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neuroqueer's reviews
375 reviews
Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Overall Score: A
I really enjoyed this novella. This a Gothic horror set in an alternative history 1920s where humans have access to the moon.
Also on the moon?
Spiders.
The writing is great. The characters are interesting. The plot and flow of the story is really nice. There are "flashback" scenes but they are done so well and actually have point. I devoured this book and will most likely devour the next one as well!
I really enjoyed this novella. This a Gothic horror set in an alternative history 1920s where humans have access to the moon.
Also on the moon?
Spiders.
The writing is great. The characters are interesting. The plot and flow of the story is really nice. There are "flashback" scenes but they are done so well and actually have point. I devoured this book and will most likely devour the next one as well!
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Maybe I will try again in the future but I am not interested
Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Overall: C+
"Scorched Grace" has an interesting premise that kept me reading but ultimately, this isn't a great book. The draw to the book was main character Sister Holiday, a cigarette smoking queer nun with a dark past. When a murder occurs at her school, she goes from nun to nun-detective. The problem is I can't tell if she's a good or bad detective. In one way, it makes sense because she's not a trained detective. However, sometimes her decisions are just dumb.
There are flashbacks from her previous life back in New York that include her and her former flame/best friend Nina. The flashbacks display how important this woman is to Sister Holiday. Nina actually comes down to visit Sister Holiday and you would think it would add something important would happen but...it added nothing. I don't even remember if there was a resolution to her visit. It was that forgettable.
The writing is fine. Sister Holiday tends to philosophize a bit too much and comes across as edgy. There is strong men/women binarism. Men in power are typically assholes (Diocese and cops) while there is a bit more depth or quirkiness with women characters. The Louisiana setting was a good choice but doesn't feel that explored. The plot is fine but the resolution is anti-climatic.
I think I powered through this and the sequel because I liked the concept of character but the execution was not great.
"Scorched Grace" has an interesting premise that kept me reading but ultimately, this isn't a great book. The draw to the book was main character Sister Holiday, a cigarette smoking queer nun with a dark past. When a murder occurs at her school, she goes from nun to nun-detective. The problem is I can't tell if she's a good or bad detective. In one way, it makes sense because she's not a trained detective. However, sometimes her decisions are just dumb.
There are flashbacks from her previous life back in New York that include her and her former flame/best friend Nina. The flashbacks display how important this woman is to Sister Holiday. Nina actually comes down to visit Sister Holiday and you would think it would add something important would happen but...it added nothing. I don't even remember if there was a resolution to her visit. It was that forgettable.
The writing is fine. Sister Holiday tends to philosophize a bit too much and comes across as edgy. There is strong men/women binarism. Men in power are typically assholes (Diocese and cops) while there is a bit more depth or quirkiness with women characters. The Louisiana setting was a good choice but doesn't feel that explored. The plot is fine but the resolution is anti-climatic.
I think I powered through this and the sequel because I liked the concept of character but the execution was not great.
Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Everything Is an Emergency: An Ocd Story by Jason Adam Katzenstein
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
Protagonist(s): Unlikeable
Antagonist(s): Unassuming to moustache twirling
Plot: Decent whodonit
Writing: Good
Overall: C-
Thoughts:
The writing is very good and it is a good murder mystery.
And that’s all the praise I can give for the book.
The story is about an author following along a former detective as he tackles a murder mystery in modern day England.
I dislike the detective, Hawthorne so much. He is a ruder version of BBC’s Sherlock. We should have morally gray characters in fiction but there is nothing redeemable or interesting about him. The fact that he is also homophobic makes it worse. I’m fine with reading about homophobic characters as long as there is a lesson learned or a comeuppance. However, Hawthorne doesn’t get that so….no….just no.
One thing that truly irked me was at one point, Anthony has a meeting with an old colleague of Hawthorne’s. From that meeting, it’s clear to see that Anthony has jumped into this thinking that his knowledge of detective novels will help him. He is reminded very quickly that this is not how real life works and he is not as smart as he think he is. I liked that touch. It brings the author back to reality. The ending, however, makes me feel like he never took this lesson to heart. It also feels like the typical cliché ending where the hero confronts the dastardly villain. It left me….underwhelmed? Good twist but bad execution.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Quick takeaways:
Protagonist(s): Unlikeable
Antagonist(s): Unassuming to moustache twirling
Plot: Decent whodonit
Writing: Good
Overall: C-
Thoughts:
The writing is very good and it is a good murder mystery.
And that’s all the praise I can give for the book.
The story is about an author following along a former detective as he tackles a murder mystery in modern day England.
I dislike the detective, Hawthorne so much. He is a ruder version of BBC’s Sherlock. We should have morally gray characters in fiction but there is nothing redeemable or interesting about him. The fact that he is also homophobic makes it worse. I’m fine with reading about homophobic characters as long as there is a lesson learned or a comeuppance. However, Hawthorne doesn’t get that so….no….just no.
I also don’t think the author should have inserted himself as the main character here. He doesn’t come across as likeable. If anything, he comes across as weak and naïve. Anthony lost all my good will very quickly since he rationalizes that working with a homophobe is fine since he can just take that stuff out and maybe even show Hawthorne the error of his ways. A) Life does not work like that and B) as stated before, he comes across as weak and barely convinces Hawthorne of anything.
