dawn_chen's reviews
465 reviews

He Who Bleeds by Dorian Valentine

dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

Earth to Alis by Lex Carlow

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I went through an emotional roller coaster with this book. The way I was sucked into the story. The vulnerability and sincerity of Alistair’s story feel simultaneously like a huge flashback to the worst time of my life as a teenager but simultaneously nostalgic in a way I cannot describe. I am absolutely enthralled by the way the writer managed to craft a bunch of complex characters, especially the protagonist, that feel like they are going to stick with me for a very long time to come. I think I will think of every description, every piece of dialogue and every interaction between them like memories that I didn’t experience but feel like experiencing all the time.

Review on Instagram:

Rating: 5⭐ omfg 

This book was everything. I am literally speechless. I am never getting over it and I devoured it in like 24 hours and it felt like the best thing ever even though parts of it tore me to shreds and reminded me of a lot of the worst parts of my teenage yrs (but in like the best way possible).

I went into this book curious and left it being blown away. I think I will be thinking of these characters, especially Alis, for a long time afterwards. I am absolutely begging you to read this (but do check the trigger warnings). Because this feels like an unfiltered version of my own past in a way that I never seen in books before. It's nastolgic almost but in a very distant and raw way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

双卿 by 青州从事, 檐中, 南方赤火, 温裘, 魏辽, 修竹, 四百岁, 迟中二南, 贺兰邪, 梦小叶

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted sad fast-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? N/A

3.0

The first two stories in this Chinese historical sapphic mystics anthology are absolutely gold (with the second one being the best thing I've ever read which is a Chinese sapphic retelling/continuation of the original Legend of the Immortal White Snake which the legend in itself is already pretty gay but this retelling absolutely filled in all my favorite blanks and headcanons about the white and turquoise snakes but in an explicit gay storyline with a sad but also very thematic parallel ending). However. Overall the other short stories felt mediocre so balanced in the end as a 3 stars read. 

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca

dark fast-paced

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

2.0

Look, horror stories aren’t supposed to make logical sense, but they’re supposed to make an impact like all stories do. This short book isn’t horror, it’s just a bunch of disturbing thoughts someone had that fetishizes lesbians patched together that barely holds calling itself a story. I found myself laughing at this book and also pissed off this could call itself a book. 

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

challenging emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

I really like the writing, it's absolutely gorgeous. And the themes of women being silenced in literature spheres, also the nature of storytelling. The ending especially struck my core and made me teary eyed. But the pacing is really slow and for most of the book not much happened to be honest for me to care about the plot until the very end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, and Abandonment

The Summer You Were There Vol. 4 by Yuama

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

Again, I absolutely loved the newest volume of my favourite sapphic manga. The story had taken a turn for the more emotional and tragic aspect of it. Yet the dynamic between the main couple is heartwarming despite everything. Writing a story for your pretend girlfriend who is bedridden at the hospital??? I'm sorry I am weak I am crying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness

Moderate: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

当且仅当雪是白的 by 陆秋槎

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

这个作者是我还在国内看岁月·推理的时候应该就读到过的短篇推理小说作者。推理情节本身还是蛮有转折并且精致的，条条有理，确实是有经验的推理写手。文风很无病呻吟，但也是我在简中看书时候最喜欢的那种无病呻吟。怎么说呢，现在看有种又害臊又很被戳中脊椎和内心的快感。不能理解角色，却很喜欢一些句子。整本书都很悲观，但却是我作为同样悲观主义者难以否认的一部分。旧案写的比新案好，最后凶手的动机还是有些过于牵强了吧。但作者确实把校园欺凌加害者的心理和未来处境写的很好。至于被害者和杀人动机⋯⋯作者还是写本格推理吧，凶手心理的揭露这种东西写的让我几乎想笑出声。

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Murder, and Toxic friendship

有终 by 小谢春风

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.75

Writing style is not my favorite among Chinese sapphic (gl) books. I don't like it nearly to the level as I liked 她的山，她的海 or 柏舟. Still the characters are distinct, the chemistry is there, the main couple has a surprisingly sad ending in the epilogue. The main overarching mystery is compelling and all the cases were intriguing. Also the extra chapters about the main culprit adds an interesting depth to the character and backstory which is done better than most books I've read of this kind. 

柏舟 by 若花辞树

emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

我最喜欢的gl实体小说（和她的山，她的海并肩）。时间回转的设定很棒。悬疑很带感。人物感情也写的很好。刚开始看就停不下来。一口气看完的。很爽。

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Devout: An Anthology of Angels by Quinton Li

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

This anthology is everything I wished for and more. Almost every story provides a unique and interesting interpretation of angels and angel lore. All written beautifully. An equal amount of grotesqueness and also beauty. My favorite is definitely Misery In Company by Morgan Dante, their short story retelling of a queer Faust and Mephistopheles, the demon who struck a deal with Faust - from the demon’s perspective - is probably the most beautiful and heartbroken piece of writing that absolutely wrecked me in a way I didn’t think was possible. I also just love almost every single story and poem in this anthology. For someone who is obsessed with angels this is the perfect book to pull me out of my current reading slump.