Dana

I absolutely cried reading this middle grade graphic novel about D&D. It was so good! And I liked the message too; no one can be a lone wolf forever. I'm glad that Jess realized she was a jerk and attempted to genuinely make amends. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one. 

I liked this one even more!!

Okay but enemies to lovers, fake marriage, and a dog???? How could I not? I loved every minute of Leather & Lark and I can't wait for the next one. I was into Lark the minute I met her in book 1. She's so spunky, funny, badass, and loyal. I adored her. I loved that Lachlan was a dick to her too and she took it in stride and gave just as much shit back to him. I loved the insane plot that was put into motion by a badass elderly auntie. I was equally crying out of laughter as I was in cute moments. And the spice???? Yes please. I also love how book 1 and 2 are taking place at the same time (relatively). There's a few scenes where we get to read it from Lark and Lachlan's POVs when we got Sloane or Rowan's previously. And since I know book 3 is Rose and Fionn, I'm excited to see their story take place through this whole series! 

All in all, I'm buying this series because I fecking loved it.

Holy crap I blasted through this one! It really hooked me! 

This was super fun. It's a ‘shut your mind off and enjoy reading' kind of book. I really liked the premise and found the execution even better. It was FUNNY. And while I found Rowan's obsession with Sloane a little alarming at first, it was incredible to see him worship her. The sex scenes were steamy without being too porny and had a good amount of fluff too. I found the proposal hysterical and oddly romantic. 

I also find it funny that the ice cream disturbed me more than anything else in the book.

Like a car wreck, I couldn't look away from this one. And it went about as well as a car wreck too. 

I don't have much to praise about this book... the premise was promising. It failed to deliver. The romance is insta and had a pointless triangle. The pacing was wild (it was nice when we were in the moment but there were several sudden jumps in time that were abrupt). The religion was... there. It's Religious Trauma: The Book. Lia was frustratingly wishy washy and idiotic. Ruven was conveniently there or not there to hold her hand thru the whole thing. Araunn had the personality of wet paper and his sister Varia, the only character that was interesting, was shoved to the side. A huge plot point was the Red Plague that Lia healed in two pages and then it's never mentioned again. It could have benefitted another round of edits, in my opinion, to tighten up the plot (which had a lot of holes. Generally I'm okay with over looking plot holes in fantasy but this was... a lot). 

I think I'll be passing on future Rosamund Hodge books as they are just not it for me.

I'm kinda at a loss to describe the mix of emotions I feel after finishing this book, so I'll start at the beginning.

I was very excited to read this as I LOVE novels told in letters, it takes place in the ocean (sharks are my favorite animals), and it is a mysterious romance. And it did all add up to a 5 star read! It was, however, quite different from what I was expecting.

If you do not like purple prose, well written or not, this is NOT the book for you. The first 50% of the book was a SLOG to get through as everyone speaks in such flowery, descriptive, and LONG sentences. Once we hit E.'s “incident” or “accident”, the pace picked up and I was absorbed. I actually finished the book on the day I reached that part!

The writing is very well put together but I found the language unnecessarily slow and tedious to decipher. Add in a shit ton of world building that isn't well laid out, and its somewhat of a frustrating read. BUT the mystery and the past/present timelines converging was so exciting and fun to delve into! Pun intended.

I really liked our (rather large) cast of characters. I felt for both E. and Henerey's mental illnesses (loved that rep!) and I admired Sophy and Vyerin's dedication to discovering the truth and their FANTASTIC PLATONIC FRIENDSHIP!!! We need more platonic friendships in fiction. Also both are in gay marriages and I LOVED their partners too!!!! And the expedition team was so fun to read about! All the characters were done fantastically. They felt so real!

The plot, while meandering, long, and obfuscated, was absolutely fascinating once hitting that half way mark and we really got into it. It's one of those I'll need 5-10 business days to process.

Also, how dare it end in such a way?! A cliffhanger?! I need book 2 soon please! 

Interesting concept that got a little slogged down with lots of words and exposition. The climax and resolution took maybe only the last 1/8th of the book. Overall, an unsettling horror-esque read that s well put together for the most part.

I really like the illustrations and use of color in this one! Everything is so vibrant! The plot is easy to follow and well done. I liked the included spell glossary at the back too! This really just sets up for a book 2, but its a good read on its own. I really liked the diversity included as well; there's a plus size character of prominence within the city! Very fun to see.

Stunning adult graphic novel about a girl born of monsters determined not to become one alongside a knight disgraced and stripped of his reputation. The art is so lovely and the story was well laid out and put together. I enjoyed this one very much. A darker sort of fairytale.

