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tay_af's reviews
451 reviews
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
I put this novella off for a while for some reason, even though I loved the Once and Future Witches. This was possibly because I’m not typically enamoured with fairytale retellings and really didn’t enjoy the last retelling I read. But boy was I wrong.
Harrow’s Hugo-nominated novella reimagines Aurora as a young woman, Zinnia, with a degree in Folklore and a Sleeping Beauty obsession suffering from a degenerative illness, expected to die around her 21st birthday. On that birthday, however, her best friend jokingly presents her with a spinning wheel, and things get…strange. Harrow describes this as “Spider-Verse[ing] a fairy tale,” which I found to be thoroughly accurate. A SPINDLE SPLINTERED is clever, ultra-contemporary, tongue-in-cheek, and on one memorable occasion, throwing-my-head-back laugh-out-loud witty. It values female friendship, WLW desire, and connection not only between people who know one another, but those whose stories run parallel.
The mechanics of magic in this world are purposefully vague, which may bother some readers—for instance, it is never explained why Zinnia’s cell phone works in alternate universes. I wasn’t personally bothered too much by that, as the brevity of the story logically didn’t allow for too much magical minutia. It’s predictably fast paced, and readers (like myself) who love to slow down on character backstory and interactions may have difficulty with that.
The characters who do take center stage, however, are engaging and vibrant. I found myself very fond of Zinnia, Charm, and Primrose by the end. I’m greatly looking forward to the sequel later this year!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Medical content
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Zainab Takes New York by Ayesha Harruna Attah
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.0
ZAINAB TAKES NEW YORK has a fresh and funny take on a traditional post-university coming of age narrative. This book’s unique elements are what really make it shine—the distinct characters of the grandmothers, Zainab’s self-conscious monologues, and the somehow lighthearted-yet-serious engagement with inherited emotions and even traumas. Although nominally a romance, the romance takes a backseat to Zainab’s attempts to navigate New York City.
This book’s weak points lie in the pacing and occasionally the prose. It is a bit stilted or under-edited at times, and the pacing oscillates between feeling very slow to very tightly crammed. Although the book was drawn out, the ending felt entirely too sudden, especially the very end.
Overall, a nice read with unique and compelling elements, but some technical issues. I would recommend for fans of Mhairi McFarlane-style mix of romance and more serious character development.
I was provided an electronic proof of this book by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you!
This book’s weak points lie in the pacing and occasionally the prose. It is a bit stilted or under-edited at times, and the pacing oscillates between feeling very slow to very tightly crammed. Although the book was drawn out, the ending felt entirely too sudden, especially the very end.
Overall, a nice read with unique and compelling elements, but some technical issues. I would recommend for fans of Mhairi McFarlane-style mix of romance and more serious character development.
I was provided an electronic proof of this book by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you!
To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn
1.75
Eloise and the side characters were good, but Julia Quinn does not understand the difference between a compellingly tense courtship and a very concerning one.
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
adventurous
hopeful
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
Inventive, engaging, with a very wry kind of edge to it, Portrait of a Thief is a heist novel for a new generation. The characters are dynamic and their motives and interactions shape this story in ways that I suspect will shift the reading experience every time one rereads it—which I certainly intend to do. The prose is tense and often economical throughout, yet the descriptions and energy in the writing make it easy to feel as though you can see the glow of Lily’s headlights, or light reflecting off the water in Stockholm.
Occasionally the pacing felt rushed or strangely plotted, partly due to the brevity of many of the chapters. It moved sometimes between feeling very very slow and being very gripping, which was odd. I do wish we had gotten to spend a little more time with each character that wasn’t action packed.
Overall, a glowing anti-colonialist debut novel, Portrait of a Thief speaks of exciting things to come for Grace D. Li, and I’m very excited for the Netflix adaptation.
Occasionally the pacing felt rushed or strangely plotted, partly due to the brevity of many of the chapters. It moved sometimes between feeling very very slow and being very gripping, which was odd. I do wish we had gotten to spend a little more time with each character that wasn’t action packed.
Overall, a glowing anti-colonialist debut novel, Portrait of a Thief speaks of exciting things to come for Grace D. Li, and I’m very excited for the Netflix adaptation.
Boys Come First by Aaron Foley
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.0
A thoughtful and insightful slice-of-life novel, with three compelling main characters and a central focus on friendship and connection which struck me as relatively unique. BOYS COME FIRST follows the lives of three gay Black thirty-something men in modern day Detroit, and ultimately gives a well-written in-depth description of the characters’ struggles and successes, doubts, and frustrations. It’s a great character-driven novel, with compelling engagement with LGBTQ+ issues, Black life, and the complexities of contemporary urban life, with issues like gentrification taking a forefront.
This novel’s greatest strength lies in its deft and dynamic characterisation, as Dominick, Remy, and Troy are all deftly portrayed, three-dimensional, with clear, unique voices. Many of the most compelling elements of the novel, then, lie in way their clearly established individual characters and values can create friction between themselves and their world, as well as just in their interactions.
Occasionally, the pacing felt rushed or less than ideal, especially toward the end. It also took me a while to really get into and begin to engage with the book. Finally, I do question the choice to have one of the three central perspectives in first person and the other two in third person. I had hoped that particular choice would become clearer in the end of the novel, but I don’t feel like it added to the novel in any specific way and was distracting.
Ultimately, Foley’s debut is funny, intelligent, and largely unique. Fans of LESS by Andrew Sean Greer and Issa Rae’s INSECURE will find this particularly engaging.
I was provided a proof of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
This novel’s greatest strength lies in its deft and dynamic characterisation, as Dominick, Remy, and Troy are all deftly portrayed, three-dimensional, with clear, unique voices. Many of the most compelling elements of the novel, then, lie in way their clearly established individual characters and values can create friction between themselves and their world, as well as just in their interactions.
Occasionally, the pacing felt rushed or less than ideal, especially toward the end. It also took me a while to really get into and begin to engage with the book. Finally, I do question the choice to have one of the three central perspectives in first person and the other two in third person. I had hoped that particular choice would become clearer in the end of the novel, but I don’t feel like it added to the novel in any specific way and was distracting.
Ultimately, Foley’s debut is funny, intelligent, and largely unique. Fans of LESS by Andrew Sean Greer and Issa Rae’s INSECURE will find this particularly engaging.
I was provided a proof of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Drug use
Minor: Gun violence
Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Tense, tightly packed prose with a deftly communicated melancholy. I’d be interested to read this in the original French. Very much an atmosphere book and not for people who love plot, but interesting from a craft standpoint.
Content Warnings
CW for disordered eating and body dysmorphia
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
dark
sad
tense
medium-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
3.25
Very well written and interesting, but I’m not sure how I feel about the moves toward the end. I think my overall opinion of this book will hinge partly on where the story goes from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Child death, Death, Drug use, War, Violence, and Drug abuse