I read this as digital single issues and then re-read it in the deluxe volume. It was great to re-read it--I definitely picked up on way more the second time around. I love The Sandman and I'm so happy to have another story here.

It's soo beautiful. JH Williams' art is so perfect for this story. The deluxe edition has some great interviews, sketches, and other backmatter for the ~devoted fan~.

I'm sure this is going to garner comparisons to [b:Fangirl|16068905|Fangirl|Rainbow Rowell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355886270s/16068905.jpg|21861351], the current landmark YA novel about fandom. But this book gave me a lot of what Fangirl was lacking--the importance of fannish FRIENDSHIPS and how intense they can be. I really loved it for that.

I'm still chewing on the ending--I think it functions as a kind of critique of the hurt/comfort tropes that are so beloved by fandom. While also... kind of... being that?

Spoiler

I saw some criticisms of this for the two girls not ending up together romantically, but I think I'm glad that they didn't? I totally feel that intense online friendship doesn't necessarily have to equal a romantic relationship, and I think this book just really strongly values the friendship.

Anyway, overall, I really enjoyed this for its strong fandom friendships. I thought the mixed media inclusion of fanfic and message boards worked, and I think this will have NA crossover the way Fangirl does.

I liked this way more than I was expecting to! There's a legit shocking twist in this Christmas romance novel! Who knew?! It's definitely a cheesey, tropey, Christmas romance novel but... if that's what you're looking for, you could do worse.

Spoiler

content warning for infant death btw

just..... FYI

http://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-36-the-mistletoe-promise/

I had to read this kind of slowly to keep my blood from getting too angried up (I have no idea how she managed to write this without having a fatal Rage Stroke, but props to her), but it's fantastic. I've loved Kate Harding's short form essays and articles and this is a great macro look at rape culture. She's great at sharply cutting through bullshit with a sense of humor amidst the bleakness, and in demonstrating how things are linked.

This was a lot of fun!! I don't think I really... understood the plot? But I don't care because it gave Peggy an excuse to punch a lot of stuff and sass Howard Stark, and also there was a werebear, and also aliens. I'm a simple creature.

Mmm, this was fine, and would probably be a lot more refreshing to a younger kid who hadn't read/seen other "fictional characters come to life" stories. I thought his choice of characters to bring to life was a little strange... I mean obviously it's limited by copyright etc, but it was a little hard to swallow 2 tween boys happily bro-ing out with Pollyanna and the Three Musketeers? I guess it might introduce some young readers to those classic characters, but it was a bit weird.

I will say it's interesting since I think a lot of the fairy tale retelling/characters come to life stories I can think of are focused more on like princesses and the like, so this book would appeal more to readers with typically "boyish" interest.

The audiobook reader was great though. This would probably be a good choice for a family road trip.

Spoiler

Also: the part where Billy resolves his parents' rocky marriage with time travel was.............. ethically questionable.

I read this as single issues, and I loved the essays included with the back matter that apparently aren't in the trades? Anyway, this definitely emotionally resonated with me, and I love seeing a comic series that's doing so much intersectional feminist work. But also, it's really not the kind of thing that I would have chosen to read if it hadn't been so universally acclaimed and I probably love it sliiightly less than everyone else seems to? Like I get that it's satire of prison exploitation/blaxploitation/etc pulp novels but also mmm.. well, also, KSD is clearly doing a lot of legwork right now to set up further plot developments, which I'm happy to wait and see develop.

oooh I couldn't put this one down! I'm filing it away to re-read at a more leisurely pace--I know I was missing things in my race to find out what happened. The prose is beautiful and the plot is ?????

I love the summary of this as "Orange is the New Black Swan." perf <3

This book was SO FUNNY, I kept legit LOL'ing and reading parts aloud to my coworker.

I had some trouble telling the characters apart at the beginning but it all came together and was a very cute little mystery. And, seriously, so funny.

I'm thinking about booktalking this? SLJ says grades 7-10 but it's a littttle sexy? But I have to remind myself that all those kids are already reading John Green and this is probably on par with that. (There's a plot point about some leaked photos of a blow job, for example, and references to having had sex, but there's never any sex "on screen.")

anyway this was like kiiinda dumb but also I could not stop reading it, it reminded me of [b:Pretty Little Liars|162085|Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars, #1)|Sara Shepard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377830522s/162085.jpg|2191061] in that way. Just like a really intense kinda dumb Mean Girls murder mystery with amnesia and a love triangle, what more could you want. It booktalks itself.