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ninetalevixen
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tl;dr The themes and rep are great; I personally found the execution lacking, but though it's not for me I sincerely hope this book will resonate with others.
I really wanted to like this more since it engages thoughtfully with issues of privilege and rape culture, in part based on the author's own experiences (!!!). But in a nutshell, and at risk of sounding callous, I just had so much trouble sympathizing with any of the characters and the pacing felt awkward.
The latter first, because my feelings here are more straightforward. Basically the plot seemed to comprise a lot of whining about privilege, through naive and self-absorbed lenses — until the last quarter or so, when (dun dun dun) Very Bad Things Happen. Because of the pacing, there wasn't space for much development or exploration of the conflict/consequences of the climax (aka the part that felt like the whole point of the story), just quick resolution and cheesy platitudes.
It probably doesn't help that the prose involves a lot of telling instead of showing, particularly regarding feelings. Chapters open with "I'm so happy that [whatever happened previously]" and similar phrases, which to me felt contrived rather than stream-of-consciousness. There's a lot of recapping what's already happened and how characters feel/react/are thinking of reacting.
With regards to the former: given the plot, I honestly feel bad even expressing that I actively dislike every single member of the cast except. Obviously a victim doesn't and shouldn't have to be perfect to be believed or to be blameless, but I got the impression that we were meant to like Dani and Claire, and I ... couldn't.
In short, I always have trouble empathizing with characters who can't be bothered even trying to empathize with others. Part of the reason I didn't DNF was that I hoped to see significant character growth — but if it happens, it's dramatic and squeezed in at the end.
In more detail: They repeatedly make selfish decisions and snap judgments, blow hot and cold towards each other and their alleged friends/love interests and their parents, and seem genuinely surprised that their actions have consequences. They gossip behind people's backs, judge everyone else by their own values and priorities and life experiences. What really got me is that both Dani and Claire somehow.
So as stated in the tl;dr, I don't want to totally dismiss how much this book may mean to other readers. It just really didn't work for me.
>> Buddy read with Soph! (Thanks for being my vent buddy as always.)
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CONVERSION: 5.53 / 15 = 2 stars
Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 3 / 10
Emotional Impact: 1 / 10
Development / Flow: 3 / 10
Setting: 5 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Memorability: 1 / 5
Spoiler
on-page non explicit rape, sexual harassment, victim-blaming, teacher/student (one-sided), voyeurism, public sex, grooming, body-shaming, slut-shaming, misogynistic language, infidelity, classism, racism, colorism, Orientalism/yellow fever, mention of miscarriages, parent with substance addiction, controlling behavior (by romantic partner)rep:
Spoiler
Filipina-American MC [Dani], Chinese MC [Claire], Filipina immigrant secondary character [Dani's mom], lesbian Chinese secondary characters [Ming & Florence], established secondary F/F relationship, diverse minor characterstl;dr The themes and rep are great; I personally found the execution lacking, but though it's not for me I sincerely hope this book will resonate with others.
I really wanted to like this more since it engages thoughtfully with issues of privilege and rape culture, in part based on the author's own experiences (!!!). But in a nutshell, and at risk of sounding callous, I just had so much trouble sympathizing with any of the characters and the pacing felt awkward.
The latter first, because my feelings here are more straightforward. Basically the plot seemed to comprise a lot of whining about privilege, through naive and self-absorbed lenses — until the last quarter or so, when (dun dun dun) Very Bad Things Happen. Because of the pacing, there wasn't space for much development or exploration of the conflict/consequences of the climax (aka the part that felt like the whole point of the story), just quick resolution and cheesy platitudes.
It probably doesn't help that the prose involves a lot of telling instead of showing, particularly regarding feelings. Chapters open with "I'm so happy that [whatever happened previously]" and similar phrases, which to me felt contrived rather than stream-of-consciousness. There's a lot of recapping what's already happened and how characters feel/react/are thinking of reacting.
With regards to the former: given the plot, I honestly feel bad even expressing that I actively dislike every single member of the cast except
Spoiler
Ming and Dani's mom, they're unproblematic sweetheartsIn short, I always have trouble empathizing with characters who can't be bothered even trying to empathize with others. Part of the reason I didn't DNF was that I hoped to see significant character growth — but if it happens, it's dramatic and squeezed in at the end.
