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ninetalevixen
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★ 2.5 stars ★
The worldbuilding is wonderfully atmospheric, thoroughly Asian-coded, and I really enjoyed that about it. But I kind of wish there was more explanation/structure given to the magic system in particular, because its presentation felt a little hand-wave-y despite its importance to the narrative.
I think the biggest problem is that the narrative structure just didn't work for me — the frequent timeskips/snapshots of the twins' life, from before their birth to adulthood; it ended being more plot-focused than I generally prefer. And considering all the buildup, I found the ending to be a bit of a letdown, the closing lines fairly cheesy.
There is a significant amount of thoughtful character development (including explorations of gender identity and sexual/romantic orientation), but again that felt secondary to the storyline. That said, it's hard to not root for complex characters who are Doing Their Best.
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CONVERSION: 6.9 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 4 / 10
Emotional Impact: 3 / 10
Development / Flow: 3 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: 2 / 5
Memorability: N/A
Spoiler
precanon parent death, death of a child, grief, suicide bombings, xenophobia, animal abuse, mention of suicide by poisonrep:
Spoiler
Asian-coded setting & cast, children raised as "genderfree", questioning/nonbinary Japanese-coded MC [Akeha], nonbinary LI [Yongcheow], Japanese-coded antagonist [the Protector], Desi-coded secondary character [Thennjay], biracial minor character [Eien]★ 2.5 stars ★
The worldbuilding is wonderfully atmospheric, thoroughly Asian-coded, and I really enjoyed that about it. But I kind of wish there was more explanation/structure given to the magic system in particular, because its presentation felt a little hand-wave-y despite its importance to the narrative.
I think the biggest problem is that the narrative structure just didn't work for me — the frequent timeskips/snapshots of the twins' life, from before their birth to adulthood; it ended being more plot-focused than I generally prefer. And considering all the buildup, I found the ending to be a bit of a letdown, the closing lines fairly cheesy.
There is a significant amount of thoughtful character development (including explorations of gender identity and sexual/romantic orientation), but again that felt secondary to the storyline. That said, it's hard to not root for complex characters who are Doing Their Best.
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CONVERSION: 6.9 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 4 / 10
Emotional Impact: 3 / 10
Development / Flow: 3 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: 2 / 5
Memorability: N/A
★ 2.5 stars ★
content warnings:
rep:
RTC
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CONVERSION: 7.1 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 5 / 10
Emotional Impact: 3 / 10
Development / Flow: 4 / 10
Setting: 6 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
content warnings:
Spoiler
major character death(s), grief & guilt, attempted sororicide, racism, misogyny, gender dysphoria, physical abuse, recreational hunting, human experimentation, involuntary body modification, drafting of child soldiers, child death(s), being burned alive, addiction, mentioned past scalping, past attempted suiciderep:
Spoiler
PoC MC & cameo characters [Zoya, Jesper, Inej], bi/pan MC [Nina], trans/questioning LI [Hanne], queer main romance, WLW major characters [Tamar & Nadia], Asian-coded setting & cast [Shu Han], established F/F relationship, cameo M/M established relationshipRTC
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CONVERSION: 7.1 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 5 / 10
Emotional Impact: 3 / 10
Development / Flow: 4 / 10
Setting: 6 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
I received an advance review copy from Wednesday Books (St. Martin's Press) through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest.
I received an advance review copy from Wednesday Books (St. Martin's Press) through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest.
Really plays up the strength of family bonds, especially between siblings, which I'm always a sucker for. Loved the imaginative interpretation of destiny/karma.
For some reason I didn’t get as strong of a road trip vibe as I would’ve liked — more touristy, exploration of identity, a lot of overt discourse on social issues. (Major props for addressing intersectionality, though that exact term is never actually used!) That said, overall it was an enjoyable read with a few key issues.
I don’t like to label things as too PC or SJW-y, but I think this novel is a little too heavy-handed and binary-minded about subjects with multiple shades of nuance: racism, classism, LGBTQ discrimination (though you could really just say homophobia since the T gets only a passing mention and the B not even that), environmentalism (which felt tacked on, popping up halfway through with no warning but persisting to the end as though to make up for its absence in the beginning), vegetarianism, and prejudice in general. Maybe it’s built into the premise — brown kids visit the American South — but still, the episode with “scary camouflage guy” made me cringe with its clobber-the-reader-over-the-head-with-Umar’s-sister’s-softball-bat bluntness. As did all three times Umar says, “I’m starvation nation,” which I can only assume was an attempt at teenage slang. (Seriously, please get an actual teenager to check your slang if you’re going to use it: a friend’s offspring, a betareader from the Internet, someone.)
