obscurepages's reviews
292 reviews
Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite, by Natalie C. Parker, Zoraida Córdova
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Loooovee how this anthology reinvents and reimagines vampire myth and lore! I also love the short commentaries after each story–tackling different aspects of the lore, the fresh twist that we see in the stories, as well as the questions that we ask ourselves when we think about vampires.
My favorites would have to be Mirrors, Windows & Selfies by Mark Oshiro, The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig, and The Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed.
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Marking this book as part of reading challenge: #ReadQueerly2023.
My favorites would have to be Mirrors, Windows & Selfies by Mark Oshiro, The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig, and The Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed.
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Marking this book as part of reading challenge: #ReadQueerly2023.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content, Transphobia, and Bullying
The Mysteries of Thorn Manor, by Margaret Rogerson
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The perfect novella to follow Sorcery of Thorns 🥹 I loved that the romance I was looking for in the first book, I found here. There was also a bit of world-building still too, which was nice.
Oh and yes, I freaking love Silas 😭
Read and reviewed as part of the tour stop hosted by Turn The Pages Tours!
Oh and yes, I freaking love Silas 😭
Read and reviewed as part of the tour stop hosted by Turn The Pages Tours!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Death of parent
Hell Followed with Us, by Andrew Joseph White
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Maybe the real monsters are those who are willing do the most terrible things just for the sake of religious bigotry, and privilege, and hate.
This was such an incredible journey 😭 One filled with rage, fear, hope, and love. And clearly, a love letter to queer kids. I'm so glad to have read this 🤧
Full review soon 🤞
This was such an incredible journey 😭 One filled with rage, fear, hope, and love. And clearly, a love letter to queer kids. I'm so glad to have read this 🤧
Full review soon 🤞
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Transphobia, Homophobia, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Sexual content
Misgendering, mention of deadname
Ravenfall, by Kalyn Josephson
Finished this book! 😭 Whimsical and so heartfelt! From the Celtic mythology, to the magic and the world-building, to the characters, and the overall atmosphere–this book aced them all.
Maybe some of the plot were a bit predictable at first? But the last battle near the end still had a few surprises and I love it!
Also, I appreciate how this book had several moral lessons for the reader. 🥹
This magical MG novel is out September 6th!
Read my full review here: https://enthralledbookworm.wordpress.com/2022/08/14/arc-review-ravenfall/
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Finished this book! 😭 Whimsical and so heartfelt! From the Celtic mythology, to the magic and the world-building, to the characters, and the overall atmosphere–this book aced them all.
Maybe some of the plot were a bit predictable at first? But the last battle near the end still had a few surprises and I love it!
Also, I appreciate how this book had several moral lessons for the reader. 🥹
This magical MG novel is out September 6th!
Read my full review here: https://enthralledbookworm.wordpress.com/2022/08/14/arc-review-ravenfall/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Murder, Blood, and Death of parent
Home Field Advantage, by Dahlia Adler
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING 😭 I'm crying and laughing and just basking in the magnificence of this book. The romance is exquisite, the characters are compelling, and the way this book tackled misogyny and homophobia is just incredible. Also, the queer rep is just too good here 😭
I just love this book a lot, definitely one of my top reads for this year!! 💜
I just love this book a lot, definitely one of my top reads for this year!! 💜
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Death
Also contains manipulation/blackmailing of a closeted character
A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, by Foz Meadows
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
OH THIS BOOK 😭 This was a journey!! This book gave me slow burn romance (the kind that made me ache tbh 😂), gave me intriguing characters and intriguing politics, showed that healing was a process, and best of all, showed how incredible it can be to just be yourself–queer identity, queer love, and all.
CW: rape, sexual assault, gaslighting, self-harm, attempted suicide, death, murder, blood, animal death, graphic violence, homophobia, transphobia, misogynistic ideas/culture
CW: rape, sexual assault, gaslighting, self-harm, attempted suicide, death, murder, blood, animal death, graphic violence, homophobia, transphobia, misogynistic ideas/culture
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Death, Murder, Violence, Animal death, Rape, Blood, and Homophobia
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Misogyny
Flip the Script, by Lyla Lee
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I think absolutely love that this is my first read for Pride Month. This was just so cute and so fun, and most importantly, it shed some light on the queer community in South Korea and the entertainment industry in particular. It also gives us hope of what may come and what we can do to make a difference. This was just a delight to read. 🥺
Full review soon.
Full review soon.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
Fight + Flight, by Jules Machias
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Was so excited for this book! I loved Both Can Be True so I expected another great book from the author. And you know what? Jules Machias just knows how to bring stories to life. This book perfectly sums up how it's like to be kids experiencing a a bunch of things all at the same time, how to feel everything slip right out of your control, how fear controls us, especially when it comes to kids and young teens in today's world.
I also love how this book shed light in a couple of societal issues and representations. From the disease that affects Avery's joints, to the anxiety that grips Sarah, the queer and trans rep, and a whole lot more.
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This book is so good and so thoughtful, and a perfect combination of comforting and inspiring. This is out tomorrow! 🥺 Go add it to your TBRs, preorder/request on your library, or gift it to your own kids, siblings, or more. They need a story like this one 💜
I also love how this book shed light in a couple of societal issues and representations. From the disease that affects Avery's joints, to the anxiety that grips Sarah, the queer and trans rep, and a whole lot more.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This book is so good and so thoughtful, and a perfect combination of comforting and inspiring. This is out tomorrow! 🥺 Go add it to your TBRs, preorder/request on your library, or gift it to your own kids, siblings, or more. They need a story like this one 💜
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Bullying, and Ableism
I Kissed Shara Wheeler, by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
*screams* Listen. I started reading this book with a half-baked idea of what I was getting into, and I ended up enjoying it way more than I thought I would.
This was quite a ride. If I were to explain it very simply, I would say it was about gays trying to navigate high school, getting together, and gays leaving cryptic notes and gay panicking here and there. 😭😂
However, it was also about identity, about survival, about love we haven't really noticed before but found, about the people around us and the multitudes they hold. This book was funny, and heartfelt, and it was a delight to read.
This was quite a ride. If I were to explain it very simply, I would say it was about gays trying to navigate high school, getting together, and gays leaving cryptic notes and gay panicking here and there. 😭😂
However, it was also about identity, about survival, about love we haven't really noticed before but found, about the people around us and the multitudes they hold. This book was funny, and heartfelt, and it was a delight to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry
Moderate: Homophobia
Where the Drowned Girls Go, by Seanan McGuire
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A Wayward Children novella just never disappoints me 😭
I've been on a weird slump lately, but I think this is just what I needed. Whimsical and dark just like the rest of the books in the series, but also somehow more emotional? I don't know if that's the right word. What I know is that there was fear, and sadness, the desperation to be okay, and of course, hope.
I've been on a weird slump lately, but I think this is just what I needed. Whimsical and dark just like the rest of the books in the series, but also somehow more emotional? I don't know if that's the right word. What I know is that there was fear, and sadness, the desperation to be okay, and of course, hope.