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nerdinthelibrary's Reviews (926)
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Review also posted to my blog.
content warnings: graphic violence, murder, allusions to rape, ableist language, sexist language
representation: blind main character, biracial (black-white) side character
My feelings on this are fairly mixed. This has been touted as one of the greatest comics ever and inspired what is (in my opinion) one of the best comic book movies ever made. Maybe that's part of why it just didn't hit me the way it was meant to; every element of this comic I think was done better by Logan.
This follows Logan in a dystopian world where, in order to make rent and keep his family safe, he must go with an elderly and blind Clint Barton on a trip to transport some drugs. What follows is a gory, gritty adventure that is sometimes amazing and sometimes incredibly meh.
First of all, I already had a bit of a bias against this due to it being written by Mark Millar, one of the most overrated writers of all time in my opinion. He pretty much singlehandedly ruined one of my favourite comic book series, The Authority, with his Mark Millar-ness and his general approach to grittiness has always rubbed me the wrong way. Luckily though, I felt like with this one featuring a straight man in the lead he side-stepped a lot of his worst tendencies, though there were still moments (Clint calling Emma Frost a skank, the use of the r-word, a reference to a female character being raped). Other than that, the other meh parts for me was the plot as a whole. A lot of it just fell flat for me, and I can't quite pin down why.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between Logan and Clint, though. They're both old and jaded without ever feeling cliche, Logan in particular. I still think that the film explored his mental state better, but this was still a take that I enjoyed and probably would have enjoyed a lot more if I hadn't seen the film.
I have to give some props to the illustrator, Steve McNiven, because some of the panels in this absolute blew me away. Admittedly, they blew me in a way that I normally wouldn't enjoy with a lot of this trying to be nothing but shocking and gory, but it sill got me. The moment that stuck with me the most is when you find out why Logan hasn't used his claws in fifty years. I already knew about one of the pages but that didn't ruin the impact, and the other page was just as powerful.
Despite it not living up to the film loosely based on it, this is still a really fun and gory comic that I would recommend for any fan of Wolverine, or just someone who wants to read a Mark Millar comic where a main character isn't raped.
content warnings: graphic violence, murder, allusions to rape, ableist language, sexist language
representation: blind main character, biracial (black-white) side character
My feelings on this are fairly mixed. This has been touted as one of the greatest comics ever and inspired what is (in my opinion) one of the best comic book movies ever made. Maybe that's part of why it just didn't hit me the way it was meant to; every element of this comic I think was done better by Logan.
This follows Logan in a dystopian world where, in order to make rent and keep his family safe, he must go with an elderly and blind Clint Barton on a trip to transport some drugs. What follows is a gory, gritty adventure that is sometimes amazing and sometimes incredibly meh.
First of all, I already had a bit of a bias against this due to it being written by Mark Millar, one of the most overrated writers of all time in my opinion. He pretty much singlehandedly ruined one of my favourite comic book series, The Authority, with his Mark Millar-ness and his general approach to grittiness has always rubbed me the wrong way. Luckily though, I felt like with this one featuring a straight man in the lead he side-stepped a lot of his worst tendencies, though there were still moments (Clint calling Emma Frost a skank, the use of the r-word, a reference to a female character being raped). Other than that, the other meh parts for me was the plot as a whole. A lot of it just fell flat for me, and I can't quite pin down why.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between Logan and Clint, though. They're both old and jaded without ever feeling cliche, Logan in particular. I still think that the film explored his mental state better, but this was still a take that I enjoyed and probably would have enjoyed a lot more if I hadn't seen the film.
I have to give some props to the illustrator, Steve McNiven, because some of the panels in this absolute blew me away. Admittedly, they blew me in a way that I normally wouldn't enjoy with a lot of this trying to be nothing but shocking and gory, but it sill got me. The moment that stuck with me the most is when you find out why Logan hasn't used his claws in fifty years. I already knew about one of the pages but that didn't ruin the impact, and the other page was just as powerful.
Despite it not living up to the film loosely based on it, this is still a really fun and gory comic that I would recommend for any fan of Wolverine, or just someone who wants to read a Mark Millar comic where a main character isn't raped.
Review also posted to my blog.
content warnings: violence, self-mutilation
This is one of those books that I really just don't have much to say about. It's a book that everyone knows the general plot of, and that I thought was just okay. The movie is far superior in my opinion and I won't be continuing with the series.
Instead of doing a proper review because I honestly don't think I can do one, I'm going to give you proof that the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are boyfriends, because that's honestly the most interesting observation I had while reading:
• When the Tin Woodman starts crying because he stepped on a beetle and starts to rust from the tears, the Scarecrow started oiling his jaw.
• When the Scarecrow gets stuck in the river the Tin Woodman starts to cry.
• 'Then [the Tin Woodman] put down the axe and sat beside the Scarecrow, who said, "It was a good fight, friend."'
• '"If we only had Scarecrow with us again," said the Tin Woodman, when Dorothy had finished telling him everything that had happened, "I should be quite happy."'
• The Tin Woodman starts attacking the tree that hurt Scarecrow first.
• Tin Woodman is constantly complimenting Scarecrow for being smart, even before he gets brains.
• Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are constantly talking to each other about nothing.
• Neither of them sleep so they spend all night just staying up together.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
content warnings: violence, self-mutilation
“No matter how dreary and grey our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country. There is no place like home.”
This is one of those books that I really just don't have much to say about. It's a book that everyone knows the general plot of, and that I thought was just okay. The movie is far superior in my opinion and I won't be continuing with the series.
Instead of doing a proper review because I honestly don't think I can do one, I'm going to give you proof that the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are boyfriends, because that's honestly the most interesting observation I had while reading:
• When the Tin Woodman starts crying because he stepped on a beetle and starts to rust from the tears, the Scarecrow started oiling his jaw.
• When the Scarecrow gets stuck in the river the Tin Woodman starts to cry.
• 'Then [the Tin Woodman] put down the axe and sat beside the Scarecrow, who said, "It was a good fight, friend."'
• '"If we only had Scarecrow with us again," said the Tin Woodman, when Dorothy had finished telling him everything that had happened, "I should be quite happy."'
