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stateofiction's reviews
616 reviews
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
4.0
this was so much fun! Jesse Q Sutanto is killing it in the cozy/chaotic mystery genre
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
3.0
I don't really know what to say. there is nothing wrong with this book. but for some reason I really had to push myself to finish. I wanted to dnf so bad but I had so little left. if you think you are gonna like this book you are probably right and you should definitely still read it
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
4.0
this was SO FUN!! it definitely wasn't perfect and there were definitely some things that should have been ironed in editing, but I still had such a good time reading this and will definitely read the next book in the series
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
3.5
I did really enjoy this, as I do with all of Hazelwood's books, but I had some issues that prevented me from rating any higher.
this book is YA. Hazelwood does call it upper YA or NA because of the ages of the characters, but to me that doesn't matter because regardless it's being sold in the YA section.
this book starts off with one of the main characters, Nolan, freshly 18, saying that he has been called a sex symbol. implying that he has been called that before he turned 18. this is gross!
The other main character, Mallory, is constantly hooking up with someone. now I really wouldn't care about that (kind of. we'll get into that) if this were in an adult romance. live your life idc. but this is a YA book. can we not hyper sexualize teenaged characters and encourage teenagers to do this? It feels so icky.
okay, so this character was gonna screw around anyway. whatever. can we at least include conversations about safe sex? the most we got was her grabbing a condom. again, this is just horrible to be promoting to teenagers.
that's not even it when it comes to my complaints about this one aspect. Mallory is bisexual. I do not know Hazelwood's sexuality and do not want to speculate. But writing a bisexual character as someone that would have sex with anyone that talks is playing into the really harmful stereotype. I'm sure it wasn't her intention, but as we all know, intention means nothing.
things I did not care about that might bother others:
- the unrealism. ain't no way the events in this book would even happen a little. idc it's fiction baby
- the pop culture references. it's a YA contemporary. it didn't seem to have any more references than any other YA contemporary. I think the complaints are coming from people that don't read the genre
- the fact that Darcy is meant to be 12 but speaks and acts no younger than 18
this book is YA. Hazelwood does call it upper YA or NA because of the ages of the characters, but to me that doesn't matter because regardless it's being sold in the YA section.
this book starts off with one of the main characters, Nolan, freshly 18, saying that he has been called a sex symbol. implying that he has been called that before he turned 18. this is gross!
The other main character, Mallory, is constantly hooking up with someone. now I really wouldn't care about that (kind of. we'll get into that) if this were in an adult romance. live your life idc. but this is a YA book. can we not hyper sexualize teenaged characters and encourage teenagers to do this? It feels so icky.
okay, so this character was gonna screw around anyway. whatever. can we at least include conversations about safe sex? the most we got was her grabbing a condom. again, this is just horrible to be promoting to teenagers.
that's not even it when it comes to my complaints about this one aspect. Mallory is bisexual. I do not know Hazelwood's sexuality and do not want to speculate. But writing a bisexual character as someone that would have sex with anyone that talks is playing into the really harmful stereotype. I'm sure it wasn't her intention, but as we all know, intention means nothing.
things I did not care about that might bother others:
- the unrealism. ain't no way the events in this book would even happen a little. idc it's fiction baby
- the pop culture references. it's a YA contemporary. it didn't seem to have any more references than any other YA contemporary. I think the complaints are coming from people that don't read the genre
- the fact that Darcy is meant to be 12 but speaks and acts no younger than 18
Pageboy by Elliot Page
4.5
ngl all the bad reviews for this book are just straight up not valid.
"oh I don't like that it'd not linear" he said in the author's note on page 2 that it wouldn't be. NEXT
"he didn't go in-depth enough about his transition" he doesn't owe you that, it's a book about queerness. NEXT
"he wasn't introspective enough about the SA he included" wtf are you on about. NEXT
"I know more about Canada than I do about Page's filmography" literally just go to wikipedia. NEXT
"his reason for transitioning doesn't make sense because a lot of lesbians don't like wearing girl clothes" you're transphobic.
this is a memoir in the form of non-linear essays. it is literally stated in the author's note. just say you can't read or don't read author's notes of a MEMOIR and go. and for many of your other complaints, would you be so upset if a cis person wrote a memoir without detailing every aspect of, idk a boob job? stop forcing this one trans person to be the poster child for every trans person. this is about HIS EXPERIENCE. Page came out as trans less than three years before this book came out. Page only started entertaining that part of his life at thirty. so yes, most of his life was being closeted. if you want something about being trans, find a memoir that someone wrote more than a few years after coming out. you guys all suck!
