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1.84k reviews by:
caseythereader
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
📚 SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY is a sapphic enemies to lovers fake dating romcom. Honestly, what I would have given to have books with premises like this available when I was younger!
📚 I enjoyed watching Scottie and Irene go from fake power couple to real power couple - remember in high school how who was dating who was SOOO important!?
📚 While the book is full of hijinks, it also covers some real, heavy stuff too. I do think it's important to show that emotional abuse can come in many forms, and that even queer couples are not exempt from toxic relationships.
📚 One thing I found a bit curious about this book was how literally no one in the whole town had a problem with anyone's queerness, but the villain still tried to weaponize it against Irene. It was hard to figure out exactly what the stakes were.
📚 Also just as an additional note, while there is quite a bit of racial diversity among the characters, it feels tacked on after the fact.
📚 I enjoyed watching Scottie and Irene go from fake power couple to real power couple - remember in high school how who was dating who was SOOO important!?
📚 While the book is full of hijinks, it also covers some real, heavy stuff too. I do think it's important to show that emotional abuse can come in many forms, and that even queer couples are not exempt from toxic relationships.
📚 One thing I found a bit curious about this book was how literally no one in the whole town had a problem with anyone's queerness, but the villain still tried to weaponize it against Irene. It was hard to figure out exactly what the stakes were.
📚 Also just as an additional note, while there is quite a bit of racial diversity among the characters, it feels tacked on after the fact.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Car accident
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thanks to Counterpoint Press for the free copy of this book.
- The stories in THE BEADWORKERS are told in a variety of formats, covering a variety of facets of Indigenous life.
- Even the shortest pieces and the pieces from the point of view of children felt whole and detailed.
- These stories detail the ongoing colonization of and violence against Native people, while also showing readers how alive and vibrant their cultures are today.
- The longest piece in the book is written as a play - a retelling of Antigone - and it alone is worth getting this book.
- The stories in THE BEADWORKERS are told in a variety of formats, covering a variety of facets of Indigenous life.
- Even the shortest pieces and the pieces from the point of view of children felt whole and detailed.
- These stories detail the ongoing colonization of and violence against Native people, while also showing readers how alive and vibrant their cultures are today.
- The longest piece in the book is written as a play - a retelling of Antigone - and it alone is worth getting this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Grief
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thanks to Henry Holt Books for the free advance copy of this book.
📚 Friends, every single YA thriller I've ever read, I hated. I also hate horror movies, I do not like to be purposely scared. Enter THE MARY SHELLEY CLUB. Whew, I could not put this down! I had to know! I guessed wrong! I kept guessing! I trusted everyone, I trusted no one. I loved it.
📚 This book is not only a look at the weird things rich people do to keep busy, but also their classism and racism, plus an exploration of PTSD and the varying ways people cope with it.
📚 I will say, if you like your thrillers to have action on every page, this might not be it for you. But I wanted to see each club member's Fear Test, so I didn't mind a little repetitiveness because it still moved quickly.
📚 Friends, every single YA thriller I've ever read, I hated. I also hate horror movies, I do not like to be purposely scared. Enter THE MARY SHELLEY CLUB. Whew, I could not put this down! I had to know! I guessed wrong! I kept guessing! I trusted everyone, I trusted no one. I loved it.
📚 This book is not only a look at the weird things rich people do to keep busy, but also their classism and racism, plus an exploration of PTSD and the varying ways people cope with it.
📚 I will say, if you like your thrillers to have action on every page, this might not be it for you. But I wanted to see each club member's Fear Test, so I didn't mind a little repetitiveness because it still moved quickly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
📚 Look, you all know I love Talia Hibbert, so do I even need to give you a real review of this book? Just go get it and read it now!
📚 A smart, quirky heroine who is still a real person and not just a collection of weird personality traits, and a grumpy hero who is never so mean as to make his softness unbelievable.
📚 They do truly make each other better, and I love it.
📚 I also love how (minor spoiler?) Eve figuring out she's on the autistic spectrum isn't treated as a Big Twist or as something she now has to Deal With. It's simply one of those "Oh, well, that makes total sense," moments of discovery.
📚 And here is where #ownvoices authors are so important - Jacob and Eve are both autistic, but it looks different for both of them, and neither is a total stereotype. The same is true for Eve's race and size.
