4.5 stars

CW: depiction of suicide, suicidal thoughts, depression, insomnia, death of a sibling, grief

This novel is emotional, full of sadness and whimsy, but it’s unbelievably good. I loved the writing – the inclusion of colors to add more depth to the story and the strange visions of the past to add a hint of magic. I loved that Leigh was so passionate about art. I loved that there wasn’t a cause for Leigh’s mother’s depression, because there often isn’t a cause and it made the story even more poignant. I loved exploring Taiwan with Leigh, and that she didn’t let the language barrier stop her. I loved the strength and growth of her relationship with her family, especially with her grandparents. I loved how developed the side characters are, from Axel and Caro to Caro’s grandparents, even though they only appear maybe three times. I loved Leigh’s friendship with Axel and Caro. I loved how everything was woven together and the weird was blended with the reality in a way that just worked. If I had one complaint, it would be that, at times, the story dragged just a bit, and it probably could’ve been shortened slightly. However, for the most part, I really enjoyed this novel, and I’ll definitely remember and recommend it for a long time. If you can handle the darker subject matter, I absolutely recommend it. I can’t wait to see what Emily does next.

CW: racism, sexual harassment, death, murder, suicide, blood, electroshock therapy, schizophrenia, lobotomy, mention of statutory rape

I read this for my Lit Foundations class, and I won’t even try to sugarcoat it – I hated this book. Normally I don’t like books I read for school, but push through them. While I did finish this, it was horrible to read and experience and I’m so glad I’m done with it. It was gross and inappropriate, with detailed scenes about various suicides, men ogling women’s breasts, and electroshock therapy. I don’t know why we read this or what we could possibly take away from it, except for the already obvious fact that mental hospitals and general mental illness treatment were horrific in the 1960’s. Reading this genuinely bothered me, and it’ll stick with me for all the wrong reasons. I honestly can’t think of a single good thing about it, or consciously recommend it to anyone.

A warning: while you’re free to read what you like, I cannot emphasize enough that you SHOULD NOT read this if you’re squeamish in any way.

CW: fatmisia (challenged), bi/pan erasure

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It’s a sapphic rom-com and it completely stole my heart.

It follows Abby, a fat pink-haired lesbian, and Jordi, a Mexican lesbian, as they navigate their fashion internship and new love. There’s also a great, dynamic friend group, a surplus of adorable outfits, and burgers. I honestly can’t express enough how much I loved it. While I’m not fat, I’m also an awkward lesbian with colorful hair, and in those ways, I could really relate to Abby. And this is random, but I liked that Jordi seemed aloof and wore almost all black but had a Hello Kitty obsession. I’m like that but with unicorns, and admittedly I don’t think a single person has ever considered me aloof. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I haven’t read a book so quickly in a while. Last night I was tempted to stay up until I finished the book, regardless of having school today. As soon as I finished my assignment in Spanish class, I continued reading this and had the biggest grin on my face nearly the entire time. I just couldn’t get enough of this book, these characters. I’ve always been a hopeless romantic, and lately I’ve realized that I love rom-coms. Make them queer and I’ll love them more. Make them sapphic and I’ll adore them forever. That was the case with this novel. I was in love from page one and that only grew as I kept reading.

If I had to have one criticism, it would be the ending. Abby and Jordi kissed and made up, and then it was basically over. For a book so short, their fight had a decent amount of page time. This is honestly a minuscule thing to criticize, but I wanted more of their adorable banter and kissing and just them in general.

I don’t really have anything new to say. I’m obsessed with this book, so if I keep writing I’ll just spew the same sentiment over and over. My point is, I love one fashion blogger and one photographer and their lesbian love story with all my heart. I can’t wait to buy my own copy and reread it and annotate it and recommend it to absolutely everyone because everyone needs cute gays in their lives. ❤️

Lastly, can we appreciate that the spine of the physical copy is a literal pride flag?! So aesthetic! So pretty! So gay! I approve!

CW: blood, gore, death, murder, mention of suicide

I read this for my British Literature class. I’m not a Shakespeare fan, never have been and probably never will be, but I didn’t hate this. I didn’t love it either, that’s for sure, but of the three plays I’ve read this was the least terrible. I liked that we read this in class with desks in a circle, out loud, and that my teacher did her best with visual and audio effects. I actually read six parts: Lady Macbeth, First Murderer, Third Witch, Hecate, Lady Macduff, and Menteith. So yeah, not good, but not bad either.

4.5 stars

CW: rape, sexual assault + harassment, victim-blaming, racism, sexism, ableism, slut-shaming (challenged)

This is a powerful, diverse read about rape, rape culture, feminism, and girl power. I liked all three of the protagonists, especially Rosina and Erin. Rosina is Mexican and sapphic, Erin has Asperger’s, and Grace is fat and Christian. Although they’re the main characters, this novel focuses on girls throughout their school and town. I also liked the complexities of each relationship, platonic and familial, even romantic. I don’t have much to say about this novel, but I admired that the author didn’t shy away from tough topics. It’s full of discussions that are incredibly relevant to our modern society, and ultimately everything works out.

