Dana
I really liked the way this graphic novel portrays autism as it's entirely authentic. I really enjoyed seeing Mia grow and learn about herself, her identity, and realize how fighting bullies with bullying isn't the right way to do it. I wish we saw more consequences for the bullies. I was disappointed in how even her teachers were letting Mia down.
Overall, a great novel about autism and learning to embrace it and be yourself!
Super cute graphic novel about a fairy loving demon girl who ends up having the powers to save their worlds. I really liked it! The art is cute and easy to follow and while the story gets a little muddled in the middle in its attempt at background info dumping, it worked out.
I'm looking forward to more!
I got into Critical Role this year and I'm nearly done with campaign 1. That said, this book is full of spoilers for the first two campaigns. I like spoilers so I didn't mind and as a still baby Critter, I haven't seen/watched Between the Sheets. I learned a bunch about the players and characters through this book! However, most of the info in here has been previously put out there from Between the Sheets and other interviews and the like. There doesn't seem to be much exclusive content in the book but it's a great compilation of facts and info on Critical Role for casual/still newer fans!
An honest and emotional look back on the author's summer trip to Europe between middle and high school. I really liked that we delved deep into Dan's world and the bullying and cruel kids made it feel so much more real. I'm glad it had a happy ending and I liked seeing all the real photos from the trip at the end.
Great for kids who are also in that between middle and high school phase. Will hopefully help them feel less alone in their awkwardness.
Anthologies help kick my reading slumps and this one is right up my alley! I like looking back seeing the little short stories and my reviews of them too.I also love that they included the original stories these are based on too! So unique and a great detail.Sugarplum by Anna-Marie McLemore4 starsVery short story about a Mexican teen being lowkey forced to dance a ballet at her father's rich boss's holiday party. She's crushing on the boss's daughter too so that was cute as heck. Interesting and complicated.In the Forests of the Night by Gita Trelease5 starsI really liked this one! The story was absorbing and the writing very well done and evocative. I read the source story right after and found it a faithful retelling with an Indian twist. It was really lovely!Say My Name by Dahlia Adler4.5 starsThe petty roundabout high school drama was meh, but oh man the reveal of her name was excellent. I wanted to know more about the aftermath too! What happened? Loved reading the original story as well after. The detail about stomping the foot was amazing.Fire & Rhinestone by Stacey Lee5 starsThis was well written and I loved the plotline. It's definitely inspired from the original tale as well as an inspired take on an event in history. I really enjoyed the context with the author's note at the end. Loved it!Mother's Mirror by H. E. Edgmon10 starsThis story does have a trigger for transphobia and abuse so be aware. However, this has been my favorite so far. It hit me so hard in the feelings; as a queer Indiana kid myself. Knowing the Snow White story did help my understanding of the retelling and then refreshing myself with the original at the end was nice. This story is precious to me, and I definitely want to pick up books by H. E. Edgmon now.Coyote in High-Top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger4.5 starsA bit of a stretch believability wise, but I liked the way the narrative was structured. I really liked how Coyote was both self-serving but also helpful. I haven't ever read Puss in Boots so that was really fun too!The Sister Switch by Melissa Albert3 starsSo far my least favorite, but still good. It's an original story, borrowing bits and pieces from all kinds of fairytale, but it fell short in my opinion as it was too short to really engage me. I didn't know what was going on and so I never felt invested. Nate was kinda a dick, the sisters were strange, and I just didn't care for anyone which also impacted my enjoyment of it. But it was haunting and spooky regardless.A Flame So Bright by Malinda Lo3 starsSort of a Handmaid's Tale-esque story about a girl, Obedience, who is not like her namesake and falls for the town's ‘witch'. It was kinda cute but I didn't get super into it. It took the original tale, which was more of a fable, and make it gay. So I did like that.The Emperor and the Eversong by Tracy Deonn2.5 starsCouldn't get into this one. The writing is nice and I liked the twist on the original, but it fell flat for me. I much prefer this retelling to the original anyhow.HEA by Alex London4 starsFun, contemporary take on Cinderella with a drag queen influencer as “Cinderella”. I could have read a whole novel on this take as I found it interesting. Overall since the story is so short, it lacked substance and felt somewhat flat. I hope Ash got his happy ending tho.The Littlest Mermaid by Meredith Russo3 starsI was confused for most of this. And I'm not sure what Aria's final transformation meant. It was cute and worth the read even if I'm left a bit disappointed and confused in the end.Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim5 starsI kinda loved it. If you're a fan of [b:The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1 34852836 The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1 Kaiu Shirai https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1503365706l/34852836.SY75.jpg 55131230], this concept is familiar. I liked the reveal and how they dealt with their... problems. But it did seem rather easy for them to turn into murderers. Still enjoyed it!A Story About a Girl by Rebecca Podos5 starsSuper fun twisty story-within-a-story kind of deal! I LOVED IT!Overall, I really liked it! Total of 3.6 stars (53.5/75) but I liked the 4 and 5 star stories enough to justify rounding up! I feel like I accomplished reading a book finally!
