Zell

Really interesting and well written, I enjoyed the essays and recipes. I would have loved more pictures, but this is an overall beautiful book

Really well written. A little hard to follow at times with all the characters and their different stories, but definitely an interesting take. The similar/parallel storylines here really make you think, and the characters are interesting and believable

I'm not saying this book wasn't problematic, because I see the issues. However, I loved the characters and the story so much that I can't help but give it five stars. It drew me in and I laughed out loud multiple times. The side romance was fantastic so I have to consider this a problematic fave.

I wouldn't call this a thriller, but then again, on the publication info page it isn't referred to as one. What this is is a great family narrative, full of gray areas, conflicting loyalties, and flashes of a really dark past. The characters are beautifully written and I found this such an easy and satisfying read, set in an intriguing and complex cultural landscape.

Beautiful descriptors, gorgeous fantasy elements, and a complex and flawed protagonist. Oh, and it's also queer. I loved this book from start to finish. It is a perfect blend of historical and fantastical, with a lot of timeless issues brought in as well.

Interesting thought experiments but not well fleshed out. This book goes in 40 different directions that could all be interesting but it feels like you're being given sketches rather than a fleshed out idea.

This second part of the series does such a beautiful job at fleshing out the world and all of the stories. It manages to carry quite a few parallel storylines without feeling confusing or underdeveloped. Probably the best comic series ever.

The White Witch parts of this book and the parts telling the teens' stories were really well done, but felt entirely out of place juxtaposed with rest, some of which was boring or nonsensical. The ending was a disappointment. It felt like two books in one- a good one and a bad one. 2.5 stars rounded down.

Interesting and poetic, I enjoyed the writing style and descriptions but found the characters less fleshed out than I would have liked to see.

This felt overly referential and pretentious. The kids didn't feel realistic and the parents weren't fleshed out. I feel like we got information about their actions but not who they are, if that makes sense. The native narrative and immigration conversation were jumbled and felt like plot devices.

For some reason, these didn't work for me. I didn't feel connected to the characters or drawn into the stories. I enjoyed the first story but felt it went downhill from there.

This was so so so so good! I LOVE Mike's voice, the coming of age narrative here, and how realistic/relatable everyone feels. This was a fantastic story about growing up black and gay, and the writing style made it even better.

Pretty pictures, fairly repetitive and basic recipes. Worth a read but probably not worth buying.

Really well written, there were a couple little things that didn't work for me but overall this was a fantastic coming of age/disability/friendship/love story and I really loved Eve.

These poems were good but for me they lacked a certain spark. I think they touch on important topics and feel deeply personal, but they just didn't do much for me personally - they almost feel too clinical and precise? Not sure exactly what it is that I'm missing.

A really interesting and unique read. I loved how much was left as uncertain throughout the book- West sometimes seems like the most sane character, and I half expected this to end up being a time travel novel. Such interesting characters and jumps in time. The pacing felt really slow at parts to me, but the commentary on schizophrenia and Alzheimer's was really really good.

Absolutely flawless storytelling, so well put and with perfect pacing. These were gorgeous rich stories while still moving quickly enough. I love Butler's masterful ability to drop the reader into a world and allow them to understand it without extensive world building or exposition. Truly remarkable, possibly the best short story collection I've read.

Deeply unsettling and really interesting. I liked this a lot, it was creepy and surrealist and a little magical. This book left me feeling haunted and full of existential dread. Not a 5 star read because of multiple unnecessary depictions of abuse of a dog, which just jolted me out of the story.

I always love a weird surreal book, and this one definitely fulfilled that for me! Unique in that nothing truly outside the realm of possibility happens, but it still feels unreal and dream-like (or nightmarish?) A little slow paced for me but ultimately super satisfying.

Some useful exercises and explanations, but a really outdated view of trauma - this is pre-EMDR and predates the idea that talking about trauma can actually be more traumatizing.

Very interesting story collection with impressive depth and breadth of material. These stories were often deeply unsettling and totally immersive. Some of the pacing felt odd, but otherwise really really good. Definitely worth a read.

Lots of dramatic 1% drama that just feels contrived and unrealistic. Super over the top, no one's reactions make sense, and the characters all lack depth. I like a lot of YA so I know it isn't an audience issue, this just didn't work for me. And the whole teenagers having really over the top sex thing didn't work for me.

This didn't feel progressive or feminist, it felt gross and self-centered and disrespectful. I'm deeply disappointed that my eyes had to read these words. Thanks, I hate it.

Really well written and insightful. These stories capture the realities of racism in the 1920s/30s so vibrantly. I love Hughes' writing style, and although not all of these stories worked for me, a super strong collection overall.

Delightfully weird and disturbing. I wasn't expecting body horror from this but it was so well done! A great mix of just weird vibes and graphic descriptions. I loved every single story.