Oh, this was so much fun. It very much feels like an Indiana Jones movie with moContent warnings: bullying, misogyny, physical injury, blood, violence
Oh, this was so much fun. It very much feels like an Indiana Jones movie with more romance thrown in. Given that I have an archaeology degree, I perhaps would have liked a little more actual archaeology, but given the setting and the fact that they're hunting for a lost city, it's perhaps not surprising.
The romance was cute and I really enjoyed how he was instantly on board with her awkwardness and her weirdness and that he matches her level of weird exactly.
There were definitely some plot twists I didn't see coming, and the ending was perhaps a tad more rushed than I would have liked. But on the whole? Delightful. More please. ...more
Content warnings: death, suicide, drowning, death of a sibling, fire, mental health, cultural homophobia(??)
3.75 stars
This was utterly compelling, andContent warnings: death, suicide, drowning, death of a sibling, fire, mental health, cultural homophobia(??)
3.75 stars
This was utterly compelling, and while the mystery/horror aspects of the story didn't QUITE hit the mark for me in the end, the included photographs were gorgeous and definitely added an extra layer to my enjoyment of the story! ...more
Content warnings: bullying, racism, abandonment, death of a parent (in the past), vomit
3.75 stars
For the most part, I really enjoyed this. It's a "chiContent warnings: bullying, racism, abandonment, death of a parent (in the past), vomit
3.75 stars
For the most part, I really enjoyed this. It's a "childhood friends who lose touch and reconnect in their late teens and fall in love" situation, and I loved the way that it wove K-drama fandom culture into the story.
That being said, while I loved the dynamic between Hannah and Jacob and the way that the romance develops between them, I did find that I wanted it to go harder on the fandom side of things and the way that Jacob's life is effectively controlled by the studio. I also wanted it to go harder on Hannah's feelings of abandonment.
But perhaps I'm asking too much from a cutesy YA contemporary romance, idk. ...more
Content warnings: racism, incarceration of a loved one, systemic racism, racial slurs, poverty, addiction (mentions only), cultural appropriation, parContent warnings: racism, incarceration of a loved one, systemic racism, racial slurs, poverty, addiction (mentions only), cultural appropriation, parental abandonment, death of a parent (in the past)
I was excited about this from the moment I heard about it. Like, that cover? Gorgeous. The premise? Adorable. The protagonist and the love interest? Delightful. The story was a sweet workplace romance and while I felt like the third act was a LITTLE rushed, I was having such a charming (if occasionally rage-inducing) time that I didn't really mind.
The author's note at the end was poignant, talking about her own experiences struggling to even get an interview when she ticked that she was First Nations but heard back regularly when she ticked that she was white and the way she took inspiration from her own experiences in crafting this book. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by this author in the future because this was great! ...more
Content warnings: death of a parent, Islamophobia, xenophobia, cancer, grief
This was a charming - if sometimes sad - way to finish out the year. I lovContent warnings: death of a parent, Islamophobia, xenophobia, cancer, grief
This was a charming - if sometimes sad - way to finish out the year. I loved getting to see stories of Muslim kids from communities all over the world experiencing Eid in a variety of different ways. There was so much joy and hope in this collection, and I genuinely had a lovely time reading this....more
So here's the thing: I didn't love this at the best of times. But I was genuinely baffled - and I conContent warnings: injury detail, bullying, cancer
So here's the thing: I didn't love this at the best of times. But I was genuinely baffled - and I continue to be baffled, two months after reading it, as to why these sixteen years olds are SO excited about going to summer camp. And not as counsellors. As campers.
Anyway, I liked what it was trying to do. But at the end of the day, the protagonist and the love interest both drove me up the wall, so eh. ...more
Content warnings: racism, sexual assault, gun violence, racial slurs, slavery (in the past), death of a parent (in the past), kidnapping
3.75 stars
I haContent warnings: racism, sexual assault, gun violence, racial slurs, slavery (in the past), death of a parent (in the past), kidnapping
3.75 stars
I had no idea going in that this was, essentially, a western. And while I loved the discussion of race and white passing privilege, I *did* sometimes struggle with the western aspect of the story. Add in an ending that was a TAD more abrupt than I would have liked, and this was good but not great for me. ...more
"It is entirely unacceptable that I should have no voice inContent warnings: racism, homophobia, systemic racism, slavery
4..5 stars
Utterly brilliant.
"It is entirely unacceptable that I should have no voice in the political affairs of my own country, for I am not a ward of America; I am one of the first Americans to arrive on these shores."...more
Content warnings: grief, death of a parent (in the past), homophobia, internalised homophobia, vomit, alcohol abuse
I love Lonesborough's books and thiContent warnings: grief, death of a parent (in the past), homophobia, internalised homophobia, vomit, alcohol abuse
I love Lonesborough's books and this one was no exception. I still think The Boy From the Mish is my favourite, but this is a close second. I loved the complexity of the characters and the dynamics between them. I really liked how much grief plays into the story, and how the family dynamics weave into the friendships and the romance. All in all, this was delightful....more
Content warnings: teenage messiness as a result of a parental divorce, violence
Okay, here's the thing: I had a delightful time reading this, but also Content warnings: teenage messiness as a result of a parental divorce, violence
Okay, here's the thing: I had a delightful time reading this, but also I was GENUINELY shocked to learn that this wasn't queer. Because based on the cover, I thought it was going to end with the two of them falling in love. And every time I look at the cover, I STILL expect it to end with them falling in love.
And, like, I didn't mine the way it played out, I really didn't. I'm just still a little baffled. ...more
An interesting and oftContent warnings: homophobia, transphobia, suicidal ideation, mental health, self harm, miscarriage, blood, stillbirth
3.75 stars
An interesting and often heartbreaking essay collection about queerness and horror through the lens of specific horror movies. Some, perhaps predictably, worked better for me than others and some where more horrifying than the movies discussed. I would have liked more of an overarching summary to round things off, but on the whole I'm glad I read this. ...more
Content warnings: gore, body horror, death of a family member (in the past), death, violence
3.5 stars
This was extremely weird and at the same time, I Content warnings: gore, body horror, death of a family member (in the past), death, violence
3.5 stars
This was extremely weird and at the same time, I can see it making a truly fantastic movie. Like, it was weird in a good way, but I'm also not entirely sure I have any idea what was going on for at least 30% of the story. Still, I had a lot of fun with it and I'd definitely read another book by Cho in the future!...more
This was extremely sweet and made me extremely hungry. I loved the dynamic between these two protagonists so much,Content warnings: racism, homophobia
This was extremely sweet and made me extremely hungry. I loved the dynamic between these two protagonists so much, and even though I've been reading this series extremely out of order, I love it all the same. ...more
I really should have reread the first book before I pickeContent warnings: death, blood, gore, bullying, racism, shitty parenting, possession
3.5 stars
I really should have reread the first book before I picked up this one, because I was LOST at least 30% of the time. But that's absolutely on me. ...more
Content warnings: alcoholism, death of a parent (in the past), homophobia, neglect, poverty, grief, panic attacks, assault (in the past), emotional abContent warnings: alcoholism, death of a parent (in the past), homophobia, neglect, poverty, grief, panic attacks, assault (in the past), emotional abuse, workplace harassment
I bought this sometime last year and then put off reading it because something about the premise just seemed a tad...generic? Like, it's essentially Much Ado About Nothing except they decide to fake date because they're sick of their friends pushing them together, yeah?
It's not though. Like, yes, it's two guys who hate each other deciding to fake date because they're sick of their friends. But it's also two extremely broken kids finding someone who can see through all the bullshit and who can maybe - just maybe - help them find a way out the other side. It broke my heart a million ways a million times and I loved every second of it. ...more
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was excited to read tContent warnings: misogyny, bullying, cyberbullying, institutional bullying
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was excited to read this one and see Jakarta from Kiki's perspective as someone who's spent her whole life there. And instead we see her being thrust into a whole different side of Jakarta and struggling to adjust.
The romance was sweet and I really enjoyed the gaming side of things and the discussion of misogyny in gaming (especially because I listened to this while gaming), and the way the story played out was delightful. ...more
Content warnings: alcohol abuse, incarceration of a family member
3.5 stars
A very short but very to-the-point graphic novel about the difficulties for Content warnings: alcohol abuse, incarceration of a family member
3.5 stars
A very short but very to-the-point graphic novel about the difficulties for First Nations youth in being away from community and country when they move away for university and finding the drive to fight for their dreams despite those difficulties. I would have liked it to be a LITTLE longer than it was, just because I feel like I didn't really get to know the characters as much as I would have liked, but it does what it sets out to do. ...more
Content warnings: bullying, parental separation, fire
I wanted to love this, I really did. But it was just kind of........too many things at once? LikeContent warnings: bullying, parental separation, fire
I wanted to love this, I really did. But it was just kind of........too many things at once? Like, there's the romance. There's the "she wants to go to culinary school but her parents can't afford it because they're separating" thing. There's the cooking competition. There's sabotage within the competition. And none of it felt like it was dealt with FULLY??
Like, the initial premise of the book is that Rose wants to be this amazing chef but she doesn't really have the self control to go through the steps to get there. She can't get to work on time. She focuses on what SHE wants to do rather than the tasks that need to be done. Most of her coworkers - including her boss - don't seem to know that she has any kind of cooking/baking abilities at ALL. And then out of the blue, she's offered a place a) at a prestigious cooking school and b) in a reality TV baking competition. It just...all felt a little convenient, given that Rose doesn't seem to actually LEARN very much along the way.
And, like, I understand that she's a teenager. I do. But giiiiiiiiirl. You need to learn that not everything is about you if you're going to be successful in the culinary world. And it didn't feel like she learnt a damned thing but still got the outcome she wanted......more
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