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paperbrownies's reviews
398 reviews
Peter Darling by Austin Chant
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
peter darling
by austin chant
~format: ebook
~about: lgbtqiap+, adult fiction, fantasy, “Peter Darling is a queer, trans reimagining of Peter Pan.”, exploration of gender identity, love, home and family, angsty, age gap, happily ever after, TINKER BELL!!!!!
~ m|m
~ rep: trans gay protagonist and gay love interest
a series of emojis to describe my experience while reading this book:
😳😶🌫️😲😨😟🥺😍🥳🥺🤭
~cw: transphobia, deadnaming, misgendering, internalised transphobia, injury/injury detail, on page and off page death of loved ones, violence, trauma, grief
by austin chant
~format: ebook
~about: lgbtqiap+, adult fiction, fantasy, “Peter Darling is a queer, trans reimagining of Peter Pan.”, exploration of gender identity, love, home and family, angsty, age gap, happily ever after, TINKER BELL!!!!!
~ m|m
~ rep: trans gay protagonist and gay love interest
a series of emojis to describe my experience while reading this book:
😳😶🌫️😲😨😟🥺😍🥳🥺🤭
~cw: transphobia, deadnaming, misgendering, internalised transphobia, injury/injury detail, on page and off page death of loved ones, violence, trauma, grief
Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
the fifth season
(the broken earth #1)
by nk jemisin
~format: ebook
~about: lgbtqiap+, adult, sci-fi, dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, race and identity, non-heteronormative relationships, gagged at that reveal,
~ spoilers so skipped on this part
~ rep: a cast of queer and racially diverse characters, gay, bisexual and trans/nb rep
i had this book on my tbr for so damn long and it did not disappoint!! i wont lie that it was a rocky start but im glad i trudged on and the effort paid off *insert salute emoji *
i mean…what a spectacular story!!
it has one of the most satisfying climaxes of all time and as someone who enjoys the reveal (yk the moment when the red-stringed board is laid out and the dots finally start connecting) more than the chase, it was scrumptious to read!!
lastly, although the story ends on a cliffhanger 😭 i cant wait to follow essun into the second book!!
~cw: death, violence, murder, implied sexual assault, consensual on-page brief sexual content, war and destruction, manipulation, gaslighting, racism, xenophobia, classicism, pregnancy, death of loved ones, death of children, body horror (brief graphic description)
(the broken earth #1)
by nk jemisin
~format: ebook
~about: lgbtqiap+, adult, sci-fi, dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, race and identity, non-heteronormative relationships, gagged at that reveal,
~ spoilers so skipped on this part
~ rep: a cast of queer and racially diverse characters, gay, bisexual and trans/nb rep
i had this book on my tbr for so damn long and it did not disappoint!! i wont lie that it was a rocky start but im glad i trudged on and the effort paid off *insert salute emoji *
i mean…what a spectacular story!!
it has one of the most satisfying climaxes of all time and as someone who enjoys the reveal (yk the moment when the red-stringed board is laid out and the dots finally start connecting) more than the chase, it was scrumptious to read!!
lastly, although the story ends on a cliffhanger 😭 i cant wait to follow essun into the second book!!
~cw: death, violence, murder, implied sexual assault, consensual on-page brief sexual content, war and destruction, manipulation, gaslighting, racism, xenophobia, classicism, pregnancy, death of loved ones, death of children, body horror (brief graphic description)
Squire by Sara Alfageeh, Nadia Shammas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
squire
by nadia shammas (writer) and sara alfageeh (illustrator)
~format: ebook
~about: young adult historical fiction, graphic novel, mentor and disciple dynamic, family and friendships, supportive parents, race and identity, reflective and poignant, ‘a passionate tale of honor, family, friendship, and what one does to protect those’ -taken from mirrormir’s review on sg
~ na
~ rep: jordanian characters with a disabled side character, written by a Palestinian-american author and illustrated by a Jordanian-american illustrator/artist
BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL STORY!!
UNABASHED AND UNAPOLOGETIC IN IT'S MESSAGE AND HEROISM
ALSO, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE ILLUSTRATIONS- THE CHARACTER DESIGNS AND THE SETTING- THE WHOLE BOOK TRULY!!
