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omnombailey's reviews
95 reviews
They Could Have Named Her Anything by Stephanie Jimenez
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a good read, in that it evoked sentiments I haven't had lately with other books. It is by no means a comfortable read, though. Nor is every character likeable, especially by the end. But even with the characters I outright loathed, there was enough complexity to keep me invested, even if it was to see how the dumpster fire imploded in the end. As awful as most of the situations are in this book, there was something painfully genuine about everything.
The relies a bit too heavily on the characters, thus the plot is strung together oddly and really falls apart near the end. By then, you're already in too deep to back out, but it was unfortunate how the story's foundations barely hold together.
The relies a bit too heavily on the characters, thus the plot is strung together oddly and really falls apart near the end. By then, you're already in too deep to back out, but it was unfortunate how the story's foundations barely hold together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, and Medical content
Minor: Self harm and Vomit
The adult/minor relationship is a huge part of this story. While both sides say they're consenting to it, it's very evident that there's plenty of manipulation and dubious consent involved. It is not painted in a healthy light to make the reader uncomfortable.
The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-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
1.0
This book was a headache to slog through. Now that I'm finally done, I don't even know where to begin with my dislike for this story. The one-too-many tropes shoved into the same book? The barely-there steampunk that makes no efforts to address the criticisms most steampunk stories are known for, thus making it a pretty ornament as a replacement for actual worldbuilding? The love triangle (was that what it was? I don't even know)? The horrible accents written out that just make this already painful prose even more excruciating? The dangling time travel thread that only cropped up when convenient to the plot and yet continued to be an eyesore? The lack of character development in any sense of the word? The force-fed sexism and misogyny that I'm sure is done so under the guise of ~historical accuracy~ yet also introduced steampunk, supernatural, and time travel elements? THAT APPARENTLY ONE'S GENDER CAN EASILY BE REVEALED FROM THEIR HANDWRITING???????
Maybe if this was actually written during the late 1800s, then I could excuse some of this bullshit. But considering it's a more recent novel, the fact that so many little details and asides are squeezed in there makes it feel like it was a conscious decision and I kind of want to throw up.
The only thing that got me through this was imagining that Mina and Evaline were actually secretly gay for each other. Why else would they spend paragraphs upon paragraphs obsessing over each other?
Maybe if this was actually written during the late 1800s, then I could excuse some of this bullshit. But considering it's a more recent novel, the fact that so many little details and asides are squeezed in there makes it feel like it was a conscious decision and I kind of want to throw up.
The only thing that got me through this was imagining that Mina and Evaline were actually secretly gay for each other. Why else would they spend paragraphs upon paragraphs obsessing over each other?