It's wonderful to have more transgender representation in books and especially by ownvoice authors. That being said, the main character in this book wIt's wonderful to have more transgender representation in books and especially by ownvoice authors. That being said, the main character in this book was quite an unlikeable young man. His fake personas grew annoying and the desperation to increase his following was pretty superficial. I also didn't enjoy the writing as there was simply too much 'this happened and then that happened and then I did this'. It is, however, an important story which is why I kept reading. One where a young man is not accepted by his parents as a boy and plans for conversion therapy are been hatched behind his back. I did not feel drawn into the story until about the 90% mark where there were about 20 minutes of emotional and moving writing. Overall, this was a miss for me and the content warnings need to be checked out.
CW: (view spoiler)[transmisia, homomisia, dead naming, threats of conversion therapy, parents withdraw from teens life, suicidal thoughts/ideation, in one of the stage productions a transgender character commits suicide after receiving some conversion therapy, Mis-gendering, Coming out, Gender dysphoria (hide spoiler)]...more
That was honestly such an entertaining murder mystery with two main characters that absolutely deserve a series. The social issues made for t4.5 Stars
That was honestly such an entertaining murder mystery with two main characters that absolutely deserve a series. The social issues made for tricky reading at times because Fabian certainly tackles homomisia and racism within our communities, both in a historical context and in the present day, in a confronting but thought provoking way. This sounds pretty heavy but it was written by the co-creator of Deadpool so it was also irreverently funny. "57 week" pregnant mother, Andie, was so single-minded in her determination to act according to who she is and not who her husband expects to be that she ended up making some questionable parenting choices whilst dragging her kids along in the pursuit of justice. Kenneth, former Pulitzer Prize winning journalist now disgraced reporter for the local rag, was also such a brilliantly written character.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and will definitely be reading book 2.
This was a good, but slightly didactic, middle-school novel about embracing diversity and being a positive force for change. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3
This was a good, but slightly didactic, middle-school novel about embracing diversity and being a positive force for change.
I was totally enchanted by the index card notes and know there have been similar campaigns run to spread love and positivity. I didn't feel like I got particularly attached to any characters because they weren't written with any real depth that I could anchor myself to. Still a book with lovely messages and a stunning cover....more
CW: (view spoiler)[homophobia, murder, student is drugged, spiritual hallucination induced self harm and suicide, outing to family, family disappointeCW: (view spoiler)[homophobia, murder, student is drugged, spiritual hallucination induced self harm and suicide, outing to family, family disappointed son/daughter is LGBTQIA and disown them, bloody scenes where knife is cutting flesh, drowning, loss of loved one (hide spoiler)]
Well, the rep in this book is outstanding.
It is really important to keep in mind that this is a YA sapphic reimagining of Macbeth. I say this because otherwise it feels like any other angst filled teen novel with girls and guys being backstabby, dramatic and whiny, in and amidst some spooky spectre action. The girls' slow descent into paranoia and madness was done quite well, as ambition, desire and guilt consume them. I liked Robin's interpretation of Macbeth in a high school setting with a major scholarship being the object of everyone's desire as opposed to the throne. I am a bit unsure about the paranormal aspect though. It kind of softened the brutality of Macbeth, which was likely the intent, but if you are going to add a chilling ghost element to a story then you should embrace it fully. There just weren't enough of the spooky scenes for me. The pacing is very slow which may not appeal to some Readers but I think this was an important part of the story telling, after all, Macbeth's and Lady Macbeth's madness creeps up slowly too. An entertaining book but I wanted more....more
3.5 Stars - This was a hard decision but I am not convinced we needed the horrific descriptions of the painful memories as it was essentially a romanc3.5 Stars - This was a hard decision but I am not convinced we needed the horrific descriptions of the painful memories as it was essentially a romance. For me it would have been enough to hint at the horror and then move on.
CW: There are some significant triggers in this book with some particularly distressing content.(view spoiler)[description of rape, rape of minor, sexual violence, homophobia, animal abuse/killing, traumatic scene where man is taunting a girl by detailing about how he had been sexually assaulting her and how she had cried etc (her memory had been repeatedly erased after periods of sexual abuse so he could start the cycle of abuse again), suicide, consensual sex. (hide spoiler)]
Well I thought the memory book binding was an interestingly dark concept.
It is however, important to mention that this is absolutely a romance, with very little time spent on any other elements in this intriguing world. Luckily I had read some informative reviews so it came as no surprise to me. And what a well written, swoon-worthy romance it was! My favourite section was actually from Lucian's POV in the last part. My poor heart was willing love to triumph over adversity.
In and amongst this however, is some deeply disturbing content. It was actually quite jarring. Some of the memories people had erased from their minds and bound in books made for difficult reading. I would advise checking out the content warnings. Dark parts aside, and as contradictory as it sounds, this was mostly a lovely romance book!...more
CW: Fat shaming bullying which includes physical assault.
i am going to be the girl who rises up out of the mud out of the gutter out of silence out of a voCW: Fat shaming bullying which includes physical assault.
i am going to be the girl who rises up out of the mud out of the gutter out of silence out of a void that has been carved for me,
i am a girl i own my destiny.
