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eloise_bradbooks's Reviews (801)
4.5 ~ Baaaaah all my feels are all over the place. I carrrrre. I care about these people so much. I want them to be happy but there's so much hardness and darkness will it ever be possible?
Also, that side story about the King and his Assassin who fall in love had me in pieces. I NEED A WHOLE TRILOGY ABOUT THOSE BOYS.
Also, that side story about the King and his Assassin who fall in love had me in pieces. I NEED A WHOLE TRILOGY ABOUT THOSE BOYS.
Ugh. Shaun David Hutchinson knows how to make me laugh and cry and be entertained.
His stories are always so unique, with this weird tiny scifi element that you really would never expect. And it's always kinda comical, but it's always full of heartfelt moments that shake my heart.
This one is no exception.
The subject spoke to me in a personal level and yet I only cried like... 5 times. Definitely feels like a more upbeat fun book. As SDH said on Twitter, it's about time we read and write about queer characters that doesn't automatically deal with depression or the end of the world.
His stories are always so unique, with this weird tiny scifi element that you really would never expect. And it's always kinda comical, but it's always full of heartfelt moments that shake my heart.
This one is no exception.
The subject spoke to me in a personal level and yet I only cried like... 5 times. Definitely feels like a more upbeat fun book. As SDH said on Twitter, it's about time we read and write about queer characters that doesn't automatically deal with depression or the end of the world.
80 pages was not long enough to make this story live up to the potential that it had.
Suki Fleet's signature move is making us feel ALL THE FEELS thanks to broken people finding homes with each other (my absolute fave trope). And this story is no different. Here however, Xavi reminds us regularly that he and Sam don't actually know each other that much, they almost never talk about themselves... For me this causes a disconnect. How can they love each other this intensely if they don't actually know each other? So, despite making me feel the intense belonging these boys experience, I wasn't as into it as I could have been if they'd spent more time making sure they knew each other.
The shortness also made for patchy connexion at times, paragraphs that didn't flow as well as Suki's other stories usually do.
Suki Fleet's signature move is making us feel ALL THE FEELS thanks to broken people finding homes with each other (my absolute fave trope). And this story is no different. Here however, Xavi reminds us regularly that he and Sam don't actually know each other that much, they almost never talk about themselves... For me this causes a disconnect. How can they love each other this intensely if they don't actually know each other? So, despite making me feel the intense belonging these boys experience, I wasn't as into it as I could have been if they'd spent more time making sure they knew each other.
The shortness also made for patchy connexion at times, paragraphs that didn't flow as well as Suki's other stories usually do.
This book has very different vibes from the Stranger Things show, but that does not mean it is bad.
It really reads as a YA novel, set in 1970 but with a very contemporary writing style (which can sometimes seem a little odd but you can easily look past it). You can definitely read this without having seen the show but of course the Stranger Things fans will love the nods to the show.
What I loved the most was that this is the story of a group of young adults who care for one another deeply (yes, found families, my fave trope).
I also really appreciated the implecations of the story being set in 1970, when these kids were likely to be sent off to fight in the Vietnam War. It isn't a subject i've ever come across in YA novels, let alone ones whose main subject is something completely apart from that.
These kids are dealing with exams, love lives (i ship), a corporation doing weird dubious stuff to them and monsters and visions and powers, but ultimately... it is about kids having to deal with the reality of life as a young adult in 1970.
It was actually refreshing.
It really reads as a YA novel, set in 1970 but with a very contemporary writing style (which can sometimes seem a little odd but you can easily look past it). You can definitely read this without having seen the show but of course the Stranger Things fans will love the nods to the show.
What I loved the most was that this is the story of a group of young adults who care for one another deeply (yes, found families, my fave trope).
I also really appreciated the implecations of the story being set in 1970, when these kids were likely to be sent off to fight in the Vietnam War. It isn't a subject i've ever come across in YA novels, let alone ones whose main subject is something completely apart from that.