I can’t speak to the South Asian-American representation, other than applauding its clear presence, as it’s not my culture, but I was disappointed in the lowkey heteronormativity — having a gay main character and multiple delves into the gay scene is a start, but it’s not enough to counteract the “gay best friend” stereotypes (though to be fair, the problematic aspects I noticed were mostly somewhat minor: fashion-focused, a specific type of dramatic; the biggest potential problem is Umar’s interest in drag). And I didn’t like some of Mariam’s attitudes, which never get addressed beyond face value. (“99% of girls are obsessed with their looks, which makes me different and special”; “guys never listen when I talk, except Doug, and that’s why I miss him,” etc.)
Still, obviously no book is perfect, and I do admire the author for tackling these contentious issues at all. The resolutions to each main’s character arc/personal subplot was satisfying, realistic without being too cliche; most of the hallmarks of a good road trip YA novel were present and well done. Taken into perspective as just one of many novels I’ve finished this summer, it’s not half bad.
I don’t like to label things as too PC or SJW-y, but I think this novel is a little too heavy-handed and binary-minded about subjects with multiple shades of nuance: racism, classism, LGBTQ discrimination (though you could really just say homophobia since the T gets only a passing mention and the B not even that), environmentalism (which felt tacked on, popping up halfway through with no warning but persisting to the end as though to make up for its absence in the beginning), vegetarianism, and prejudice in general. Maybe it’s built into the premise — brown kids visit the American South — but still, the episode with “scary camouflage guy” made me cringe with its clobber-the-reader-over-the-head-with-Umar’s-sister’s-softball-bat bluntness. As did all three times Umar says, “I’m starvation nation,” which I can only assume was an attempt at teenage slang. (Seriously, please get an actual teenager to check your slang if you’re going to use it: a friend’s offspring, a betareader from the Internet, someone.)
I can’t speak to the South Asian-American representation, other than applauding its clear presence, as it’s not my culture, but I was disappointed in the lowkey heteronormativity — having a gay main character and multiple delves into the gay scene is a start, but it’s not enough to counteract the “gay best friend” stereotypes (though to be fair, the problematic aspects I noticed were mostly somewhat minor: fashion-focused, a specific type of dramatic; the biggest potential problem is Umar’s interest in drag). And I didn’t like some of Mariam’s attitudes, which never get addressed beyond face value. (“99% of girls are obsessed with their looks, which makes me different and special”; “guys never listen when I talk, except Doug, and that’s why I miss him,” etc.)
Still, obviously no book is perfect, and I do admire the author for tackling these contentious issues at all. The resolutions to each main’s character arc/personal subplot was satisfying, realistic without being too cliche; most of the hallmarks of a good road trip YA novel were present and well done. Taken into perspective as just one of many novels I’ve finished this summer, it’s not half bad.
★ 4.5 stars ★
I received an advance review copy from St. Martin's Griffin through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest. This review (and more) can also be found on my blog, Nine Tale Vixen.
content warnings:
rep:
Like many of my friends, I was super excited for this one since I absolutely adore McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue — and while it is a distinct type of novel from RWRB, One Last Stop did not disappoint. Both include a fantastically diverse cast of mostly twenty-somethings (including, but far from limited to, a QPOC in the main pairing), nuanced and dynamic relationships of all sorts, a strong sense of setting in terms of both location and time period, nods to queer history, humorous banter/witticisms, and a comfortably-paced narrative flow.
Given that the novel centers on a Lowkey Disaster Bisexual, August Landry, and a Chinese-American gay icon, Jane Su, I (a twenty-something demibisexual Taiwanese-American) was admittedly predisposed to love this if the representation was good. And man oh man, was it ever. August and the members of her queer found family each have delightful quirks, and they’re super supportive of each other, and they love a good party. I also really appreciated that the Asian-American love interest (Jane) was portrayed as sexy but not stereotypically hypersexualized or submissive, and all her memories/experiences are a reminder that American history and queer history also belong to queer Asian-Americans, even though they are often overlooked in queer American stories.
