Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

38 reviews

matchamarimo's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

greentearex's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Rape and Terminal illness

kreglow's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

earth_to_mars's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This was the first book I read when getting back into reading, and I am so, so happy it was. At the time of finding and buying this book, I didn't really know any LGBTQ+ books that didn't revolve around the character coming out/coming to terms with their identity with a little romance on the side. It is because of this book I am happy to dig through and find queer literature of all genres. 

Anyway, what I love about this book is Mars. They're like a little sibling who I want to protect from the weird Midsommar-esque Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy they go to for the summer after the tragic (and strange) death of their sister Caroline. I love that this book is in Mars' perspective as it aids in the growing paranoia and suspicion that the academy is not what it seems. We learn a lot about how he thinks and how he sees the world around him.

At the same time, we get very little characterization of the people around him (i.e. Wyatt, Bria, Mimi and Sierra) and while that can be a deal breaker to some, it wasn't terrible. We still get some of their personalities as they interact with Mars over the course of the summer.

The pace is a little strange. It starts of very fast, grabbing you in, the middle section is a bit of a drag though as not much is happening and we just follow Mars through mundane camp activities, only for the story to pick right up around the third act. I get it's to build suspense, but it dragged a little through the middle.

My two main issues that keep it from being a five star book are the fact that despite it being called The Honeys we barely get to see Mars interacting with them. The three girls have the least amount of characterization despite the fact the book is named after them. Also, the representation feels off. Mars is genderfluid, and while I am not, I am trans, so I understand her struggles to an extent. Mars would complain a lot, about being misgendered as a boy, and it's clear to me that they do not like being masculine or perceived as masculine. But throughout the book, he only ever uses he/him pronouns despite preferring any/all pronouns. It felt La Sala was playing it safe and ended up missing the mark (I don't think it's done maliciously, I think La Sala needed to do more research, maybe talk to genderfluid people). There was also the dreaded queer metaphor of how Mars' gender is like floating in a lake and sometimes he goes to one side of the lake, sometimes the other and sometimes he floats in the middle. Please, please I am begging authors and writers to stop with weird metaphors (looks directly at Schitt's Creek) unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. A fantasy world that doesn't have the same terms as Earth).

But hey, I think this was a good first book to get back into reading again. It has made me more interested in the horror genre and hopeful in finding good contemporary LGBTQ+ literature. It was a fun, and occasionally disturbing (in the best way) and I would definitely recommend this book for those wanting a start in the horror genre. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Homophobia

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, and Transphobia

Minor: Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

yomireads's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is everything I yearn for in a horror novel. Supernatural with humanity centering as a villainous force is the perfect sweet spot for me. 

The intersection of different types of "hive minded" species is really compelling. From the haunting bees introduced as early as chapter four, to the aspen trees that share a root network and seem to watch the interlopers of the wood, and then mirrored back once more in the way peer pressure and group psychology seems to create a single organism bent on attacking all things other. 

The pacing was phenomenal, easily pulling the reader into the same sense of security Mars reflects without the writer telling the audience that's what Mars is feeling.

The tackling of gender binary and the sense of real life horror when life-lines in safety and trust are severed, and a queer child is left isolated and afraid, is chilling and well handled. It adds a lot to the atmosphere of tension that something could go wrong at any moment in the story. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Transphobia, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, and Classism

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, and Dysphoria

readingpicnic's review against another edition

3.75

This book kept me guessing the whole time, and I enjoyed being surprised by each new twist and turn that revealed itself as the story went on. I will say that this book was very slow for me to get through, which I think really slowed me down for the TRR unfortunately, and I considered DNFing it at certain points. It starts off really intense and then slows almost all the way down before picking back up around 70% through. However, I really enjoyed the ending of the book, so I'm glad I stuck through it ultimately. The bee horror in this book felt so creative and new, and I loved the drippy, rotten, and sweet imagery throughout. The depictions of grief were very real in this book and became all the more real after reading the author's acknowledgements section at the end. I appreciated how Caroline remained a presence throughout the whole story, even if just in the peripheral. I think that this book would make an excellent A24 horror movie honestly, going off of the trend on BookTok, as this book felt so cinematic and I could picture so much of it in my head. It reminded me a lot of both Wickerman movies, the original with its slow-paced disconcerting vibes and horror, and the remake with its bee horror. I was also reminded of Bunny a lot while reading this with the group of Honey girls, but I think this specific story hasn't been told before even though it reminded me of other horror. Overall, I enjoyed this and its explorations of gender, sexuality, and class. I think this story has so many layers to it and I wasn't necessarily patient at times with this slow method of storytelling, but I understand why it's well loved.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Classism

erica_reads_things's review

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Not a bad YA read at all! And especially for this authors first novel. I liked the weird spin on the summer camp horror trope, but I was so confused most of the way through at where exactly this was going. It took me out of it a bit, but not enough to not enjoy it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, and Dysphoria

Minor: Deadnaming, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Classism

dixiecarroll's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

This surprised me. I’m not sure why i had low expectations for this except that maybe because I’ve had not great luck with YA books lately. But this BLEW ME AWAY. So unique and so mysterious. I didn’t predict everything and it was such a wild ride. I loved the representation and the humor through that representation without being preachy - it was very accessible. Definitely recommend to everyone! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

milesofkiles's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Sexual harassment

Minor: Bullying and Violence

morgue666's review

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

"I'm not hurting people," Mimi pouts.
"I'm hurting boys."
Bria, to her credit, throws me a sideways glance and asks, "What are your pronouns again?"
"Uh..." My throat still feels raw from being choked within an inch of my life. "I'm cool with really anything. I'm fluid."

This part absolutely cracked me up. I really enjoyed this a lot more than i thought I would! As a nonbinary person it was so nice to read something from the point of view of another genderqueer person! Would’ve loved a bit more horror in it but I really loved the book as a whole. The ending has devastated me though,

Mars already lost their whole family and they couldn't just have a happier ending with Wyatt at the end? 😭

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Hate crime, Suicide, Blood, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria

Minor: Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment