abbie_'s Reviews (1.79k)

A book I enjoyed reading at the time, but which hasn’t left much of an impression on me in the weeks following. Family secrets & trauma are at the centre of this book, and I enjoyed the way the author wove in the spiritual side. I think it just could have gone deeper. Some of the dialogue, particularly between the main character and her love interest, also felt stilted. 

Read for TSG Reads the World 2023: South Africa. 

A beast of a graphic memoir that I’m very glad I read on my iPad - carpal tunnel just thinking about holding a 920-page graphic novel. This is an autobiographical work, depicting Emma’s struggles to transition after being diagnosed with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). It’s intense, and often frustrating, as Emma has the misfortune of having possibly the least empathetic therapist in the world. Toby was awful and I hope he is no longer practising. Their circling and aggressive (on Toby’s part) conversations were unpleasant to read, so imagine how Emma must have felt experiencing that, if it feels exhausting as an outside reader. 

I liked the way Grove depicted her alters - it was easy to see from facial expressions and posture who was fronting at the time. The art is fairly simple, black and white, and I read that Emma didn’t write in order - she just sat down to sketch what she remembered, then pieced it together. This is definitely visible in the choppy, pell-mell style, and I think works well depicting the turmoil Emma was experiencing at the time. 

Beyond heartened that Emma found a therapist who took the time to understand her better and who was versed in DID. Wish her nothing but the best and all the healing for the trauma she endured as a child. 

Read for TSG Genre Challenge 2023: Read a book with more pages than 2022’s longest book & Queer Your Year 2023: Over 500 pages. 

I’ve only read a handful of fantasy novels in 2023, but most of them have reminded me that I should be making more time for the genre. A Snake Falls to Earth was such a delight, the world building was spot on, it never suffers from info dumping, the characters are all fleshed out and incredibly loveable - plus the natural ace representation *chef’s kiss*. I loved how the author brought together fantasy, themes of climate change and Indigenous storytelling. The Reflecting World probably had most of my favourite parts (the cult catfish people had me cackling but also on the edge of my seat), but I enjoyed Nina’s perspectives too. If you enjoy animal characters, you’ll surely love this one - and you’ll definitely, like me, fight to the death to protect Ami 🤺

I feel like some plot points were left unresolved towards the end. I’m not a reader who needs everything tied up with a bow (the opposite, in fact), but I came away with a few questions unanswered. Maybe they were leaving room for a sequel? I would love that! Just good vibes all round with this book

Read for Queer Your Year 2023: Asexual author. 

This was so much fun to read - but also unexpectedly sad in parts! I’ve barely dipped my toe into the world of graphic novels, and when I have it’s been on my tablet/black and white illustrations. Nimona in paperback was another beast and a thoroughly enjoyable experience! I spent more time than I have with previous graphic novels poring over the artwork, which was extremely vivid! Some of the fight scenes sort of lost me a bit - I found it difficult to grasp what was going on at all times when there was a lot of ‘movement’. But I loved the way Stevenson managed to convey humour by someone’s stance or a teeny tiny facial expression. Nimona & Blackheart were an adorable and hysterical duo. I wasn’t necessarily expecting a critique of corrupt governments, but that’s what I got alongside sassy shapeshifters, budding queer romance, and grumpy villains with secret hearts of gold. 

This book was certainly illuminating in terms of explaining the role the US has played in worsening the plight of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation, though it did get a little bogged down in US policy. That honestly might be fully expected and I’m just not equipped to wade through those technicalities. Hill and Plitnick put forth some damning arguments to do with so-called progressives whose ‘liberal’ views fail to extend to Palestinians. Folks whose politics lean towards the left breaking their backs to explain why Palestinians don’t deserve basic human rights. 

A bit too short, I was just starting to get into the rhythm of Twist’s poems and then the collection ended 😭 I’m trying to not overthink when I read poetry these days (still not as often as I should), and try instead to come away with snapshots, glimpses into the author’s thoughts and feelings they had while penning these words. Twist’s poems are often brash, brutal, exposing the soft parts, decrying colonialism, especially in the form of white cis men fucking Indigenous trans women. She doesn’t hold back and you can feel her anger, hurt, and healing through the page. 