• The Tin Woodman starts attacking the tree that hurt Scarecrow first.
• Tin Woodman is constantly complimenting Scarecrow for being smart, even before he gets brains.
• Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are constantly talking to each other about nothing.
• Neither of them sleep so they spend all night just staying up together.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Review also posted to my blog.
content warnings: sexism, racism, sexual harassment (challenged), a kiss between an adult and a minor (dream sequence, one-sided from the 17 year old)
representation: chilean main character, black main characters, latinx main character, side characters of colour
I have some conflicted feelings about this graphic novel. It's a graphic memoir about a summer in Hazel Newlevant's life where they got a job clearing out English Ivy with a group of other teens. Over the course of the summer, Hazel, who has been homeschooled their whole life, realises that they've been living in a white, middle-class bubble their entire life.
Before reading this graphic novel I had no idea what the premise was other than the fact that it was a graphic memoir. After reading two chapters I came onto to log that I was currently reading it and was shocked when I read the description because in those first two chapters (which, keep in mind, is nearly half the book) barely touched on what was apparently the main story of the novel.
This has a similar problem to another graphic memoir I didn't really like, Spinning by Tillie Walden, in that the pacing felt way off. To be fair, I thought it was far less egregious in this, maybe because it's nearly half the length, but it felt like there was so much prologue before getting to the meat of the story. Not to say that those first two chapters are unenjoyable necessarily, they just feel like a completely separate story about Hazel getting a crush on their much older boss.
But when this does get to the main story, it's great. I really liked how reflective Hazel was of their teen experiences, especially the mistakes they made. There's some really good commentary on the privileged bubble that they lived in for their entire life, as well as some discussion of sexual harassment and victim blaming.
I also really liked the art style. The ARC copy is in black and white and has some pages which aren't quite finished yet, but from what I know the finished copies will have some greens added to it, which I'm sure will only enhance the already gorgeous artwork.
In general, I did enjoy the story (once it finally got around to telling it) and the art style, I just wish that the pacing were a bit better. I would still definitely recommend picking this up when it comes out in August.
I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
content warnings: sexism, racism, sexual harassment (challenged), a kiss between an adult and a minor (dream sequence, one-sided from the 17 year old)
representation: chilean main character, black main characters, latinx main character, side characters of colour
“Here’s a super random question... Have you ever met a homeschooler who’s black?”
“Huh, not that I can think of.”
I have some conflicted feelings about this graphic novel. It's a graphic memoir about a summer in Hazel Newlevant's life where they got a job clearing out English Ivy with a group of other teens. Over the course of the summer, Hazel, who has been homeschooled their whole life, realises that they've been living in a white, middle-class bubble their entire life.
Before reading this graphic novel I had no idea what the premise was other than the fact that it was a graphic memoir. After reading two chapters I came onto to log that I was currently reading it and was shocked when I read the description because in those first two chapters (which, keep in mind, is nearly half the book) barely touched on what was apparently the main story of the novel.
This has a similar problem to another graphic memoir I didn't really like, Spinning by Tillie Walden, in that the pacing felt way off. To be fair, I thought it was far less egregious in this, maybe because it's nearly half the length, but it felt like there was so much prologue before getting to the meat of the story. Not to say that those first two chapters are unenjoyable necessarily, they just feel like a completely separate story about Hazel getting a crush on their much older boss.
But when this does get to the main story, it's great. I really liked how reflective Hazel was of their teen experiences, especially the mistakes they made. There's some really good commentary on the privileged bubble that they lived in for their entire life, as well as some discussion of sexual harassment and victim blaming.
I also really liked the art style. The ARC copy is in black and white and has some pages which aren't quite finished yet, but from what I know the finished copies will have some greens added to it, which I'm sure will only enhance the already gorgeous artwork.
In general, I did enjoy the story (once it finally got around to telling it) and the art style, I just wish that the pacing were a bit better. I would still definitely recommend picking this up when it comes out in August.
I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
EDIT 21/04/20: I've decided to remove my rating for this book due to all the bullshit Lee's done (if you don't know, here's a thread on it). I'm not going to remove my original review but know that while I don't think this is an awful book I wouldn't recommend it anymore.
OG REVIEW 14/06/19
content warnings: homophobia, racism, ableism, misogyny, body horror, violence, death, mentions of infidelity, child abuse, loss of a loved one
representation: bisexual protagonist, black epileptic gay main character, interracial m/m main relationship, aro/ace main character, black main and side characters
So, first of all, let's address the elephant in the room: this book took me seven months to read. Now, you may be wondering, "Jaime, how on earth could you rate a book so highly when it took you over half a year to read", to which I would say, "no fucking clue". Really this book took me a month-and-a-bit to read because in mid-December I put it down to read something else and for some reason just never got back to it. I'll talk more about that later.
But now, onto the review: This is a historical fiction book set in 18th century Europe as Henry Montague, a dramatic bi disaster, embarks on his grand tour with his best friend who he's helplessly in love with and younger sister who was forced to tag along. They quickly get into some shenanigans and the plot proceeds from there.
The biggest praise I've seen this book get is its characters, and for good reason. Monty is a dramatic dickhead who is somehow endearing the whole way through the book, even before his character development when he's still a bastard; Percy is a cutie patootie I would die for who just wants to be loved; and Felicity is basically me at fifteen, fighting the patriarchy and say a big ol' fuck you to heteronormative ideals for women.
The relationships between these characters are also great, from Monty and Percy's friendship/romance, to Felicity and Monty's begrudging love for each other, to Felicity and Percy's understanding that comes from being obviously different in a way that means society doesn't value you.
That's another big aspect that I loved. From the outside, Monty is incredibly privileged. Yes, he's bisexual, but that's not something people can tell by looking at him; when people see him, they see a wealthy cis white dude. Percy and Felicity, being black and a woman respectively, don't have that privilege, and they're constantly calling Monty out on it. Monty's character arc is very focused on becoming less of an ignorant dick and I loved that.
Unfortunately, as much as I loved the characters, there was one letdown of this book for me and that was the plot. I definitely didn't hate it the way that some others seem to, but compared with the fun writing and magnificent characters it just was nowhere near as good. That's a big part of what made it so easy for me to put this book down for months on end. The plot felt very unfocused and just kind of ambled along, meaning that there didn't really feel like there were any stakes.
