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caseythereader's reviews
1749 reviews
Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Rape and Suicide
Icon and Inferno by Marie Lu
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free copy of this book.
- ICON AND INFERNO is the sequel to STARS AND SMOKE, and it’s even better than the first book.
- I loved being back with Winter and Sydney. Their chemistry and care for each other is such a great mix.
- The audiobook, narrated by Becca Q. Co, had me on the edge of my seat during action scenes (literally, I was on the Metro and nearly missed my stop)!
- The twists and turns of the plot were fantastic, and I wish this series was a dozen books long.
- ICON AND INFERNO is the sequel to STARS AND SMOKE, and it’s even better than the first book.
- I loved being back with Winter and Sydney. Their chemistry and care for each other is such a great mix.
- The audiobook, narrated by Becca Q. Co, had me on the edge of my seat during action scenes (literally, I was on the Metro and nearly missed my stop)!
- The twists and turns of the plot were fantastic, and I wish this series was a dozen books long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Car accident, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content
Gay the Pray Away by Natalie Naudus
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
4.0
Thanks to the author for the free copy of this book.
- Whew, I loved GAY THE PRAY away so much I read it in one sitting. What an accomplishment to make such a tender story about breaking out of a life and shattering everything you’ve known.
- Valerie and Riley were so cute. I loved seeing them push the boundaries of their lives and find joy and hope in each other.
- My only complaint is I wish it had been longer. Due to the short page count, Valerie’s deconstruction happens pretty quickly. I would have liked to spend more time in that investigative phase.
- Whew, I loved GAY THE PRAY away so much I read it in one sitting. What an accomplishment to make such a tender story about breaking out of a life and shattering everything you’ve known.
- Valerie and Riley were so cute. I loved seeing them push the boundaries of their lives and find joy and hope in each other.
- My only complaint is I wish it had been longer. Due to the short page count, Valerie’s deconstruction happens pretty quickly. I would have liked to spend more time in that investigative phase.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cursing and Racism
Saint-Seducing Gold by Brittany N. Williams
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcohol
Oye by Melissa Mogollon
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Hogarth Books for the free copy of this book.
- OYE is told entirely in one sided dialogue. We read only Luciana’s end of her phone calls to her sister Mari as their family uncovers long-buried secrets. I’ve never read anything like it and quite enjoyed it.
- It took me a few chapters to get a feel for the flow of the narrative, but once I did I could not put down this story of generations of women trying to forge their own paths.
- I was so interested in the contrast between the gossipy tone and the often dark experiences that were being related. It’s a very unique exploration of generational trauma.
- OYE is told entirely in one sided dialogue. We read only Luciana’s end of her phone calls to her sister Mari as their family uncovers long-buried secrets. I’ve never read anything like it and quite enjoyed it.
- It took me a few chapters to get a feel for the flow of the narrative, but once I did I could not put down this story of generations of women trying to forge their own paths.
- I was so interested in the contrast between the gossipy tone and the often dark experiences that were being related. It’s a very unique exploration of generational trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia and Sexual harassment
Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.
Turns out it’s extremely tedious to be in the mind of a service robot.
In Repair by A.L. Graziadei
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.75
Thanks to Henry Holt Books for the free copy of this book.
- Holy wow, this book. I had no idea what to expect going into IN REPAIR, and it turned out to be one of the hardest, most beautiful books I’ve ever read.
- I don’t think I’ve ever seen dissociation explored in a YA/NA novel before. The book puts you right there in Nathaniel’s head as he tries to hold in everything that has happened to him.
- IN REPAIR is also a beautiful representation of the love friends can show each other, and specifically queer friends. Whether you’ve known someone your whole life or have just met them, you can be there for them.
- I appreciated that the inciting trauma was not described in detail on the page. Omitting that never lessened the impact: just being there for the emotional fallout was all that was necessary for this story, and nearly as hard to stomach. Please check the content warnings before reading.
- Holy wow, this book. I had no idea what to expect going into IN REPAIR, and it turned out to be one of the hardest, most beautiful books I’ve ever read.
- I don’t think I’ve ever seen dissociation explored in a YA/NA novel before. The book puts you right there in Nathaniel’s head as he tries to hold in everything that has happened to him.
- IN REPAIR is also a beautiful representation of the love friends can show each other, and specifically queer friends. Whether you’ve known someone your whole life or have just met them, you can be there for them.
- I appreciated that the inciting trauma was not described in detail on the page. Omitting that never lessened the impact: just being there for the emotional fallout was all that was necessary for this story, and nearly as hard to stomach. Please check the content warnings before reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
Thanks to Avid Reader Press for the free copy of this book.
- What an inventive, emotional, and thought provoking book THE MINISTRY OF TIME is.
- This book is what I would call literary sci-fi, which is one of my favorite genre mashups. It’s also quite heavily character focused, with most of the action happening in the last third of the book.
- Despite my usual love of plot-heavy books, I was immediately drawn into the story of our unnamed narrator and her displaced-from-time charge.
- It’s easy to see how much research Bradley put into this book, but it never loses the intense emotion amid the historical tidbits.
- I don’t even have the space to touch on the elements of race, survivor’s guilt, and of catching someone up on centuries of history. There is so much going on in this book and I’m going to be thinking about all the pieces of it for a long time to come.
- What an inventive, emotional, and thought provoking book THE MINISTRY OF TIME is.
- This book is what I would call literary sci-fi, which is one of my favorite genre mashups. It’s also quite heavily character focused, with most of the action happening in the last third of the book.
- Despite my usual love of plot-heavy books, I was immediately drawn into the story of our unnamed narrator and her displaced-from-time charge.
- It’s easy to see how much research Bradley put into this book, but it never loses the intense emotion amid the historical tidbits.
- I don’t even have the space to touch on the elements of race, survivor’s guilt, and of catching someone up on centuries of history. There is so much going on in this book and I’m going to be thinking about all the pieces of it for a long time to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Genocide and War
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau
funny
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? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying and Pregnancy
Triple Sec by TJ Alexander
emotional
funny
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? No
4.5
Thanks to Atria Books for the free copy of this book.
- TRIPLE SEC is the poly romance we’ve been waiting for! And it’s done with TJ Alexander’s signature sweetness, humor, and heat.
- I loved watching these three wildly different people fall in love with each other, and to see Mel discover how expansive romantic love can be.
- My only quibble (if you could even call it that?) is that Kade and Bebe’s relationship is SO perfect. At times it felt a little “we have to show readers that poly people can have happy marriages” like the early days of legal gay marriage.
- Aside from that, though, I breezed through this in a day or two and would have read hundreds more pages of Mel coming into her own with the love and support of her partners.
- TRIPLE SEC is the poly romance we’ve been waiting for! And it’s done with TJ Alexander’s signature sweetness, humor, and heat.
- I loved watching these three wildly different people fall in love with each other, and to see Mel discover how expansive romantic love can be.
- My only quibble (if you could even call it that?) is that Kade and Bebe’s relationship is SO perfect. At times it felt a little “we have to show readers that poly people can have happy marriages” like the early days of legal gay marriage.
- Aside from that, though, I breezed through this in a day or two and would have read hundreds more pages of Mel coming into her own with the love and support of her partners.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Transphobia