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louwhitlock's reviews
113 reviews
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC
Paper Towns meets The Prom, chock full of fun references I think the YA crowd is going to love. As a queer teen who grew up in Christian schools, this book hits too close to home. The dress code, the rules for teachers and students, the need for students to be “capital S Saved.” It hits the Christian school experience right on the nose. It makes me so happy authors like Casey McQuiston writing books like this for our queer youth. There were not many books that I read that had queer characters when I was younger and this book is full of representation. The storyline is fun and engaging. While I still haven’t decided if I like our main characters or not, I was incredibly invested in the mystery of Shara’s disappearance. I think our characters are complex enough that I don’t think they were supposed to be outright likable. We see a lot of their flaws as they navigate their situation and I think it is incredibly effective writing. As Chloe and Shara came up onto graduation, it made me feel as if I was reliving my senior year, which just filled me with joy. It takes me back to all the YA coming of age stories I read as a teenager, but I finally get to see myself in the characters. The message of accepting yourself for who you are is powerful and important. I wasn’t expecting much from this as I wasn’t a fan of One Last Stop, but I come out of this book a McQuiston “stan.” I just know this book is going to be so important to so many queer teens.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Religious bigotry
Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
3.75
Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for the ARC of this audiobook.
Not Good for Maidens by Tory Bovalino is an eerie YA retelling of Christina Rosetti’s “Goblin Market” that had me hooked from the very beginning. The story follows a family of witches and their connection to the Goblin Market. I think my favorite thing about this story was our characters. I went into this story pretty blind, which is my favorite way to read a book. I was pleasantly surprised by the queer representation. It follows two timelines, one following our main character Lou, and one following her aunt 18 years prior. I often have trouble enjoying multiple perspectives, they can sometimes get jumbled or feel as if one is more important than the other. I did not find that to be the case with this story. I found both storylines to be equally entertaining and I love how they came together in the end. I loved the relationship between Neela and Lou. I often don’t see asexual representation in books, and I think this was incredibly well done. The way Lou talked about Neela, you could feel how much she loved her. I would consider them platonic soulmates and I wish we got to see them spend more time together. We do get to see Lou’s love for Neela through her actions along with her thoughts, but with Neela being in the market a majority of the book, we miss out on her perspective. In her aunt’s timeline, we get a sapphic, forbidden romance that you can’t help but feel for. I was pleased with how the story ended and it left me feeling good after watching these characters go through so much. It is fairly gorey, while some, myself included, may enjoy that, it is not for everyone. I think this is a great novel for anyone interested in dark fairy tales, witches, or beginner horror. I will be talking about this book nonstop. Tory Bovalino created characters you connect with, and a gripping storyline. I cannot wait for this to hit shelves so it can be shared with the world.
Not Good for Maidens by Tory Bovalino is an eerie YA retelling of Christina Rosetti’s “Goblin Market” that had me hooked from the very beginning. The story follows a family of witches and their connection to the Goblin Market. I think my favorite thing about this story was our characters. I went into this story pretty blind, which is my favorite way to read a book. I was pleasantly surprised by the queer representation. It follows two timelines, one following our main character Lou, and one following her aunt 18 years prior. I often have trouble enjoying multiple perspectives, they can sometimes get jumbled or feel as if one is more important than the other. I did not find that to be the case with this story. I found both storylines to be equally entertaining and I love how they came together in the end. I loved the relationship between Neela and Lou. I often don’t see asexual representation in books, and I think this was incredibly well done. The way Lou talked about Neela, you could feel how much she loved her. I would consider them platonic soulmates and I wish we got to see them spend more time together. We do get to see Lou’s love for Neela through her actions along with her thoughts, but with Neela being in the market a majority of the book, we miss out on her perspective. In her aunt’s timeline, we get a sapphic, forbidden romance that you can’t help but feel for. I was pleased with how the story ended and it left me feeling good after watching these characters go through so much. It is fairly gorey, while some, myself included, may enjoy that, it is not for everyone. I think this is a great novel for anyone interested in dark fairy tales, witches, or beginner horror. I will be talking about this book nonstop. Tory Bovalino created characters you connect with, and a gripping storyline. I cannot wait for this to hit shelves so it can be shared with the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Rape
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Self harm