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howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)
Whew, that was dark at points and super suspenseful! This one gets ALL the trigger warnings, but if you've ever wanted Deliverance or Wrong Turn + a revenge story in a novel, this is going to be right up your alley. Not only does it keep you on the edge of your seat, but Kealan manages to craft characters so well. There's a fairly large cast to the story, yet each of them had their own clear motives (good or bad), and it's easy to feel some type of way about them all, whether you're rooting for their success or their imminent dismembering.
I think my favorite thing about Kin (besides the delightfully badass character that is Beau) is the fact that it's so immersive, it genuinely played out in my head like a horror film. It was so easy to imagine every scene (though sometimes, I didn't want to imagine things—looking at you, "rebirth"...) and feel like I was right there watching it all unfold. Seriously, if this novel ever gets optioned into a film or miniseries, I'll be right there on premiere night, soaking it all in.
The only reason this got 4.5 stars instead of 5 from me is that the middle of the story dragged a bit for me; while I appreciated how well we got to know the characters and to see the grief and trauma that had wreaked havoc upon these people's lives, part of me was constantly impatiently awaiting the return to the action. That said, that's totally a personal preference sort of thing, and with that in mind, it makes it such an easy decision to round this up to 5 stars here on Goodreads.
Content warnings for... uh, everything? Explicit violence, sexual assault, kidnapping, death, suicide, torture, racism, homophobia, list goes on. This one is not for the light of heart (or queasy of stomach).
I think my favorite thing about Kin (besides the delightfully badass character that is Beau) is the fact that it's so immersive, it genuinely played out in my head like a horror film. It was so easy to imagine every scene (though sometimes, I didn't want to imagine things—looking at you, "rebirth"...) and feel like I was right there watching it all unfold. Seriously, if this novel ever gets optioned into a film or miniseries, I'll be right there on premiere night, soaking it all in.
The only reason this got 4.5 stars instead of 5 from me is that the middle of the story dragged a bit for me; while I appreciated how well we got to know the characters and to see the grief and trauma that had wreaked havoc upon these people's lives, part of me was constantly impatiently awaiting the return to the action. That said, that's totally a personal preference sort of thing, and with that in mind, it makes it such an easy decision to round this up to 5 stars here on Goodreads.
Content warnings for... uh, everything? Explicit violence, sexual assault, kidnapping, death, suicide, torture, racism, homophobia, list goes on. This one is not for the light of heart (or queasy of stomach).
#1 The Butterfly Garden ★★★★★
#2 Roses of May ★★★★☆
#3 The Summer Children ★★★★★
5/5 stars. I could barely put this one down once I got started with it. The characters feel real and lovable, and the story kept me on the edge of my seat without reading like a typical thriller. I cried, I laughed, and more than anything, I held my son tightly and counted my blessings.
Zita the Spacegirl is a middle-grade science fiction graphic novel series following Zita, a little girl who is accidentally sucked through a portal to another world and must rescue her friend before she can go home. She teams up with a mysterious inventor and a large, sentient mouse, as well as a few robots and aliens along the way.
That was one of the cutest things I have ever read in my life. The artwork is gorgeous, the storyline is fun and quick-paced, and the side characters are an absolute delight. My favorite was Mouse, but Strong-Strong was a close second. Honestly, they're all hilarious and sweet and I cannot wait to continue this series and spend more time with these little oddballs.
Yes, her boyfriend is literally a bear. No, this isn't "normal".
I was so confused by the premise of this book before reading it. I wondered, Is her boyfriend a shape-shifter? Is he cursed? Do people frequently date animals in this world? and the answers to those questions are no, no, and no. Honestly, though, this is one of the funniest and CUTEST graphic novels I've ever read in my life. I laughed out loud a few times at just how off-the-wall and blunt some panels were. There are some incredibly sad moments as well, so don't expect 100% rainbows and sunshine, but truly, it's a delightful graphic novel I'd recommend anyone to pick up.
Spill Zone follows a teen who's forced to enter the "Spill Zone" to take photos of an area that has been destroyed by a radiation spill, so that she can sell her photos for the money required to raise her younger sister on her own.
I don't know exactly how I feel about this graphic novel. On the one hand, I want to know more about what happened, and what all of these things and people in the Spill Zone are. I feel lost and like I was dumped right into the action with no explanation, which I enjoy sometimes, but didn't love in this instance. On top of that, the characters felt very simplistic and I absolutely hated the art style.
Negatives aside, though, I'm endlessly fascinated by Lexa's terrifying little doll friend, and the ending actually felt more horror than sci-fi, which was fun, so I'll probably continue the series if my library system has the next volume.
I don't know exactly how I feel about this graphic novel. On the one hand, I want to know more about what happened, and what all of these things and people in the Spill Zone are. I feel lost and like I was dumped right into the action with no explanation, which I enjoy sometimes, but didn't love in this instance. On top of that, the characters felt very simplistic and I absolutely hated the art style.
