chelsealouise's reviews
342 reviews

4/5 Stars: ‘Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death’ is an Adult, Non-Fiction Science Novel by Caitlin Doughty and illustrated by Dianné Ruz; ‘Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?’ educates the public on the realities of our common end by Caitlin Doughty, a mortician and funeral director. It is a humourous take on death, with thirty-five questions about death posed to Caitlin by children, or as her book subtitle refers to them as, tiny mortals. It reinforces, in a friendly voice, that it is okay to be interested in death, you are curious. The questions and their answers range from the humourous to the gruesome, whilst remaining respectful of the dead. Underneath Doughty’s humour is a tenderness, and perhaps a touch of sadness, for most people’s inexperience and inability to deal with death. Her whimsy cuts through the social contract we all unwittingly signed that demands we tip-toe around death with an approved list of similes and platitudes. Doughty dispenses with the rigmarole and is unafraid to provide a shock to our system in the search for understanding.

3/5 Stars: ‘Teen Titans: Beast Boy’ is a Young Adult, Fantasy Graphic Novel by Kami Garcia and illustrated by Gabriel Picolo; ‘Teen Titans: Beast Boy’ is a re-telling of the origins of Beast Boy (Garfield Logan) from the Teen Titans comic and animated cartoon. ‘Beast Boy’ offers a beautifully drawn, but bland experience that does little to stand out from the crowd. Whilst it is approachable, especially for those with little insight into the DC Comic, – allowing new readers to meet characters without the need to read fifty-years’ worth of backstory – the story is messy and unsatisfying but peppered with charming moments to create an ultimately likable and relatable hero. Picolo’s artistic style, on the other hand, is expressive and incredibly modern; the book is a beauty to behold, showing characters in solid, flat shades and backgrounds in a cool dreamlike watercolour.

DNF/5: ‘In Darkness’ is a New Adult, Historical Contemporary by Nick Lake. Disclaimer: As of 2020, I shall no longer be reviewing 1-Star novels. Please do not let the low star-rating affect your decision to pick up ‘In Darkness’. I may decide to pick this up again in the future.

4/5 Stars: ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ is a Young Adult, Fantasy Re-telling by Brigid Kemmerer; ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ is a fast-paced, richly detailed, imaginative variation of ‘Beauty and The Beast’, featuring representation of Cerebral Palsy. Kemmerer successfully balances themes of darkness; magic; and heart; however, sometimes the suspension of disbelief is strained. ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ is more than a romance, or even a curse. It is about learning to sacrifice and believe that you can sacrifice for a world beyond your own. To believe and conquer your weaknesses; to find out who you truly are. That said, there are mixed opinions on whether to pick up the sequel.

3/5 Stars: ‘The Truth About Keeping Secrets’ is a Young Adult, Mystery Thriller by Savannah Brown; ‘The Truth About Keeping Secrets’ is a captivatingly moody, introspective drama. Brown effectively depicts raw, and genuine emotions of grief. Grief often causes people to act inexplicably out of character, and it was re-freshing to see it portrayed in an accurate manner. That said, the slow-pacing, character driven plot led it to feel more like an exploration of grief, rather than a thriller. The mystery was cliché and predictable unfortunately. Also, a heavy trigger warning as this book features discussions and descriptions of death; embalming; abusive relationships; stalking; abduction; racism; and homophobia.

5/5 Stars: ‘If We Were Villains’ is an Adult, Mystery Thriller by M. L. Rio; ‘If We Were Villains’ is a whip-smart, chilling tale of a group of Shakespeare Students at an elite Arts Academy in Illinois, who are, as the Bard puts it, ‘a little more than kin, and less than kind’– especially after one of their own meets a horrific fate. Full of friendship, betrayal, and passionate devotion, this is a page-turning literary thriller whose final, shocking twist you will not forget. The line between performance and reality dissolves, with disastrous results. Art bleeds incessantly into reality; leaving the reader pondering the weight of our biggest actions and their consequences. ‘If We Were Villains’ will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments.

3.5/5 Stars: ‘The Sun Is Also a Star’ is a Young Adult, Contemporary Romance by Nicola Yoon; ‘The Sun Is Also a Star’ with appeal to cynics and romantics alike, is a profound exploration of life and love, tempered with harsh realities and the beauty of hope in a way that is both deeply moving and satisfying. For the most part, it is relatively fast-paced; served up in short, point-of-view switching chunks that alternative between: our rational, scientific mind of a Jamaican immigrant facing imminent deportations, and the hopeless romantic heart of a Korean-American poet about to disappoint his parents. Not only that, but it includes chapters from the perspectives of those that cross the paths/alter the fate of our protagonists story – and in some rather dispassionate interjections offer unattributed, omniscient source dropping to expand knowledge about topics as varied as: the multiverse, the evolution of eyeballs, or why the African American haircare industry is almost entirely in the hands of Korean-American immigrants.

4/5 Stars: ‘Eat, and Love Yourself’ is a New Adult, Contemporary Mental Health Graphic Novel by Sweeney Boo; ‘Eat, and Love Yourself’ is a sad, but ultimately, hopeful story of learning to love one’s self. This novel is a deeply personal, magical realism, story about: Body Dysmorphia, Disordered Eating, Social Anxiety, and Self-Love. It is certainly not an easy book to read - especially with personal experience - as many of the aforementioned topics, may resonate with the audience. Boo avoids clichés and stereotypical tropes; thus, avoiding a trite story that showcases superficial, ultimately fruitless means to solve all your problems. Self-love is a long, painful journey – it takes time. Trigger Warning: there are multiple scenes of Binging and of Purging that are presented in a matter-of-fact, non-exploitative manners that may be downright painful. Bearing that in mind, this is a powerful must-read.

4.5/5 Stars: ‘The Tea Dragon Festival’ is a Middle Grade, LGBTQ+ Fantasy Graphic Novel by Katie O’Neill; ‘The Tea Dragon Society’ is a lovely, gentle fantasy; achieved in alluringly hued - Manga-inspired illustrations. O’Neill attains inclusion. Not every Gay character in media requires their queerness to be their central focus. This is where ‘The Tea Dragon’ series excels - the story, which features leading queer characters, characters of colour, and disabled characters, never feels the need to call attention to the fact that diverse people exist within its pages, or to congratulate itself for including them. Minority characters are not treated as vehicles for representation but are simply characters for who they are. The result is a story that makes you feel included, and, more than that, made you feel as though the author wanted you to feel included, instead of wanting to brag to their friends that they were inclusive. That is an accomplishment, and for that alone O'Neill deserves praise. Helping to add depth to the world-building is excerpts from a fictional tome that explains the history of Tea Dragons and their individual characteristics.

4.5/5 Stars: ‘The Tea Dragon Society’ is a Middle Grade, LGBTQ+ Fantasy Graphic Novel by Katie O’Neill; ‘The Tea Dragon Society’ is undeniably whimsical and extremely cute; achieved in alluringly hued - Manga-inspired illustrations. O’Neill attains inclusion. Not every Gay character in media requires their queerness to be their central focus. This is where ‘The Tea Dragon’ series excels - the story, which features leading queer characters, characters of colour, and disabled characters, never feels the need to call attention to the fact that diverse people exist within its pages, or to congratulate itself for including them. Minority characters are not treated as vehicles for representation but are simply characters for who they are. The result is a story that makes you feel included, and, more than that, made you feel as though the author wanted you to feel included, instead of wanting to brag to their friends that they were inclusive. That is an accomplishment, and for that alone O'Neill deserves praise. Helping to add depth to the world-building is excerpts from a fictional tome that explains the history of Tea Dragons and their individual characteristics.