minimicropup's reviews
505 reviews

Did not finish book. Stopped at 51%.

This reminded me of fan fiction w/erotica. Like, in fan fic, you’re usually in it for the characters and fantasizing different scenarios for them. The problem here is the reader doesn’t have that connection with the characters beforehand, so I think if you don’t connect with at least one of them fast, it kinda falls apart.

I couldn’t get invested in the story and it was hard for me to feel anything for the characters.
The plot felt like a list of points interspersed with reminders of how miserable Sloane is.
The pacing was painfully slow, and Sloane’s self-reflective inner monologues and lack of character development (so far) didn’t help.
Vampire elements were cartoonish, not creepy or sexy.
I don’t hate insta-love, but this one wasn’t working for me.
The romances felt corny and cheesy. Even the sex scenes and gore felt more cringe than shocking or spicy, and not in a fun, campy way—just awkward.
The audiobook wasn’t mixed well. The volumes are all over the place and it would get really clear and louder randomly.

Timeline (so far): Current (2020s). ❄️🌲 Just after Christmas.

Mood Reading Match-Up (so far):

Woodsy scent. Flurries. Moaning. Dust.

· Orgies gone wrong

· Stuck in a rut, ageing anxiety, existential dread midlife crises

· Finding yourself quests

· Vampiric covens

· Female frenemies & toxicity

· Examining plot points with introspective character inner monologues

· Instalove spice

· Marriage dissolving

Content Heads-Up (so far): Infidelity. Blood. Sexual content (orgy, consenting, hook ups, public/open; on page). Confinement. Blood. Murder. Devaluing/toxic relationship. Toxic friendship.

📚 Format: Library Audio

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

Content Warnings

Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny lighthearted 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

5.0

Cathartic and entertaining, especially for anyone who’s ever worked a thankless job or been pushed around by entitled jerks! I wanna recommend it to everyone working those jobs right now—just don’t get any ideas? 😜

Energy: Frantic. Furious. Crafty.

🐩 Tail Wags

The length. The mix of dark humour and cathartic justice. Fashion references that included summaries like “Barbie style” or “crisp and clean” for the less fashion-inclined (hi) to get the point. The twisted, role reversal premise. Savouring the demise of the victims. Fast paced once the action kicks in.

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set near Skidaway Island, Georgia, USA

Perspective: A dedicated fashion student struggling to find work in the field because they lack the generational wealth and family connections required to get a foot in the door. They see an opportunity when a fashion magazine mogul’s son takes an interest in them at the club.

Timeline: Current (2020s).☀️ Summer.

🔥 Fuel: Escalating stakes. Atmospheric tension. Conflict & drama. Catharsis. Will our main character make an impression on her date’s mother? Is she going to be lumped in with the rich fam when things go awry, despite not having their resources and privileges?

📖 Cred: Speculative plausible over-the-topness

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Marshes. Pink uniform. NDA. Roses. Polo horses. Tennis. High-end dresses. Hallways.

Fashion as art
Insufferable, entitle rich people get theirs
Ominous get-out energy
Transactional romance
Isolated island setting
Patriarchal Ick
Rotted bloodlines
Mutinous uprising
Revenge fantasy
Hitchcockian Hunt with a twist
Retribution body and social horror
Sensory, vibey atmosphere

Content Heads-Up: Sexual content (consenting, transactional). Nicotine (cigarettes). Classism. Anaphylactic shock (food allergy). Murder. Gore, injury, vomit, dismemberment, blood. Gun violence. Fire (burns, fatal). Rape, sexual violence and abuse (male, female; off page recall). Physical assault. Abortion (off page recall; non-consenting). Eugenics, incest.

Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Pale skin tones.

📚 Format: Library Digital

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

Content Warnings

The Off Season by Amber Cowie

Go to review page

dark emotional tense 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

2.0

This started off strong but quickly lost my interest with its tangle of over-the-top drama and unconvincing twists. By the end I was so done, the river was the only character I was rooting for 🤭.

Energy: Trifling. Miserable. Isolated.