Super fun sequel to the first. I liked that we still got snippets of how Drago met his two vamp friends as well as learning how to make new ones. I really liked seeing how they welcomed him into camp after the whole fiasco. I could easily read another 2 or 3 volumes of this series!

Well done graphic novel about a boy who goes to a silent meditation retreat after getting in trouble for fighting at his school. While I found the lessons well done and that he learns from them, we never see the results of the lessons. We don't see him tell his family why he got into trouble for fighting or really any justice for the bully. I really feel like it needed to be 2-5 pages longer at least so that we can see the results of his journey. 

I really liked this one. Its about standing up for yourself to an overbearing parent while also learning how to do things you once loved again. I liked the message and art and it was overall just really heartwarming and well done. 

Cute, fun read about some kid vampires who get into trouble. Not too deep but the art is fun and they're little chaos goblins so its a good time.

Seems like most people either love or hate this collection of short stories so I'm curious to see where I fall.

Sundown At the Eternal Staircase
5 stars
Super atmospheric and eerie. I love little weird things that happen at tourist attractions. I liked how it ended too where the pamphlets about the Staircase warns you that this is a story that's happened again and again.

A Diviner's Abecedarian
4 stars
I really liked the format of this one. The “definitions” of the different types of divination leading us through the narrative. I wished for a slightly less abstract end, but it's to be expected of this bizarre collection.

The Thread Boy
4 stars
Lovely story about a boy made of thread that gets caught on those who've made impressions on him until he pretty much comes unraveled. I really liked the ending.

Fox Jaw
3 stars
More abstract than the last few but as I understood it, its about a person leaving a toxic situationship. They're a writer and are writing about Mars and Martians and thinks about taking the things in their life and putting it on page with their Martian spin. Ending was somewhat macabre but fit the eerie vibe.

The War of Fog
4 stars
My first ‘wtf did I just read?' moment. My interpretation is that they are stuck in a 9 day time loop and the narrator occasionally catches glimpses of the repeating days from alternate timelines?? The bit about how time moves on by reading each word after the next sent me into an existential crisis for a hot minute... Fun, I guess?

Drowning Lessons
5 stars
I liked the premise and execution, but I want to know more. This is the first short story I want more of; not like an explanation, but to follow the characters more. This one was totally a bummer but also super interesting. How?? Why?? What happens next?

The Autumn Kill
2 stars
While I liked the 2nd person style, I was so confused. Much more abstract than the others. Has the feeling of almost like a mythology story speaking directly to you kind of vibe... I'm sure it works for some, but not me.

Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart
5 stars
First, while I found the illustrations unsettling, I also loved them. Second, this is told in a similar format to A Diviner's Abecedarian, where each entry adds a little to an overall narrative that we are left to decipher. It was a lot of fun. There also really are fifty beasts described.

A Lily is a Lily
4 stars
When you yearn for someone so much you build her up in your mind to be the perfect pinnacle and that yearning brings her to life... and then when you meet the real her again and she fails to live up to this pinnacle that you created... Tristan is a POS.

Dear Henrietta
5 stars
Hell. Yes. Bitch. Possibly my favorite of them so far. The narrator is writing a letter to an old friend whom we learn ran off with her husband years ago. She returns the favor >:)

Possessions
2 stars
I understood what was going on but it's like feeling the knife twisting in your gut. And you also can't stop it. I feel like this one was too short and needed a bit more to it overall.

Homebody
4 stars
An almost literal take on the title. Really good, really interesting. Quite sad.

A Haunted Calendar
3 stars
A collection of short stories within this short story collection. Fun and sometimes creepy little 4-8 sentence stories.

The Plums at the End of the World
4 stars
Another ‘wtf' story but its well done. I'm still reeling but this one was probably the most disturbing to me, but still... well done.

Overall, this collection received 54/70 stars making it approximately 3/4 stars, which I'll round up to 4/5 stars. These were well written, purple prosey, eerie, creepy, disturbing little things but by reading them and taking them in, they've made a home in my soul and I know it will stick with me a long while. Well done. 

I love Elizabeth Lim and the twisted tales series so I knew I'd enjoy this one!

‘Cast Out' by Livia Blackburne
What if Snow White learned magic?
3.5 stars
Interesting premise but the payoff wasn't worth it. The ending felt rushed like they spent so much time setting up the magic, but forgot they only had a few pages to wrap up the story. Overall, I liked the idea more than the story, but it was written well.

