howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)

 This was one of those graphic novels that I might have never reached for if I hadn't just seen it at my local library and grabbed it on a whim, but WOW, I'm so glad that I did! I want to read more from this author right away because I enjoyed this so much. The characters, art, and story were all absolutely captivating and so endearing. I loved the idea of these sentient sea creatures figuring out how to live on land via an old diving suit, and I was on the edge of my seat worried for them and Sophia. Highly recommending this one!
 

 This book broke my heart, but I am so glad I read it. Omar's story moved me to tears more than once, even though I knew a happy ending must be on its way, because there are so many kids who have been in his shoes and didn't get happy endings. I imagine this one is going to be on my mind for a long time to come.
 

 Look, I'm sorry, I just... I think I've reached the age where I can't deal with whiny YA protagonists anymore.

Don't get me wrong: I'm 30, it's not like I'm the target demographic anymore, so it's fine - it just bums me out! 

 

Trista Mateer has been cemented as a favorite poet for me, thanks to this collection. A mix of poetry and multimedia art, Artemis Made Me Do It takes life experiences for so many women—harassment, assault, insecurity, toxic relationships, having her queerness questioned and erased—and melds them with the infamous tale of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

There is so much pain, and grief, and anger, and vengeance in these poems, and it both soothed and stoked the flames of a primal rage that I, like so many others, live with every day. Have you ever tried to review a piece of media that hit so close to home, you can't fully express your thoughts on it without flaying yourself raw, too? That's how I'm feeling right now.

If you enjoy angry, emotional poetry with a focus on trauma, grief, and healing, this is for you. If you enjoy feminist rants and a fiery need for a better world, this is for you. If you enjoy tales of deities, both kind and unkind, and the ways in which their stories still continue to shape the world around us and how we view it, this is for you. I adored this collection and cannot possibly recommend it highly enough.

✨ Representation: queerness, sapphic relationships 

 Maybe it's partially due to the times we live in and the way things are looking with artificial intelligence and "super-intelligence" right now, but this story was incredibly unsettling and I really enjoyed it. I'm someone who is both horrified and mesmerized by the idea of the "Matrix" and the concept that our human lives are simulations, controlled by some more evolved entity, and this book touched on that quite a bit (no spoilers, just in conversations between the narrator and the AI) and it made me sweat a little! I really enjoyed the protagonist, flaws and all, and loved the AI. This was my first taste of Blake Crouch's writing and I already can see why he's so popular.

✨ Representation: Riley is queer and married to another woman; "Max" uses they/them pronouns 

 This was a pretty interesting concept! I love alien body-snatcher types of stories anyways, as they've freaked me out ever since I was a kid, but I don't think I've ever read one where the alien could only take over a specific body part like this. I did find myself getting a little bored from time to time between the more action-heavy scenes, but I was into it enough that I'll probably continue the series!
 

 This was my first book of Irby's after having a lot of friends recommend her books to me for years, and I had a pretty good time with it! I definitely feel like I benefited from listening to the audiobook, and if she narrated her other books too, that's the format I'll choose for those as well.

I'm not sure if I would have finished this book if it weren't for Irby's engaging narration. While there were several moments that made me smile or even chuckle a little, they were all at the very beginning of the book, and then most of the following essays kind of lost my interest. I'll most likely check out another of her books to see if it was just an issue with this one, but I was a little let down. I'm hoping it's just an issue with Quietly Hostile because Irby strikes me as the kind of author I want to love, so hopefully the next one will be a better fit for me!

Thank you to the publisher and LibroFM for the audio review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Representation: the author is fat, disabled, chronically ill, Black, and queer
 

 

First things first: when people told me this was one of the most queer classics, I expected subtext, but what I got was full-on dark sapphic romance that enraptured me more thoroughly than most of the sapphic passions I've read from this century. This is just as much a gothic romance as it is a horror classic, and I was in awe from cover to cover.

Carmilla also amazed me in the fact that, despite having spent my entire life being more fascinated by vampires than afraid of them (in fact, I don't believe any vampire tale has ever unsettled me until now), there were scenes in this book that had me literally peeking over my shoulder while listening to the audiobook at night. Carmilla is a force to be reckoned with and I adored the terrifying manifestation of her in those darkest moments.

Whether you are a horror fan, a gothic romance lover, or simply enjoy a good vampire tale, I'll echo the many voices who have claimed Carmilla as a must-read. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jodie Harris and thought the narrative was simply perfect — 5 stars all the way around.

✨ Representation: sapphic romance