🐺 Growls

Cheese and melodrama (that didn’t feel intentional) killed any tension and intrigue. This dragggged on with endless snark and repetitive interview-style arguments. Convoluted twists and back-and-forth accusations about who is lying or at fault went in circles for far too long. Way too annoying (for me) just watching Jane get pushed around with no real resolution - it felt convenient for the plot instead of part of a story.

🐕 Howls

Spooky, psychological vibe, but it devolved into a cringey soap opera. If you don’t like detailed description, this book might be a tough read (the writing doesn’t readily flow but for me the detailed descriptions made up for it). The conniving stepdaughter and easily manipulated dad read too much like caricatures from an overused trope and were one-dimensional.

🐩 Tail Wags

Vivid scenes and descriptive writing. The more detached, third-person style worked for me (but I’m not a fan of being too deep in a character’s mind via first-person narration). The tension around Jane realizing she’s stuck in a dysfunctional family.

Scene: 🇨🇦 Set just north of Chilliwack, BC, Canada

Perspective: An up-and-coming documentary filmmaker who has recently been cancelled after a news story about their company, finds a whirlwind romance taking off. They’re now married and about to meet their teenage stepdaughter for the first time while renovating a lodge hotel with their spouse over the winter.

Timeline: Current (2020s) or not-too-distant future. 🍂❄️Fall/winter.

🔥 Fuel: Withholding. Relationship dynamics. Survival. Why does the stepdaughter dislike Jane? What happened in Jane’s background to get cancelled? What will happen if their spouse finds out? Do they really know their spouse?

📖 Cred: Over the top, exaggerated semi-realism

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Industrial detergent. Stale coffee scent. Wooden beams. Roaring river. Damp chill air. Grilled cheese. Snowstorm. Snark.

#cancelled main character
Whirlwind romance unraveling
Romanticized internet embargo gone wrong
Descriptive world building with floorplan/layout included
Shitty stepkid + delusional dad drama
Snark and sabotage
Naïve, ‘dumb’ character decisions
Dramatic cat-and-mouse action-survival scenes
Dark and stormy night isolated by the storm settings
Books to read on cloudy days or in the forest
Third person narrator getting the MC's feels and ponderings.

Content Heads-Up: Car crash (fatal). Public shaming. Pandemic, lockdown (brief memories positive and negative). Loss of parent (as teen). Sexual harassment, theft (very brief recall). Presumptive gender roles (patriarchal bias). Sexual content (consenting, descriptive but brief; on page). Eating disorder (bulimia). Antipsychotic/antidepressants. Grief (discussion). Toxic family dynamics, abusive teen (stepkid), gaslighting. Gun violence. Murder. Bullying (physical attacks, pranks, pack mentality). Adult/minor relationship.

Rep: Canadian. Second generation Chilean. Second generation Chinese. Cis. Nonbinary. Hetero. Pale, dark, light brown skin tones.

📚 Format: Library Hardcover

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

Content Warnings

Pick the Lock by A.S. King

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad fast-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? No

5.0

This was so good! It’s chilling though, especially if you had narcissistic or abusive relationships/parents. I was lost for a bit but glad I stuck it out. Highly recommend starting off with your analytical brain turned off and just going with the flow.

Energy: Biting. Insightful. Peculiar.

🐩 Tail Wags

The atmosphere and setting. Symbolism and commentary. How believing that all people are inherently good often allows the worst ones to thrive. The dry, understated tone. The writing and narration style. How it captured that eerie dissonance when you grow up and realize the narrative you were told by someone you trusted was a lie or isn’t the full story.

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in a Victorian mansion in Pennsylvania.

Perspective: We mostly follow a 16-year-old trapped in their large home with their father, aunt, and younger brother. Their mother, a punk rock musician, watches them from a series of tubes when given permission to by the father.

We also get snippets of song lyrics, stage play script, and a diary of home movies written by our main character, and post cards received from their mother while on tour. Oh and an omniscient rat.

Timeline: 🍂❄️September 2024 - March 2025). Also get home movies from 1999 to 2025

🔥 Fuel: Emotional investment in MC and the family dynamics. World building and atmospheric tension. Catharsis and nostalgia. Almost all of this is mysterious but gets solved along the way as we come to understand things.