This review was lowkey terrible, but to sum it up, I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it if you believe you can handle the content.

3.5 stars

CW: Huntington’s, anxiety, bimisia, homomisia, ableist slur, drunk driving, sex/sexual content

I’ve heard good things about this novel and while I did enjoy it, unfortunately it wasn’t everything I’d hoped for. It’s a gritty coming of age story about family, identity, and love, featuring flawed, relatable characters. I liked the protagonist Vanni and her relationship with Leigh, and the family dynamics. The supporting characters were strong as well. But overall, if I’m being honest, this was a mostly average story with good queer content and not much else for me to talk about. Additionally, though this is likely my own fault due to misinterpretation, I thought there would be more mermaids, and real ones at that, not just a summer water park job. More mermaids in YA 2018.

Not a favorite, but still recommended to those that enjoy character-driven queer novels and/or contemporary that isn’t quite so fluffy.

I’m glad to be done with this book, and I mean that in the best way. I enjoyed it, but it took me an absurdly long time to read. That has nothing to do with the quality of the book, and everything to do with school and work taking up all my time.

This was a great anthology. Almost every story got 3.5 stars or higher, and I even have two favorites; those titles will be bold.

• The Long Road by Heidi Heilig - 3 stars
• Britt and the Bike God by Kody Keplinger - 4 stars
• The Leap and the Fall by Kayla Whaley - 3.5 stars
• Per Aspera Ad Astra by Katherine Locke - 4 stars
• Found Objects by William Alexander - 3.5 stars
• Plus One by Karuna Riazi - 3.5 stars
• The Day The Dragon Came by Marieke Nijkamp - 5 stars
• Captain, My Captain by Francisco X. Stork - 3 stars
• Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing About Love by Dhonielle Clayton - 3.5 stars
• A Play in Many Parts by Fox Benwell - 3.5 stars
• Ballad of Weary Daughters by Kristine Wyllys - 4 stars
• Mother Nature’s Youngest Daughter by Keah Brown - 4.5 stars
• A Curse, A Kindness by Corinne Duyvis - 5 stars

Highly recommended!

4.5 stars

CW: death

I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did, and I fully believe I could’ve read this in a day if I’d had the time. While I’ve never read or watched any versions of A Christmas Carol, this was a fun retelling that mixed the classic with the modern in a way that I could still understand.

The protagonist Holly is selfish and unlikable, with a tendency to focus on wealth and look down on those she views as beneath her. I don’t agree with many things that she said or did throughout, but I couldn’t help rooting for her anyway. She’s a wonderful three-dimensional character, and I think her development arc was written very well. I didn’t expect the ending whatsoever, and I appreciate that ultimately it ended without a romance.

This book plays on the nagging suspicions in your mind and takes them in a direction you’d never expect. Some say they found it predictable, though that wasn’t the case for me. Characters had roles that surprised me, and it was clear how intricate and well-planned the story really is.

Cynthia blends festive and paranormal elements into a very intriguing novel that I see myself rereading and recommending in the coming months.

I received this book from the author as part of a promotional social media tour. A review was not required. This doesn’t affect my opinions or the contents of this review.

I read this for my Lit Foundations class. Next week is the end of the semester and I don’t have to return in January, so you can see why I’m completely lacking motivation right now. I didn’t want to read this book. I didn’t like this book. I wouldn’t recommend this book.

I can see why people claim it’s thought-provoking. I can see why people who give a crap about books written in previous centuries might find value in these pages. However, I believe it’s a strange, boring book that is poorly written and hard for those of us not savvy in science to understand. It’s similar to 1984, which I despised with every fiber of my 5’0 being. I didn’t despise this book, but it definitely dragged and I’m glad to be done with it.

Thank u, next. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

CW: violence/abuse, colorism (challenged)

I’ve read three of Anna-Marie’s four novels and this one is absolutely my favorite. It’s whimsical and emotional and amazing. It’s about sisters, romance, friendship, magic, identity, and family; it’s everything you could want in a story. It also tackles many important issues, a major one being colorism, though as a white reviewer that’s not in my lane to discuss.

I loved all four of the protagonists: Blanca, Roja, Page, and Yearling. They were so dynamic and I loved them on their own and as a group. Blanca and Roja are struggling to find themselves beyond the light and dark expectations everyone has of them. Page is a genderqueer boy that uses varied pronouns and I love her so much. Yearling is rougher around the edges but sweet, and adapting to losing vision in one eye. Roja and Page are my favorites, but I love all four of these characters so much. I also love the gay grandmas; they‘re minor characters but they‘re great. YA needs more gay grandmas.

This is one of those situations where I can’t find the words to express how much I loved this book. It’s exquisite. Although I don’t think I’ve read many other retellings this year, this is the best. I read one version of Snow White, Rose Red for one of my English classes earlier in the semester, and it’s definitely one of my favorite fairytales. Anna-Marie masterfully blended the details I know with their own magic and mystique.

Anna-Marie always comes up with whimsical, wonderful stories and three-dimensional characters you can’t help but love, and this was no exception. I can’t wait to read more from them. If you read one of their books before the year is up, make it this one.