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coolfoolmoon's reviews
303 reviews
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
I can see there being so much more with this story. Like Sulwe and her sister compared to the sisters Night and Day. That’s something!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Racism
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Eating disorder
Pageboy by Elliot Page
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.25
It’s official. I should transition.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Outing
Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Hate crime, Infidelity, Car accident, and Death of parent
Loser by Jerry Spinelli
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Yet another book that's about me by accident.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, and Vomit
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood
What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Absolutely not what I expected. But it's Rapunzel Tangled. of course I was gonna love every minute. Also the book accidentally became a metaphor for moon cycles aka your period and I LOVE that.
Now did they come up with the idea for this book before or after the tv show? Because if it was after I would've liked if Cass was in this. Cass / Gina should've been her girlfriend. They keep introducing potential love interests as somebody’s sister because they know the reality is Rapunzel is bisexual and immediately falls in love with the first lesbian she sees (Eugene, Cass in the show, and Gina in this book). Disney you're all cowards for not giving the people what they want but showing us it could be possible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer and Classism
Minor: Drug use
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.5
Rosita Stone.
I only have one critique.I couldn't tell if the king and his knights were a metaphor for colonization. Is that a spoiler? Otherwise, a perfect book! At first I was reading it thinking it was set in the near future, as in around 2030/2040s, however climate change os accelerating so fast this book could've been set last year. And that made me sad. I loved every moment! I should've read this sooner!
I only have one critique.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Stalking, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
Minor: Bullying
Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Part of the first book I didn't like was the fact that we didn't get Stargirl's perspective, not really, just the boy who was both amazed and embarrassed by her. This Stargirl isn't manic pixie dream girl. she’s a girl! She's really real, less of a fantasy, fully fleshed out. I’ve known girls like this! So I like this one better for that reason. She should’ve been in this town the whole time not Arizona!
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A perfect girl. Perfect example of what an autistic child will end up like if their parents listened AND cared AND let them have the freedom to be themselves.
Part of the first book I didn't like was the fact that we didn't get Stargirl's perspective, not really, just the boy who was both amazed and embarrassed by her. This Stargirl isn't manic pixie dream girl. she’s a girl! She's really real, less of a fantasy, fully fleshed out. I’ve known girls like this! So I like this one better for that reason. She should’ve been in this town the whole time not Arizona!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Deadnaming, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Blood
Minor: Violence
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
No matter how much I hate the characters I always love when sisters sister. When sisters are sistering, I am sat. You have my full attention. I don't care if they're good or evil. I love them. Makes me wish I wasn't an only child, even if she was a serial killer! (I'm kidding but not really. Kinda.) Also based off the title alone I thought the book was gonna be set in New York lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and Car accident
The Voice of the Children by June Jordan
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
the kids just wanna be happy it's very heartbreaking. i felt the same way at this age. why is there so much suffering in the world? this was 50 years ago and what's changed?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, and War
Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
PERFECT book. A world I never want to leave! Mr. Whiskers laughs at Jane for not actually hating herself and he’s right; she never hated herself, she hated the way people made her feel and internalized what they said, but it’s very clear she never really believed it even before her act 3 revelation. Jane is my favorite Disney princess! Loved the guy from Spongebob cameo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Torture, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit and Car accident
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
Back to basics, I made the lesbian / sapphic reading list because this book frustrated me. Queer relationships aren't a gimmick, something for a bi girl to do with her player lesbian bestie, just for her to end up with a man in the end. Nor are queer relationships gateways for a man to be in a societally acceptable looking relationship in the end. The queer relationships in Emezi's books frustrated me to make the list because its' the same thing I would write as a teenager. It's just a little easter egg funny little tidbit that the female main character kisses and goes on dates with her lesbian best friend! But they;d never end up together! Her soulmate is a man! Very sad. Very frustrating. I don't do that anymore. This critique of Emezi is more of my own personal issue that bubbled up. I still love their work and still will continue reading but I wanted to voice my frustration for my future self who's gonna look back at my reviews and go "How did I feel about that one again? Oh yeah. Woof."
From my notes: Emezi writes sex a lot like Toni Morrison did, either the characters or very bored or it is deeply animalistic. I love it. Also my guess for the location of the island is Dominica. French influence, English speaking, near Antigua. I don't know if Dominica has mountains though... Also also love them name dropping their sister. I'd do it too!
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is my last Emezi book, I’m up to date on all their works finally! I’m having a good time, not the greatest time, not the best time, but a good time.
This book also made me start a lesbian / sapphic reading list for a specific reason present in Emezi’s other books. This is about to become a review I don’t usually write, an actual critique of an author's work. Emezi’s talented at everything they do, no complaints there. It’s poignant to me, though, to have two bisexual characters who end up with the opposite sex. Of course bisexuals can end up with whoever but ALL of Emezi’s books are like that (I guess not the YA). This book could’ve been more powerful with a milf mommy. The book could’ve been more powerful if Alim explained to his kids that he previously chose them over another great love (the man he dated) and this person now reminded him that he shouldn’t’ve had to choose. But knowing what I know about Emezi, based on all of their books, they don’t care to explain things to people. Even in this book Feyi tells Nasir she doesn’t owe him that explanation. It happens in Freshwater with the Ala and their ex husband, I’m pretty sure it happens in Little Rot. This seems to be a fundamental feature of, if not Emezi’s mindset as a person (not me armchair diagnosing), Emezi’s writing style / themes that will always come up in their writing. A very “I don’t owe you anything” mindset. The only reason I don’t like it is because this could’ve enhanced the story, made way for more character exploration. This is so long.
Back to basics, I made the lesbian / sapphic reading list because this book frustrated me. Queer relationships aren't a gimmick, something for a bi girl to do with her player lesbian bestie, just for her to end up with a man in the end. Nor are queer relationships gateways for a man to be in a societally acceptable looking relationship in the end. The queer relationships in Emezi's books frustrated me to make the list because its' the same thing I would write as a teenager. It's just a little easter egg funny little tidbit that the female main character kisses and goes on dates with her lesbian best friend! But they;d never end up together! Her soulmate is a man! Very sad. Very frustrating. I don't do that anymore. This critique of Emezi is more of my own personal issue that bubbled up. I still love their work and still will continue reading but I wanted to voice my frustration for my future self who's gonna look back at my reviews and go "How did I feel about that one again? Oh yeah. Woof."
From my notes: Emezi writes sex a lot like Toni Morrison did, either the characters or very bored or it is deeply animalistic. I love it. Also my guess for the location of the island is Dominica. French influence, English speaking, near Antigua. I don't know if Dominica has mountains though... Also also love them name dropping their sister. I'd do it too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Death, Sexual content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity and Car accident
Minor: Child death