I have to confess that I don’t always love a sci-fi twist, but the incorporation of time travel actually worked quite well for me. Of course it was a great way to sneak in some queer American history, but it was also a fascinating complication to the main romance as they try to figure out who Jane is, how she got into this situation, how to free her, what will happen after they free her. There isn’t really room for contrived drama, which works out just fine since there are already ups and downs, joys and frustrations, victories and setbacks.
Finally, food may not be a central focus of the novel but I contend that it is a love language as well as a carrier of culture. So I was delighted to discover a few mouthwatering mentions I want to try for myself: the Su Special sandwich, the fah sung thong (Chinese peanut candy) mentioned by August’s roommate Myla, Jane’s favorite chocolate chip NY-style bagels with peanut butter, Wes’s orange cardamom scones with maple chai drizzle. Also NY-style pizza, of course. (And if any of these culinary experiments turn out well, they just might be the subject of future posts!)
One Last Stop has less of a cotton-candy (what some call fanfiction-y) feel than Red, White & Royal Blue but is still a relatively light read, with plenty of heartwarming and hilarious moments. It’s very New Adult and very NYC and very queer, and very, very enjoyable.
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CONVERSION: 12.2 / 15 = 4.5 stars
Prose: 7 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
I received an advance review copy from St. Martin's Griffin through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest. This review (and more) can also be found on my blog, Nine Tale Vixen.
content warnings:
Spoiler
nongraphic sexual content, semi-public sex, death of estranged grandparent, mentions of queerphobia & racism, mention of anti-Semitism, drinking, marijuana userep:
Spoiler
bisexual MC [August], lesbian Chinese-American LI [Jane], trans Puerto Rican major character [Niko], Black transracial adoptee (Chinese parents) major character [Myla], MLM major character [Wes], MLM drag queen major character [Isaiah/Annie Depressant], F/trans M established relationship, M/M B-romance, pansexual Jamaican-American drag queen secondary character [Winfield/Bomb Bumboclaat], Czech immigrant secondary character [Lucie], diverse secondary & minor charactersLike many of my friends, I was super excited for this one since I absolutely adore McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue — and while it is a distinct type of novel from RWRB, One Last Stop did not disappoint. Both include a fantastically diverse cast of mostly twenty-somethings (including, but far from limited to, a QPOC in the main pairing), nuanced and dynamic relationships of all sorts, a strong sense of setting in terms of both location and time period, nods to queer history, humorous banter/witticisms, and a comfortably-paced narrative flow.
Given that the novel centers on a Lowkey Disaster Bisexual, August Landry, and a Chinese-American gay icon, Jane Su, I (a twenty-something demibisexual Taiwanese-American) was admittedly predisposed to love this if the representation was good. And man oh man, was it ever. August and the members of her queer found family each have delightful quirks, and they’re super supportive of each other, and they love a good party. I also really appreciated that the Asian-American love interest (Jane) was portrayed as sexy but not stereotypically hypersexualized or submissive, and all her memories/experiences are a reminder that American history and queer history also belong to queer Asian-Americans, even though they are often overlooked in queer American stories.
I have to confess that I don’t always love a sci-fi twist, but the incorporation of time travel actually worked quite well for me. Of course it was a great way to sneak in some queer American history, but it was also a fascinating complication to the main romance as they try to figure out who Jane is, how she got into this situation, how to free her, what will happen after they free her. There isn’t really room for contrived drama, which works out just fine since there are already ups and downs, joys and frustrations, victories and setbacks.
Finally, food may not be a central focus of the novel but I contend that it is a love language as well as a carrier of culture. So I was delighted to discover a few mouthwatering mentions I want to try for myself: the Su Special sandwich, the fah sung thong (Chinese peanut candy) mentioned by August’s roommate Myla, Jane’s favorite chocolate chip NY-style bagels with peanut butter, Wes’s orange cardamom scones with maple chai drizzle. Also NY-style pizza, of course. (And if any of these culinary experiments turn out well, they just might be the subject of future posts!)
One Last Stop has less of a cotton-candy (what some call fanfiction-y) feel than Red, White & Royal Blue but is still a relatively light read, with plenty of heartwarming and hilarious moments. It’s very New Adult and very NYC and very queer, and very, very enjoyable.
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CONVERSION: 12.2 / 15 = 4.5 stars
Prose: 7 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
What I really loved is that technically A is genderfluid and pansexual; that kind of openminded acceptance is always awesome. A little preachy with a small side of teen melodrama, but overall I liked it pretty well.