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471 reviews by:
starrysteph
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
The Fifth Season had me in a chokehold, and The Obelisk Gate let me linger in the brilliantly-crafted world that N.K. Jemisin has created.
I adored the first in the series more than words can express, and this was a smooth continuation of the story. Though there weren’t as many events, narrators, or general movement across the land, I was still gripped by each page & read it in one sitting.
Jemisin continues to expertly weave real-world pain and struggle into a rich fictional society with an even richer magic system. But it’s never without a small ray of hope. Even when the narrative shows the lowest of ways that humans treat other humans - there are moments of connection, and love, and fierce optimism (from some of our less-beaten-down characters) for the way the world could be.
And the characters … oh, the characters. Essun is such a great lead. She stumbles and she sails, and I felt like I had a much better sense of her intuitions and motivations. And Nassun’s journey here is so rich and horrifying as well – you both want to hug her and redirect her darkening thoughts.
I love a good complicated mother-daughter relationship (with a generous helping of generational trauma and how cycles of abuse continue), and getting that second POV helped frame so much of Essun’s story from the first book. They are in for a messy clash.
It’s not often that a book makes me feel like a kid again. And I don’t mean that in a sort of childlike wonder and whimsy way - I mean that this book swallowed me up and enveloped me so completely that I forgot I was reading. I mean that I had such a burning desire to know this world, darkness and horror and all, that I dismissed my real life until I turned the final page. I mean that I’m about as obsessed as possible.
CW: child abuse & death, violence, murder, body horror, grief, injury, gore, blood, terminal illness, racism, war, abuse, genocide, xenophobia, hate crime, slavery, kidnapping, cannibalism (discussed), ableism
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adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sisterhood and tragic ghostly memories and personified houses - Her Little Flowers was an atmospheric & emotional gothic horror story.
We follow reclusive Francine, who manages her family manor alone with an array of friendly ghosts. She’s startled by the sign in her tea leaves that an enemy is on the way - and then is disgruntled to receive her estranged sister Madeline. But Maddie has some new information about the sisters’ family history, and the two of them must prepare to confront the cruelty of the past in order to understand the haunting of the present.
There’s a beautiful throughline of flower symbolism, and I was fascinated by the way Francine viewed everyone in her life through a floral lens. I was dying to know what my own flower would be!
The house really comes to life on the page - through the intensity of Francine’s fears and buried memories, through the ghosts that stalk its halls, and through Francine’s stubbornness to renovate and get rid of vintage quirks.
This is a powerful story of sisterhood - of sisters protecting each other until the bitter end. Ghosts and memories entwine and family hauntings are as real as they are symbolic.
My one stumble here was that the writing was a tad clunky - many sentences were awkward and the dialogue was sometimes stilted as well, which made my immersive reading journey more difficult.
CW: child abuse, child death, domestic abuse, death of a loved one, alcoholism, confinement, misogyny, toxic relationship, forced institutionalization, murder, grief, gaslighting, animal death, psychosis
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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am all for feral girls & women fiercely loving each other & revolutionary rage. When We Lost Our Heads delivered.
We follow two affluent girls in late 1800s Montreal: Marie is the whimsical, adoring daughter of a sugar baron and Sadie is the darkly ambitious newcomer to the neighborhood. The girls soon connect and their relationship becomes all-consuming. They push boundaries and their games become violent.
After a tragedy, they are separated for years across an ocean, each girl growing into her callousness and complementary power. When they reunite as adults, Marie has become a savvy & cutthroat business owner and Sadie is banished by her family to the gritty working class section of the city - which happens to be the perfect setting to finish her novel. A women-led revolution is beginning, with the brutalized factory workers ignited by a shared rage. And Marie and Sadie unexpectedly fall into each other’s arms once more.
It is quippy and villainously fun at times (a lot of lines felt like they were designed to be quoted with glee), but can definitely be challenging to go back and forth between two self-centered, callous, willfully ignorant main characters. Both Marie and Sadie wield their privilege like a shield. They exist in decadent ignorance and see others as sub-human. They’re barely willing to engage with their humanity, though they do lean into freedom & power through sex & desire.
Everyone else is a puppet or a toy in their life - just things for them to exploit - but I was so drawn to these ‘lesser’ supporting characters. George, who is ever-questioning her gender identity and role in society (ugh we could have gone so much further here). Jean-Pauline Marat, who runs a slightly-nefarious drugstore. Even the manipulatively righteous Mary.
I enjoyed spotting the recurring motifs and the imagery that accompanied them – the cracking of eggs as the girls matured and became further emboldened, Sadie & her cunning rats that refused to be vanquished, black cats challenging luck, lust and female power as madness and grotesqueness, and so on.
An overarching theme here is the exploration of the intersection of class and feminism. It was very white - to be honest I don’t think this book could have adequately confronted race - but race was a notably absent theme and experience within the revolution presented.
