elwirax's reviews
479 reviews

Rep- half Korean, lesbian MC, lesbian MC. 

She Gets the Girl was one of my most anticipated books for 2022 and I was not dissapointed. 

This was really cute. The characters were very well rounded, they were flawed but realistic and the dual POV really fleshed them out. Both Molly and Alex had their issues to deal with (Molly struggles with her self esteem and building relations with people while Alex is scraping by and worrying about her alcoholic mother). Throughout the course of the book, they worked on these issues and helped each other grow and find what they truly need which was a great journey. I particularly related to Molly but I really liked Alex's character too (although the virgin shaming was a bit unnecessary). Their romance was a true (kinda) enemies to friends to lovers slow burn which made their relationship seem a lot more genuine and the great banter throughout made me love them more. I do wish we got more scenes of them as a couple though which would've really made me love their romance even more. 

There was interesting commentary on the struggle to reconnect with ones heritage and coping with an alcoholic parent. While these were some pretty heavy topics they were discussed well. I do however, think that internalised racism was something that could've been discussed to a deeper extent,  it was mentioned a few times but didn't really go anywhere. 

I get really tired of queer contemporary romance books where the main issue is homophobia. This book didn't do that which i really appreciated. 

If anything I wish some of the side characters such as Natalie were a bit more fleshed out. I really liked Jim's character and would've loved to see a bit more of him. The writing was a bit choppy in parts but not glaringly so. As a whole, I really liked the casual writing style as it made it that much easier to stay invested. 

Overall, it was great, someone needs to make this into a movie.

They is a collection of loosely linked stories focusing on life in a society where there are those who eradicate and suppress artistic and emotional expression in favour of conformity. The majority of their control comes from everyday people who become informants which enforced the idea that any one of us can be one of "them". As in any dystopia, They showcased resistance despite knowing the harsh consequences which added a minute sense of hope to an overall dreary story.

The driving force of this novella lies in its ambiguity and lack of explanations, leaving interpretation up to the reader. This isn't something I usually enjoy but it worked well in this story. The chapters were short and many ended abruptly perhaps highlighting 'their' ideology, one which ropes the reader in aswell as it stops them from getting overly invested in the lives of the characters which is frowned upon in this book. The fragmented writing in some of the vignettes does well to show strong emotions and the fears of the characters that run through the whole novella (perhaps in some of them they're too scared to properly articulate themselves). My favourites by far were The Visitants, Pocket of Quietude and The Fairing. I thought these were the strongest in terms of characterisation and suspense. 

Though I appreciated the darker tone in this novella, the themes/ideas and the eeriness of being roped in, the inability to become invested in these characters really hindered by investment in the novella. The world-building also left much to be desired. Ultimately, I left with opinions no different than those I went in with; censorship is damaging. Although this novella didn't work for me as much as I'd hoped, it definitely piqued my interest in the author. After all, it's not every day I come across a "radical, queer author" of the 20th century. It might be one of those "it's not you, it's me" novellas or one which needs a re-read to fully appreciate. Either way, an interesting piece of writing.

From the notes at the end, it's clear that Spear was well researched and I thoroughly enjoyed how crowded it was in its Welsh setting. The writing style was lyrical but not to an obnoxious extent which made for an easy reading experience. I really liked the magic system and the sparse illustration  throughout were a nice wee touch. There was also a lesbian relationship and mentions of a poly relationship which I think could've done with some further development but were a great inclusion. 

Admittedly, the pace towards the ending was a bit rushed yet, as a whole it was very well developed for a novella and sometimes felt longer than its 192 pages. 

Overall, an enjoyable, queer retelling of the Arthurian legends.

 

The complexity of the main character was perhaps the best part of the book. The way in which she viewed the world was so interesting, yet she was often frustrating as a character. If she'd just explain herself instead of unnecessarily lying, certain situations would not have taken place. It is wise to consider that mental illness isn't pretty and people get hurt but it was frustrating nonetheless. 

There were moments of reprieve such as a lesbian relationship and Gilda's occasionally funny actions. However, most of the time it was doom and gloom which is a shame as it felt like the author was purposefully making bad thing happen around the main character just for the sake of it. The murder mystery aspect of this book was a bit silly and I can't be certain that the ending was at all fulfilling. 

I connected with Gilda often but not to an extent that would warrant this book a place in my most memorable. Albeit the book was definitely an interesting exploration into mental illness and the lies we tell ourselves to keep going and what happens when those lies begin to crash around us. It had good commentary on mental health stigma, the experience of being queer and struggling with mental health as well as religious bias. 