These kids are dealing with exams, love lives (i ship), a corporation doing weird dubious stuff to them and monsters and visions and powers, but ultimately... it is about kids having to deal with the reality of life as a young adult in 1970.
It was actually refreshing.
Your typical (predictable) angsty Adult (though the characters were 45 they almost sounded like young adults) m/m romance with a very nice family element too.
Kudos for having a trans main character, which allowed part of the story to focus on a very positive trans guy sex life and various other topics we don't often see.
Kudos for having a trans main character, which allowed part of the story to focus on a very positive trans guy sex life and various other topics we don't often see.
Some books creep up on you, you don't realise how much you love them until you've put them down and realise you've swallowed them in one gulp.
Some books feel like a blanket, they warm you up so much you feel safe in them.
Some books punch you you in the gut until you cry from pain.
This book did all those things.
Some books feel like a blanket, they warm you up so much you feel safe in them.
Some books punch you you in the gut until you cry from pain.
This book did all those things.
"Haven't you heard? There are monsters in the sea."
Altogether, this was a nice read.
I liked the aspects of fandom, online friendships and talks about anxiety and loss. Also, the cover is gorgeous.
What I didn't like, sadly, was the main character. You'd think a girl who isn't very social, only has online friends and fictional characters as escape routes, would be amazingly relatable for quite a few of us introverted anxious bookworms. And yet I couldn't get on Eliza's side. Most of the time I found her stubborn, self centered and a little ungrateful.
I absolutely loved her family. Her parents love her so much but they get blamed and insulted for trying to show that they care.
Her brothers could have very interesting stories but Eliza just doesn't care.
Even Wallace, lovely adorable Wallace, doesn't get the respect and attention he deserves from her (mostly).
I guess this book is meant to critique this. It shows that she is so self absorbed that "monsters" aren't only growing in her made up stories, but also in her own head.
Now that was nicely done.
It does, however, make her difficult to like for most of the book.
Altogether, this was a nice read.
I liked the aspects of fandom, online friendships and talks about anxiety and loss. Also, the cover is gorgeous.
What I didn't like, sadly, was the main character. You'd think a girl who isn't very social, only has online friends and fictional characters as escape routes, would be amazingly relatable for quite a few of us introverted anxious bookworms. And yet I couldn't get on Eliza's side. Most of the time I found her stubborn, self centered and a little ungrateful.
I absolutely loved her family. Her parents love her so much but they get blamed and insulted for trying to show that they care.
Her brothers could have very interesting stories but Eliza just doesn't care.
Even Wallace, lovely adorable Wallace, doesn't get the respect and attention he deserves from her (mostly).
I guess this book is meant to critique this. It shows that she is so self absorbed that "monsters" aren't only growing in her made up stories, but also in her own head.
Now that was nicely done.
It does, however, make her difficult to like for most of the book.
2019 reread: Look, this book means the world to me.
Rarely have I found parts of me I didn't know existed... in a book. I see myself in Frances, I see myself in Aled, in ways I'd rarely ever seen before. Their friendship is absolutely perfect, they invented the term platonic soulmates.
I love the characters so dearly, I want to protect them with every ounce of my body.
As always, Alice Oseman just gets us.
This book, clearly, is a favourite (I might even say my absolute favourite).
Rarely have I found parts of me I didn't know existed... in a book. I see myself in Frances, I see myself in Aled, in ways I'd rarely ever seen before. Their friendship is absolutely perfect, they invented the term platonic soulmates.
I love the characters so dearly, I want to protect them with every ounce of my body.
As always, Alice Oseman just gets us.
This book, clearly, is a favourite (I might even say my absolute favourite).
Some books feel like they're just... on another level.. Like every other book i've given 5 stars to deserves to be knocked down cause this one book deserves... MORE.
We got so much in this one book, i can not wait to see how we can get more action, more world building, more character growth and more gutwrenching moments.
Bring. It. On.
We got so much in this one book, i can not wait to see how we can get more action, more world building, more character growth and more gutwrenching moments.
Bring. It. On.