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jaysaysnope's reviews
62 reviews
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.25
i have so many thoughts, maybe i should save some for the tiktok! what i’ll say for now: the comparisons to rwrb and mr. norrell and jonathan strange are almost *too* apt, this author’s descriptive language leaves something to be desired, and the narrative (and author) clearly favours edwin over robin. an enjoyable way to pass the time, but i’m not super enthused about the next book in the series.
Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Oh, Jonny. I’ve heard other Black people in the diaspora talking about how when they see videos of Māori people doing the haka, they get immediately emotional. Something about seeing an Indigenous people engaging in an ancient practice from their culture, something something slavery and loss of connection to our own cultures. That’s kind of how Jonny makes me feel. The spectre of white supremacy has carved the queerness out of so many of our histories. Reading this when West African countries are codifying homophobia into law, when rates of transphobic violence against teenagers are rising, when Nex Benedict’s death is ruled a suicide… this book made me cry and it made me yearn and it made me laugh. I want ten more books about this NDN princess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Pedophilia and Suicidal thoughts
Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
dark
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? No
3.5
i adore seanan, and i adored middlegame. i didn't adore this (audio)book, for two main reasons: the at-times-irritating repetition (how many times can we repeat that harry and melanie love each other, are in love, are dating, are childhood sweethearts, are perfect together, etc. before it grates?), and that harry goes through character regression a few times. accepting that magic/alchemy exists is a process, i'm sure, but harry "accepts" it and then goes back to not believing in the things he's witnessing several times. it's explained that melanie being constructed by alchemists instead of conceived naturally means that she accepts it more easily, and harry not having an attendant Corn Jenny for most of the book means that he has more trouble. but it's still tedious to read, and makes you roll your eyes at him no fewer than four times.
overall, the story and concept are fun, but these characters just don't seem as well-considered as roger and dodger from middlegame. not as fleshed out, not as considered, dare i say not as realistic? not my favourite seanan book by far, but still a way to pass the time with her lyrical prose and murderous (white) women.
overall, the story and concept are fun, but these characters just don't seem as well-considered as roger and dodger from middlegame. not as fleshed out, not as considered, dare i say not as realistic? not my favourite seanan book by far, but still a way to pass the time with her lyrical prose and murderous (white) women.
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I want to love a place the way N.K. Jemisin loves New York City. The ending was a little anticlimactic for me, but the betrayal of Staten Island was so good (and honestly, realistic to the character), I cannot wait to find out how it’s dealt with in The World We Make.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Racism, Violence, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Police brutality
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
A lot of this books seems opaque for opacity’s sake. It was extremely puzzling, more of an out-and-out mystery than I was expecting, and I actually ended the book with more questions about how this world works. It was well-written and the suspense was compelling, but the author’s ending left me wanting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Rape
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
currently filming a very frustrated tiktok abt this book, but suffice to say: these characters are boring as hell and completely disinterested in their own plot. bleh.
Book of Night by Holly Black
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
The way this protagonist is a watered down Galaxy Stern… Miss Bardugo’s legacy needs to be studied.
Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane
funny
reflective
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? Yes
3.5
me, to roisin, thumb pointed at joe: “want me to kill that guy for you?” didn’t see the love interest coming until it was obvious, and as a screenwriter, joe feels especially monstrous. i will totally kill that guy for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Minor: Child abuse and Death of parent
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
what a nice book that i will never read again. did everyone try the chicken? i thought the chicken was lovely. (marcus fucking sucks. he just does. i would refuse to forgive him, and i wouldn’t date anyone who couldn’t bear to cut him off … yes, i still have grudges against people who wronged me in middle school, why?)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Misogyny and Vomit