readingpicnic's Reviews (500)

We Are Okay

Nina LaCour

5.0

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A beautiful book about loneliness that I related to a little too much.

Why does it have to be friends to lovers to sisters, though? 😭

Content Warnings

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea

Maggie Tokuda-Hall

5.0

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read <3 Lots of non-binary and BIPOC representation!

Content Warnings

A Song Below Water

Bethany C. Morrow

4.75

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

When No One Is Watching

Alyssa Cole

3.75

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

Honey Girl

Morgan Rogers

3.75

hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A lot of the conversations and thoughts in this book felt repetitive to me, especially with Yuki constantly comparing Grace to the sun. Her obsession with Grace’s hair and comparing it to the sun, honey, and gold felt like an excuse to call Grace Honey Girl, although the nickname felt a little bit forced or awkward to me. I also wish that Yuki’s radio show was more fleshed out than it was. I think I was more interested in the friendships in this book than the relationship between Yuki and Grace because the friendships all had such amazing banter and compassion.

Content Warnings

Gideon the Ninth

Tamsyn Muir

4.5

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book is marketed as “lesbian necromancers in space,” but I went through most of the book not knowing who these lesbian necromancers were. I think Gideon was great lesbian representation, but she’s not a necromancer, so I’m assuming that the quote referred to Harrow and Septimus? Maybe? This was a very confusing read for me, but it was also addicting! Gideon had an amazing voice, and I adored Sextus and Harrow as well!

Content Warnings