frances_frances's reviews
295 reviews

Chouette by Claire Oshetsky

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emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

weird and good and sad

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

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emotional lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

for this genre, prose was decent / too long / main conflict was kinda lame and didn't really justify the drama / decent sex scenes / repetitive and kept saying two main characters' full names / mildly entertaining as an erotic lesbian fairytale

Catboy by Benji Nate

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Cute drawings, simple/low stakes vignettes, loved the fashion

The Witches of Bellinas by J. Nicole Jones

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

A lot of potential but the end result was meh. The best part was the overt misandry.

The September House by Carissa Orlando

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

MINOR SPOILERS
Overall really enjoyed this book but was a bit disappointed by the very end, satisfied me enough to give it 5 stars
- Margaret was a really interesting character and narrator, I liked how we slowly learn the horrific realities of her marriage, felt realistic to how a DV survivor would tell their story
- Interesting how Margaret handles the horror of her home in the same way she handled the horror of her marriage
- The writing was really sharp and hooked me right away
- Felt like a fresh, original take on haunted house stories
- Didn't like the ending after the climax, felt way too neat and tidy, way mushier than it should have been, tone totally out of place compared to the rest of the book

Content Warnings

Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

In a way this book was exactly what I expected. A cheesy lesbian romance and a quick read. It delivered but I definitely wouldn't have finished it if it wasn't lesbians. The writing was simple and repetitive (using the same phrases and descriptors over and over and rehashing plot points). There was a lot of telling rather than showing. We're constantly told how the characters are feeling and why they're feeling it. Not much is left to the reader for interpretation. The characters and the dynamics between them felt very high school, with dumb misunderstandings and dramatic overreactions. Also the class and gender dynamics of this book are questionable at best. It turns into an "I don't see economic status" situation. Money is life and death and the reasons why some people have a lot while most people have very little is not only connected but dependent on each other. It's not possible to laugh and agree to disagree (Andrew and Dylan!).

Not rating this one because I just don't wanna.

Asumi-chan Is Interested In Lesbian Brothels Vol.1 by Kuro Itsuki

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funny lighthearted fast-paced