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caseythereader's reviews
1745 reviews
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- SONGS OF IRIE is a beautiful, heart-wrenching book. I was immediately drawn into Irie and Jilly's world, rooting for them to come together in a city that was breaking apart.
- This book covers so much: racism, classism, colorism, homophobia, the limits of words vs. actions, the ripple effects of violence on a community. It's a hard story to read at times, but it's a great example of what is possible in the YA genre.
- For me, some of the conversations and arguments became repetitive as the book went on, but the topics and feelings were so nuanced that I suppose it was hard not to revisit them repeatedly. Bromfield really did a great job showing that the lines between "good guys" and "bad guys" are not always so clear, and that everything goes deeper than you think.
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual content
2.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Alcohol
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
- I love the blending of African and European lore, and how they are placed into a historical moment among real people. As the author notes at the end of the book, Black and queer people existed in this period, and here they are at the center of it all. I also appreciated that while this world Williams has built is more accepting, it’s not a utopian rewriting of the past. The racism and classism of the era are not ignored.
- Truly, what doesn’t think book have? Killer action scenes! Emotional relationships! Great plot twists! Chaotic bisexuals everywhere! If you have any interest in YA fantasy, you must get your hands on this book.
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
- ROMAN STORIES is a collection of stories set in Rome, written originally in Italian by Lahiri and then translated to English with her editor.
- These stories are all about the atmosphere. They're beautiful, but a veil of sadness hangs over them all. In these stories, Rome is home and a foreign place for the protagonists, who are expats, immigrants, and other outsiders.
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Mass/school shootings, and Alcohol
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
- Oh my goodness, LOVE AT 350° is everything I wanted it to be. Delicious food descriptions, tense baking moments, and the pining from a distance! This book is a delight.
- I adored that both our main characters were over 40, with Tori having teenage kids and contentiously divorced from her wife. I loved that she and Kendra both knew themselves (including their weaknesses) and still grew emotionally - both together and separately - in a believable way.
- This book is a suuuper slow burn, no steam romance. It's all about the longing, the meaningful glances, the coded, hidden messages. It puts the focus on the characters' internal growth in a way I found so satisfying.
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Infidelity and Alcohol
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Grief, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Pregnancy
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
- IRIS KELLY DOESN'T DATE, the final installment in Blake's Bright Falls series, delivers. I loved Iris and Stevie, each trying their best to put up a front in a different way, and each realizing they've found someone they don't have to pretend with.
- One of the things Blake does best is give her characters realistic, messy, queer as heck in a variety of ways backstories and past relationships. It really makes the roadblocks they meet make sense.
Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism