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vickycbooks's reviews
854 reviews
Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig
4.0
Emily Woo Zeller's narration was great, as always! DEEP AS THE SKY, RED AS THE SEA is almost more of a character study than a swashbuckling adventure -- we dive deep into Shek Yeung's character: her motivations, her hopes, and her history, all set against the backdrop of a new period in her life after her husband dies and she must manage the changing politics of a pirate fleet. Chang-Eppig builds a very layered character in Shek Yeung, who struggles with her desire to keep power as it wars against her urges for freedom.
Thanks to Libro.fm for the complimentary copy! I listened on 2.0-2.4x speed.
Thanks to Libro.fm for the complimentary copy! I listened on 2.0-2.4x speed.
Content Warnings
Content Warnings: childbirth, death, gore, murder, rape, forced prostitution, torture, drug (opium) use
Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram
5.0
I flew through this so fast -- it's such a perfect addition to the YA romcom landscape and would definitely make my list of top YA romcoms. Adib Khorram really never misses, and KISS & TELL is fun and thoughtful and trope-y, while still dealing with serious moments.
What KISS & TELL does really well, besides just being a fantastic YA romcom, is how it takes a gentle and nuanced approach at intersectional struggles without being overly moralistic. It can be really easy to either write something that preaches at teen readers. On the other hand, it can be really easy to write YA in a way doesn't seem relatable or oriented at teen readers. I think KISS & TELL balances this perfectly -- although I'm a fair number of years off from being a teen reader -- as KISS & TELL brings up these nuanced, complex topics that really have no good answer (how to be part of a community or communities, how to balance the struggles of existing as a marginalized person and wanting to hide away, while also balancing the desire to help make good change for your community and be active, etc.) and is thoughtful and intentional about them within both the writing style's approach and framing of the topics as well as Hunter's choices and learning throughout the story.
KISS & TELL is a fun, fast-paced read, and although it has its heavy moments, they only help emphasize the immense joy that queer teens can experience. It's honest and sometimes silly (the band's breakout was a joke song called 'Poutine'!) and overall another fantastic read from Khorram.
What KISS & TELL does really well, besides just being a fantastic YA romcom, is how it takes a gentle and nuanced approach at intersectional struggles without being overly moralistic. It can be really easy to either write something that preaches at teen readers. On the other hand, it can be really easy to write YA in a way doesn't seem relatable or oriented at teen readers. I think KISS & TELL balances this perfectly -- although I'm a fair number of years off from being a teen reader -- as KISS & TELL brings up these nuanced, complex topics that really have no good answer (how to be part of a community or communities, how to balance the struggles of existing as a marginalized person and wanting to hide away, while also balancing the desire to help make good change for your community and be active, etc.) and is thoughtful and intentional about them within both the writing style's approach and framing of the topics as well as Hunter's choices and learning throughout the story.
KISS & TELL is a fun, fast-paced read, and although it has its heavy moments, they only help emphasize the immense joy that queer teens can experience. It's honest and sometimes silly (the band's breakout was a joke song called 'Poutine'!) and overall another fantastic read from Khorram.
Content Warnings
Content Warnings: homophobia (not condoned), white privilege, racism, death of a parent (in the past), sports injury, betrayal of private sexts, sex negativity (not condoned)
Shutter by Ramona Emerson
I'm not generally a fan of modern crime novels, but I enjoyed how Emerson wrote Rita's story. Even though Rita is a very level-headed protagonist she also goes through some really stressful experiences and this makes the book also a little bit stressful to read at times. I think Emerson did a good job of developing Rita's situation in the novel but I also felt like there was an excessive number of flashbacks. Maybe I'm overly biased because I'm not a fan of flashbacks in books, but I felt like even though there was a lot of character building, it also just wasn't super relevant to the main plot. For a lot of the book I was very interested in hearing what happened to Irma and having that part of the plot push forward. But after almost every chapter, we essentially jump back in time to Rita growing up and getting new cameras and changing her relationships with her mom and her grandmother and people in her community.