‘A First Mission' by Elizabeth Lim
What if Mulan became the Emperor's advisor?
4 stars
I always find Elizabeth Lim's writing enchanting and this was no different, even with the short length. I liked that Mulan and Shang's romance was merely hinted at and not the focus, since it was not the prompt of the story. I liked the conflict, resolution, and the small “twist” at the end. I say “twist” because we know what's going to happen since these mostly do end happily. Still, it was a great short story.

‘Et Voila' by Liz Braswell
What if Remy had met Colette first?
4.5 stars
I thought this was a greatly fun twist on the original! Of course, with it being a short story, the end felt rushed but I really enjoyed this potential alternate world. The writing was excellent for a story based on the two main characters not being able to really communicate. Overall, I'd totally read a full novel based on this premise.

‘The Envelope' by Jen Calonita
What if Anastasia had a change of heart?
5 stars
Following the “evil stepsister” Anastasia was nice! I liked that she LEARNED from her mistakes. I liked that she wanted to be better, mostly for her father, but also for Cinderella. I enjoyed her budding romance. I really liked the writing. Overall, my favorite of the bunch thus far!

‘A New Dawn' by Farrah Rochon
What if Mufasa gave up his throne?
3 stars
I think where this one failed for me was that I wasn't sure at which point the reimagining was starting. We find out several pages in that Scar did throw Mufasa to the wildebeests but he survived and then stepped down. Then it clicked for me. But I had no idea where we were starting so it was confusing to say the least. It ended well and I did end up enjoying it a bit.

‘Rattle the Stars' by M.K. England
What if Jim Hawkins joined the pirates?
5 stars
This is a perfect short, but complete twist on the original. I loved how this inserted us into the original story and then made the slight changes while remaining faithful to the source! I found it super fascinating to get a peek into Jim's head and see him struggle with his morality vs survival. And of course the insertion of the lyrics to one of the greatest songs ever was a neat little Easter egg. Fantastic and I would read a full novel on this twist in a heartbeat!

‘A Royal Game of Chess' by Liz Braswell
What if history wasn't quite right about the legend of Robin Hood?
2 stars
While I found the premise delightful (Maid Marion is Robin Hood!) the execution fell short for me personally. I didn't like the parts where everyone doubts Robin Hood is a woman and while Marion wanted to stick up for herself, the others stopped her. She points out how misogynistic it is but doesn't correct it. I just wasn't a fan of how comically dumb Prince John is either although I know that to be fairly true to the Disney version.

‘The Secret Exchange' by Elizabeth Lim
What if Eric met Ariel after she rescued him?
5 stars
I loved this one from concept to page. It was well written and I think a very plausible take on what could have happened. I liked how the ending was bringing Eric into their world as much as Ariel was in his rather than giving up Ariel to the human world. Just overall done really well.

‘Dust to Dust' by Micol Ostow
What if Tinker Bell was working for Captain Hook?
2 stars
I would have liked this one much more if Tink had actually leaned into her ‘evil' side all the way. She flips sides like twice? It was confusing to follow who she was working with or for and it all felt very selfishly motivated which was her true intentions in the movie... so was it really even a twist?

‘Gonna Take You There' by Farrah Rochon
What if Naveen had to get home to Maldonia?
3 stars
Because its a short story and made even shorter by circumstance, it felt very insta-love. However, I liked the slight changes and even though they were never frogs (so sad) it was cute and fun. It wrapped up a little too neatly but overall, I enjoyed it.

‘Fates, Three' by Jen Calonita
What if the triplets visited the Witch?
4 stars
I liked this! It wasn't so much a twist as a sequel but I liked seeing the boys have more depth to their personalities. I thought it wrapped up nicely even though I had hoped for more magical mayhem. They learned their lesson and grew stronger and I enjoyed that!

‘A Dragon in the Snow' by Kristina Perez
What if Madam Mim and Merlin went to school together?
5 stars
I've never seen The Sword in the Stone but this made me want to watch it. I guess I just really love betrayal love stories. I LOVED it.

‘The Journey Home' by Farrah Rochon
What if Belle had to take her father's place at the fair?
4 stars
Knocked a whole star off because if this twist happened, the Beast and everyone at the castle lowkey was doomed eternally. I couldn't stop thinking about that! However, I really liked how it ended up. Was it “too easy”? Yeah, but its a short story. Overall, fun but at what cost?

‘Call It a Hunch' by Jen Calonita
What if Hercules's first day as a god didn't go as planned?
3.5 stars
Really kinda confused because the premise is about Hercules but I think this one centered more on Meg. They both had a spotlight, but I was much more interested in Meg's mystery. Again, not quite a twist and more just a sequel, but it was well done and I did like it.

