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mirandax's reviews
115 reviews
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was an incredibly cute and fast-paced graphic novel with great character design and beautiful art.
I loved the representation, especially because it was obvious their diversity was a reflection of the creators and how they view the world. Who doesn't love bi witches and non-binary werewolves?
My complaint with this graphic novel lies mostly with how surface level everything is. I was never fully invested in anything, and I never forgot I was reading and got lost in the magic.
I wish the magic system was better fleshed out, instead of just everything magical happening without explanation.
I also wish we got to spend more time in each scene, and that we got to spend more time with the characters and seeing relationships develop, instead of constantly racing to move the plot forward. The characters somehow got together before I even had time to ship them, which was a shame as it meant i was never really invested in their relationship.
Also the villains were cartoonishly villainous, and seemed to be evil just because someone had to be the antagonist. I wish their motivations were explained, as the climax ended up falling incredibly flat for me with how one-dimensional the villains were.
All in all, I did enjoy it, and I think a younger me would have loved this queer little story, but it wasn't for me at this point in time.
I loved the representation, especially because it was obvious their diversity was a reflection of the creators and how they view the world. Who doesn't love bi witches and non-binary werewolves?
My complaint with this graphic novel lies mostly with how surface level everything is. I was never fully invested in anything, and I never forgot I was reading and got lost in the magic.
I wish the magic system was better fleshed out, instead of just everything magical happening without explanation.
I also wish we got to spend more time in each scene, and that we got to spend more time with the characters and seeing relationships develop, instead of constantly racing to move the plot forward. The characters somehow got together before I even had time to ship them, which was a shame as it meant i was never really invested in their relationship.
Also the villains were cartoonishly villainous, and seemed to be evil just because someone had to be the antagonist. I wish their motivations were explained, as the climax ended up falling incredibly flat for me with how one-dimensional the villains were.
All in all, I did enjoy it, and I think a younger me would have loved this queer little story, but it wasn't for me at this point in time.
Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey
fast-paced
1.0
I laughed so many times whilst reading this, but rarely at times the author wanted me to laugh.
the book had some cute moments, but it just wasn't it for me.
some things that irked me (some mild spoilers)
- male mc referring to his li and his niece as "females"
- flat characters, they have like 1-2 character traits each
- the entire story spans a couple of weeks?? yet they go from allegedly "hating" each other to being utterly devoted?? babes be realistic
- male mc making it seem as though women are a different species and it's so difficult to understand them, yet he's the only one who "sees her for who she is"
- the character arc for the female mc was just... ridiculous, she went from insecure perfectionists to not wearing makeup on her wedding day, and all it took for her to completely stop doing her nervous tick was one incident of a man saying "hey, don't do that"
- the author's penchant for calling something "male" or "female" (it's been present in all her books that I've read, and I'm tired of reading dicks being described as "male"). I mean, what does "the male planes of his face" even mean?? do you mean sharp? angular? strong? then say that!!!
the book had some cute moments, but it just wasn't it for me.
some things that irked me (some mild spoilers)
- flat characters, they have like 1-2 character traits each
- the entire story spans a couple of weeks?? yet they go from allegedly "hating" each other to being utterly devoted?? babes be realistic
- male mc making it seem as though women are a different species and it's so difficult to understand them, yet he's the only one who "sees her for who she is"
- the character arc for the female mc was just... ridiculous, she went from insecure perfectionists to not wearing makeup on her wedding day, and all it took for her to completely stop doing her nervous tick was one incident of a man saying "hey, don't do that"
- the author's penchant for calling something "male" or "female" (it's been present in all her books that I've read, and I'm tired of reading dicks being described as "male"). I mean, what does "the male planes of his face" even mean?? do you mean sharp? angular? strong? then say that!!!
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.5
I picked this up because of a tweet I saw a few months ago. I can no longer remember why they loved it, and I honestly wouldn't be able to tell you - nothing about this stood out to me.
The inner monologue is exhausting. It's so repetitive and dull. Someone can sit down and we get two full paragraphs of it, someone yawns and we get full descriptions of each yawn. It's so disruptive to the flow of conversations, and it's hard to ever really enjoy any of the banter because of it.
There was also a lot of telling and never any showing, and it got worse as the story progressed. I struggled to believe the emotions we were told Vanessa was feeling because I never saw any proof of it.
ex. she kept telling us how much she loved her brother, but the only interaction she had with him was an extremely short scene halfway through and then he was never mentioned again except in (very brief) passing. This happened so many times.
By the time our protagonist realised her love I honestly didn't really believe it. Sure, it lined up with some of the things she'd been /telling/ us, but there were rarely any scenes that showed their chemistry.And also the way she went from "he could never love me, but I'm resigned to my love being unrequited" to "I know he loves me" when /nothing/ in his behaviour had changed between those two points and she'd needed verbal affirmation throughout the entire story made no sense to me and irked me more than it should.
There was also no real challenge for the couple to overcome together, no real breaking point. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just another thing that made the book fall flat to me.
Past the 80% mark I was able to enjoy the story a bit more, and it got cute for that last stretch, but I was honestly so exhausted by the constant stream of inconsequential internal monologue I didn't have it in me to care properly.
I almost want to rate it lower than 2 stars, but it makes me feel mean lol.
The inner monologue is exhausting. It's so repetitive and dull. Someone can sit down and we get two full paragraphs of it, someone yawns and we get full descriptions of each yawn. It's so disruptive to the flow of conversations, and it's hard to ever really enjoy any of the banter because of it.
There was also a lot of telling and never any showing, and it got worse as the story progressed. I struggled to believe the emotions we were told Vanessa was feeling because I never saw any proof of it.
ex. she kept telling us how much she loved her brother, but the only interaction she had with him was an extremely short scene halfway through and then he was never mentioned again except in (very brief) passing. This happened so many times.
By the time our protagonist realised her love I honestly didn't really believe it. Sure, it lined up with some of the things she'd been /telling/ us, but there were rarely any scenes that showed their chemistry.
There was also no real challenge for the couple to overcome together, no real breaking point. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just another thing that made the book fall flat to me.
Past the 80% mark I was able to enjoy the story a bit more, and it got cute for that last stretch, but I was honestly so exhausted by the constant stream of inconsequential internal monologue I didn't have it in me to care properly.
I almost want to rate it lower than 2 stars, but it makes me feel mean lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Car accident
Minor: Drug abuse
Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Perfect On Paper by Sophie Gonzales
3.5
recommend this to teens starting to navigate identity, sexuality and relationships
99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
2.0
the more time passes since finishing this, the less I like it
had some redeeming qualities but overall disappointing
had some redeeming qualities but overall disappointing
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
funny
lighthearted
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
4.25
Loved this book, ahhhh!!!
The characters felt so real and I loved how fleshed out they were.
Anxiety rep was really good, I really identify with Zaf.
Talia Hibbert's sex scenes aren't for me, but I love the romance she writes <33 favourite of the series so far
The characters felt so real and I loved how fleshed out they were.
Anxiety rep was really good, I really identify with Zaf.
Talia Hibbert's sex scenes aren't for me, but I love the romance she writes <33 favourite of the series so far