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onceuponanisabel
Although I enjoyed it by the end, I really had to make an effort to get into Jonesy in the first place.
This was mostly just a cute contemporary that I normally wouldn't even write a review for but there's one thing that just really bothered me. It's a tiny bit spoilery but I think it's a pretty big deal.
There's a revenge porn subplot of this book and I was disappointed by how it was handled. MC Ever forgives both the distributor and one of her friends who kept one of her photos almost instantly without having any conversation about it or having any discussion of it at all. I feel like it was a little bit irresponsible of the author to include it without really discussing how disgusting the whole event was and pretty much sweeping the entire thing under the rug.
There's a revenge porn subplot of this book and I was disappointed by how it was handled. MC Ever forgives both the distributor and one of her friends who kept one of her photos almost instantly without having any conversation about it or having any discussion of it at all. I feel like it was a little bit irresponsible of the author to include it without really discussing how disgusting the whole event was and pretty much sweeping the entire thing under the rug.
This is one of the few books I’ve ever read where I have absolutely no criticisms. It’s also one of the few graphic novels that haven’t felt oddly paced or episodic and I’m so glad I got to read it. Highly recommend for lovers of fantasy, anyone looking for a fun, Halloweeny read, and honestly everyone else.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia does it again.
To my absolute pleasure, last year [b:Gods of Jade and Shadow|36510722|Gods of Jade and Shadow|Silvia Moreno-Garcia|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543268579l/36510722._SY75_.jpg|58230232] was one of the first ARCs I was ever approved for. It's a joy to be able to return. Mexican Gothic was everything I hoped it was.
Noemi embarks on a trip to visit her cousin, Catalina, who has written a concerning letter from her husband's home. There, she encounters the thoroughly mysterious Doyle family, their bloodstained history, and the haunting magic of High House.
The atmosphere was the shining star of this book. Moreno-Garcia created a setting so steeped in mist and mystery that I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of the story. Noemi was a delightfully compelling main character, and the Doyle's were incredibly creepy, in an uncanny valley kind of way.
This book reminded me of the movie Get Out in a lot of ways, and I believe it has the same major pitfall: a slightly too abrupt shift from the creepy buildup to the explanation and climax of the story. Noemi makes it a small part of the way to the answer, but in the end, the big twist must be explained to us by characters, which I found somewhat frustrating. I wanted to feel like I could have predicted the ending or for Noemi to stumble upon the answer for herself. It's the age old "show don't tell" adage.
I'm not typically a fan of horror, but I really enjoyed this book. It had very strong [a:Rory Power|17203508|Rory Power|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1544153828p2/17203508.jpg] vibes, so if you liked her two books, I would very highly recommend Mexican Gothic.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
To my absolute pleasure, last year [b:Gods of Jade and Shadow|36510722|Gods of Jade and Shadow|Silvia Moreno-Garcia|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543268579l/36510722._SY75_.jpg|58230232] was one of the first ARCs I was ever approved for. It's a joy to be able to return. Mexican Gothic was everything I hoped it was.
Noemi embarks on a trip to visit her cousin, Catalina, who has written a concerning letter from her husband's home. There, she encounters the thoroughly mysterious Doyle family, their bloodstained history, and the haunting magic of High House.
The atmosphere was the shining star of this book. Moreno-Garcia created a setting so steeped in mist and mystery that I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of the story. Noemi was a delightfully compelling main character, and the Doyle's were incredibly creepy, in an uncanny valley kind of way.
This book reminded me of the movie Get Out in a lot of ways, and I believe it has the same major pitfall: a slightly too abrupt shift from the creepy buildup to the explanation and climax of the story. Noemi makes it a small part of the way to the answer, but in the end, the big twist must be explained to us by characters, which I found somewhat frustrating. I wanted to feel like I could have predicted the ending or for Noemi to stumble upon the answer for herself. It's the age old "show don't tell" adage.
I'm not typically a fan of horror, but I really enjoyed this book. It had very strong [a:Rory Power|17203508|Rory Power|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1544153828p2/17203508.jpg] vibes, so if you liked her two books, I would very highly recommend Mexican Gothic.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Everything I've ever wanted from a fantasy
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea is the story of the Lady Evelyn and the pirate Florian as they are thrown together aboard a pirate ship called the Dove. They encounter mermaids and witches and embark on the adventure of their lifetimes as they are forced to face their own identities and forces that conspire to keep them apart.
As a lifelong fan of The Pirates of the Caribbean, I feel like this book was kind of made for me. It has all the fun elements of that -- a coalition of sea-loving pirates facing down the evils of colonialism and capitalism -- with a whole lot of queerness thrown on top.
I loved the fantasy elements that Tokuda-Hall added: her version of mermaids, her version of witchcraft. I enjoyed the elements of espionage and intrigue; the conspiring forces that wove against each other, each believing they'd outsmarted the other.
I thought the book was well-paced and well written, but I have one gripe: the characterization. There were characters I wanted more from (Rake? Genevieve? The Lady Ayer?) and even the main characters could have had more going for them. In a lot of ways, Evelyn was a very typical "not like other aristocrats" who falls for the first commoner she interacts with. Florian was the only character in the story who felt fully, completely fleshed out, likely because a big part of her story involved self-discovery.
Here's the thing though: honestly I didn't mind the relatively flat characters, which seems really odd to me. But I think the reason is that I never felt the need to feel deeply connected to them in order to deeply connect with the book. I was always fascinated by the world or the themes or the adventure, but if you are a person who needs to feel close to characters, this book may not be for you.
If you're a fan of pirates and adventure and fantasy, though, I'd wholeheartedly recommend giving The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea a read.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea is the story of the Lady Evelyn and the pirate Florian as they are thrown together aboard a pirate ship called the Dove. They encounter mermaids and witches and embark on the adventure of their lifetimes as they are forced to face their own identities and forces that conspire to keep them apart.
As a lifelong fan of The Pirates of the Caribbean, I feel like this book was kind of made for me. It has all the fun elements of that -- a coalition of sea-loving pirates facing down the evils of colonialism and capitalism -- with a whole lot of queerness thrown on top.
I loved the fantasy elements that Tokuda-Hall added: her version of mermaids, her version of witchcraft. I enjoyed the elements of espionage and intrigue; the conspiring forces that wove against each other, each believing they'd outsmarted the other.
I thought the book was well-paced and well written, but I have one gripe: the characterization. There were characters I wanted more from (Rake? Genevieve? The Lady Ayer?) and even the main characters could have had more going for them. In a lot of ways, Evelyn was a very typical "not like other aristocrats" who falls for the first commoner she interacts with. Florian was the only character in the story who felt fully, completely fleshed out, likely because a big part of her story involved self-discovery.
Here's the thing though: honestly I didn't mind the relatively flat characters, which seems really odd to me. But I think the reason is that I never felt the need to feel deeply connected to them in order to deeply connect with the book. I was always fascinated by the world or the themes or the adventure, but if you are a person who needs to feel close to characters, this book may not be for you.
If you're a fan of pirates and adventure and fantasy, though, I'd wholeheartedly recommend giving The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea a read.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Thrilling to the end. My Sister, the Serial Killer delivered on every promise and had me hanging on every word. It perfectly balanced the immense drama of Ayoola's life (and her serial killing) with the mundanity (and emptiness) of Korede's life, even as that emptiness was caused by Ayoola's selfishness. I was absolutely entranced.
