vikreadstons's reviews
55 reviews

Accordion Eulogies: A Memoir of Music, Migration, and Mexico by Noé Álvarez

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

Very heavy but very profound. This truly reads like a eulogy or corrido. There are some extremely beautiful and poetic passages and you can really feel the emotion on the page. It also gives a deep look into the forgotten parts of Mexico where indigenous peoples still face violence, discrimination, and loss in unfathomable numbers. 

Seeing Noe fill in his missing ancestral story in a raw and emotional way really stays with you. 

Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was such a trip. The more I read the more I truly felt like I was the one losing my bearings on reality. I loved the dark academia setting and the descriptions of the forest were so beautiful and alive. 

The tension and story between Thomas and Andrew is heartbreaking and tender. The amount of representation in this book is so cool too. 

The story passages were amazing and give such amazing insight to Andrew and his view of the world and himself. 

I did not see the twist and it absolutely shattered me. Everyone should absolutely read this book.

Air & Essence by Mikayla D. Hornedo

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Clean by Alia Trabucco Zerán

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This book was challenging. TW: animal harm and death. 

On one hand, it’s a good, thrilling story that takes you on this journey. Estella, a maid is talking to us, an unnamed audience on the other side of mirrored glass about her experience working for a family. The daughter drowns, and we meet Estella after the fact as she tells her story. It covers issues of class, service work, poverty, family dynamics and secrets. You fall into this rabbit hole with all its twists and turns and get sucked into the story. It feels like a descent into madness. 

On the other, the way the on page animal abuse and deaths are treated as a mechanic to move the plot along is unfortunate and took me out of the story. Especially because of how gruesome it is. I never feel like these scenes are necessary. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, Blood, and Classism

The Palace of Eros by Caro De Robertis

challenging sad slow-paced

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

2.0

An attempt was made but it just does not hit the mark. I liked the idea of a sapphic Eros and Psyche reimagining and was excited to read this, but it was a challenge to finish. Everything is just too long. The first 1/3rd is just trauma dumping. The middle is too much of nothing. The last 1/3rd does pick up and the majority of the plot plays out, which only partially redeemed it. Some of the changes were clever, I will give it that. 

The writing is both nebulous and tedious. Some passages are profound, but the entire book reads like forced poeticism. The themes of the cruelty of men, the exclusion of society, the power of love and the harm of envy (especially amongst fellow women)are important, but the author hits you over the head with them instead of truly melding it into the narrative. 

Overall, I was disappointed. 

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

A Study In Garnet by Meredith Rose

adventurous challenging funny informative inspiring mysterious medium-paced

5.0

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.0

Whirlwind by Kayla Grosse

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

A fun short read that is the perfect mix of action, emotion, and romance (and spice). The author really did her research and it shows in the terminology and flow of the tornado scenes. Every character is unique and has a whole personality which I love. The stakes are high in multiple ways and seeing the main characters navigate both the natural and emotional challenges they face to get to where they are is a wild ride.