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mitzee's reviews
339 reviews
Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A mystery told through various character POVs. Was able to be educational/informative for non-indigenous people while also being an extremely engaging crime mystery.
Summary of the book - for myself:
This starts with one girl already missing and another close friend who is found murdered within the first few chapters. The rest of the story is different people trying to figure out who killed them (it’s revealed later - or officially confirmed - that the other girl was indeed murdered)
We learn about how FBI come in to investigate murders but generally don’t have much invested in the community and therefore don’t care much about trying to resolve the missing and murdered indigenous women. (MMIW)
It turns out to be a friend’s brother who is a drug dealer and the terrible friend. In the end it’s the murdered girls friends and grand mother who learn what really happened and not the rez police nor FBI.
Summary of the book - for myself:
This starts with one girl already missing and another close friend who is found murdered within the first few chapters. The rest of the story is different people trying to figure out who killed them (it’s revealed later - or officially confirmed - that the other girl was indeed murdered)
We learn about how FBI come in to investigate murders but generally don’t have much invested in the community and therefore don’t care much about trying to resolve the missing and murdered indigenous women. (MMIW)
It turns out to be a friend’s brother who is a drug dealer and the terrible friend. In the end it’s the murdered girls friends and grand mother who learn what really happened and not the rez police nor FBI.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Murder
Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A solid PG-13 fantasy romance. There’s conflict, a villain, a mystery, loss/grief and great characters. Definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a dark but easy romantasy read that isn’t too spicy.
Below is a summary for myself, spoilers in here:
I think this takes place in Poland? The writer is Canadian, of Polish descent and the monsters mentioned in the book, like the kikimora and striga (which are ones that appear in The Witcher - also from Poland).
The book is about a girl, Liska, who has been able to talk to demons as a child. She’s been hiding this from the ppl in her village because it’s rare and humans are generally afraid of magic. But in the woods she knows there are magical creatures there - although none of which she thinks are kind.
She runs away to the woods after a falling out with her cousin and best friend who married a guy suspicious of
Liska. In the wood Liska meets an antlered fey who promises to teach her magic. She doesn’t know but he’s struck a bad deal with a spirit/god and has been deemed a warden of the wood (like dryads?). His original goal was to teach her magic and sacrifice her to the God in place of him, which he has been doing for centuries. But they end up falling in love and she is special - she kills the wood spirit/god/demon and thinks she saved her love but he ends up sacrificing himself because he can feel it coming back.
In the end she returns to her mother’s home. Reconciles with her cousin whose husband is dead now (maybe Liska killed him?) and decides she is going back to the woods. The epilogue closes with her taking on an apprentice (another little girl) to teach magic. At night Liska will go out into the woods to look for a stag and when she tries to touch it she can’t. Until one night she can.
Below is a summary for myself, spoilers in here:
I think this takes place in Poland? The writer is Canadian, of Polish descent and the monsters mentioned in the book, like the kikimora and striga (which are ones that appear in The Witcher - also from Poland).
The book is about a girl, Liska, who has been able to talk to demons as a child. She’s been hiding this from the ppl in her village because it’s rare and humans are generally afraid of magic. But in the woods she knows there are magical creatures there - although none of which she thinks are kind.
She runs away to the woods after a falling out with her cousin and best friend who married a guy suspicious of
Liska. In the wood Liska meets an antlered fey who promises to teach her magic. She doesn’t know but he’s struck a bad deal with a spirit/god and has been deemed a warden of the wood (like dryads?). His original goal was to teach her magic and sacrifice her to the God in place of him, which he has been doing for centuries. But they end up falling in love and she is special - she kills the wood spirit/god/demon and thinks she saved her love but he ends up sacrificing himself because he can feel it coming back.
In the end she returns to her mother’s home. Reconciles with her cousin whose husband is dead now (maybe Liska killed him?) and decides she is going back to the woods. The epilogue closes with her taking on an apprentice (another little girl) to teach magic. At night Liska will go out into the woods to look for a stag and when she tries to touch it she can’t. Until one night she can.