I am a person who will take characters over plot any day of the week, and I think that definitely helped with my enjoyment of this book. I love historical fiction that focuses on people other than straight white dudes, and on the whole I would say that this book delivered in lots of key areas.
OG REVIEW 14/06/19
content warnings: homophobia, racism, ableism, misogyny, body horror, violence, death, mentions of infidelity, child abuse, loss of a loved one
representation: bisexual protagonist, black epileptic gay main character, interracial m/m main relationship, aro/ace main character, black main and side characters
“The truth is that Percy has always been important to me, long before I fell so hard for him that there was an audible crash. It’s only lately that his knee bumping mine under a narrow pub table leaves me fumbling for words. A small shift in the gravity between us and suddenly all my stars are out of alignment, planets knocked from their orbits, and I’m left stumbling, without map or heading, through the bewildering territory of being in love with your best friend.”
So, first of all, let's address the elephant in the room: this book took me seven months to read. Now, you may be wondering, "Jaime, how on earth could you rate a book so highly when it took you over half a year to read", to which I would say, "no fucking clue". Really this book took me a month-and-a-bit to read because in mid-December I put it down to read something else and for some reason just never got back to it. I'll talk more about that later.
But now, onto the review: This is a historical fiction book set in 18th century Europe as Henry Montague, a dramatic bi disaster, embarks on his grand tour with his best friend who he's helplessly in love with and younger sister who was forced to tag along. They quickly get into some shenanigans and the plot proceeds from there.
The biggest praise I've seen this book get is its characters, and for good reason. Monty is a dramatic dickhead who is somehow endearing the whole way through the book, even before his character development when he's still a bastard; Percy is a cutie patootie I would die for who just wants to be loved; and Felicity is basically me at fifteen, fighting the patriarchy and say a big ol' fuck you to heteronormative ideals for women.
The relationships between these characters are also great, from Monty and Percy's friendship/romance, to Felicity and Monty's begrudging love for each other, to Felicity and Percy's understanding that comes from being obviously different in a way that means society doesn't value you.
That's another big aspect that I loved. From the outside, Monty is incredibly privileged. Yes, he's bisexual, but that's not something people can tell by looking at him; when people see him, they see a wealthy cis white dude. Percy and Felicity, being black and a woman respectively, don't have that privilege, and they're constantly calling Monty out on it. Monty's character arc is very focused on becoming less of an ignorant dick and I loved that.
Unfortunately, as much as I loved the characters, there was one letdown of this book for me and that was the plot. I definitely didn't hate it the way that some others seem to, but compared with the fun writing and magnificent characters it just was nowhere near as good. That's a big part of what made it so easy for me to put this book down for months on end. The plot felt very unfocused and just kind of ambled along, meaning that there didn't really feel like there were any stakes.
I am a person who will take characters over plot any day of the week, and I think that definitely helped with my enjoyment of this book. I love historical fiction that focuses on people other than straight white dudes, and on the whole I would say that this book delivered in lots of key areas.
Review also posted to my blog.
content warnings: racism, violence, implied transphobia
representation: trans sapphic main character, latinx sapphic main character, interracial f/f main relationship
Hey, do you love westerns but wish they weren't so historically inaccurate with all those straight white dudes sauntering around?? Well then this might be the graphic novel for you! This adorable graphic novel follows a trans girl as she decides to join forces with a latinx outlaw to fuck over the confederacy.
I frigging love westerns and the fact that they're so full of cishet white dudes has always frustrated me, especially because that just wasn't the case. Most cowboys were people of colour and a lot of them, even if they weren't actually queer, were more than happy to shack up with a fellow cowboy for the night. So I'm loving that we're getting more stories that don't focus on the cishet white dude cowboys, especially when they focus on ladies.
As I said, this is adorable. The two lead characters, Grace and Flor, are so endearing. Grace has run away from home to avoid conscription and has dreams of becoming an actress in California, and Flor is an infamous outlaw who kidnaps Grace thinking she can ransom her. Upon learning she can't the two decide to team up, and maybe they fall in love along the way.
I can definitely see this being too short for some (it's only 104 pages and there's no word on whether there's going to be more in this world) but I didn't mind. If it were longer it might've managed to get a five star, but I still absolutely loved each and every one of those 104 pages. The art style, characters, plot and writing all sucked me in immediately, and I would definitely recommend checking this out when it comes out in September.
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
content warnings: racism, violence, implied transphobia
representation: trans sapphic main character, latinx sapphic main character, interracial f/f main relationship
“Besides—one lick of talons and these silk gloves would be torn to shreds! And I couldn’t bear damaging anything so fine.”
Hey, do you love westerns but wish they weren't so historically inaccurate with all those straight white dudes sauntering around?? Well then this might be the graphic novel for you! This adorable graphic novel follows a trans girl as she decides to join forces with a latinx outlaw to fuck over the confederacy.
I frigging love westerns and the fact that they're so full of cishet white dudes has always frustrated me, especially because that just wasn't the case. Most cowboys were people of colour and a lot of them, even if they weren't actually queer, were more than happy to shack up with a fellow cowboy for the night. So I'm loving that we're getting more stories that don't focus on the cishet white dude cowboys, especially when they focus on ladies.
As I said, this is adorable. The two lead characters, Grace and Flor, are so endearing. Grace has run away from home to avoid conscription and has dreams of becoming an actress in California, and Flor is an infamous outlaw who kidnaps Grace thinking she can ransom her. Upon learning she can't the two decide to team up, and maybe they fall in love along the way.
I can definitely see this being too short for some (it's only 104 pages and there's no word on whether there's going to be more in this world) but I didn't mind. If it were longer it might've managed to get a five star, but I still absolutely loved each and every one of those 104 pages. The art style, characters, plot and writing all sucked me in immediately, and I would definitely recommend checking this out when it comes out in September.