📖 Cred: Surreal hyper-realism

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Applesauce day. Woodsmoke. Crisp air. Blizzard light. Pneumatics. Systems. Bathroom eyeliner conversation. Board game night. Suitors.

Touch of nonsensical storytelling
Casual, direct writing style
Memoir-style main character speaking directly to the reader
Steampunk-ish alternate but recognizable universe
Bizarre, outdated, surreal, and oppressive atmospheres
Mix of modern life, not-too-distant future, and Victorian traditions
Fast paced, short chapters with mixed media
Psychological and symbolic journeys
Swipes of dark humour and sharp wit
Rewatching childhood via security cams
Teen dating fails, let’s not meet
Coming of age, coming out punk opera poetry
Songs in books
Found family and friendship stories
Overcoming generational trauma and oppressive systems

Content Heads-Up: Pandemic, COVID-19 (lockdown, remote learning, recall; anxieties). Controlling, toxic family members (covert narcissism, gaslighting, emotional abuse, triangulation, enabling substance abuse). Domestic abuse (psychological, emotional incest, physical violence). Abuse from child (toward parent; violence, name calling, hatred). Financial insecurity. Infidelity. Alcohol, alcoholism (underage drinking; intoxication and addiction). Attempted rape, drugging (implied). Sexual harassment (unwanted, aggressive advances). Sibling abuse (recall; brief, off page). Patriarchy (generational effects, systems). Overdose/suicide attempt (discovered; on page). War crimes and trauma, refugees (brief recall).

Rep: American. Serbian American. Cis. Non-binary. Hetero. Lesbian. Pale, porcelain, and dark skin tones.

📚 Format: Library Digital

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

Content Warnings

Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.

The simplistic writing style and overdramatic presentation of everything was the issue for me on this one. I never felt connected to the characters and was getting frustrated by the plot progression choices. Sounds like it’s an interesting story overall, so give it a try if you don’t share my pet peeves!

😒 Using present tense style was making everything feel overly melodramatic. Like the emotional weight of someone’s death was delivered in the same tone as all the mundane moments (and it was probably even more noticeable on audio only) and it was too annoying for me.

🙄 The drama and suspense read too over-the-top but, it didn’t feel purposeful OTT? Our main character was grieving in this way that read exaggerated, like imagining an autopsy table, berating herself for not protecting her sister, how no one loved her sister more than her. It felt forced and I was already struggling to connect to the story so this didn’t help.

🥱 It was too juvenile sometimes. The way characters were presented felt oversimplified yet super self-aware in that way children’s books characters are sometimes written to point out the character flaws in an obvious way, and then they just feel one-dimensional because that’s all that defines them.

😵‍💫 The past and present timelines clashed and rehashed the same topics, since we have our MC in the present and past, plus another past perspective involving her sister – all within the same setting. Maybe on text it would be easier, but on audio it’s too frustrating.

Content Heads-Up (so far): Loss of sibling. Drug use (benzos, ketamine). Loss of sibling. Loss of parent (as child).

Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Porcelain skin tones.

📚 Format: Library Audio

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad tense fast-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? No

4.5

I loved this! Having spent a few summers in the area this book was set in as a kid, it was so nostalgic. The way the author captured the atmosphere felt so real.

Energy: Endearing. Real. Mystifying.

🐕 Howls

The action/escape scenes briefly knocked me out of the story because they seemed to require superhuman strength and it was hard to visualize.

🐩 Tail Wags

Including a map of the island 🫶. Sympathetic, genuine-feeling main character. Story was engaging even when not much was happening. How present and past chapters were woven together and equally captivating. The intrigue and subtle tension. Past chapters had eerie almost voyeuristic feel where something is ‘off’. Pacing.

Scene: 🇺🇸🇨🇦 Set in Thousand Islands archipelago on a private island open for historic summer tours between the US and Canada.

Perspective: A high schooler who messes up after scoring a first date with their crush so takes on a summer job to get away from the embarassment. Adopted teens in a family living on the island in the 1930s whose lives are disrupted after the birth of their youngest sibling.

