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galacticvampire's reviews
350 reviews
Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
3.5
This was a very fun read. It definitely leans more towards sweet romcom than crazy rich asians, but whenever we got the latter it was wild.
It's a little forgettable but still a great way to spend the time and turn off your brain for a cute story.
It's a little forgettable but still a great way to spend the time and turn off your brain for a cute story.
Love & Monsters by Max Walker
2.75
I'm all in for a silly romance, but given that this was supposed to be a thriller it went a little overboard.
The ending is extremely bad. Like. If you care about anything other than the romance you will be disappointed. The resolution of the mystery is somehow both underwhelming and too over the top.
But the romance is cool. The characters don't really have the chance to be really fleshed out but their dynamic is nice, even if oftentimes cheesy. I'm definitely not reading the rest of the series though.
(PS: this book does that thing where the author takes a random paragraph mid-scene to show how woke he is, in one the the cases giving his wild take that bisexuality is valid in a very 2013-esque way. It completely took me out because it was very gratuitous in the context.)
The ending is extremely bad. Like. If you care about anything other than the romance you will be disappointed. The resolution of the mystery is somehow both underwhelming and too over the top.
But the romance is cool. The characters don't really have the chance to be really fleshed out but their dynamic is nice, even if oftentimes cheesy. I'm definitely not reading the rest of the series though.
(PS: this book does that thing where the author takes a random paragraph mid-scene to show how woke he is, in one the the cases giving his wild take that bisexuality is valid in a very 2013-esque way. It completely took me out because it was very gratuitous in the context.)
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
4.0
This book is for everyone who thoroughly enjoys hours-long videos breaking down internet drama. So I ate it up.
June is so unbearable that it almost feels too on the nose. Her casual racism and how she justifies and rationalizes all the awful shit she does is almost cartoonish. And I say almost because I can't really fully criticise it when I could easily see people doing and thinking exactly the same.
Yellowface is clearly meant to be a satirical take on the racism and biases of the industry, and I think it achieves it really well. Overall, I think it doesn't really goes as deep on the issues as other Kuang's works do, so it sometimes can feels as if is not really SAYING as much as it could instead of just rehashing twitter threads because they annoyed the author. But I didn't mind it as much. Because it was fun.
June is so unbearable that it almost feels too on the nose. Her casual racism and how she justifies and rationalizes all the awful shit she does is almost cartoonish. And I say almost because I can't really fully criticise it when I could easily see people doing and thinking exactly the same.
Yellowface is clearly meant to be a satirical take on the racism and biases of the industry, and I think it achieves it really well. Overall, I think it doesn't really goes as deep on the issues as other Kuang's works do, so it sometimes can feels as if is not really SAYING as much as it could instead of just rehashing twitter threads because they annoyed the author. But I didn't mind it as much. Because it was fun.
Temptation of the Force by Tessa Gratton
4.25
It took me a long time to write this review because I couldn't decide myself on this book.
On one hand, it has incredible emotional beats and really explores not only the force but the Jedi empathy. Burry connecting with a dying Drengir is probably one of my favourite scenes in the High Republic and all of his and Bell's chapters were high points for me.
On the other one, I still don't care about Avar and Elzar as a couple, and their dynamic is the main plot of this book. While Elzar continues to be an extremely interesting and complex character, the last two books did nothing to fix my slight dislike of Avar since her comic days.
Their relationship is more believable now and at least feels more substantial than a teenage attraction, and while the exploration on how Jedi can love was interesting, I'd rather have spent my time with literally any other plot point.
Vernestra's inclusion had the potential to be really interesting considering how Defy the Storm ended, but she barely had a significant interaction with Elzar (tbh the whole "consequences of Elzar's choices in Starlight Beacon" deserved more significance, even if it's conclusion remained the same) and her presence felt shoved in because she wouldn't be in neither the MG or the YA book.
Porter Engle's and Xylan and Cair's chapters made for great balance, adding tension to an otherwise more character-focused book, and Marchion Ro keeps proving himself an incredible villain with moves that already foreshadow a thrilling climax for the series.
On one hand, it has incredible emotional beats and really explores not only the force but the Jedi empathy. Burry connecting with a dying Drengir is probably one of my favourite scenes in the High Republic and all of his and Bell's chapters were high points for me.
On the other one, I still don't care about Avar and Elzar as a couple, and their dynamic is the main plot of this book. While Elzar continues to be an extremely interesting and complex character, the last two books did nothing to fix my slight dislike of Avar since her comic days.
Their relationship is more believable now and at least feels more substantial than a teenage attraction, and while the exploration on how Jedi can love was interesting, I'd rather have spent my time with literally any other plot point.
Vernestra's inclusion had the potential to be really interesting considering how Defy the Storm ended, but she barely had a significant interaction with Elzar (tbh the whole "consequences of Elzar's choices in Starlight Beacon" deserved more significance, even if it's conclusion remained the same) and her presence felt shoved in because she wouldn't be in neither the MG or the YA book.
Porter Engle's and Xylan and Cair's chapters made for great balance, adding tension to an otherwise more character-focused book, and Marchion Ro keeps proving himself an incredible villain with moves that already foreshadow a thrilling climax for the series.
Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
I picked this up because I really like the author but it was overall too juvenile for my taste.