This was such a powerful and inspirational verse novel. Be warned, the bullying in this book is horrific. It isn't just verbal abuse. She is physically assaulted as well. Lily was a fantastic main character and I think the author captured her journey from victim to victor superbly. I also thought Bernadette's story was sensitively told and I felt a bit teary at times during her parts. An important story where Lily's physical changes were a by-product of the change in how she saw herself - and that is a strong, confident person who is worthy of loving and being loved....more
Well this is a fantastic book! I love the intelligently humorous writing. The romance is so well written I was getting butterflies myself in 4.5 Stars
Well this is a fantastic book! I love the intelligently humorous writing. The romance is so well written I was getting butterflies myself in the absolutely adorable parts. It tackled some pretty serious issues such as how social media can impact teens, how some traditions are no longer relevant in today's inclusive society and the ups and downs of friendships. I totally recommend this book....more
CW: (view spoiler)[Suicidal thoughts and ideation, anti-lgbtqia content, verbal abuse - lots of awful slurs, physical assault, drinking, term3.5 Stars
CW: (view spoiler)[Suicidal thoughts and ideation, anti-lgbtqia content, verbal abuse - lots of awful slurs, physical assault, drinking, terminal illness, death of a loved one, deadnaming and misgendering, pressure to come out. (hide spoiler)]
This contains spoilers.
I would suggest reading an ownvoice review to make sure this isn’t too triggering.
I am not sure why this book has been suggested to fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before because that implies it is a light fluffy romance. This isn’t a light fluffy romance. This is a story about the struggles of a transgender teen to get others to accept and love him. His journey takes him to some dark places which include horrific verbal and physical abuse. His father is unable to accept that Sarah never truly existed and that Pony has always been his son. There are some significant, and arguably necessary, info-dumps in the beginning parts of the book educating Readers on what it is like to being transgender. Once they are out of the way the story moves along more smoothly and at a good pace. I wasn’t a big fan of the superficial, grudge holding and self-centered Georgia. I especially didn't like her quick journey to enlightenment and acceptance as it seemed slightly forced. Don’t get me wrong, I was really happy to see Pony get the love and acceptance he deserved, however it was all very idealistic. But why not give it a perfect ending right? Why not show what true inclusion looks like in an ideal world where everyone is treated equally and valued for the content of their character? So bring on the fairytale endings and let's make them become a reality.
He waka eke noa - We are all in this together (Māori proverb).
I sincerely wish anyone finding their way to their true selves a safe and loving journey....more
A thoroughly enjoyable book. I loved the bond between Razia and her sisCW: (view spoiler)[Sexual violence, rape of minor, exploitation (hide spoiler)]
A thoroughly enjoyable book. I loved the bond between Razia and her sisters. The connection they felt with each other through being hijra (assigned male at birth but have had an operation and treatments that allow them to live as transfeminine women) means the depth of love and understanding they have for each other makes them true sisters in their eyes. The relationship between Razia and Arjun developed naturally and was quite sweet but there was a bit of instalove and instatrust that did feel a bit off given that revealing her identity was life threatening. This is not a fantasy in the truest sense of the word as aside from the zahhaks presence (dragons), no magic existed (well not in the first book anyway). I thought Razia was an engaging main character and found her to be a strong, intelligent and confident woman. I think there were some pacing issues and there were a few points that were a bit laboured for me. The last quarter of the book was really exciting which elevated this book from a 3.5 to a 4 Star for me. I also think diversity is important as everyone should be able to see themselves represented in novels. I look forward to reading the next book....more
CW: (view spoiler)[death of a friend after a car accident, detailed sexual content, underage drinking, drug use, depression, grief, anxiety (hide spoiCW: (view spoiler)[death of a friend after a car accident, detailed sexual content, underage drinking, drug use, depression, grief, anxiety (hide spoiler)]
Firstly, let’s put a bit more effort into our book covers people! *shakes head slowly in disappointment*
This isn’t what I was expecting and it was a slow burn for me. I thought I was going to be reading a light-hearted book about a teenager with a bruised ego proving themselves to their writing teacher. I suppose that is what I got minus the light-hearted part. It turned out to be a deeper exploration of dealing with grief, depression, sexuality, friendships, falling in love, and making peace with the idea of proving one's worth to oneself and not others. The cast was extremely diverse which was wonderful. This diversity contributed to the conflict some characters felt as they navigated life whilst experiencing it through their various ‘lenses’. There was a lot of worrying in the book. That’s okay and an important part of the characters' journeys. However, when you spend a lot of time reading about people who are in a near continual state of anxiety it can mean you don’t get an opportunity to get to know them. I didn’t dislike Laila, I just couldn’t see much of HER as the anxiety and then depression became all consuming. I didn’t enjoy the relationships that both teachers developed with Laila as they felt ‘off’ and a bit unhealthy. Overall I enjoyed this book because I could relate to the themes and I enjoyed the witty dialogue, but I didn’t feel invested in the characters themselves. I did, however, say a loud "YES!" at the end of her final interaction with her teacher. (view spoiler)[Reclaim your power! (hide spoiler)]...more
It just felt like a book about an obsessed creepy stalker girl yearning after her Disney princess best friend who fell for the misunderstood snarky rich girl. Wait. It didn’t feel like that. It WAS that. After looking at the chilling cover I was expecting so much more. The thing that I need to confess is that I could not stop listening to it today. After processing this I’ve realised I was completely drawn into the ‘whodunnit’ aspect of it and I really enjoyed the police interview scenes. There were definitely a few possibilities of who committed the crime and I wasn’t disappointed with the direction the author took. So what Readers really need to do is ignore the cover. Imagine it has a moody looking girl staring at a pretty girl who is looking at a beautiful girl who is staring at the moody girl with a smirk on her face. That I think would be a more appropriate cover by which people could set their expectations to. A weird read for me because it was an unputdownable average book. Odd right? Props for diversity too....more
**spoiler alert** CW: Detailed sex scenes, death of loved ones from AIDS, intentional overdose to end his own suffering and spare his loved ones watch**spoiler alert** CW: Detailed sex scenes, death of loved ones from AIDS, intentional overdose to end his own suffering and spare his loved ones watching his slow deterioration, homophobia....more
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