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471 reviews by:
starrysteph
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I reread this for my book club and the nostalgia was in full force.
Was it well-written? No. :( Did I have fun? Yes. :)
It’s got clunky exposition and checks off every YA fantasy trope, but it’s also got an interesting world & a story that kept me turning its pages decades later.
CW: death, violence, blood, war, grief, murder, confinement, torture, slavery, fire, ableism, animal cruelty, animal death, trafficking, fatphobia, sexual assault (off-page)
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adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lush, romantic writing with simmering slow burn tension & fresh dangers lurking on every page. Vampires of El Norte was riveting and haunting, with characters that you’ll root for so fiercely it hurts.
Nena and Néstor are childhood friends - and maybe someday something more. But Nena is the daughter of a rancher who is expected to marry a wealthy man of her class, and Néstor works for her family as a vaquero. One night as the pair playfully hunt a legendary treasure, they’re attacked by a strange beast. Thinking Nena dead, Néstor flees into the night, leaving Nena betrayed and broken-hearted.
Nine years later, they’re unexpectedly brought back together as adults when the United States attacks Mexico. Nena is a healer determined to prove herself an equal to the men that dominate her life, and Néstor is fighting alongside the cavalry. They stumble through an awkward reunion, but have to quickly reconcile as monsters, both human settlers and blood-sucking beasts, threaten the lives of everyone they love.
Cañas hooked me from the introduction - the bond between Nena and Néstor as children is so fiery and sweet that you can’t help but optimistically believe they’ll end up together against all odds. As adults, their miscommunication will hurt your heart but is also completely believable and understandable from both points of view. Their hesitancy to let each other back in - and their fear of vulnerability - makes for a compelling slow burn romance.
There’s a cavernous divide between the two lovers, and watching them navigate classism and their expected roles in society is so compelling. Nena learns to be defiant and finds a voice for her rebellion; Néstor learns to break cycles and forge a new future for his love.
The horror and romance elements elevate each other, with moments of sharp fear and loss but also passion and rage.
And the vampires. Ooo. This was a unique spin on vampire lore. It starts with folktale horror and whispers of things that bite at dark, and builds up to terrifying fight scenes.
The plotline follows a historical fight against colonialism (the Yanquis are forcibly taking Mexican land), and the vampires are cleverly woven into this plotline, both as metaphorical tools of oppression and literal villains. Without spoilers, the resolution of the vampire arc was clever, beautiful, and satisfying.
I loved the genre-bending, but I do think there was a dip in the middle where we were only getting romance. I would have loved to go deeper on the vampires and to go deeper on Nena’s journey as a healer, finding her independence and power even apart from Néstor.
CW: death, gore, gun violence, war, blood, sexism, colonialism, injury, classism, animal death, body horror, emotional abuse, misogyny, murder, racism, indentured servitude
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(I received a free copy of this book from Berkley; this is my honest review.)
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Andrew Joseph White has this brilliant skill of creating these nasty, fanged works that somehow, through all that blood, make you feel seen and empowered.
This one is for the kids who can’t decipher the hidden rules of the world that everyone else seems to tackle with confidence.
“Because they gave birth to something they do not understand, because they tried so many times to fix me and they failed.”
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth follows Silas Bell, a curious anatomically-minded teenager whose family has attempted to force him into box after box to become an obedient (and more importantly, accepted) member of society. In 1883 London, men with violet eyes are considered mediums & alter The Veil between the living and dead as followers of the Royal Speaker Society. On the other hand, women with violet eyes are considered diseased; dangerous; mad.
Silas is trans and autistic (though he does not have the language for either), and after he attempts to flee his arranged marriage and live as a free medium, he’s sent to Braxton’s Sanitorium and Finishing School for Veil-sick women. It’s a dangerous place, with heartless leadership and girls who mysteriously disappear (unless they convince all that they can be obedient wives). When Silas hears pleas from the ghosts of former students, he knows he must risk his own life to unveil the true violence of Braxton.
“I read everything as it is given to me, exactly how it is said, only to discover that the world always operates just below the surface.”
Silas does not have our modern words to describe his experiences, but through his narration he shares truths and tics and fears so authentically and earnestly. He discovers how these parts of his identity are entwined - but also how they are distinct - through others. Without spoilers, Silas is not the only trans character in the book AND there’s a supporting character who is autistic & nonverbal whose scenes with Silas were some of my favorites.
Silas sees the world anatomically, through flesh and bone, through medicine and surgery. He also struggles with the “rabbit” inside his chest. It’s the voice of all his doubts and fears - the voice that he believes he needs to survive.
“I want to take myself apart into something else, and if I cannot do that, I want to destroy every part of it that could ever be used against me.“
White plays with the very real history of those in power branding women with “hysteria”, and torturing and exploiting anyone who is “unfit” to operate in their world - and properly enforce their societal hierarchy. These villains sure do villain. There’s a pervasive fear of anything unknown and anyone who is an other, and a vicious swirl of misogyny, transphobia, and ableism.
