An enjoyable and satisfying conclusion to this duology! I especially loved seeing more of the worldbuilding & magic system--it's different from other fantasy books I've read but also wasn't overwhelmingly complex for my tastes.

I feel like with all of Tiffany Jackson's books, there's some aspect of the plot that doesn't quite hold up when I think about it for too long, but her books are always such page turners that I never stop to think about it. Really engaging and intriguing, and sure to be especially compelling to fans of 90s rappers like Tupac and Biggie Smalls.

I reviewed this here: http://www.frowl.org/whyablog/?p=181

In short: hilariously not-good.

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I re-read this and liked it slightly more the second time around? It's still not good though.

http://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-19-modelland/

This is the book that contains that much-quoted essay about how "if you want to enjoy the rewards of being loved, you also have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known." That's pretty much the high mark of this collection. Overall, it's an enjoyable essay collection with a lot of killer sentences in it. There's some self-reflection that is a little bit cringey, but that's the point of it, I suppose?

Hmm. Hmmm. I may have entered this with too high of expectations, since I'd seen it compared to Jane the Virgin? And that's a really high bar. I can see why the comparisons are made--3 generations of Latina women, semi-magical vibes, but...well, for starters, Jane the Virgin is VERY funny and very light on its feet, where this felt a bit clunky, a bit like it was stumbling over what it had set for itself to do. It felt like maybe the sea curse could have been set up a bit more, especially given how...abruptly it was broken?

Still--a lot of good parts here, I liked Rosa as an ambitious over-achiever who suddenly isn't sure what she wants to achieve, and the romance is sweet if a bit abrupt. I really enjoyed the description of Cuba and what it means for various generations, and I imagine this would all resonate a lot more for a Cuban-American reader than for me.

This was gorgeous and surprising. I love the artwork and the magical journey, but also the realism of the casual cruelty of kids--the way Nathaniel takes Ben for granted, the way he's so quick to declaim him in front of "cooler" boys, and the way Ben just keeps hanging in there anyway.

I've seen other reviews comparing this to Studio Ghibli and I think that's a pretty fair comparison.

I hope there is another part to this that will explore their continued adventures!

This is a great adaptation. I'm still not totally convinced how well these adaptations hold up if you haven't listened to the podcast and don't have these character voices in your head already?

Nevertheless: <3 Angus McDonald <3

This was engaging and funny, even if some of the humor is very British/obscure? Definitely the kind of jam-packed pages that would have appealed to me as a kid.

http://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-129-rotten-romans-horrible-histories-series/

I haven't read a TON of romance because I definitely had some outdated impressions of what ~romance novels~ were like, but in recent years I've dipped my toe in the genre thanks to carefully curated suggestions from trusted pals! But I picked this one out for myself because I saw a review in PW or something that mentioned it was a fake dating story between a birthday party clown and a forced-into-retirement baseball player, and I was like, sounds hilarious, sign me up!

It was....kind of funny? I kept reading (ok sometimes skimming) until the end mostly because I did really like Georgie's character, the party clown. But Travis, the ~alpha male baseball player~ was GROSS. And he was supposed to be on a ~redemption journey~--as a pro athlete he'd gotten a bad reputation for sleeping around (his media nickname is "Two Bats", the other bat is his dick) but honestly by the end of it....still gross.

Also it was STEEPED in this gross patriarchal thing where Travis was friends with Georgie's older brother and they're all VERY concerned about the bro code violation and how her brother is going to hit Travis for getting with Georgie because like, obv Georgie is her brother's property. GROSS. STOP IT.

There were also just a lot of wildly implausible things in here, and not even like implausible in the fun way like "secretly a prince" but like, Georgie named her vibrator "Dale," which...do any real women do this?? Doubtful??? But then--very early on before they are fake or real dating--Travis finds Georgie taking a nap and when she's half-asleep she murmurs, "Where's Dale? I need Dale" and Travis is obv SUPER JEALOUS >:( that she has a man named Dale in her life that he didn't know about. Like??? Really?? Another time she just straight up FORGETS TO PUT ON A BRA before she leaves the house?? (I gather this might be an actual thing for those with smaller breasts but Georgie allegedly has big ones! I have NEVER IN MY ADULT LIFE forgotten to wear a bra outside the house.)

anyway also Georgie is a 23-year-old virgin which, fine, and so part of their fake dating arrangement is that they're not going to have P-in-V sex but they fool around. OK. But then she gets her legs waxed before a fake date (because the papparazzi are there bc Travis is famous-ish, which, sure I buy that) but then they have THIS DIALOGUE:

"Question one. You wax this pussy for me?"
"Uh-huh."
"Correct answer. I'm going to worship this thing next time we're together."
"See? Romantic gestures. You're already a pro."
"I'm a rookie at virgins and fuck, while we're on the subject, you're closed up around my finger so tight, I'm probably never going to look your father in the eye again."

later on..

"Where are your panties? Forget I asked. You should never keep this covered when it's just you and me. Ask me why."
"Why?"
"Because if I'm not licking it, I'm going to be figuring out a way to spread your thighs so I can."

ew grosss. Also he always calls her "baby girl" which she seems into but ewwww

There's also a B-plot of Georgie leading a women's empowerment group called the Just Us League which I liked in theory. But also, yikes Travis.

Anyway clearly this author does something for a lot of readers but I couldn't get over how gross this dude was to me!! eeew

PS did unlocking Travis's tragic backstory make him any less gross to me? nooo

I loved this! I loved how many affirming details there are that will make this story relatable for a lot of tweens/teens--specific references to Black Panther and other comics, access to library makerspaces, etc. I loved HD being inspired by seeing other Black geeks and realizing he's not alone, and I love how it goes into enough detail about HD's maker projects to be inspiring without being boring. Also the haunted sauerkraut crock is hilarious but also touching. Love it!