mcgbreads's reviews
1125 reviews

As always, this was a feel-good, adorable time. I got a little worried there for a minute cause, in this volume, Fukumaru gives Mr. Kanda quite a scare by running out of the house and getting lost. If you've had that experience with your own cat, you know how awful and stressful it is, so you can feel his anxiety. Fukumaru was just trying to help a stray cat who got lost himself, which was sad to read about too. Another great volume in the series; it captures the experience of owning a pet so well. 

I looooooved the illustrations, this is a beautiful little book. The story was also good, quite simple but still funny and there was something quite moving about it. 

ARC review; thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and The Dial Press for sending me this ebook. Pub date: Apr 01, 2025.

I always hate when a poetry collection doesn't work for me. Poetry seems very personal, so I feel like people who write it pour more of themselves into it. This just wasn't for me.

Maybe I just don't have whatever knowledge it takes to appreciate poetry beyond feeling. Cause when I don't connect to it or can't relate to it, I can't sit with it.

Overall, these poems seem well-written to me, I just wasn't getting anything out of them, but I don't doubt there's people who will, and I hope this book finds its audience.

ARC review; thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the access to this ebook. Pub date: Mar 11, 2025. 

I'm a simple person; I see an Alix E. Harrow short story and I have to get it. This woman simply doesn't miss! She can write the hell out of a short story and I find it incredible. It's such an impressive skill to build a whole world and make readers connect emotionally to characters in such a short time. 

At its core, this is a story about love and how, when it's real, it knows no bounds, and the lengths people will go to for the ones they love. It's set in a dystopian world where some people get sick and transform into monsters who can shapeshift, but do they lose who they are? Are they truly monsters, "demons," or just the next stage of human evolution? 

This was so good. A perfect short story, in my opinion. I was engaged from the first line to the last. It's dark, sad, tense, romantic, and very moving. Some of the imagery here is amazing, especially when it comes to people's transformations. Overall, 10/10, no notes. 

Ughh it’s so good!!!! I hate that I have to wait so much in between volumes after that cliffhanger ending. The culling game is getting crazy, I love it.

Immediately yes to this manga, I'm all in. This was dark, funny, tragic, and action-packed. Such a compelling story right off the bat, I can't wait to learn more about this man. 

ARC review; thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the access to this ebook. Pub date: May 07, 2025. 

Once again, the art is my favorite part of this manga. It's just soooo beautiful and retro and elegant, I love it, it gets 5 stars. As for the story, I liked Vol. 2 more than Vol. 1. It's still a little too slice of life for my taste, but I enjoyed the quiet attraction and sensuality growing between the characters. It's picking up for me. 

There’s really no major plot going on beyond these two characters spending time together and the development of their attraction for each other. So this is something very easy and enjoyable to read, I look forward to more volumes. 3.5 stars. 

ARC review; thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the access to this ebook. Pub date: Mar 11, 2025.

This manga follows a runaway heiress who meets an off-duty cop who helps her find work, marking the start of their friendship and romance.

First of all, the art gets a full 5 stars. It’s 10/10, incredible. I loved the style so much. This manga should be in a museum and I’d love physical copies so I can look at them whenever I need to feel something good.

The story fell a little short for me in Vol. 1, though. It's slice of life, so it's just vibes, but I didn't feel super grounded in it. Still, I enjoyed the subtle attraction between the characters and I will give Vol. 2 a try.

Another day, another Junji Ito horror story collection. This one’s up there with Shiver and Tombs for me, which are my favorite collections from him. Here’s what I thought of each of the 12 stories:

Bio House, 3.5 stars. Talk about a dinner with your boss gone wrong…. This was so weird and GROSS. I don’t like bugs or creepy crawlies, so this made me squirm. 

Face Thief, 4 stars. If someone latched onto me and stole my face, I’d throw hands. Another crazy story from Junji Ito and I enjoyed it. I love it when the antagonist is beaten at their own game. 

Where the Sandman Lives, 4 stars. The idea that a version of yourself living in your dreams is trying to replace you and the only way they can do that is by reversing your body is insane, and I loved it. So creative. 

The Devil’s Logic, 3.5 stars. Another solid story, though it’s kind of vague. There’s this lady who talks to people about death, causing them to go into a kind of trance and kill themselves.

The Long Hair in the Attic, 4 stars. Again, so fucking creative. This is a crazy idea and I’m all for haunting your shitty ex lol. 

Scripted Love, 3 stars. I felt kind of meh about this one, but it’s still good. When a dirtbag player boy breaks a crazy girl’s heart, you get what you had coming. 

The Reanimator’s Sword, 2.5 stars. This one kind of leans a bit more into fantasy and I didn’t love it. I guess it’s a good concept, but I didn’t care for it. 

A Father’s Love, 3 stars. Insane. Hated this father and the way he abused his children. The reason why he does it is sad, but it doesn’t excuse what he does, and he gets the end he deserves. 

Unendurable Labyrinth, 4 stars. This made me feel sooo claustrophobic, it’s really good. Very disturbing without relying on gore. 

Village of the Siren, 2.5 stars. MEH. It’s about a village summoning a demon, stealing babies and killing virgins to do so. It was whatever. 

The Bully, 5 stars. Loooove this one. I think I’ve read it before, back when I read a bunch of Junji Ito’s Museum of Terror volumes. This is a perfectly disturbing short story. The twist works so well and the ending is so damn bleak. Trigger warning for child abuse, though. 

Deserter, 4 stars. Such a messed-up ghost story. 

Overall, I’m giving this 4 stars and it enters my top favorite Junji Ito short story collections. 

First of all, do you see this cover??? STUNNING. It's probably the prettiest one on my shelves. I wish the naked hardcover had something special to it, but the cover alone is everything. 

The story has 3 POVs, so it follows Ffion, a hedgewitch who has rejected her coven, choosing to live on her own with her fox familiar because she doesn't agree with their practices; and Prince Taliesin and his brother, Prince Dafydd, who are sent on a mission by their father, the king, to determine who will be his successor. 

This was such a good time, I liked it so much! Admittedly, it took me a while to get into it. The beginning isn't super gripping, but it got better when the story started moving along and I spent more time with these characters. 

This takes inspiration from Welsh folklore and history, I believe, which I know nothing about so I can't speak on that. What I can say is that it was a beautiful, enchanting world and setting. I loved the magic and the commentary on abusing/destroying the earth for one's own gain. I loved that our MC goes against that but isn't preachy about it, it's just who she is. She has a connection to the earth and though she needs to use it for her magic, she doesn't have to abuse or destroy it. 

The whole conflict between our 3 characters and the king + the witch coven was okay, but it wasn't the thing that carried the story for me. I cared about Ffion, her character, her losses, and her growing connection to Tal. And later on, I cared about how she would navigate that along with the bond that was created between her and Dafydd without her consent. I cared about Tal, his motivations, and his character arc. I cared about Dafydd and the way he came to accept the role he didn't want but suited him perfectly. I also cared about the magic and what would happen to it. 

Overall, it was a delightful read with a nice ending and a lot of good banter and tension between the characters.