The writing was very stilted (every sentence was the exact same length & ended in a period) - it had to be an intentional stylistic choice, but it could become grating to read at times.
Additionally, the themes and takeaways were extremely heavy-handed. We as readers weren’t given the opportunity to explore the subtext or the ripple effects of characters’ actions, because it was very deliberately told to us in the very next sentence.
But this was a dark, tantalizing read.
(Oh, and each character is plucked from the French Revolution in this retelling of sorts. But I can’t imagine you need me to point that out. It’s also a retelling of the poem The Goblin Market.)
CW: murder, death, rape & sexual assault, abortion, animal cruelty & death, classism, sexism, suicide, gun violence, pedophilia, homophobia, domestic abuse, infidelity, sexual content
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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
Oh hello, new autobuy author! Seriously, THIS WAS SO GOOD.
Their Vicious Games was pitched as Squid Games meets Ace of Spades, and that wasn’t too far off. It’ll definitely bring in the right audience. But this is something new: it’s fast-paced and murderous but also very fun satire.
Adina is a Black teenager about to graduate from the prestigious Edgewater Academy - a school for the richest kids in New England that she attends on scholarship. She knows she has to work twice as hard as the other students to prove herself, to be perfect. But one student targets Adina to the extreme, and an incident takes away her acceptance to Yale and her dreams for the future.
She knows there’s only one opportunity to get it all back: The Finish. It’s an elusive, elite competition held by the most powerful family in Edgewater: twelve promising seniors compete in three events in order to win access to the wealth and power of the Remingtons.
But as Adina enters the fold, she realizes The Finish is more than just a simple competition. It’s life or death, and the only way to survive is to win their vicious games … unless she can somehow shift the world she’s never truly been a part of.
This is a biting condemnation of the world of the wealthy and elite, where to succeed means to forgo empathy and compassion and humanity. Each character with power has had to sacrifice themselves just to hold onto it. They’re always teetering on loss and terror, desperate to shove others down just to keep the status quo.
And those who perceive themselves as allies to those beneath their social standing? They never actually risk themselves to protect others.
The pacing is swift and the dialogue is biting. Adina is a messy character, but I liked her all the same. The set up of the plot & stakes leads to moral messiness, and it’s hard to take a step back as a reader and remember that you want to break this cycle, not see Adina adapt and succeed within it.
Themes like classism, racism, and privilege are explored - especially the ways in which they all intersect. Adina is the only not-ridiculously-wealthy competitor and the only Black competitor, and the others never let her forget it. She’s manipulated and fetishized and reviled.
Mostly everyone else has varying levels of villainy, but they’re interesting characters all the same. Adina’s earnest roommate Saint is desperate to prove herself and show off her skill & independence, Penthesilea’s perfect facade is wavering, rejected Remington brother Graham has mysterious motivations, and even the nasty Esme and her sidekick Hawthorne have moments of depth.
Their Vicious Games feels like an act of catharsis and a challenge to the societal structures that force anyone outside of the 1%’s ideal to lessen, to adapt, and to serve. It’s got feral girls and systemic violence and an actually-satisfying resolution to a potential love triangle.
The character arcs!! The viciousness of the competition & the manipulative set up of the games!! The devilish, insidious webs of the ultra-wealthy and the attempted cycle-breaking!! It was all so good.
CW: death, murder, violence, racism, blood, gore, injury, classism, toxic friendships, gun violence, vomit, misogyny & sexism, gaslighting, animal death, bullying
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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
If roaches give you the shivers … run! Or embrace it and pick up Infested, a spooky yet super earnest story.
We’re following teenage Manny, who has been dragged from Texas to the Bronx to help his annoying step-dad prepare a new luxury condo for residents. Manny is angry & resentful & just wanted to finish out his senior year with his friends. But he begrudgingly gets to know his new neighborhood and even connects a bit with the friendly old exterminator.
Then … things get weird. There are roaches absolutely everywhere, and the exterminator maybe isn’t who he says he is. Manny and his new friend Sasha (who just happen to be protesting the condo) have to investigate the infestation and protect their families.
The insect horror moments are done so well – I could feel the creepy-crawlies under my skin. It reminded me quite a bit of a Goosebumps story.
Colón also filled the pages with relatable teenage struggles: Manny navigates friendships, his Puerto Rican identity & how he fits into his new neighborhood, and challenging new family dynamics. The book also touches on gentrification (Manny learns about the potential impact of the new building from various members of the community) and racism. I would have loved a little more depth around those moments at the ending; instead, they are sort of dropped during the major horror climax.
The plot flies by, and I think this will keep any young reader hooked. I actually would have preferred to linger a bit longer in certain moments and let the characters really shine instead of rushing from location to location - but the pacing definitely kept me turning pages.