Really cute and fun read for spooky younger Sleepy Hollow fans.
We follow Izzy Crane as she starts school in a new town, Sleepy Hollow, which is obsessed with the legend of the Headless Horseman. Turns out he's real and trying to protect the descendants of his former love from supernatural threats. I really liked the writing and the plot; felt like a true tribute to the original tale.
Loved all the representation in it too! Fantastic to see it become more normalized in graphics!
An absolutely exceptional sequel to one of the best books I read in 2022.
HOTSW picks up a year from where DOTMG ended; with Xingyin back with her mother and attendant on the moon, but now free. She still plays the dangerous game of being courteous to the Celestial King while not being used as a pawn. A new threat steps up to potentially destroy everything Xingyin holds dear as well as the entire Immortal and Mortal realms.
There's only one thing I did not care for; the love triangle was used in full force and shoved down our throats. While I liked seeing how Xingyin's love has transformed during her growth as a person, I felt terrible for Liwei who was threaded along because she was so stubborn. I also felt bad for Wenzhi for him trying so hard to the point Spoilerhe died for Xingyin before she was like ‘oh, no he's the one I want.'
But everything was stunning; the writing again was the most beautiful and easy to understand prose. I have a hard time digesting older “well written” books, but despite this prose being evocative and compelling, it's not difficult to understand. All the stars for the writing, now and forever.
The pace was very fast, but when there's this much material to tackle, I appreciate being moved through the story so fast. Something was always happening and there were times I couldn't put the book down. Being that I was in a very deep reading slump, this was a fantastic book to pull me out.
Overall, if you loved the first one, you will love the second. An equal in its own regard, nothing about book two fails to deliver on the things I loved about book one. I am absolutely thrilled to read more by Sue Lynn Tan in the (hopefully very soon) future!
The story really resonated with me because I joined cheerleading in 8th grade to fit in. It was not for me, but I forced myself to fit a square peg in a round hole. Even though I am not a Texan, Asian-American, or in middle school (anymore), I think the beauty of these stories is to open the world around you and to recognize other people's struggles. I was heartbroken seeing the racist prejudice Christina and Megan faced yet this is still the world we live in. Kindness can go a long way.
I liked the premise and I really liked the funky art, but C.C. was a bit too obnoxious. The message is pretty clear, but it took all of 2 or 3 pages for the ‘climax' and resolution. I wish we saw more of either the consequences to her popularity, or more resolution either way.
Still a really enjoyable read for middle schoolers who feel like they don't fit in.
This review will be for the whole series; read at your own risk!
Read 3 volumes
This was so cute!! I loved Aileen and her turning things around. I was intrigued by the “heroine” and wish we had a little more detail about her character, but I love that Aileen really took over as the heroine and captured her man! And speaking of Claude... HE'S SO CUTE! I loved him! I wish there was a kiss tho. But a very good and short series!
This review will be for the whole series; read at your own risk!
