Lauren

This review isn't going to be trustworthy - I'm essentially playing catch-up and rereading a series I started and didn't finish 20 years ago, so I'm lukewarm at press time

This book makes me want to slap every man in the D҉҉C҉K҉!Also, it's very important to me that the author chose to call td b*ndy “The Defendant” throughout the book instead of referring to him by name. That is huge for any real life survivor of any violent crime, especially ones who unwittingly get thrown into true crime fodder.

I may be one of the last people in America still reading this series, which is a damn pity, BECAUSE IT IS SO GOOD

Newest Sedarisism: “You could open a can with a face like that.” (Perhaps replacing “I GUESS I JUST HAVE A BUSY LIFE!” but probably not)

Lent is my favorite liturgical season, but I'm reading this as a Catholic so my perspective made it feel like looking in on something very familiar through wrapped glass. Like seeing your own pet cat in a different family's family portrait: the same but different.
The rating I'm giving isn't based on the actual quality of the book or the information. I love the Lenten season so much I want to welcome as many people into it as possible and have big, spirited conversations about it. But this particular perspective threw me off my footing, which is a “me” problem.

I don't think I cared for this book.

But there is something to say for dragons who will incinerate anyone on the spot for thinking at them wrong. I wish that could be me.

This little book was so inspiring and interesting. Currey gets an invite to the barbecue.

I'm going to agree with the majority here: this was no real substitute for the original short story, but I'm not complaining. Hyman is obviously the best man for the job of adapting his grandmother's classic into the graphic novel, and I simply do not have enough praise for the work he's done. First off, I'm very envious of his career and resume, even going back to his college years - if I could go back in time... but I digress.
I don't know how many readers are interested in old photographs and local histories and looking into the faded faces and wondering what their stories were. But for me, Hyman takes those mundane images and breathes life into them. It really felt life-like and as if happening in real-time. And as I've said, you'd be short-changing yourself if you skipped Jackson's lush short story, this is a good alternative for those who want to revisit the story

Humble-brag, but I'm no slouch when it comes to reading comprehension, especially in regard to Japanese literature and manga. That said...

This book made me feel... dumb.
I mean, right out the gate, books with mixed perspectives are my number 1 pet peeve in literature. I hate it. It's disorienting and frustrating. This little comic zig-zagged between characters and time-leaps back and forth so many times, it's hard to know who or what any of this is about, or even care. But I don't know if streamlining the story a bit more would actually have improved it for me. To quote the reviewer @akemi here:

Patriarchy sure loves dressing in the garbs of misanthropy, eh?

I just know my friends reading this review will clutch their pearls and think that “3 Stars” mean I “Hated It” - and nothing could be further from the truth. My honest review is based on the fact that I can't rate a book higher than “4 Stars” if I found it forgettable.
A few reviewers gave it a poor rating because, in my opinion, they really just didn't pick up on the dark humor or, worse yet, as a judgment on the memoirist's life. I don't think it's really appropriate to base a book's review on the author's honest truth - unless, of course, that person really is a creep - and I simply don't believe McCurdy is a bad person, especially not after reading her book. Her “bad behavior” (if you want to call it that) was just woundedness and acting out of vulnerabilities.
That said, at the end of the day, Personally - I'll probably forget I ever read this book, like so many other celebrity memoirs. I'm glad McCurdy is healing, and I'm excited to see what new projects she'll have in her very promising future.

Oh my God.
Well, I noticed these books really taking off suddenly because of TikTok, and I decided to humor all the little BookTokkers to see what all the fuss was about.
How do I say this? ...uh, I am not into Blue Alien Beefcake. The idea that it exists is very amusing to me, but not surprising. I Was, however, surprised that it was really good! Engaging characters, I never once sprained a rectus muscle in my eyeballs, enough of a unique take on the “Opposites Attract” troupe that even Paula Abdul would be into it.
One thing though.
I'd like to pass Dixon a folded up sheet of paper that lists all the synonyms for the word “utterly,” because ya girl had used it in every possible way without actually making one cow pun. Pivot, Diversify! Learn a new word, Jesus Christ!

Out of fairness, allow me to defend my 4-star review.
This book deserves a 5-star rating - the writing is delicious and perfect. I don't think I've heard such a vulnerable, throat-punching memoir on abuse in a queer relationship. So why didn't I give it that extra star? That's a “Me”-Problem. My role as it's reader, this time, is just to save it in my memory and tell the people who it's really meant to reach that it exists. Otherwise, I was not the person it was meant for.