Timeline: Summer. Current (2010s/2020s) and 1930s.

🔥 Fuel: Interlocking mysteries. Adventure, intrigue, twists and turns across time. Inferring and learning of the dynamics in the past. Watching the modern-day characters figure out what happened in both timelines.

📖 Cred: Blend of historical & modern semi-realism

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Petrichor. Cheesecake Factory. Rain. Yogurt. Walkie talkies. Lipstick. Domed ceiling. Musty rooms. Basement passage. Smoke. Cold rain.

Fleeing the scene of an embarrassment
Summer job challenges and friendship dynamics
Pressured-to-be-perfect historical family study with dark secrets
Same place, different times
Truth is stranger than fiction pseudoscience
Isolated island, dark and stormy night
Closed circle murder mystery, gathering the suspects
Tragic accident…or was it
Exploration of parental bias and expectations, nature vs nurture, dangers of pseudoscience and misunderstanding scientific processes, morality and making things right
Flip the script reveals
Books where you feel like you’re tagging along with the MC, getting their thoughts as an aside
Ghost in the room observing the past chapters
Coming-of-age seasonal and who-to-choose romantic conflict

Content Heads-Up: Sexual content (consenting; making out). Fire (building, trapped). Shame spiral. Adoption (at birth). Vomit. Alcohol (underage, intoxication). Suicide (historical; described, off page). Loss of child (toddler, teen). Racism, classism, eugenics (historical character opinions). War (very brief discussion; fatalities). Death. Drowning. Drugging. Cannabis (edibles, vaping; high). Corpse (discovery, storage). Murder.

Rep: American. Cis. Non-binary. Lesbian. Adopted. Gay. Bi. Pale, freckled, and ambiguous skin tones.

📚 Format: Library Digital and Everand Audio

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

Content Warnings

We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

I enjoyed this. I’ve never lived in suburbia, but I’m pretty sure it’s not for me either, Sol! Unless it was mandated as a quiet, childfree neighborhood with a mandatory pollinator garden…🤔🤭 I would love to see a movie adaptation of this.

Energy: Disparaging. Dubious. Hazy.

🐺 Growls

The audio narrator’s rhythm was distracting…it sounded like early AI trying it’s best - “ThE sun was. Shining ThRoUgH. The WiNdOwS. Whenshenoticed her NeIgHbOuR”.

🐕 Howls

The slower pace can feel too drawn out, especially if you’re not relating to the premise or main character. Seemed to fall apart leading up to the end.

🐩 Tail Wags

Refreshing take on a suburban suspense. Relatable MC. Subtle but thought-provoking exploration of suburban & academic toxicity. Slow burn pacing, getting to know the characters and their daily lives. Sound effects in the audio. More vibes than plot (but still has a plot). The spirit of the ending.

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in suburban Connecticut

Perspective: A molecular researcher distracted by an accusation that could end their career moves to the suburbs with their spouse, who chose the house and neighbourhood.

Timeline: Current (2020s-ish)

🔥 Fuel: Character evolution. Moral dilemmas. Relationship dynamics. Tension and social commentary. Unreliable narrator potential. Who to trust. Why is Soul feeling uneasy about her new neighbourhood? Why are she and Alicia not getting along anymore? Are people behaving strangely?

📖 Cred: Supernatural sci-fi realism

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Aspen trees. Radio static. Gift basket. Rotting meat. Fresh cut grass. Mould. Silent forest. Runny nose.

Problematic HOAs
Social commentary wrapped in atmospheric, ‘something’s off’ energy
Creepy kids
Creature feature, things that go bump in the night
Academic drama
Relationship eroding
Horticultural sci-fi, hint of nature’s revenge
Hive-minds and Sameness dangers
Domestic social suburban horror
Slow burn, meandering, ‘sit with it’ plots
Third person narration, being the ghost in the room tagging along with the MC
Hint of “good for her” feels

Content Heads-Up: Racism (assumptions, stereotyping, rejection/limiting opportunities, anxieties, diminishing efforts). Homophobia (family rejection and abuse, physical attack). Depression, anxiety (symptoms). Unsafe childhood home (intoxicated parent, physical punishments). Alcohol (over-imbibing, self-medicating, substance abuse). Social anxiety. False accusation (academic integrity). Parasites (facts). Toxic masculinity. Funeral. Sabotage. Car crash (very brief; fatal). Suicide (off page recall, imagery). Fire (building). Sexual content (brief).

