titalindaslibrary's Reviews (687)

Oof, another multigenerational diaspora story that wove together so many perspectives with beautiful writing.

I think in this case it might’ve hit harder as a physical read, because while the narrator did a wonderful job, some of the voices she used for different characters took me OUT. Especially for some of the loser men in this lmao, I swear she gave that character the voice he deserved, but still. Hilarious during parts I don’t think were supposed to be funny 😅

This alien romance had the audacity to be BORING! I’m way more invested in reading Vanessa’s story after this though 

Oh, this was delicious. Full of ghosts, family secrets, and rich with Malaysian culture! 

I absolutely loved this and enjoyed the sneaky humor that underlies so much of this. The switch from haunting, terrifying gods to Jess’s snarky “fuck you!”s had me giggling despite myself. The layers of mystery, otherworldly dealings, and the inner tensions Jess’s character goes through was so well done. I’m definitely going to look into more of this author’s work now! 

Clark never misses, and as with all of his other novellas, I just wish this was LONGER. I want another full length novel! 

Listen, if I had a nickel for every time I read about a human woman being abducted by aliens and finding her mate on another planet, I'd have two nickels - which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. 

This was predictable but an enjoyable "brain-off" read!

Damn, this book is HORNY!

There were some scenes that made me cringe, and I think I had a more positive experience with this book because I was listening on audio instead of eyeball reading it. The narrators did a great job and had distinct voices for each character that made it easy to follow along. 

Ultimately, I was more invested in the complex sister dynamic than Rome and Janelle. He's hot, rich, and reads her favorite books, etc. and is a steady presence in Janelle's life - all very nice. But the most character growth that happens is with the FMC and her familial relationships, so that's where my attention was most invested.

I stayed up till 2AM to finish this and that felt quite fitting for a book about two troubled  teens staying up past midnight. Oh my god, the emotional turmoil this put me through! I was STRESSED through almost the entire last half. 

There’s so much here I feel like I need to sit with and digest. But oof, this book hit hard.

Also, how tf do boys like Jay exist in high school??? He’s an absolute dreamboat, and I love how his and Dee Dee’s relationship is handled in the book. 

This is definitely one of the most mature YA books I’ve read, and the way it handled the themes of trauma, intergenerational trauma, and diaspora kids with immigrant moms was just…excellent. Painful but excellent. 

My one small complaint is there were not enough scenes with Dee Dee and her friend Suzy! For such a close friendship I was hoping there’d be more snippets of them showing that, but they were both so wrapped up in their boy problems. It took forever for them to come clean to each other! 

Just as stunning and rich as the first time I read this. I do so appreciate returning and experiencing it on audio this time. 
Every time I read Baldwin I feel as if I’ve gone to church and leave feeling spiritually renewed. 

I really loved how anti-capitalist this entire book was and the constant reminder to lean into community. Towards the end I found some of their writing felt a bit repetitious, but overall, this book is full of wisdom and healing.

I felt a bit hesitant picking this book up, because I've been burned by Filipino fantasies in the past - the few I've found either not delivering on writing skill or mired in whitewashed details to better appeal to a wider audience. But within a few chapters, I felt enraptured by the rich world coming to life and strikingly loud voice raging against colonization (and the use of religion to accomplish that). 

Within Western Christianity, "positive" emotions are often preached as the only righteous character traits to have (ESPECIALLY if you are raised as a woman). If you exhibit joy, gratitude, and forgiveness you are often granted a sort of moral superiority. And I love how Saints spits on that and reminds us that our rage can be sacred and deserves a place as well. It is the only way we can find a passage to the other side and start to build a better future. 

This book brought me face to face with the history and colonization of my ancestors and flipped it on its head. I cannot express how visceral it felt to read this book and know so much of the fiction in this is based on fact. Buba then takes this painful history and provides a window into an alternate world, one in which Filipinos find their freedom and get to reclaim their identity. 

This book is a debut, and there are certainly some aspects you could nitpick. 
For me, I only had two issues: 
1) I wish the magic system was explained a bit more clearly, 2) I needed some more background building up Cat and Lunurin's relationship. I could NOT understand why Lunurin even put up with this bitch (y'all, I was SO MAD!!). 

But overall, Buba has delivered something special to the fantasy world and I will eagerly read anything else she might write!