Take a photo of a barcode or cover
471 reviews by:
starrysteph
adventurous
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Station Six is a sci-fi novella that feels dismayingly realistic in its grim portrayal of futuristic capitalism.
Indentured worker Max is millions of miles from Earth, struggling through dull days of labor and hoping to make ends meet – while secretly offering cyberhacking services on the side. They’re roused to action after the threat of being replaced by automatons, and they connect with an underground revolution in order to stage a strike. Things escalate quickly, and Max struggles with their own anxiety and their desire to forge a livable future for themself and their friends.
The novella takes place over a very short time period, and it’s filled with action. I enjoyed the writing and Max (as well as the supporting characters), but felt almost like this was a prelude to the story I truly wanted to read. What happens next? How are these characters effectively battling capitalism? Does their union succeed?
Max’s anxiety is portrayed with thoughtfulness and care, and again, I would have loved to see this explored over a longer time period for the chance to have a larger arc.
Overall, this was a bleak-yet-fierce glimpse into an intriguing world. I’d be thrilled to read more from author S.J. Klapecki. I’m so curious!
CW: police brutality, violence & gun violence, classism, injury, blood, death (mentioned), medical content, anxiety
Follow me on TikTok for book recommendations!
(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Everyone in Point Mettier has something to hide - or is on the run.
The entire town (of 200 people) hunkers down together in a single high-rise building for the winter, casually referred to by residents as the Dave-Co. They’re cold to outsiders and know everything about everyone else in their quirky, intimate community.
Cara Kennedy, a detective from Anchorage, arrives on a personal mission to investigate dismembered body parts that have washed up on the shore. But when an avalanche seals the residents and detective in for days, Cara has to figure out what the town is hiding and who might be a murderer.
Alongside Cara, we get POVs from two locals. Amy is a teenager with a single mom, helping run their Chinese restaurant (one of only two spots to eat), falling in love for the first time, and inadvertently stumbling into family secrets. Lonnie is a disabled young woman who witnessed her mother’s violent death as a child and now cares for an orphaned moose. Both additional perspectives are interesting and add unique voices.
City Under One Roof is a clever spin on a locked-room mystery, but ultimately I felt as though a lot of threads were left undeveloped in a way that made the story feel detached. The characters not in focus (really, everyone outside of Cara) felt flat and sometimes stereotypical. The ending was a bit too quick and clumsy - with a tossed-in cliffhanger to initiate a series following Detective Cara.
The internal logic shifts towards the last third of the book, and suddenly some characters are transporting themselves around with ease. This took away from the claustrophobic atmosphere that I’d so enjoyed - and it also led our main investigators to make some foolish & lacking-in-common-sense decisions, which was rather frustrating.
I did enjoy the depictions of Alaskan life and the slow-building, claustrophobic tension. The structure of the building & society and the interactions between residents were compelling.
The overall framework was intriguing and this was a debut (I can see how the structure connects to the author’s background in screenwriting) - I absolutely think there’s potential for the series.
CW: murder, death (incl. child & parent), animal death, mental illness, domestic abuse, kidnapping, stalking, gaslighting, ableism, gore, gun violence, child abuse, forced institutionalization, sexism, sexual harassment, psychosis, PTSD
Follow me on TikTok for book recommendations!
(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
Winter Counts is a gripping, character-driven thriller that explores identity & belonging, family, and justice.
We follow Virgil Wounded Horse, who has become his reservation’s protector & justice enforcer. When the American legal system fails and local tribal police refuse to investigate, Virgil’s acts of vigilantism (while violent), defend the innocent and incapacitate the guilty parties.
But when hard drugs enter the reservation and kids die from overdoses, the stakes get higher for Virgil. He’s got to enlist his ex-girlfriend and go on a hunt for the truth in order to protect his teenage nephew. As Virgil struggles to uncover the truth, he also contemplates his own indigenous identity and grapples with old traditions and future dreams.
The writing is simple & direct. Virgil’s commentary is earnest and clear, and it’s very easy to step into his shoes. This is a character-driven work, but when the action scenes appear they are high-stakes, descriptive, and violent.
The mystery aspect is smaller - and you will probably start to put the pieces and foreshadowing together very quickly - but the thrilling aspect is incredibly well-done. I was so afraid for Virgil and his nephew, and though I anticipated the “bad guy”, I had no idea if the protagonists would be safe. My heart was pounding throughout most of the story.
I also appreciated the snippets of life throughout the Rosebud Indian Reservation. We follow Virgil to the local spots, get to know how the community both supports and divides each other, feel teenage angst from the kids and anxiety over belongingness to the world from the adults, and so on. Virgil is conflicted about his identity and has stepped away from traditions of the past, but leans in a bit over the course of the story, determining what he wants to keep in his life and what no longer serves him.
The theme of identity is explored in fascinating ways, both through extremely modern struggles and deep trauma. Themes of justice (how the American legal system has failed the reservation) and ethics also play a large part.
While at times the dialogue and writing were a little too plain (sometimes unrealistically so) for my taste, I love this novel and can’t wait to read the next chapter of Virgil’s adventure.
CW: murder, death (incl. death of children), racism & slurs, colonization, classism, drug use, overdosing, gun violence, alcoholism, suicide, rape, kidnapping, torture, pedophilia, genocide, cultural appropriation
Follow me on TikTok for book recommendations!
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Alfajiri is a bright, inclusive, imaginative fantasy following a young woman who is torn between the destiny she was raised to pursue and her desperation to uncover dark secrets from her past.
We follow royal heir Kiah, who is faced with a tremendously difficult choice. She was raised by Queen Vashti - but is not her daughter by blood - and has questions about her past and the reality of the throne’s actions. Kiah and her two friends set out to uncover the truth and determine to whom they should declare their loyalty.
Alongside her story, there are vignettes of various other curious characters in her world. It’s not immediately clear how these all connect (and there are still unanswered questions by the end), but they begin to intersect and reveal more about the greater world by the end of the book.
While Alfajiri involves high fantasy elements (elves, magic, and so on), they are quite lightly incorporated. It’s not hard to be dropped into the world - you don’t have to input complicated magical systems or vast maps - you’re shown exactly what you need to know to understand throughout each vignette. And the overarching themes of oppression and colonization are quite connected to our current reality.
There are so many unresolved threads and little hints sprinkled through these chapters - I figure there are a lot of plans for this series and a lot left to be discovered.
You may have stumbled across some angry reaction videos on TikTok (“how DARE you, Michael LaBorn?!?”) … they weren’t kidding. There’s a cliffhanger here that will leave you hungering for (or just straight up demanding) the second book in the series.
CW: murder, death (incl. death of parent), colonization, oppression, gaslighting, abandonment, grief, war, violence
Follow me on TikTok for book recommendations!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
Junkyard Dogs was a heart-wrenching, gritty, suspenseful whirlwind of a story.
We’re following Josh, a 17-year old basketball whiz caught in an impossible situation. His mom died years ago and his dad has disappeared (not for the first time). His harsh grandmother isn’t interested in taking care of kids, and Josh has to start paying rent in order for his little brother Twig to continue living in her trailer. Josh - desperate and starving - is offered an opportunity from an old friend of his dad’s. He’s got to keep himself and Twig safe, stay in school and on the basketball team, and participate in a criminal scrapping ring … all while keeping up the illusion that he’s okay.
As a reader, all you want is for Josh & Twig to stumble into love & safety. And yet Higgs-Coulthard so skillfully brings you into his scared teenage mindset. I could understand Josh’s mistrust of all the adults surrounding him (even the ones who truly cared) and his fierceness to protect his little brother.
We watch him make tough decisions. We’re crushed by the weight of starvation and desperation. We feel Josh’s shame and anxious need to disguise all his troubles from teachers and coaches and friends and friends’ parents.
Yes, there’s a suspenseful plot involving disappearances and murders and uncovering the truth about past events. But I was touched more by the day-to-day moments: the opportunistic leaps at unguarded food, the delight of finding a scrap piece of a bicycle in the junkyard, the mist in Josh’s mind when he’s at school and focused on all his very-adult stressors, the cat Twig feeds over himself, the cautious optimism at new friendships, and so on.
It’s chilling and sad, but offers quiet hope.
CW: death (incl. death of a parent), murder, violence, child abuse, toxic relationship, depictions of homelessness, mental illness, fire/fire injury, gun & knife violence, bullying, alcohol, drug use, gaslighting
(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Stars Undying combines famous historical figures with theatrical charm and an expansive galactic & queernormative setting. It’s ambitious, lush, and subtly genius.
We alternate perspectives between two power-hungry leaders. Princess Altagracia has lost the throne of her planet Szayet & the Pearl that holds the soul (or AI) of her god Alekso Undying. She’s desperate to win back her queenship … and to do so, she must charm Commander Matheus Ceirran (and his lieutenant, Anita).
It’s a retelling of Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra (though more of that in the sequel) sparkling with easter eggs and jabs and teases ... but also lush enough to offer something bold, new, and brilliant. Gracia, Ceirran, and Ana orbit each other - and push and pull - in the most miraculous of ways. They’re incredibly complex and compelling, and their overlapping relationships and dynamics are fascinating to watch unfold.
Gracia tells you she’s lying. Many times over. And yet … you’re still inclined to believe her, still surprised when she doubles back and admits she’s been withholding, still rooting for her to maneuver her way out of every corner.
Though we did not get POV chapters from Ana (I expect we will in the next book), she had my whole heart.
Pulling back from the individual characters, the overarching questions about immortality and souls and religion felt very (charmingly) Jewish; you are not being led towards a “right” answer but instead encouraged to philosophize and wonder and challenge.
It is slow burn … with an emphasis on slow. A lot of the book is spent in rumination, slow conversation, and simmering political tension. Occasionally I felt this became detrimental to the pacing, and it seemed hints were laid out for the sequel that took away from the movement and fullness of the arc that should be the first book.
The Stars Undying also has some of the longest sentences I’ve ever read, which sometimes delighted me and sometimes challenged my attention and patience.
It’s so twisted and compelling. Things are never, ever laid out for you directly as a reader. You are entrusted with all the information, the conversations, and the schemes you need to know (and often are manipulated by unreliable narration) but you are meant to fend for yourself and interrogate these events through your own eyes. It was all so delightfully rich.
CW: death (incl. death of a parent & child death), murder, war, imprisonment, violence & gun violence, grief, colonization, classism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Classism
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh, I LOVED this. House of Hollow was dark, delicious, and disgusting. It was packed with captivating writing, intriguing characters, and a delightfully unsettling atmosphere.
Sisters Iris, Vivi, and Grey have always been a bit strange. When they were children, they vanished … appearing 31 days later, unharmed but physically altered. Now 17, Iris has no memories of where they went or what happened. But bizarre energy follows the trio, alongside curious powers of compulsion and intoxication. When eldest sister Grey goes missing once again, Iris has to investigate her past and uncover the truth of their childhood experience.
It had all the enchanting elements of a dark fairytale mixed with supernatural horror and an overarching mystery. The pacing was so quick and the energy so high that I couldn’t help but read it in one sitting.
House of Hollow was … dark. I could almost smell the stench of rot, and I shivered at the depictions of bugs and mold and gore. I could vividly picture Grey’s designs and the unsettling, otherworldly scenes.
Outside of the horror elements, themes of grief & loss, family & sisterhood, and devotion are explored.
I’m glad I read this as an adult … because if I had read this as a teenager, I would have been absolutely insufferable.
If you like stories with:
→ Twisted fairytales
→ Sisters that are violently devoted to each other
→ Liminal, otherworldly spaces
→ Queer representation
→ Recovering mysterious memories
→ Vivid body horror & decay
…Then pick this up.
Not-quite-content-warnings: several Harry Potter references and reptilian overlord/illuminati jokes.
CW: body horror, death (incl. child death and death of a parent), gore, blood, suicide, murder, violence, kidnapping, grief, injury, sexual assault, stalking, bullying, gun violence, alcohol, medical content, mental illness, self harm, gaslighting, torture, psychosis, eating disorder, animal death, panic attacks, pedophilia
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A History of Fear is an unsettling, slow building story featuring an unreliable narrator.
In 2016, Grayson Hale murdered a fellow graduate student in Scotland. He became infamously known as the Devil’s Advocate for his claim he committed his sensational crime on behalf of the Devil. Grayson is convicted, but after he is mysteriously found dead in his prison cell, his newly uncovered handwritten manuscript promises to reveal the truth.
And that manuscript is passed along to us readers, so that we may interpret the pages and deduce whether or not Grayson truly has been manipulated by the Devil. Interspersed between the pages of Grayson’s manuscript is research from a curious editor, including transcripts of calls with folks from Grayson’s past and commentary on the major events.
Dumas walks the line of believability most of the novel. You’ll wonder if the supernatural elements could possibly be true, or if we’re witnessing a tale of inner turmoil and complete delusion. I don’t feel like there were any major “twists” in this book (not a complaint at all!): everything had clear foreshadowing and buildup. But through the ending, no matter how practical of a thinker you may be, you’ll wonder … what if it’s all true?
The narration felt dated, and I think this was intended to deepen the atmospheric fear of battling an ancient, biblical evil & spoke to Grayson’s traumatic religious upbringing and academic self image. However, this also led to interjections of speeches about Trump’s election and phrases like “summoned an Uber”, both of which seemed awkwardly out of place.
The scenes of horror and fright and missing memories were very well done. While the pacing lagged at the start, it exploded in the last section of the book and the scenes were much more captivating. I also found that the various elements of storytelling (flashbacks, interviews, etc.) kept things interesting. I just generally think a lot of the writing towards the beginning could have been trimmed & tightened.
I often feel uncomfortable with plotlines featuring delusions that lead to violent acts – here it was blended with the supernatural and potential possession to craft unreliable narration, but I don’t like perpetuating myths that those who hallucinate or have trouble distinguishing truth from delusion are likely to become killers. In this case, it was a perfect storm of a violently abusive childhood, religious indoctrination, repression of sexuality, and (partially underlying/genetic) mental health struggles.
Additionally, while the author offers up an honest, unforgiving look into how abusive religious leaders preach that queerness is the work of evil, the violent homophobia (both internalized and from outsiders) depicted in this book can be difficult and saddening to read.
Mixed feelings aside, this one will definitely be sticking with me for a while.
CW: death (incl. death of a parent), murder, psychosis, blood, ableism, animal cruelty & death (brief mention), ableism, extreme homophobia, biphobia, child abuse (physical & emotional), domestic abuse, suicide, body shaming, fatphobia, religious bigotry & religious trauma, stalking, outing, panic attacks, mental illness, sexual violence, vomit, eating disorder, pedophilia & incest (brief mention)
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Incest
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An energizing explosion of heart & spirit, with characters that speak earnestly and directly with a yearning that is incredibly affecting.
We’re following Sarai, a Puerto Rican teenager living in Bushwick. She shares her hopes, she questions her identity, she agonizes over her familial pain & trauma, and she wonders about the future of her neighborhood and community. Sarai’s personality bursts from the page as she shares her quietest thoughts and her loudest dreams, all in verse.
This book covers tough subjects as Sarai faces all sorts of challenges: familial trauma, abuse, sexual assault, drug use & overdosing, teenage pregnancy, sexism & objectification of young women, ignorance & privilege, gentrification, and much more.
The writing and voice is distinctive and connected and powerful. I was captivated by Sarai and hopeful for her and heartbroken for her.
I found the ending to be a little bit crushing; the very last piece was too quick of a wrap up and some threads didn’t come together in the way I had hoped they would. I would have preferred getting maybe one more year of Sarai’s life and expanding on the conclusion.
CW: death (including child death), drugs & drug overdose, pregnancy, sexual assault (of a child), child abuse, mental illness, sexism, fatphobia, body shaming, ableism, domestic abuse, miscarriage, police brutality, gun violence, addiction, racism, toxic relationship, religious bigotry, psychosis, classism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
An eerie, fast-paced paranormal horror story that will give any young reader the shivers.
We’re following Jake Livingston, a teenage boy who can see dead people. But while seeing death loops all over the place is bad, it’s his struggle to fit in that hurts worse. He’s one of the few Black kids at his prep school - and on top of micro aggressions and bullying, he’s grappling internally with his queer identity. And when the ghost of a school shooter manages to escape his loop on a quest for vengeance … Jake becomes his prime target for possession.
The atmosphere of this novel was absolutely haunting. Between literal ghosts & ghouls and the day-to-day terror of existing as a young queer Black person in a predominantly white institution, there was never a slow moment.
The story is written in alternating perspectives: we get tossed into the past of the teenage school shooter through his diary entries. While Sawyer is difficult to empathize with, the book does a thoughtful job of highlighting the circumstances (abuse at home, rage, struggles with depression and suicidal tendencies, etc.) that lead up to the moment of a school shooting.
The horror was captivating, but also a bit confusing. This is a short read, and we’re dropped right into Jake’s world without much explanation for how the paranormal elements actually work. The “rules” weren’t clear and between astral projecting and ecto-mist travels and creatures that sometimes have physicality and sometimes don’t, it was a little hard to keep up and visualize the scenes of intense action. However … the creatures and the gore and all that scary imagery was definitely well-written!
While this book covers a lot of dark & tough topics, the smaller romance subplot was very charming. Jake has a sweet arc and while there is a lot left unresolved, it’s great to see his confidence bloom and new friendships and relationships start to form.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! While I wished for a bit more clarity around the paranormal worldbuilding, I felt like it was a strong debut and a devourable read.
CW: gun violence, school shooting, sexual assault (attempted), racism, homophobia, child abuse, domestic abuse, death, suicide, murder, violence, blood, gore, bullying, animal cruelty (bugs)