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allonsythornraxx
14/02/2020
4.5 ⭐
"Claude, I would kick a thousand Spooky Trees for you."
Oh my God, I haven't read a cute contemporary in such a long time and it took me ages to actually start reading this but, god damn I just read 99% this in one sitting and it was amazing! So cute! Amazing characters! Such good writing! Shakespeare! Friendship! I will definitely be reading more from Emma Mills in the future!
4.5 ⭐
"Claude, I would kick a thousand Spooky Trees for you."
Oh my God, I haven't read a cute contemporary in such a long time and it took me ages to actually start reading this but, god damn I just read 99% this in one sitting and it was amazing! So cute! Amazing characters! Such good writing! Shakespeare! Friendship! I will definitely be reading more from Emma Mills in the future!
12/02/2020
3 ⭐
If I'm honest, I don't really know where to start. But, I guess I should always start with the positives so here they are:
- this would be a good (and quick) Halloween read
- There's not much dialogue so this is a fast read
- Very diverse (Chinese-American main characters, both queer, Nova is HoH, Tam is Non-binary, Nova has two grandmas)
- An interesting take on werewolves in connection to magic.
The negatives:
- I wasn't a fan of the HoH rep, which I feel bad about but, that's the truth. I generally steer away from deaf/hoh rep because it's hardly ever ownvoices which means it's usually not very good, and in this case, I just wasn't a fan.
I appreciated Nova having hearing aids and complaining about having to take them off to answer the phone, but that's about it. There was no signing (in any capacity), there were no hand gestures or lip-reading and that felt really really weird to me. Basically, my point is this, if you want to have a deaf character they need to actually be deaf THE WHOLE TIME. You can't just slap some hearing aids on them and problem fixed! Hearing aids do not equal being able to hear everything.
Other than this reading really false for me, Mooncakes came across as really underdeveloped to me (no context for relationships, characters, world-building etc.) and seemed to just rely on rep and witchcraft to pull in readers. That being said, I've found that's often the way with first volumes of non-hero comics. But, if this is a standalone then my point still stands and it needed to be better developed in terms of pretty much everything, it just felt very half-baked to me.
3 ⭐
If I'm honest, I don't really know where to start. But, I guess I should always start with the positives so here they are:
- this would be a good (and quick) Halloween read
- There's not much dialogue so this is a fast read
- Very diverse (Chinese-American main characters, both queer, Nova is HoH, Tam is Non-binary, Nova has two grandmas)
- An interesting take on werewolves in connection to magic.
The negatives:
- I wasn't a fan of the HoH rep, which I feel bad about but, that's the truth. I generally steer away from deaf/hoh rep because it's hardly ever ownvoices which means it's usually not very good, and in this case, I just wasn't a fan.
I appreciated Nova having hearing aids and complaining about having to take them off to answer the phone, but that's about it. There was no signing (in any capacity), there were no hand gestures or lip-reading and that felt really really weird to me. Basically, my point is this, if you want to have a deaf character they need to actually be deaf THE WHOLE TIME. You can't just slap some hearing aids on them and problem fixed! Hearing aids do not equal being able to hear everything.
Other than this reading really false for me, Mooncakes came across as really underdeveloped to me (no context for relationships, characters, world-building etc.) and seemed to just rely on rep and witchcraft to pull in readers. That being said, I've found that's often the way with first volumes of non-hero comics. But, if this is a standalone then my point still stands and it needed to be better developed in terms of pretty much everything, it just felt very half-baked to me.
I won't be commenting on or rating any of the books in this series. I want to stress that I am merely reading this because I grew up loving HP and still love the characters today. However, J K Rowling is hot garbage and I do take issue with her and her beliefs. Trans lives matter.
Find out how you can help | Access this resource for Trans Kids | Organisations You Can Support
Find out how you can help | Access this resource for Trans Kids | Organisations You Can Support
10/02/2020
3 ⭐
Genuinely wtf. Can somebody say, filler volume?
3 ⭐
Genuinely wtf. Can somebody say, filler volume?