‘The Reluctant Prince' by Liz Braswell
What if Bambi didn't want to be the next Great Prince of the Forest?
2 stars
I was bored through it. Well written, definitely! But I've never been a fan of Bambi.

‘The Rose and The Thorns' by Elizabeth Lim
What if Aurora knew about her curse from the beginning?
5 stars
I love Elizabeth Lim's writing. I really liked this twist and I wish we could have a whole novel of this story! Its a little rushed in the end, but it was super enjoyable from start to end.

Overall, this collection was really good! I gave it 60.5/80 stars! Which roughly equates to 75% so I gave it 4/5 stars in total.

Worth the read if you like twisted tales!

Fun sci-fi romp through space lowkey about ‘sticking it to the man' and the evils of capitalism. While fun, also forgettable and short. 

If you're looking for an easy, not serious, fun graphic this is for you. It's so dumb but so much fun. Art is fun and loosey goosey and some things can get lost but it was colorful and bold. The story is nonsensical but solid enough. Good for any martial arts fan!

Well written and illustrated story of a Colombian American boy connecting to his heritage set around the 2016 election. I liked it a lot despite not being the intended audience. I liked that Iggy learned about himself, his culture, and understood how politics are much more important than people realize. Well done overall.

I've heard about Check, Please! because its queer, its hockey, and there's baking. And I had a lot of fun with it! It lives up to the hype!

I really enjoyed the format of this. I know its a webtoon-turned novel so it's a little chunky, but the page design makes it feel more intentional. I really like this art style as well! It's also sorta chunky but bold and colorful and suited the story. The story was also well written! I was really absorbed by the drama of these college hockey guys; a demographic I didn't expect to relate to. But I really cared for them by the end and I'm eagerly picking up book 2 now!

 Immediately needed to read book 2 because this is just a feel good series. I love the characters and story and it wrapped up so nicely. Did NOT expect to get so attached, but I did! Very well done queer sports graphic. Highly recommend. 

I really enjoyed this one! Not only does it have a really nice story, the art is very colorful and easy to follow. We follow Jane who is desperately trying to remain in her home by marrying the boy she has a crush on. He's taken by a mermaid and Jane decides to set out to rescue him. She receives help from several people including an old lady in town, a selkie, and from the mermaid's sisters. In the end she learns that visuals are the least important part of a person and their heart is what matters. I especially loved that she did not follow through on marrying Peter; and that they mutually agreed they were in it for the wrong reasons. The only detail I was missing was kicking her vile cousin out of her home. 

Overall, a great graphic for any fantasy fan (especially of mermaids)!

Gorgeously illustrated with stunning, lush colors, we follow Chelsea as she is forced to work with her “ghost roast”-ing dad for the summer as punishment. I really enjoyed this one. I found the story easy to follow and well written and the illustrations just top notch. Excellent for any supernatural history buff!

Cute graphic about a living girl moving to a new city where most of the residents are supernatural. She finds herself as possibly the only human in her school inhabited by ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and the like! It was a pretty standard story; nothing new or special stood out to me personally. A fun read for any supernatural graphic novel fan! 

Very cute graphic about a girl finding herself at a summer camp for vampires on accident! She learns about herself and makes friends for the first time. The art was really cute and I want more of her adventures!

5000/5 stars. Margaret Rogerson proving once again that she's my favorite author and her writing just sings straight to my soul.

Did I anticipate a novel about nuns kicking spirit ass would be my favorite of 2024? No. Yet here we are... 

I love that Artemisia is autistic. She's a traumatized woman who's having to deal with this destiny thrust upon her while having to rethink everything she knows about her faith the Lady she serves. Plus being haunted by the snarkiest evil spirit ever. And oh my goodness, I LOVED THE REVENANT. He's snarky and sassy but oddly caring. I loved getting all his little backstory nuggets.

Let me tell you; no less than 3 people came up to me to ask what I was reading because my face was going from giggling to shocked to smiling so fast. At one point, my mouth just hung wide open and I had to reread the passage twice. I know my face is very expressive and “loud” but it was really funny to have to explain “oh yeah I'm reading a book about nuns” to strangers.

I can't even articulate how good I found this book.

I really liked the parallel storytelling with each flashback going further and further back until we see what had happened as Pia's journey gets closer and closer to her final destination. It was done really well. The art was also lovely and I could tell what was happening. The story is beautiful and deals with loss, grief, and so much more.

Overall, a good pick for a shyer kid who could be dealing with grief. Beautiful story regardless.