Read 1 volume
I LOVED THIS!! Super cute manga about a young witch who's crush shows up asking for a love potion. She's heartbroken but still must complete her task. I'm glad we learned why he wanted a potion! I'm super curious to see where this goes!
Fantastic series of short stories by the author of [b:The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, A Rún, Vol. 1 30139736 The Girl from the Other Side Siúil, A Rún, Vol. 1 (The Girl from the Other Side, #1) Nagabe https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485927892l/30139736.SX50.jpg 50573607] which I also loved.I guess I should mention that one of the stories was kinda weird and I didn't care for. ‘The Wolf-Man and the Girl-Wolf' could be seen as child grooming and it was unsettling but the lion one I think was innocent enough; I think they have a partners-in-crime friendly love. I do think some people were reading too deeply into it, especially if you haven't read some of his other works. I think Nagabe is just kinda a weird dude and his storytelling didn't translate well. Overall, I personally liked all the stories (with the one exception) and enjoyed the collection!
This review will have spoilers.
Read 1 volume and probably calling it quits there.
It's be different if they were respectful and cared a little bit about her consent. And I'm pretty sure she's supposed to be 16?!!!! I dunno guys.
Art is stunning and I'm curious about the fall of humanity but the noncon and creeps are a nope.
This review will be for the whole series; read at your own risk!
Read 1 volume
Spicy isekai fantasy romance???? YES PLEASE. We don't spend much time on the isekai part; a brief mention that she remembers her past life and sticks to Japanese traditions of monogamy rather than this country's usual polygamy.
And the spicy scenes were really nice! It was more graphic than some others I've seen yet still somewhat censored.
I'm really looking forward to more!
I might actually have to ruminate on this one before reviewing... alright done.
There were things I both liked and didn't like throughout this book. First, the insistence of calling everyone a ‘male' or ‘female' felt very icky. NB erasure at worst, ignorant at best. Bleh. Also filled to bursting with predictable tropes, but I didn't mind it all too much. Tropes are popular for a reason.
Second, the nonsensical plot. If you were to take parts out that did not propel the story forward, you could make this a one book series. The Crimson Fog part was literally not important. The fights between the two idiots over Brie took SO MANY PAGES.
And third, that love triangle. WHY? Brie makes it explicit she does not love Sebastian anymore after his betrayal (which felt like manipulation to me) but he refuses to fucking treat her with respect and listen to her because she won't “give us a chance”. BITCH, SHE DID. SHE BONDED WITH YOU. And YOU FUCKED UP. But nooooooo he's a perfect person and never makes mistakes. Gotta say tho... the ending did bring the rating up a whole star. I was proud of him in the end for pulling his giant ego out of his ass.
For the things I liked... I liked Brie coming into her power. She takes control of her destiny and has compassion for her new people. I really liked that. I liked that she became a queen in her own right. I also liked Finn. He's so fucking respectful of Brie and while he wasn't happy with the way things were going, he was willing to sacrifice so much for his people. He showed you can have a great love AND love your people at the same damn time. There's no limit or conditions on real love.
I liked our other characters and some of the small plot points like Misha and his training Brie to shield her mind. I liked Pretha, Kane, and all them. I was glad we got Jas back involved in the story but she was given NO time to develop or be a rounded character. She's a HUGE motivation for Brie in book 1 and she was barely in it. And she was in it even less this time... maybe a total of like 3-5 pages of mentioning.
Overall, it's a fairly good series for fans of ACOTAR but those who don't care for fae stories most likely won't like this one.
This review will be for the whole series; read at your own risk!
Read 1 volume
It's cute!! We follow a small group of teen girls as they camp during the autumn/winter. Quite laid-back as the title implies, it's a slice of life that's pretty cute. I had no idea it was also an anime so I'll try to watch that too!
Cute food based graphic novel. Not sure what the message was other than cheaters never win, but the art was cute and the recipes were really neat! The bully didn't get justice other than losing the competition and I would have loved to see a redemption of their character.
Overall, good for foodies but otherwise meh.