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review also found on my blog.
content warnings: explicit sexual content, consensual pain in a sexual context (Safe)
representation: trans mc, main m/m (Worst Case Scenario), black mc, bi/pan mc, main interracial m/f (Pre-Fuck), genderfluid mc, main genderfluid/f (Good Foundations), black fat sapphic mc, sapphic black mc, main f/f (Safe), black mlm mc, main interracial m/m (The Responsible Parties)
For some reason I've been really sucking at reading lately and this was absolutely perfect to (at least start to) get me out of whatever funk I've been in. This is a super fun, super sexy graphic novel about superheroes, villains, vigilantes, etc. and the sexcapades they get up to.
⇢ Worst Case Scenario is about a superheroes sidekick and a supervillain's mercenary who are stuck waiting to be rescued. UST ensues.
⇢ Pre-Fuck is about a superhero and his girlfriend talking about their first time. Kinks are discovered.
⇢ Good Foundations is about two supervillain's who are dating, and specifically one of them discovering something about themselves. Corsets are worn.
⇢ Safe is about girlfriends who are deciding to try out a new kink. No cats were harmed in the process (though one might have been mentally scarred).
⇢ The Responsible Parties is about a supervillain approaching sixty who is afraid he's going soft. His husband decides sex is the best way to make him feel better.
This graphic novel is exactly what it says on the tin: it's super fun and super sexy. If you want a good smutty, diverse graphic novel, then you should definitely check this one out when it comes out in a few months.
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
content warnings: explicit sexual content, consensual pain in a sexual context (Safe)
representation: trans mc, main m/m (Worst Case Scenario), black mc, bi/pan mc, main interracial m/f (Pre-Fuck), genderfluid mc, main genderfluid/f (Good Foundations), black fat sapphic mc, sapphic black mc, main f/f (Safe), black mlm mc, main interracial m/m (The Responsible Parties)
“Promise me, right now, that you will safeword if need be.”
“I promise.”
For some reason I've been really sucking at reading lately and this was absolutely perfect to (at least start to) get me out of whatever funk I've been in. This is a super fun, super sexy graphic novel about superheroes, villains, vigilantes, etc. and the sexcapades they get up to.
⇢ Worst Case Scenario is about a superheroes sidekick and a supervillain's mercenary who are stuck waiting to be rescued. UST ensues.
⇢ Pre-Fuck is about a superhero and his girlfriend talking about their first time. Kinks are discovered.
⇢ Good Foundations is about two supervillain's who are dating, and specifically one of them discovering something about themselves. Corsets are worn.
⇢ Safe is about girlfriends who are deciding to try out a new kink. No cats were harmed in the process (though one might have been mentally scarred).
⇢ The Responsible Parties is about a supervillain approaching sixty who is afraid he's going soft. His husband decides sex is the best way to make him feel better.
This graphic novel is exactly what it says on the tin: it's super fun and super sexy. If you want a good smutty, diverse graphic novel, then you should definitely check this one out when it comes out in a few months.
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted to my blog.
This is an Australian YA anthology collection that features 12 different stories about queer people. As an Australian teen who's queer, it means a lot to me that this even exists, and even more that it was really good. I'll go into it more with my thoughts on each individual story but there genuinely wasn't a single story I didn't enjoy. My individual thoughts are as follow:
1. RATS - Marlee Jane Ward ★★★
TW: mentions of child slave labour | Rep: f/f main focus
This was a confusing way to start off the collection, but not necessarily an unpleasant one. This is a weird dystopian featuring a gang of teens and a Disaster Sapphic protagonist who is easily distracted by a pretty girl. I still don't have a full grasp on the world and wish this was made into a full-length novel, but it was still really fun.
2. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS - Erin Gough ★★★
Rep: questioning protagonist, f/f main focus, black side character
The first of many cute queer romcoms in this collection, this follows a girl catering a fancy party who meets a sapphic revolutionary that she might kinda sorta start having a crush on. I'm discovering that as much as I want it to Erin Gough's writing doesn't really work for me but this was still really fun and cute.
3. BITTER DRAUGHT - Michael Earp ★★★½
TW: loved one dying of sickness | Rep: m/m main relationship
Another one where I wish it were longer (which, honestly, is my criticism for most of the 3/3.5 stars here). This follows a boy and his boyfriend travelling to find a witch in an attempt to cure a sick family member. As I said, really my only criticism is that I wish this were longer and more fleshed out, otherwise this was really interesting and sweet.
4. I LIKE YOUR ROTATION - Jax Jacki Brown ★★★★
TW: ableism | Rep: lesbian wheelchair-using protagonist, sapphic wheelchair-using main character
There is not nearly enough disability rep in queer fiction, so I'm ridiculously happy that this anthology included an #ownvoices disability story. Another cute story featuring two girls who both use wheelchairs and are sapphic as they have to navigate a world that refuses to include them. I especially loved the commentary on how exclusionist LGBTQ+ spaces can be towards LGBTQ+ people with disabilities.
5. SWEET - Claire G. Coleman ★★★½
Rep: black non-binary protagonist, non-binary main characters
Yet another one that I wish were longer, this one is set in a world where gender basically doesn't exist. It's a really interesting concept that honestly I wish we saw more in fiction. I especially loved the way that this story ended.
6. LIGHT BULB - Nevo Zisin ★★★★★
TW: loss of a parent, homophobia, depression | Rep: non-binary protagonist
Oh my GOD, this was so fucking good. This story falls in line more with a horror than anything else, and is about a teen and their relationship with the dark. This one was much darker than any of the others, with them remembering a parents' death and just the general theme of literal darkness throughout the whole story.
7. WAITING - Jen Wilde ★★★★★
Rep: autistic bisexual protagonist, gay main character, autistic chubby main character, non-binary main character
This just in, I love Jen Wilde and her work is amazing. This is a really sweet story with an #ownvoices autistic bisexual protagonist at a fandom convention, and focuses on her fraught relationship with her best friend and her meeting fellow nerds in line for the con. I loved the discussions of fandom and diversity. This was probably my favourite story of the whole collection.
8. LAURA NYRO AT THE WEDDING - Christos Tsiolkas ★★★★
TW: discussions of pedophilia, loss of a loved one | Rep: m/m main relationship
I'm a big fan of Christos Tsiolkas' book Barracuda and this definitely didn't disappoint. It's about a man who is planning on marrying his boyfriend and his complicated relationship with the rest of his family, in particular his father who was convicted of sleeping with his teenage students. Honestly, my biggest criticism of this one is that it 100% was not YA, which didn't surprise me considering that Tsiolkas is an adult fiction writer.
