frances_frances's reviews
287 reviews

Rave by Jessica Campbell

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emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

3.5

Well done and enjoyable but not a very original story 
One by One by Ruth Ware

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3.0

Nevada by Imogen Binnie

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Loose, stream of consciousness fiction isn't usually my favorite. However, the quality of writing and the ideas/themes communicated in this book made it engaging and well worth the read. I really can't believe I just discovered this book this year. It's a vital contribution to trans literature and culture more broadly. Trans characters who get to be realistically complex and contradictory are too far between. Relatable, insightful, funny, sad, important.
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

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challenging emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

Graveneye by Sloane Leong

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

I really liked the illustrations and depictions of gore. And the perspective of the narrator was interesting. The story itself wasn't my favorite. While I like some gore, I'm not sure what to make of the sexualized violence. I do know it left a bad taste in my mouth. Plus the story generally felt like the author was trying too hard to come across as deep/profound.
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The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

4.0

SPOILER AHEAD - I enjoyed this book. It was atmospheric and I love a well-written unreliable narrator. At the same time, it's troubling that Hetta, a disabled child, is the cause of all the evil. The trope of disability being tied to treachery is both tired and harmful. A disappointing aspect of an otherwise compelling story.
Keep Your Friends Close by Lucinda Berry

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

This book was a lot...The first two thirds were basically a soap opera and I kept thinking about The L Word and Desperate Housewives. Then in the last 30ish pages, there's back to back twists that are comically over the top. It becomes more about shock value than mystery or thrill. I really didn't expect it to get so gory. And there's that frustrating trope where a super convenient, damning piece of evidence appears at just the right time. Lastly, the characters all sounded too similar. Each chapter is from the perspective of a different character but their voices were almost indistinguishable. 

All that being said, the book was an easy, engaging read and I was invested enough to see it through to the end. This was my first Lucinda Berry novel and I'm not sure if I'll be reading any more. 
Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was a quick, entertaining read. The layout and presentation of the book is fun and interesting and the horror was solid. 

I guess some of the furniture descriptions were kinda humorous but otherwise I didn't find the book to be particularly funny. The characters were pretty flat and trope-y but I guess that's kinda the norm in horror novels. Overall a fun, easy read with a unique presentation. 
The Spectacular by Zoe Whittall

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is the second Zoe Whittall book I've read after The Fake and I feel similarly about both of them. Whittall is a good writer and her stories keep me engaged. At the same time, there's nothing particularly exceptional or original about her books. As with The Fake, this book doesn't really have a plot or climax. Instead it's more loose and meandering. I generally don't care for books like that but this one was an easy read with some interesting characters.

I do really agree with another reviewer who expressed 1) disappointment that this book, like many books marketed as queer/LGBT+, mainly features hetero sex and 2) that the work done in the first half of the book is undone by the end. There's some discussion of queerness and there's queer characters but we aren't really put in a queer world. It was also upsetting to see Missy's conviction about not having a kid be completely reversed.
My Brother's Husband: Volume 1 by Gengoroh Tagame

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funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75