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alouette's reviews
258 reviews
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
god. this book made me emotional for sure, but not in all positive ways. some character decisions, especially near the end, just made me angry and felt like a regression. however! i can respect that the author sucked me so far in with their world-building and character's connections that me feeling so intensely about this was a product of fantastic writing. the imagery used to describe this colombian-inspired world was stunning, the magic and history of the world was fascinating, and the questions of morals were thought-provoking. i'm quite excited to see where the story goes from here!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Sexism, Suicide, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content
Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
a realistic amount of angst with a gay and happy ending! wasn't too into it at the beginning, but will and ollie made it a fun ride!! hit me right in the heart with some of the themes, so three cheers for an emotional rollarcoaster
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Biphobia, Fatphobia, Terminal illness, and Outing
Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
it's not some life-changing story, it's just very very fricking cute. made me laugh and tear up and empathize and turn to mush. the dialogue was really good and it felt natural, as did the plot where the angst came from external problems and not some dumb miscommunication like you usually find in high school romances. three cheers for happy endings!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Outing
We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
a simple but effectively built world lends itself to a thrilling adventure. this book had so many tense scenes, as well as fitting emotional beats. i thought some parts of the plot were too convenient or contrived, even if they were effective in moving the story along. i also wasn't very taken by the sapphic romance, nor how it turned out in the end. still, i'm excited for the sequel and the dani is a lovely character trying to balance the intriguing political stage.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, and Police brutality
The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake
a beautiful, lyrical, swimmingly fantastic novel. you can tell the author poured their heart into this book, into the achingly real and complex characters, into their relationships, and into the journey they undergo. it was difficult for me to read at first, painful and hitting too close to home, but that's the beauty of it, i suppose. i feel like a better person, more self-aware and more resilient, for the adventure this book took me on. even if the first half was painful and confusing, the second half was comforting and lovely.
i was hoping that violet, liz, and orion would become a cute poly trio but how it turned out with the girls was sweet nonetheless
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"I swam up, Violet. We both did."
a beautiful, lyrical, swimmingly fantastic novel. you can tell the author poured their heart into this book, into the achingly real and complex characters, into their relationships, and into the journey they undergo. it was difficult for me to read at first, painful and hitting too close to home, but that's the beauty of it, i suppose. i feel like a better person, more self-aware and more resilient, for the adventure this book took me on. even if the first half was painful and confusing, the second half was comforting and lovely.
"I'm saying our choices matter. Choosing to try... that's not a small thing."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Medical content, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
i loved the intertwining of physics and philosophy, and the author's musings on these two topics. i would not say that it was accessible as the blurb made it out to be, as there was still lots of scientific jargon that could have been replaced, but i still really enjoyed it.
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.5
"There is not an 'I' *and* 'the neurons in my brain.' They are the same thing. An individual is a process: complex, tightly integrated... The scientific picture of the world that I have related in these pages is not, then, at odds with our sense of ourselves."
i loved the intertwining of physics and philosophy, and the author's musings on these two topics. i would not say that it was accessible as the blurb made it out to be, as there was still lots of scientific jargon that could have been replaced, but i still really enjoyed it.
The Friend Scheme by Cale Dietrich
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a nice and fun read, don't try and take this one seriously- even if the subject matter seems serious, the writing style does not fit with it, and even if the author should've taken that into consideration while writing, i still don't mind. the beginning was a bit stilted (especially the dialogue) but i think the plot was good (if predictable) and very fast-paced (in a nice way), and i liked matt's inner monologue. i liked the ending before the epilogue a lot as well! sometimes there comes a time where instead of trying to fit in and fix the world around you, you accept that you belong somewhere else entirely, and i love how jason helped matt realize that. there definitely should have been more characters of colour, though, especially considering this book is set in the present day.
overall, this wasn't some life-changing adventure of a book, just an easy read that i personally enjoyed!
overall, this wasn't some life-changing adventure of a book, just an easy read that i personally enjoyed!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Sexual content, Torture, and Murder
Minor: Medical content and Car accident
Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
there's a limit to how much miscommunication i can handle in a book, and this book far surpassed it. larissa is an interesting enough character, and i liked her exploring her sexuality, but the writing style fully leaning into "stereotypical teenage girl headspace" was not my cup of tea at all. then there's the other characters who are all stereotypes as well, the underdeveloped sapphic romance, and the nonsensical character motivations.
you're telling me that after one summer with a girl, jasmine left her loving mother and her home for the other 3 seasons to move in with a dad she said she doesn't feel cares about her, all because had fallen in love with said girl? not to mention she knew larissa had a super crush on chase, it was discussed, yet once she sees it in person suddenly her whole "i hate pretense lets just be honest with each other" stuff goes out the window and she spends the time causing a giant miscommunication
this could have been a reflective book on finding one's sense of self in the demanding social scene of high school, and it kind of tried to be, but it came up well short. if it had only been about the summer of two girls rejecting labels, i think i would've liked it, but instead it fell into an unappealing mould.
this could have been a reflective book on finding one's sense of self in the demanding social scene of high school, and it kind of tried to be, but it came up well short. if it had only been about the summer of two girls rejecting labels, i think i would've liked it, but instead it fell into an unappealing mould.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Biphobia and Toxic friendship
Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton
another one of those dreamy books that takes me out of my head and into the woods with its whimsy. i didn't much understand what was happening or why, unfortunately, but i was still interested. i did not know this book was going to be poly but i was so happy about it, the love between the trio of mairwen, arthur, and rhun was beautiful. so was the love bonding the rest of the town, even if those characters were static and not so well rounded. i think the characters could have been built up more outside the main three and it would've made the adventure so much more emotional.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"Nobody says who you are but you. It doesn't matter who anybody wants us to be. We choose. We decide."
another one of those dreamy books that takes me out of my head and into the woods with its whimsy. i didn't much understand what was happening or why, unfortunately, but i was still interested. i did not know this book was going to be poly but i was so happy about it, the love between the trio of mairwen, arthur, and rhun was beautiful. so was the love bonding the rest of the town, even if those characters were static and not so well rounded. i think the characters could have been built up more outside the main three and it would've made the adventure so much more emotional.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Transphobia, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying and Sexual content
The Planet Factory: Exoplanets and the Search for a Second Earth by Elizabeth Tasker
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-paced
4.5
proof that even subjects that are considered very complicated can be made accessible! i love how this book takes you on the journey of learning rather than just presenting the existing information- each new discovery feels like it's being built in front of your very eyes. some of the spelling mistakes irked me, but that's easily set aside.