This was solid and definitely worth reading. I definitely connected a lot more with the part of this set at university than the rest of it. This had a lot to say about what it's like to be mixed race and queer. It's a book about finding yourself and how a person's identity changes over time. I absolutely loved the last poem in this about coming out and there were other little moments throughout that I also connected with. I didn't connect with all of it, but I recognize that this book wasn't written for me. I definitely think it was well written and successfully accomplished what it set out to do.

3.5 stars

I think this was really good for what it is. It had a little more substance than I expected and I did care about the characters even if I didn't connect with them as much as I do sometimes. The writing was engaging and I appreciated that both main characters are bisexual. Im still trying to figure out exactly what I'm looking for in adult romance, especially indie romance so I'm having a little trouble figuring out how to articulate my thoughts on this, but I do plan to check out more from this author.

I didn't finish this mostly because of the writing. It reads like a 40 year old trying to imitate how teens talk and think. I cringed at so much of what I read of this, especially the dialogue. There were also some things that happened that just didn't sit right with me. None of these are spoilers, but if you don't want to know any details about this book, you might not want to read on. There was one scene where a friend of Max's said he knew Max was gay because he slept with a boy, which is bi/pan erasure and is never addressed. That on its own wasn't that big of a deal to me, but then the only black character in the book, Pam, was portrayed as being overdramatic and lying about microaggressions. Jordan clearly doesn't believe her when she claims someone gave her a weird look and implies it was about race. This undermines the real microaggressions black people face, in my opinion, but take what I say about race as a white person with a grain of salt. The last straw for me was when Jordan tells his friends that Max is gay without asking him who he wants to be out to or whether or not he's okay with that. I just got to a point where there was nothing I was enjoying enough to continue, especially with these little issues I noticed.

I knew I would love this and I was not disappointed! I really enjoyed how this showed that it is possible for people to learn to love and trust each other, even if they are very different. This idea is further emphasized by how different the sirens are to the humans. They have a different language and clearly different biology and culture. The way Perle saw the humans and their behaviors was really interesting because it showed how so many aspects of our culture, like gender and names, are really social constructs. This book also explores the idea of revenge and encourages forgiveness when possible, but recognizes that anger is valid and some people refuse to change. Perle's life and view of the world changes significantly as a result of the trauma they have experienced. They're allowed to grieve their old life and feel angry and scared, like anyone would if they had been through something like that. Part of Perle's healing process is learning how to deal with their disability. Perle has to learn how to see value in themself and others based on qualities other than how well they can hunt or survive on their own. They also have to make changes to what they can physically do, but that doesn't mean they can't be happy with the new life they have, once they get used to it. It's different, but it's not the end. All these themes are explored through beautiful, but concise writing that made me cry at points and only used the words it absolutely needed to. I also connected to the characters themselves and their fully fleshed out personalities. There's a lot of focus on found family and the value in both romantic and platonic relationships. The plot itself isn't particularly mind blowing, but works well to develop the characters and themes. Clearly, I very much enjoyed this and I think it will stick with me for a long time.

4.5 stars

This was so atmospheric and engaging! I felt like I was really there with the characters. As someone who doesn't read much mystery or historical fiction, I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I think what made this stand out from other mysteries is that it actually says something and there's a good reason why the main character has to investigate instead of the cops. The adults in the book are also aware of what is going on, which makes it more realistic. The time period also serves a purpose by adding atmosphere and making some the sleuthing the Millie gets up to possible when it would not be in modern day. I also appreciated the balance between recognizing the reality of how queer people and people of color were treated in the time period and keeping the book from being too focused on those things. I wasn't super shocked or blown away by the ending, but I didn't find it as predictable as YA mystery can be sometimes for me. The writing and characters also helped keep me engaged so I would have enjoyed this even if I was not as invested in the mystery itself. This is a great debut and I can't wait to see what Kristin Lambert writes next!

4.5 stars

This dealt with some things I related to, while also showing those experiences from a perspective that is different than mine. It was really valuable to see how George M. Johnson's experiences are affected by every aspect of his identity (race, sexuality, etc.), both separately and all at once. This was definitely accessible and impactful to me as a non-Black person, but I've also seen reviews from Black, queer people who saw themselves and their experiences in this story. This also worked for me despite the fact that I almost never like memoirs. Maybe I only like ones written for teens? Or only ones relating to queer identity? Regardless, I did really connect with this and would recommend it to anyone interested in learning about the intersection of being Black and queer.

3.5

This was super cute, but I would have enjoyed it more if it had been longer to give it more of a resolution and add some detail. I did appreciate seeing a queer story set during the American Civil War, though, since that's not something I've seen much of in books of any kind.

2.5 Stars