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471 reviews by:
starrysteph
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This eerie little tale felt dreadfully real and captivated me from cover to cover.
It’s very-near speculative fiction. The slightly elevated technology that encourages total detachment from the world. Violent impacts of climate change and ecological disaster. A continuation of those with a sense of power ripping away land and shaping it in their image.
And interwoven through all that - classism, possible collective utopia after criss, survival, curious gender binaries.
We follow three different POVs in the far north of Canada. Rose is an escort who has a secret reason for her placement at Camp Zero: she’s spying on its head architect in exchange for a secured future for herself & her mother. Grant is running away from his powerful family and the mistakes of his past, hoping to solidify his life in the north as an English professor. And the female collective of White Alice learns to survive and thrive in a climate research station.
We flip-flop through past and present during each POV, and layers of the mysteries surrounding Camp Zero and White Alice are slowly unfurled.
In my opinion, calling this a dystopian thriller is a mischaracterization. It is a slow, character-driven piece. Each POV is lost in swirling memories, and the action of the present is much shorter. The world of Camp Zero is very much our own.
The weakest point to me was a lack of intersectionality. While classism and sexism come into play quite a bit, race is curiously missing from the picture. Indigenous voices were referenced but not really explored; Rose is half-Korean but it was never significant outside of some discussions of her family’s immigration. I think there was an opportunity to dive deeper into gender & expanding boundaries and perceived binaries during the White Alice chapters, and that was missed a bit.
I thought the writing was incredibly strong, and there are elements here that will sit with me for a bit. I think it would be a great book club pick as well - and a group of readers would probably have vastly different takeaways and opinions on the final segment.
CW: murder, death, misogyny, sexual assault, animal cruelty & animal death, gore, toxic relationship, grief, classism, colonization, racism, pregnancy, sexual content
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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, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Classism
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
No
This was so charming!
We follow Luna, who has just been fired from her already-slightly-demeaning office job in NYC. She’s got a great friend group and a lot of dreams, but is worried she won’t be able to afford rent. That all changes when she has a chance encounter with Jean-Pierre, the French heir to a massive culinary empire. But to get his fortune, he’s got to a) cook his snobby grandfather’s renowned menu and b) get a girlfriend.
Jean-Pierre makes Luna an offer she can’t possibly refuse: a massive amount of money (as in, a sum that would make Luna’s dream of becoming a yoga teacher and running a center in the Catskills very possible) in exchange for pretending to be his girlfriend through the end of the competition. And as the pair learn to cook from the ground up, they also lean into each other and discover some very real feelings.
Luna & Jean-Pierre are both trans and both have incredibly different experiences with and opinions of identity and queerness. They talk a lot about different aspects of privilege (financial privilege and how that relates to the trans experiences comes up a lot). They share heartwarming moments of understanding and also respectfully challenge each other and learn and grow.
There was a really fun & earnest cast of side characters as well. I loved all the friendships highlighted - and really, the friends-who-become-family. Luna has an incredible community. We also witnessed the highs and lows of parental figures, whether they’re well-meaning but clueless or aggressively ignorant and toxic.
While all the dialogue felt very sincere and real, the relationship as a whole felt surface-level to me. I would have loved the arc of the story to have shifted a little faster so we could have deeper conversations and get to know them a bit more as a couple. Luna went from 0 to 100 really quickly (from a strong dislike to battling intense romantic feelings).
I think it was also tricky to not really hear more of Jean-Pierre’s perspective at the end (not necessarily a POV chapter, but even just to hear him express to Luna what was going on in his head - he went through SO much growth).
Chef’s Choice was often delightfully silly and I had some laugh-out-loud moments. Overall, I had a great time reading!
CW: transphobia, body shaming, toxic relationship (with family), sexual harassment, dysphoria, blood/injury (very brief), sexism, explicit sexual content
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If I typed up a synopsis of the story and the world-building it would seem like a perfect fit: a space opera Joan of Arc retelling in a queernormative world where AI and science-minded Heretics are in an ongoing battle with the devout who view technology as gifts from above. This is the type of book I expected to consume, but ultimately it didn’t quite land.
We’re following Misery Nomaki, who is either the next Messiah or is currently succumbing to a delusion which will eventually lead to death-by-voidmadness. She finds herself in the center of the Empire with an opportunity: convince everyone that she is the long-awaited prophet all while out-maneuvering the political leaders so she doesn’t end up a pawn in their terrible war.
I flowed in and out of the story, and it often struggled to keep my attention. We are VERY limited with Misery’s viewpoint (especially as she dives deeper into fanaticism and blocks out anything that challenges that worldview), and it felt like side characters floated in-and-out & curiosities were just out of reach.
Some of the language also really didn’t work for me (ie. slang that felt out of place in this world), and outside of Misery, we didn’t get much character development. And Misery is a frustrating lead. I thought we might get some expansion towards the ending, but it ended up SO rushed.
I like an unreliable narrator, but I found Misery so unreliable that I ended up clearly seeing the “twist” ending at maybe 25% into the book.
I was intrigued by the interplay of religion and science, and the evolution of beliefs in this world. I also enjoyed the way Yang blocks battle scenes - and I’m typically someone who prefers character-driven work over explosive action, so I was pleasantly surprised by how gripping I found the war content.
I also appreciated how specific and fresh a lot of the sci-fi elements of this world were.
CW: war, murder, death, mass death, violence, religious bigotry, medical content, psychosis, confinement, drug use, torture, kidnapping, body horror, sexual content, vomit
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dark
sad
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:
Yes
A sinister little suspense novel that kept me on my toes.
Eager rookie cop Rue is desperate to prove herself and someday become an FBI detective. So when a series of crimes in her city eerily reflect similar attacks from 25 years ago, she secretly takes on the investigation herself.
But what Rue doesn’t know is that she’s getting into dangerous waters – and as she works to uncover conspiracies, she also unpacks some family trauma that changes everything she thought she knew.
The writing is simple and direct, and felt a bit like a screenplay to me with sharp dialogue and quick bursts of action.
You know more than Rue as a reader, and you’ll be uneasily waiting for her to stumble into the truth of her birth while also hoping she stays smart amidst a potentially corrupt force.
Full list of content warnings below, but this book opens with an intense & graphic depiction of rape.
CW: graphic rape & sexual assault, murder, death, gore, mental illness, police brutality, abortion (mentioned), stalking, injury, hospitalization, gaslighting, racism, vomit, sexism
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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A bleak & distressing journey into the near-future that felt a bit like a Black Mirror episode (though not quite as tech-y).
We follow Dr. Sean Kell-Luddon, a work-obsessed researcher who is intent on bridging the gap between humans and animals. Her newest project uses advanced neuroscience to translate the live perception of a wolf through her own eyes (she’s always been fascinated by wolves & is hoping to protect one of the last remaining wild packs). But between her greedy VC funders and her strained relationship with her wife, her world is teetering on the edge of ruin.
It’s a sad tale from start to finish. Mandelo’s characters waver ethically, hurt each other, and challenge their humanity & their empathy for the world around them.
Sean is not particularly likable - she’s not a good partner and doesn’t feel motivated to change that, she’s so blinded by her curiosity that she doesn’t critically consider who is funding her project, her desire to be close with wolves overrides any consideration of animal ethics, and so on. But her fascination and attachment to the wolves was incredibly compelling. And the foil of the one-sided relationship between Sean and her wolf and Sean and her wife was very well-done!
Feed Them Silence both challenges academia and eerily captures human greed for knowledge without care of who it may hurt or destroy. It’s a look at intimacy and selfishness and greed and obsession.
I think the limits could have been pushed further; I was ready to be repulsed by more weirdness. I also had very mixed feelings about the ending. But I was definitely immersed in this uneasy little story.
CW: animal cruelty & animal death, animal medical experimentation, medical content, grief, blood, gore, vomit, injury, violence, infidelity, racism, sexism
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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, Gore, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a curious, messy little story about grief & individuality wrapped up in an alien utopia.