In more detail: They repeatedly make selfish decisions and snap judgments, blow hot and cold towards each other and their alleged friends/love interests and their parents, and seem genuinely surprised that their actions have consequences. They gossip behind people's backs, judge everyone else by their own values and priorities and life experiences. What really got me is that both Dani and Claire somehow
Spoiler
make the fact that their friend didn't come out to them a reason to feel hurt: making the situation about themselves, disregarding their very valid reasons for staying closetedSo as stated in the tl;dr, I don't want to totally dismiss how much this book may mean to other readers. It just really didn't work for me.
>> Buddy read with Soph! (Thanks for being my vent buddy as always.)
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CONVERSION: 5.53 / 15 = 2 stars
Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 3 / 10
Emotional Impact: 1 / 10
Development / Flow: 3 / 10
Setting: 5 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Memorability: 1 / 5
Nice play, making Revenge so irresistible even though we know we're not supposed to be rooting for him. Fascinating premise and memorable characters, and just enough boy drama that it was interesting without detracting from the main plot.
It's apparently been 5 years since I first read this book, but I remember enough of the major plot twists that it was less interesting the second time around. (Though the fact that I did remember any of the plot is a point in its favor, when you consider how many comparable/similar books I've read in the interim.)
Most of my issues come from me rather than the content itself: rereading in an audio format means that I just wasn't really engaged for most of the narrative. But it hasn't dampened my resolve to finally finish the series this year, so there is that at least.
(I'm switching back to ebooks for the rest of the series and I'm optimistic that it'll go better!
Most of my issues come from me rather than the content itself: rereading in an audio format means that I just wasn't really engaged for most of the narrative. But it hasn't dampened my resolve to finally finish the series this year, so there is that at least.
(I'm switching back to ebooks for the rest of the series and I'm optimistic that it'll go better!
3.5 stars
It might be because I read this all in one sleepless night, but I just never really emotionally engaged with what was going on? None of it felt particularly creepy or tense or urgent, or anything like that — which kind of works in its own way, if you're into the "sleepy, insulated small town" vibe, though it's not what the synopsis promises.
FRTC.
content warnings:
rep:
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CONVERSION: 9.6 / 15 = 3.5 stars
Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 4 / 10
Development / Flow: 5 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 3 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: N/A
It might be because I read this all in one sleepless night, but I just never really emotionally engaged with what was going on? None of it felt particularly creepy or tense or urgent, or anything like that — which kind of works in its own way, if you're into the "sleepy, insulated small town" vibe, though it's not what the synopsis promises.
FRTC.
content warnings:
Spoiler
rep:
Spoiler
asexual MC, pansexual major character with bipolar disorder, MLM secondary characters, minor M/M relationship, past (brief) F/F relationship-----------
CONVERSION: 9.6 / 15 = 3.5 stars
Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 4 / 10
Development / Flow: 5 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 3 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: N/A
>> May 2020 BOTM for Old Books, New Readers.
content warnings:
★ 3.5 stars ★
Once I got through the confusion of Book One, I could see why people(actual people, not just Tessa Gray) like this one. The story is dynamic, with some action and some emotion and some romance; the characters are reasonably complex, though I didn't find them totally compelling if I'm being honest — most of them are a little more than plot devices, but just a little.
Not sure if it was a state of mind thing or not being able to engage with the prose or what, but I didn't really get emotionally invested until pretty much the end. And that might've been because I accidentally spoiled the ending for myself when I googled why Sydney Carton is called a jackal, so I knew what he was planning and what to look out for, and I got to watch it all unfold. Funnily enough, I don't generally like spoilers (because you can never reread something for the first time with no certain knowledge of what happens), it did enhance my reading experience.
