Jesse

Really dug the premise, but the story didn't always keep my attention.

While the writing itself could be improved, this was a pretty fresh take on the zombie trope, and a good analysis of allyship, friendship, and the lack thereof. Definitely worth it for the short read!

A triomph.

Realistically, I think this book is closer to a 4, but my gay agenda wants to push the rating up. It's the kind of book I really needed as a teen. It's spooky, it's weird, it's bold, but most importantly, it demonstrates through its unapologetically gay lens how queer people can confront, challenge, and rewrite the narratives that have historically boxed them in.

This was probably a 2, but I'm being generous as it's an indie author.

Do you like puns? Do you like terrible ones? Do you like terrible puns that are constant and digested by the character saying them? Then oh boy, I have the book for you!

The premise of the book is excellent, but the execution was incredibly poor. It needs a lot of editing and far more character development.

A 4.5 for sure, would have been a 4 but the ending was insane. Still loving this series.

I enjoyed this, the story had some good twists, and sets it up well for a sequel. However, I found most of the characters difficult to care about, with the main character filling the Gary Stu trope.

This series is taking over my life.

4.5! The gory silliness continues, and it's almost as entertaining as the first. I keep telling myself I'll start another book inbetween these, but I probably won't.

Stupid, clever, insane, fantastic. A new favourite.

3.5 stars, I'd say. It was much more thorough and meaningful than the movie. It was much smarter than I thought it was going to be too.

It feels rare for a book to so perfectly capture the uncertainties, the missteps, the constant questioning and the code switching the queer community often deals with. I devoured this in one sitting.

I'm a sucker for a post-apocalyptic story, but this fell fairly flat for me. The author has excellent prose, but the story just didn't captivate me. It felt disjointed and as if I couldn't connect to the characters very well (well, except Miranda, which is appropriate I suppose). Admittedly, I did watch the show before reading the book, so that could have skewed my feelings.

Had I reviewed this at 30%, I would have given it 5 stars. Being completely unaware of Circe and her mythology, it seemed as if it was sopping with potential. I was hoping for intense witchery and defiance of the gods. I got some of this.

Had I reviewed it at 60%, I would have given it 3 stars. I grew frustrated waiting for more action and adventure. Though I couldn't deny my enjoyment of Circe as a character and how well Miller conjured the story.

However, the ending pulled it together for me, landing at 4. All in all, a magically crafted story about love, healing, and defying the gods.

Cute. But not really for me. I found the premise intriguing but the story and writing were pretty weak. It felt very YA despite not being marketed as such. Did I cry? Sure. But that's not a great measure of success.

Adored this. First time reading anything involving a gay love story (a strange realization) and enjoyed the lack of stereotype or expectation. Bonus of learning a lot about Greek mythology! Highly recommend.

The perfect book to read after a novel hiatus. Poetic and intoxicating.

I'd actually give this a 4.5. It was a deep exploration of the battle between Christianity, love, sexuality and the shame that encompasses it all. While I could certainly relate to some of it, it left me wanting more.

What an important book, and so much more than I thought it was going to be. It was brilliant of the author to tell the story at all, but even more so to include himself as a character with utter earnestness.

I absolutely adored this. The characters were incredibly compelling and the story had me guessing throughout.

I didn't really like this. I found it slow, boring and uninspired despite the occasional dose of absurdism. Given the comparisons to other media I enjoy, I expected to devour it. Instead, it felt laborious. Perhaps my expectations were part of the downfall. A few reviews of those who also didn't like it had responses encouraging them to continue exploring Discworld; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I doubt I'll be visiting Discworld again soon to pick up these pieces.

I would like to sue the author for attempted murder. I nearly died due to dehydration from all the tears.

“Gender isn't a game of hopscotch, it's a fucking house of mirrors”. This book wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be, but I enjoyed it. It covers many themes, including gender dysphoria, gender norms and societal pressure, the limitations of language in describing gender and identity, the complexity and evolution of human relationships, and more. The book does an excellent job of exploring and contrasting these themes between cis and trans individuals while telling its story and ultimately notes that regardless of how you identify and no matter what societal box you may be forced into, you can feel, or be made to feel, like an outsider (while also noting the obvious disadvantages that certain groups face).

Do you enjoy reading about Anglo-Saxon Britain? Futuristic weaponry vs the classics of old? Deadbeat criminals? Quantum mechanics? Then you should read this.

“The truth about stories is that that's all we are.” King makes you feel as if you're in the room him, having an upbeat yet sorrowful conversation regarding Indian history.