joymargot's reviews
83 reviews

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

4.0

If I can be totally honest here, I chose this for my Bloomsbury Creator Circle pick in a month where nothing was really calling to me, but I actually really enjoyed this.

I’m pretty over the trope of multiple characters’ POV chapters although it does work in this context. There were a few other things that didn’t totally work for me: Would all of these characters *really* have willingly shared their story? Why doesn’t anyone have social media? Why did everyone assume Annie was still alive?

The ending felt a little rushed and a bit too “neat” but all in all, I had a good time. I liked the concept and the characters were frustrating but likeable which is often my favourite type of character! I loved that it focussed on female friendships and relationships.

Thank you to Bloomsbury for the ARC.

You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa

3.0

I don’t read a lot of thrillers but this was recommended by someone with similar reading taste.

The twists and turns kept me engaged although I did guess a couple of the “big reveals” early on. Not necessarily a bad thing as it made me feel smart! 🤓

Amaya and Kaavi’s relationship and the Sri Lankan setting provided an interesting backdrop for the story although I didn’t feel the variable POV chapters or interview interludes brought a lot.

The characters were largely unlikeable but this was still a fun read!

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

4.0

This probably would’ve been a 5 star read for me had I read when it came out! It’s a really interesting take on

zombies

but through no fault of the novel’s own, they’re just a bit “done” now, aren’t they?

I foolishly watched the film (also written by Carey) shortly afterwards which put a bit of a dampener on it as it rather mangled the heart of the story for me!

Those things aside, I genuinely really enjoyed it and it was a great pick for an October reading list.

Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon by Yuki Tejima, Mizuki Tsujimura

4.0

This follows the same format as Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Kamogawa Food Detectives and is similarly repetitive with the “rules”.

I enjoyed this more than BTCGC as some of the stories went in an unexpectedly dark direction, and I loved that they were interconnected and revealed more about the Go-Between over time.

I’ll definitely be picking up the second one when it’s translated and (finally) reading Lonely Castle in the Mirror which has been on my TBR for ages!

Thank you to Doubleday for the ARC.

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

5.0

I chose this for my October reading list because of the ghosts but it’s so much more than a ghost story and horrifying in a totally different - and tragically accurate - way. It’s a long and brutal read, but an important one. I was utterly gripped and stayed up late to finish it as I couldn’t sleep not knowing how it ended!

Great characters and such a powerful story but check those content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Bound by Maddie Ballard

5.0

As someone who used to be extremely into sewing and now prefers to spend my evenings and weekends reading, this collection of essays was the perfect meeting place for my past and current selves.

The essays are beautifully written and explore identity and relationships as well as creativity. Emma Dai’an Wright’s accompanying illustrations feel tailor-made for Maddie’s words, if you’ll pardon the expression.

This would be a wonderful gift for a sewist or someone who’s keen to learn. I feel throughly inspired to dust off my sewing machine and get stitching again!

Huge thanks to Tandem UK for the ARC.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

3.0

It’s been a hot minute since I read a classic! This was a good choice for dipping back in as it’s pretty short and the language is accessible.

It’s incredibly different to every movie adaption and cultural reference I’ve come across. Less about the “monster” and more about Frankenstein being a bit of a self-absorbed tit. Still, worth a read and the essays and introductions at the start provided some interesting context although I did, as always, read them afterwards.

Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

5.0

Hands down one of the greatest books I’ve ever read. I went into it knowing nothing and that was absolutely the best way to enjoy it.

Beautiful, moving and surprisingly humorous in parts. The plot, the characters and the writing are all chef’s kiss and I would recommend this to anyone. But maybe check the content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Grief, and Cannibalism

The Mystery of Banshee Towers by Enid Blyton

3.0

A fun palate cleanser after a frustrating DNF! I was convinced I’d tried to read this as a child but had to stop as it was too scary, but I can’t really fathom how even my pansy ass found this remotely terrifying 😂 Perhaps there’s another Enid Blyton story about banshees.

It’s very much of its time but this aside, I still had a good time.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Fatphobia

How to Be Autistic by Rachel Morgan-Trimmer

4.0

I devoured this in an evening and it had me nodding along in agreement and laughing out loud!

There were a few things that didn’t sit well with me such as the use of the word “tribe” and saying “normal” instead of neurotypical/allistic. There’s also a couple of graphics with low contrast between the background and text, but all in all I think this is a great introduction to autism. It’s quite surface-level but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially for its intended audience. It’s incredibly visual and I loved the accompanying illustrations.

While it’s aimed at adults, I think this would be a really useful resource for teenagers too.

Thank you to Firebird for the ARC.