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CONVERSION: 10.1 / 15 = 3.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 3 / 5
content warnings:
Spoiler
major character death(s), descriptions of gruesome execution/body mutilation, ableist language, racist language, domestic abuse, death of a child★ 3.5 stars ★
Once I got through the confusion of Book One, I could see why people
Not sure if it was a state of mind thing or not being able to engage with the prose or what, but I didn't really get emotionally invested until pretty much the end. And that might've been because I accidentally spoiled the ending for myself when I googled why Sydney Carton is called a jackal, so I knew what he was planning and what to look out for, and I got to watch it all unfold. Funnily enough, I don't generally like spoilers (because you can never reread something for the first time with no certain knowledge of what happens), it did enhance my reading experience.
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CONVERSION: 10.1 / 15 = 3.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 3 / 5
Overall: as a reader I have trouble with short stories, because I want so much out of them and usually come away dissatisfied. Also, as with any anthology, some of these were great but others were pretty meh. But all that said, the diversity of rep is nice (though most of these are unspecifie M/M or F/F, i.e. probably meant to be read as gay, there are a few with trans or ace rep), and I appreciate that a lot (possibly all? it's not specified, though of course authors aren't obligated to be out) of the writers are themselves LGBTQ+ folx.
"Roja" by Anna-Marie McLemore
★★★★☆
rep: Mexico setting, Mexican MC, trans male LI
The writing/setting is atmospheric and the concept is really engaging; the pacing felt a little awkward though.
"The Sweet Trade" by Natalie C. Parker
★★☆☆☆
rep: pre F/F relationship (?)
Look, as a premise I adore female pirates, but this was just too insta-love-y and tropey, and I wasn't a fan of the writing style. Not to police rep, either, but you could easily read this as just two girls who meet and run away together and are (platonic) best friends who cross-dress sometimes.
"And They Don't Kiss at the End" by Nilah Magruder
★★☆☆☆
rep: Black ace MC, Filipino LI, lesbian secondary char
Ace rep is great! But the "not like other girls/teens" angle was played far harder than I like, and the MC never seemed to account for their objectively poor previous treatment of the LI. Most of the story felt like it was spent rehashing what had already happened, so there wasn't much development either.
"Burnt Umber" by Mackenzi Lee
★★☆☆☆
rep: gay MC, M/M
The setup is great, but I felt like the execution could've been better; I also wasn't comfortable with the MC's unnecessarily-detailed fantasies of self-harm/suicide to escape dealing with ~feelings~.
"The Dresser & the Chambermaid" by Robin Talley
★★✯☆☆
rep: F/F, implied minor M/M
I don't think this needed the dual POV, especially since the two narrators sounded very similar to me. And while making fun of royalty is fun, girl-on-girl hate is still girl-on-girl hate.
"New Year" by Malinda Lo
★★★★☆
rep: SF Chinatown setting, Chinese & Chinese-American main cast, Chinese-American WLW MC, F/F
Historical SF Chinatown is one of my favorite settings, and I adore the vivid cultural details. Cheers to protagonists who explore their sexuality through reading!
"Molly's Lips" by Dahlia Adler
★★★✯☆
rep: F/F
Simple and (bitter)sweet, this is a solid contribution to the anthology that exemplifies the theme.
"The Coven" by Kate Scelsa
★★★☆☆
rep: multiple F/F relationships
Not sure how I feel about the namedropping (Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, etc.), and the ending felt abrupt/incomplete. But I love sapphic witches, so.
"Every Shade of Red" by Elliot Wake
★★★★☆
rep: M/M, deaf MLM MC, trans MLM LI, aroace secondary character, Saracen (PoC) secondary character
I am a sucker for Robin Hood retellings, though I'm a little conflicted on the transformation of the infamous Merry Men into Neverland-esque Lost Boys & Girls. Well-told and exciting.
"Willows" by Scott Tracey
★★☆☆☆
rep: M/M
While I'm generally fascinated by historical witchhunts, this story just never really caught my interest; it had an interesting approach to the topic, but I felt like there wasn't much worldbuilding in the form of explanation or exploration.
"The Girl with the Blue Lantern" by Tess Sharpe
★★☆☆☆
rep: F/F
My younger self would be aghast that I am apparently "over" Gold Rush tales. But this one was almost just going through the motions to hit the right notes (tropes) and ended abruptly.