9. EACH CITY- Ellen van Neerven ★★★
TW: racism, transphobia, mentions of a transphobic attack | Rep: indigenous sapphic protagonist, indigenous sapphic love interest, f/f main relationship, trans asian main character, asian main characters
This one is set in a vaguely dystopian society where pretty much everyone is oppressed and focuses on an Indigenous sapphic teenager, so guess how well that goes. This is another one that I wish had been longer because it's so interesting but definitely could have benefited from being expanded on more.
10. AN ARAB WEREWOLF IN LONDON - Omar Sakr ★★★
TW: animal death, homophobic slurs | Rep: muslim gay protagonist, muslim mlm love interest, m/m main relationship
This is probably the one I was most excited for based on the title alone. This follows a Muslim teen who has a crush on a family friend's son while also dealing with weird shit that's been happening. While the romance was cute, the werewolf elements were pretty lackluster. It's barely in the story and honestly this could have just been a cut and dry romcom without the supernatural elements.
11. STORMLINES - Allison Evans ★★★
TW: injury, use of incorrect pronoun (not malicious and is corrected) | Rep: non-binary protagonist, non-binary black main character, black side characters
The penultimate story in this anthology follows a teen in a fantasy/dystopian/alternate/whatever world wherein the protagonist has to try to survive. Honestly, this is a really hard one to explain, you should just know that I really liked it but wish there was more of it.
12. QUESTIONS TO ASK STRAIGHT RELATIVES - Benjamin Law ★★★½
TW: homophobia | Rep: chinese gay protagonist, chinese lesbian main character, chinese queer characters mentioned, background m/m relationship
The final story in this collection is a non-fiction story that focuses on the way extended traditional family can react to the queer members in the family. This obviously focuses especially on Chinese families since that's Law's heritage, but I can definitely see this being relatable to many people who have ridiculously large traditional families. This was a really good way to finish the collection, even if it did come across as "LGBTQ+ 101".
On the whole, this was a really fun anthology that I had a blast reading. Overall, I gave this 43.5 stars out of a possible total of 60 which, if my math is correct (there's a very good chance it isn't), means that this got a 72.5% AKA around a 3.5 which I'm bumping up to a 4 because I can. My favourites were definitely LIGHT BULBS and WAITING, but I genuinely enjoyed every single story in this collection and would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good collection of queer YA stories.
I received this for free as part of a book tour in exchange for an honest review.
This is an Australian YA anthology collection that features 12 different stories about queer people. As an Australian teen who's queer, it means a lot to me that this even exists, and even more that it was really good. I'll go into it more with my thoughts on each individual story but there genuinely wasn't a single story I didn't enjoy. My individual thoughts are as follow:
1. RATS - Marlee Jane Ward ★★★
TW: mentions of child slave labour | Rep: f/f main focus
This was a confusing way to start off the collection, but not necessarily an unpleasant one. This is a weird dystopian featuring a gang of teens and a Disaster Sapphic protagonist who is easily distracted by a pretty girl. I still don't have a full grasp on the world and wish this was made into a full-length novel, but it was still really fun.
2. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS - Erin Gough ★★★
Rep: questioning protagonist, f/f main focus, black side character
The first of many cute queer romcoms in this collection, this follows a girl catering a fancy party who meets a sapphic revolutionary that she might kinda sorta start having a crush on. I'm discovering that as much as I want it to Erin Gough's writing doesn't really work for me but this was still really fun and cute.
3. BITTER DRAUGHT - Michael Earp ★★★½
TW: loved one dying of sickness | Rep: m/m main relationship
Another one where I wish it were longer (which, honestly, is my criticism for most of the 3/3.5 stars here). This follows a boy and his boyfriend travelling to find a witch in an attempt to cure a sick family member. As I said, really my only criticism is that I wish this were longer and more fleshed out, otherwise this was really interesting and sweet.
4. I LIKE YOUR ROTATION - Jax Jacki Brown ★★★★
TW: ableism | Rep: lesbian wheelchair-using protagonist, sapphic wheelchair-using main character
There is not nearly enough disability rep in queer fiction, so I'm ridiculously happy that this anthology included an #ownvoices disability story. Another cute story featuring two girls who both use wheelchairs and are sapphic as they have to navigate a world that refuses to include them. I especially loved the commentary on how exclusionist LGBTQ+ spaces can be towards LGBTQ+ people with disabilities.
5. SWEET - Claire G. Coleman ★★★½
Rep: black non-binary protagonist, non-binary main characters
Yet another one that I wish were longer, this one is set in a world where gender basically doesn't exist. It's a really interesting concept that honestly I wish we saw more in fiction. I especially loved the way that this story ended.
6. LIGHT BULB - Nevo Zisin ★★★★★
TW: loss of a parent, homophobia, depression | Rep: non-binary protagonist
Oh my GOD, this was so fucking good. This story falls in line more with a horror than anything else, and is about a teen and their relationship with the dark. This one was much darker than any of the others, with them remembering a parents' death and just the general theme of literal darkness throughout the whole story.
7. WAITING - Jen Wilde ★★★★★
Rep: autistic bisexual protagonist, gay main character, autistic chubby main character, non-binary main character
This just in, I love Jen Wilde and her work is amazing. This is a really sweet story with an #ownvoices autistic bisexual protagonist at a fandom convention, and focuses on her fraught relationship with her best friend and her meeting fellow nerds in line for the con. I loved the discussions of fandom and diversity. This was probably my favourite story of the whole collection.
8. LAURA NYRO AT THE WEDDING - Christos Tsiolkas ★★★★
TW: discussions of pedophilia, loss of a loved one | Rep: m/m main relationship
I'm a big fan of Christos Tsiolkas' book Barracuda and this definitely didn't disappoint. It's about a man who is planning on marrying his boyfriend and his complicated relationship with the rest of his family, in particular his father who was convicted of sleeping with his teenage students. Honestly, my biggest criticism of this one is that it 100% was not YA, which didn't surprise me considering that Tsiolkas is an adult fiction writer.
