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anchovysaurus's reviews
246 reviews
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
The Labyrinth by Simon Stålenhag
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
To Be Devoured by Sara Tantlinger
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Throughout this book, we follow Andi's wrathful, gruesome quest to make the vultures accept her as one of their own. It's a grisly story about grief, loneliness, and the search for community.
Although Andi's actions are villainous, I found myself feeling so, so sorry for her because her rage and grief pushed everyone away. Towards the end, she truly had no one who cared about her. It was heartbreaking to read how she found her freedom and succumbed to death.
Hair/Power: Essays on Control and Freedom by Kajal Odedra
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
The author explored some really poignant points about using hair as a form of protest, expression, and a rallying point for community. She began by explaining how immigrants often work their body hair to be more "palatable" to Western society. Throughout, she related hair to different emotions and concepts [anger, conformity, etc.].
The blonde/conformity chapter dealt more with the broader concept of conforming to Eurocentric hair ideals, not how blondness = conformity. The last chapter, wigs/play, argued that costumes allow people to understand themselves better, but this discussion related more to freedom of expression than hair, specifically. I think this book could've benefitted from a more focused lens, or at least stronger connections between concepts.
The blonde/conformity chapter dealt more with the broader concept of conforming to Eurocentric hair ideals, not how blondness = conformity. The last chapter, wigs/play, argued that costumes allow people to understand themselves better, but this discussion related more to freedom of expression than hair, specifically. I think this book could've benefitted from a more focused lens, or at least stronger connections between concepts.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
Sounds Fake But Okay: An Asexual and Aromantic Perspective on Love, Relationships, Sex, and Pretty Much Anything Else by Sarah Costello, Kayla Kaszyca
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
This book might be best for people who are beginning to question whether they’re on the asexual or aromantic spectra, but it often seems to be written for people who may never have questioned societal norms before. It’s quite informative about how broad the aspec is and it shares many examples of non-normative relationship structures, which were really helpful.
The authors continually stress that they can only speak from the perspective of white, middle-class women – and they’re not wrong. Many of the “alternative” ideas they cite are already known to POCs. Lastly, the book’s subtitle includes “an asexual and aromantic perspective”, but the asexual perspective is disproportionately larger, evidenced by the authors constantly prompting readers to don our “purple-coloured glasses”, but not all of us are asexual.
The authors continually stress that they can only speak from the perspective of white, middle-class women – and they’re not wrong. Many of the “alternative” ideas they cite are already known to POCs. Lastly, the book’s subtitle includes “an asexual and aromantic perspective”, but the asexual perspective is disproportionately larger, evidenced by the authors constantly prompting readers to don our “purple-coloured glasses”, but not all of us are asexual.