"The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy" by Alex Sanchez
★★★☆☆
rep: Cuban(-American) MLM MC, M/M, Cuban(-American) family
Solid narrative arc, and I appreciate that it ultimately subverts the trope.
"Walking After Midnight" by Kody Keplinger
★★★✯☆
rep: demisexual/grayasexual WLW MC, F/F
This is more NA than YA (which is fine; just saying). The setup is interesting and I would love to see the protagonists' future adventures, especially since the ending left me wanting.
"The End of the World as We Know It" by Sara Farizan
★★☆☆☆
rep: Turkish-American WLW MC, F/F, Turkish immigrant family
Having three national tragedies referenced in such quick succession felt like "look at this moment in history" rather than acknowledging that they were, in fact, tragedies. And as much as I like (former-)best-friends-to-lovers, I'm not into having them.
"Three Witches" by Tessa Gratton
★★☆☆☆
rep: Castile (Spain) setting, F/F
I feel like the connection between "queer" and "witch" wasn't really established; rather the two were just juxtaposed and we're supposed to assume the connection exists? Props for differentiating the three narrators, but I didn't really connect with any of them, and also I feel like you could easily interpret the last part as which seems out of place in an "out and proud" themed anthology?
"The Inferno & the Butterfly" by Shaun David Hutchinson
★★★✯☆
rep: M/M
There's no need to show off the author's vocabulary in a classic rival magicians' assistants setup, but the narrative itself is pretty solid.
"Healing Rosa" by Tehlor Kay Mejia
★★★☆☆
rep: F/F, Mexican immigrant cast
Atmospheric with lovely prose, but the plot was on the underdeveloped side.
"Roja" by Anna-Marie McLemore
★★★★☆
rep: Mexico setting, Mexican MC, trans male LI
The writing/setting is atmospheric and the concept is really engaging; the pacing felt a little awkward though.
"The Sweet Trade" by Natalie C. Parker
★★☆☆☆
rep: pre F/F relationship (?)
Look, as a premise I adore female pirates, but this was just too insta-love-y and tropey, and I wasn't a fan of the writing style. Not to police rep, either, but you could easily read this as just two girls who meet and run away together and are (platonic) best friends who cross-dress sometimes.
"And They Don't Kiss at the End" by Nilah Magruder
★★☆☆☆
rep: Black ace MC, Filipino LI, lesbian secondary char
Ace rep is great! But the "not like other girls/teens" angle was played far harder than I like, and the MC never seemed to account for their objectively poor previous treatment of the LI. Most of the story felt like it was spent rehashing what had already happened, so there wasn't much development either.
"Burnt Umber" by Mackenzi Lee
★★☆☆☆
rep: gay MC, M/M
The setup is great, but I felt like the execution could've been better; I also wasn't comfortable with the MC's unnecessarily-detailed fantasies of self-harm/suicide to escape dealing with ~feelings~.
"The Dresser & the Chambermaid" by Robin Talley
★★✯☆☆
rep: F/F, implied minor M/M
I don't think this needed the dual POV, especially since the two narrators sounded very similar to me. And while making fun of royalty is fun, girl-on-girl hate is still girl-on-girl hate.
"New Year" by Malinda Lo
★★★★☆
rep: SF Chinatown setting, Chinese & Chinese-American main cast, Chinese-American WLW MC, F/F
Historical SF Chinatown is one of my favorite settings, and I adore the vivid cultural details. Cheers to protagonists who explore their sexuality through reading!
"Molly's Lips" by Dahlia Adler
★★★✯☆
rep: F/F
Simple and (bitter)sweet, this is a solid contribution to the anthology that exemplifies the theme.
"The Coven" by Kate Scelsa
★★★☆☆
rep: multiple F/F relationships
Not sure how I feel about the namedropping (Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, etc.), and the ending felt abrupt/incomplete. But I love sapphic witches, so.
"Every Shade of Red" by Elliot Wake
★★★★☆
rep: M/M, deaf MLM MC, trans MLM LI, aroace secondary character, Saracen (PoC) secondary character
I am a sucker for Robin Hood retellings, though I'm a little conflicted on the transformation of the infamous Merry Men into Neverland-esque Lost Boys & Girls. Well-told and exciting.