Rep: American. First gen Korean American. Second gen Dominican American, Black Latina. Cis. Lesbian. Soft brown, deep brown, pale, and ambiguous skin tones. Childfree by choice. Allergies (pollen).

📚 Format: Library Audio

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

Content Warnings

The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich

Go to review page

dark mysterious fast-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

2.0

I felt like this book was trying too hard. It explores important themes, but everything is presented with such heavy-handed commentary and spoon-feeding that I lost all interest.

Energy: Indignant. Grating. Hostile.

🐺 Growls

Felt too stereotypical, one-dimensional gender wars [portraying men as lecherous or foolish, while women are idealized as having almost supernatural goodness]. Main character was giving ‘not like other girls’ energy. The plot (especially Mina’s decisions) lacked logic and emotional depth. Explored commentary by reducing everything to formulaic “learn a lesson” arcs. Attempts at symbolism are so heavy-handed they lost impact. Convenient, almost cartoony, predictable solutions leading up to the conclusion.

🐕 Howls

Overly simplistic, surface-level, emotionally flat but melodramatic, purple prose-ish storytelling. Over-explaining the characters’ thoughts and actions in a way that had me feeling like I was reading a children’s book (the style, not content...don’t give this to children lol).

🐩 Tail Wags

Formatting of text messages and emails. The visceral descriptions and medical mystery.

Scene: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Mainly a small village in Wales.

Perspectives: Our main character works as a mental health professional specializing in female psychology who is processing their own traumas. We also get the perspective of an unknown person being offered a mysterious high paying job at a night club. We also get snippets of emails, medical reports, newspaper articles, and transcripts.

Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s).

🔥 Fuel: Withholding – what happened in Mina’s past? Emotional stakes. Moral dilemmas. Quests and infiltrating the bad guys. Commentary.

📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief folklore

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Bleach. Soap. Verbena. Tea tree oil. Loamy earth. Drizzling rain. Sour breath. Seagulls. Beach campfires. Secret passageways.

· Witchy Welsh mom, folklore, superstitions

· Return to hometown

· Psychological mystery

· Mysterious medical condition

· Feminist questing and teamin gup

· Detective duo amateur sleuthing

· Supernatural darkness

· Fampir lore

· First love reunited romance

· Deep in the character’s mind, inner monologues

Content Heads-Up: Obsessive compulsive thoughts, rituals. Trypophobic stuff (brief). Seizure (on page). Vomit, sickness, weakness (graphic, on page). Sexual content (consenting). Physical attacks, overpowering others. Trafficking, confinement, drugging. Sexual assault, violence, rape. Nicotine (tobacco, cigarettes). Dog attack. Blood.

Rep: Welsh. Cis. Hetero. Bi. Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Facial scars. Diabetes.

📚 Format: Library Hardcover

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

Content Warnings

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Go to review page

funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-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

I’m still trying to figure out if I’m a cozy mystery person, but I really liked this (looking forward to the second one). For a good chunk of the book, the murder mystery took a backseat to the characters' day-to-day struggles, but I wasn’t into the mystery as much as I was into the characters so that worked for me.

Energy: Assured. Cute. Animated.

🐕 Howls

The amount of food consumed after being touched by a toddler was making me gag lol.

🐩 Tail Wags

The writing style. The characters and their interactions. The lighthearted tone (without being cheesy). Funny, but in a genuine way. How it drew me in more as the story progressed.

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in the San Francisco Chinatown area, California

Perspectives (5): A widow with a grown son and owner of a run-down tea house with few customers. A suddenly single parent of a toddler after their spouse comes into money and leaves them. Two characters who are tangentially related to the victim that are drawn into the widow’s world. The brother of the victim. We also get snippets of the teahouse owner’s amateur sleuthing case notes.

Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s).

🔥 Fuel: Character evolution. Emotional investment. Mystery solving. Why did Marshall end up dead in the tea house? Was it murder? How are the other characters involved with him? Will Vera solve the case after police dismiss it?

📖 Cred: Semi-realistic

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Oolong tea. Sun visor. Flashdrive. Sweet flowers. Milk. Tangyuan. Toddler laughing.

Cozy murder mystery
Comedic amateur sleuth snooping
Adorable older main character perspectives
Books to read with tea and homecooked meals
Gathering the suspects tea spilling
Heartwarming found family
Whimsical, witty writing style

Content Heads-Up: Loss of spouse. Stroke. Alzheimer’s (off page). Marriage breakup, abandonment. Domestic abuse (verbal, emotional). Murder/dead body. Loss of parent (as child). Theft. Sibling rivalry. Allergic reaction.

Rep: Black, Chinese, Indonesian, Indian, and Asian American. Cis. Hetero. Warm brown and ambiguous skin tones.

📚 Format: Kindle

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

Content Warnings

Dearest by Jacquie Walters

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Oof and Ew. This was an unsettling, visceral dive into the rawness of motherhood. There were so many wtf moments and I almost noped out a few times, but I’m glad I stuck with it.

Energy: Distraught. Psychedelic. Evil.

🐕 Howls

The graphic depictions of post-birth, breastfeeding, and newborn care…maybe coulda toned that down a little? Sometimes it felt gratuitous, but also, it’s mostly Facts so I should probably take that up with nature, not here.

🐩 Tail Wags

The slow-building sense of dread and unpredictability. How it made me so jumpy. The Twists. The unromanticising of parenthood. The honesty - as someone who doesn’t want children, I gained more empathy for those who do and the complex feelings involved. Showing the destructive impact children have on the ones that brought them into existence.

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in a family home in Bennington, Vermont

Perspective: A former genetic counsellor’s is alone at home caring for their newborn baby, while their spouse is deployed overseas. In a moment of desperation, they reach out to the mother they went no-contact with. We also get flashbacks into the family dynamics a few generations back.

Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s).

🔥 Fuel: Emotional Stakes. Big Twists and Reveals reframing the story. Unpredictability. Should our main character reach out to her estranged mother for help? What is real and what is only in her mind? How can she protect her baby from herself? Or others? Why is this happening to her?

📖 Cred: Hyper-realistic surrealism

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Breast milk. Diapers. Grapefruit and coconut. Swear, sulfur, and old cheese. Pelting rain. Rancid body odour. Power outage. Crunching snow. Pus.

Complex, conflicted motherhood experience
Relatable or cathartic moments for mothers/parents
Sleep-deprived, overwhelmed, unreliable narrator
Childhood imaginary friend returns
Curled up on a rainy/snowy day reads (but not while eating, never while eating 🤢)
Symbolic commentary exploring narcissistic abuse, the curse of generational trauma, the sacrifices around motherhood
Where does reality end and the dream/nightmare begin surrealism
Shadow self, post-partum, or possession manifesting as body horror
Something-is-wrong-with-this-child and Doppelganger paranoia fuel
Third person narratives where the reader is flitting from fly on the wall, to time-traveller, to deep in the character’s mind
Sensory, eerie, chaotic world building

Content Heads-Up: Breastfeeding (descriptive; infection, pain, sensations, pumping). Birth, post-pregnancy (descriptive). Hallucinations, delusions, paranoia. Sleep deprivation. Loneliness. Bug stuff (beetles). Infection, pus (descriptive; wound). Blood, body fluids. Sleep paralysis. Toxic parent. Voyeurism (online; very brief). Institutionalization, psychosis (brief recall; anxiety about). Animal cruelty (very brief on page recall; child to dog). Fire (burns; brief but descriptive). Post-partum mental illness/‘baby blues’. Family annihilation (intrusive thoughts, depictions, descriptive recall).

Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Ambiguous skin tones.

📚 Format: Library Digital

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

Content Warnings

More...

minimicropup's reviews 505 reviews

minimicropup's reviews
505 reviews