Content warnings: transphobia, toxic family relationships, body dysphoria, medical content, panic attacks, classism
This was an extremely charming storContent warnings: transphobia, toxic family relationships, body dysphoria, medical content, panic attacks, classism
This was an extremely charming story and I loved the somewhat messy dynamic between the two leads. The cooking challenge aspect of the story added a lot of humour when you've essentially got two protagonists who can't crack an egg between them, and the romance that develops was delightful. I also really loved the way that they both looked at their gender identities and what that means for their relationship - JP sees himself as a straight man and sees their relationship as completely heterosexual where Luna sees their relationship as queer because they're both trans and they're in a relationship.
All in all, I read this more or less in a single sitting and had a lovely time. ...more
Content warnings: death, murder, descriptions of corpses, blood, gun violence, death of a loved one, homophobia, vomit
I love Tal Bauer's ability to wrContent warnings: death, murder, descriptions of corpses, blood, gun violence, death of a loved one, homophobia, vomit
I love Tal Bauer's ability to write characters and relationships that feel truly authentic, even when the circumstances around those character are utterly bonkers. This - a second chance romance between two men who fell in love as teenagers only to have their relationship fall apart but also they reconnect because of a string of horrifying murders - was somehow truly creepy and really lovely all at the same time.
The dynamic between the two protagonists and the backstory that unfolds was fantastic. The mystery side of things was compelling. I was hooked. I *did* question Shane's ability to walk at one particular point in the story, but that's a minor sticking point. ...more
Content warnings: natural disaster, homophobia, grief, hospitalisation of a sibling, perceived abandonment
This was an utterly charming and very heartfContent warnings: natural disaster, homophobia, grief, hospitalisation of a sibling, perceived abandonment
This was an utterly charming and very heartfelt story about a young girl struggling to find her place in the world and in her family following the destruction of their home by a tornado, especially when she now has twin baby brothers.
I kind of wish I'd read this with my eyeballs rather than reading the audiobook but I can't quite pinpoint why. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Ivy and June, and I loved the way it handled the uncertainty of coming to understand that your sexuality might not be the same as everyone else's. Will definitely have to revisit this in the future! ...more
Content warnings: homophobia, racism, cultural appropriation, bullying, outing, emotional abuse
3.5 stars
I don't know what it is about Lee's books but Content warnings: homophobia, racism, cultural appropriation, bullying, outing, emotional abuse
3.5 stars
I don't know what it is about Lee's books but they just...don't quite work for me and I CANNOT for the life of me work out why. Like, this should have worked for me. It's two teenagers of colour dealing with their respective families' shops potentially going out of business because a white-owned business is doing Asian-fusion food that everyone agrees is mediocre but it's very Instagrammable and so people are flocking there. And also they fall in love along the way. It SHOULD have been a hit for me. But it just...wasn't.
Don't get me wrong, it was FINE. But I feel like there were too many plotlines going on between the businesses maybe going under and the stealth business at school and the soccer and the ballet and the sibling dynamics and the friendship drama and as a result of all the side plots, the actual heart of the story...got lost.
So yeah. I enjoyed it. But I doubt it will stick with me. ...more
Content warnings: death of a sibling, death of a parent, sexual assault, murder, suicide (in the past), drug use, assault, bullying, classism, mentionContent warnings: death of a sibling, death of a parent, sexual assault, murder, suicide (in the past), drug use, assault, bullying, classism, mentions of transphobia
This was a wild ride from start to finish. The whole "my twin is dead, I'm convinced it's connected to her fancy rich school, I'm going to assume her place and try to get to the bottom of it" thing had me hooked, and while I'm not entirely sold on the concept of Luna taking her sister's place without anyone batting an eyelid (don't get me wrong, I fully buy that they can be so identical no one can physically tell the difference. But personality-wise? Ehhhhh) I was so hooked by all the twists and turns that it kept me guessing until the end.
My one gripe is how many pieces of uniform she owns. Three blazers? THREE?? I had two across the six years of high school - one from Years 7-10 and one for Years 11 and 12. Having three at once is unhinged. But that's just me nitpicking as someone who wore school uniform for 13 years at four different schools on three different continents....more
Content warning: mental health, racism, injury, toxic relationship, death of a parent (in the past), grief, classism, bullying
Nobody writes stories quContent warning: mental health, racism, injury, toxic relationship, death of a parent (in the past), grief, classism, bullying
Nobody writes stories quite like Liang does. This is something of a weird book - far more like her first than anything she's written since - but I really really enjoyed it. ...more
Content warnings: genocide, death, death of a loved one, death of a child, explosions, gun violence, blood, discussion of amputations, Islamophobia, cContent warnings: genocide, death, death of a loved one, death of a child, explosions, gun violence, blood, discussion of amputations, Islamophobia, colonisation, occupation
God, my heart. This is essential reading. It broke my heart multiple times, and I don't know what to say about it other than to give you several quotes from the book that I highlighted while reading:
- "Nobody in Gaza is alive through anything other than sheer luck."
