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shereadytoread's reviews
733 reviews
It Happened to Anna by Tehlor Kay Mejia
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It Happened to Anna is a book that touches a lot on toxic relationships and friendships, grief and social isolation. It is a middle grade so I did find the twist to be pretty predictable, but I think the foreshadowing would be great for middle grade readers. I like that it gives a very realistic look at how toxic friendships develop and I think for adult readers it can easily reflect an abusive relationship or grooming. There was some age-appropriate violence and self-harm that gave stakes to the story.
Our main character is depressed and understandably so as she has lost her mother and for her entire life has been isolated from friends due to the haunting. Even with a supportive system, she struggles to see how isolated she is becoming and the negative choices that she is making. I did like that the book tackles bullying and peer pressure in a way that I think is very current and speaks to some of the "prank" trends that are increasingly popular on social media.
I recommend if you enjoy middle grade horror!
Our main character is depressed and understandably so as she has lost her mother and for her entire life has been isolated from friends due to the haunting. Even with a supportive system, she struggles to see how isolated she is becoming and the negative choices that she is making. I did like that the book tackles bullying and peer pressure in a way that I think is very current and speaks to some of the "prank" trends that are increasingly popular on social media.
I recommend if you enjoy middle grade horror!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Self harm and Death of parent
Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi
5.0
Such a unique read. This look at Octavia Butler's life combines traditional historical text and context, quotes from the writer, poetry and essays by the author that discuss Octavia Butler's writing and influences. It connects specific life events with their impact on her future writing, and follow her journey from a young girl raised in a strict religious community to an adult who wrote science fiction.
It is a quick read but so worth it!
It is a quick read but so worth it!
Guava Flavored Lies by J.J. Arias
4.5
I adored this sapphic romance. We follow life long enemies (due to a generations long family feud) Sylvie and Lauren. Each hails from Cuban families whose great-grandfathers ran a bakery together and then split off into their own businesses, each accusing the other of stealing recipes they claimed to have created. Lauren and Sylvie's rivalry is complicated by their attraction in high school. Once they are forced to work close-by for a food event, Sylvie decides to settle the feud by proving that her family was right and Lauren's family stole from them. However, in getting to know one another, each starts to question how much it matters.
Their banter was so good, full of sarcastic quips and quick wit. Their family relationships and friendships were each fully fleshed out with internal family drama and failed romances. It definitely made me hungry.
I cannot wait to read more from this author!
Their banter was so good, full of sarcastic quips and quick wit. Their family relationships and friendships were each fully fleshed out with internal family drama and failed romances. It definitely made me hungry.
I cannot wait to read more from this author!
Camp 1985 by Matthew R. Corr
5.0
This was a great slasher! Following a group of internet obsessed (and very popular) teens forced together in a program meant to give a break from screen time, we get a lot of good conflicting group dynamics.
The slashing scenes were very well written and the imagery was gory. The character relationships were good overall but a few moments felt a bit over the top to me. I really enjoyed the mystery set up for the next book in the series! I definitely plan to get it.
Also not really part of the book but that cover is amazing!
The slashing scenes were very well written and the imagery was gory. The character relationships were good overall but a few moments felt a bit over the top to me. I really enjoyed the mystery set up for the next book in the series! I definitely plan to get it.
Also not really part of the book but that cover is amazing!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Homophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Fatphobia, Stalking, and Death of parent
Five Brothers by Penelope Douglas
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was my first Penelope Douglas read and I had an interesting experience with it. I didn’t love it, but I do see why a lot of people are drawn to their writing. I do plan on reading another series by them to see if it was just this subject matter that wasn’t my favorite. My biggest complaint was I think this book is pretty drawn out. The main character has experiences with each brother and keeps the story moving but the character is constantly looping back through things we already know enough about (imo) which makes the book at least 100 pages longer than needed. I think it could have easily been cut to 400 and still gotten through the same story.
Disclaimer: I received a free gifted copy of the book from the publisher. A review was not required and all opinions are my own.
Disclaimer: I received a free gifted copy of the book from the publisher. A review was not required and all opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual assault and Vomit
The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey
2.0
This one was a bore to me. I thought the premise was really good but it didn’t deliver. I did really enjoy the banter between our two leads but this novella doesn’t make good use of its pages.
It’s a haunted story about hunting a demon and we don’t even get a whiff of it until 70% into the book. It tries to place a mystery in but that’s about 10 pages of them realizing what’s happening. No suspense or build.
The villain is such a two-dimensional over the top bad guy that his dialogue seems to unrealistic and wooden. Hard to really place the time period of the story as all the characters seemed to be from a different place/time.
All around, not for me.
It’s a haunted story about hunting a demon and we don’t even get a whiff of it until 70% into the book. It tries to place a mystery in but that’s about 10 pages of them realizing what’s happening. No suspense or build.
The villain is such a two-dimensional over the top bad guy that his dialogue seems to unrealistic and wooden. Hard to really place the time period of the story as all the characters seemed to be from a different place/time.
All around, not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
Embodied: An Intersectional Feminist Comics Poetry Anthology by Tyler Chin-Tanner, Wendy Chin-Tanner
reflective
5.0
The art and poetry was beautiful. Great variety in stories and style.
Pen Pal: Special Edition by J.T. Geissinger
dark
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Solid read. Got it and read it in one afternoon. It had a pretty good twist which didn’t line up completely for me, but I still enjoyed it overall.
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
dark
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was a 3.5 rounded up. I loved the overall plot and major points of the story, but some of the choices seemed to be more to move the plot along than actually aligning with what we knew of the characters so far. This book is a great horror that hides its hand until the reveal and I think it worked very well. You spend the first 1/3 of the story with creeping feelings but uncertain of what is happening, then we bring some action and finally everything comes together.
I read this book second (after Bury Your Gays) and I definitely see the improvement in his horror. I think that if you enjoyed one, you'll enjoy the other. But I also think even if you didn't enjoy this one, Bury Your Gays is worth the read.
I read this book second (after Bury Your Gays) and I definitely see the improvement in his horror. I think that if you enjoyed one, you'll enjoy the other. But I also think even if you didn't enjoy this one, Bury Your Gays is worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron
adventurous
challenging
medium-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? Yes
4.0
This was an updated fantasy spin on the tale of snow white that puts our heroine at the front of an action-packed story. I liked that Eve is an apologetic character who doesn't always make the right moves and isn't trying to be likeable, but her dedication to her loved ones and the kingdom is never in doubt. I definitely think this is a more divisive read than Cinderella is Dead, but I think it is worth reading.
This one had a good amount of adventure and battle. There is a lot of loss throughout the book and watching how it changes the MC and other characters throughout the story added a lot of depth to the world.
This one had a good amount of adventure and battle. There is a lot of loss throughout the book and watching how it changes the MC and other characters throughout the story added a lot of depth to the world.