Negatives aside, though, I'm endlessly fascinated by Lexa's terrifying little doll friend, and the ending actually felt more horror than sci-fi, which was fun, so I'll probably continue the series if my library system has the next volume.
“You can't let facts get in the way of the truth.”
I'm so happy that I re-read this, because NOS4A2 has to be one of my favorite horror stories of all time.
While it has its flaws*, this book captures family and motherhood in all of its beautifully damaged wonders, not to mention the fact that it has perhaps one of the single best examples of my favorite villain archetype: the bad guy who believes with his entire being that he's the hero.
* okay, just ONE flaw, but we get it, Lou's fat - move on already
I'm also immensely drawn to this idea that we each live in two worlds: the "real" one and the one of our imaginations, and that perhaps some of us could find a way to navigate the spaces between them. I love the parallels between Vic with her bike and Manx with the Wraith, as they're really two sides of the same coin. Honestly, I think an entire essay could be written about the depth of writing here.
Everyone you lost was still there with you, and so maybe no one was ever lost at all.
Of course, there's also the way Joe Hill makes you love these characters (specifically Vic, Lou, Wayne, and Maggie) so much that it breaks your heart to even think about anything bad happening to them. No spoilers, but there's a scene near the end of this book that obliterates me emotionally, and I can never decide if I'm grateful for how hard it hits or if I just want to forward a therapy bill to Joe Hill's fan mail address.
I could gush about NOS4A2 for a long time but I'll cut myself off here. This is easily one of my most commonly recommended books to friends and has been for a long time, and after this re-read, I know that won't stop any time soon because it's a truly brilliant story that I believe will be a modern classic of the horror genre for a long time to come.
“I felt like it needed some color down there, so I painted the walls with the motherfucker.”
^ also, this quote is perhaps one of the most satisfying lines ever written.
✨ Representation: sapphic side character
If you're a gamer, you definitely have to check out In Real Life, but I think it would be a great read for people with no gaming experience, too! While it does take place partially within the game, and involves a lot of MMORPG action, there's not a lot of "insider" jargon to ruin the experience for someone who hasn't played a game like 'Coarsegold Online' before. At its core, it's more of a story about learning to recognize our privileges and empathize with people who have it worse off than us, as well as recognizing bullying and how to stand up and fight it.
There's also some lovely diverse rep in this graphic novel, with a fat protagonist and some great POC rep scattered throughout. I highly recommend giving In Real Life a try if you enjoy contemporary graphic novels or stories about gamers and video games!
There's also some lovely diverse rep in this graphic novel, with a fat protagonist and some great POC rep scattered throughout. I highly recommend giving In Real Life a try if you enjoy contemporary graphic novels or stories about gamers and video games!
What I liked:
- diverse characters (queer & POC)
- cute little alien monster babies
- a touch of gore
- creepy creatures
What I disliked:
- 99% of the storyline & pacing
It's not bad, it's just... I couldn't get into it at all and I have no desire to continue the series.
- diverse characters (queer & POC)
- cute little alien monster babies
- a touch of gore
- creepy creatures
What I disliked:
- 99% of the storyline & pacing
It's not bad, it's just... I couldn't get into it at all and I have no desire to continue the series.
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I've heard so many of my friends rave about this manga series that I was really excited to read it, but I was told to go into it "as blind as possible", so I went in thinking it was just a basic contemporary romance about some high schoolers. Nope. There is so much more to this than "just" a romance.
First, let me say that these characters are SO PRECIOUS and I would protect any of them at all costs—especially Suwa! I feel like he's the quiet, unsung hero of this story, in a sense, and he breaks my heart so much but I just love him. Naho is so precious, and her girlfriends are wicked protective and flawless. Even Hagita is a trip, though he's my least favorite.
Orange has some very minor sci-fi elements, but that's all I'll say, because if you don't know what the story is about, please don't look it up—just grab a copy and read it. This has been one of the most tragic, lovely, sweetest stories, and I'm on the edge of my seat, dying to read the next volume right this moment.
There is one thing I'd like to offer a trigger warning for, though, but I'm going to put it into spoiler tags in case you want to go into this manga knowing nothing at all:
First, let me say that these characters are SO PRECIOUS and I would protect any of them at all costs—especially Suwa! I feel like he's the quiet, unsung hero of this story, in a sense, and he breaks my heart so much but I just love him. Naho is so precious, and her girlfriends are wicked protective and flawless. Even Hagita is a trip, though he's my least favorite.
Orange has some very minor sci-fi elements, but that's all I'll say, because if you don't know what the story is about, please don't look it up—just grab a copy and read it. This has been one of the most tragic, lovely, sweetest stories, and I'm on the edge of my seat, dying to read the next volume right this moment.
There is one thing I'd like to offer a trigger warning for, though, but I'm going to put it into spoiler tags in case you want to go into this manga knowing nothing at all:
