Queer and anti-monarchy/pro-democracy fantasy? Well sign me up!
Of course I actually didn't know anything when I picked this up except that I needed a graphic novel for a reading challenge and the cover was really pretty. Honestly the story is very basic and I found the art to be competent but not impressive nor really my aesthetic taste. It was still a nice quick read and might be a good pick for younger readers (middle grade and early YA).
Review of 'Nothing but Blackened Teeth' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
[1.5] I'd heard the bad reviews, I saw it on everyone's worst books of lists. But I'm telling you I went in with an open mind! I had this recommended by someone who actually liked it and that was my final straw for finally picking it up. I thought "hey it might be good, I like a lot of unpopular books".
To sum up my thoughts and feelings, I present to you a list of ways one might interpret this book from most to least generous:
1. The author is actually a great writer and I just don't get it/the writing style isn't for me
2. The author intended this as a satire, but I don't get it
3. The author intended this as a satire, but it's a very poorly done one
4. The author is a terrible writer who doesn't know the meaning of words or how to …
[1.5] I'd heard the bad reviews, I saw it on everyone's worst books of lists. But I'm telling you I went in with an open mind! I had this recommended by someone who actually liked it and that was my final straw for finally picking it up. I thought "hey it might be good, I like a lot of unpopular books".
To sum up my thoughts and feelings, I present to you a list of ways one might interpret this book from most to least generous:
1. The author is actually a great writer and I just don't get it/the writing style isn't for me
2. The author intended this as a satire, but I don't get it
3. The author intended this as a satire, but it's a very poorly done one
4. The author is a terrible writer who doesn't know the meaning of words or how to use appropriate metaphors and similes but wrote this as a genuine effort
5. The author wrote this in like one night with minimal effort to meet a deadline
6. The author wrote this in like one night with minimal effort as a quick-ish cash grab
7. The author is a troll who is laughing at any of us who try to genuinely critique this book
Personally I think I'm gonna pick door number four, but I kind of hope it's seven.
I will say that this book was an entertaining way to spend a few hours. I made a game of highlighting in my ebook all the instances of shitty metaphors and similes (occasionally misused words, ascetic and lavish can't be used to describe the same thing; brackish water is a mix of salt and freshwater NOT pond water) and found that per page there was about an average of about 3-4, times that by 128 pages and you see the major problem with this book (and I didn't highlight the ones that were cliches or that I thought worked quite well). Some of the metaphors were so bad I had to laugh out loud. That Khaw chose to use "the colour of expensive chalk" to describe white cloth not once, but twice! Describing spiderwebs as looking like umbilical cords was a... creative choice. Several things were described using more than one simile that were incongruous or just a waste of words ("the colour of expensive chalk, or bone left out in the sun" girl, just pick one!).
The was a real mix of themes as well in the descriptions, leaving it at best tonally confused. The main themes I noticed were: - Christian/Catholic metaphors (particularly egregious as this is set in a Heian period mansion in Japan and non of the characters are described as Christian) - parts of the brain - art techniques - modern cultural references (forbes magazine, quarterbacks) - probably more that I'm forgetting, and then just a whole lotta random nonsense
I will warn that the gore in the last part of the book made even my usually strong stomach turn a bit. So I guess one small part of the horror was done well. Other than that, it was a bunch of people being really bratty and petty who hate each other but will visit a haunted mansion together and then constantly bicker and act like general horror movie idiots despite the corny references to "if this were a horror movie..." ugh. Which is why it ALMOST works as a satire and could have been a great one, but alas we are left with this instead.
[3.5] This was perfectly fine, but struggled to hold my attention. Despite having one of my favourite narrators, I kept losing focus so I guess maybe the writing left something to be desired. The plot was fine but maybe lacked focus and I wish the romantic chemistry had been better developed. The sexual chemistry was off the charts though and I think it gets an extra half star for that lol.
I want to thank Kristin Cashore. Mildly TMI, I have chronically dry eyes due to allergies. I'm talking eyelids feeling like sandpaper, eyedrops only working for like one singular minute before they're dry again, desert level dry eyes. So this book was exactly the kind of relief I needed since I was tearing up on a near constant basis Every. Single. 'my girl' had me misty
This is a relatively plotless book, but that's a good thing because the time spent on character development was more than enough to hold my attention. Hava is proof that a good, well-written character is not necessarily a likeable character (though I loved her), as she struggles to interact with others in conventional ways and often expects the worst intentions even without evidence. But of course she isn't mean and rude for no reason, the events in her life preceding this book make hating …
I want to thank Kristin Cashore. Mildly TMI, I have chronically dry eyes due to allergies. I'm talking eyelids feeling like sandpaper, eyedrops only working for like one singular minute before they're dry again, desert level dry eyes. So this book was exactly the kind of relief I needed since I was tearing up on a near constant basis Every. Single. 'my girl' had me misty
This is a relatively plotless book, but that's a good thing because the time spent on character development was more than enough to hold my attention. Hava is proof that a good, well-written character is not necessarily a likeable character (though I loved her), as she struggles to interact with others in conventional ways and often expects the worst intentions even without evidence. But of course she isn't mean and rude for no reason, the events in her life preceding this book make hating her even in her brattiest moments impossible. People see the good in her that she struggles to see in herself, and her journey to connect genuinely with those around her is heartbreaking and heartwarming simultaneously.
Also WOW the entirety of part two was so tense and incredibly done! I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that I love survival stories and Cashore always does them so well!
This series is an all time favourite, literally nothing will ever top it, and this is possibly my favourite book in the series so far!
Review of 'Harley Quinn Black + White + Red' on 'Goodreads'
No rating
Hi, infamous Harley Quinn stan here. This is a bit of a mixed bag of a collection, some I quite liked, some were really fun, and others were just okay. Because this is such an eclectic collection, I don't find it worth rating as a whole volume but I can say it was well worth my time and a fun way to spend an evening flipping through and enjoying the different stories and art styles. There's not really anything revolutionary story or concept-wise, especially for a seasoned fan of the clown princess of crime, but fans will enjoy the callbacks and references.
Review of 'The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels' on 'Goodreads'
No rating
the synopsis did not adequately prepare me for the actual content of this book. I would think if people are flying around in magical buildings using spells and stuff it would be important to mention that. I am not in the mood for full on historical fantasy and the synopsis gave me ZERO indication that's what this is when I picked it up off the shelf in the library. Not to mention the lack of any kind of explanation of the world, just thrown straight into the deep end. So, colour me confused when I managed 11% through this chaos of unexplained houses landing on houses and steering into ponds or whatever.
Winner of the 2010 John Newbery MedalFour mysterious letters change Miranda's world forever.By sixth grade, …
Review of 'When You Reach Me' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Super cute book that really accurately captures what it's like to be a 12 year old learning about the world, friendships, and the trials and tribulations of growing up.
Don't go in expecting this to be a time travel novel, while ultimately that's what this book culminates as, it's more of a cosy magical realism-esque contemporary novel. That said, if you are struggling with it the ending is so good that it was worth the more bland parts of the novel.
It is middle grade so I always keep in mind that I am viewing this through my adult lens, but even so this book dragged at times. Mostly due to the length (the set up is very, very long compared to the payoff) and the blandness of the writing style. It is told through a letter/story written by the main character who is 12, but I feel a lot …
Super cute book that really accurately captures what it's like to be a 12 year old learning about the world, friendships, and the trials and tribulations of growing up.
Don't go in expecting this to be a time travel novel, while ultimately that's what this book culminates as, it's more of a cosy magical realism-esque contemporary novel. That said, if you are struggling with it the ending is so good that it was worth the more bland parts of the novel.
It is middle grade so I always keep in mind that I am viewing this through my adult lens, but even so this book dragged at times. Mostly due to the length (the set up is very, very long compared to the payoff) and the blandness of the writing style. It is told through a letter/story written by the main character who is 12, but I feel a lot of 12 year olds reading this would expect slightly more out of the writing (as someone who was reading Terry Pratchett at that age I certainly would have).
I would also caution parents and educators to make sure to discuss some of the themes of this book with young readers. Because of the age of the book (2009) and the time setting (1978-9) there are some aspects that should be explored outside of the text, particularly with racism (it's handled well enough for not being a major theme, but perhaps not explored enough for a reader who has little context already).
Overall, highly recommend for both kids and adults!
Such a quick read that I have little to say. While I think the character work could have been stronger and the plot was fine but not great, I did enjoy this. In some ways a 4.5 may be overselling that enjoyment, but the book successfully made me cry at the end and felt like a successful introduction to this series/universe and so I'm very keen to continue on.
I'll admit I was scared of the hype and it didn't entirely live up to that hype but idk, you give me a diverse cast full of complicated feelings, hopes, and dreams, and you've sold me.
TW: no actual eating disorder is depicted in the book, but there are fantastical elements that reference eating in a way that could be triggering for people with eating disorders
Seventeen-year-old Mara cannot remember the accident that took the lives of three of her friends …
Review of 'Unbecoming of Mara Dyer' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
This isn’t a book; it’s a compilation of cliches and cringe and the worst tropes the YA paranormal romance genre has to offer. I thought as a Twilight enjoyer (I know, I'm sorry) I thought I could handle Mara Dyer. I cannot.
I did finish it and can't help but think that if you cut out the high school drama and the romance, this could be a halfway entertaining paranormal thriller. But the drama and romance are cringe af and so drag the whole book way, way down. Even a 2 star is generous, but I don't quite put it on the same level of trash as my 1 star ratings.
Honestly unless you read this as a teen and are nostalgic for it, steer way, way clear. I have read so many YA paranormal/fantasy series from this time period (2005-2011 ish) and this is one of the worst (second …
This isn’t a book; it’s a compilation of cliches and cringe and the worst tropes the YA paranormal romance genre has to offer. I thought as a Twilight enjoyer (I know, I'm sorry) I thought I could handle Mara Dyer. I cannot.
I did finish it and can't help but think that if you cut out the high school drama and the romance, this could be a halfway entertaining paranormal thriller. But the drama and romance are cringe af and so drag the whole book way, way down. Even a 2 star is generous, but I don't quite put it on the same level of trash as my 1 star ratings.
Honestly unless you read this as a teen and are nostalgic for it, steer way, way clear. I have read so many YA paranormal/fantasy series from this time period (2005-2011 ish) and this is one of the worst (second only to maybe "hush, hush").
Review of 'A House at the Bottom of a Lake' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
[3.5]
Excellent vibes for anyone who likes something bordering on surreal and full of terrifying whimsy. A unique writing style that at times worked really well to amp up the creep factor and at other times came off as a bit corny. The plot was shockingly straightforward and ultimately a bit of a let down. I don't mind unanswered questions, but as soon as this book gets really interesting - it ends.
A good quick horror read, just don't go in with high expectations.
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride or rather, his parents are looking for one …
Review of 'The prince and the dressmaker' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
[4.5]
The genderfluid prince book of my dreams! I'm obsessed with the rep and how it's just an accepted part of Sebastian, not something that needs to be exposition-ed at you, it just IS. I think this is the perfect book for exposing younger audiences to fluid genders. The themes are easily digestible, clear, and still retain some nuance despite the simplicity.
The friendship and developing feelings between Frances and Sebastian is very cute. The art is lovely and I recommend getting a physical copy if you can as the matte printing is gorgeous (as a opposed to the typical glossy printing). The dresses are just so darn cool!
