kharlan3's reviews
180 reviews

How to be a Girl by Marlo Mack [ARC] (memoir, trans). This book is a memoir about the experience of a mother raising a young transgender daughter. I’ve been following the podcast that inspired this book for a long time and was excited for the opportunity to read the book. I was frustrated by the early use of he/him pronouns for the daughter early in the book and glad the book didn’t use a deadname for her. I enjoyed the inclusion of photographs and drawings. I’ll definitely be recommending it to some straight family of young trans kids I know.

(fantasy). I’m going to be thinking about this book for a while. Ace MC and trans side character. Excellent.

(fantasy). This book was excellent. A great balance between feelings and action, and world building that really captured my attention. The multiple narrators on the audio version kept all the parts distinct and crisp.

(m/m, werewolves). My feelings on this book are really mixed.  I love Carter almost as much as I love Gavin, and the romance works for me (

the pacing is unusual, feeling very platonic and confused and then suddenly changing, but I don't mind that

). The second quarter scenes of

Gavin and Carter in the cabin

, and the third quarter scenes of

their homecoming

make me smile a lot.  I like continuing to get to know the pack, and I like the way the pack's stories continue, especially Rico, Chris and Tanner, and Jessie.  I saw other reviews of folks who don't like the first quarter, especially the time jumps, but those parts work for me as well. I like the brotherly bonding (on both sides).

The stuff with the book that Joe and Kelly give to Carter is great, and Carter's growing physical awareness of Gavin also worked well for me.

There are a few things I like less though. 
1) maybe it's because I read/listened to the whole series (~1800 pages) in less than a week, less than 3 months since the first time I read them all (also in one week), but there are some turns of phrase that started to feel really repetitive: "breathed [them] in", "growled lowly/low in [their] throat", "only had eyes for [them]", "shifting/grinding of muscle and bone", "an aria of blue", describing smiles as "blinding" or "secret", describing pain as "glassy", and the repetition of the "wolves, ravens, hearts, brothers" motif.  If I had the ebooks, I'd look up how many times these turns of phrase happen, but it feels like a LOT.
2) The consistent references to people or land or power that "belongs to us" or "what's ours" or people don't "get to" do or say things feels icky.
3) I want more Gavin! I want more of his history, more of his perspective, more of his dialog.
4) Stop trying to make Thomas Bennett happen! I like him as a mate who Elizabeth misses terribly, but he was around, in a present way, too much for me in this one.

The Thomas Bennett loved Richard Collins as more than friends thing also didn't work for me

5) The running "how will you know what to do with a dick" thing felt consistently really gender essentialist and icky to me. Also, does Carter not know about Google?

(m/m, ace mc, werewolves). This book is excellently eerie.

When I started it the first time, I was convinced we’d gone back in the timeline.

Satisfying romantic ending. Excellent set up for the sequel. I love getting more of Chris and Tanner, and I love the pack getting gayer. I’m also pleased with the ace representation.

The kids are appropriately terrifying.

I adore the self-awareness (gayest pack ever, self sacrificing assholes, gratuitous nudity).