Atlas by Eden Finley
2.75
Definitely the weakest Mike Bravo book so far. As much as I liked Atlas, Lemon was pretty average as far as characters go and I think having a civilian love interest really dulled the whole thing.
It was still fun, and has some really good scenes, but the plot overall wasn't really memorable.
It was still fun, and has some really good scenes, but the plot overall wasn't really memorable.
Rogue by Eden Finley
4.25
I close my eyes to my anti-military anti-police ideals for this series. At the very least these books are very aware of it all and try to mitigate when possible.
Anyway, this one is specially fun and I really loved the dynamics going on here. The older characters with a past hook-up that ended up kinda antagonistic is gold, and I caught myself laughing out loud at some points.
Anyway, this one is specially fun and I really loved the dynamics going on here. The older characters with a past hook-up that ended up kinda antagonistic is gold, and I caught myself laughing out loud at some points.
Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by bell hooks
5.0
In this book, bell hooks proves that you can educate and explain social activism to anyone. Academia is obviously important, but is not the only way to develop a social conscious.
Focusing on introducing the main struggles of feminism under a intersectional optics, bell hooks was, even decades ago, extremely aware of the harm that exclusionism presents. She pulls no punches critiquing the whiteness and class biases of the movement, while maintaining an informative perspective.
Focusing on introducing the main struggles of feminism under a intersectional optics, bell hooks was, even decades ago, extremely aware of the harm that exclusionism presents. She pulls no punches critiquing the whiteness and class biases of the movement, while maintaining an informative perspective.
"Anti-male factions within the feminist movement resented the presence of anti-sexist men because their presence served to counter any insistence that all men are oppressors, or that all men hate women. It promoted the interests of feminist women who were seeking greater class mobility and access to forms of patriarchal power to polarize men and women by putting us in neat categories of oppressor/oppressed. [...] This focus on men deflected attention from the class privilege of individual feminist activists as well as their desire to increase their class power."
Defy the Storm by Tessa Gratton, Justina Ireland
This book was surprisingly compelling to me, considering I found Out of the Shadows considerably lackluster.
But now in Defy the Storm the cast returns jadded and improved:
- Vernestra feels way more grounded now that she's not trying to teach a boy two years younger than herself, and her struggles as a Jedi are a way better approach to the character.
- Avon is given the spotlight that she always deserved and is the real MVP of this book. Her journey on the morality of doing what it takes "for the greater good" after a year with the Nihil is perfect Star Wars.
- Xylan is given more depth and the addition of his relationship with Cair San Tekka sprung a great dynamic of family rivalry and moral duty. I really hope Cair becomes a recurring part of the cast.
- While they don't show up much, Jordanna and Reath povs don't feel out of place and help to give the story dimension, weaving threads that tease what else is and will happen in the galaxy.
My main complaint about this book is that really not much actually happens. Most of it is setting up the phase, getting the players in the right spots for the confrontation and serving as a bridge between events. It's still enjoyable, but I can't help but feel that is almost inconsequential.
4.25
"We must bend easily in the wind to withstand the storm, otherwise we will break."
This book was surprisingly compelling to me, considering I found Out of the Shadows considerably lackluster.
But now in Defy the Storm the cast returns jadded and improved:
- Vernestra feels way more grounded now that she's not trying to teach a boy two years younger than herself, and her struggles as a Jedi are a way better approach to the character.
- Avon is given the spotlight that she always deserved and is the real MVP of this book. Her journey on the morality of doing what it takes "for the greater good" after a year with the Nihil is perfect Star Wars.
- Xylan is given more depth and the addition of his relationship with Cair San Tekka sprung a great dynamic of family rivalry and moral duty. I really hope Cair becomes a recurring part of the cast.
- While they don't show up much, Jordanna and Reath povs don't feel out of place and help to give the story dimension, weaving threads that tease what else is and will happen in the galaxy.
My main complaint about this book is that really not much actually happens. Most of it is setting up the phase, getting the players in the right spots for the confrontation and serving as a bridge between events. It's still enjoyable, but I can't help but feel that is almost inconsequential.
XOXO by Christina Lee
2.0
I am absolutely sure this was originally written to be set in a private school because absolutely none if them behave as if they were in college.
From the casual bullying over cheap clothes (??) to gossip about who is friends with whom it all felt extremely juvenile. Which only made it more jarring when the lighthearted tone shifted to explicit sex. Multiple times.
The romance was also kind of lackluster, even if the characters individually were interesting. Their separate journey was just way more interesting than a dynamic that was 90% omgg he's Just So Hot.
(More baffling than it all is that a major plot point is that one of the characters' dad forces him to hide he had cancer because people would think he was weak??? And proceeds to closely watch his college life through his coach??)
This is well written and I think the author has a lot of potential if only the actual plot made any sense.
From the casual bullying over cheap clothes (??) to gossip about who is friends with whom it all felt extremely juvenile. Which only made it more jarring when the lighthearted tone shifted to explicit sex. Multiple times.
The romance was also kind of lackluster, even if the characters individually were interesting. Their separate journey was just way more interesting than a dynamic that was 90% omgg he's Just So Hot.
(More baffling than it all is that a major plot point is that one of the characters' dad forces him to hide he had cancer because people would think he was weak??? And proceeds to closely watch his college life through his coach??)
This is well written and I think the author has a lot of potential if only the actual plot made any sense.