Rainbow in the Dark by Sean McGinty
This is a story about a young teenager who is depressed (perhaps also suicidal) mysteriously finds herself in a “magical” realm. It’s magical in that rules of the real world don’t necessarily apply here but parts of it still feel real. Gravity and some of those basics exist but so do classes, levels, XP and spellcasting. She ends up being paired with another “player” who has much more experience and is looking for a portal home. The more time you spend in this realm, and the more XP you gain, the less you remember about her precious life.
Cut in between her questing with Chad001, Lark, and Awlsey are chapters that represent those memories. Sometimes those memories tie into encounters that the party has and they seem to be specific to Rainbow’s experiences. They go through some scary and emotionally scarring shit together and end up getting pretty close. Meanwhile the chapters about her memories reveal snippets of what happened to have led her here. She was having a bad time after her parents divorce, it was coming through in her school work and her teachers didn’t know how to cope with that. Her brother ran over a cat she inherited from a neighbor and she got pissed at him and ran away.
As we get closer to the end, we, and she, realize that she had walked off a cliff and fell into the ocean. It’s unclear when or how the magical realm stuff fits into that episode - did it all happen as she was unconscious from hitting the water? Did she make it up afterwards? All that is unknown but the magical journey is a dip into surreality and the memory chapters keep it grounded.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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? Yes
5.0
What an adventure. Dark, sometimes hopeful, and sometimes confusing, I really enjoy how this story unfolded. There were some parts that I had to go over again because some of it was so surreal I needed a second listen to picture it in my mind.
Would recommend to anyone who likes exploratory video games, surrealism, emotional exploration of oneself.
Summary for my own reference:
Cut in between her questing with Chad001, Lark, and Awlsey are chapters that represent those memories. Sometimes those memories tie into encounters that the party has and they seem to be specific to Rainbow’s experiences. They go through some scary and emotionally scarring shit together and end up getting pretty close. Meanwhile the chapters about her memories reveal snippets of what happened to have led her here. She was having a bad time after her parents divorce, it was coming through in her school work and her teachers didn’t know how to cope with that. Her brother ran over a cat she inherited from a neighbor and she got pissed at him and ran away.
As we get closer to the end, we, and she, realize that she had walked off a cliff and fell into the ocean. It’s unclear when or how the magical realm stuff fits into that episode - did it all happen as she was unconscious from hitting the water? Did she make it up afterwards? All that is unknown but the magical journey is a dip into surreality and the memory chapters keep it grounded.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, and Suicide attempt
The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book felt darker. It was a little hard to get behind the brothers’ PoV at first, probably mostly because of the change of narrators for the audiobook.
Overall though, the split storylines between Jameson and Grayson was fun and kept me engaged. I actually think this is one of the stronger books of the series.
Including a summary of the story for myself:
Mostly interested in the Grayson storyline here - maybe I just feel like the Jameson and Avery one is gross? I dunno it feels like they act like the are in their mid to late 20s but Avery is only about 18. Grayson’s story is more about finding belonging. Finding more family -Although Jameson finds more family too. I still don’t understand how Skye and Jameson’s dad connect or why she would decide to even have his kid - that part of the story is the hardest to understand/accept.
Definitely a lot of Daddy derived issues in this book. Jameson’s desire to connect with his dad but ends up getting used by him. He wins a big puzzle game and gets Vantage - a whole estate in England.
Grayson finds out his dad has a family - a wife and twin girls. He helps them get out of financial trouble after the dad goes “missing” (he was shot by Oren in the previous book but he also was hell bent on killing Avery because she’s the daughter of Toby - except she’s not actually his daughter by birth. Toby had accidentally caused the death of Cullen - a guy he was friends with as teenagers, and Sheffield Grayson’s adopted son.)
Sheffield Grayson had twin girls named Savanna and Juliette (or Gigi) who Grayson Hawthorne felt an obligation to look after them when their dad died he ended up getting emotionally involved. In the end he gained two sisters. Gigi learned that Grayson was trying to cover up their dad’s death. So now they both know and are covering it up from Savanna and Acacia (the girls’ mom)
Overall though, the split storylines between Jameson and Grayson was fun and kept me engaged. I actually think this is one of the stronger books of the series.
Including a summary of the story for myself:
Mostly interested in the Grayson storyline here - maybe I just feel like the Jameson and Avery one is gross? I dunno it feels like they act like the are in their mid to late 20s but Avery is only about 18. Grayson’s story is more about finding belonging. Finding more family -Although Jameson finds more family too. I still don’t understand how Skye and Jameson’s dad connect or why she would decide to even have his kid - that part of the story is the hardest to understand/accept.
Definitely a lot of Daddy derived issues in this book. Jameson’s desire to connect with his dad but ends up getting used by him. He wins a big puzzle game and gets Vantage - a whole estate in England.
Grayson finds out his dad has a family - a wife and twin girls. He helps them get out of financial trouble after the dad goes “missing” (he was shot by Oren in the previous book but he also was hell bent on killing Avery because she’s the daughter of Toby - except she’s not actually his daughter by birth. Toby had accidentally caused the death of Cullen - a guy he was friends with as teenagers, and Sheffield Grayson’s adopted son.)
Sheffield Grayson had twin girls named Savanna and Juliette (or Gigi) who Grayson Hawthorne felt an obligation to look after them when their dad died he ended up getting emotionally involved. In the end he gained two sisters. Gigi learned that Grayson was trying to cover up their dad’s death. So now they both know and are covering it up from Savanna and Acacia (the girls’ mom)
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Okay this installment was pretty fun. It felt dangerous and mysterious again. I think the second book was a bit too tame and felt repetitive of the first one. This one introduces a new player and the some that are even more unhinged and unpredictable (in my opinion anyway). I also found the end to be pretty fun.
Some notes for myself about what happens in the book:
In this one, Toby/Harry’s daughter comes back and plays the part of the villain for most of the story. Grayson lets his emotions for Emily get the best of him and just falls for anything Eve says. And sides with her instead of Avery until Eves full plan is revealed (talking too much, basic villain shit). I know Barnes (the author) explained it in the previous book but I don’t understand why Eve looks SO much like Emily - like, I guess they would have been cousins but who looks exactly like their cousin? Maybe I just haven’t met anyone like that.
Anyway Eve is trying to get the disc that Avery has because she what’s the Victor Blake fortune. He basically has these discs or coins, like a John Wick coin, that gives you access to everything and a portion of the Blake fortune when he dies. So apparently she doesn’t want it from the Hawthornes but does want it from the Blake’s. I guess because she feels like she doesn’t have a legal stake in the Hawthorne fortune be had she’s not blood related - but it’s not like she was going to get the Blake fortune because of her blood either. She still had to “fight” for that too - despite being a blood relative.
It all ends with Victor making Toby, Avery, and Eve playing chess at each other for what they want. Toby and Avery both throw their games so Eve gets what she wants. Avery hustles Blake and begs for one more chance then beats him at chess. Toby loses both his games - one on purpose but the other not. He basically has to rejoin the Blake family but seems like he’s am fine with it since he has to watch over Eve as her real dad.
Avery wins back safety for herself and the Hawthorne family forever by winning her game against Victor Blake. She finally turns 18 and gives her inherited billions away. Keeping something like 2 or 4B for herself. She sets up a foundation to figure out the best way to give the money to people who can make the best use out of it. That’s the best part of the book and series honestly.
Some notes for myself about what happens in the book:
In this one, Toby/Harry’s daughter comes back and plays the part of the villain for most of the story. Grayson lets his emotions for Emily get the best of him and just falls for anything Eve says. And sides with her instead of Avery until Eves full plan is revealed (talking too much, basic villain shit). I know Barnes (the author) explained it in the previous book but I don’t understand why Eve looks SO much like Emily - like, I guess they would have been cousins but who looks exactly like their cousin? Maybe I just haven’t met anyone like that.
Anyway Eve is trying to get the disc that Avery has because she what’s the Victor Blake fortune. He basically has these discs or coins, like a John Wick coin, that gives you access to everything and a portion of the Blake fortune when he dies. So apparently she doesn’t want it from the Hawthornes but does want it from the Blake’s. I guess because she feels like she doesn’t have a legal stake in the Hawthorne fortune be had she’s not blood related - but it’s not like she was going to get the Blake fortune because of her blood either. She still had to “fight” for that too - despite being a blood relative.
