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alyxthebookdragon's reviews
137 reviews
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
5.0
This book is seriously under hyped. Really stunning fantasy world, steeped in rich history. I love a character who craves a better world and who goes after that dream with everything they have. And the interpersonal relationships were top tier!
How to Tell When We Will Die: On Pain, Disability, and Doom by Johanna Hedva
5.0
This book is devastating and excellent. A series of essays that talk through disability, queerness, activism, kink, and more. Johanna Hedva has a lot to say, and they say it well.
I read a post once about hope, how she isn't palatable or small. Hope is down in the muck, bruised, bleeding, and raising herself up after getting beat down once again. This books feels that way.
"What happens if we don't forfeit but still get in the ring? What happens if we know we're going to lose the fight but we do not give up? Our strategy will change."
HOW TO TELL WHEN WE WILL DIE is blunt and honest, taking up space, claiming what it needs. It is compassion and mutual care, tearing down socially acceptable walls that keep people apart.
I read a post once about hope, how she isn't palatable or small. Hope is down in the muck, bruised, bleeding, and raising herself up after getting beat down once again. This books feels that way.
"What happens if we don't forfeit but still get in the ring? What happens if we know we're going to lose the fight but we do not give up? Our strategy will change."
HOW TO TELL WHEN WE WILL DIE is blunt and honest, taking up space, claiming what it needs. It is compassion and mutual care, tearing down socially acceptable walls that keep people apart.
How We End by L.M. Juniper
4.0
We love to see it: Independently published. Transmasc representation. Diverse cast. A dash of found family.
An apocalyptic infection in London forces seven misfit strangers and Karma, their loyal mastiff, to analyze their own secrets and make impossible choices. This story is incredibly character driven, focusing a lot on the individual inner turmoil as well as the social dynamics this leads to. While the characters are never fully out of danger, the author makes great use of each brief reprieve to dig into their inner lives. I got rather attached to them all, which made many points of the book particularly devastating. There’s plenty of danger, angst, and even a little bit of emotion healing and growth.
An apocalyptic infection in London forces seven misfit strangers and Karma, their loyal mastiff, to analyze their own secrets and make impossible choices. This story is incredibly character driven, focusing a lot on the individual inner turmoil as well as the social dynamics this leads to. While the characters are never fully out of danger, the author makes great use of each brief reprieve to dig into their inner lives. I got rather attached to them all, which made many points of the book particularly devastating. There’s plenty of danger, angst, and even a little bit of emotion healing and growth.
My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson
5.0
Brimming with queer history, Newson spins a gripping story about queer life in New york. An excellent debut.
Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
While there are some interesting ideas in this book, there isn't follow through. The fey are vicious, except they help a human they supposedly revile. Humans are servants less than animals, except there are fey royalty flirting with a human who wasn't subjected to the normal treatment humans get. There is a deadly tradition of sending girls into the bog, but there is no external pressure to ensure they have to keep up this tradition. There are supposed undertones of revolution, but they are hollow. It was neither idealistic nor complex, but lukewarm.