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theespressoedition's reviews
827 reviews
The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Bullying, Acephobia/Arophobia, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Murder, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicide
Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Blood, and Death
Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Christa Comes Out of Her Shell is unlike any romcom I've ever read. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it completely breaks the romcom mold.
Something I've always liked about Abbi’s books is that they often don’t focus entirely on romance. They’re romcoms, sure, but with a wider plot—usually focused on bizarre friend and/or family dynamics. In this case, the family dynamic is beyond bizarre.
Imagine an alternate universe where Steve Irwin did not, in fact, perish by way of stingray, but instead, was alive and well for 25 years in a remote location, and then suddenly, he decides to make a comeback and shock his family and the world with his sheer existence. Oh, but there's more. Imagine if his daughter Bindi had gone slightly off the rails in high school and then done her own version of "disappearing," by taking her work to a remote island and only resurfacing after finding out that her father is alive and well.
Yeah, that's what this book is like... and then add some romance in there. WILD!
Needless to say, Abbi's unique style of storytelling opens up the story a lot more than a typical romcom would. Not to mention that this particular book included footnotes. Yes, you read that right. There are footnotes since the FMC is a scientist. Not only that, but each chapter begins with an illustration of a creature or object, its name, and its "Latin" name (sometimes as goofy as "backpackus giganticus" for an oversized backpack). These are the kinds of things that keep me coming back to Abbi's books over and over again!
There was a lot of hidden depth woven into this truly witty and humorous story. Typically, I'm someone who looks up trigger warnings in advance, but I didn't with this book and I wish I had. If you're a sensitive reader, I recommend paying close attention to the warnings included here, since the heavier themes can be overwhelming. However, I do believe the content was handled with a lot of grace and it gave the characters a lot of power over the narrative, which I appreciated.
My only qualm with this book was that the romance moved a little too quickly for my particular taste. I liked the chemistry between the characters a lot, but things escalated at a pace that occasionally made me feel like that element wasn't as fully fleshed out. Regardless, the way everything was wrapped up in the end felt quite right, so I truly can't complain. There were certainly some swoony moments as well as some absolutely hilarious ones and I absolutely loved that!
I can once again circle back to how I've never read another book quite like Christa Comes Out of Her Shell. It made me crack up, had me in tears several times, and I definitely didn't want to put it down. If you're looking for something that breaks the romcom mold, this will absolutely scratch that itch!
Something I've always liked about Abbi’s books is that they often don’t focus entirely on romance. They’re romcoms, sure, but with a wider plot—usually focused on bizarre friend and/or family dynamics. In this case, the family dynamic is beyond bizarre.
Imagine an alternate universe where Steve Irwin did not, in fact, perish by way of stingray, but instead, was alive and well for 25 years in a remote location, and then suddenly, he decides to make a comeback and shock his family and the world with his sheer existence. Oh, but there's more. Imagine if his daughter Bindi had gone slightly off the rails in high school and then done her own version of "disappearing," by taking her work to a remote island and only resurfacing after finding out that her father is alive and well.
Yeah, that's what this book is like... and then add some romance in there. WILD!
Needless to say, Abbi's unique style of storytelling opens up the story a lot more than a typical romcom would. Not to mention that this particular book included footnotes. Yes, you read that right. There are footnotes since the FMC is a scientist. Not only that, but each chapter begins with an illustration of a creature or object, its name, and its "Latin" name (sometimes as goofy as "backpackus giganticus" for an oversized backpack). These are the kinds of things that keep me coming back to Abbi's books over and over again!
There was a lot of hidden depth woven into this truly witty and humorous story. Typically, I'm someone who looks up trigger warnings in advance, but I didn't with this book and I wish I had. If you're a sensitive reader, I recommend paying close attention to the warnings included here, since the heavier themes can be overwhelming. However, I do believe the content was handled with a lot of grace and it gave the characters a lot of power over the narrative, which I appreciated.
My only qualm with this book was that the romance moved a little too quickly for my particular taste. I liked the chemistry between the characters a lot, but things escalated at a pace that occasionally made me feel like that element wasn't as fully fleshed out. Regardless, the way everything was wrapped up in the end felt quite right, so I truly can't complain. There were certainly some swoony moments as well as some absolutely hilarious ones and I absolutely loved that!
I can once again circle back to how I've never read another book quite like Christa Comes Out of Her Shell. It made me crack up, had me in tears several times, and I definitely didn't want to put it down. If you're looking for something that breaks the romcom mold, this will absolutely scratch that itch!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, and Vomit
Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Vomit, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse