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discardeddustjacket's reviews
315 reviews
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
After a certain point I realized I was forcing myself to pick the book up, and I’m trying to get better at DNF’ing when I’m not enjoying myself anymore.
It’s not that it’s bad, I think it’s just a bit too slow-moving for me. Im finding I don’t have much of a tolerance for slow, almost slice-of-life style stories these days.
It’s not that it’s bad, I think it’s just a bit too slow-moving for me. Im finding I don’t have much of a tolerance for slow, almost slice-of-life style stories these days.
Just for the Cameras by Viano Oniomoh
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was 🥵🥵🥵 holy cow, lol. It had me BLUSHIN’.
Not only were the spicy scenes some of the hottest I’ve read, but all the love for queer, fat, Blackness in this book was such a joy to experience, not to mention the positivity toward sex work. I loved these characters and I loved witnessing them getting their happy ending (in more ways than one, lol).
Not only were the spicy scenes some of the hottest I’ve read, but all the love for queer, fat, Blackness in this book was such a joy to experience, not to mention the positivity toward sex work. I loved these characters and I loved witnessing them getting their happy ending (in more ways than one, lol).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Only For The Week by Natasha Bishop
This was so cute and funny!! Romcoms don’t usually make me laugh, but this one had me cackling more than a couple times.
Janelle and Rome are adorable and I was rooting for them so hard. Amerie had me ready to throw my kindle across the room though!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
“You are deserving of a love that embellishes your brilliance.”
This was so cute and funny!! Romcoms don’t usually make me laugh, but this one had me cackling more than a couple times.
Janelle and Rome are adorable and I was rooting for them so hard. Amerie had me ready to throw my kindle across the room though!
Nimona by ND Stevenson
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
3.25
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I really enjoyed this!
One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to YA fantasy in particular, is when I can tell that an author is patronizing or talking down to their reader. I think sometimes the distinction between “accessible” and “clumsily over-simplified” can get muddy.
I notice it in particular when I read an author who’s known for their adult books, but who writes YA every now and then. The writing in the YA book will be so obviously adjusted to what, presumably, the author believes will be more “palatable” to a younger audience. I don’t think that’s always being fair to young readers. There’s obviously nuance here, but I think it can seem to communicate a lack of faith in their ability to understand complexity, dark themes, or challenging language.
This book was a pleasant surprise in that regard. I didn’t feel condescended to as I read, but it was still distinctly easy to read. The narrative flowed smoothly and kept my attention. The characters were easy to care about (I appreciated the expanded points of view as the story went on), and the plot didn’t shy away from dark or heavy material (like the impacts of colonialism, the ethics of survival at all costs, etc).
I also loved that the magic system in this book takes the shape of stories and storytelling; I thought that was really beautiful and unique.
There’s quite a few loose threads left dangling at the end of this book, which I hope get picked up in the forthcoming sequel!
One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to YA fantasy in particular, is when I can tell that an author is patronizing or talking down to their reader. I think sometimes the distinction between “accessible” and “clumsily over-simplified” can get muddy.
I notice it in particular when I read an author who’s known for their adult books, but who writes YA every now and then. The writing in the YA book will be so obviously adjusted to what, presumably, the author believes will be more “palatable” to a younger audience. I don’t think that’s always being fair to young readers. There’s obviously nuance here, but I think it can seem to communicate a lack of faith in their ability to understand complexity, dark themes, or challenging language.
This book was a pleasant surprise in that regard. I didn’t feel condescended to as I read, but it was still distinctly easy to read. The narrative flowed smoothly and kept my attention. The characters were easy to care about (I appreciated the expanded points of view as the story went on), and the plot didn’t shy away from dark or heavy material (like the impacts of colonialism, the ethics of survival at all costs, etc).
I also loved that the magic system in this book takes the shape of stories and storytelling; I thought that was really beautiful and unique.
There’s quite a few loose threads left dangling at the end of this book, which I hope get picked up in the forthcoming sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence and Murder
Minor: Gore, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Vomit, and Death of parent
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I know this is an unpopular opinion but, I didn’t end up liking this as much as I thought I would. It was good! I really enjoyed the first half for sure. But, I was surprised when I struggled to remain wholly invested in the second half (when the story became a somewhat dry depiction of a decade-long war).
I still cried at the end, it was still unbelievably tragic. I still cared about the characters (sweet Patroclus in particular). It’s not that I didn’t like it, I just expected to like it more, is all.
I still cried at the end, it was still unbelievably tragic. I still cared about the characters (sweet Patroclus in particular). It’s not that I didn’t like it, I just expected to like it more, is all.
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-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
3.25
This was a beautiful story. I have such a soft spot for serious, measured, bodyguard-type love interests. And I’m not someone who suffers from panic attacks, but I thought the depictions of Kadou’s anxiety disorder were handled well.
This is entirely personal preference, but I would’ve liked if the pacing of the romance was a bit quicker. I understand it’s a slow burn, but this was a SLOOWWWWW burn, lol. Again, totally personal preference. It was still a joy to read.
This is entirely personal preference, but I would’ve liked if the pacing of the romance was a bit quicker. I understand it’s a slow burn, but this was a SLOOWWWWW burn, lol. Again, totally personal preference. It was still a joy to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Confinement, Drug use, and Kidnapping
A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I was surprised by the language in this book when I first started, and was worried that it would force me to have to re-read over and over to grasp what was being said, but honestly, I grew accustomed to it pretty quickly. Eventually, I stopped noticing it altogether.
This is a beautiful story for a number of reasons. I appreciated the focus on healing from the trauma of sexual assault, and on letting go of learned lies about oneself and one’s worth. The relationship between Vel and Cae was so tender and sweet that it had me grinning so hard my face hurt on more than one occasion.
The politics in general, but especially where it pertained to the question of inheritance, kind of went over my head, but it didn’t cause me to enjoy the book any less. This was a treat to read.
This is a beautiful story for a number of reasons. I appreciated the focus on healing from the trauma of sexual assault, and on letting go of learned lies about oneself and one’s worth. The relationship between Vel and Cae was so tender and sweet that it had me grinning so hard my face hurt on more than one occasion.
The politics in general, but especially where it pertained to the question of inheritance, kind of went over my head, but it didn’t cause me to enjoy the book any less. This was a treat to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury