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typedtruths
#1) Aru Shah and the End of Time ★★★★★
➸ Trigger warnings for
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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 forableism 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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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
▷ 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 forracism, 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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➸ Trigger warnings for
▷ 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
▷ 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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