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447 reviews by:
librarymouse
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Manu is an adorable book with rich cultural roots. Manu, Josephina, and Mother Dolores are great examples of love and family being born of bonds, rather than blood. I was expecting more strife to come from Josephina accidentally cursing Manu, leading to the loss of her magic, but the way the story is told and conflict is resolved it's better with the intended audience of the book. Manu being different at the end and still being loved regardless of whether she can do magic in the way that's expected of her is a really valuable message.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Religious bigotry
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Just a good slice of life deleted scene. I missed Kate and Derek being buddy cop-adjcent, and this filled that void
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Violence
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I want an unending access to stories from this universe, and I would love a full lenghth novel from Doolittle, George, or Curran's perspective.
I'm so glad Doolittle survived, but I am gutted at the loss of Aunt B. She deserved to get to see her grandchildren, but at least they'll be protected by her memory. Doolittle and Maddie jousting in their wheelchairs makes the pain the characters went through almost worth it. Hugh is the worst. I'm so glad they got Christoper. The lamasus being a tertiary option for some genetically predisposed shapeshifters willing to consume human flesh was a very neat addition to the lore. The way the authors integrate actions from characters beyond the narrator into the conflict creates a very enticing story that pulls the reader in. There are no secondary or lesser characters in this series. Mehan finally accepting Kate as a part of the pack and backing her was wonderful. Normally miscommunication in romance plots is my least favorite trope. The way it's handled between Kate and Curran, with the two of them actively doing things that contribute to the miscommunication and then talking it out the minute they get a chance it was a nice way of flipping it on its head.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love Andrea Nash, and getting a full length novel from her perspective is such a treat!
The exploration of her childhood traumas and how they impact her adult life was tactfully handled and masterfully written. I really enjoyed her character progression; her hardening into someone who could not accept love, after Raphael brought Rebecca, his gold digger, into her office and how she slowly softened into accepting love again. Her neighbor hugging her in her beast form was the perfect start to forming cracks in the shame and protective armor that had built up around her since childhood.
Doolittle is one of my favorite characters and his handling of Andrea's past and the way he loves her like a daughter was full of love. Meeting Ascanio's mom also fleshed out his character further and further humanized the pack. Roman is an incredibly enjoyable character and I'm glad he and Andrea became friends.
Andrea yearns for a family, for a community, a partner, and children, and she gets most of that in this book. The recording of Aunt B explaining to her enforcers why exactly they had fucked up by attacking Andrea and outlining her value; describing the intent behind her attempts to get Andrea to join clan bouda being because she would be a valuable asset to the clan and that they needed her healed some old wounds in Andrea. What Andrea doesn't achieve in retribution, stopping herself from killing the last living member of the bouda clan who made her childhood a nightmare, she makes up for in what she gains by joining the pack. I'm kind of mad that all the woman received was rejection from the pack and an order to leave Atlanta, but at the same time that order to leave Atlanta was done under threat of death. Setting Andrea on fire when she was 11, among the other atrocities makes her a irredeemable.
Raphael really loves her and the way that they made up makes sense for their characters. They had to understand one another beyond the honeymoon phase in order to truly grasp what was necessary for their relationship to thrive. I'm a big fan of the purple carpet prank.
I look forward to further glimpses of Andrea throughout the series and I am really hopeful for another novel or novella written from her perspective in the future.
Doolittle is one of my favorite characters and his handling of Andrea's past and the way he loves her like a daughter was full of love. Meeting Ascanio's mom also fleshed out his character further and further humanized the pack. Roman is an incredibly enjoyable character and I'm glad he and Andrea became friends.
Andrea yearns for a family, for a community, a partner, and children, and she gets most of that in this book. The recording of Aunt B explaining to her enforcers why exactly they had fucked up by attacking Andrea and outlining her value; describing the intent behind her attempts to get Andrea to join clan bouda being because she would be a valuable asset to the clan and that they needed her healed some old wounds in Andrea. What Andrea doesn't achieve in retribution, stopping herself from killing the last living member of the bouda clan who made her childhood a nightmare, she makes up for in what she gains by joining the pack. I'm kind of mad that all the woman received was rejection from the pack and an order to leave Atlanta, but at the same time that order to leave Atlanta was done under threat of death. Setting Andrea on fire when she was 11, among the other atrocities makes her a irredeemable.