It all ends with Victor making Toby, Avery, and Eve playing chess at each other for what they want. Toby and Avery both throw their games so Eve gets what she wants. Avery hustles Blake and begs for one more chance then beats him at chess. Toby loses both his games - one on purpose but the other not. He basically has to rejoin the Blake family but seems like he’s am fine with it since he has to watch over Eve as her real dad.
Avery wins back safety for herself and the Hawthorne family forever by winning her game against Victor Blake. She finally turns 18 and gives her inherited billions away. Keeping something like 2 or 4B for herself. She sets up a foundation to figure out the best way to give the money to people who can make the best use out of it. That’s the best part of the book and series honestly.
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
To summarize the vibes: fun, kind-of-low-stakes, family tree mystery. By now the Hawthorne family is familiar (like family, one could say) and that’s a nice little familiar setting for things to start. Some of the love triangle gets a little old since it continues from the first book, but there are some new challenges introduced.
Adding a spoiler filled summary for myself here:
Avery learns that Harry - the guy she used to play chess with and the one she thought was her dad is not actually her dad. He’s also not blood related to the Hawthornes but was technically adopted and is the long lost son Tobias Hawthorne. He also WAS in love with Avery’s mom and was present for her birth but is technically not related by blood.
In the span of the book they also find out who Grayson and Nash’s dads are. I think we also learn who Jameson’s dad might be? And we definitely still don’t know Xander’s dad by the end of the book.
The whole Grayson vs Jameson love triangle is kind of tired and eventually she gets together with Jameson. I think something is probably psychologically wrong with Grayson.
There’s a lot of betrayal by characters like Eli from Oren’s security team, Melli who is one of Nash’s housemaids, Avery’s biological dad - no surprise there. And Avery does get blown up and abducted so that’s kind of fun?
Adding a spoiler filled summary for myself here:
Avery learns that Harry - the guy she used to play chess with and the one she thought was her dad is not actually her dad. He’s also not blood related to the Hawthornes but was technically adopted and is the long lost son Tobias Hawthorne. He also WAS in love with Avery’s mom and was present for her birth but is technically not related by blood.
In the span of the book they also find out who Grayson and Nash’s dads are. I think we also learn who Jameson’s dad might be? And we definitely still don’t know Xander’s dad by the end of the book.
The whole Grayson vs Jameson love triangle is kind of tired and eventually she gets together with Jameson. I think something is probably psychologically wrong with Grayson.
There’s a lot of betrayal by characters like Eli from Oren’s security team, Melli who is one of Nash’s housemaids, Avery’s biological dad - no surprise there. And Avery does get blown up and abducted so that’s kind of fun?
Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Really enjoyed this take on the Greek gods hierarchy and how those relationships might look in a modern setting. Smythe did some fun characterizations based on what’s been written about what these goddesses and gods represent.
The Bell Chime by Mona Kabbani
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It’s very well written but very dark and leaves one feeling sad after each session. Still the air of mystery drives one to continue on to see what develops. I think the beginning is potentially more jarring than the end - when things start to make sense a little bit.
It’s not clearly defined but I assume this is what schizophrenia feels like? And it’s definitely a frightening experience to not know what’s real.
Summary for myself so I don’t forget
The story starts with what I assume is a hallucination or nightmare - the author defines them as night terrors. She’s awake but probably not awake because she wakes up in a body bag.
The whole book feels like a series of vignettes and it’s not always clear what the timeline is of all these events. The memorable part is where she thinks she stabbed someone to death in a dark elevator because of her schizophrenia induced fear. She shows up to a dinner party a fucking mess - she thinks she is covered in blood but she’s not, just her own urine. There is a guy there who starts to take care of her. His name is Dylan and he seems to be a bit on the spectrum of being clinically insane also. They end up having a relationship and then he ghosts her - like basically disappears. Then at the end of the book you find out that they are both together (I think) and have changed their names but she doesn’t really remember most of it and I don’t even know if he really exists or is just in her imagination.
