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howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)
Note: All of this is coming from my cis perspective. I can only do the best that I know how to do, but if you are a trans individual who disagrees with my perspective, or if you have an own-voice review for this book, please let me know in the comments and I would love to help boost your voice!
There are some minor spoilers ahead, because I couldn't discuss all of the problems I had with this book without them.
Content warnings: suicide, self harm, abuse, transphobia, mental illness, homophobia, pedophilia.
Miles Away From You tells the story of Miles, who is grieving the loss of his girlfriend, Vivian, after she attempted suicide. He documents his grief, as well as his attempt at healing via a summer trip to Iceland, through instant messages to Vivian's abandoned social media account. She's been on life support for a year and a half, and Miles' greatest frustration is the fact that he wants her to be taken off of life support and allowed to rest; meanwhile, her religious, transphobic parents refuse to pull the plug.
Off the bat, the book struggles from White Savior Complex: Miles and his accepting, lovely mothers are all white, while Vivian's transphobic, abusive parents are black. Vivian and her parents are the only characters of color in a book saturated with white people. (While Miles does let us know that he's got a small fraction of Cherokee heritage, it's made pretty evident that he is, for all intents and purpose, white-passing.)
On top of that, Vivian herself is not presented as a likable character. There's actually a line in the book where Miles is "talking" to Vivian and says that she constantly did scary or cruel things to shock him, just so she could be sure he cared. This is emotional abuse, and while it's brought up very quickly, it is never addressed, and our trans character is not painted in a good light at all.
Meanwhile, the bulk of the story is less about Miles' grief, and more about his adventures in Iceland and his determination to get laid. He's pan/demi, but spend most of the book pursuing sex with women in a manner, and with a mindset, that felt really objectifying and gross. All of the women in this story, besides his mother and Vivian, seem to only exist to serve Miles' sexual fantasies. He does eventually pursue a meaningful relationship with a gay man, and the love interest's character was the only genuinely enjoyable part of the story for me.
The LI is surprisingly three-dimensional: we meet his family (including his abusive and homophobic father), and watch him overcome an abusive and controlling relationship with a pedophile. (Of course, one of the only TWO gay men in this book is a pedophile, so there's also some furthering of that trash stereotype.) The moments we spent with this character were the only times I was able to connect to the story, though even those exchanges were typically laced with annoyance. Miles felt the need to endlessly make fun of the love interest, whether it was out loud or in his own head (remarks about the man's appearance, style, hair, accent, etc.). All of this grew old fast, when coupled with Miles' seeming disregard for Icelandic culture and customs in general (most of which were not painted in a very kind light - are you seeing a theme?).
Finally, one of the biggest issues I had with this book: Vivian's incredibly slow, drawn-out death. Her suicide is a vehicle for Miles' story, rather than being depicted as the genuine tragedy it is. When she finally passed away, her parents dead-named her headstone, and it was such a low blow! The thought of an unsuspecting trans kid picking this book up and reading this feels so bad to me, and makes me wish I could keep this story from ever hurting anyone. If it felt this bad to me, as a cis person with cis privileges, I can't fathom how harmful Miles Away From You could be for a trans individual.
Thank you to HMH Books for Young Readers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
There are some minor spoilers ahead, because I couldn't discuss all of the problems I had with this book without them.
Content warnings: suicide, self harm, abuse, transphobia, mental illness, homophobia, pedophilia.
Miles Away From You tells the story of Miles, who is grieving the loss of his girlfriend, Vivian, after she attempted suicide. He documents his grief, as well as his attempt at healing via a summer trip to Iceland, through instant messages to Vivian's abandoned social media account. She's been on life support for a year and a half, and Miles' greatest frustration is the fact that he wants her to be taken off of life support and allowed to rest; meanwhile, her religious, transphobic parents refuse to pull the plug.
Off the bat, the book struggles from White Savior Complex: Miles and his accepting, lovely mothers are all white, while Vivian's transphobic, abusive parents are black. Vivian and her parents are the only characters of color in a book saturated with white people. (While Miles does let us know that he's got a small fraction of Cherokee heritage, it's made pretty evident that he is, for all intents and purpose, white-passing.)
On top of that, Vivian herself is not presented as a likable character. There's actually a line in the book where Miles is "talking" to Vivian and says that she constantly did scary or cruel things to shock him, just so she could be sure he cared. This is emotional abuse, and while it's brought up very quickly, it is never addressed, and our trans character is not painted in a good light at all.
Meanwhile, the bulk of the story is less about Miles' grief, and more about his adventures in Iceland and his determination to get laid. He's pan/demi, but spend most of the book pursuing sex with women in a manner, and with a mindset, that felt really objectifying and gross. All of the women in this story, besides his mother and Vivian, seem to only exist to serve Miles' sexual fantasies. He does eventually pursue a meaningful relationship with a gay man, and the love interest's character was the only genuinely enjoyable part of the story for me.
