yellowbinge's reviews
308 reviews

The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride 1 by Midori Yuma

dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Publishing date: 25.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: Girl gets cursed, demon hunter meets her and "falls" for her after an incident. 2 stars, vibes were off.

A young girl (15 or younger at the start of the book????) is set to marry a young lord (age unknown). She gets tricked and cursed by a demon and the lord no longer wants her. One day she meets a demon hunter who sees her face after an incident and "falls" for her.

First of all, before I get into characters or story or anything else. The age here set off alarm bells in my head. Very early in it is mentioned that the main character is set to marry someone WHEN she turns 15. I was gagged. I do not care for your justifications for setting 15 instead of 18, I am not for reading that. Not a fan. Unnecessary age to set it at, up it to 18 and we can talk again. Also I know she is older during the events of the manga, but that setup has turned me off completely for my reading experience here.

Characters. fine. None of them felt really special, it was more of a setup and introduction kind of volume. Yes, relationships get a little flavor, but in general they are flat for now. Depth to come in later volumes.

Story was actually kind of interesting, I just wish it was a little more ... Yeah, just more. Also the fascinating choice to make smell such a central theme is creative. Liked that aspect, even if it felt a little silly.

The art is gorgeous though. Beautiful work.

Audience ... Young adult again. It doesn't have the right themes for a middle grade story even if it isn't that graphic in any way.

I am sadly giving this 2 stars. The initial age thing I mentioned set a sour tone for me. This is unfortunate, but maybe you won't mind as much and find a bunch to enjoy here.

Content Warnings

Manga Classics: Sherlock Holmes (A study in scarlet) by Arthur Conan Doyle

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Publishing date: 21.01.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A Sherlock Holmes mystery, but cartoonified. Artstyle was too cartoony, 2 stars.

In this cartoonification we see Sherlock and Watson meet up for the first time, and also get into their first murder mystery. Any longer summary would be spoilers.

The characters here were boiled down versions of their book-counterparts. Sherlock had his ego boosted, and anything else that made him compelling and "real" srtipped away. Watson has the sidekick role and "boost Sherlock's ego" role. Anyone else isn't worth talking about, they are all background characters. Well except the killer, but that would be a spoiler to talk about.

The relationship between Sherlock and Watson had no drive behind it. No chemistry, no proper bond. They were roommates ... That don't talk to each other except for complaining. That's the vibe I found here.

Story is all over the place. It felt so jumbled and directionless. Just my opinion. Pacing was fine though, pretty straightforward.

The art ... Not a fan. It was too cartoony. I expected something else from the cover. It felt a little soulless and flat. The art does carry weight in my ratings when it is a manga, so this docks a few points.

I am a little unsure about the audience .Young adults, maybe middle grade. More mature readers will find more joy from the original books.

Sadly giving this 2 stars. It fell flat for me. I wasn't much interested in finishing, and I was disappointed in the art.

Content Warnings

Love Languages by James Albon

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Publishing date: 06.05.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A woman moves to Paris for a job, meets a foreigner and becomes close friends. But it isn't easy making a stable life for yourself in a foreign country. 4 stars.

Sarah has moved to Paris because of a job, finding a boring and colorless everyday life. Soon she meets Ping. The two connect ove their difficulties with French and create their own amalgamation of three languages to understand each other.

I adored the relationship between Ping and Sarah. It felt very much akin to friendships I have had myself where we don't quite understand each other, but we keep on communicating anyways. The way they communicate is also so similar to me and my husband's way, a combo of multiple languages. How beautiful that we can bridge gaps with something so different but so alike all the same.

The story has the typical ups and downs of "person moves to another country" stories. The excitement, the boredom, the new relationship, a struggle brewing, chaos, and lastly sadness. I did enjoy the story greatly, but it felt like something I had read before.

The art here is stunning. Beautiful colors, flowing lines, and creative way of speech-bubbles. The way the colors conveyed emotion and excitement was a really nice touch. Whenever Sarah was with Ping the colors were vibrant and diverse. When she was alone, the colors were dull and few. Stunning.

Also, great and realistic LGBTQ+ rep here. I feel like this is the best portrayal I have seen so far. Lesbians for the win.

Audience is young adult to adult. Anyone with an interest in language will enjoy this. People who have moved to other countries might find it relatable. And if you are a girl-kisser with the need for some cozy romance this might hit the spot.

I am giving this 4 stars. Stunning art, cute story, lifted my mood. Highly recommend it.

Content Warnings

Veil, Vol. 1: Body Temperature of Orange by Kotteri

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lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Publishing date: 11.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

NOTE: Elements from this review are also used in the review for volume 2.

TLDR: A blind woman and a police officer have a chance encounter which a sweet friendship blooms from. Full of beautiful art. 4 stars

A blind woman bumps into a man. They get to know each other, and he offers her a job. They are now coworkers. Their relationship deepens, but they still keep a respectful distance.

These two are so sweet. They really have THE relationship with each other. They tease and comfort, push each other up, and protect each other. I really enjoyed reading about these two. There are basically no other characters here, so they get all the pages for themselves.

