Zell

Interesting idea but this felt lacking plot. I just wasn't invested in it.

Overcomplicated and somehow dense, which is rare for a cookbook. The intro was SO LONG and reading the recipes requires a lot of back and forth and hunting for component recipes then puzzling the whole thing together.

Interesting premise and plot, as well as interesting world-building, but this somehow felt more like a halfway-fleshed-out thought experiment than a book. It could have either been shorter and more compressed of a story, or a longer more in depth exploration, but the length it is just felt a little unsatisfying.

I've never found a cookbook before that felt soulless and corporate. This one somehow did. Pretty pictures but boring recipes and no feeling or authenticity.

Brings back some of the joy and newness I felt while listening to WTNV way back in high school. The new medium and commentary add something as well, for me. I wish there was more “bonus” material, but thats about my only gripe. Also would have loved an appendix with song lyrics/track notes for the weather

A bit obvious and one note but so well written and unique. I loved the characters, especially Bitter and Eddie. And the plot and world were so inventive.

This book was so unique and beautiful. I loved Anima, Vessel, and the mini-stories woven in. The poetry parts were inspired and so evocative, and the world was gorgeous and vibrant.

I didn't feel connected to any characters and there wasn't really any plot so this just felt like a lot of meandering with no purpose and no destination.

Really really well written. It felt almost like the narrator was telling an oral history in style, which was really effective. Some of the imagery was weird and repetitive, but it was a very impactful overall reading experience.

Interesting concept and plot. A little shallow and hard to read in the beginning but I loved it as it progressed.

Super interesting and well written exploration of dysfunctional family relationships and the challenges of growing up between cultures. My only critique is that it felt like there was really no growth or change with the family members so it ended up feeling a little bleak.

The stories that I did understand were interesting and unique, but for some reason there were quite a few of these where I read all the way through and I still couldn't tell you the plot.

Interesting and claustrophobic. -2 for implausible character actions and development, and -1 for unnecessary incest. I didn't particularly like Nell or Eva, they both come across as self centered caricatures. I'm bummed because this is one of the most realistic apocalypses I've read about, but the characters feel so two dimensional that it ruined it for me.

Interesting and beautiful pictures but this just didn't wow me for whatever reason.

Heartfelt and lyrical. Some of the single sentence pages felt like I would have loved them fleshed out more, but that's only because Mans' writing is so beautiful that I wanted to see what she could make of those ideas. Beautiful writing on being queer and black.

Interesting lore but this felt detached and like there wasn't much substance there. Tea is an interesting enough character but it feels like she is kept at arms length even though she is the main character.

Everything I want in a fantasy. N. K. Jemison is an absolute master of her craft and this is perfect.

Absolutely riveting. This book made me anxious as hell and I loved every minute of it. So perfectly brutal and compelling, Paul and Julien are both AWFUL and truly disturbed and it was so much fun to read this slow motion train wreck of a narrative. I can't say enough good things about this book.

I've never really liked enemies-to-lovers. But make it queer and I am SO HERE FOR IT. Also a fantastic portrayal of anxiety and depression. So basically, everything one could want in a book.

I appreciate the author sharing her experience, but this felt grim and nihilistic and didn't seem like it said much of anything. I walked away from it feeling a little numb and existential dread-y, which isn't what I want in a book.

This is a hard one for me. I loved Ifemelu's story and her character, but found her blog posts preachy and annoying. I couldn't get into Obinze's story, it didn't do anything for me. The love story and cultural commentary within the characters' stories were interesting, but the blog posts kind of felt forced.

Solid but not enough examples or “proof”/research studies cited to show it as an EBP in my opinion. Good stuff though!

This book made me feel things and I can't argue with that. I wish I could be more particular or nuanced here, but it made me cry so I had to give it at least 4 stars. I don't make the rules.

This was one of the loveliest books I have ever read. All of the characters were fantastic and human and beautifully written, and the ending was everything I could have ever wanted. Such a beautiful representation of found family and love and acceptance.

This really didn't work for me. It felt gratuitous and overly convoluted, and I had no idea who almost anyone was. The characters look too similar. Just depressing and dark without any reprieve.