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caseythereader

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

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

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dark emotional funny informative reflective fast-paced

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

Thanks to Tor Books for the free advance copy of this book.

 - SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN is enormous in scale while also exploring deeply personal aspects of identity as the book's two warring protagonists inch closer to each other, both in battle and in understanding.
- Military strategy in books isn't really my thing, but even when some of the machinations of the plot got away from me, I was still able to follow along and keep up with Zhu and Ouyang as they plotted against each other, so don't let that scare you away. Additionally, this is billed as a fantasy retelling, but the fantastical elements are really very minimal.
- The bottom line, though, is that I've never seen a character like Zhu in fiction, and wow, was it a treat. Not only a fresh story, but a deeply necessary one that places genderqueer people firmly within the story of world history. 

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dark emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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: No

- After loving THE HENNA WARS and now HANI AND ISHU'S GUIDE TO FAKE DATING, I'm going to read everything Adiba Jaigirdar writes forever.
- I loved watching Hani and Ishu grow into both their relationship and into themselves each individually.
- Her books are sweet and fun, while also covering important, thorny issues. In this book, it's biphobia and bi erasure, along with larger themes of dealing with vague racism and Islamophobia, even from people who claim to be your friends.
- Jaigirdar is also the queen of prickly sister relationships. She's so good at showing that you can love someone even if you don't always (or never) get along. 

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

 - This is going to be less of a review of THERE'S MAGIC BETWEEN US and more of a QUEER SCREAMING post - I loved this book so much! Faeries! Quests! Pansexuality! Gender fluidity!
- Lydia is gloriously sarcastic and impulsive and a bit of a disaster and I loved that she never let anyone get away with being rude to her.
- The magic in this book is revealed so wonderfully, starting off shiny and sunlit and turning dark and urgent. The small town it's set in is also feels quite real for how short the book is.
- I loved that Lydia and Eden weren't always a perfect, meant to be match: they have misunderstandings and arguments, and they have to learn to work together.
- It's just so cute, I don't know what else to say, haha. Perfect for if you're looking for a book to devour in a weekend, or have a young person in your life who could use a queernorm fantasy to dive into. 

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challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad slow-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

Thanks to Books Forward PR for the free advance copy of this book. 

- THE ONES WE'RE MEANT TO FIND is a beautiful, big sci-fi story about family and humanity that went places I didn't expect and took turns I didn't see coming.
- I can't discuss too many details without giving things away, but it's one of those books where when the perspective switches you're both not ready to leave the character you're with and excited to get back to the other one. Cee and Kay are both so compelling in diametrically opposed ways.
- The author wrote such an incredible sense of unease into every page, and yet I could not stop reading.
- Basically, I need everyone to read this and to report back to me when things get twisty. 

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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