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1.84k reviews by:
caseythereader
- The magic in this world was so..well, charming! I loved the idea of magic being these little things: a sprinkle of joy on your croissant or a vial of luck in your back pocket.
- This book will also make you hungry! Ellie and Jack visit so many restaurants, tea shops, and more - so much delicious food from a variety of Asian countries is featured.
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Classism
Minor: Alcohol
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism
- THE FIRST BRIGHT THING is delicate, loving, and heartbreaking. I loved the writing in this book, beautiful without being too flowery, about time travel without feeling unmoored.
- It feels basic to describe this book as THE NIGHT CIRCUS but queer, but it is, and it's also more than that. It grapples with the lasting effects of war and lost family and has a truly horrifying bad guy.
- This book's cast is also diverse in multiple ways, and Rin's identities in particular (queer, Jewish) are central to the story, not just a label added to diversify the group.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Eating disorder
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism
- GOING BICOASTAL is a YA Sliding Doors, with dual timelines playing out in alternating chapters, one in which Natalya is in NYC with a girlfriend, and one in LA with a boyfriend.
- I loved that this book presented each timeline as equally joyful and frustrating as Natalya tries to figure out what she wants out of life. Neither is positioned as the superior option, and that goes for both the cities and the significant others.
- This book is also deeply Jewish in a way you don't often see in YA. Shabbat dinners are central to the plot(s), and Natalya's faith and the rituals around it are important to her, and therefore important to her friends as well.
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment
Minor: Self harm, Alcohol
- THE DOS AND DONUTS OF LOVE is a joy. It's a pun-filled queer rom-com that still touches on important issues.
- Shireen's parents are not the "typical" immigrant parents often portrayed in coming of age stories, and I love that we are getting a different narrative here.
- I won't spoil anything, but I'm a big fan of how the romantic element of this story played out. Again, it's a bit atypical for a YA novel, and it's great. I continue to be a huge Jaigirdar fan!
Graphic: Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Xenophobia
Minor: Racial slurs
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse
- CHEF'S CHOICE has cemented me as a fan of TJ Alexander's bubbly, heartfelt romances. Besides, how could I not love a T4T fake dating story!
- I loved that Luna and Jean-Pierre were just a touch grumpy/sunshine, but also that they had some worldview differences to work through. Even better were that these were discussions that would only be had between queer and trans characters, something we don't often see in mainstream books in this genre.
- It's just the precise right blend of silly and serious. I loved it so much and I really hope there are more books to come in this series.
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Transphobia, Alcohol
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, War, Pandemic/Epidemic