TW for the book include: homophobia, implied transphobia, misogyny, talk of domestic abuse

So I want to start by saying I don't necessarily think this is a bad book. I like that there's a not-so-serious book about young women learning to fight for themselves and others. I like that there were a lot of different kinds of young women in the story. It's just that it all felt very... heavy handed. The story isn't subtle and the plot devices are equally not subtle. I understand the point of the book, I even understand the choice not to beat around the bush regarding the themes. It's only that it was so unsubtle that every single plot beat was easy to predict so nothing ever felt genuine. I know it is a work of fiction so to say it felt "scripted" would be a little on the nose but it just all felt neat in a way that made it unrealistic and jarring.

I've loved this authors works before and I did still enjoy this one, it's just not quiet what I wanted it to be. I wish there was more surprises to it, I wish some of the secondary characters had more growth. But I like how ultimately hopeful it was and I liked that it was unapologetic in its support of all women, not just ciswomen.

Oh WOW. This is an incredible work of poetry that really stand out as unique and beautiful. There is a lot of stand out poems but every single one is fantastic. This is the kind of poetry book that I intend to buy so that I can mark up and pass on to others. I'm going to be thinking about these poems for a long time. 

Some of these poems were great but most of them were just not at all my thing. I'm aware that I'm very picky about my poetry so take this review with a grain of salt. I mostly just found a lot of this to be mediocre work, the kind that you'd find in a beginning poetry class. It isn't that it is horrible, it's perfectly passable poetry. It is just nothing extraordinary, nothing new. Some of the poems were thought provoking and others simply weren't. 

TW: body horror

This book spins a lot of plates but it does so beautifully. A mix of epistolary and first person, it jumps heavily back and forth in time. If you are willing to take the time to read it carefully it really pays off. Who knew decopunk was my aesthetic??????

TW: era typical racism, sickness/death, neurodivergent character, abuse of neurodivergent person, torture

This is one of those books I've been reading to read for awhile now. A thoughtful and age appropriate story of a young slave woman at the beginning of the American Revolution, the story asks readers to be mindful of the "good" vs "bad narrative of the war we've been taught. It shows how, for a slave, both sides had equal stake in your person-hood (or lack there of). It is a part of history that tends to be taught a certain way and I am grateful this book exists to show the more nuanced side of it to young readers. It is not nearly as heavy as it could be considering the subject matter but it does still have some very dark moments. I would recommend reading it with your child to be able to answer any questions or concerns they might have. 

TW: Self-Harm, Suicide, Religious Persecution, Racism

Add this to the pile of books that, having read, will mean I'm never going to be allowed back into Mainland China. This is mostly a history of a small but infamous Tibetan town but also the history of the conflict between Tibetan and The People's Republic of China. It is well researched, relying on refugee oral stories as well as heavily researched first hand accounts. It is the sort of book that brings into stark reality the trials of a people who have been forced to give up their language, culture and religion for the sake of a government that does not care about their well being and that will do whatever it takes to make it seem like things are perfectly alright in Tibet. This book is particularly important now with the increasingly horrible situation in Hong Kong. While we fight and stand with Hong Kong, we might be tempted to forget that Tibet is also working against these same forces.

This book is deeply difficult to read. It's the kind of book that is going to stay with me for a long, long time. I'm aware that besides vocal support, there isn't a whole lot someone like me could do to help the Tibetan cause. But it is also a dark reminder that there is always a chance that it could happen to anyone, anywhere. 

TW: slavery, non-consensual/dubious consensual sex, rape, underage sex (implied, not seen)

I know I've made the TW's make this seem like a serious novel. In realty, I think I've read this a total of three times because I keep coming back to these complex and deep characters. I love watching them grow, I love watching them come to understand each other, I love the message of the story because it seems to be "just because you don't see the problems in your society doesn't mean they aren't there." This book has its flaws but despite them I just... cannot help but love it. 

Talking with my coworker C.J. about how much I love Collins made me want to revisit some of his work. I grew up reading his poems and his poetry has heavily influenced my tastes. A great mix of funny and poignant, these poems are a great primer for the poet. I love reading them, they fill me up with so much hope always. A great read, even though some of these poems are almost 20 years old. 

TW: racism (should go without saying but there we are), body horror, violence against women.

I was expecting this to be good and OH BOY was I not mistaken. This book is a series of connected short stories that bring in classic horror tropes to the Jim Crow era. It is apologetically critical of white culture and racism while also being a really good and really spooky story. The characters each have such unique personalities and each of their stories does a great job of showing them. I haven't watched the show yet but with such great source material in the hands of people like Jordan Peele I am sure it's equally amazing.