viiemzee's reviews
453 reviews

The Night Life of the Gods by Thorne Smith
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.

Too difficult to get into with the language. Too slow a premise, too. 

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A stunningly beautiful and sad book. Absolutely recommended for cat lovers. I feel like something has been wrenched out of me with that ending. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

emotional reflective fast-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

4.5

The writing is very much what you would imagine a teenage boy's head to sound like so that part was great. I wish that we had more than just one POV - for some reason I was expecting that. All in all though, a beautiful story really.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, Murder

The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley

funny lighthearted 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

4.0

A cute feel good story that I really enjoyed reading but some parts of it - such as the fact this production was almost all entirely run by high schoolers and just three teachers???? - were a bit unbelievable but maybe that's just me not having ever attended American school. Still an adorable queer book.

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was heartbreaking to read but a necessary thing to understand. As a white person who grew up in Europe the world of segregation America is very far from me. But it's something that I need to learn to understand more. I'm glad I read this book and I'm glad that it was realistic, even when that realism meant I had to be uncomfortable while reading. I wish there was a bit more to the LGBT theme of the book but the messages about racism and discrimination are infinitely more important. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown

funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

The characters are super likeable and believable, but somewhere along the way I felt the plot became a bit too convoluted for me. Sure, it's a believeable plot but only if you're thinking in terms of 'TV show trying to be accurate to modern life'. Still a very enjoyable light read and a lovely one for people looking for a queer MC who is Christian and isn't in conflict over it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Pregnancy

A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A fantastic thriller about lust, money, corruption and truth. Loved the touch of unreliable narrator and how well it played. I figured out pretty early on who was lying and who was orchestrating the whole thing, and I'm proud of myself for seeing the twist coming. All in all really enjoyed this!

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume 3: Century by Alan Moore

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

A welcome sequel to the original, but not as enjoyable. Still a fun read though especially if you love literature and spotting all the fun characters from different classics!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault

Bloodlust and Bonnets by Emily McGovern

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

A fun little romp making homage to Jane Austen novels, Regency England and Romantic poets. 

If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura

emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Loaned to me by my girlfriend and absolutely loved it 😭😭
A man finds out he's dying but can get one more day of life if he removes something from the world. A touching story of loss, love, and the human condition. Highly recommended!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent

Minor: Animal death