howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)

 What an incredible, heartbreaking read. I was almost completely unfamiliar with these terrible circumstances, and this was so eye-opening. I consider myself generally pessimistic regarding the government and big businesses, but I don't think I had ever properly recognized just how cruel humans can be when there's a paycheck involved.

Kate Moore did a brilliant job documenting these women's lives and the pains they went through, not only with their health issues and young deaths, but also with their legal battles and the ways they were constantly dismissed, berated, and abused by lawyers and radium businessmen. Moore managed to take a miserable, shocking tale and turn it into a celebration of how beautiful and strong these women were and how much we owe them today, regarding how their fights would go on to shape not only the radium industry, but also workplace health standards in general.

This is a book that I believe everyone should read, especially people living here in the US, and most of all, anyone who believes that big businesses have our best interests at heart. The Radium Girls is a book that's going to stick with me for a long time to come and is certainly a new favorite nonfiction title that I'll be recommending to anyone and everyone who hasn't picked it up yet. 

 Having sung the praises of AHB's MG and YA titles for so many years now, nobody is more disappointed than me to say that this book was a struggle. I actually set it aside 50pg in the first time I tried reading it, and had to pick it back up with an audiobook to force myself past the first few chapters because I disliked Delilah's character so much. Thankfully, the audiobook narrator was fantastic and I gradually was drawn in enough to give the story a solid chance.

In the end, Delilah slowly redeemed herself a little bit for me, but it took a very long time to get there and I still wasn't a huge fan by the time I reached the last page. I typically LOVE prickly, unlikable protagonists, but Delilah's particular flavor of attitude was so petty and self-centered that I had a hard time working past it. I will admit that I felt a lot of empathy for her unresolved traumas and I loved watching her bond with Ruby and play pranks on Astrid's disgusting groom-to-be, but I spent most of the book wishing I could tell her to grow up.

All of that said, I thought Delilah and Claire had a lot of chemistry, and I actually loved Astrid's character from the start, so I'm very eager to read the next book and see her get the love she deserves. AHB's narrative voice is engaging and fun, and I can see why so many people loved this book. I'm sad that I wasn't one of them, but I have high hopes for the sequel!

I read a final copy I purchased myself, but for the sake of disclosure, I was also sent an early review copy by the author/publisher. All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Representation: several sapphic (lesbian and bi) characters, one very minor side character uses they/them pronouns 

 If you had told me before reading this book that anyone could take my favorite Edgar Allan Poe story, a story I've carried in my heart for probably 25 years (at least), that so broadly shaped my interests in horror, and somehow make it even better... I don't think I would have believed you — and yet, here we are.

This was incredible and I'm going to be singing its praises for a long, long time. Full review to come. 

 The Graveyard Book in its original form is a book that I loved tremendously and think about all the time, so I decided I'd finally get around to checking out the graphic novel adaptation! While it definitely doesn't function as a full substitute for the original book, if you've read the novel and enjoyed it, I highly recommend checking this out as an addition to it. It lacks a great deal of the heart and charm of the original story, as is the usual case for adaptations like this (after all, there's only so much you can pack in!), but it's still a lot of fun and covers the important bases of the plot! I do wish the art had been a little more whimsical and fun to go along with the story, though.
 

 That was incredible. I think I may have enjoyed this one even more than the first book, and wow, I am SO READY to read the finale! Full review coming soon!

 

 This was incredible, and so strange, and such a wild, unpredictable ride. While the big reveal didn't stun me as much as Sundial and The Last House On Needless Street, it had the most wonderfully atmospheric setting and the melancholy, gothic oddity of it all won my heart right away. Full review coming soon, but trust me, you don't want to miss this one.
 

 LOVED the idea behind this book, wasn't thrilled with the execution at times. Review coming later today!