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shidoburrito's Reviews (1.54k)
Cute cute, adorable wonderful and cute! Can't say how much I enjoy people drawing different body types in comics these days. <3
2.5 stars
Hm, I'm not too sure how I feel about this book. Was it good? Was it bad? If was fine, I suppose. I remember feeling a bit lost at times when the author was describing something other-wordly, or an action scene that lost me. But it wasn't bad, I'm always a fan of ghosts and spirits, possession stories can be a bit spooky sometimes, and this one was spooky. The characters were fine too, I suppose.
*Great big shrug*
And yet when I finished the book I didn't feel like I'd been taken for a whirlwind, I didn't find myself concerned for the safety and future of the characters, I just read the book and now I'm moving on to the next.
Hm, I'm not too sure how I feel about this book. Was it good? Was it bad? If was fine, I suppose. I remember feeling a bit lost at times when the author was describing something other-wordly, or an action scene that lost me. But it wasn't bad, I'm always a fan of ghosts and spirits, possession stories can be a bit spooky sometimes, and this one was spooky. The characters were fine too, I suppose.
*Great big shrug*
Spoiler
But for my review being so milquetoast, this book certainly covers a lot of issues. Like, I hope it wasn't written with a checklist since it does deal with racism, school shootings, homophobia, "funny uncles", sexual abuse, abusive parents, bullying, gay characters coming out. A lot of stuff.
4.5 stars
First of all: as a public librarian the greatest horror I got from this book was sharing the MC's fear of bedbugs. You have no idea how much I related to that. Thankfully I don't have severe anxiety but boy was I familiar with some of Mari's habits!
Oooh, so many things I loved about this book:
-great, well-rounded characters (although I guess the 'is she possessed or is she just a little shit' stepsister trope was a little overplayed, but certainly made you frustrated!)
-Fantastic environment building
-Excellently-written horror: both supernatural and haunted house horror as well as trapped in your own anxiety and downward spiraling mental health horror
- The ending
I recently read The Taking of Jake Livingston which was teen horror that had similar themes and controversial topics, but where that book tried to cram too many issues into one book and didn't pay attention to its character development, this book took the time to develop, research, and really integrate these themes into the story.
I really appreciate the author's message about unfair imprisonments, legalization of marijuana, corrupt police, city health and safety departments being run from the pockets of investors and the rich and being under their control and not looking out for the good of the town/city, as well as the gentrification of old neighborhoods.
First of all: as a public librarian the greatest horror I got from this book was sharing the MC's fear of bedbugs. You have no idea how much I related to that. Thankfully I don't have severe anxiety but boy was I familiar with some of Mari's habits!
Oooh, so many things I loved about this book:
-great, well-rounded characters (although I guess the 'is she possessed or is she just a little shit' stepsister trope was a little overplayed, but certainly made you frustrated!)
-Fantastic environment building
-Excellently-written horror: both supernatural and haunted house horror as well as trapped in your own anxiety and downward spiraling mental health horror
- The ending
Spoiler
But I'm in the minority when I say I enjoy abrupt, leave-you-hanging, lady-or-the-tiger endings, especially in horror.I recently read The Taking of Jake Livingston which was teen horror that had similar themes and controversial topics, but where that book tried to cram too many issues into one book and didn't pay attention to its character development, this book took the time to develop, research, and really integrate these themes into the story.
I really appreciate the author's message about unfair imprisonments, legalization of marijuana, corrupt police, city health and safety departments being run from the pockets of investors and the rich and being under their control and not looking out for the good of the town/city, as well as the gentrification of old neighborhoods.
I think I just have to buy my own copy of this book. It is hilarious and so interesting! I remember seeing these covers but I was too young to read them, now I'm slowly finding them through ILL or HPB. Grady Hendrix is the perfect person to write about the history of the paperback horror novel, because there are some really wacky ones out there!
Definitely psychological horror and very (as I'm sure it's been compared to many times) House of Leaves -ish. Easier to read than House of Leaves so if you want kind of a taste of HOL, read this. Or maybe you're buying a new house and want to really freak yourself out? Sure, read this! You'll never look at a water stain or a patch of mold without unease ever again!
