misleading. rivals where? wilsner really could have leaned more into this dynamic, with actual stakes and tension, rather than what was given. there is an attempt at such a dynamic, but it ultimately fails and falls flat. phoebe, the rookie, is vying for a spot on the women's national soccer team, but not necessarily grace's. grace assumes (she does a lot of assuming, mind you) that phoebe wants her spot because she's injured, but phoebe just wants a spot; phoebe even comes to the conclusion about which spot she wants, which is not grace's spot. phoebe never actually feels like a true threat to grace's existence on the team - they don't even play the same position. the rivalry boils down to grace's injury, her worrying that she's getting older and thus, replaceable, and phoebe is the young, talented rookie who could fill her spot. once grace's injury heals and she gets the okay to play, the rivalry ends. it feels more like a marketing ploy than an actual relevant trope within the book, which just further reinforces my gripe with the "trope-ification" of books being published in recent years.
ultimately, i was disappointed by this one, and i'm unsure if i'll try another of wilsner's books. it did get me out of my reading slump, so there's that, but i was left unsatisfied and wishing for more from this one.
i picked up this book because i was in a horrendous reading slump; i've found that reading light-hearted rom-coms helps get me out of my slumps. i picked up cleat cute because i enjoyed meryl wilsner's other work, mistakes were made. however, cleat cute fell very flat to me.
i'll start off with what i did like about the book. the pacing was very quick, and i finished the book in about 4 days. i also enjoy wilsner's writing style. they write characters very well, in my opinion - they feel like real people. they talk and act like regular people do, which is important to me in a contemporary romance. i know not everyone loves pop culture references, but i honestly don't mind them, and they're something i've come to expect within the genre. the romance itself was very sweet. the few smutty scenes were very hot and heavy, but in a romantic way, which is a lens i really appreciate when reading intimate scenes.
however, in terms of what i didn't like, there's, well, a lot. i don't think i've read a book where the characters inner monologue so much. yes, it was an established character trait for both the main characters - as they're both neurodivergent - that they tend to be in their own head a lot, but how that translates onto the page is a lot of word salad about nothing; they're constantly going back and forth with themselves inside their heads, ruminating on the same thoughts over and over. wilsner is very guilty of telling, not showing. stop telling me that "grace does this" or "phoebe likes that" - show me!
i also hate the miscommunication trope and this book is very guilty of that. it was hard to believe the characters in this book were in their mid to late 20s, post college, with how they acted. yes, confrontation can be hard. yes, it can be difficult to explain how you feel or why you acted a certain why, but getting upset at something that was misconstrued or misinterpreted, not talking about it for a few days, but then one simple conversation clears everything up and now we're having make-up sex felt very juvenile. nothing felt 100% resolved, and most of the conflicts were based on either a misinterpretation of events or a miscommunication that could have been resolved with a simple conversation.
this book being described as "rivals to lovers" is very misleading. rivals where? wilsner really could have leaned more into this dynamic, with actual stakes and tension, rather than what was given. there is an attempt at such a dynamic, but it ultimately fails and falls flat. phoebe, the rookie, is vying for a spot on the women's national soccer team, but not necessarily grace's. grace assumes (she does a lot of assuming, mind you) that phoebe wants her spot because she's injured, but phoebe just wants a spot; phoebe even comes to the conclusion about which spot she wants, which is not grace's spot. phoebe never actually feels like a true threat to grace's existence on the team - they don't even play the same position. the rivalry boils down to grace's injury, her worrying that she's getting older and thus, replaceable, and phoebe is the young, talented rookie who could fill her spot. once grace's injury heals and she gets the okay to play, the rivalry ends. it feels more like a marketing ploy than an actual relevant trope within the book, which just further reinforces my gripe with the "trope-ification" of books being published in recent years.
ultimately, i was disappointed by this one, and i'm unsure if i'll try another of wilsner's books. it did get me out of my reading slump, so there's that, but i was left unsatisfied and wishing for more from this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Classism
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
dark
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Miscarriage, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail
The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsey Fitzharris
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
another morbid non-fiction read to start off the year! this biography focuses on joseph lister, a surgeon whose discovery that germs were the source of all infection, who transformed the medical industry in the victorian era. author and historian lindsey fitzharris details the gruesome world of 19th-century surgery and how it was transformed by the advances made in germ theory and antiseptics from 1860-1875.
this was a bit of a slow read for me; it took me about 2 weeks to finish. there was a lot of technical medical terminology i had to get used to, as well as keep the names straight of all the scientists, surgeons, and doctors that crossed joseph lister's path. but a lot of what i did learn was super interesting. the writing felt a little clunky at times; it felt like i was reading a medical textbook, not a biography.
one of my favorite periods to learn about in history is the victorian era, and i had never read much about the medical industry at the time, so this provided a lot of insight! before lister, surgery in the 19th century was not for the squeamish. operating theatres, no anesthesia, tools and instruments being reused and unwashed, rampant infections. even if a surgery was a success, a patient was likely to die from infection or sepsis.
joseph lister's contributions to science and medicine are still felt today. it was an interesting, albiet slow - and sometimes clunky - read.
tw: medical trauma, medical content, blood, gore
this was a bit of a slow read for me; it took me about 2 weeks to finish. there was a lot of technical medical terminology i had to get used to, as well as keep the names straight of all the scientists, surgeons, and doctors that crossed joseph lister's path. but a lot of what i did learn was super interesting. the writing felt a little clunky at times; it felt like i was reading a medical textbook, not a biography.
one of my favorite periods to learn about in history is the victorian era, and i had never read much about the medical industry at the time, so this provided a lot of insight! before lister, surgery in the 19th century was not for the squeamish. operating theatres, no anesthesia, tools and instruments being reused and unwashed, rampant infections. even if a surgery was a success, a patient was likely to die from infection or sepsis.
joseph lister's contributions to science and medicine are still felt today. it was an interesting, albiet slow - and sometimes clunky - read.
tw: medical trauma, medical content, blood, gore
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Medical trauma
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.25
my first read of the year and, wow. i finished this book last night and have not been able to stop thinking about it. brown expertly weaves the story of the infamous donner party, detailing their journey from the midwest to california. told from a perspective that focuses on sarah graves, she leaves with her family, husband, and other american hopefuls in search of a prosperous future in the west.
brown pulls no punches with his descriptions of the horrors the donner party experienced, from starvation, hypothermia, violence, death, storms, and cannibalism. it took a little while for me to get invested in the story, but towards the middle - around when the group gets stranded in the now named donner pass - i could not put this down.
i'm a big lover of described morbid or macabre non-fiction, so this did not disappoint. as i read through sarah's journey, i was so heartbroken for her and the other members of the donner party. i grieved with her, i desperately wished for her survival. brown's attention to detail made these infamous historical figures come to life on the page.
truly a harrowing, gripping, and gruesome read.
TW: cannibalism, child death, murder, animal death, racism, war
brown pulls no punches with his descriptions of the horrors the donner party experienced, from starvation, hypothermia, violence, death, storms, and cannibalism. it took a little while for me to get invested in the story, but towards the middle - around when the group gets stranded in the now named donner pass - i could not put this down.
i'm a big lover of described morbid or macabre non-fiction, so this did not disappoint. as i read through sarah's journey, i was so heartbroken for her and the other members of the donner party. i grieved with her, i desperately wished for her survival. brown's attention to detail made these infamous historical figures come to life on the page.
truly a harrowing, gripping, and gruesome read.
TW: cannibalism, child death, murder, animal death, racism, war
The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow
dark
fast-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
Where I End by Sophie White
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Torture, Excrement, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
dark
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
4.25