The LI is surprisingly three-dimensional: we meet his family (including his abusive and homophobic father), and watch him overcome an abusive and controlling relationship with a pedophile. (Of course, one of the only TWO gay men in this book is a pedophile, so there's also some furthering of that trash stereotype.) The moments we spent with this character were the only times I was able to connect to the story, though even those exchanges were typically laced with annoyance. Miles felt the need to endlessly make fun of the love interest, whether it was out loud or in his own head (remarks about the man's appearance, style, hair, accent, etc.). All of this grew old fast, when coupled with Miles' seeming disregard for Icelandic culture and customs in general (most of which were not painted in a very kind light - are you seeing a theme?).
Finally, one of the biggest issues I had with this book: Vivian's incredibly slow, drawn-out death. Her suicide is a vehicle for Miles' story, rather than being depicted as the genuine tragedy it is. When she finally passed away, her parents dead-named her headstone, and it was such a low blow! The thought of an unsuspecting trans kid picking this book up and reading this feels so bad to me, and makes me wish I could keep this story from ever hurting anyone. If it felt this bad to me, as a cis person with cis privileges, I can't fathom how harmful Miles Away From You could be for a trans individual.
Thank you to HMH Books for Young Readers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
The Creeps, in a nutshell, is an illustrated compilation of user-submitted fears, put into an artistic format. Fran takes users' fears and puts them into these little panels that are so easy to relate to, it's ridiculous. I couldn't help but laugh at a few of them because they just sounded so familiar! Meanwhile, there were some that surprised even me - either because they were so far-fetched I couldn't help but smile, or because they were so understandable that it made me wonder why it had never crossed my mind. The art is cutesy and watercolor-esque, and I just think this would be such a fun, slightly spooky read for anyone who enjoys comics or graphic novels.
I was lucky enough - and very grateful - to be provided with an eARC of this from NetGalley and Ten Speed Press, as well as a beautiful finished copy from Blogging For Books, in exchange for an honest review!
I was lucky enough - and very grateful - to be provided with an eARC of this from NetGalley and Ten Speed Press, as well as a beautiful finished copy from Blogging For Books, in exchange for an honest review!
I love any sort of book that caters to my feminist side (which, if we're being honest, is all of me?), and I also am a slight sports fan, so when I saw this book, I had to grab a copy! I've heard good things about this book's predecessor, "Women in Science", and while I haven't read that one, I can safely say that I LOVED this book. I'm not much of a non-fiction reader, so reading anything educational honestly usually requires something special added in the mix, and this book absolutely has that, between how easy to read it is and how adorable the illustrations are.
I learned so much about so many awesome female athletes and was reminded of how incredible and EQUAL we women genuinely are (in every way, no matter what society says!). I can see myself recommending this title to so many friends and family members, and cannot wait until my son is old enough for me to read this with him and to teach him about incredible women in sports.
Thank you so much to Blogging For Books for sending me a stunning finished copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I learned so much about so many awesome female athletes and was reminded of how incredible and EQUAL we women genuinely are (in every way, no matter what society says!). I can see myself recommending this title to so many friends and family members, and cannot wait until my son is old enough for me to read this with him and to teach him about incredible women in sports.
Thank you so much to Blogging For Books for sending me a stunning finished copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I'm not really sure what I expected, but this is, in a nutshell, a man's homage to his love for his wife. It's sweet and cute, but nothing I would ever purchase if I picked it up in a bookstore.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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It's been a while since I've picked up any of the Phoebe and Her Unicorn books, but this one is unique in that, rather than a set of separate comic panels, it's actually a graphic novel!
Phoebe and Marigold have yet another adventure ahead of them, but in this story, a mysterious storm has struck their town, taking with it not only the electricity (and the wi-fi - gasp), but also the ambient magic. Poor Marigold is without her powers, which simply won't do, so the duo decides to hunt down what could be causing such a bizarre turn of events.
As always, Phoebe and Marigold are absolutely adorable, but my favorite part of this volume was the goblins! They're hilarious, gross, little green guys, and they were such a fun addition. Also, there's a dragon, as there should be in essentially every story.
BLART.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Phoebe and Marigold have yet another adventure ahead of them, but in this story, a mysterious storm has struck their town, taking with it not only the electricity (and the wi-fi - gasp), but also the ambient magic. Poor Marigold is without her powers, which simply won't do, so the duo decides to hunt down what could be causing such a bizarre turn of events.