9. EACH CITY- Ellen van Neerven ★★★
TW: racism, transphobia, mentions of a transphobic attack | Rep: indigenous sapphic protagonist, indigenous sapphic love interest, f/f main relationship, trans asian main character, asian main characters
This one is set in a vaguely dystopian society where pretty much everyone is oppressed and focuses on an Indigenous sapphic teenager, so guess how well that goes. This is another one that I wish had been longer because it's so interesting but definitely could have benefited from being expanded on more.
10. AN ARAB WEREWOLF IN LONDON - Omar Sakr ★★★
TW: animal death, homophobic slurs | Rep: muslim gay protagonist, muslim mlm love interest, m/m main relationship
This is probably the one I was most excited for based on the title alone. This follows a Muslim teen who has a crush on a family friend's son while also dealing with weird shit that's been happening. While the romance was cute, the werewolf elements were pretty lackluster. It's barely in the story and honestly this could have just been a cut and dry romcom without the supernatural elements.
11. STORMLINES - Allison Evans ★★★
TW: injury, use of incorrect pronoun (not malicious and is corrected) | Rep: non-binary protagonist, non-binary black main character, black side characters
The penultimate story in this anthology follows a teen in a fantasy/dystopian/alternate/whatever world wherein the protagonist has to try to survive. Honestly, this is a really hard one to explain, you should just know that I really liked it but wish there was more of it.
12. QUESTIONS TO ASK STRAIGHT RELATIVES - Benjamin Law ★★★½
TW: homophobia | Rep: chinese gay protagonist, chinese lesbian main character, chinese queer characters mentioned, background m/m relationship
The final story in this collection is a non-fiction story that focuses on the way extended traditional family can react to the queer members in the family. This obviously focuses especially on Chinese families since that's Law's heritage, but I can definitely see this being relatable to many people who have ridiculously large traditional families. This was a really good way to finish the collection, even if it did come across as "LGBTQ+ 101".
On the whole, this was a really fun anthology that I had a blast reading. Overall, I gave this 43.5 stars out of a possible total of 60 which, if my math is correct (there's a very good chance it isn't), means that this got a 72.5% AKA around a 3.5 which I'm bumping up to a 4 because I can. My favourites were definitely LIGHT BULBS and WAITING, but I genuinely enjoyed every single story in this collection and would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good collection of queer YA stories.
I received this for free as part of a book tour in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted to my blog.
Asian Readathon: read a book by an asian author, read a book featuring an intersectional asian character
content warnings: racism, misogyny, ableism, homophobia, discussion of colonialism, violence, loss of a loved one, torture, gore, body horror, mentions of past suicide, abandonment, panic attacks, grief
representation: biracial (algerian-french) main character, indian main character, biracial (filipino-spanish) bi/pan main character, jewish autistic main character, black mlm main character, interracial m/m side relationship, interracial f/m side relationship, side characters of colour
Everyone is sleeping on this book and they should stop ASAP! It is a fantastic historical fantasy heist, and honestly if that doesn't sound like everything you've ever wanted then I don't know what else to say.
This is everything I want in a book with that description. This is a book set in late 19th century Paris and while it does sometimes indulge in the glitzy glamour of the time period, it also doesn't shy away from the sheer awfulness of it. This is a book full of characters who are women, people of colour, queer, neurodivergent, non-Christian, and often a combination of those. Through these characters, the book talks about topics of misogyny, racism, ableism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, colonialism, white-passing privilege, being an outsider, erasure of history, and so much more.
Speaking of the characters, holy fuck I love these losers so dang much. They're a group of messy teens who are outsiders in the society they live in and I would die for every single one of them.
⇢ Séverin is a biracial (Algerian-French) boy who owns the hotel L'Eden and is the leader of the group. He is also on a quest to reclaim an inheritance that was stolen from him years ago. He's sometimes a trash boy but I love him with my whole heart.
⇢ Laila is an Indian girl who was brought to life using magic. She's a dancer at L'Eden and has the forging ability to be able to read different objects. She's a perfect mix of super sweet and super lethal, and her romance with Séverin is slowly killing me.
⇢ Enrique is a bisexual biracial (Filipino-Spanish) boy who is a historian. He struggles a lot with where he belongs because of him being white-passing, and being both a historian and a victim of cultural erasure. Personally I'm a big fan of the love triangle that he's in and I hope it ends in polyamory.
⇢ Tristan is Séverin's brother in every way apart from blood and has been by his side since they were children. He is a gardener who has a pet spider called Goliath. He's such a cute softie and I loved him so much :')
⇢ Zofia is an autistic Polish Jewish girl who is a skilled mathematician. She is often the brains behind any of the groups operations, inventing things and solving puzzles. Her relationship with Laila was so darn sweet and I loved every single scene they had together.
⇢ Hypnos is a black queer heir to one of the French houses. He initially comes across as an adversary, but soon proves himself (at least somewhat) trustworthy. He would also give Kaz Brekker a run for his money when it comes to dramatics, just in a very different way.
These characters are effortlessly endearing, and I swear to God if I see another person try to flimsily link them to SoC characters again I might scream. No character is wholly original so can we please stop.
The themes and characters were phenomenal, but the plot was a bit more meh for me. I liked how well-paced it was and the general plot worked really well for me, but unfortunately I'm nowhere near as smart as Roshani Chokshi or her characters so a lot of the finer details were lost on me. Roshani Chokshi has clearly done her homework because there are so many historical, mathematical and scientific deep cuts in this, to the point where I didn't totally understand how characters got from point A to point B. This is more of a me thing though, and I was able to get past it quickly.
The end of this book murdered me, which isn't a criticism just a fact. On the whole, this is a fantastic first book in a series, and book in general. Even if I didn't always understand what ws happening with the plot, I loved the themes and the characters, and I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun YA fantasy.
Asian Readathon: read a book by an asian author, read a book featuring an intersectional asian character
content warnings: racism, misogyny, ableism, homophobia, discussion of colonialism, violence, loss of a loved one, torture, gore, body horror, mentions of past suicide, abandonment, panic attacks, grief
representation: biracial (algerian-french) main character, indian main character, biracial (filipino-spanish) bi/pan main character, jewish autistic main character, black mlm main character, interracial m/m side relationship, interracial f/m side relationship, side characters of colour
“Nothing but a symbol? People die for symbols. People have hope because of symbols. They're not just lines. They're histories, cultures, traditions, given shape.”
