1.84k reviews by:

caseythereader

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Thanks to Pride Book Tours and Page Street YA for the free copy of this book.

 - NOT GOOD FOR MAIDENS is a queer, witchy, horrifying tale, and I was fully gripped by it.
- This book is gory and haunting, but also full of love and characters itching to prove themselves.
- Flipping back and forth between POVs in different timelines can be tricky, but I think Bovalino nailed it here. The parallel stories unspool quickly enough to keep you interested but not so quickly that things are revealed too soon: you'll find yourself mentally shouting at the characters to put the pieces together.
- The two POV characters, Lou and May, are ace and bi, respectively. I appreciated that challenges they might face due to their sexualities are mentioned, but it's not a book that's full of on the page queerphobia. 

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

 - It's hard to summarize THE FIRST SISTER. It's set in a huge, complex galaxy with two factions at war with each other, and we see those two sides intersect throughout the book, through defections, strategizing, secrecy and more.
- This is one of those dual POV books where you're always eager to return to the action of whoever's storyline you're in. Both First Sister and Lito's stories were so gripping.
- There are a couple of great plot twists: even if you see them coming, this book is fantastically plotted.
- I feel like I am not doing this book justice, lol. It's great! Just hard to condense into an IG caption. If you love space opera and romance and discussing power and inequality through sci-fi, go get it! 

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emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

 - I truly love that there are enough queer books out there now that it's possible to have books that show queer people can be jerks, too.
- LAURA DEAN KEEPS BREAKING UP WITH ME really gets into heavy teenage feelings: that feeling that this might be your only chance at love, even though you're so young.
- I loved the art style of this book as well. It's much more detailed than many YA graphic novels are, and I felt it really got some of the emotional nuances across well. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

 - Am I the last queer person on earth to read LONG LIVE THE TRIBE OF FATHERLESS GIRLS? Maybe. Am I glad I finally did it? My goodness, yes.
- This book is incredible. Madden is detailing some horrific events, and yet this book is so tender, both toward her younger self and her family.
- At first I wasn't sure about the vignette style of storytelling, with all the jumping around in time. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, because the way Madden's story unwinds at the end of the book is spectacular. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thanks to Libro FM for the free copy of this book.

 - BOOK LOVERS was my first Emily Henry book and y'all did not lead me astray! This book was a joy. I loved Nora and Charlie, both a big grumpy, both big hearted, both working through their stuff together and separately.
- I did think it dragged a bit in the middle, but the chemistry between Nora and Charlie was enough to keep it going for me.
- The real highlight of this book was Nora and Libby's sisterly relationship. I loved that it was of equal importance to the plot with Charlie, and Libby wasn't just a plot device in the background. Their relationship felt real, and their love for each other was just as central to their lives as their romantic loves. 

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The Priory of the Orange Tree

Samantha Shannon

DID NOT FINISH: 18%

This reads like parody of high fantasy...I might pick it back up later but for now I can't do it.
adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Thanks to Forever for the free copy of this book.

 - THE PERKS OF LOVING A WALLFLOWER is a delightful Regency caper. Secrets! Disguises!Ciphers! It's all great fun.
- I loved that Tommy was a masculine woman and was actively searching for ways to live authentically as herself within the confines of the time (though, as many others have noted, this makes the choice of cover models quite strange, as Tommy does not ever present as femme when not in disguise).
- The Wynchester family of adopted siblings are so joyful. Love a found family, especially when the book is set in a time where that sort of arrangement must be done purposefully. 

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