Truly Devious | ✨ The Vanishing Stair | ✨ The Hand on The Wall | ✨ The Box in The Woods | ✨ Nine Liars✨
09/03/2025
3.5 ⭐
I don't know what Maureen Johnson put into this trilogy but my god, I need her to inject it into my veins. I really picked the perfect rainy weekend to reread this trilogy.
10/02/2020
3.75 ⭐
Weirdly I don't have all that much to say about this book, which is odd because it's a finale. But, I will say that this is one of the best finales I've read in a while, in that it felt like the other books in the series and wasn't awful in any way. Basically, this was a really interesting mystery with a really good main character. I wish there was more actual mystery and less badly written romance, but aside from that, this is a good trilogy IF you binge read it and treat it as one large story, and not as an actual trilogy.
09/03/2025
3.5 ⭐
I don't know what Maureen Johnson put into this trilogy but my god, I need her to inject it into my veins. I really picked the perfect rainy weekend to reread this trilogy.
10/02/2020
3.75 ⭐
Weirdly I don't have all that much to say about this book, which is odd because it's a finale. But, I will say that this is one of the best finales I've read in a while, in that it felt like the other books in the series and wasn't awful in any way. Basically, this was a really interesting mystery with a really good main character. I wish there was more actual mystery and less badly written romance, but aside from that, this is a good trilogy IF you binge read it and treat it as one large story, and not as an actual trilogy.
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09/02/2020
3 ⭐
Not loving this as much as the first 2 volumes but I'm still enjoying it and I'll no doubt start vol 4 soon!
3 ⭐
Not loving this as much as the first 2 volumes but I'm still enjoying it and I'll no doubt start vol 4 soon!
Truly Devious | ✨ The Vanishing Stair | ✨ The Hand on The Wall | ✨ The Box in The Woods | ✨ Nine Liars✨
08/03/2025
3.75 ⭐
Not quite as vibey as the first book but there was less romance so I'm a very happy gal right now. I'll 100% be reading book 3 tomorrow and you know what? For the first time possibly ever, I'm not even that furious over the fact that I have to read 3 ful-length books to get to the answer for this damn mystery.
08/02/2020
3.5 ⭐
This was really good and I really like how Maureen Johnson writes the mystery, but I really think this should have been a duology instead of a trilogy.
Find my other reviews on my blog
08/03/2025
3.75 ⭐
Not quite as vibey as the first book but there was less romance so I'm a very happy gal right now. I'll 100% be reading book 3 tomorrow and you know what? For the first time possibly ever, I'm not even that furious over the fact that I have to read 3 ful-length books to get to the answer for this damn mystery.
08/02/2020
3.5 ⭐
This was really good and I really like how Maureen Johnson writes the mystery, but I really think this should have been a duology instead of a trilogy.
Find my other reviews on my blog
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Truly Devious | ✨ The Vanishing Stair | ✨ The Hand on The Wall | ✨ The Box in The Woods | ✨ Nine Liars✨
07/06/2025
4 ⭐
I enjoy this book more and more every time I reread it. I absolutely adore the atmosphere of Ellingham Academy and I love the dual timeline mystery we've got going on, but I could absolutely 110% do without the romance sub-plot because I absolutely 110% do not like that boy.
03/03/2024
3.75 ⭐
"Games are not fun when you don't know you're playing."
The vibes were truly vibing with this one
my pinterest board
07/02/2020
3.75 ⭐
Okay, so I enjoyed this a lot more than I did the first time, and I really appreciate Stevie as a character + I really like how Maureen Johnson writes mystery and suspense. But I still have a lot of the same problems with this book that I had the first time, this entire book is build up and that really bothers me. I'll talk about it more in my review, but yeah, it's just annoying.
04/02/18
3 ⭐
Such a mean ending!
Nothing was resolved in this novel and I have to wait an entire year to find out the answer to the mystery that was the entire plot of this book. Are you telling me that I just read 432 pages of build-up????? I'll be more coherent later but for now, I'll just be annoyed.