And even with those heavy topics, this book is still wildly funny and full of whip smart banter. It's perfect.
📚 A smart, quirky heroine who is still a real person and not just a collection of weird personality traits, and a grumpy hero who is never so mean as to make his softness unbelievable.
📚 They do truly make each other better, and I love it.
📚 I also love how (minor spoiler?) Eve figuring out she's on the autistic spectrum isn't treated as a Big Twist or as something she now has to Deal With. It's simply one of those "Oh, well, that makes total sense," moments of discovery.
📚 And here is where #ownvoices authors are so important - Jacob and Eve are both autistic, but it looks different for both of them, and neither is a total stereotype. The same is true for Eve's race and size.
And even with those heavy topics, this book is still wildly funny and full of whip smart banter. It's perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Car accident
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
📚 I keep trying to think of what a coherent review of this book would say, and all I can think is "please read this book. Oh my gosh, please read this book."
📚 I came to the realization last year that I am on the asexuality spectrum, and several passages in this book had me in tears because it was describing things I had felt or thought but had never seen anyone else express. This book is all the words I didn't have.
📚 Even if you are not asexual or aromantic, please read this book, for two reasons. One, to gain greater understanding of those who are. And two, because this book pulls apart each strand of what makes up our identities - attraction, drive, romance, etc. - and helps the reader understand how these factors are at play (or not) in their own lives, and how assuming everyone is straight/cisgender/allosexual/etc. while placing behavioral expectations on those identities hurts everyone and holds so many people back from knowing their full selves.
📚 I came to the realization last year that I am on the asexuality spectrum, and several passages in this book had me in tears because it was describing things I had felt or thought but had never seen anyone else express. This book is all the words I didn't have.
📚 Even if you are not asexual or aromantic, please read this book, for two reasons. One, to gain greater understanding of those who are. And two, because this book pulls apart each strand of what makes up our identities - attraction, drive, romance, etc. - and helps the reader understand how these factors are at play (or not) in their own lives, and how assuming everyone is straight/cisgender/allosexual/etc. while placing behavioral expectations on those identities hurts everyone and holds so many people back from knowing their full selves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Acephobia/Arophobia
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
📚 MALICE is a Sleeping Beauty retelling that folds in a complex magic system and high society world. I was drawn in immediately, needing to know more about how the Graces' powers worked and how in a matriarchy the women were still held back.
📚 I loved Alyce and Aurora's vibe together and how they encouraged each other to want more than their lot in life.
📚 Some stretches of the book are a bit exposition-heavy, but as I said, it is a pretty complex world. I would happily read more novels set in other corners of this story.
📚 One thing I did find jarring is that several men who are described as either bumbling or evil are also portrayed as fat, and in a clearly meant-to-be-gross way.
📚 I loved Alyce and Aurora's vibe together and how they encouraged each other to want more than their lot in life.
📚 Some stretches of the book are a bit exposition-heavy, but as I said, it is a pretty complex world. I would happily read more novels set in other corners of this story.
📚 One thing I did find jarring is that several men who are described as either bumbling or evil are also portrayed as fat, and in a clearly meant-to-be-gross way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder
challenging
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
📚 If you consider yourself a liberal but often wonder why Democrats rarely seem to make any progress, or why "identity politics" has become such a hot topic, THE END OF WHITE POLITICS has your answers.
📚 This book is a great starting point for figuring out where to go post-2020.
📚 Maxwell has all the data to back up her arguments that the future of the party is BIPOC voters and that Black women have known and acted on this for a long time, despite pushback from party leadership. I truly hope that those in charge of the future of the Democratic party are listening now.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
- This book tends to come across as a romcom from the description, and it's a little bit of that, but not really. HONEY GIRL is actually a delicate exploration of family, expectations, mental health, racism, and the many forms of queer love.
- Grace and Yuki are such wonderful characters, queer people who are allowed to be their weird messy selves (and who are allowed to get help when the messiness gets to be too much).
- Honestly, so much is packed into this small book that I could never properly cover it all here. Just know that I squeezed the book to my chest and cried when I was done with it.
- Grace and Yuki are such wonderful characters, queer people who are allowed to be their weird messy selves (and who are allowed to get help when the messiness gets to be too much).
- Honestly, so much is packed into this small book that I could never properly cover it all here. Just know that I squeezed the book to my chest and cried when I was done with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent