chelsealouise's reviews
342 reviews

4.5/5 Stars: ‘The Tea Dragon Tapestry’ is a Middle Grade, LGBTQ+ Fantasy Graphic Novel by Katie O’Neill; ‘The Tea Dragon Society’ is a heart-warming and touching conclusion; 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.

3.5/5 Stars: ‘The Shadows Between Us’ is a Young Adult, Dark Romance by Tricia Levenseller; ‘The Shadows Between Us’ is a playful love letter to ambitious and sexually empowered women who rarely get to be protagonists – and, the protagonist in question is also an unrepentant murderer. For the right mature reader, this is pure fun. ‘The Shadows Between Us’ may seem to be promoting all the wrong values, but you'll find virtuous maidens and unjust rulers in plenty of other fantasy tomes – it is perfectly described as a ‘Slytherin Romance’. Though labelled as ‘Fantasy’, it did not fit the criteria; as the mythology behind this monarch's family curse isn't that well developed, despite it being the sole element for a ‘Fantasy’ touch. ‘The Shadows Between Us’ was slightly predictable; nothing ‘wowed’, as it felt dry and bland.

DNF/5: ‘Loki: Where Mischief Lies’ is a Young Adult, Marvel Fantasy by Mackenzi Lee. 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 ‘Loki: Where Mischief Lies’. I may decide to pick this up again in the future.

3/5 Stars: ‘Little Women (Part One)’ is a Young Adult, Contemporary Classic by Louisa May Alcott; ‘Little Women’, originally published in 1868, is a beloved American Classic that tells the story of four sisters growing up in Boston during, and after, the Civil War. The enduring appeal of this novel is its vivid depiction of its 19th-century time period. Though the writing style in ‘Little Women’ can be didactic, even contemporary girls who cannot imagine wearing silk dresses or being too ladylike to run will identify with the March sisters' strong bonds and earnest efforts to overcome their faults. Readers today will especially appreciate Jo, who romps with her best friend (a boy) and cuts her hair short, to defy the era's gender conventions. Alcott’s writing is elegant, yet poignant and haunting at moments; perfect for the era it was set in. It gave you a sense of what it was like to be a normal family in the 1800's and subtly showed the feelings of each character.

4/5 Stars: ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’ is a Young Adult, Psychological Classic by Mark Haddon; ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’ speaks bravely, and winningly from inside the sorrows of Autism, specifically Asperger’s Syndrome, though this is never specified. Haddon’s study of the condition is superbly realised; instead Haddon uses his narrator’s innocence as a means of commenting on the emotional and moral confusion in the lives of the adults around him. Autistic people are not easy subjects for novelists. Their interests are prescribed, their experiences static, their interaction with others limited. Haddon ingeniously uses Christopher's admiration for Sherlock Holmes to lead him out of this stasis, not to effect some miraculous ‘cure’, but so that a story can happen. ‘This will not be a funny book,’ says Christopher. ‘I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them.’ But it is a funny book, as well as a sad one. The protagonist’s compulsive noting of mundane facts provides comedy reminiscent of the best of Adrian Mole, especially in his dealings with the police and his special-needs classmates. And Haddon's inclusion of diagrams, timetables, maps, even maths problems, extends the normal scope of novel-writing and demonstrates the rich idiosyncrasies of the Autistic brain. ‘The Curious Incident’ is published simultaneously for adults and older children; despite its clarity and simplicity, it operates on several levels.

3.5/5 Stars: ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ is a Young Adult, Historical Fiction by John Boyne; ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ is sensitive, but never sentimental. It stands out in part because of the unusual perspective. It's told through the eyes of the 9-year-old son of the commandant at Auschwitz, a boy who has no clue as to what is going on around him. This perspective allows readers to feel a strong sense of foreboding, long before they know the extent of the terror surrounding Bruno's world. Readers will be struck by the contrast between Bruno's normalcy and naivety, and the extreme horrors of the time. ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ focuses on the complex emotional issues of evil and the Holocaust, raising questions about the nature of man. Its theme is complex and powerful, and it will provoke emotions and questions that require discussion and explanation.

4.5/5 Stars: ‘The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky’ is a Young Adult, LGBT+ Historical Novella by Mackenzi Lee; ‘The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky’ picks up where ‘The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue’ leaves off, freshly minted couple Monty and Percy fumble through their first time together in this frothy and funny novella. Despite the promiscuousness of ‘The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky’, it never gets explicit. Instead, it explores the complicated nature of navigating sex, love and fear. Fear about the relationship, the act, and the future. Both Monty and Percy are still charming, but there is a new layer to their being, their characters develop. The novella retains the tempo and voice of the first book, with new, added elements. That said, you must read the first book in the series to fully appreciate the development.

3/5 Stars: ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ is an Adult, 19th Century Classic by Oscar Wilde; ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ is the allusive moral tale of youth, beauty and corruption. It is a classic instance of the aestheticism of the late 19th century’s English literature. The maxim of aestheticism ‘art for art’s sake’ is reflected in the opening of the novel, which specifies art’s aim to ‘reveal the art and conceal the artist’ – a wonderfully entertaining parable of the aesthetic ideal. It is clear that Wilde is not obsessed with the describing of settings as a novelist with a constructive bent would be. But the brevity of description is masterfully covered in the sombre conversations that fill most of the novel – if seen apart from the wit and epigrams of the secondary characters. ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ is, and will continue to be, Wilde’s most accessible work, and the perfect introduction to this marvellous writer.

3.5/5 Stars: ‘The Thirteenth Tale’ is an Adult, Historical Fiction by Diane Setterfield; ‘The Thirteenth Tale’ is a riveting novel whose layers of mystery weave a magical spell. It is cleverly plotted, beautifully written, and a homage to the classic mystery novel – Jane Eyre springs to mind, especially as the book is weaved into the substance of the plot. The gothic elements are skilfully reimagined in a peculiar tale of madness; murder; incest, and dark secrets. ‘The Thirteenth Tale’ is a love letter to reading; a book for the feral reader in all of us; a return to that rich vein of storytelling. Though it is not without fault. The level of detail and description at times becomes over-bearing, and the ending is perhaps a little too concerned with tying up all the loose ends threaded throughout the novel.

3.5/5 Stars: ‘Princess Princess Ever After’ is a Middle Grade, LGBT+ Fantasy Graphic Novel by Katie O’Neill; ‘Princess Princess Ever After’ is loosely based off of the fairy-tale ‘Rapunzel’, encompassing
all the basic components of a Disney princess story; adorable animal companions who are fiercely protective of their princesses, adventure aplenty, characters who go against what society expects of them, an oppressive and evil antagonist, and heart-warming character development. It is cute. It us quick. Concluding with a queer happily ever after. ‘Princess Princess Ever After’ was a charming book. The story explored gender and fairy-tale stereotypes in an interesting way and contained a positive message in it about being true to yourself that will appeal to children.