As always, Phoebe and Marigold are absolutely adorable, but my favorite part of this volume was the goblins! They're hilarious, gross, little green guys, and they were such a fun addition. Also, there's a dragon, as there should be in essentially every story.
BLART.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Cute little cartoon cats performing superhero antics and saving the day? I mean, I was sold on that synopsis right away, but honestly... this was super boring. I love children's and middle grade books, partially because they tend to be so fun and whimsical, but I felt like this graphic novel took what could have been a perfect plot and just left it at kind of... "meh."
Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I absolutely loved Nancy Drew as a kid; while I was never a big fan of The Hardy Boys, I always enjoyed their crossover stories. Naturally, when I saw this ARC on netgalley, I was pretty eager to check it out, and once I heard that it was an edgy, modern take on the old gang, I thought for sure this would be a delightful trip down memory lane for me.
Sadly, I was mistaken. The artwork in this is muddy, dull, and dated; while a fan of classic comics may enjoy it, it wasn't for me in the slightest. The storyline was boring and I had a hard time believing any of it or attaching myself to any of the characters. I'd say that there's a chance I've just outgrown Nancy Drew, but just as likely, I think this graphic novel was a bust for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Sadly, I was mistaken. The artwork in this is muddy, dull, and dated; while a fan of classic comics may enjoy it, it wasn't for me in the slightest. The storyline was boring and I had a hard time believing any of it or attaching myself to any of the characters. I'd say that there's a chance I've just outgrown Nancy Drew, but just as likely, I think this graphic novel was a bust for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
My word, this book is, first and foremost, STUNNING. The artwork is by far the loveliest I have ever seen in a nonfiction title. Even if you aren't interested in the stars and learning about constellations, I cannot recommend this book enough as a "coffee table" book - one of those that you pick up just to leave sitting out like interactive artwork, because your guests will pick it up, and "oooh" and "ahhh" and positively rave about it.
On to the actual content of the book, if you're at all interested in learning about the stars and space, this would be a great, easy introduction to the topic. Not only are there illustrations of each constellation, but there are also tidbits of history, as well as tips on how to find the brightest star in each one and locate that specific constellation. I learned so much and it made me really eager for the next clear night sky, so that I can go somewhere plenty dark and try to find some of the new stars I learned about!
Thank you so much to Blogging For Books for providing me with this incredible finished copy in exchange for my honest review!
On to the actual content of the book, if you're at all interested in learning about the stars and space, this would be a great, easy introduction to the topic. Not only are there illustrations of each constellation, but there are also tidbits of history, as well as tips on how to find the brightest star in each one and locate that specific constellation. I learned so much and it made me really eager for the next clear night sky, so that I can go somewhere plenty dark and try to find some of the new stars I learned about!
Thank you so much to Blogging For Books for providing me with this incredible finished copy in exchange for my honest review!
A graphic novel about Santa's daughter and the Yeti princess becoming a butt-kicking duo, complete with dragons and Krampus and other mythical creatures? Yes, please! This book is super adorable and has a really charming, whimsical holiday feel to it that definitely made me a little more excited for cold weather and Christmas trees!
That said, there was one major issue I had with this graphic novel: the endless bickering between the two girls. At first, it looked like they might be quick pals (or more - I'm so dying to see more LGBTQ+ rep in middle grade books!), but Holly (Santa's daughter) spent the majority of the book belittling and making fun of Frostina (the Yeti princess) for being furry and large. I kept thinking, "Really? The subplot is... Santa's daughter bullying another girl for being furry?" I sincerely hope the author will rethink the girls' relationship before continuing the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Action Lab Entertainment for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
That said, there was one major issue I had with this graphic novel: the endless bickering between the two girls. At first, it looked like they might be quick pals (or more - I'm so dying to see more LGBTQ+ rep in middle grade books!), but Holly (Santa's daughter) spent the majority of the book belittling and making fun of Frostina (the Yeti princess) for being furry and large. I kept thinking, "Really? The subplot is... Santa's daughter bullying another girl for being furry?" I sincerely hope the author will rethink the girls' relationship before continuing the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Action Lab Entertainment for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
#1 Vol 1 ★★★★★
#2 Vol 2 ★★★★☆
Babyteeth is the story of a sixteen-year-old girl who's become a new mother. She has a wonderful support system, but being a teen mom is hard enough without your baby being the antichrist.
This is a horror graphic novel, but it's also a story of family and motherhood. Despite the oddity of her circumstances, Sadie is such a lovable main character. She cherishes her little one more than anything from the start. Her family is so delightful, from her ex-Marine father to her ass-kicking, drug-selling big sister. I honestly loved these characters to death, and can't wait to see where the story takes them.
Thank you to Aftershock Comics for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!