CW: death, murder, insect horror, body horror, fire/arson, gentrification, racism, animal death (bugs), classism, xenophobia, injury, vomit
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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
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funny
medium-paced
#HotTreeSummer? I’m for it.
Must Love Trees is a cheesy & charming unconventional beginner’s guide to trees. Author Tobin Mitnick’s adoration for trees shines through every page, and his eagerness is catching.
The beginning of the book is a jumble of personal and pseudo-personal stories, which were really engaging (and one fictionalized story in particular was strikingly poignant) but a bit chaotically organized.
Then there’s a brief section on what makes up a tree - and then the bulk of the book is spent going through a selection of North American trees one by one. Mitnick frames all of this at “Tree High”, giving the trees superlatives, bleacher placements, and more. This was fun, but 100+ pages of this specific silly format is a lot. I kind of wished he switched it up when he moved from one tree category to the next.
It’s fun and it’s cheeky. I adored the illustrations and was bummed to see that they weren’t on every page - it’s hard to get a grasp on each tree without seeing it depicted in some way!
CW: brief mentions of mental illness
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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Delicate Condition truly scared me - and brought out a compulsive need to devour this story so I could pass back through the threshold to my safer reality.
But the thing is … this novel feels so close to home. It elevates things that I’ve already experienced just by existing as a woman (and especially as a person with a chronic illness). Danielle Valentine pointed to an existing fear - a historical crisis, really - and widened it into a pit of terror; the slightly supernatural elements of this story live just a shimmering level above our truth. And that’s why it was all so incredibly effective.
“All mothers have one thing in common: pain.”
We follow actor Anna Alcott, who desperately wants to be a mother. She’s nearing 40 and knows the journey will be difficult, especially balancing demanding IVF treatments with her new commercial success.
But things are much harder than they should be, and though her husband Dex is dismissive, Anna fears that someone is sabotaging her pregnancy. As threats and ominous mishaps increase, the couple flees to the Hamptons: a silent place in the winter & ideally a safe place to have a baby.
But then – Anna miscarries. Or at least, that’s what her doctor claims. Anna knows she’s still pregnant, but her world starts to shift and warp in terrifying ways and nobody will truly listen to her. Is it all in her head? Is her baby in danger? Or is there something wrong with the being growing inside of her?
Anna is aware of her own unreliable narration, and Valentine misdirects and builds suspense brilliantly. I felt like I was always a beat behind, scrambling to make sense of the terror just like Anna. The dismissive men in her life and the medical gaslighting were violently frustrating - but also effectively planted seeds of doubt. What if none of it was real? What if it’s just another mystery pregnant people are forced to accept?
It’s a visceral nightmare and a dark fairytale. The slow-rising suspense was effective, and I tensed up even during seemingly-innocuous moments. Anna’s paranoia is so clearly cemented in truth (medical dismissals/gaslighting), and that makes the horror so much more nuanced and clever.
The characterization was superb; I felt completely immersed in Anna’s head and also had a detailed understanding of Dex, Siobhan, Talia, and other supporting players.
Laced into the story are short historical peeks into the lives of other pregnant folks and mothers - and their own pain and terror. From suspicions of witchcraft to righteously wounded Black women looking up at statues of men who tortured Black bodies for ‘medical advancement’, these segments were compelling & fascinating & elevated the main plotline.
This was a unique reading experience for me - and if you have a sturdy stomach and can handle immersing yourself in the terror (and maybe questioning your own autonomy), definitely pick it up. The brilliant writing and razor-sharp commentary is worth it.
(Also - lolz at the comparison to The Silent Patient because this was infinitely better.)
CW: pregnancy, miscarriage, psychosis, gaslighting, animal cruelty, animal death, death, car accident, blood, medical trauma, body horror, cancer, racism & medical racism, stalking, infidelity, sexism, vomit
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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Song of Salvation is an imaginative space opera with a focus on moving from righteous rage to compassion, found family, and healing.
We’re following Zaira - part teenage girl and part reborn creator god - as she prepares to be sacrificed by the destruction god who has taken over her planet and people. When she unexpectedly escapes her execution, she stumbles into smuggler Wesley, who is just trying to save enough money to live amongst the stars for good. But the duo - alongside eccentric celebrity podcaster Rubin - have to somehow stop an intergalactic war first.
I thought the world-building was pretty smooth, but it was perhaps a mistake to market this as a standalone. I picked it up thinking I’d be just fine not having read the first two books set in this world, and I do feel as though that made things trickier. At the start, things were really thrown at you, and it felt like there were some assumptions as to the reader’s background knowledge of this galaxy and the warring players. Additionally, there were moments that I could tell were cameos (the descriptions and energy around a few small characters were wildly elevated compared to other scenes) – but weren’t meaningful to me without the background lore.
