i think this book does have important things to say, but its tbh quite overwritten and im really not in the headspace for that currently. + too much millenial cringe and out of the three or so chapters i have read, only one has been about a book. for a book called “how to read now”, that’s not a great ratio.

im just not girl or boss enough for this girlboss-personified protagonist. might try this again later, probably won’t.

there is really only so much time im willing to spend listening to one very boring man yap about his family’s wool business.
this just all-around was not for me (i hate to dnf at 72%, but life is short and this has been a slog to read). to me, luca and matti had no chemistry whatsoever, and their only thoughts about each other were just about how hot the other is. which was annoying. i loved matti’s fiance and his sister, i wish they were the main focus of this book and also a lesbian couple :)))
i usually think religion in fantasy books is fascinating, but here it was incredibly boring. in this, there are several different gods/goddesses of various things (and that helps dictate what the guilds and houses are). this worldbuilding could have been so so so cool, but it was super hard to keep track of and really needs some sort of glossary. and this is minor, but: the cursing in this book feels odd? it just doesn’t fit. many of the curses are in the format of “[insert god/godesses name] [insert adjective] [insert body part]” which,, like okay. sure whatever. but one of them is Maya (Matti’s sister) saying “Huna’s dripping slit”, which 1: i feel gross just typing that out. 2: THATS A REALLY FUCKING INTENSE CURSE ABOUT THE GODDESS YOU WORSHIP/WHO IS ALIGNED WITH YOUR HOUSE. like man you say shit like that about Huna and i really see why your wool business is failing. there ive solved the Jay’s business problem.

dnf’ing because i desperately need to go back and reread i am the beast and the beast is me so i won’t be so confused

hate to dnf, but i gotta do it
this is very different from the impression i was given. i thought it was a short story collection of various fairy-tale-like stories, and im a sucker for fairy tales so i was like “hell yeah !! im down for this” but that is Not What This Is.

this is more like mini-novellas that are just general speculative weirdness

although the cats who ran a weed farm were amazing and i love them

, and mainly not my taste (except for what is mentioned under the spoiler tag above). also Prince Hat Underground? boring as could be. and it’s hard to make gay people boring

i promise i tried. i tried so hard to not dnf but i simply could not take it anymore
this is much less “horrifying alien goo” and much more “relationship drama between a forced polycule”. the seemingly one singular Goo Scene (so far. i got to 40%) was the dude who got naked and swam in it and breathed it in and i love him! that was a super well written scene!!! but everything else is horrifically boring in comparison

i follow this author on bluesky and she seems awesome, but wow i (usually) cannot stand a romance book about straight people lmao

so i borrowed this upon reading that vico ortiz narrates it, not really realizing that it’s a wolf shifter romantasy,,, uhh no shame to those that like that but it is really not for me

i just do not know enough about Latin American history to be able to get enough out of reading this book

thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for the arc!
sadly, dnf’ing this at 58% because it’s just very much not working for me.
this book is a Dracula retelling focusing on Lucy Westenra, and what happens to her after becoming a vampire (and shes sapphic)
i was really loving this at the beginning! White does an amazing job at creating atmosphere (especially in the sections that were of Lucy’s diary). 
unfortunately, this is also possibly the slowest-paced book i have ever read, and in my opinion does not need 400 pages. at ~35 percent i was like “really? ive only gotten this far?” and at 55% i was just exhausted of this story. at the beginning it’s wonderful, but the slow pace wears out its welcome very quickly.
again, thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley! i really liked most of this book, but the pacing was incredibly slow to the point of being depressing and this story does not need 400 pages.