Everyone is sleeping on this book and they should stop ASAP! It is a fantastic historical fantasy heist, and honestly if that doesn't sound like everything you've ever wanted then I don't know what else to say.
This is everything I want in a book with that description. This is a book set in late 19th century Paris and while it does sometimes indulge in the glitzy glamour of the time period, it also doesn't shy away from the sheer awfulness of it. This is a book full of characters who are women, people of colour, queer, neurodivergent, non-Christian, and often a combination of those. Through these characters, the book talks about topics of misogyny, racism, ableism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, colonialism, white-passing privilege, being an outsider, erasure of history, and so much more.
Speaking of the characters, holy fuck I love these losers so dang much. They're a group of messy teens who are outsiders in the society they live in and I would die for every single one of them.
⇢ Séverin is a biracial (Algerian-French) boy who owns the hotel L'Eden and is the leader of the group. He is also on a quest to reclaim an inheritance that was stolen from him years ago. He's sometimes a trash boy but I love him with my whole heart.
⇢ Laila is an Indian girl who was brought to life using magic. She's a dancer at L'Eden and has the forging ability to be able to read different objects. She's a perfect mix of super sweet and super lethal, and her romance with Séverin is slowly killing me.
⇢ Enrique is a bisexual biracial (Filipino-Spanish) boy who is a historian. He struggles a lot with where he belongs because of him being white-passing, and being both a historian and a victim of cultural erasure. Personally I'm a big fan of the love triangle that he's in and I hope it ends in polyamory.
⇢ Tristan is Séverin's brother in every way apart from blood and has been by his side since they were children. He is a gardener who has a pet spider called Goliath. He's such a cute softie and I loved him so much :')
⇢ Zofia is an autistic Polish Jewish girl who is a skilled mathematician. She is often the brains behind any of the groups operations, inventing things and solving puzzles. Her relationship with Laila was so darn sweet and I loved every single scene they had together.
⇢ Hypnos is a black queer heir to one of the French houses. He initially comes across as an adversary, but soon proves himself (at least somewhat) trustworthy. He would also give Kaz Brekker a run for his money when it comes to dramatics, just in a very different way.
These characters are effortlessly endearing, and I swear to God if I see another person try to flimsily link them to SoC characters again I might scream. No character is wholly original so can we please stop.
The themes and characters were phenomenal, but the plot was a bit more meh for me. I liked how well-paced it was and the general plot worked really well for me, but unfortunately I'm nowhere near as smart as Roshani Chokshi or her characters so a lot of the finer details were lost on me. Roshani Chokshi has clearly done her homework because there are so many historical, mathematical and scientific deep cuts in this, to the point where I didn't totally understand how characters got from point A to point B. This is more of a me thing though, and I was able to get past it quickly.
The end of this book murdered me, which isn't a criticism just a fact. On the whole, this is a fantastic first book in a series, and book in general. Even if I didn't always understand what ws happening with the plot, I loved the themes and the characters, and I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun YA fantasy.
Review also posted to my blog.
1) Off Base ★★★★½
2) At Attention ★★★★★
3) On Point ★★★★
4) Wheels Up ★★★★★
5) Squared Away ★★★★½
6) Tight Quarters ★★★★★
content warnings: discussions of brain injury, biphobia
representation: gay protagonist, bisexual protagonist, m/m main relationship, pansexual side character, mlm side characters, wlw side characters
“Trust. Such a powerful word. His chest felt heavy and full, as if the fear of disappointing Renzo was a palpable thing. For the first time, he wanted more than just to show Renzo a good time - he wanted to earn that trust, wanted to give Renzo a reason to want a repeat.”
Thank god this didn't suck! It's not that I was expecting it too, but there was a small part of me that was worried that one of my favourite series was going to end with a meh final installment. I can happily say that it did not!
The final book in Annabeth Albert's Out of Uniform series follows Canaan, who works at a smoothie shop on base and is going to school to be a nurse, and Renzo AKA Rooster, who has just applied for a transfer to move closer to his worried family. Renzo is a frequent customer to the smoothie shop and a series of events lead to him agreeing to pretend to be Canaan's boyfriend when he goes on a camping trip with his former band mates.
As you may have guessed from the rating in comparison to the others in the series, this one wasn't my favourite, but it wasn't bad by any means. For some reason the odd-numbered books never quite get to five stars and I can't figure out why, but I still genuinely love every book in this series.
This book has all the good stuff from previous books - likable characters, a relationship you want to root for, fun cameos from characters throughout the series, fantastic sex scenes, and some cheesiness. Honestly, if you've read any of my reviews for previous books, then you know what I like about this book. It doesn't stand out from the pack, and I mean that in the most positive way possible.
I wouldn't recommend jumping onto the series with this book, but even if you've just read a few of the others in the series I think you'll enjoy this.
05/10/18
WE HAVE A COVER FUCK YES
04/09/18
On one hand, this is the last book in the series and that makes me sad. But on the other hand, this has the greatest romance trope known to mankind aka FAKE DATING
1) Off Base ★★★★½
2) At Attention ★★★★★
3) On Point ★★★★
4) Wheels Up ★★★★★
5) Squared Away ★★★★½
6) Tight Quarters ★★★★★
content warnings: discussions of brain injury, biphobia
representation: gay protagonist, bisexual protagonist, m/m main relationship, pansexual side character, mlm side characters, wlw side characters
“Trust. Such a powerful word. His chest felt heavy and full, as if the fear of disappointing Renzo was a palpable thing. For the first time, he wanted more than just to show Renzo a good time - he wanted to earn that trust, wanted to give Renzo a reason to want a repeat.”
Thank god this didn't suck! It's not that I was expecting it too, but there was a small part of me that was worried that one of my favourite series was going to end with a meh final installment. I can happily say that it did not!