Do you like vampires? Revenge? Exes plotting to kill their boyfriends/makers? Then you too will enjoy this book. Was it a riveting page turner? Not really, but it gets pretty good towards the end. Can you see the plot twist coming? Yeah. Probably. But does it leave you happy and satisfied in the end? Yes! So read and enjoy.
What are superheroes anyway? Where do I shelve this? Sci-fi? Fantasy?
I remember watching the first Fantastic Four 2005 movie, or the Superman Returns movie, and the heroes were so horribly written that I focused more on the destruction they were causing and feeling bad for anyone killed or injured in the wake of these people "saving" the world.
Enter this book's MC Anna, who is good with numbers, and after having her leg shattered just by being pushed aside (read: slammed into a wall) by the hero Supercollider, becomes hell bent on figuring out the cost of these saving-the-day stunts. The cost is billions of dollars and thousands of lives.
Her blog with these findings brings out the stories of many who have had the same experience, as well as the attention of the super-villain Leviathan, who offers her a job because what better way to bring down a superhero than to expose the price of having them save the day and create a decline in hero-worship?
Ugh, I did a bad job in summarizing this. Let's just say:I had a lot of fun reading this. I couldn't put it down. I loved all the characters. Hooray for smart, cool, super-villains. Hell yeah, I bet he gives GREAT mandible! XD
I remember watching the first Fantastic Four 2005 movie, or the Superman Returns movie, and the heroes were so horribly written that I focused more on the destruction they were causing and feeling bad for anyone killed or injured in the wake of these people "saving" the world.
Enter this book's MC Anna, who is good with numbers, and after having her leg shattered just by being pushed aside (read: slammed into a wall) by the hero Supercollider, becomes hell bent on figuring out the cost of these saving-the-day stunts. The cost is billions of dollars and thousands of lives.
Her blog with these findings brings out the stories of many who have had the same experience, as well as the attention of the super-villain Leviathan, who offers her a job because what better way to bring down a superhero than to expose the price of having them save the day and create a decline in hero-worship?
Ugh, I did a bad job in summarizing this. Let's just say:I had a lot of fun reading this. I couldn't put it down. I loved all the characters. Hooray for smart, cool, super-villains. Hell yeah, I bet he gives GREAT mandible! XD
I would say this is like a female Dexter, but the Dexter books are more humorous and he is...charming in a weird way. Scarlett, our MC in this book, is out for revenge. She is seen by her peers and her students as stern, cold, and serious. And she is certainly that. But you can't just help but cheer for her (well, I couldn't help but cheer for her) as she brings about justice and death to horrible man-children that have ruined the lives of girls and women through rape or perversion and have gotten away with it. Does that sound satisfying to you? It certainly is for me and so, I recommend this book to you!
A tale as old as time: getting out of your shitty hometown to live your dream of being an actress in L.A. After months (years?) of trying to get a gig and living from paycheck to paycheck (and working at fast food chain to fast food chain), Becca finally lands a gig with a weird avant garde YouTube film creator. She's an overnight success, as long as she lives as her character: Tulip.
I got strong Paradise Kiss vibes from this. Mostly the art and the character design, but a little bit of the drama too.
I felt bad for Becca as she escaped her hometown with her maybe-boyfriend and her drunk father only to fall in with a similar situation in L.A. with a maybe boyfriend/employer and an apathetic roommate.
In the end it comes down to the choices Becca needs to make, who she lets down, and how she views herself to please her fans, her friends, her so-called friends. It's called "art" and "acting" but what it really is is another soul-sucking job to make enough money to go on "living".
I got strong Paradise Kiss vibes from this. Mostly the art and the character design, but a little bit of the drama too.
I felt bad for Becca as she escaped her hometown with her maybe-boyfriend and her drunk father only to fall in with a similar situation in L.A. with a maybe boyfriend/employer and an apathetic roommate.
Spoiler
I got mad when her old boyfriend contacted her and said "Not as much as you loved yourself". I never saw her as selfish, I saw her as someone who moved away and was looking out for herself and trying to make her life better than what the men in her life expected of her. She didn't rely on others because she wanted to live life on her own terms. Which is why it made me sad that in the end she decided to continue to live in the "Tulip-shaped box" that Stanley made for her.In the end it comes down to the choices Becca needs to make, who she lets down, and how she views herself to please her fans, her friends, her so-called friends. It's called "art" and "acting" but what it really is is another soul-sucking job to make enough money to go on "living".