mesy_mark's reviews
742 reviews

It's Totally Normal! An LGBTQIA+ Guide to Puberty, Sex, and Gender by Ash Mehta, Monica Gupta Mehta

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informative

3.25

This is a well-thought-out educational material on puberty, sex, and gender.  While the cover says for the queers. In reality, this is a book that anyone who wants to look into the topics can read.  Centered for teens the text breaks down the basics of concepts around a topic that usually gets a general boy/girl-only dynamic.  Being inclusive in the text, having questions from teens answered at the end of each chapter, and drawings to show anatomy, it a well-thought-out book.
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, Gender, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris

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informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

this is a good book for the child to learn about his/her/their body and how it develops.  Informative, in simple means, and easy for middle grade.
Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw

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challenging informative reflective

3.0

 
It was just an okay read. Nothing to be stood out as groundbreaking. Be yourself is a major theme but then it is like the last chapter says look like this. Some studies on bi for the stay seem not bi realted but more of that culture of the group. eh, it was written nicely.

 
The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

Ravensong by TJ Klune

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adventurous emotional funny 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

4.25

 This is an excellent follow-up to the first in the series, We folow the witch Gordo of the Bennit pack. And the alphas and Joe and Ox must lead their pack against a new threat.

The audiobook is a long one, about twenty hours and it's a good one. The detail and care Klune takes to show the tethers through the Bennet pack are great. I enjoyed the beginning where we alternate between the 3 years the pack was separated and Gordo's upbringing. It melde nicely and I can see many points that carry through this chunky book.

And my impression of the middle and end carries just like the beginning. A well-fleshed out fantasy world including more elements of Gordo's vision but also not losing how Bennet pack has their individuality. I was laughing at the funny moments. Rooting for the werewolves during the middle and end,

I absolutely enjoyed this novel 
Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity by A. Scott Duane, Micah Rajunov

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emotional informative medium-paced

3.0

This is a collection of essays written by nonbinary across all gender expressions letting the reader know what it means to be nonbinary, which is different and unique to each individual.  Overall I enjoyed the essays but found some repetitive and unsure how the theme of each section played out in each grouped essay.
Wolfsong by TJ Klune

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dark emotional tense 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

4.0

 Queer werewolves have a special place in my heart. And this book meet my expectation of being a great read. It is a long listen, nearly 19 hours, and covers a slow-paced story of found family, and love. The only issue I had with the book was the age gap relationship between our MC Ox and Joe. Joe first meets Ox at 10 and Ox is a teen so as the Bennet pack welcomes the first person Joe has talked to in a long time, Ox is essential growing up with Joe. If Klune had just up Joe's age to 18 instead of 17 I would have been more comfortable when the dating started. It would still be a gap but being one as two adults versus minor and adult.

Overall I am very glad to dive into this series of witches and werewolves. Pack and found family 
The Deep by Rivers Solomon

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dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 In the book The Deep, we met mermaids where one holds onto the memories of the the past. The past of being descendants of African women pregnant in the slave trade. BUt Yetu does not want these memories, this history of all her pod, so she leaves in the middle of the ritual where briefly all of the mermaids temporally know the history Tetu was assigned to hold.

I liked this book's concepts and even the little bit of romance Yetu was feeling towards her two-legged fisherwomen. It was short but different in how mermaids could be. it was good, at times, it was hard to understand when going through the past history of the mermaids. Overall, it is a deep short book. 
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

 Listening to the updated audiobook, I have learned a lot This book is look out how Kendi has shifted views to be an antiracist from the racist viwes he once had. Sharing that with what it means to be antiracist it about the equitity of all to be equal.

I found some points in explaintios hard to follow and more of a tell not show aspect of the book. VUt it kept me interested and opened me up to new ideas 
Wren Martin Ruins It All by Amanda DeWitt

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

Wren really does ruin it all/He is a very unlucky unlikable whiny character who apparently hates the Valentine Day dance for two reasons, a waste of money and the romance/raging hormones of his classmates because he is asexual.  But here is the thing his asexuality is mentioned a couple of times but never done well for you to understand what asexual is if this is their first time reading about ace spectrum.

Wren complains, that his dad for his likes and ways, hates all holidays it seems (every holiday brought up he had a reason not to like it), and is self-centered. His grand idea of being school president is to end the most beloved dance and then because of the Buddy App being used to fund the dance he wants to ask someone to go to the dance so on top of everything he is, you can add hypocrite.  

At least I am done with this audiobook.  The narration was on par but can not save the wren.