I think people who enjoy really solid characterization developed through flashbacks will enjoy SHUTTER. Charley Flyte did a great job narrating the story and especially conveyed a lot of the urgency and the fear associated with the ghost very well.
Thank you very much to Libro.fm for providing the complimentary copy! I listened on 2 to 2.5x speed.
I think people who enjoy really solid characterization developed through flashbacks will enjoy SHUTTER. Charley Flyte did a great job narrating the story and especially conveyed a lot of the urgency and the fear associated with the ghost very well.
Thank you very much to Libro.fm for providing the complimentary copy! I listened on 2 to 2.5x speed.
Content Warnings
Content Warnings: death, gore, murder, drug use (recreational), drug trafficking, police, terminal illness, death of a parent
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
Hmm...I liked the plot and setting, but I just wasn't a huge fan of the main characters' dynamic. Second chance romance is one of my least favorite tropes and I thought some of the dynamic between Nena and Nestor was just very stilted. Nateras' and Gonzales' narration was still great, and I'd be excited to read what Isabel Cañas puts out in the future.
Thanks to Libro.fm for the complimentary copy, I listened on 1.8- 2.3x speed.
Thanks to Libro.fm for the complimentary copy, I listened on 1.8- 2.3x speed.
Content Warnings
Content Warnings: death, gore, blood, socioeconomic inequality,
war, strained parental relationships
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
4.0
I enjoyed this! I really liked Montserrat's no-nonsense attitude, she makes a very practical protagonist who still falls prey to her own flaws (being defensive, overly practical, becoming too obsessed with something etc.) sometimes. The 90s setting was both atmospheric and relevant to the plot, and the horror movie focus makes SILVER NITRATE a great read for people who were fans of PLAIN BAD HEROINES.
SILVER NITRATE was suspenseful and with a lot of plot and supernatural elements, but there was also a lot of very tender character development of Montserrat and Tristan. I thought Moreno-Garcia developed their characters in a very layered wayand I think their ending together is very sweet . Overall, I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys spooky, supernatural infused adult suspense novels. (Think PLAIN BAD HEROINES, THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS, HOUSE OF HUNGER).
Read as an audiobook courtesy of Libro.fm, on 1.5-2.2x speed! Gisela Chipe's narration matched Montserrat's character really well.
SILVER NITRATE was suspenseful and with a lot of plot and supernatural elements, but there was also a lot of very tender character development of Montserrat and Tristan. I thought Moreno-Garcia developed their characters in a very layered way
Read as an audiobook courtesy of Libro.fm, on 1.5-2.2x speed! Gisela Chipe's narration matched Montserrat's character really well.
Content Warnings
Content Warnings: murder, death, gore, Nazis, eugenics, racism, colorism, homophobia, classism, cults, appropriation of Indigenous culture (not condoned), discussion of self-harm and attempted suicide, drug use, alcohol abuse
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong, Vol. 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
4.5
Better than the first installment!! Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu are really growing on me, as expected, and I've grown more used to The System. Impossible to choose my favorite MXTX pair these days...
The God of Good Looks by Breanne Mc Ivor
Overall I enjoyed this! It's very slice of life -- yes, there's a little bit of plot, but it's very much character-centric focusing on Bianca and Obadiah and this time of transition in both of their lives. The audio narration by two narrators was done very well!
Read on audio at 1.7x speed, courtesy of Libro.fm!
Read on audio at 1.7x speed, courtesy of Libro.fm!
Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho
This was cute! It's very firmly centered in the YA romance sphere, and is perfect for, as advertised, fans of Sandhya Menon, Jenny Han, and Tashie Bhuiyan.
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
4.0
Very much enjoying this -- it has all the elements that make me love an MXTX novel. The transmigration element has been really interesting, especially near the end of this installment. Would definitely recommend to fans of MDZS and TGCF!