nikki_flowers's reviews
160 reviews

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

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adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5


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Collide by Bal Khabra

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

My first hockey romance. It was smuttier than I was expecting (tho in retrospect it was exactly as smutty as I should have expected lol) but I enjoyed the book. I did cringy at times (but I might just be to aroace spec to truly appreciate some of the aspects of romance lol). 

I do recommend this book but I have a few criticism (I always do lol even for books I love to death so don’t take this as a sing not to read it)

I would have liked more of Summer’s pov and I wanted stronger development of her female friendship. For a book stating a strong feminist FL it was surprisingly sparse of women and female friendship. Also, how the hockey guys talked about women pissed me off. Pretty much all of Sumer’s guy friends said something along the lines of “you’re my only female friend because I just want to fuck all other women.” Like ew gross. I don’t think I could ever be friends with a guy who saw women solely as sexual objects. 

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The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Holy shit it’s been a long time since I’ve read a book in one sitting but as soon as I started I couldn’t put it down and I just had to stay up till the next morning to finish it!

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School was cute and cheesy and heartfelt and sad and beautiful and an absolutely amazing ya queer story. As a white person from a wealthy background I certainly can’t speak to the impact of the discussions of class, race, ethnicity, and nationality but I know there are many reviews by BIPOC and working class people on here that cover that. As for the queer representation and the suicidal ideation representation, I felt those aspects of the story were handled with such tender love and care. I smiled and sobbed and giggled in all the right ways. I cannot express how much I love and appreciate this story!
Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Babel by R.F. Kuang

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

This book was brilliant in so many ways that I cannot even begin to adequately put into words. 

This is a book to help you decolonize your mind. The story itself is beautiful and the message is powerful. Fiction like this is so important. People need to see, these stories, to read these stories. Decolonial fiction like this gives us insight and hope and community and so much more. 

As I reflect back on my journey reading this masterpiece I cannot help but think of the events that were unfolding in the world at the same time. 

As I very slowly (for thoroughness sake, not a lack of interest) made my way through the book, I watched the world justify the genocide of Palestinians and the further colonization of Palestine. I watched so so many people, white girls and women in particular, obsess over this book but refuse to put the message into practice. If felt like a fetishization or infantilization of the book and its decolonial efforts. How many read this book and took what they wanted from it for their own selfish reasons and then watch Palestine burn and called Hamas terrorists or stayed completely silent. A completely colonizer move to take what you want from the book and leave the rest to burn regardless of the harm caused.

And yet, how many others read this work and felt its message in their bones. How many saw themselves on the page for the first time. How many people were awakened to liberations struggles. How many felt and cried and turned it into action. How many had hard and necessary conversations with themselves and/ or others because of this book.

That is the legacy of this book. The change it brought about to so many. The perverse colonizer response is not its legacy but rather further example of exactly why we need books like this. 

May this book live on in the hearts of those who have read it and may it fuel our souls in the liberation/mutual aid/revolution/abolition work we do.

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peluda by Melissa Lozada-Oliva

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hopeful inspiring reflective

5.0


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I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner

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funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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? Yes

4.0

This will certainly be making its way into my classroom bookshelf! It is so important for kids to know that LGBTQ+ people have *always* existed. This is a lovely story, one told with deep love and care in a way I feel only a trans author could. (and very well researched). I won’t spoil anything but there were many scenes that meant so much to me as a nonbinary trans person, several of which brought me to tears (ones of joy). 

My only criticism (a personal preference rather than any *real* criticism of the work) is that I found Eleanore largely unlikeable for most of the book. I of course understand that her flaws were essential early on in showing her privilege and in setting up her necessary character development. And I think that it’s also very important to show her flaws and character development as a lesson for kids (who are the intended audience of this YA graphic novel). So while I, as an adult reader, did not enjoy her character, I do not think it fair to “downgrade” the book for it because it’s a very meaningful aspect of the book, especially for it’s intended audience.

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Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense 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

5.0


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Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

Look, I’m a simple lad, give me childhood friends to enemies to lovers (and a queer/trans normative world!!!!!!) and I’ll eat it up EVERY time

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The Carrying: Poems by Ada Limón

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

This books has remarked my love of poetry. Limón’s contemplations of womanhood, motherhood, the nation, have seeped deep in my bones. From them, new life has grown. Thank you Limón, for helping me find soul and beauty again.

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