Stephanie

I will admit that I judged this book by the beautiful cover, but I'm glad I did because it was a great read! This felt longer than its 160 page count due to the descriptive writing and how much is packed into the story. Even though this book is geared towards a younger audience, I think it is a great book for adults who are looking for something heartwarming, with a bit of a spooky atmosphere for an October fall reading day.


Thank you to NetGalley and North Star Editions for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. 

I really enjoyed this collection of poems and couldn't put it down until I finished it in one reading session. The writing was powerful and vulnerable, with hints of nostalgia, sorrow, and anger. I found quite a few poems very relatable, and were able to capture feelings I too had, but was not able to put into words. I felt seen. Kay's ability to take topics that seem unrelated to one another, but entwine them in the end was really enjoyable to read. This was my introduction to Sarah Kay and I look forward to reading more of her poetry in the future. 

DNF @ 35%

I'm so bummed to DNF this book, I was looking forward to reading it. I was completely caught off guard because the description of the book did not prepare me for the opening two chapters, which left me in “What did I just read?” mode. I did find it entertaining in a bizarre way, but my interest started to dip after the third chapter. The plot felt all over the place and I had a hard time following it. The characters are extremely unlikeable, which I'm sure is the intention, but it was more draining than anything to read about them.  Once the pedophile character was introduced, my interest in the book diminished completely.  I didn't find anything feminist with the book's constant fatphobic descriptions, and emphases on women's obsession with beauty standards and men. The cover art is amazing though.


Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really loved the Appalachian Mountains setting and that is what initially pulled me into this book. Second was the eco horror.  The writing in the first chapter is captivating, but quickly starts to derail a bit. I almost felt confused with all the imagery. While I usually love different povs in books, this one was giving me some deja vu with the recap of the previous chapter in a different pov.  I sadly had to DNF, which is such a bummer because I think this book had so much potential. 

Thank you to 47North and Netgalley for the ARC!

I thought the title and the cover of the book was hilarious and grabbed my attention. The first couple of chapters were written well, but my interest slowly declined the more and more I read. There were too many metaphors, too much Tiktok shout outs, it started to feel like it was trying too hard, which made it fall flat for me. 

I do wonder if there is use of AI. The incident the book is parodying happened in July while this was approved for me to read in August, while not impossible, is still a quick turn around. The cover of the book has changed twice on Netgalley (both covers possibly using AI) since I was given access to the title. I am also finding it hard to look up any information on the author, nor the publisher.

At only 11% in, I can't stand these characters enough to push through.

This was dragging on way too much to keep me engaged. Maybe I'll pick it up again in the future.

I have become a huge fan of translated Japanese healing fiction, and was really looking forward to this one for a while! I found the characters and the setting to be charming, though I admittedly started to lose interest because this book is a bit too slow paced for my liking. Even though I didn't finish it, I plan to go back to it another time, when I need that good, warm hug via reading again. I still think this book is worth checking out if you like slice of life and cozy books! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the arc!