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discardeddustjacket's reviews
314 reviews
Losers: Part II by Harley Laroux
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
It’s clear what the main goal of each of the books in this duology is: the first book is about reunion, overcoming lingering resistance to a relationship between Jessica and each of the members of this group, and building trust. And the second book is about love, and the admission/acceptance that they all love Jess and vice versa, as well as healing and forgiveness between them.
I understand that none of those things can be rushed, so on the one hand, I understand why it needed to be broken into two books and why each of the books had to be so long, but to be totally honest, this one still felt a bit too long to me. I think it’s because at least in the first book there was tension; the book started with Jess still hanging with the popular kids and so, plot-wise, a lot more BIG, external shifts had to happen in that book. It kept my attention.
This one, they’re already in a relationship, so all of the shifts that take place happen on a character-driven, emotional level. Sure there’s some outside threat with Manson’s father, but honestly that aspect of the plot feels very marginal.
Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed this series. I enjoyed getting to know each of the guys individually and their stories. The sex was obviously very very hot. The found family element was *chef’s kiss*. It wasn’t bad by ANY means and I’d still absolutely recommend it. I just thought this one moved a little slow at times.
I understand that none of those things can be rushed, so on the one hand, I understand why it needed to be broken into two books and why each of the books had to be so long, but to be totally honest, this one still felt a bit too long to me. I think it’s because at least in the first book there was tension; the book started with Jess still hanging with the popular kids and so, plot-wise, a lot more BIG, external shifts had to happen in that book. It kept my attention.
This one, they’re already in a relationship, so all of the shifts that take place happen on a character-driven, emotional level. Sure there’s some outside threat with Manson’s father, but honestly that aspect of the plot feels very marginal.
Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed this series. I enjoyed getting to know each of the guys individually and their stories. The sex was obviously very very hot. The found family element was *chef’s kiss*. It wasn’t bad by ANY means and I’d still absolutely recommend it. I just thought this one moved a little slow at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Stalking, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Blood
Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Murder
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Damn, this was an emotional roller coaster. I spent so much of this book just viscerally enraged. I related so so so much to Silas, to the point where some of his thoughts felt like they were literally pulled from my own head. (Which meant all of the gaslighting and condescension he’s subjected to made my entire body buzz with the need to hit something.)
The medical scenes are quite gnarly, so I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone with a weak stomach for blood or graphic depictions of surgery. But I thought the writing was stellar, the characters were compelling, the plot was engaging. I devoured this.
The medical scenes are quite gnarly, so I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone with a weak stomach for blood or graphic depictions of surgery. But I thought the writing was stellar, the characters were compelling, the plot was engaging. I devoured this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Rape, and Vomit
Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I put off reading this despite everyone raving about it because I’m stubborn and now I’m ANGRY WITH MYSELF, because there’s a reason this book is so popular!
I have nothing bad to say about it. This was a decadent sort of unsettling that had me guessing right up to the very end. I had such a blast reading it.
I have nothing bad to say about it. This was a decadent sort of unsettling that had me guessing right up to the very end. I had such a blast reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Incest, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Cannibalism, and Pregnancy
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I have so many thoughts about this book; I’m having trouble collecting them for presentation in a way that makes sense, and doesn’t just sound like manic, incoherent rambling.
Having been raised Evangelical, this hit particularly close to home, especially in the way that it depicts the type of psychological conditioning and manipulation employed by the Church as a means of control.
For instance, the genuine fear and distrust of one’s own thoughts and natural impulses; the constant sense of being surveilled by some unseen entity, be it God or Satan (who is always on the prowl for an opening to possess your soul); the looming threat of eternal damnation; the discouragement of curiosity for the sake of remaining ignorant and dependent on faith; etc.
This book does such a good job of portraying the slow, unsettling experience of beginning to notice how the things around you—that you’ve accepted as normal your entire life—suddenly seem wrong, ridiculous, or at worst, downright sinister. It also addresses the various ways someone who grew up in the church, then left it, might grapple with a) their relationship with God/faith, and b) their guilt over their involvement with the Church at all. (It reminds me of that “I’m sorry for the things I said as an Evangelical teenager” photo that went viral.)
Most importantly, this is a book about regaining one’s autonomy and sense of self. I LOVED that about it.
But while I enjoy stories that hold up a mirror to my own trauma because I find them validating, I also recognize that this book depicts a horror that some people have actually lived: conversion therapy camp. So I understand if that’s just too much for some folks.
Having been raised Evangelical, this hit particularly close to home, especially in the way that it depicts the type of psychological conditioning and manipulation employed by the Church as a means of control.
For instance, the genuine fear and distrust of one’s own thoughts and natural impulses; the constant sense of being surveilled by some unseen entity, be it God or Satan (who is always on the prowl for an opening to possess your soul); the looming threat of eternal damnation; the discouragement of curiosity for the sake of remaining ignorant and dependent on faith; etc.
This book does such a good job of portraying the slow, unsettling experience of beginning to notice how the things around you—that you’ve accepted as normal your entire life—suddenly seem wrong, ridiculous, or at worst, downright sinister. It also addresses the various ways someone who grew up in the church, then left it, might grapple with a) their relationship with God/faith, and b) their guilt over their involvement with the Church at all. (It reminds me of that “I’m sorry for the things I said as an Evangelical teenager” photo that went viral.)
Most importantly, this is a book about regaining one’s autonomy and sense of self. I LOVED that about it.
But while I enjoy stories that hold up a mirror to my own trauma because I find them validating, I also recognize that this book depicts a horror that some people have actually lived: conversion therapy camp. So I understand if that’s just too much for some folks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
Minor: Confinement, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
Losers: Part I by Harley Laroux
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
4.0
I think it’s a testament to Laroux’s writing that, despite bully romances very much not being my thing, and despite degradation/humiliation very much not being my thing, I still loved this book.
The same can be said for the fact that although initially I was skeptical of the high page count, this book didn’t feel overwritten, and it held my attention from beginning to end.
Being the wet blanket that I am, there were a couple instances where I found myself proclaiming aloud: “that’s not entirely safe,” but all-around, I thought that the depictions of BDSM and its guidelines were handled well.
As a side note: at first when the negotiation of Jess’s servitude in payment for her car repairs was floated, it was presented as this very “you give us consent to do whatever we want, when we want,” situation, which was raising all sorts of red flags. [For the record, that’s not how consent works; you cannot give consent carte blanche like that without any parameters or discussion of boundaries. And if anyone asks you to, you should run.] But thankfully, that’s not where the conversation ended in this case, and they did go on to have a healthy discussion of hard and soft limits, safewords, etc. I really appreciated that. BDSM, for all the stigma that surrounds it, is a community incredibly preoccupied with safety, consent, and respect.
The same can be said for the fact that although initially I was skeptical of the high page count, this book didn’t feel overwritten, and it held my attention from beginning to end.
Being the wet blanket that I am, there were a couple instances where I found myself proclaiming aloud: “that’s not entirely safe,” but all-around, I thought that the depictions of BDSM and its guidelines were handled well.
As a side note: at first when the negotiation of Jess’s servitude in payment for her car repairs was floated, it was presented as this very “you give us consent to do whatever we want, when we want,” situation, which was raising all sorts of red flags. [For the record, that’s not how consent works; you cannot give consent carte blanche like that without any parameters or discussion of boundaries. And if anyone asks you to, you should run.] But thankfully, that’s not where the conversation ended in this case, and they did go on to have a healthy discussion of hard and soft limits, safewords, etc. I really appreciated that. BDSM, for all the stigma that surrounds it, is a community incredibly preoccupied with safety, consent, and respect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Fatphobia, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, and Death of parent
The Dare by Harley Laroux
dark
fast-paced
3.25
I’m definitely gonna read the books that come after this, but I do just want to note that if this had been written by a cis man—being that it’s a story about the popular cheerleader getting humiliated and tag-teamed by the group of guys she bullied in high school—I’d be like 🚨DANGER🚨DANGER🚨 🚩🚩🚩
(I’ll allow it in this instance though, because it’s Harley Laroux, and I trust them.)
(I’ll allow it in this instance though, because it’s Harley Laroux, and I trust them.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Alcoholism and Child abuse
The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was super creepy; definitely recommend for fans of paranormal thrillers.
One thing I think the author did really well, was depict the parallel between Jake’s helplessness as he’s being stalked and harassed by a paranormal entity; and his helplessness as he endures the racism of his fellow classmates/teachers in his all-white school. In both cases he’s being worn down over time, knowing there’s no one who hears him or would believe him.
I struggled a little in the second half as the action became more focused within the astral plane and the fighting is done between spirits wielding ectoplasmic smoke, etc., just because the language gets sort-of nebulous and I had trouble tracking what was going on. But I don’t think that’s a weakness of the writing so much as a limitation of my imagination.
This is a great spooky season read, but definitely check trigger warnings as this story heavily features depictions and discussions of gun violence and school shootings.
One thing I think the author did really well, was depict the parallel between Jake’s helplessness as he’s being stalked and harassed by a paranormal entity; and his helplessness as he endures the racism of his fellow classmates/teachers in his all-white school. In both cases he’s being worn down over time, knowing there’s no one who hears him or would believe him.
I struggled a little in the second half as the action became more focused within the astral plane and the fighting is done between spirits wielding ectoplasmic smoke, etc., just because the language gets sort-of nebulous and I had trouble tracking what was going on. But I don’t think that’s a weakness of the writing so much as a limitation of my imagination.
This is a great spooky season read, but definitely check trigger warnings as this story heavily features depictions and discussions of gun violence and school shootings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Racial slurs and Car accident
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I went into this book thinking it’d be a dark romance that also happens to be funny but I got it backwards. This is a romcom that also happens to include occasional eye-plucking and cannibalism.
I found it a lot more charming than I expected to, and had an all-around great time reading. The writing pleasantly surprised me as well.
I found it a lot more charming than I expected to, and had an all-around great time reading. The writing pleasantly surprised me as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture, Vomit, and Stalking
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Zombabe by I.S. Belle
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Anyone who grew up “different” in a toxic small town will resonate with this story. It definitely drew me in from the very first chapter. The writing was surprisingly good (not that I expected it to be bad but it’s always a bit of a gamble when you pick up something on KU by an author you’ve never heard of). The pacing lagged a bit in the middle—I often found myself wondering why some scenes were included when nothing seemed to happen that really furthered the plot—but I found myself wanting to push through regardless because I really did care about the characters.
Even having finished the book I’m not 100% sure what was going on,like the whole thing with Founder Jim and the original Bulldeen, the nature of the curse, the role of the creature, etc. but I still thought it had a satisfying conclusion.
Not entirely sure how I’m meant to feel about the cop character to be honest, but I never felt endeared to her. Are we supposed to like her just because she aids the protagonists? Yet she also casually mentions how she helped keep a sex criminal out of jail because he was related to a fellow cop and “family is family?” Idk, man… ACAB.
Even having finished the book I’m not 100% sure what was going on,
Not entirely sure how I’m meant to feel about the cop character to be honest, but I never felt endeared to her. Are we supposed to like her just because she aids the protagonists? Yet she also casually mentions how she helped keep a sex criminal out of jail because he was related to a fellow cop and “family is family?” Idk, man… ACAB.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Hate crime, Homophobia, and Mass/school shootings
The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning
Did not finish book. Stopped at 47%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 47%.
It’s not that this book is bad at ALL. The vibes were there for sure; I think anyone who enjoys movies like Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, or The Neverending Story would love this book.
But I just got out of a reading slump and I don’t want to launch right back into one by forcing myself to push through a book I’m not enjoying anymore. The pacing just started to lag too much for my liking. I lost interest.
But I just got out of a reading slump and I don’t want to launch right back into one by forcing myself to push through a book I’m not enjoying anymore. The pacing just started to lag too much for my liking. I lost interest.