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sashahc's reviews
189 reviews
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
I really adore "Elatsoe" by Darcie Little Badger. Elatsoe is a cheerful and feisty asexual Lipan Apache teenager living in an alternate Texas who can raise the spirits of the dead, a skill passed down from her grandmother. Her best friend is a ghost dog and together with friends and family, they have to solve the murder of her cousin (and save the town). One of the things I really appreciate about Elatsoe is that the MC has the full support and involvement of family and friends. So many MG and YA fantasy books have loner chosen ones striking off alone. This book works for older MG and YA. There are a couple gross bits, but nothing too heavy.
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
How about a sweet graphic novel supernatural romance between two Chinese-American teenagers - an enby werewolf and a Jewish hard-of-hearing witch? Yeah, I thought so. Throw in a spooky cult, forest spirits, and found family. And puns. And food. “Moon Cakes” by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker is such a gem of a #PrideSFF #book. It’s got some thrills to it, but it’s totally a cozy. It’s got gorgeous art and characters you want to visit with. Definitely a repeat comfort read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia and Abandonment
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Not all graphic novels are aimed directly at children. "On a Sunbeam" by Tillie Walden is a meditative, beautiful, and complex science fiction story about the found family queer crew of a fish-shaped space ship repairing ancient architecture. It's drawn in a spare, evocative style, using just three colors and spans 500 pages. I can't even encompass the plot or the world, but suffice to say it's worth reading, gnawing on, and re-reading. #book ! #PrideSFF
Content Warnings
Minor: Transphobia
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Do you like political intrigue sci-fi with space opera overtones? How about queer romance between competent people? Throw in some great world building, colonialism themes, a bucket of spies, spooky AI, and high tech brain surgery and you have “A Memory Called Empire” by Arkady Martine. This is a fun but chewy #PrideSFF #book with great characters (and terrific names). One of my favorites of last few years.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
Lesbian Necromancers in Spaaaaaaaaaace! Like, how does one explain ”Gideon the Ninth” by Tamsyn Muir? Post apocalyptic thriller mystery with disaster emo queer teens? Escape room to prove your worth to god, but also goth makeup? Trial by combat (sword fights!) but make it snarky? Rilke references but also Homestar Runner. Either way, unique, weird, fun, and totally engaging #PrideSFF #book.
Magical Boy, Volume 1 by The Kao
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
On a day like today, we need a fun and cheerful and queer and magical #PrideSFF #book to read, so how about “Magical Boy” by The Kao? This Is a middle grade manga-style graphic novel about a trans boy who inherits magical powers to kill demons from his mother, but they come with a transformation into a floof dress and femme makeover. How do you survive high school crushes, save the world, AND convince a magical legacy you’re actually a boy? Throw in a cat sidekick and some kickass friends.
Content Warnings
Minor: Transphobia
99% Chance of Magic: Stories of Strength and Hope for Transgender Kids by
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
5.0
It’s an anthology of fantastical stories aimed at middle grade trans kids: stories of non-binary kids on other worlds, trans princesses and magic users, and fantasies that trans kids deserve to imagine themselves in. I think it may be the only of its kind. It’s edited by Amy Eleanor Heart and has a wonderful diversity of writers and stories. Z has read it cover to cover many times. Like many works aimed at queer and trans kids, it was originally funded by Kickstarter, because we have to create our own future and our own reality.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
You wanted a book to break your heart, right? Cool. Today on #PrideSFF #book review, we've got "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera.
In the near future, you receive a notification the day you die. Two queer teens both receive their notifications the same day and decide to meet up and spent their last day together. It's all about trauma, found family, fear and hope, and living. It's one of those books that has stuck with me, popping up in odd moments in my head. It's solidly YA.
In the near future, you receive a notification the day you die. Two queer teens both receive their notifications the same day and decide to meet up and spent their last day together. It's all about trauma, found family, fear and hope, and living. It's one of those books that has stuck with me, popping up in odd moments in my head. It's solidly YA.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This one is a blow you away, possibly change your brain, have to stop reading to catch your breath kind of #PrideSFF #book. “An Unkindness of Ghosts” by Rivers Solomon is about the seeming inevitability of class/race stratification on generation ships and what happens when resources are scarce. It’s dark, intense, and deeply beautiful and lyrical. The main character is Black, autistic, queer, and intersex. This is not your grandpa’s space opera. Definitely read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Classism
Moderate: Mental illness and Medical trauma
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
"Cemetery Boys" by Aiden Thomas is one of my favorite books of the last couple of years. I would absolutely die for the MCs. Basically, this is what happens when Yadriel, a trans teenage hereditary brujo looking for his cousin instead raises the ghost of a gay classmate with ADHD who mostly wants to reconnect with his friends. So many wonderful layers of chosen family, blood family, and complicated relationships. It has probably the best line of any queer book ever: "Hay niñas con pene, niños con vulva y transfóbicos sin dientes." (Trans: There are girls with penises, boys with vulvas, and transphobics without teeth.) It's aimed for YA, but great for everyone.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
"Cemetery Boys" by Aiden Thomas is one of my favorite books of the last couple of years. I would absolutely die for the MCs. Basically, this is what happens when Yadriel, a trans teenage hereditary brujo looking for his cousin instead raises the ghost of a gay classmate with ADHD who mostly wants to reconnect with his friends. So many wonderful layers of chosen family, blood family, and complicated relationships. It has probably the best line of any queer book ever: "Hay niñas con pene, niños con vulva y transfóbicos sin dientes." (Trans: There are girls with penises, boys with vulvas, and transphobics without teeth.) It's aimed for YA, but great for everyone.