"Willows" by Scott Tracey
★★☆☆☆
rep: M/M
While I'm generally fascinated by historical witchhunts, this story just never really caught my interest; it had an interesting approach to the topic, but I felt like there wasn't much worldbuilding in the form of explanation or exploration.
"The Girl with the Blue Lantern" by Tess Sharpe
★★☆☆☆
rep: F/F
My younger self would be aghast that I am apparently "over" Gold Rush tales. But this one was almost just going through the motions to hit the right notes (tropes) and ended abruptly.
"The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy" by Alex Sanchez
★★★☆☆
rep: Cuban(-American) MLM MC, M/M, Cuban(-American) family
Solid narrative arc, and I appreciate that it ultimately subverts the
Spoiler
"running away with an older man" (because there is a significant difference between a college student and a sixteen-year-old)"Walking After Midnight" by Kody Keplinger
★★★✯☆
rep: demisexual/grayasexual WLW MC, F/F
This is more NA than YA (which is fine; just saying). The setup is interesting and I would love to see the protagonists' future adventures, especially since the ending left me wanting.
"The End of the World as We Know It" by Sara Farizan
★★☆☆☆
rep: Turkish-American WLW MC, F/F, Turkish immigrant family
Having three national tragedies referenced in such quick succession felt like "look at this moment in history" rather than acknowledging that they were, in fact, tragedies. And as much as I like (former-)best-friends-to-lovers, I'm not into having them
Spoiler
kiss and confess feelings while one has a significant other"Three Witches" by Tessa Gratton
★★☆☆☆
rep: Castile (Spain) setting, F/F
I feel like the connection between "queer" and "witch" wasn't really established; rather the two were just juxtaposed and we're supposed to assume the connection exists? Props for differentiating the three narrators, but I didn't really connect with any of them, and also I feel like you could easily interpret the last part as
Spoiler
evil witch seduces poor innocent girls into sinful sapphic urges"The Inferno & the Butterfly" by Shaun David Hutchinson
★★★✯☆
rep: M/M
There's no need to show off the author's vocabulary in a classic rival magicians' assistants setup, but the narrative itself is pretty solid.
"Healing Rosa" by Tehlor Kay Mejia
★★★☆☆
rep: F/F, Mexican immigrant cast
Atmospheric with lovely prose, but the plot was on the underdeveloped side.
2.5 stars
... I have no idea why I finished this. It's pretty much your basic romcom: amnesia + American abroad (in this case, Ireland) + running away from your past + lies of omission (and straight-up lies) between the mains. The supporting characters are archetypes that border on problematic — the queer male insta-BFF, two of them in fact; the gorgeous-but-catty sister of the love interest — and I wasn't sold on the main romance, partly due to uneven pacing. And did I mention all the Hallmark greeting-card cheesy lines?
Maybe I'm being a bit harsh. No one forced me to finish this book, so it did at least capture my attention to the end; if you like a comfortinglypredictable familiar-feeling contemporary romance, this might be for you.
content warnings:
rep:
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CONVERSION: 6.8 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 2 / 10
Emotional Impact: 2 / 10
Development / Flow: 6 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 2 / 5
... I have no idea why I finished this. It's pretty much your basic romcom: amnesia + American abroad (in this case, Ireland) + running away from your past + lies of omission (and straight-up lies) between the mains. The supporting characters are archetypes that border on problematic — the queer male insta-BFF, two of them in fact; the gorgeous-but-catty sister of the love interest — and I wasn't sold on the main romance, partly due to uneven pacing. And did I mention all the Hallmark greeting-card cheesy lines?
Maybe I'm being a bit harsh. No one forced me to finish this book, so it did at least capture my attention to the end; if you like a comfortingly
content warnings:
Spoiler
precanon parent death, PTSD flashbacksrep:
Spoiler
Jewish gay minor character, bi/pan minor character-----------
CONVERSION: 6.8 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 2 / 10
Emotional Impact: 2 / 10
Development / Flow: 6 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 2 / 5