- "I myself buy a bracelet kit for my cousins, Bara'a and Reena. Since the beginning of the Genocide, they've been obsessed with making bracelets for everyone. I wish I could say that it was for fun, but they've been branding each bracelet with a name, in case its intended owner gets killed."
- "Sometimes I wish that I'd just die, for the sake of resting in peace, and sometimes I wish to live, to one day see Palestine become free."
- "In Gaza, you are never just a number. Even though we lose more people than our hearts can handle, every single one is remembered, and loved, and mourned. Because that's what you'd want to happen for you, and that's the least that a human deserves."
- "I've always thought of journalism as a noble profession, but I never knew that being a Palestinian journalist is a crime. When I see news of a journalist being killed, or a journalist's family being targeted, I wonder if my family will be next."
- "Wars do not end when the bombs stop falling."...more
Content warnings: emotional abuse, sexual assault, toxic relationship
3.5 stars
I liked this, and I very much enjoyed having an aromantic protagonist. BContent warnings: emotional abuse, sexual assault, toxic relationship
3.5 stars
I liked this, and I very much enjoyed having an aromantic protagonist. But I think listening to it on audiobook wasn't the right choice for me. Because I absolutely ADORED the first book in the series, which I read on my Kindle. But with this on audio? I feel like there were aspects of the story that I missed because I wasn't paying as close attention as I should have been. I guess that's on me as much as anything. ...more
Content warnings: homophobia, Islamophobia, (view spoiler)[forced marriage, exorcism, drugging, child marriage, marital rape (in the past), child sexuContent warnings: homophobia, Islamophobia, (view spoiler)[forced marriage, exorcism, drugging, child marriage, marital rape (in the past), child sexual abuse (in the past), death of a friend, murder (hide spoiler)]
Oof. This book was..............look, it was great. But it was also A Lot. It took a little longer than I anticipated to get to the Bangladesh aspect of the story. But I loved the sibling dynamic, I loved how supportive her cousin and grandmother were, and the way support within the South Asian community was woven into the story was fantastic.
But as someone who has to do child safety and mandatory reporting training every year - which, in Victoria, includes sections on child marriage - I honestly just wanted her to take her passport and run straight to the US Embassy. Like, I understand why she didn't. And it would have been a much shorter book if she had. But it felt like things ended (view spoiler)[a little TOO happily, given the premise of the story, and I feel like there should have been at least SOME ramifications for her parents, given that they essentially kidnap their own child, take away her passport and her phone, drug her, put her through an exorcism, and then basically try to sell her to the highest bidder as a child bride, all of which kind of leads to the murder of a closeted gay man at the hands of a mob who are wielding machetes. (hide spoiler)] You know??
Anyway. I feel like I've been quite negative up until this point. But it WAS a very well done book and I flew through it because I *had* to know how the story played out. The grandmother's diary entries were painful to read, and I wish there had been a little more done with the dynamic between Rukhsana's mother and grandmother, given the contents of the diary. But all in all, this was very well done and I'm really glad I read it. ...more
Content warnings: homophobia, bullying, death of a parent (in the past)
3.75 stars
Look, I read this two months ago and then my brain turned into soup aContent warnings: homophobia, bullying, death of a parent (in the past)
3.75 stars
Look, I read this two months ago and then my brain turned into soup and I lost all ability to review things in a timely fashion and now I've forgotten most of the details. But I *do* remember that the second chance aspect worked really well, and I had a delightful time. I went almost immediately into book 2 because the dynamic between those two characters intrigued me so much. ...more
Content warnings: racism, racial slurs, attempted suicide, drug abuse, colonisation, mentions of domestic violence, mentions of child abuse
4.5 stars
ThContent warnings: racism, racial slurs, attempted suicide, drug abuse, colonisation, mentions of domestic violence, mentions of child abuse
4.5 stars
This was an extremely fast but extremely powerful read. It's a beautifully told story that deals really well with changing family situations and discovering that the adults you respect can be deeply flawed human beings who aren't at all who you thought they were. Darker than I anticipated, but definitely one I'll have to revisit in the future. ...more
Content warnings: homophobia, cheating, dementia, death of a parent
Loved the dual timelines and the generational storyline. Didn't QUITE stick the lanContent warnings: homophobia, cheating, dementia, death of a parent
Loved the dual timelines and the generational storyline. Didn't QUITE stick the landing for me though. Will forever respect Will Kostakis' ability to make me giggle and then rip my heart out two pages later. ...more
Content warnings: child abuse, racism, mentions of sexual assault, mentions of eating disorders
A truly fascinating (and horrifying) insight into AI anContent warnings: child abuse, racism, mentions of sexual assault, mentions of eating disorders
A truly fascinating (and horrifying) insight into AI and what it can and can't do.
