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alexreadsabook's reviews
37 reviews
The Spells We Cast by Jason June
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
If you’re looking for a book to replace that really popular fantasy series with the crappy author, The Spells We Cast by Jason June is the one for the job. It was truly a magical adventure from beginning to end, and I can not wait for the next book.
Firstly, it features a gay, magic-wielding cowboy. If that’s not enough to convince you to read it, I don’t know what is.
The world-building is extraordinary. It featured a fairly unique magic system but was explained in ways that made it easy to understand and related it back to some classic magic systems. I loved the different types of magic and the unique ways in which they were used by the characters.
The main characters, Nigel and Ori, were an interesting pair. I loved the opposites attract, rivals to lovers aspect. The tension and angst and “will they won’t they” had me hooked. I had accidentally left this book at work over the weekend and literally could not stop thinking about it to the point where I considered breaking and entering just so I could finish reading it.
All of the side characters, even the ones that you’re supposed to dislike, made the story so much better. Not only did they let us see the magic types that our main characters didn’t have, but they also added so much depth and contrast to the story. This is a very fast-paced book, yet every character felt well-rounded and had a personality that made them stand out from the others.
Side note: I couldn’t help but picture Meema as Meema from Young Sheldon and it honestly made her character even better.
The queer representation throughout this book was really well done. Not only were the main characters queer, but a lot of the side characters were as well. There was also a lot of discussion around what it’s like to be queer in places where it’s not widely acceptable (like in the South, specifically Texas in this case). I love seeing this rep in YA books especially.
I don’t want to spoil the plot twist at the end, but I was shocked yet pleased with the message and how close to home it hits with the society we currently live in. I genuinely can not wait for the second book.
Overall, I adored this book. There were a few things that could be improved, but I think it was a super fun read, and will be recommending it to anyone who loves fantasy.
Heart, Haunt, Havoc by Freydís Moon
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? N/A
5.0
Heart Haunt Havoc was short and to the point and I devoured every minute of it. I read this in one sitting and was pleasantly surprised how much I loved it considering it’s a horror book (a genre I never thought I would read).
The two main characters were probably some of my favorite characters ever. I am constantly searching for trans rep; these characters were some of the best rep I’ve read yet. Their stories were beautiful and heart breaking and I want nothing but good things for them both. I’d love to read several more books about their adventures together.
The story itself was horrifying in all the best ways. I’m not a huge fan of gore, and the author did an amazing job of having gore that made an impact but was bearable for those us of that don’t love it. The mystery and the honestly terrifying imagery made this a book I simply could not put down.
This was for sure a 5 star read and a reminder that queer and trans people belong in all genres. Even if you’re not a horror fan I highly suggest giving this a read.
Mistletoe and Mishigas by M.A. Wardell
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book felt like watching a Hallmark Christmas movie, but gay and a million times better. It was full of some of my favorite tropes (grumpy/sunshine, hurt/comfort) and I loved every second of it. I’m usually not a huge fan of fake dating, but in this case, it worked so well. It genuinely had me smiling and kicking my feet at times.
I was a bit skeptical about the dual POV at first, but it was so well executed and gave just enough insight into both characters’ perspectives without making me want to yell about lack of communication.
One of the things Wardell does so well is make his characters feel real. Sheldon reminded me so much of one of my close friends, from the Drag Race references to the obsession with pop icons. So often book characters seem too good to be true (because they are), but both main characters had fully fleshed out personalities with flaws and quirks and neither were idolized as some ultra handsome, right out of a painting man. I find it so much more enjoyable to read about characters I can actually relate to.
The spicy scenes in this book were honestly some of the best I’ve ever read. CONSENT IS SO SEXY. The on page consent is something so many books lack, and Wardell absolutely delivered. Absolutely stellar writing as a whole, but hot damn that closet scene was something else.
The representation in this book is phenomenal as well. This was the first book I’ve read that had a main character with PTSD, and I could tell a lot of work went into making sure that it was accurately portrayed without any harmful stereotypes. There are some tough topics discussed (please check content warnings), but they were handled with such care.
This was for sure a 5 star read, and I can not wait for the next Teachers in Love book.
Deficient by Michael Solis
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
There was a bit of a slow start, but it provided some much-needed details for later in the story. Once the action started, however, there was no slowing down. The mystery was captivating, and there were several points where I thought I had it figured out but was pleasantly surprised to be wrong.
Each of the characters in this book were so unique yet relatable. Kazuki and Gwen were probably my favorites. I loved Kazuki’s humor and Gwen’s badassness. Seeing the growth of each character throughout the book was beautiful and very well written.
There was a bit of an enemies-to-lovers situation that honestly kind of shocked me. I won’t say much so as not to spoil it, but I do wish we had been able to see that play out a bit more at the end (but that may be because I’ve been reading too many romance novels lately). I also wish there had been more of a chance to explore Gwen’s takes on gender, but I loved that this was set in a queernormative world where it wasn’t a big deal.
The author took a unique spin on the idea of superhumans, which I really enjoyed. The story was well-rounded and the world-building was very well done and easy to follow. Deficient was everything you could want (and more) from a YA novel, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, yet intense, magical mystery.