tobeeornottobee's reviews
42 reviews

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective 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

5.0

cmq has pretty much never disappointed me. i’m biased entirely, but i also don’t tend to give praise where praise isn’t due. iksw was a fucking grand queer high school mystery. i fell in love with the characters and plot. i fell in love with this book. one thing a cmq book will do is take you there. this book felt like being 17, a sweating slushie in your hand and wind from the open windows in your hair. it felt like driving down highways and big laughs in the faded lights of a small town. it felt like finding yourself and knowing it isn’t the end, but holding onto it all anyway. as all cmq books have for me, it felt like coming home.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Religious bigotry

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Outing, and Alcohol

Moderate: Homophobia and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Grief, and Death of parent

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

4.75

i’ve been in a reading slump since august and this yanked me right out of it. it kept my attention, was light and fluffy while still being real, and had lovely characters. the ending was kind of clunky but otherwise i thought it was really sweet and will be rereading. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Homophobia

thats the art of getting by by sarewolf

For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.

Liebestraum by lunchbucket

For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.

A Brief History of Dragons by eyra

For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

i've seen a lot of negative reviews about this book. about how it's boring, hard to get through, uniteresting. i think if your only critique of a book is that it's boring, it's not really a critique. it's a heavy book, it was written in the early 2000's and deals with a lot of trauma and unhealthy coping mechanisms. going in i thought this was a book i would have to drag myself through. i didn't find that to be true in the least. its dysfunctional and unreliable, a direct reflection of the narrator. the book takes us through a lifetime spent severely depressed and filled high with anxiety. i think if it was shorter, less wordy, it would have been so much more impersonal. it wouldn't have settled in my chest the same way. (also the characters. obviously, we're seeing it through theo's eyes so everything is tinted with his thoughts and feelings. i think boris and theo's dynamic is really important. i think andy deserved better. i think theo is a repressed gay man. i think these people were real and tangible.) take care with the topics and triggers in this book. but if it is something you think you'll enjoy, don't be deterred by negative reviews. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Gore, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

my tumblr post about it: “i finished iwwv and i am nauseous, baby. i loved that cryptic bullshit. it was so tragically wonderful, what the hell.” it kept me engaged, it was twisty, it was stressful, it was frustrating, it was devastating. i recommend it wholeheartedly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Gore

Minor: Suicide and Vomit

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

f*ck t.j. klune. 

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

so so important for genderqueer people.