~cw: war, racism, xenophobia, colon alism, violence, blood, classicism, racial slurs, hate crime, injury/ injury detail, bodily mutilation
by nadia shammas (writer) and sara alfageeh (illustrator)
~format: ebook
~about: young adult historical fiction, graphic novel, mentor and disciple dynamic, family and friendships, supportive parents, race and identity, reflective and poignant, ‘a passionate tale of honor, family, friendship, and what one does to protect those’ -taken from mirrormir’s review on sg
~ na
~ rep: jordanian characters with a disabled side character, written by a Palestinian-american author and illustrated by a Jordanian-american illustrator/artist
BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL STORY!!
UNABASHED AND UNAPOLOGETIC IN IT'S MESSAGE AND HEROISM
ALSO, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE ILLUSTRATIONS- THE CHARACTER DESIGNS AND THE SETTING- THE WHOLE BOOK TRULY!!
~cw: war, racism, xenophobia, colon alism, violence, blood, classicism, racial slurs, hate crime, injury/ injury detail, bodily mutilation
Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
self-made boys
(remixed classics #5)
by anne marie mcLemore
~format: ebook
~about: lgbtqiap+, ya, historical, retelling, great gatsby queer reimagining, “American dream and its myths about self-made men”, be gay do crime, eat the rich, reclamation of one’s roots, sexuality and gender identity, beautiful prose, mutual pining, magical and absolutely dream like!!
~ m|m, w|w
~ rep: mexican-american transgender male character, transgender gay love interest, laina lesbian, sapphic love interest, other queer and brown characters
(remixed classics #5)
by anne marie mcLemore
~format: ebook
~about: lgbtqiap+, ya, historical, retelling, great gatsby queer reimagining, “American dream and its myths about self-made men”, be gay do crime, eat the rich, reclamation of one’s roots, sexuality and gender identity, beautiful prose, mutual pining, magical and absolutely dream like!!
~ m|m, w|w
~ rep: mexican-american transgender male character, transgender gay love interest, laina lesbian, sapphic love interest, other queer and brown characters
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
the darkness outside us
(the darkness outside us #1)
by eliot schrefer
~format: ebook
~about: lgbtqiap+, sci-fi, romance, astronauts in space, sunshine x grumpy, outer-space crisis, futuristic world, love, hope, love and duty, it is not what you think it is 👀,
~ m|m
~ rep: bi/pan mc, gay side character/love interest, gay rela ionship brief mentions of a side character using they/them pronouns
me when this book: talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it
initial thoughts: on one hand i am so interested in this story but it is also at the same time making me deeply uncomfortable that someone had the thought or the idea to cook this story up, okay. the principle upsets me more than the situation itself and right now i am a little too invested in this story to back track 🥲
such a simple premise and yet it dropkicks you in the gut every time you think you've finally understood it. tackling themes like love, duty and hope, i think this book does an extremely unique and amazing job at handling them; like you'd never know where it was taking you bc of the cover (which is in itself a work of art ☝️😍). someone on gr said in their review, “it made me paranoid at 3 in the morning” and i could not have agreed more cos i am at such a loss of words with this book. what i can say although is that, if you’re planning on reading this book (which you very much should) just read the blurb and dive right in to experience the writing genius that this book truly is!!
~cw: needles, blood, depictions of physical injury, violence, death, murder, suicide, confinement, cancer, gaslighting, vomit, medical trauma, medical content, gore
(the darkness outside us #1)
by eliot schrefer
~format: ebook
~about: lgbtqiap+, sci-fi, romance, astronauts in space, sunshine x grumpy, outer-space crisis, futuristic world, love, hope, love and duty, it is not what you think it is 👀,
~ m|m
~ rep: bi/pan mc, gay side character/love interest, gay rela ionship brief mentions of a side character using they/them pronouns
me when this book: talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it
initial thoughts: on one hand i am so interested in this story but it is also at the same time making me deeply uncomfortable that someone had the thought or the idea to cook this story up, okay. the principle upsets me more than the situation itself and right now i am a little too invested in this story to back track 🥲
such a simple premise and yet it dropkicks you in the gut every time you think you've finally understood it. tackling themes like love, duty and hope, i think this book does an extremely unique and amazing job at handling them; like you'd never know where it was taking you bc of the cover (which is in itself a work of art ☝️😍). someone on gr said in their review, “it made me paranoid at 3 in the morning” and i could not have agreed more cos i am at such a loss of words with this book. what i can say although is that, if you’re planning on reading this book (which you very much should) just read the blurb and dive right in to experience the writing genius that this book truly is!!
~cw: needles, blood, depictions of physical injury, violence, death, murder, suicide, confinement, cancer, gaslighting, vomit, medical trauma, medical content, gore
The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian by Nirad C. Chaudhuri
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.