melissyteapot73's reviews
1047 reviews

I have enjoyed the author's middle grade novels in the past, but I don't think anything could have prepared me for how superb this was! It's completely different from their children's books, showing a skill at writing for different age groups that not all possess. This book is sensitive, contemplative, and philosophical, as well as being chock full of humanity. Lapinska gives both narrators a distinct voice and identity and I was fascinated by both the human and the PCC perspective.

The comparisons to Klara and the Sun are inevitable, but I think they both scratch different itches. Some Body Like Me gives a level of detail that I just love: it felt like every little intricate detail had been thoughtfully considered, for example the climate considerations, technology, and intimacy. As a result the world felt real, something I was able to get fully absorbed in. The PCCs at the station I will be thinking about for a long time.

Thanks to #NetGalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I adored the first volume of this graphic novel so I was really excited to get to the next instalment! Gribblet is haunted by not knowing what happened to his parents and gets lured to the genie world by the chance of finding out what became of them, but ends up getting kidnapped and held captive. Avery then sets out to find Gribblet, meeting another Wishborn human in the process. A light-hearted adventure that highlights the importance of friendship and found family.

Thanks to #Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

This was a cute tale of Iku, a geeky college student who finds himself able to see the ghost of a boy called Mimori who fell of a bridge, and at 23:45 every night he goes back to the bridge and relives the accident. Iku befriends Mimori, and has made it his mission to stop him from reliving the accident and also to find out what happened to him. Very cosy and sweet, with a bit of mystery. Felt like a m/m manga version of the film Just Like Heaven and I was here for it!

Thanks for #Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was great! An exploration of sexuality and religion and how the two intersect. Mark is Catholic, and his family is very active in the church community. He also has feelings for his openly gay friend, which leads to a lot of internalised homophobia as Mark battles with his feelings. Along the way he hears different perspectives of homosexuality and gender identity within the church from friends, acquaintances, and even a priest. There are some tough topics broached here, but there is a lot of humour as well which makes it a good balance overall. Perfect for the teen reader! 4.25/5

 Thanks to #NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. 

This was really stinking cute! The art style was gorgeous, and there was just enough peril for you to feel that there are actual stakes, while keeping it appropriate for a middle grade audience. Avery is a great character, and Gribblet is adorable!
Themes of family, self-discovery, finding your place and fitting in.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a hard book to rate as it's about such an important and vital topic, one that I am woefully undereducated in. Sumac, an indigenous poet, descended from a colonised nation who experienced genocide first-hand, so he comes at the topic from a place of understanding and empathy. 
I often feel I am too stupid for poetry, to really "get" it, but this collection really resonated with me, and I feel like I understand the need to witness these atrocities and feel our feelings deeply.

I do think perhaps the preface may have had more impact had it been at the end of the book, or maybe in sections interspersed. It was a lot to get through before I even got to the poems and figured out if they were for me!

Thanks to #NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

A short, sharp novella set at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. It centres on two characters: a middle-aged former teacher living alone after returning to her hometown from Tokyo, and a former security guard who, down on his luck, is living in a room without amenities in his brother's garden. Both are isolated on the fringes of society and grappling with incidents from their past that are coming back to haunt them. They form an unusual bond in the uncertain circumstances of the pandemic and come to depend on each other for a sense of connection in a disconnected world.

I found it fascinating to see the pandemic from the point of view of a different nation, and felt the characters were very well realised and fleshed out. I did feel the same dissatisfaction I feel with a lot of novellas translated from the Japanese in that it ended so abruptly and I didn't get closure or a happy ending!

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