It’s not clearly defined but I assume this is what schizophrenia feels like? And it’s definitely a frightening experience to not know what’s real.
Summary for myself so I don’t forget
The story starts with what I assume is a hallucination or nightmare - the author defines them as night terrors. She’s awake but probably not awake because she wakes up in a body bag.
The whole book feels like a series of vignettes and it’s not always clear what the timeline is of all these events. The memorable part is where she thinks she stabbed someone to death in a dark elevator because of her schizophrenia induced fear. She shows up to a dinner party a fucking mess - she thinks she is covered in blood but she’s not, just her own urine. There is a guy there who starts to take care of her. His name is Dylan and he seems to be a bit on the spectrum of being clinically insane also. They end up having a relationship and then he ghosts her - like basically disappears. Then at the end of the book you find out that they are both together (I think) and have changed their names but she doesn’t really remember most of it and I don’t even know if he really exists or is just in her imagination.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Toxic relationship
There’s no tag for this but there’s also a scene in which someone accidentally eats bugs/maggots so, be aware.
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It’s a long short story of love, death, abominations of nature - you know, just classic stuff.
The story is about a “mermaid” - using that term loosely because it’s probably more like an immortal humanoid monster that can’t be killed by fire nor dissection - and a plague doctor (they/them), who might have been human at some point. The book takes place at the end of their story - and ends with the beginning of their next after the plague doctor is murdered and (and so is the mermaid supposedly) the mermaid spend the next hundred or so years trying to bring their companion back to life through science and magic. But that resurrection does not happen until the epilogue.
In the primary story the plague doctor and the mermaid are traveling together when they find these kids murdering one of their friends. They soon learn it’s a ritual and that there are “saints” in the village who can bring people back to life. These saints are monsters who b have been eating these kids alive and then bringing them back.
When PD and Mermaid try to expose the truth they end up being slaughtered/captured by the kids and saints (also referred to as surgeons) and they pull the doctor apart, to mere inches of their life, while one of the surgeons starts to dissect the mermaid (for science!). Mermaid awakens mid dissection and eats the surgeon and goes to find the doctor tied to a tree. When she tries to free them the saints and kids come back and catch them both. Set them on fire, PD definitely does but mermaids breathed fire- like a dragon maybe?- and annihilates everyone in the village.
When she wakes up again everyone is ashes. She finds the doctor’s bezoar and that’s where the epilogue takes over.
The story is about a “mermaid” - using that term loosely because it’s probably more like an immortal humanoid monster that can’t be killed by fire nor dissection - and a plague doctor (they/them), who might have been human at some point. The book takes place at the end of their story - and ends with the beginning of their next after the plague doctor is murdered and (and so is the mermaid supposedly) the mermaid spend the next hundred or so years trying to bring their companion back to life through science and magic. But that resurrection does not happen until the epilogue.
In the primary story the plague doctor and the mermaid are traveling together when they find these kids murdering one of their friends. They soon learn it’s a ritual and that there are “saints” in the village who can bring people back to life. These saints are monsters who b have been eating these kids alive and then bringing them back.
When PD and Mermaid try to expose the truth they end up being slaughtered/captured by the kids and saints (also referred to as surgeons) and they pull the doctor apart, to mere inches of their life, while one of the surgeons starts to dissect the mermaid (for science!). Mermaid awakens mid dissection and eats the surgeon and goes to find the doctor tied to a tree. When she tries to free them the saints and kids come back and catch them both. Set them on fire, PD definitely does but mermaids breathed fire- like a dragon maybe?- and annihilates everyone in the village.
When she wakes up again everyone is ashes. She finds the doctor’s bezoar and that’s where the epilogue takes over.
Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender by Kit Heyam
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
I didn’t realize this was a book about trans history when I borrowed it from the library. I wasn’t necessarily ready for that but I did learn a lot. Contemplated the relationship between intersex, two-spirit, butch lesbians and the term transgender.
Dr. Heyem includes historical references to less documented people in trans/gender fluid/intersex history and how they were perceived by others.
Dr. Heyem includes historical references to less documented people in trans/gender fluid/intersex history and how they were perceived by others.