“We are the same species. We're all human. It's not that people cannot understand me; it's simply that most of them don't want to."
But the hauntings come in full force, screaming to be heard & not allowing the misogynistic powers to silence them.
In Andrew’s opening author’s note, he gently shares that taking this journey is a choice for us readers. I found it both horrifying & disturbing and empowering – but if this is too much for you at any time, it’s okay. You have the freedom to step away; you do not have to endure this.
CW: medical content & gore, medical experimentation, body horror, sexual assault & rape, forced institutionalization, abortion, transphobia, deadnaming & misgendering, gaslighting, misogyny, ableism, death, pregnancy, torture, abuse, miscarriage, self harm, homophobia, animal cruelty & death, religious bigotry, vomit
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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review. All quotes in this review are from my advance reader copy.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The slight clumsiness of Six of Crows dissolved for me here - this was captivating. The chapter endings were each crueler than the last; the cliffhangers were clever and not TOO infuriating and kept me turning page after page. And I think I had whiplash from all the twists & turns of the various heists! I was surprised. I was SO surprised.
Crooked Kingdom begins right where Six of Crows left off – with our crew yet again fighting to save their skins. They’ve been double-crossed and are now surrounded by enemies in a city they once navigated with confidence. With the odds stacked against them, they’ve got to pull off several more schemes to leave with their lives & fortunes intact.
The beautiful characterization work only gets brighter and more detailed here. Each member of the crew is given incredible depth, and we get to watch them stumble and grow and reconcile with the trauma of their past.
I also continued to adore Bardugo’s writing. It’s evocative, and the way she describes characters and scenes is so visual. This book felt even more cinematic than the last, and the prose was both lyrical and precise.
My small grudge - and honestly the only thing that keeps this from 5 stars for me - centers around Matthias. I think that he was the weak link of the group by far, and not enough effort was put into giving him a believable arc (I really wanted to witness him dismantle his supremacist upbringing, and I don’t think he grew much beyond recognizing the faults of his internal logic). Nina could do a lot better, just sayin’. I don’t totally buy the extent of her feelings for him.
CW: death, gun violence, blood, murder, addiction, kidnapping, torture, grief, trafficking, slavery, panic attacks, abuse, sexual assault & rape, ableism, confinement, forced institutionalization, child death, classism, abandonment, death of a parent, death of a child, chronic illness, war, gaslighting, racism, pregnancy, religious bigotry, police brutality, pedophilia
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adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really adored this! Sapphic pirates for life!
Ferra Brickminder will change anything about herself in order to be ‘perfect’ enough for the girl she loves. And when she prays, a god warps her request in an unexpected way. Her skin becomes breakable porcelain, and she’s hidden away by a religious group and a wealthy, anxious father.
Enter disgraced & broke pirate captain Brigantine. Her crew is loyal as ever, but she’s got a whole lot to prove. When Ferra and Brig cross paths, they embark on an adventure across the sea to find Ferra’s love. And amidst arguments and obstacles, they start to form an unexpected bond.
The story was fast-paced and sweet, with found family, budding romance, and some major life lessons unfolding. The romance is a bit of an instalove whirlwind, and I found a lot of the other (longer) background relationships to be more powerful and touching. The illustrations were great and the characters were eclectic and bodily diverse.
The dialogue is charmingly goofy - and besides one moment of loss, the plot is light and fun. There’s a message of accepting & loving yourself and setting your own boundaries.
CW: death, grief, confinement, kidnapping, gun violence, violence, animal death, gaslighting
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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Wow. Empire of Pain was an incredibly detailed, well-crafted, and narratively gripping piece of nonfiction.
This is the story of the Sackler family, told over decades and three generations. It’s filled to the brim with diligently researched investigative journalism - but also engaging storytelling.
“They resented being cast as the villains in a drama, but it was their own stunted, stubborn blindness that made them so well suited to the role. They couldn’t change.”
The creation and rise of OxyContin (via the Sacklers and their empire) is horrifying. These pages are filled with callousness & denial inside the insulated walls of Purdue Pharma and a staggering amount of grief & loss from all those impacted by this epidemic.
It’s a hard read emotionally, and the writing is also a bit slow at the start, but this one chilled me. You feel like you’re right there alongside them - and boy does that get disturbing, infuriating, and frustrating.
CW: descriptions of addiction & drug use, suicide, death, gaslighting, ableism, antisemitism, racism, chronic illness, epidemic
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adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Why’d I wait so long?
In the bustling city of Ketterdam, seventeen-year-old master criminal Kaz Brekker is given an offer he can’t refuse: a seemingly-impossible heist in exchange for an enormous fortune. He assembles a group of teenage thieves, each with a different set of skills, to infiltrate the impenetrable Ice Court.
