papercraftalex's Reviews (368)

This is a short story collection featuring messy, toxic, and incredibly realistic queer women. Polesso truly knows how to make characters feel real and with this collection she captures the breadth and diversity in our community. The stories all flow well together; it's well balanced. It's divided into two parts "Big and Juicy" for longer short stories and "Short and Tart" for more flash fiction style. I do think "Big and Juicy" was stronger. 

My favorite stories were "Grandma, Are You a Lesbian?", "Marilia Wakes Up", "Amora", "Wasskerkur, Or a Couple Reasons Not to Hate Rainy Days", and "Profanation".

I have not read the original Sense and Sensibility, but I have read some of Austen's other works and I think this adaptation does a good job of getting the Austen vibes. It's a really digestible way to read a classic and I love the extras at the end that explain some of the cultural things that aren't obvious to most people. The art is unbelievably cute too!

I had put off reading this book for a while out of fear that it wouldn't live up to the hype. I was so, so wrong. Clap When You Land is a found family story for a biological family that didn't know about each other. Each of the characters are so unique and so real. The writing and poetry is amazing and really adds to the story; Acevedo has a magical voice. My absolute favorite part, though, was seeing the strength of women and women supporting each other through the mistakes and horrors that men can bring. I highly recommend this book. 

The writing in this book is great, but the plot's scope is too wide. There was no catharsis, no climax, it felt more like a collection of stories than one cohesive novel. 

This book is a beautiful piece of queer history. Grace does more than write, she paints with words. We Built the Bridge is a mix of poetic language, vivid imagery, and a heart-wrenching but hopeful story of fate. 

Having an established relationship with Grace, Dawn, and the farm made the book extra special, but this is a story that anyone, of any identity and any or no familiarity with Stonebridge, can enjoy. I highly recommend.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for the year and I am not disappointed. This comic is an adorable, lighthearted but realistic romance between a grumpy goth lesbian and a sunshine-y, pushover trans girl. It's super fast passed (I read it in an hour or so), but there's so much characterization and character development within the small story. Even though it's generally lighthearted, it's also realistic with microaggressions, familial problems, and sexual harassment. It's also super funny (I laughed out loud multiple times) and the art is so cute and fits perfect with the story. There's less actual cheerleading than I hoped and I wished we saw more of Annie's mom because she was an amazing character, which these things could be fixed if this (fingers crossed) becomes a series. This is an amazing comic for someone who wants girls supporting girls, sapphic romance, and a queer women led sports comic. I highly recommend! 

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of poetry recounts Gen Z nostalgia and the media we grew up with. The poems are by two different authors, but they flowed together so well I couldn't immediately tell which was penned by which. I particularly loved that each poem had the show it was inspired by under the title for those that may be less familiar with them; I don't think someone who had never watched any of the shows would get the full impact of the poetry. There is great lyricism and imagery. I think the poems later in the collection are stronger than those in the beginning. 

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

This was such a creative work; I have never seen poetry and visual art combined in this way. There is such a huge amount of diversity not just in the author's identities, but the art styles, poetry forms, and subjects of each piece. I truly think there is a piece for everyone in here; my personal favorites were "Capitalism Ruins Everything, Including Witchcraft" and "Tapestry." A lot of the poems used very lyrical, free verse style poetry, which at times were hard to interpret (I imagine it would be especially hard for someone new to the genre), but they reiterate the poem without the drawing at the end of each section, and I think the study guides in the back are very helpful. Overall, I think this is a stunning piece of literature that I think is perfect for fans of poetry, visual arts, feminism, and the human experience. 

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful mix of middle grade stories; there's truly something for everyone. Some of the stories weren't as big a hit as others for me, but, overall, I enjoyed the collection. It's definitely middle grade and I think it would be good to share with younger kids, but adults can get a lot out of it too. As someone who isn't familiar with a lot of the cultural factors in the book, I did have to look up some things, but I think a lot of it was explained clearly enough by the authors that people from any background will understand. A lot of the stories emphasized the power of humanity and community and giving and that touched my heart very deeply. My favorites in the collection were Do'nut Break Tradition and Taste.

The Heiress is a romantic Pride and Prejudice retelling/spin-off with such beautiful and romantic writing that it could be by Austen herself. It has such an interesting premise following Mr. Darcy's cousin, but it absolutely takes on a world of its own. The characters are very real and such an integral part of the story. It's slow paced and character driven, following Anne's entire life. I felt so sad at the ending that I almost feel in mourning. Also, the lesbian romance is handled so well and did not disappoint; it's a cornerstone of the story but doesn't come in for a while (but it is so worth it). I recommend this book to anyone who likes sapphic historical romance, strong character growth, and poetic stories.