Story is ... not here? I would say this manga contains mostly snippets only. Daily life scenarios. Nothing wrong with that. Just don't expect a super fleshed out story.

The art in this manga is BANGER. I really loved it. In between chapters you get these beautiful prints of him and her. Separate, and together. Absolutely stunning. I might in part have picked this up because I admire the artist's work.

Audience is hard to pinpoint. It fits for any age from middle school and up. Exactly what kind of person, I am not sure. It fit for me because of the art, it might for you too. Maybe it is an "everyone should read this" kind of thing.

I am giving this 4 stars. Stunning art, sweet panels, and I know there is more to come. Definitely reading any other volume the author puts out. No questions asked. Highly recommend.

Content Warnings

Dead Rock 1 by Hiro Mashima

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adventurous funny fast-paced

4.0

Publishing date: 04.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A school for demons to gain access to the human world with absolutely no rules. 4 stars

In this manga we follow an aspiring student during his entrance exam to a high school for demons. We also get to meet a bunch of other characters that will be relevant (hopefully) in later entries for the manga. The school itself is a no-rules, dog eat dog kind of environment.

All of these characters got the same amount of depth in the first installment, none. You get introduced to them, name, what powers they have, and the "branch" of their powers. Hopefully they get explored further in the future.

Story wise has the same thing going for it, it is all introductory. We get to know the current happenings, our goal, and what needs to be done asap to do that. No more depth, just an introduction.

Pacing is a little all over the place, I am not sure how fast time is moving or when we were left off.

I really liked the artstyle of this manga. It is illustrated by the person who made "Fairy Tail", so if you like that style this will fit in. This manga also carries the same vibes, a lot of the same tropes, and the same hot-headed and "loud" characters. Really, if you like Hiro Mashima's work you will like this work too.

Audience could be anything between teen and adult. it isn't too graphic for teens, and it isn't too childish for adults either. Anyone who enjoys an action centric plot will like this.

I am giving this 4 stars. So far it has checked all my boxes for a manga I will enjoy, and I am looking forward to more. Will be reading the next installment ASAP.

Conversations With My Cat by Chuck McKenzie, Chuck McKenzie, Macready McKenzie

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Publishing date: 06.09.2024 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Daft Notions for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: If your cat could converse with you, this is very likely what they would say to you. 3.5 stars

In this book we follow conversations between an owner and mostly his new orange cat, sometimes his other cat.

These characters are bare-bone, but I think that may be intentional so the reader can project their own cat-human relationship. I was personally imagining myself with my orange cat having these conversations.

There is no direct story, but it has a few plot points that get picked up and resolved on the way. Important note, this book is dialogue only. No descriptions, no third person view, this is dialogue only.

I really enjoyed the conversations. They felt relatively realistic. This is what I imagine my cats would say to me and demand of me. Very funny, as a cat owner. I also enjoyed the fact that it was dialogue only. This kind of format is rare, but very refreshing to see. Looped me out of a pretty rough reading slump.

Intended audience is naturally cat owners. Anyone with cats can relate to parts of or every single conversation. I would also like to say that it is directed at adults, as the humor feels a little more adult. Not explicit necessarily, but the tone is a little adult.

I am giving this 3.5 stars. Refreshing, quick read. Not groundbreaking, but did what it set out to do. I would recommend this to anyone with cats and a little time on their hands.

Woman in Blue by Douglas Bruton

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Publishing date: 20.02.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Fairlight Books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A man visits a painting every day and falls in love with the subject and the art itself. On the other side, the subject internally converses with her admirer and reflects on the time she was posing for said painting. 3 stars

An unnamed man visits a painting in his local museum every day. He falls in love with the painting, more specifically the subject. On the other side the subject converses with him, reflects on his affections, and wonders if he truly loves her. She also tells us of the time she was posing for the painting, and the relationship she had with the artist.

The characters here are deeply flawed and hypocritical. The men talk about love, but they love two people. The woman also speaks of love, but more superficially or like something she can use. No one was directly likeable or dislikeable, more like people I simply disagree with.

Pacing is strange. I have no concept of how much time has actually passed, or exactly when the different POV's take place. It is a slow paced book writing style-wise, but I think it is moving quickly timeline-wise.

The story itself is strange and obsessive. These people are all obsessed with each other, but the focus is mostly on the woman. So it is a character centric story. Not much happens, really.

I did not enjoy the way they talked about the woman. "Out of shape", "distant", they way they phrased whether or not she was pregnant. It felt icky. It felt like they viewed her as a lesser being.

The woman herself also has a few problems. A spine first of all would be nice. Something happens where she is disgusted, but does nothing. She seems so conflicted with the things she does and can't make up her mind properly. There is also a lot of flip-flopping of "loves me, loves me not". I found it a little tiring and juvenile.

The writing is beautiful, but maybe a little boring and "compact". Separating it a little more would make for a more comfortable reading experience. That might just be me.

Audience is adult. Targeted at people who enjoy themes of obsession, moral dilemmas, and a little surrealism.

