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shane_the_reading_rat's Reviews (1.21k)
first read of pride month done :D
i loved this book honestly. it balances being realistic with still having a hopeful ending extremely well (and im always a sucker for books that relate to theatre).
when so many side characters were first introduced, i really worried that the ending would be messy and some storylines would just not be finished, and was pleasantly surprised that: no!! everyone gets a solid, wrapped-up ending, even if it’s somewhat vague.
prob the singular complaint i would have is that there’s some pretty graphic transphobic bullying portrayed in this book and a content warning at the beginning would be a good thing.
good book good book starting june off good. definitely plan to read Ray Stoeve’s other books soon <3
i loved this book honestly. it balances being realistic with still having a hopeful ending extremely well (and im always a sucker for books that relate to theatre).
when so many side characters were first introduced, i really worried that the ending would be messy and some storylines would just not be finished, and was pleasantly surprised that: no!! everyone gets a solid, wrapped-up ending, even if it’s somewhat vague.
prob the singular complaint i would have is that there’s some pretty graphic transphobic bullying portrayed in this book and a content warning at the beginning would be a good thing.
good book good book starting june off good. definitely plan to read Ray Stoeve’s other books soon <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, Dysphoria
Moderate: Deadnaming
not gonna lie, i’ve learned more about rabies from a ten minute youtube video than from this book ABOUT RABIES. it meanders an incredible amount (including an extremely long tangent about percy shelley and trying to connect vampires to rabies???)
this book but imagine that the mc and Aloha fall in love. love wins happy pride everyone🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
im not very comfortable with reviewing poetry, but MAN this was hard hitting. it feels like Willie Carver Jr. opened a door into his life for readers to see and it was incredible. i have so many favorite poems from this that i had to stop listing them in my notes app because the list became too long
i want everyone to read this.
“but it was also an attempt to protect me, as if every Southern queer person isn’t already perpetually awaiting crucifixion.”
i want everyone to read this.
“but it was also an attempt to protect me, as if every Southern queer person isn’t already perpetually awaiting crucifixion.”
solid vampire urban fantasy but definitely has its issues.
firstly i adored the worldbuilding and the different types of vampires, and the setting of this gritty noir Mexico City was awesome.
i do think this book had too many POVs (5), especially as Rodrigo and Ana’s POVs rarely showed up and i kinda just didn’t give a fuck about them. Nick’s POV chapters were pretty fun, they didn’t need to be there but i enjoyed them. i like Domingo and Atl’s dynamic a lot :D
this book did try and tackle a lot of vampire politics, and i think it could’ve been balanced better. some ideas i had while reading were: if the book were entirely from Domingo’s POV and focused mostly on the setting and the vampire politics (would’ve made sense as he’s such a little fanboy lmao), or been dual POV between Domingo and Atl and focused moreso on their bond together.
also if anyone is worried about if Atl’s dog dies, the answer is…kind of? he is shot on-page and the characters assume later that he died (off-page), but Domingo finds him alive later and it isn’t confirmed whether the dog survives or just dies after the story ends
firstly i adored the worldbuilding and the different types of vampires, and the setting of this gritty noir Mexico City was awesome.
i do think this book had too many POVs (5), especially as Rodrigo and Ana’s POVs rarely showed up and i kinda just didn’t give a fuck about them. Nick’s POV chapters were pretty fun, they didn’t need to be there but i enjoyed them. i like Domingo and Atl’s dynamic a lot :D
this book did try and tackle a lot of vampire politics, and i think it could’ve been balanced better. some ideas i had while reading were: if the book were entirely from Domingo’s POV and focused mostly on the setting and the vampire politics (would’ve made sense as he’s such a little fanboy lmao), or been dual POV between Domingo and Atl and focused moreso on their bond together.
also if anyone is worried about if Atl’s dog dies, the answer is…
dahlia adler consistently makes such solid ya queer romcoms omg
i loved this one so much, and im not even sure how to explain why. it just really clicked for me
i loved this one so much, and im not even sure how to explain why. it just really clicked for me
dnf’ing cause this book is extremely dry
would’ve felt differently if there were threads between each essay or even just an explanation as to why the author chose to talk about these trees specifically.
despite the dnf, 1: gorgeous cover and illustrations of the trees inside, 2: i liked learning that Easter Island is also called Rapa Nui. didn’t know that at all previously
would’ve felt differently if there were threads between each essay or even just an explanation as to why the author chose to talk about these trees specifically.
despite the dnf, 1: gorgeous cover and illustrations of the trees inside, 2: i liked learning that Easter Island is also called Rapa Nui. didn’t know that at all previously
this is perhaps the first dystopian story i’ve really adored since the covid-19 pandemic started (and i was a biggg dystopian/pandemic horror reader before that)
genuinely incredible little piece of winter survival horror
i should always take recs from BooksAndLala
genuinely incredible little piece of winter survival horror
i should always take recs from BooksAndLala
dude art makes or breaks a graphic novel/memoir and this one truly makes it
i liked how it explores the public perception of cancer and of cancer survivors as being “warriors” and the immense air of “you’ve gotta be positive!” surrounding it, cause that definitely needs to be discussed more often
i liked how it explores the public perception of cancer and of cancer survivors as being “warriors” and the immense air of “you’ve gotta be positive!” surrounding it, cause that definitely needs to be discussed more often
i wanted so badly to love this, and i did love it at first, but it honestly is just going so far downhill for me.
throughout this book i’ve been much more interested in the contemporary aspects of this book— as it is incredibly comforting to read about
a fellow southern queer person
than yet another queer YA set on the west or east coast of america— than the magical aspects (to me the magic system just doesn’t feel unique, it reminds me of every other ya book with gods out there).
butwhen enzo was revealed to be the shade is where this book lost me. gem is defending him so hard and genuinely… for what??? i dont understand at all why they are defending the shade. also im sorry but willa mae has been a horrific guide since they first appeared on-page.
the point where i stopped reading was when marian basically tells gem that it wont be long until one of them finds the knife. that really frustrated me because: if red can download all of someones knowledge by touching them,,, and he punched gem,,, then he already knows everything about where the knife is. just in general very frustrating.
throughout this book i’ve been much more interested in the contemporary aspects of this book— as it is incredibly comforting to read about
a fellow southern queer person
than yet another queer YA set on the west or east coast of america— than the magical aspects (to me the magic system just doesn’t feel unique, it reminds me of every other ya book with gods out there).
but
the point where i stopped reading was when marian basically tells gem that it wont be long until one of them finds the knife. that really frustrated me because: if red can download all of someones knowledge by touching them,,, and he punched gem,,, then he already knows everything about where the knife is. just in general very frustrating.