Now this is a book I would love more teens to read, because it just seems so accurate to the chaotic high school experience. You've got family drama, friend drama, the confusing roller coaster that comes with rising hormones, fluctuating relationships, uncertainty about the future, and self image. While not everyone may be able to relate specifically to Gabi, there are many beats of her story that a lot of people will be able to empathize with. It's a book that seems to go everywhere but is also grounded at the same time, while also using a tone that perfectly reflects Gabi's character. This book brings up so many issues I wish I was introduced to as a teen, but were naturally off limits as they were taboo even though teens go through these things constantly. Wish schools would teach this kind of lit over just another classic they can't mesh with.

The fact that this book is regarded as a classic YA novel just baffles me. I understand that Cormier's books are meant to reflect a bleak, dark reality, but here it's driven to the point of absurdity. I think this opinion just comes from where I am in life, as a teen I probably would have gelled more with the book as I had a more pessimistic outlook at the time, but now I feel like the world doesn't need these kinds of books anymore; ones that tell the reader that "the world is a horrible and cruel place with awful people and that's how it is. Try to conform the best you can or suffer." Even though we still live in a world far from peaceful, there have been advancements made due to nonconformity. Not to mention the fact that it treats toxic masculinity as a fact of life, and what exactly are we telling our young boys with that message? That they'll always been seen as violent criminals and, if they don't meet that expectation, they'll be beaten to a pulp? I don't mean to sound like the old woman clutching her pearls and declaring "Who will think of the children?" but the youth deserve better. There's better novels to give them about corruption and faulty systems and the people that remain implicit in them.

Such a beautiful book that gives a realistic depiction of depression that doesn't exactly consume your life, but still remains a constant struggle. 

I don’t really have much to say about the book, even though I liked it just fine. The pacing was slow in several places, but the story really subverted my expectations and went a little buck wild at the end there. But really, what should I expect from a book that’s loosely inspired by Hamlet? One thing I did really appreciate about this book is its trans representation. A trans man, Eolo, is the central character of the book and not once was his validity as a man ever questioned. No one even really brought up his transness; it was just widely accepted by every character. It was only ever stated for us the reader in order to know that part of himself. Hell, even the narrator, a nature god who inhabits a rock, is not really referred to any gender, so that’s possibly some agender/non-binary rep as well. I think, in an age where authors are trying to showcase representation beyond coming out narratives, this is exactly what we need, especially in fantasies. Show that being trans is a normal thing to be that doesn’t have to always be the most standout thing about you. Eolo’s loyalty and courage are more focused on and admired than his gender, which is exactly the representation 2021 and the years ahead need. Also kudos to Leckie for withdrawing this book from the Hugo Award ballot because, since four of her books have already been finalists in the past, she wanted other authors to receive some attention that truly deserved it. That’s some class right there. 

I think the reason why I love stories about power plays in the world of Fae is the drama of it all. There's always doublecrosses, people with their own agendas, ulterior motives, lies, betrayals, and, of course, quite a body court. They're seldom dull really. Holly Black always knows how to portray faeries as vicious, cruel, and crafty and I think that's what I love about these characters. Very morally grey but their actions and motives are understandable. I'll definitely be checking out the next book to see where it all leads.

Griffin is so vastly different from the other figures in the "dark academia" genre of classic fiction: Dorian Gray, Henry Jekyll, Victor Frankenstein and the like. I found it interesting to compare him to these figures in terms of motivation and fatal flaws and it's curious to find that he really doesn't have any drive to create this invisibility serum other than to see if he could. Sure, he states there are positives but there is little to no mention of what the serum would be used for. He doesn't create it to address a fatal flaw in himself, nor does he initially search for power, nor does he stumble upon it accidentally. He just does it because it would be neat to be invisible.

I don't fault the book for this apparent lack of motivation, since it rather fits with Griffin's character. Throughout the book he's seen as rash, impetuous, and short-sighted. He never plans in the long term and lives so in the moment that he doesn't think about the consequences of his actions. He does things to sate an instant need. I swear there's a thesis paper here in comparing this work of science fiction to those in the gothic literature genre, especially when it comes to the mad scientist trope and how it's depicted in each work.

I love how so many of DiCamillo's coming of age stories blend themes of friendship, grief, and melancholy so expertly. She writes of the feelings we experienced as children that we seldom had a name for, but always felt so fervently. I think a lot of children's media and stories try to skip around these feelings of sadness and emptiness because everything needs to be fun all the time, but I love these stories that attempt to depict honest and true experiences. We may not all have had encountered a caged tiger in the woods, but we definitely know how it feels to be trapped in a situation and struggle to find a way out. 

This book definitely won't please all readers out there but boy did it do it for me. I love a lot of subjectivity in my horror, as it really opens more possibilities in making the story truly terrifying. When I first started it, I was definitely getting some Shirley Jackson Haunting of Hill House vibes but at a YA level and, now that I'm finished, it seems like a very apt description. I saw the major plot twists coming, the downfall of reading so many books like this, but that ending was a welcome surprise and didn't pull any punches. While I thought the tone could have been a little more tense, as the creepy atmosphere lulls every now and then, I definitely want to check out more of Leno's books in the future!

 I wish I had read this book at a different, or, really, before I saw an excellent staged version of it. The play was done by a small theatre with a handful of cast members and a small budget, which is really how one should put on a production of Neverwhere. It was amazing, one of the best theatrical experiences I've had. When I read the book though, I was surprised that that much had changed in production. I felt like I had missed out on experiencing this book by seeing the play first.

I still like the story. Probably not my favorite Gaiman book, but it has a charm all its own. I do think that Mr. Croup and Vandemar are possibly his most entertaining villains though.