I am giving this 3 stars. I enjoyed the premise, but not the execution. It was a little hard to read with the blocks of text on every page. But if it seems interesting I would recommend you try it.

Content Warnings

Hauntress by Minetarō Mochizuki

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Publishing date: 25.02.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: High School student opens his door after hearing non-stop ringing of his doorbell. Now his life is hell ... 3 stars

Hiroshi wakes up to his neighbors doorbell ringing, he inspects and finds a woman outside. Now his doorbell is ringing, the same woman again. Now she has become obsessed with Hiroshi instead and starts to stalk him. Making his life hell.

Hiroshi is a pretty bland guy. So is everyone else. The one person with a lot of intrigue is the woman herself. I found her really interesting and wanted to know why she was doing the things she did and who she really was.

Pacing is fine, looks like the story takes place over a few weeks maybe. Moves quicky.

Story is of course centric to the main character and the struggles with his ... situation. I found it really intruiging. Very tense.

I really liked the artstyle here. The proportions of facial features upped the creep-factor three fold.

This mangas audience is the typical horror-manga enjoyers. Maybe this could be a good entry point too for those who have read little to no horror mangas. Late teens to early twenties age range.

I am giving this three stars. Nothing spectacular, and I have read creepier mangas before. This is just fine, did it's job of creeping me out a little.

Content Warnings

Chills at Her Living Cry by Kevin St Jarre

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dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Publishing date: 30.10.2024 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A woman becomes obsessed with a filly, the onlookers are convinced the filly is evil and the woman is mad, everything goes wrong

A woman and a horse have the same due date, the horse births a healthy filly, the woman's daughter is stillborn. Soon the woman becomes obsessed with the newly born filly and takes her as her own child. Our main character attempts to help on the farm as well as he can while everything around him crumbles.

The characters here are a really interesting read. No one is purely in the right or wrong, they have nuances and reasons to believe what they believe. No-one is purely two-dimensional, but I wish a few of them had more exploration of their character or maybe a few more pages dedicated to them.

Pacing can be a bit all over the place. Sometimes it is very slow, suddenly time moves quickly again, then we are back to slow ramblings. There isn't any proper consistency, but with the theme here that might be fitting.

Story ... I loved it. It had lots of intrigue and questions. I was at the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next. The suspense, the mystery, the grief, the anger, the madness. This is a great blend of it all. However, the ending is open-ended to some extent and might feel a little dissatisfying to some readers.

I really enjoyed the portrayal of grief. How much it can change a person, how you might seem mad while grieving, and how you can actually turn mad while doing so. It felt so raw and deeply personal. This is very much an emotions based book, and I loved that.

This book might be successful with any readers. Maybe especially those who enjoy some surrealism. It isn't strictly fantasy or surrealism, but it has glimpses of both. Age range is adult to new adult.

I am giving this the full 5 stars. Mightily enjoyed my time with it, ticked all my boxes, and was very refreshing. Highly recommend.

Content Warnings

Keily Paperback Bundle (Books 1-3) by Manjari

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Publishing date: 01.12.2024 (DD/MM/YYYY)

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A deeply insecure FMC, lots of fat-shaming and bullying, a very toxic relationship

Keily has just started highschool and is struggling. Struggling with her self image, others judgement, and her crush ... who is also bullying her. This is, in short, the best description of all the books (in my opinion). It has all the usual events of a high school setting too. Drama, classes, struggling with grades, a ball, a sporting event, after school events, and parties.

The characters were engines for the story and for our two main characters and their romance. Main characters are a little shallow with glimpses of a person beneath their flat surface. They also have their ... reasons for their behaviour. While I don't find them that believable, it is at least a reason.

Pacing is fine, not too quick and not too slow. The story beats hit where they should and get mostly resolved in time with each other.

Story wise ... It is really not that much of a story. it is character driven, there is some development, but the characters tend to fall back to their usua. bad habits between books. Keily was mostly the same person from book 1 to 3.

I had a few issues with this book. The character is so insecure and it has become such a main focal point for her. Several times per page she will internally comment on her own weight and compare herself to others. Remark on how no one likes her, how she has no redeeming qualities ... it gets a bit much. Writing an insecure character is hard, but managing self-deprecation is key.

The relationship seemed very one sided feelings-wise. She seemed so into him while he seemed very not. Like he didn't care, as if she was something he settled for. This also continues throughout the book. While yes they get a "deeper" relationship for each book, the vibes were mostly the same. Lukewarm.

Finally, the writing style. This had a slight "first wattpad fiction" feel to it. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I think I have outgrown my wattpad era.

I would say the intended audience here is young adults, possibly even teens. It is a high school romance. Narrow it down to wattpad readers in highschool and we have the audience.

Sadly I am giving this one star. It was not for me, the time I spent with the books was close to miserable, and I was tracing my path back to my own insecure highschool era and having thoughts I really shouldn't. I found the amount of self-deprecation almost triggering.

Cannot recommend

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yellowbinge's reviews 308 reviews

yellowbinge's reviews
308 reviews