One thing that truly irked me was at one point, Anthony has a meeting with an old colleague of Hawthorne’s. From that meeting, it’s clear to see that Anthony has jumped into this thinking that his knowledge of detective novels will help him. He is reminded very quickly that this is not how real life works and he is not as smart as he think he is. I liked that touch. It brings the author back to reality. The ending, however, makes me feel like he never took this lesson to heart. It also feels like the typical cliché ending where the hero confronts the dastardly villain. It left me….underwhelmed? Good twist but bad execution.
Don’t plan on reading any more of this.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
Antagonist(s): Hormones
Plot: Predictable
Overall: C+
Thoughts:
I am NOT the target audience for this at all. My opinion is just going to be influenced by age and hindsight.
As you get older, your tolerance for foolishness tends to diminish.
This is why watching Frederica (our heroine) make silly decisions made me want to go to the nearest 16 year old, show them the book and scream “See her? Don’t be like her!!” To which I would hope the teen would be like “I’m too amazing to be like her”, snap their fingers and walk off with an extreme air of confidence. That would give me SO much hope for the future.
But alas, Frederica’s portrayal has to come from somewhere so I would hope kids similar to her or anyone in a similar situation who read this book take away the lessons that are being taught here (at least quicker than she does).
The whole plot of the book is Laura Dean, the on and off girlfriend, keeps toying with Fred’s feelings. We follow Frederica as she deals with the consequences of focusing her attentions on this tumultuous relationship.
TBH, I have had friends like Fred as well which I think is really clouding my judgement. But it also doesn’t help that Fred as a character is not interesting. I can’t think of one interesting thing about this girl. The other characters (like Doodles) have way more personality. Hell, I forgot her name at first when I started writing this review.
Laura, the titular character is….hot I guess? And aloof which just makes her hotter? Obviously she is kind of the bad guy here with her treatment of Fred (but you can only pity Fred so much). When you’re young and/or not fully sure of yourself, hot people tend to overcome the senses.
The artwork is very clean. It’s attractive and what personality characters do have does shine through.
The ending is predictable. It feels like it should be a “YAAAS GIRL” moment but since a) we all knew how this would end and b) Frederica is more frustrating than admirable, it doesn’t hit as hard. Again I’m not the target audience so maybe it will hit hard for someone going through something like this so can really only recommend it to them.
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Quick takeaways:
Protagonist(s): Love Blind Teen….
Antagonist(s): Hormones
Plot: Predictable
Overall: C+
Thoughts:
I am NOT the target audience for this at all. My opinion is just going to be influenced by age and hindsight.
As you get older, your tolerance for foolishness tends to diminish.
This is why watching Frederica (our heroine) make silly decisions made me want to go to the nearest 16 year old, show them the book and scream “See her? Don’t be like her!!” To which I would hope the teen would be like “I’m too amazing to be like her”, snap their fingers and walk off with an extreme air of confidence. That would give me SO much hope for the future.
But alas, Frederica’s portrayal has to come from somewhere so I would hope kids similar to her or anyone in a similar situation who read this book take away the lessons that are being taught here (at least quicker than she does).
The whole plot of the book is Laura Dean, the on and off girlfriend, keeps toying with Fred’s feelings. We follow Frederica as she deals with the consequences of focusing her attentions on this tumultuous relationship.
TBH, I have had friends like Fred as well which I think is really clouding my judgement. But it also doesn’t help that Fred as a character is not interesting. I can’t think of one interesting thing about this girl. The other characters (like Doodles) have way more personality. Hell, I forgot her name at first when I started writing this review.
Laura, the titular character is….hot I guess? And aloof which just makes her hotter? Obviously she is kind of the bad guy here with her treatment of Fred (but you can only pity Fred so much). When you’re young and/or not fully sure of yourself, hot people tend to overcome the senses.
The artwork is very clean. It’s attractive and what personality characters do have does shine through.
The ending is predictable. It feels like it should be a “YAAAS GIRL” moment but since a) we all knew how this would end and b) Frederica is more frustrating than admirable, it doesn’t hit as hard. Again I’m not the target audience so maybe it will hit hard for someone going through something like this so can really only recommend it to them.
The Modern Bestiary: A Curated Collection of Wondrous Wildlife by Joanna Bagniewska
Writing: Dry trying to be raunchy
Overall: B-
Thoughts:
There are some animals that I’ve heard of but didn’t know much about their behaviors, like naked mole rats.
Fact: there is a bird that drinks blood. No, it’s not a scavenger bird like a vulture. It is a little unassuming bird that DRINKS BLOOD.
Fact: There are acts that exist such as traumatic insemination and apophallation. When you learn what that word is, you will agree with me that this is not a book for children.
Sometimes the writing feels dry. I had to put this book down a few times because I was slightly bored.
Outside of that, it’s a decent read and you’ll pick up on random animal facts.
3.5
Quick takeaways:
Subject: Freaky animals
Writing: Dry trying to be raunchy
Overall: B-
Thoughts:
Want to learn about some weird, horny and horrifying facts about certain animals? This is the book for you.
There are some animals that I’ve heard of but didn’t know much about their behaviors, like naked mole rats.
Fact: there is a bird that drinks blood. No, it’s not a scavenger bird like a vulture. It is a little unassuming bird that DRINKS BLOOD.
Fact: There are acts that exist such as traumatic insemination and apophallation. When you learn what that word is, you will agree with me that this is not a book for children.
Sometimes the writing feels dry. I had to put this book down a few times because I was slightly bored.
It did feel like the author really delighted about some weird mating habits.
Outside of that, it’s a decent read and you’ll pick up on random animal facts.
The House by Raelyn Drake
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Borrowed this and was so bored. I've read better and more enthralling middle school horror books than this.