obscurepages's Reviews (410)

Okay this was cute? But also I kind of wanted more 😭😂

This had the perfect amount of spooky and whimsical—blending horror and fantasy to create and atmospheric setting! Loved the queer, diverse fast as well. Though I feel like some of the pacing and the build up of characters and the drama were a bit off.

I also feel like it ended abruptly? Like in an open ending kind of way. Which is a shame because it wasn't until near the end that we started learning more about the characters and their inner struggles.

Love the art style and the colors as well! I feel like these really captured the otherworldliness of the strange new realm. I would have liked to know more about that world-building though!

Overall, this was fun and entertaining. But it also got deep and introspective, which was definitely a plus for me.

Exact rating: 3.75⭐️

(Received an e-arc via NetGalley! This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)

This was everything I imagined it to be! 

When I heard that this YA Horror Anthology centers queer and BIPOC characters (and by queer authors of color), I was ecstatic! And now I can say, it didn't let me down.

This whole anthology was filled with creepy and creative short stories that are full of heart, boldness, humor, and terror. I love the every story offered a unique twist, that every story had a new perspective on what things are scary and terrifying. I also love that I got to see various cultures and identities in every story, and this just added a lot more love and soul.

Some of my favorites are Guested (Rebecca Kim Wells), Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle (Kosoko Jackson), Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane (Maya Gittelman), and Hey There, Demons (Tara Sim).

Of course, thank you so much Wednesday Books for the e-arc! (This did not affect my overall opinion of the book)

Full review on my blog soon!

STOP. THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE 😭

Intersex merfolk who are descendants of pregnant African slaves women? A clever and compelling story about individuality and community, and history's significance towards the people in the present? A story that highlights intergenerational trauma and its impact? A story that highlights the need to discover personal identity while still wanting to connect with your people's history? This book is ALL of these, and it's also so much more.

Brilliantly written, this book is steeped with folklore and world-building and introspective themes. The perspectives, which can switch from the MC to an ancestor, highlight amazing storytelling from the author.

Overall, this was poignant and it was powerful. Definitely one of my top reads for the year. 🥹

Wow wow wow. I think I have goosebumps 😭 This was an incredible book. It's both harrowing and compelling, this is a story you won't forget soon.

There's something so visceral and melancholic in the writing style, but there's also the tiniest bits of humor and I love that. I also love how this book is just filled with hope and love, just as much as it's filled with grief. It speaks so much of what humans have done to the environment (since their world is now broken because of global warming) and other people (the way Native Americans are being hunted). Language and culture is a big part of this story too and it is beautifully profound.

Overall, an such an incredible story. Glad I was able to discover and read this book!

(Lots of CWs for this one tho please take care of yourselves. CW: residential schools, violence, colonial trauma, racism, genocide, death, grief, torture, sexual assault, pedophilia, injuries) 

I think maybe Julian Winters just knows how to give readers a good summer teen story 🥹

This book gave me friendships and family, it gave me pining and angst, it gave me fandoms and geeks, and it gave me precious best friends-to-lovers trope.

I related to a lot of things in this book, and more often than not, I found myself relating to Isaac and his social anxiety/awkwardness, but also his desire to belong. Romance had lots of pining and angst which was a surprise for me somehow?? 😂 And the lack of communication gave me a bit of a headache, but it's a good one 😆

Overall, I just really enjoyed reading this.

I wanted something short and sweet and wholesome, and this book was exactly it! 😭

The art and the colors in here are AMAZING. I'm in awe every time I turn the page and see a visually stunning scene right in front of me. This doesn't overshadow the main story, too. The storyline is easy to follow, but also exciting and thrilling on its own. I can see why fans of Steven Universe and Adventure Time would love this. I know I did!

This book was about friendship, discovering your potential, and of course magic... and it's just so so good 🥹

Also!! Sapphic romance + friends (to lovers) who write fanfiction together?? Lowkey wishing there's a companion novel for Beetle and Kat's stories 😂

OKAY IT'S OFFICIAL. Dahlia Adler is a genius in queer YA romcoms 😭😂

This book is so so good. The two alternate timelines shouldn't have worked, but it did, and it's an incredible thing to witness. Both timelines connected with the MCs character arc well, and the parallels in specific pivotal scenes are so good! In one timeline music is a big part of her life, in the other, it's food. In both timelines we see her fixing her relationship with her mother, and we see her struggle and realize her passion. In both timelines we see her fall in love and discover two different kinds of romance. The author aced the writing styles in both timelines for sure.

Also loved how this book navigated through being queer and religious at the same time. I also learned a lot about Jewish customs and practices here, which I really appreciated!

Overall this book was just fun and wildly entertaining. Did I hope for some magical twist at the end? Maybe?? Like all of it was a dream and only one timeline is real 😂 But if there's anything this book has taught me is that we make our choices and those choices lead us to exactly where we need to be. This book showed that perfectly well.

ALSO WAS THAT A CAMEO WITH AMBER AND JACK FROM HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE?! 

UHM WOW WOW WOW. I didn't know exactly what to expect in this book, but this blew me away. 

I thought this was going to be a complex and compelling fantasy, and while this book is that, it's also so much more?? This book explored nuanced topics of immigration, being oppressed and being the oppressor, gender fluidity, and family. It's engrossing and heartfelt and just so damn good.

I loved that Persian culture is so present here, and the queernormative world in here is just pleasant to read about.

ALSO the author is such a good writer 😭 How they managed to make the biggest plot twist both so obvious and yet so surprising at the same time is beyond me 😭 I really thought I knew what the plot twist was, but I was actually so wrong and it's so good.

Glad to have read this for Pride Month 🥺

OMG OKAY. I have varying reactions to this. My reading journey went like: 😃🥲🫣🫠🤡🙅‍♀️🤔🙂

What I liked: The individual MCs, finding community and other queer people, plus lots of nuanced discussions and themes such as activism (big and small actions that counts), internalized homophobia, coming out and being safe, hiding/being the closet again, messy mom/daughter relationship with mom's dreams projecting on her daughter 

What I didn't like that much: The romance, MCs keep saying messy things towards one another (and I had to remind myself that they're teens 😆)

I loved Ruby and Morgan as individual characters. But together? Not really. Mainly I feel like the chemistry lacked? It's not that convincing for me as a reader so I didn't feel invested in their relationship. I guess what really hooked me in this is just those nuanced topics, and how the characters navigated those discussions, and how they matured because of those. That I really liked.

Stills glad to have read this for Pride Month tho!