Earth has been invaded by aliens - but don’t worry, they’re a benevolent entity called The Seep who simply want what’s best for humanity. With no more war, poverty, or environmental destruction, protagonist Trina is hesitantly ready to live out her days in peace with her wife Deeba. But when Deeba chooses to be reborn as a baby to experience a better life, Trina is devastated by her loss and sinks deeply into her grief.
The collective experience of The Seep is fascinating – everyone suddenly achieves grand oversight (war is unnecessary, actually), but all individuality is wiped away in favor of worldwide peace. The Seep is uniformity; past lived experiences and pain no longer matter, and all are discouraged from reflecting on the past.
Trina is trans, and feels discomfort and imbalance in the current world where anyone can change appearances at the snap of a finger. There are some fascinating sparks of discussion around this (including a white character who takes the face of a person of color) and I would have been interested in seeing this explored in a deeper way.
This is a story about grief, about ethics within utopia, about suffering, about consent & control & the consequences of being able to make your own choices.
Really though, it is a story about grief. Mourning is labor; it is a very gradual shift in perspective. While loss & suffering can be communal (those around you can certainly help you survive grief), it is important to go through the process as an individual and therefore come to conclusions and slowly recover on your own.
The Seep wipes away individuality and forces universality - but acceptance of individuals is really what encourages an understanding of community. And humanity comes through individuality, through choices that have consequences, through past pains and triumphs.
It’s interesting to me that we view the losses of a collective through an individual who did not seem to be suffering pre-The Seep. I don’t mean to diminish the challenges she of course faced as a trans indigenous Jewish woman, but instead her basic survival needs. She had financial stability, a house, friends, and so on. What impact did The Seep have on someone who was barely surviving?
The ending to me felt a bit unearned - honestly, I did not see Trina working through her grief as effectively as we were meant to believe. I would have preferred a more open ending where we see the beginnings of her revelation & then have faith that she is starting to heal.
CW: grief, death, alcoholism, drug use, addiction, suicidal thoughts & suicide, abandonment, transphobia, racism, cultural appropriation, gun violence, animal death (fish eaten live), sexual content
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challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
It’s an anguish-inducing read - bleak, brutal, and unforgiving. The world is viscerally disturbing and the characters fight to survive horror after horror. Solomon has crafted a tale of slavery filled with rage & humanity & challenges to perceived boundaries around gender and sexuality.
We follow Aster, who lives with other low-deckers on the HSS Matilda. The ship is organized in quite a literal hierarchy, with darker-skinned enslaved workers serving those who live above. It has been generations since humans have inhabited Earth and not much memory remains; the Matilda is en route to an idealized Promised Land amongst the stars.
Aster has always been an outcast, but has forged a unique relationship with the revered Surgeon, Theo. Her medical prowess allows her access to parts of the ship and slight privileges that could help her uncover a mystery – a mystery related to the unusual death of the Matilda’s leader & the suicide of Aster’s mother - and a chance to escape.
I found the characterization to be quite incredible. Between Aster & Theo and other major characters’ neurodivergence, their fury and determination and ways of coping, and their experiences with gender & identity … I was incredibly engaged and felt as though they were living and breathing fleshed-out individuals.
Additionally, while we don’t get a lot of history to the world-building (how has so much of Earth’s history been forgotten? why is the ship essentially a recreation of the antebellum South? where did their specific religion come from?), the current reality was detailed and vivid.
While the characters and ship were both incredibly rich, I didn’t quite get enough of a grasp on the plot. I had a lot of overarching questions. I didn’t mind the open-ended final chapter, but I did feel like the pacing leading up to the climax was uneven. There were major reveals here that didn’t feel like they were given enough weight.
But overall … wow. I’ll have dreams about this one.
CW: racism, slavery, rape & various forms of sexual assault and violence, police brutality, medical content, death & murder (including child death), physical & emotional abuse & torture, gun violence, mental illness, suicide & suicide attempts, self harm, homophobia & transphobia & all forms of queerphobia, abortion, sexism & misogyny, confinement, ableism, slurs (racial, homophobic), classism, psychosis, religious bigotry, fire, colonization, pedophilia, excrement, vomit, amputation
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challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
In An Unspeakable Hope, Leon writes with clarity, openness, and wisdom.
This is not a sanitized memoir; he’s not shying away or artfully retelling the more painful moments of his experience. Leon writes about his rage, about his community, and about his many moments of doubt. And that’s what makes his confidence & hope so much more powerful.
If you’ve spent even one moment in Leon’s presence you can tell he’s a leader. He knows his power, and grounds himself and his messaging in compassion and love.
Leon’s dedication to serving his community - and his openness about his healing journey in order to get to a safe place in order to pursue this work - is deeply inspiring. I especially appreciated his acknowledgement of activism burnout, and how social justice leaders will speak up for everyone but themselves. It was lovely to read about Leon’s pledge to care for himself first & his desire to remain an active and involved father.
He has an incredibly fresh voice and set of ideas around social change. While most folks are not powerful connectors or leaders like Leon - let alone at a point in their healing journey where they can enter very vulnerable spaces - his thoughts are valuable, helpful, and hopeful for any reader.
CW: death of loved ones (including child death), gun violence, police brutality, murder, drug use, suicidal thoughts, medical content, violence
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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder
Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories
Aviaq Johnston, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, Gayle Kabloona, Repo Kempt, Cara Bryant, Thomas Anguti Johnston, Jay Bulckaert, Richard Van Camp, K.C. Carthew, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, Ann R. Loverock
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love picking up short story collections as a way to discover a batch of new-to-me writers all at once - and Taaqtumi did not disappoint.
There were some excellent & unique pieces here; stories that were chilling to the bone and incorporated crystal-clear haunting imagery and atmospheric terror. The Arctic is the perfect place for horror.
I did find the writing to be a bit uneven, with some stories brilliantly executed and others needing more support. Some of the weaker links were too long and/or had unsteady pacing.
Some stories leaned hard into horror, while others I would possibly classify elsewhere. Every story had at least some uneasy elements, but if you’re looking to be scared out of your mind, this collection overall doesn’t quite offer that. However, it is eclectic and interesting - so I think every reader would connect with at least one piece!
Many of these pieces will stick with me for sure. My personal favorites (though hard to pick!) were Revenge, Utiqtuq, and The Wildest Game.
CW: death (incl. death of children), murder, animal death, animal cruelty, cannibalism, violence, gore, colonization, body horror, medical content, gun violence, grief, vomit, ableism, racism
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
I was thoroughly charmed by As You Walk On By.
We follow high schooler Theo, who is dreaming of a perfect prom night. But when his so-called best friend dares him to prompose to his crush at a party, everything goes wrong. He runs away from fellow partiers and contemplates everything he once thought he had figured out - but as peers stumble into his hiding spot one-by-one, he forges new connections and rediscovers himself.
The ensemble cast of characters are all thoughtfully fleshed-out, and while the story is narrated by Theo each person still gets their own strong arc. I loved how his new friends challenged Theo (he learns a lot about apologies & growth), but also truly hear & see him (as he shares his experiences as a gay Black boy in a predominantly white magnet school).
The teenage dialogue felt incredibly realistic & not too heightened or cheesy. I found the situations relatable and honest, and teared up quite a few times over the course of the novel.
Theo and his friends grapple with parental expectations, queer identities, first loves, and grief & loss. They learn to choose friendships wisely, and when it is right to challenge someone to grow and learn versus when it is time to remove someone from their life.
Theo’s relationship to his father (a single dad) was particularly well done - and both of their memories of his grandmother who had passed away before the start of the story were so touching.
Every once in a while I come across a book that I dearly wish would be available in all high school classrooms. This is one of them - I think every teenager could relate to, reflect on, and adore the story.
CW: bullying, death of a loved one (friend & grandparent), homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, sexism, misogyny, racism, classism, drug use, microaggressions, car accident
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Car accident, Classism