Find my other reviews on my blog
Trigger Warnings: social anxiety, anxiety, panic attacks, murder, death, enclosed spaces (tunnels, small rooms etc.), alcoholism, dissection, smoking
07/06/2025
4 ⭐
I enjoy this book more and more every time I reread it. I absolutely adore the atmosphere of Ellingham Academy and I love the dual timeline mystery we've got going on, but I could absolutely 110% do without the romance sub-plot because I absolutely 110% do not like that boy.
03/03/2024
3.75 ⭐
"Games are not fun when you don't know you're playing."
The vibes were truly vibing with this one
my pinterest board
07/02/2020
3.75 ⭐
Okay, so I enjoyed this a lot more than I did the first time, and I really appreciate Stevie as a character + I really like how Maureen Johnson writes mystery and suspense. But I still have a lot of the same problems with this book that I had the first time, this entire book is build up and that really bothers me. I'll talk about it more in my review, but yeah, it's just annoying.
04/02/18
3 ⭐
Such a mean ending!
Nothing was resolved in this novel and I have to wait an entire year to find out the answer to the mystery that was the entire plot of this book. Are you telling me that I just read 432 pages of build-up????? I'll be more coherent later but for now, I'll just be annoyed.
Find my other reviews on my blog
Trigger Warnings: social anxiety, anxiety, panic attacks, murder, death, enclosed spaces (tunnels, small rooms etc.), alcoholism, dissection, smoking
Heartstopper Vol 1
Heartstopper Vol 2
Heartstopper Vol 4
Heartstopper Vol 5
25/04/2022
4.5 ⭐
My favourite volume in my series reread so far!
28/07/2021
4.5 ⭐
My favourite volume so far, I love how cute this series is while also talking about serious topics!
06/02/2020
4.5 ⭐
Everything about this series is SO DAMN CUTE, I'm honestly so overwhelmed by it all right now!
TW: bullying, homophobia, eating disorders
Blog | Letterboxd | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
Heartstopper Vol 2
Heartstopper Vol 4
Heartstopper Vol 5
25/04/2022
4.5 ⭐
My favourite volume in my series reread so far!
28/07/2021
4.5 ⭐
My favourite volume so far, I love how cute this series is while also talking about serious topics!
06/02/2020
4.5 ⭐
Everything about this series is SO DAMN CUTE, I'm honestly so overwhelmed by it all right now!
TW: bullying, homophobia, eating disorders
Blog | Letterboxd | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
23/10/2024
4 ⭐️
“I guess that’s what happens when you like a straight boy.” 🤣🤣🤣
read for graphicsathon round 13!
02/08/2023
4 ⭐️
NELLIE FOR PRESIDENT 2K25
read for the graphicsathon 31 in 31 challenge!!
23/04/2022
4 ⭐️
So stinking cute! I’m loving reading this as I watch the show!
22/06/2021
3.5 ⭐
This is such a cute series, I can't wait to read the next volume and I kind of wish it would go on forever???
06/02/2020
4 ⭐
I LOVE TWO BRAVE BOYS 😍😍😍
Letterboxd | Instagram | Bookstagram | Tumblr | Twitter | StoryGraph | Hoemance Book Club | Graphicsathon | Scoobathon
4 ⭐️
“I guess that’s what happens when you like a straight boy.” 🤣🤣🤣
read for graphicsathon round 13!
02/08/2023
4 ⭐️
NELLIE FOR PRESIDENT 2K25
read for the graphicsathon 31 in 31 challenge!!
23/04/2022
4 ⭐️
So stinking cute! I’m loving reading this as I watch the show!
22/06/2021
3.5 ⭐
This is such a cute series, I can't wait to read the next volume and I kind of wish it would go on forever???
06/02/2020
4 ⭐
I LOVE TWO BRAVE BOYS 😍😍😍
Letterboxd | Instagram | Bookstagram | Tumblr | Twitter | StoryGraph | Hoemance Book Club | Graphicsathon | Scoobathon