I can't say I necessarily enjoyed it but I understand what the author was trying to do and I appreciate that. I would not necessarily recommend this to anyone currently fighting with depression or anxiety unless they are in a relatively good place.

Rep: MC with OCD and on the autism spectrum 

The Suicide House had an interesting set up (murders/suicides in a prestigious boarding school, a secret society and a crime podcast). Unfortunately I might've expected a bit too much for its ambitious premise. 

One thing that struck me as odd was the layout of this book. A new chapter began every 3 or so pages even of it was from the same POV. This made the story seem very disjointed. There were a lot of characters and plotlines which made everything a bit difficult to keep track of. The character development was not very strong and I found it difficult to care for them especially when information was reapeated and didn't add anything new. The resolution lacked the impact I had hoped for as the motives of the killer didn't seem substantial enough nor was there an explanation for the the secret society. 

However,  I do appreciate that the women portrayed in this book weren't sexualised as they often are when written by male authors. I also really enjoyed following Rory and Lane as a detective duo. I thought that journal entries from the killer were an interesting take and perhaps some of the most compelling aspects of this book. 

Overall, an interesting premise, a slightly dissapointing execution. However, I can't say I wasn't entertained, the writing was good and I would be inclined to read another book by Donlea.

Rep: Jewish, lesbian LI, Queer MC, Gay MC with ADHD, non binary side character.

At first I wasn't very invested in the magical realism aspect of this book but I stayed for the quest to retrace ones cultural roots and the complicated family dynamics following 3 generations of women. I'm really glad I did because <b>From Dust, A Flame</b> was an enjoyable and simultaneously heartbreaking tale.

This was my first book by Podos which made me reluctant as I have not experienced her writing style, yet, I really enjoyed how emersive and atmospheric her story telling was.

From Dust, a Flame was a great blend of the fantastical with the mundane. There are elements of Jewish lore such as the Golem mixed with mundane struggles such as academic pressure. I think Podos balanced both these aspects well. I absolutely adored the centralisation ofJewish celebrations and folklore in this book, (although, I cannot comment how true to reality the representation is).

There was interesting commentary on generational trauma and how the lives of family members intertwine which I really enjoyed. It was heartbreaking hearing about Jitka losing her whole family to the war and how this in turn impacted her children's lives. The theme of isolation and lack of communication was done well and explored through these strained family ties.

I though that Hannah and Gabe shared an amazing sibling relationship and I loved that they were eachother's main support. There was also LGBTQIA+ rep which was fantastic.

However, I do have some small nit picks. Firstly, Gabe's  transformation at the start was extremely sudden and a bit annoying in the sense that it was very stereotypical in the portrayal of gay people. There was also a lot of characters and family members mentioned which got really difficult to follow despite the family tree provided. Most of these didn't receive any major characterisation which made it seem like the author included them for the sake of doing so. Some aspects felt underbaked such as the Golem who unfortunately didn't serve much of a purpose throughout the story but was an interesting addition. I also didn't think the ending was particularly effective, it seemed a bit too easy and wrapped up quickly.

Overall, I quite enjoyed From Dust, a Flame and will definitely pick up more from Podos in the future.

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating was a lovely wee contemporary romance following two Bengali girls trying to find their place in life while dealing with external issues.

This book presented authentic antagonists ( who frustratingly didn't receive the consequences they deserved), and great sister dynamics. Hani and Ishu had their flaws but I still liked both of their characters. They both had their struggles whether it was meeting parent's expectations or dealing with toxic friendships but they helped each other grow into themselves.Their romance was sweet and tentative and I really enjoyed seeing their feelings develop for each other (although the first kiss wasn't the most consensual).I also really enjoyed immersing myself in aspects of Bengali culture which I love consistently in Jaigirdar's books.

However, I had a difficulty distinguishing the characters at the start, they were different in terms of characterisation yet their internal monologues were written similarly so I had to keep looking back at whose perspective I was reading from. The synopsis also says that Hani is popular but I really wasn't getting much of that from her interactions with other people. This book was definitely more character than action driven as there wasn't much going on, the middle part dragged quite a bit and it wasn't keeping me as engaged as I'd hoped.

Overall, Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating was a cute contemporary romance dealing with many important themes. It's not necessarily a favourite but I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.