A quote that's stuck with me: "Large Language Models (LLMs) are trained to produce plausible text, not true statements. ChatGPT is shockingly good at sounding convincing on any conceivable topic. But OpenAI is clear that there is no source of truth during training. That means that using ChatGPT in its current form would be a bad idea for applications like education or answering health questions. Even though the bot often gives excellent answers, sometimes it fails badly. And it's always convincing, so it's hard to tell the difference." ...more
Content warnings: bullying, ableism, alcohol, drug abuse, chronic illness, mental illness, (view spoiler)[death of a sibling (in the past), drug overdContent warnings: bullying, ableism, alcohol, drug abuse, chronic illness, mental illness, (view spoiler)[death of a sibling (in the past), drug overdose (in the past) (hide spoiler)]
I put off reading this for a thousand years because it involves chess and ya girl does not CARE. But I ended up loving this. I loved the arthritis representation and the way it impacts every aspect of Jules' life. I loved the fact that it's set in Belfast. I loved the complexities of both protagonists and their relationship with each other as well as with their parents and their friends.
All in all? Heartfelt and utterly charming and I loved it. ...more
Content warnings: animal death, war, gun violence, child death (in the past), animal death, mental health, suicidal ideation, nuclear explosions, impeContent warnings: animal death, war, gun violence, child death (in the past), animal death, mental health, suicidal ideation, nuclear explosions, impending natural disaster
3.5 stars
So here's the thing: I adored the first book in this series. Did I want more of this world and these characters? Yes. But I'm not ENTIRELY sure I wanted them like this. You know? Because these really aren't the characters I met and loved in the first book. These are very different characters in a very different setting, and the jumps between time periods were quite jarring at times.
So yeah. I did end up liking this? But part of me wishes it had been told in two distinct time periods rather than jumping back and forth between the two. ...more
Content warnings: gun violence, natural disasters, explosions, dystopian government situations, (view spoiler)[death of a parent (hide spoiler)]
I.....Content warnings: gun violence, natural disasters, explosions, dystopian government situations, (view spoiler)[death of a parent (hide spoiler)]
I.......don't know how to feel about this book. I've heard many people raving about it, and it's on the CBCA Older Readers shortlist. But personally? I just found this confusing. Also, why the hell is the publisher pushing it as a romance when that's literally the tiniest of tiny subplots??...more
Content warnings: death, murder, death of a friend, gun violence, blood, poop, racism, animal death, classism, stalking, alcohol, toxic friendship, boContent warnings: death, murder, death of a friend, gun violence, blood, poop, racism, animal death, classism, stalking, alcohol, toxic friendship, body horror, fire, confinement
Look, I fully understand every single criticism that people have of this book. I do. The kids are rich and privileged. The killer's motivations are ridiculous. A clown takes a shit in a Birkin bag. It's STUPID. I get it. But at the same time, I was in the depths of a reading slump and this book - which feels like a slasher movie - just WORKED for me. Clown shit and all. Pet porcupine and all. Ridiculous premise and all. Sue me. ...more
Content warnings: death of a parent (in the past), death of a sibling (in the past), transphobia, grief, panic attacks, homophobia, body dysmorphia, sContent warnings: death of a parent (in the past), death of a sibling (in the past), transphobia, grief, panic attacks, homophobia, body dysmorphia, suicidal ideation
So here's the thing: I did very much enjoy this book. I liked the characters. I liked the premise. I liked the way that Christopher found a way to live an authentic life. The writing was lovely.
However. I had a range of issues with this: (view spoiler)[1. The concept of an earl travelling from the UK to the US for business purposes with his entire family in, like, 1808? Absolutely unheard of. An earl wouldn't do such a thing. And even if he did, he wouldn't take his entire family. Like, I can suspend my disbelief about certain things, but this was taking things a little beyond the point of no return for me. 2. I wanted Christopher and James to have a conversation about body dysmorphia and how it wasn't the same for both of them. 3. I feel like the UK/Australian title and cover make this feel like more of a romance than it is. Yes, there's a romance in the story. But it felt like it was very much in the background for the majority of the story. I think the first kiss happens beyond the 90% mark, from memory?? 4. The ending felt.........odd? Like, giving up your source of income to start over on the other side of the world when you essentially have zero marketable skills? Hmm. Choices. (hide spoiler)]
So yeah. I did like it. A lot. But it was also VERY clearly by a US author. And a US author writing their first historical novel. ...more
Content warnings: murder, gore, blood, drugging, domestic violence, death of a parent (in the past), grief, emotional abuse, classism, body horror, caContent warnings: murder, gore, blood, drugging, domestic violence, death of a parent (in the past), grief, emotional abuse, classism, body horror, car accident (in the past), death
3.5 stars
Okay, as a general rule, I really like YA crime/horror books that take historic true crime and turn it into a modern story for a new audience. Bryce Moore does it extremely well. So, I was really excited to read this one which takes the Borden murders and twists them into a 21st century story.
Unfortunately, this turned out to be a TAD too paranormal for my liking. Like, don't get me wrong. There's a place for paranormal horror in the world! I just wanted this, which is very clearly tied to Lizzie Borden, to be more of a thriller-y horror story than a paranormal-y story. And that's on me, 100%. ...more
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