Raphael really loves her and the way that they made up makes sense for their characters. They had to understand one another beyond the honeymoon phase in order to truly grasp what was necessary for their relationship to thrive. I'm a big fan of the purple carpet prank.
I look forward to further glimpses of Andrea throughout the series and I am really hopeful for another novel or novella written from her perspective in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Police brutality
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Blackwater is a cute graphic novel exploring friendships, sexuality, and gender with a supernatural lens. Tony, Eli, and Marcia make a great mystery crew and hopefully if the story is continued into a series, Biff will come around. It does feel somewhat unfinished, like Taylor's story with the gang is just starting and the book is an origin story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Gun violence, Blood, Car accident, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I sat I my kitchen crying as Owl told Pepper not to cry and that she was there, and I didn't stop crying till the end of the book, though the tears were for a variety of different emotions. These characters are so easy to love. Sidra learning how to be a person, including her inate instincts and not ridding herself of the unique aspects that are core to her is such a huge and beautiful storyline, which I read as allegorical for neurodivergence. Tak is a great friend, and Owl getting to see Pepper and Blue Shepard Sidra into personhood as she'd done for Pepper was beautiful. Sidra and Owl getting to share digital space is beautiful and I long for a continuation of the story in which AI are granted legal personhood. I know the series continues and god I hope that change in political landscape is a part of it. My heart is full with Owl and her reunion with Pepper; being able to finally hug the girl she's loved and raised for years. My heart breaks for Lovey and what could have been.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Slavery, Deportation
adventurous
funny
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a good addition to the series, giving the reader more information about Saiman, but having read further into the series before reading this book, it falls a little flat. Still a fun glimpse into the early life of Kate Daniels
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
This book was so easy to consume and so upsetting to digest. Carmen Maria Machado has gorgeous way of defining and then sharing horrifying truths. The sections reflecting on the love of her friends and the people who valued around her was beautiful. I had to take a few breaks while reading this, but I'm glad I did, and I appreciate the shared resources at the end of the book and citations throughout, giving further information and history for queer domestic violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Pregnancy
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This novel really reminds me of the Girl In Space podcast in that it starts with a girl alone in the universe, the last alive aboard a ship in the far reaches of space and gets further and further twisted into a horrific nightmare scenario. Romy breaking down J's messages and software, the Infinity's med bay, and going through his room aboard the Eternity to find the scratching sound he imbedded into her ship's sound system, the computer system bugs, the quotes from her fanfictions, his parents' pods, her mother's pods, his notes on her, and his forged emails to earth was a well written undoing of her unravelling. It just felt like the book ended too quickly. I wanted Molly feedback. Romy's letter intro to her fanfiction was cute, but the part of me that's been reading adult fantasy and sci fi for the past few years wants information about changes to the NASA internal review process and how they'd change contact protocols to make sure emails that they're receiving are coming from the right people.
It was a good, unexpected, and quick read, though I did almost put down the book forever after the first fanfiction section. They did eventually get more accurate to common fanfiction tropes and the way that fanfiction is normally paced, but all of the fanfiction sections were incredibly short in a way that doesn't reflect the reality of most fanfiction. I guess I am kind of glad that the fanfiction sections were short though because had the first one been longer, I most likely would have put the book down for good.
It was a good, unexpected, and quick read, though I did almost put down the book forever after the first fanfiction section. They did eventually get more accurate to common fanfiction tropes and the way that fanfiction is normally paced, but all of the fanfiction sections were incredibly short in a way that doesn't reflect the reality of most fanfiction. I guess I am kind of glad that the fanfiction sections were short though because had the first one been longer, I most likely would have put the book down for good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abortion, War
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Self harm
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love these books. Every addition of lore is wonderful, and the additions of the day to day lives of the characters, dropped hints about the progression of the lives of other characters, and each new information about characters' histories makes this world so rich. Norse mythology was a great addition, and I love that the modern Norse heritage groups are accepting of everyone, especially in contrast to how American Norse heritage groups in the real world are often tied to white supremacists ideology. The draugr being real and Ghastek bring outed as an annoying nerd was an enjoyable, if grotesque, read. Aurelia sucks, and I enjoy the epilogue all the more because of that fact.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief