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typedtruths's Reviews (1.8k)




Trigger warnings for bullying, grief depiction, and death of a mother & wife.

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#1) Aru Shah and the End of Time ★★★★★


Trigger warnings for
parental abandonment, absent parent, alcohol consumption, emesis, death of a loved one recounted, mild violence, physical assault, fire, animal attack, and bullying
.

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◯ Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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I have fallen head of heels in love with the subgenre of graphic novels I’m dubbing pastel fantasy; books like [b:The Tea Dragon Society|34895950|The Tea Dragon Society|Katie O'Neill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539554888l/34895950._SX50_.jpg|52579959], [b:Taproot|35833506|Taproot|Keezy Young|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501713304l/35833506._SY75_.jpg|57340135] and [b:The Prince and the Dressmaker|34506912|The Prince and the Dressmaker|Jen Wang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494400495l/34506912._SX50_.jpg|46116413]. There is something so soothing and cathartic about combining a cutesy art style with soft queerness. It feels like a warm hug.

Mooncakes was no exception. When I heard there was a graphic novel with f/nb romance between a witch and a werewolf, I knew I was going to be in for a treat. I had no idea it would be filled to the brim with so many of my favourite things, though. Coffee, grandparents, cats, libraries, female friendship, second chances, childhood-friends-to-lovers, found family. This was truly a favourite in the making.

The entire cast just stole my heart. Nova was such a sweetheart. Tam and their hilarious puns made me smile. Tatyana with her science and disbelief but unflinching support. Nova’s grandmothers. Truly iconic. The forest spirits. I adored them all.

… so why not five stars? I can’t say I understood the cult’s purpose. Why were they trying to harness Tam’s werewolf magic when it unleashed a demon? The entire magic system was left mostly unexplained (though I adored how Nova’s hearing aids played a role) and sadly, I am the type of person who likes a bit of detail. The fact we were left in the dark bothered me and made it a tiny bit difficult to follow at points.

But overall? Mooncakes was such a beautiful homage to all the represented marginalised identities. If you adore [a:Katie O'Neill|7831390|Katie O'Neill|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1531160815p2/7831390.jpg], this is going to be your next favourite read.


◯ Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings for
ableism mentioned, misgendering, child abuse, minor physical injuries, grief depiction, death of a mother & father, kidnapping, captivity, cults, animal abuse, and homelessness
.

Representation: Nova (mc) is Chinese-American, queer & hard-of-hearing; Tam (mc) is Chinese-American, queer & non-binary (uses they/them pronouns); queer & Chinese scs.

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edit: i haven't stopped thinking about this book since i finished it... and not in a good way. i'm bumping my rating down. so many elements were truly terribly executed and no matter how much i wanted to love this, i just didn't

Trigger warnings for
racism, body shaming recounted, police brutality discussed in-depth, cultural appropriation mentioned, terminal cancer discussed, medical experiments recounted, grief depiction, death of a boyfriend (op), death of a mother, father & husband recounted, murder, attempted murder, physical assault, explosion, fire (central theme), kidnapping, captivity, loss of autonomy (possession), war themes recounted, and animal death & abuse discussed
.

Representation: Brighton (mc) is Puerto Rican; Emil (mc) is Puerto Rican & gay; Ness (mc) is Dominican-American & mlm; Mariebelle (mc) queer (mga); Iris (sc) is sapphic; Eva (sc) is sapphic.

◯ Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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S1 #1) The Cardigans ★★★★★
S1 #3) The Man with the Glass Eye ★★★★★
S1 #4) Changing Faces ★★★★★


i cried over that phone call, goddamn




Trigger warnings for
racist microaggressions, classism, fetishisation of queer men mentioned, death of queer characters recounted, cheating, physical domestic abuse, parental abuse, trauma discussed, nightmares, alcohol consumption, blood & gore depiction, dead bodies, graphic autopsy scene, grief depiction, death of a boyfriend, murder, attempted murder, death by stabbing, gun violence, knife violence, and imprisonment dicussed
.

Representation: Malcolm (mc) is Persian-American, Mizrahi Jewish, and bisexual; Seong-Jae (mc) is gay, demi-grey-ace and Korean-American; Sade (sc) is a two-spirit person from the Lumbee nation; Anjulie (sc) is aromantic spec. and sapphic.

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my first read of pride! thought-provoking & powerful