"oh I don't like that it'd not linear" he said in the author's note on page 2 that it wouldn't be. NEXT
"he didn't go in-depth enough about his transition" he doesn't owe you that, it's a book about queerness. NEXT
"he wasn't introspective enough about the SA he included" wtf are you on about. NEXT
"I know more about Canada than I do about Page's filmography" literally just go to wikipedia. NEXT
"his reason for transitioning doesn't make sense because a lot of lesbians don't like wearing girl clothes" you're transphobic.
this is a memoir in the form of non-linear essays. it is literally stated in the author's note. just say you can't read or don't read author's notes of a MEMOIR and go. and for many of your other complaints, would you be so upset if a cis person wrote a memoir without detailing every aspect of, idk a boob job? stop forcing this one trans person to be the poster child for every trans person. this is about HIS EXPERIENCE. Page came out as trans less than three years before this book came out. Page only started entertaining that part of his life at thirty. so yes, most of his life was being closeted. if you want something about being trans, find a memoir that someone wrote more than a few years after coming out. you guys all suck!
Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
Did not finish book. Stopped at 54%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 54%.
even though I am a Tessa Bailey hater, I've been making fun of this book before I even knew who this "feminist" lady is. and I hadn't even read it. do I thought I'd read it.
I cannotttttt finish this clown romance! it is bad! i don't even really have much to say. it's just plain bad. and by golly it has nothing to do with renovations, as the first book in a reno centered romance series.
I cannotttttt finish this clown romance! it is bad! i don't even really have much to say. it's just plain bad. and by golly it has nothing to do with renovations, as the first book in a reno centered romance series.
For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing
slow-paced
4.5
okay this was really good? this was my first Samantha Downing and it's really making me want to read My Lovely Wife in hopes of getting more of this type of writing style.
this is a book I would have trouble telling you about, because it starts off really slow. by the time we're really in it, so many plot points have opened up and so many more start to open up that I wouldn't be able to tell you much. that being said everything does wrap up in the end, so no worries about that.
my only complaint was that it was just a bit too long and dragged in the middle. it's why this is getting a 4.5 instead of a 5, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment really at all.
I definitely feel like you're going to love it or hate it, and I'm happy to say I'm on the love it side. I'd recommend for fans of You with Joe's psychopathic inner monologue and sense of justice.
this is a book I would have trouble telling you about, because it starts off really slow. by the time we're really in it, so many plot points have opened up and so many more start to open up that I wouldn't be able to tell you much. that being said everything does wrap up in the end, so no worries about that.
my only complaint was that it was just a bit too long and dragged in the middle. it's why this is getting a 4.5 instead of a 5, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment really at all.
I definitely feel like you're going to love it or hate it, and I'm happy to say I'm on the love it side. I'd recommend for fans of You with Joe's psychopathic inner monologue and sense of justice.
Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
4.0
MESSY MESSY MESSY
from the two books I've read of Wilsner, they tend to write slightly taboo romances that if I were around these people irl, I'd be giving a major side eye. but put these bitches in a tradpub romance book? I'm literally kicking my feet rn.
now compared to 'Something to Talk About,' this is SO MUCH MESSIER. the former is much tamer and more cute. this one??? the drama. screaming and crying. had me taking breaks at the THOUGHT of what was going to happen next.
so I guess what I'm saying is that if you're looking for a romance you can root for 100% and get you the warm fuzzies, this is not the one for you. if you want some messy drama and a looot of sapphic sex then go ahead and pick this up
from the two books I've read of Wilsner, they tend to write slightly taboo romances that if I were around these people irl, I'd be giving a major side eye. but put these bitches in a tradpub romance book? I'm literally kicking my feet rn.
now compared to 'Something to Talk About,' this is SO MUCH MESSIER. the former is much tamer and more cute. this one??? the drama. screaming and crying. had me taking breaks at the THOUGHT of what was going to happen next.
so I guess what I'm saying is that if you're looking for a romance you can root for 100% and get you the warm fuzzies, this is not the one for you. if you want some messy drama and a looot of sapphic sex then go ahead and pick this up
The Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
I think I made this worse for me by continuing to start and stop it over and over again, but regardless of the reason I didn't not like it.
what I definitely can say is that Liam's chapters are awful. each one is half in italics from a flashback... girl I do not know this man. I do not give a fuck about his backstory. I literally skipped each flashback because BE serious
what I definitely can say is that Liam's chapters are awful. each one is half in italics from a flashback... girl I do not know this man. I do not give a fuck about his backstory. I literally skipped each flashback because BE serious