As has certainly been mentioned, this book is dark and gross... despite all that, Moshfegh joyously played double-dutch with my heartstrings.
4/5, would buy for $1.25 at Dollar Tree again.

A bit of [b:Cloud Atlas 49628 Cloud Atlas David Mitchell https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563042852l/49628.SX50.jpg 1871423], a sprinkle of [b:Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 1 13570 Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 1 CLAMP https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386920662l/13570.SY75.jpg 15710], and a 1/2 cup of Covid Quarantine Writer's Deadline: it all felt like deja vu.Ultimately I found it over-hyped and forgettable.

There were a lot of things wrong with this book that nearly every other reviewer has brought up, but I should have known it was time to throw in the towel when the villain “laughed maniacally” off-screen, which happened basically in the 1st pages. But I instead chose to suspend my disbelief for 300 pages.
The chemistry between the couple wasn't the only implausible thing (not to beat a dead horse, but seriously. I should just stick with fanfic erotica because at least they're compelling and have heart), but there were so many times I rolled my eyes while reading I can't even remember them all.
I just keep coming back to what a perverted Disney Saturday Morning Cartoon villain this book gave.

The history of zines and anecdotes from zinesters were really interesting, though the technical stuff, while valuable, broke my brain.

TFW you waited 296 days from the time you finished vol 4 of Monstress to get ahold of vol 5, only to wait 188 days plus until vol 6.

I feel like I might have lost valuable brain cells I might never get back. I don't want to blame it on the eroticism, but just on the fact that I've been reading too many Hades/Persephone romances and they're all starting to blend together - and none are especially wowing me.

Yikes.

I have a couple of personal issues with this book (Carroll did not “invent” bullet journaling - I've been doing it in some form since I was 8 years old, and if I figured this out 25 years ago, millions of others probably did on their own as well - though he may have packaged and branded it) I think of Bullet Journalling as very feminine, and Carroll's book is what I would call “Bro-y” - his references and sources... let's just say, they're at odds with the interests of his target demographic (Though I did love the quote from Twin Peaks, and it is one of my personal mantras as well)
All that said, I do think the book is more inspiring than utilitarian (as other reviewers have mentioned, all his instructions are free and easy to find online)

I definitely think this book has been a victim of a

So... I'm finally finished this trilogy of which I seem to be the only person in the world who thought it was boring and isn't completely enamored with. It's a shame because personally, Lara-Jean & I have the same style, it just doesn't make up for the fact that the book (and series) is super plain.
While it obviously wasn't intolerable enough for me to give it up entirely, I feel let down by the hype - even from reviewers who are very honest and don't often lead me astray.
I was told that the characters who used to annoy me so much earlier in the series mature a lot - and honestly, I can kind of see that. It just bugged me that there were these little moments that were obviously built up to be these big moments of character development and nothing whatsoever came from them. ...Or maybe I am that condescending that I want even fictional teenagers to “learn their lesson!”

You know what? 4 Stars. The book was smokin and I'm always on the hunt for a good Hades & Persephone story between [b:Lore Olympus, Season 1 54463960 Lore Olympus, Season 1 Rachel Smythe https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603374207l/54463960.SY75.jpg 84995840] updates. I just wasn't taken with the modernization of the story - I'm not sure why anyone would make Persephone a journalist unless she was a Mary Sue. Not to mention, I wasn't totally smitten with Persephone's character. I guess I have a vague idea of what she would be like (sweet, but if she's to be the Queen of the Underworld, she should also be a Bawse B**ch) and this one was a bit bratty.

Oof. What a disappointment this was. I went in genuinely thrilled for a modern Gothic novel - and at least the setting rang true for that. But every other angle about this book fell terribly short of what could have been.
I've played games of Clue that were less half-baked than this so called thriller.
There were episodes of Scooby-Doo that were more memorable than this book was It desperately needed to go in for workshopping in every aspect.

I will admit to some bias when selecting this book for review, but it genuinely exceeded my expectations.
I knew this book would be for me because I have been a fervent journaler since the age of 8 - and nature journaling has always been a part of that. If I can be frank, I didn't expect this book to have had much new to teach me. I'm glad to say I was wrong about that!
The book is beautiful. There are so many tips and tricks to explore, but I think my favorite is that there is an emphasis on including all ages and skill levels. In fact, it makes me excited that I can share this book with my friends AND their small children.