This is The Feel Bad Read, good fucking god. It’s absolutely devastating start to finish, but that last 20% is something else. Absolutely something else. Bleak from page one, and bleaker by the last page. 

I LOVED this book. Loved. This is everything, in my opinion, that Deathless by Catherynne Valente wanted to be but fell short of. It is a vibrant, vibrant historical fantasy set in 14th century Northern Russia and it’s absolutely amazing. The characters have so much depth and so much emotion, and the setting is rich and beautiful. Vasya was an amazing protagonist, and the cast of supporting characters were absolutely excellent. I’ll be starting the second book in this trilogy asap. 

The pacing in this book was a little funky — however, an EXCELLENTLY suspenseful build. The last sentence of this novel is like an absolute punch to the gut, but unfortunately does leave you wanting about 100 pages that you’re never going to get. Another sickening novel about motherhood, almost in the realm of Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder. 

I actually adored this book. It was short but sweet, with the writing style perfectly matching the whimsy of a faerie world that she’s trying to express. A fantastic quick read. 

For me, this book was a slog. If you like a charcater-based, introspective book that’s an allegory more than it is a plot, you will absolutely love this. It was very well-written, just decidedly not my cup of tea. I wanted more monsters and less… whatever this was making a statement about grief. 

This was fun! It didn’t blow me out of the water, but it was enjoyable, and gave me a very pleasant twist on the Romeo and Juliet story. 

The first 75% of this book was absolutely heart wrenching and beautiful, but the last quarter fell a little flat. The prose was still stunning, however, and I love a tale of human resilience, kindness, and compassion. Honestly, this book really moved me, start to finish, and was quite stunning, even if the ending fell a little flat. 

I actually really enjoyed this? Is it my favorite read in the world - no. But was it a hilarious, fun, gross, disturbing romp through cosmic horror? Yeah, and it was just a damn good time. Definitely recommend if you’re not squeamish and looking for something fun and a little different. 

I adored this little novella more than I can put to words. Wolves have been one of my favorite animals since I was a little kid, and this book managed to capture both the beauty of them and the harsh reality that many packs are facing; not only are they facing human expansion, but also human exploitation. Our main character here, Sean, is unable to break the cycle even herself, even after the worst happens, and it made me literally sick. I don’t think I’ve cried this hard over a novella before, how futile while simultaneously beautiful it was. Jesus, this was a tough read, but a great one. 

I unexpectedly enjoys this. I’m not a huge sci-fi fan, typically, but this was a STUNNING book. A little hard to understand, at first, but once you settle into it, Red and Blue absolutely grip you with their story. Highly recommend going in blind, because it’s better than I ever could’ve hoped.