This was delightful! Jamie follows Jamie, a nonbinary kid in Year 6 who so far has had mainly positive experiences with their gender identity being accepted at school and at home. But when it's time to start thinking about secondary school, things get messy. In Jamie's town, there are only two secondary schools - one for girls and one for boys. But what about people like Jamie, who are neither? Jamie and their friends embark on a mission to change the binary thinking of their town, and make space for people like Jamie. 

I devoured this book in less than 24 hours - expected since it's middle grade with rather large font, but the story had me absolutely hooked! I loved Jamie, and thought Lapinski did an amazing job with their voice. Since they're only 11, it'd be odd if they came across as too worldly and wise, but Lapinski did a great job of striking the balance between naive tween and progressive. I loved the inclusion of Jamie's dictionary entries at the start of each chapter, which will help younger readers get to grips with terms like nonbinary, gender identity, etc. 

My heart broke a little when it came to Jamie's parents - initially they seem accepting of Jamie's gender, but when it begins to be a 'problem', they seem to want Jamie to just fit in - just 'pick a side'. It was hard to swallow, but luckily there is learning and growth. 

Overall a heartwarming and hopeful story about being the change you want to see in the world, taking up space, and taking no shit. 

Anthologies are usually quite rocky for me, but this is one of the better ones I've read! I know I've *only* given it a 3.5 but that's more a reflection on the fact that not all of these stories will stick with me. Especially because I read it via audio, which I should stop doing for short story collections lol. 

But I really enjoyed the vast array of Black experiences depicted here. It's been said a million times but I'll say it again, there's no one way to be Black and Blackness is not a monolith. The more stories out there to remind us of this, the better. In Black Enough we have queer Black ranchers, Black coders, Black daughters of Black nationalists, Black girls figuring out their sexuality, Black artists, and much more. They're all grappling with various aspects of their identity, as teenagers trying to find their place in the world. Of course the overarching message is - you are enough. 

My favourites were Samson and the Delilahs (sent me on a relisten of all the System of a Down albums), Kissing Sarah Smart, Hackathon Summers and Into the Starlight. 

Historical romance is not my jam at all, but make it queer and I'll consider it. Well, I actually read this one as part of Queer Your Year, but it has made me more open to reading more of this genre (and author) in the future! It was an easy read, even though Ottoman doesn't shy away from tackling the seedier side of New York in the 1800s. 

Two doctors, one Black and cis, one white and trans, jailbreak another trans man who's been arrested and is set for a life of painful and humiliating experimentation at the hands of the other doctors at the hospital Augustus works at. My historical knowledge is limited, but I think it's clear Ottoman has done a lot of meticulous research, and the racism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia are the time are a central theme of the book - I'd imagined historical romance just glossing over these nasty bits, but the fact Ottoman addressed them made it a more believable, and therefore enjoyable, read for me. 

I also enjoyed the medical aspect of this - was not aware that in the 1800s doctors were not bothered about washing their hands before surgery... like this seems so obvious to me now, but it was eye-opening. 

I should honestly read more romance, because it is comforting to know you're heading for a happy ending, however unlikely it seems. Also the steamy scenes were excellent. 

So much joy! Absolutely loved this one, I think more than Chloe, but it's been so long since I read even a vaguely interconnected series that it still made my heart so happy when Chloe and Red made their appearances. It made so excited to pick up Eve Brown, which I'll deffo prioritise in 2024.

Obviously Dani being bisexual made my queer little heart sing, and it was woven so seamlessly into the storyline. I resonated with Dani a lot, as I'm also not a *huge* romantic (probably not to Dani's degree), and I also like to prioritise my passions which I think would put a lot of people off (what do you mean you need to read for 3 hours now?). I was positively glowing whenever she realised Zaf would accept her for who she is.

And Zaf - what a sweet man! I'm not into men but anyone can see he's a winner. There's surely no man in the real world so in touch with his own feelings and boundaries. Reading his romance novels, dreaming of a happy ever after, teaching teenage boys how to grapple with their own feelings & mental health... a dream man. The dynamics between him and Dani were perfect, no notes. 

The cast of supporting characters were also lovely, although I wasn't too keen on Saoirse actually. Can't put my finger on why, possibly the narrator's weird combo of accents she put on when narrating her parts lol. But Dani relying on her sisters for support, Zaf's relationship with his niece, sister-in-law and mother, all were beautifully done. 

The humour was spot-on, great amount of tension, and of course a happy ending. Loved it!