essjay's Reviews (635)

I wish Skottie Young was still drawing this, but once I adjusted to the new art, I had a great time with it. 

Holy mother of fluff, I love I Hate Fairyland. It has literally everything I love. 

I only just learned that there is MORE, so I'm re-reading the original run and it's everything I remember it being. 

Most of these stories were familiar enough from a childhood obsession with Andrew Lang (and also general pop cultural knowledge). Hard for me to read for long stretches, but good in small doses. 

I think I liked this a little more than Last Ones Left Alive, but only just. There were some sections that were particularly creepy and well written, that left me with that feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach that not much manages to evoke. I do feel the ending to this one is far stronger than the first, and would likely read more stories set in this particular post-apocalyptic Ireland. 

What a complete and utter clusterfuck of a book this was. I should have quit in the first chapter when the white 15y/o wanted to trade some dreamcatchers that he'd made. I should have quit a few chapters in when (after establishing in the first few pages that Wranglestone is in Montana) it's mentioned that Yellowstone is a few days north, even though that's fucking Impossible If you're in Montana. I should have quit shortly after that when a bear had sweat dripping down its face, despite the fact that bears don't have sweat glands. I should have quit at about the halfway point when a woman was apparently given a perm with fire heated tongs, despite the fact that that's not how perms work? And she somehow had mascara to apply 15 years after mascara has stopped being manufactured? Or when the book suddenly became a metaphor for the slave trade (wtf) despite the all white cast of characters. Half the time I felt like I was skimming bc shit made no sense, and then I'd go back to figure out wtf I'd missed, BUT I HAD MISSED NOTHING, IT JUST DIDN'T ACTUALLY MAKE ANY FUCKING SENSE. I don't understand the ending (or when Wranglestone is finally described as being between Grand Teton and Yellowstone [which would put it firmly in Wyoming] and somehow still only 300 miles south of Glacier, when Yellowstone is further away than that). Anyway, fuck this bullshit book. 

So worth the 14y wait. Wonderful to be back with Eddie and Jane and the rest of East Carmine. Based on this ending, I feel like there's no longer any call for a third book (unless Fforde decides to write the prequel he was talking about years ago). I'm sad it's over, but looking forward to re-reading. 

Much like Devil's Wake, this took a bit to get going, but once it did I could not put it down. Sad that it looks like the final installment isn't going to happen bc I'd really like to know what happens next. 

Really thoughtful take on the zombpocalypse and how fat bodies are viewed as disposable. Had my heart racing a few times, which happens so infrequently with zombie fiction that it's definitely notable.  Probably would have given another half star if the ending hadn't just kind of happened.  

I really wanted to like this, but struggled with the switch from first person present to third person past every chapter, and didn't find the .mystery all that engaging.  

I'm not going to rate this bc I honestly had no idea what was happening for the majority of it. I really only read it bc I needed a pink superhero. I do not give a single fuck about the greater MCU (other than the movies and shows that I watch with my kids) AND YET...I'm going to keep reading? It was genuinely compelling and p funny and I dug the art.