The final book in Annabeth Albert's Out of Uniform series follows Canaan, who works at a smoothie shop on base and is going to school to be a nurse, and Renzo AKA Rooster, who has just applied for a transfer to move closer to his worried family. Renzo is a frequent customer to the smoothie shop and a series of events lead to him agreeing to pretend to be Canaan's boyfriend when he goes on a camping trip with his former band mates.
As you may have guessed from the rating in comparison to the others in the series, this one wasn't my favourite, but it wasn't bad by any means. For some reason the odd-numbered books never quite get to five stars and I can't figure out why, but I still genuinely love every book in this series.
This book has all the good stuff from previous books - likable characters, a relationship you want to root for, fun cameos from characters throughout the series, fantastic sex scenes, and some cheesiness. Honestly, if you've read any of my reviews for previous books, then you know what I like about this book. It doesn't stand out from the pack, and I mean that in the most positive way possible.
I wouldn't recommend jumping onto the series with this book, but even if you've just read a few of the others in the series I think you'll enjoy this.
05/10/18
WE HAVE A COVER FUCK YES
04/09/18
On one hand, this is the last book in the series and that makes me sad. But on the other hand, this has the greatest romance trope known to mankind aka FAKE DATING
Review also posted to my blog.
content warnings: microaggressions, loss of parents, excessive drinking, portrayal of lethal diseases
representation: black main and side characters, black lesbian side character, disabled side character
“Everybody wants something from you, but sometimes there’s a person you want to give to. Sometimes what you give them makes you better for having given it. And it makes having to give to everyone else not so bad.”
This was absolutely delightful and I can’t believe it took me so long to read!
A Princess in Theory is about Ledi, an overworked grad student who keeps getting these weird emails saying that she’s betrothed to an African prince. She’s not an idiot so she ignores them, until one day she’s in a terrible mood and basically tells them to fuck off. Well, turns out there really is an African prince who is really betrothed to her and he’s decided to meet her in person. Only she mistakes him as a new coworker and he decides to go along with it.
The second that Thabiso started to pretend to be Jamal, I expected the entire book to come crashing down, but it actually worked. I think a big part of that is that the book never tries to convince you that what Thabiso is doing is right; his assistant, Likotsi, spends the entire book telling him that he’s a piece of shit for lying to her, and when Ledi finds out she’s never treated like a bitch for not trusting him. Thabiso has to work to earn back her trust and he’s never anything but apologetic for what he did.
Moving on, this is just such a cute romance. Ledi and Thabiso have fantastic chemistry with each other and I loved the culture clash. Both are at different points fish out of water and seeing the other one playfully making fun of them while also helping them was so cute. The sex scenes were also A+++.
I want to talk about Ledi for a second because she’s one of my new favourite romance protagonists. She’s a grad student trying to become a scientist (I’m the Worst and don’t remember what her field is called, but she’s basically trying to prevent diseases) and she also works at a restaurant on campus. She grew up in the system and is a black woman in STEM, and these experiences are never diminished over the course of the book. They’re a fundamental part of who she is and even as the romance really gets going the book never loses sight of that.
Her complicated relationship with her best friend Portia was also fantastic. They love each other, but because of Ledi’s childhood she finds it really hard to trust people and let them in, and Portia has a drinking problem that makes her a terrible friend sometimes. I loved that the faults in their friendship wasn’t one-sided and that by the end of the book their both vowing to do better.
Something that you don’t see in romance books very often is a vibrant setting, and this has that in spades. Thesolo, the country Thabiso is going to rule, is described in such gorgeous detail, and I loved the little intricacies added about their landscape and culture. Honestly, those descriptions are a massive reason why I would love to see this adapted into a movie.
If you’re looking for a cute, funny, diverse romance then look no further than this book! I’m so glad that I already have the sequel to continue the series.
content warnings: microaggressions, loss of parents, excessive drinking, portrayal of lethal diseases
representation: black main and side characters, black lesbian side character, disabled side character
“Everybody wants something from you, but sometimes there’s a person you want to give to. Sometimes what you give them makes you better for having given it. And it makes having to give to everyone else not so bad.”
This was absolutely delightful and I can’t believe it took me so long to read!
A Princess in Theory is about Ledi, an overworked grad student who keeps getting these weird emails saying that she’s betrothed to an African prince. She’s not an idiot so she ignores them, until one day she’s in a terrible mood and basically tells them to fuck off. Well, turns out there really is an African prince who is really betrothed to her and he’s decided to meet her in person. Only she mistakes him as a new coworker and he decides to go along with it.
The second that Thabiso started to pretend to be Jamal, I expected the entire book to come crashing down, but it actually worked. I think a big part of that is that the book never tries to convince you that what Thabiso is doing is right; his assistant, Likotsi, spends the entire book telling him that he’s a piece of shit for lying to her, and when Ledi finds out she’s never treated like a bitch for not trusting him. Thabiso has to work to earn back her trust and he’s never anything but apologetic for what he did.
Moving on, this is just such a cute romance. Ledi and Thabiso have fantastic chemistry with each other and I loved the culture clash. Both are at different points fish out of water and seeing the other one playfully making fun of them while also helping them was so cute. The sex scenes were also A+++.
I want to talk about Ledi for a second because she’s one of my new favourite romance protagonists. She’s a grad student trying to become a scientist (I’m the Worst and don’t remember what her field is called, but she’s basically trying to prevent diseases) and she also works at a restaurant on campus. She grew up in the system and is a black woman in STEM, and these experiences are never diminished over the course of the book. They’re a fundamental part of who she is and even as the romance really gets going the book never loses sight of that.
Her complicated relationship with her best friend Portia was also fantastic. They love each other, but because of Ledi’s childhood she finds it really hard to trust people and let them in, and Portia has a drinking problem that makes her a terrible friend sometimes. I loved that the faults in their friendship wasn’t one-sided and that by the end of the book their both vowing to do better.
Something that you don’t see in romance books very often is a vibrant setting, and this has that in spades. Thesolo, the country Thabiso is going to rule, is described in such gorgeous detail, and I loved the little intricacies added about their landscape and culture. Honestly, those descriptions are a massive reason why I would love to see this adapted into a movie.
If you’re looking for a cute, funny, diverse romance then look no further than this book! I’m so glad that I already have the sequel to continue the series.