The plot is a little cliche, but it didn't bother me. Also anachronisms abound as the time period is left very vague even if real countries are mentioned. Again, not something that bothered me, but something to be aware of going …
[4.5]
The genderfluid prince book of my dreams! I'm obsessed with the rep and how it's just an accepted part of Sebastian, not something that needs to be exposition-ed at you, it just IS. I think this is the perfect book for exposing younger audiences to fluid genders. The themes are easily digestible, clear, and still retain some nuance despite the simplicity.
The friendship and developing feelings between Frances and Sebastian is very cute. The art is lovely and I recommend getting a physical copy if you can as the matte printing is gorgeous (as a opposed to the typical glossy printing). The dresses are just so darn cool!
The plot is a little cliche, but it didn't bother me. Also anachronisms abound as the time period is left very vague even if real countries are mentioned. Again, not something that bothered me, but something to be aware of going in for older readers who know their stuff (if you're like me, you'll cringe at the lady mentioning her husband, Archduke of Austria lol).
TW: outing, though ultimately this is on the cosier side and ends up being very affirming.
The first half is pure sitcom energy that had me bursting out laughing regularly (very hard to do btw), then the second half is filled with a complex discussion about relationships and marriage and gay culture vs straight culture. I adored both halves despite how disparate they were but can see why I saw a lot people really hating this after reading the first book.
I think this does fail as a romance on most levels, but as a contemporary novel about two messy people trying to figure shit out this succeeds enough that it didn't lose points because of the lack of romance. The only thing I think that held this back from a true 5 is that it is very long for what it is and the relationship conflicts felt a bit repetitive at times.
Meh. This book had major pacing issues and had me pretty bored throughout. I wouldn't have bothered finishing it if it wasn't so easy to get through. It does get interesting towards the end but honestly only one of the twists got me and I can't say it was a twist I enjoyed.
I think the main character was just so bland. I think this same story from the perspective of another character involved or even the FBI agents would have made for a more interesting read. Or maybe just cut the book down by a hundred pages.
"Set in an alternate world of art deco beauty and steampunk horror, Monstress tells the …
Review of 'Monstress' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Lol I'm confused.
Don't get me wrong, I love the body horror/cosmic horror elements. I thought Ren the cat was pretty cool. I'm a sucker for a badass main character too who will destroy anything that gets in their way. BUT - I every 20 or so pages I was questioning whether I wanted to continue reading or DNF...
I felt overwhelmed with the amount of information, characters, lingo, etc. dumped on me from the beginning with little or no explanation. Then to have the "lecture" inserts that were so dry I couldn't bear to read them at all. I wish it was integrated more naturally in the story. This is a problem I usually have with anime and manga a lot (and this definitely felt a lot like those media forms). I also struggle when the main character's goals and motivations are unclear. It means I have no sense …
Lol I'm confused.
Don't get me wrong, I love the body horror/cosmic horror elements. I thought Ren the cat was pretty cool. I'm a sucker for a badass main character too who will destroy anything that gets in their way. BUT - I every 20 or so pages I was questioning whether I wanted to continue reading or DNF...
I felt overwhelmed with the amount of information, characters, lingo, etc. dumped on me from the beginning with little or no explanation. Then to have the "lecture" inserts that were so dry I couldn't bear to read them at all. I wish it was integrated more naturally in the story. This is a problem I usually have with anime and manga a lot (and this definitely felt a lot like those media forms). I also struggle when the main character's goals and motivations are unclear. It means I have no sense of direction in the story, no clear reason I should care about these characters at all.
The art is truly incredible. The amount of detail is astonishing and made me wonder if the illustrator loves torturing themself lmao. The horrors in this were so well done and so freaking cool.
A combo of the art and being very intrigued towards the end ( I was getting Naruto nine-tailed fox vibes which I love) might convince me to at least try the next volume, but as it stands I'm not sure I get the hype
Merged review:
Lol I'm confused.
Don't get me wrong, I love the body horror/cosmic horror elements. I thought Ren the cat was pretty cool. I'm a sucker for a badass main character too who will destroy anything that gets in their way. BUT - I every 20 or so pages I was questioning whether I wanted to continue reading or DNF...
I felt overwhelmed with the amount of information, characters, lingo, etc. dumped on me from the beginning with little or no explanation. Then to have the "lecture" inserts that were so dry I couldn't bear to read them at all. I wish it was integrated more naturally in the story. This is a problem I usually have with anime and manga a lot (and this definitely felt a lot like those media forms). I also struggle when the main character's goals and motivations are unclear. It means I have no sense of direction in the story, no clear reason I should care about these characters at all.
The art is truly incredible. The amount of detail is astonishing and made me wonder if the illustrator loves torturing themself lmao. The horrors in this were so well done and so freaking cool.
A combo of the art and being very intrigued towards the end ( I was getting Naruto nine-tailed fox vibes which I love) might convince me to at least try the next volume, but as it stands I'm not sure I get the hype
Merged review:
Lol I'm confused.
Don't get me wrong, I love the body horror/cosmic horror elements. I thought Ren the cat was pretty cool. I'm a sucker for a badass main character too who will destroy anything that gets in their way. BUT - I every 20 or so pages I was questioning whether I wanted to continue reading or DNF...
I felt overwhelmed with the amount of information, characters, lingo, etc. dumped on me from the beginning with little or no explanation. Then to have the "lecture" inserts that were so dry I couldn't bear to read them at all. I wish it was integrated more naturally in the story. This is a problem I usually have with anime and manga a lot (and this definitely felt a lot like those media forms). I also struggle when the main character's goals and motivations are unclear. It means I have no sense of direction in the story, no clear reason I should care about these characters at all.
The art is truly incredible. The amount of detail is astonishing and made me wonder if the illustrator loves torturing themself lmao. The horrors in this were so well done and so freaking cool.
A combo of the art and being very intrigued towards the end ( I was getting Naruto nine-tailed fox vibes which I love) might convince me to at least try the next volume, but as it stands I'm not sure I get the hype
"Set in an alternate world of art deco beauty and steampunk horror, Monstress tells the …
Review of 'Monstress' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Lol I'm confused.
Don't get me wrong, I love the body horror/cosmic horror elements. I thought Ren the cat was pretty cool. I'm a sucker for a badass main character too who will destroy anything that gets in their way. BUT - I every 20 or so pages I was questioning whether I wanted to continue reading or DNF...
I felt overwhelmed with the amount of information, characters, lingo, etc. dumped on me from the beginning with little or no explanation. Then to have the "lecture" inserts that were so dry I couldn't bear to read them at all. I wish it was integrated more naturally in the story. This is a problem I usually have with anime and manga a lot (and this definitely felt a lot like those media forms). I also struggle when the main character's goals and motivations are unclear. It means I have no sense …
Lol I'm confused.
Don't get me wrong, I love the body horror/cosmic horror elements. I thought Ren the cat was pretty cool. I'm a sucker for a badass main character too who will destroy anything that gets in their way. BUT - I every 20 or so pages I was questioning whether I wanted to continue reading or DNF...
I felt overwhelmed with the amount of information, characters, lingo, etc. dumped on me from the beginning with little or no explanation. Then to have the "lecture" inserts that were so dry I couldn't bear to read them at all. I wish it was integrated more naturally in the story. This is a problem I usually have with anime and manga a lot (and this definitely felt a lot like those media forms). I also struggle when the main character's goals and motivations are unclear. It means I have no sense of direction in the story, no clear reason I should care about these characters at all.
The art is truly incredible. The amount of detail is astonishing and made me wonder if the illustrator loves torturing themself lmao. The horrors in this were so well done and so freaking cool.
A combo of the art and being very intrigued towards the end ( I was getting Naruto nine-tailed fox vibes which I love) might convince me to at least try the next volume, but as it stands I'm not sure I get the hype