Zaira is a bit cheekily overpowered - I mean, she’s a god - and that lessened the stakes for me as I was never truly concerned about the fate of our main trio. She repeatedly says she doesn’t know how to use her powers, but in action she comes through (and barely breaks a sweat) every time. I did like her journey of working through her rage and learning how to trust and heal.
Rubin felt a little flat. He’s an over-the-top influencer, and that’s his only beat in every scene. He doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t reflect, and doesn’t really open up.
Wesley was more captivating to me, likely because we saw more of his pain and he was given a fuller arc. I didn’t totally believe how quickly he fell for Rubin, but I thought their relationship was sweet. I really enjoyed his reckoning with his family and witnessing him begin to heal his trauma.
Overall, the writing was fun. I was really interested in the world and tech and cultures. It was very repetitive and blandly direct at times, and I would have preferred more varied language.
I always love a queernormative universe, and I love how this trio embraced fuller body types as well.
CW: death, war, grief, genocide, colonialism & colonization, murder, child abuse
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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Violence, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Don’t Want to be Your Monster spins vampire lore on its head through a playful murder mystery for young readers.
We follow Adam, a 10-year-old vampire who is desperate to learn more about the world … and figure out why his big brother Victor has been acting so weird. Adam and his siblings have been raised in isolation by their two loving, eclectic, immortal moms. When a murderer strikes in town, Adam is terrified of vampire hunters and decides to solve the case (alongside two new mortal friends).
It’s a sweet story that investigates some of the antisemitic origins of vampire legends & challenges how we frame ‘others’ as monsters. The educational elements are very direct.
I enjoyed the growing friendship between a very different trio of 10-year-olds, and the themes of compassion & standing up for your fellow humans (or … non-humans).
The writing was structurally clumsy at times, and the dialogue felt a bit stilted – the biggest stumble for me overall was Victor’s POV. He did not read like a 14-year-old & in my opinion was not given enough complexity of thought or emotional depth. His chapters were a smaller portion of the book, and I think it would have been more effective storytelling to only use Adam’s perspective – and unravel Victor’s behavior through his little brother’s eyes. In general, I would recommend this book for readers around fourth or fifth grade (I’m not sure older kids would be as engaged).
I do love a queer found family & also really appreciated the scope of casual representation & the various cultures and languages depicted on the page.
CW: murder, death & mass death, hate crime, antisemitism, blood, cancer, genocide, xenophobia, poisoning, abandonment, child abuse, kidnapping
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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
Unsettling, poignant, and riveting - The Honeys has buzzed its way to my all-time favorites list.
This is a YA horror novel that captures the maddening pit of grief, the nuances of gender identity and finding acceptance amidst toxic gender role performances as a teenager, and the hive-like adoration and protection that forms within circles of young girls.
One summer night, Mars witnesses the horrific death of his twin sister Caroline. Mars has always felt like his sister’s shadow, and his genderfluidity meant his public-facing parents often expected perfection from Caroline alone. Feeling guilty & desperate to uncover everything he can about her life, he takes her spot at the elite Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy.
Mars had vowed to never return to the old-fashioned and strictly-binary sleepaway camp, but he’s compelled to infiltrate the Honeys: a group of girls that had been close friends with Caroline. They’re powerful and elusive - and spend most of their time tending to the beehives by their cabin. Mars has a hunch they know more than they’re letting on, but his memories start to become shaky & he uncovers deeper, messier camp secrets. A summer of grief soon turns into a summer of survival.
The writing is beautiful. Not so lyrical that it’s burdensome to understand - but perfectly elevated in haunting scenes and moments of despair, grief, and even romance. And it’s INTENSE, too. I was hooked from the first chapter.
The grief arc was tender and personal. It’s a journey filled with pain - both unrelenting aches and sharp remembrances. Mars is carrying a lot of guilt & doubts & regrets. And he’s able to fold himself into the gaps Caroline has left in order to understand what the world will be like without her.
Mars’ genderfluidity is central to the story and is so lovingly and wittingly shared. (I also think I’m a little too old for all the Gen Z slang/humor … but I got most of the quips?!) This isn’t so much a journey of discovering identity - but instead embracing your full self with confidence, navigating ignorance & bullies, and growing up. The contained space of sleepaway camp (no escape!) and the expectation to ‘fit in’ while distorting yourself were such relatable horror elements. Add in the unspoken deceptions and the teenagers in charge of teenagers and you’re primed for eeriness.
The atmosphere was delicious. So many terrifying nature moments, insect horror, and all-knowing presences within the aspen trees. And the ending offered just enough explanation to sate curious readers - but left lots of openings for your own rumination.
CW: grief, death (child), murder, insect horror, body horror, fire, gaslighting, psychosis, sexism, blackmail, sexual assault, queerphobia, deadnaming, sexism & misogyny, cancer, bullying, cannibalism, suicide, dysphoria
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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)