It’s a heist, yes, and the grittiness of the underworld of thieves and chaotic changes-of-plan are both very fun. But the real strength here is the characters. Bardugo dances between six perspectives and made me care about all of them (well, maybe one a little less). They each have tremendous depth and gracefully-woven-in backstories, and the relationships between each member of the crew were fascinating. I was particularly drawn to the foil between Inej & Kaz and Nina & Matthias.
You’re tossed right in and do have to use context clues to keep up with some of the aspects of this world – I chose to skip the Shadow & Bone trilogy based on advice from friends and had no trouble personally, though if you are someone who struggles with worldbuilding I imagine it’s gentler to start at the true beginning of the Grishaverse.
The start has a few awkward stumbles around exposition, and the pacing drags a bit. But once we get going - we get going.
The twists were GREAT and readers were cleverly kept in the dark through the rotating POVs. With most characters not knowing the full breadth of the plan at any given time, there were surprises around every corner.
I also really loved Bardugo’s use of imagery when describing new characters. Her language is clever, cinematic, and often funny.
CW: murder, death, blood, gun violence, slavery, trafficking, gore, addiction & drug use, kidnapping, grief, torture, body horror, panic attacks, mental illness, confinement, abuse, sexual assault, genocide, racism, religious bigotry, ableism, xenophobia, war, medical trauma, animal cruelty & death, fire, chronic illness, pedophilia, suicidal thoughts
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emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Strange Beautiful was a masterful conjuring of fables all woven together with one major overlapping element: a set of apartments in Spokane.
Each unforgettable tenant comes to life and boldly leaps off the page. Some are earnest, some are spiteful, and some are fragile. The stories ranged from chatty bears to time traveling phones to mannequins coming to life, and I enjoyed each one more than the last.
We’re leaping through time, starting in 1914 and ending in the present day. I enjoyed the little easter eggs in each chapter with winks and links to the other tenants. It’s a historical story of a city and a rumination on shared humanity and cyclical connections, with sprinkles of magic and surrealism within each narrative.
It’s an enchanting collection where past and present are continuously united. It can be unsettling at times, and the main characters often face traumatic endings, but there are threads of beauty & hope in each tale.
I’ll definitely be reflecting on The Strange Beautiful for a long time.
CW: war, body horror, ableism, death, murder, suicide, classism, epidemic/pandemic, addiction, drug use, infidelity, animal cruelty, animal death, body shaming, fatphobia, racism, xenophobia, sexism, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, sexual content
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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, War, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had mixed feelings about The Fitful Sleep of Immigrants.
On one hand - I was incredibly compelled by the story, which I know is semi-autobiographical. Marc's partner Isaac is summoned to immigration court, and the couple have to decide whether to fight the deportation or consider leaving the US. Marc is an attorney dealing with an overwhelming amount of internal turmoil: his past addiction & trauma are threatening to resurface, he’s avoiding reconnecting with his Jewish family (he’s barely discussed his gay identity with them), and he has to take on an ethically-icky case at his firm.
So yes … there are emotionally powerful elements. There are some lovely scenes around familial struggles and being forced out of your home and Jewish traditions.
But the writing is incredibly weak & disjointed. The dialogue feels “off” and things are structurally confusing. Additionally, both Marc and Isaac make baffling decisions that don’t seem to correlate with what we are told about them as people. It was often painful to read and witness them (particularly the protagonist Marc) make mistake after mistake.
I also struggled to see their strengths as a couple; it felt like most interactions were harsh and cold. I needed some more background or flashbacks or grounding scenes in order to root for them as a pair. Instead, I often found myself thinking Isaac should find someone better!
One more note: the phrase “sat Indian-style” was used on pg. 33 of my copy, and it was disappointing to see that offensive and outdated language.
CW: death of parent, murder, addiction, alcoholism, drug use, homophobia, stalking, sexual assault, rape, grief, war
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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, War, Deportation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
HOW DO I EVER PICK UP ANOTHER FANTASY SERIES?
I’ve been sitting here - staring at the empty screen while trying to conjure words for my glowing review - and struggling to express how much this journey transfixed & transformed me.
Essun & Nassun … our mother-daughter pair at opposite ends of a gaping chasm. They made hard-to-bear choices. They acted out of fear, out of love, and out of a need to survive. We’ve witnessed Essun’s pain over a lifelong journey, and Nassun has had so much trauma in her tiny number of years. Jemisin writes in the afterward that in many ways, this series is her wrestling with motherhood – and I felt that come through deeply in this final chapter.
And Hoa’s story? Wow. I almost wished we’d gotten some of this earlier, because it gave his life and the entire world of the story so much more depth. The world-building overall continued to amaze and delight and horrify me through the final moments.
Lots of little brilliant reveals, perfect pacing, and an ending that gave me chills. And a continuous sharp look at cycles of oppression and warping ideas of humanity to stay in power.
Pick up this trilogy. Do it now.
CW: genocide, death, violence, grief, body horror, racism, slavery, child abuse, war, injury, blood, xenophobia, emotional abuse, gore, cannibalism, pregnancy, abandonment, forced institutionalization, colonization, torture, terminal illness, excrement, vomit
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