scriptedsolstice's reviews
170 reviews
Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
I read Dear Martin last month and I knew I had to pick up Dear Justyce pretty soon after. Dear Justyce was everything. Stone knew what she wanted to do, and she accomplished it with absolute perfection. She wanted to write a book for the Black kids that weren’t like Justyce in the first book. The kids that don’t have a ton of opportunities. Who do get into gangs and come from a broken family background. Who are simply not given the same privileges in life as white kids.
Dear Justyce was powerful and sent me on a whirlwind of emotions. We meet Quan in Dear Martin, however we really got to know how he ended up where he is in life. When the bad decisions he made felt like the only choice, a way out. Definitely pick this series up if you haven’t.
Dear Justyce was powerful and sent me on a whirlwind of emotions. We meet Quan in Dear Martin, however we really got to know how he ended up where he is in life. When the bad decisions he made felt like the only choice, a way out. Definitely pick this series up if you haven’t.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
5.0
What a beautiful, beautiful book. Harrow has the most mesmerising writing style that is just so pretty! Every sentence is lyrical and carefully strung together without the descriptions been overly flowery which is exactly how i like my books.
The Once and Future Witches is set in America, New Salem in the 1890’s, a time where women were fighting hard for the right to vote. We follow three sisters with a messy past and a struggled relationship as they try to bring back witching to the women of the world. I adored the sapphic relationship between a black woman and a white woman, and the fact that Juniper requires the use of a cane to walk. Harrow twists old folktales to centre women, and creates the idea that magic is never gone. It’s in nursery rhymes and folklore and fairytales and songs, passed down for witching women to find.
This book felt wild. But not wild in a way that the content was wild. It just made me feel wild. Like running through grass and smelling fresh rain. It made me feel empowered. Definitely a new favourite!
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Buzzwords: witches, feminism, women empowerment, suffrage, 1890’s America, sapphic relationship, MC with a walking disability
The Once and Future Witches is set in America, New Salem in the 1890’s, a time where women were fighting hard for the right to vote. We follow three sisters with a messy past and a struggled relationship as they try to bring back witching to the women of the world. I adored the sapphic relationship between a black woman and a white woman, and the fact that Juniper requires the use of a cane to walk. Harrow twists old folktales to centre women, and creates the idea that magic is never gone. It’s in nursery rhymes and folklore and fairytales and songs, passed down for witching women to find.
This book felt wild. But not wild in a way that the content was wild. It just made me feel wild. Like running through grass and smelling fresh rain. It made me feel empowered. Definitely a new favourite!
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Buzzwords: witches, feminism, women empowerment, suffrage, 1890’s America, sapphic relationship, MC with a walking disability
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
5.0
Okay wow, this book was flawless and I loved everything about it. The world was mesmerising, the characters were incredible and I was fully captivated. Adeyemi expertly weaves West African culture, mythology and magic alongside themes that occur in today’s society. The book speaks a lot for the racial inequality that Black people face today but does so within a fantasy setting. That, however definitely doesn’t lessen the impact of these messages. It also speaks for classism and police brutality. An amazing book that I’ll definitely reread in the future!
Buzzwords: West African inspired, Black cast of characters, enemies to lovers, blood magic, lost magic, royalty
Buzzwords: West African inspired, Black cast of characters, enemies to lovers, blood magic, lost magic, royalty
The Girl with the Whispering Shadow by D.E. Night
2.0
I want to start this by saying I really enjoyed the first book in this series for its whimsy and unique magical elements. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
This one honestly felt too much like a Harry Potter copy. Just some of the examples I found:
- there is a teacher playing good and bad (AKA Snape)
- Thestral like creatures that are invisible horses
- a stone that is hidden inside a bank
- dementor like creatures
- memory bottles that you can enter
- a magical sport called “Quogo”
There were a few HP similarities in the first book but I overlooked it due to it being a series set in a magical school and therefore there’s bound to be similar situations. However this one just got too much for me.
Also, the characters are 17-19, but the dialogue is very basic and reads very much like a younger end middle grade. I’m not a fan of the villain as there has been no development as to why she is evil and I personally prefer my villains to have a reason.
The author also referred to a homeless man as a ‘hobo’ which I felt was very derogatory. Overall, I love the unique elements that the author has created themselves, however far too much of it seems similar to HP for it not to have been directly influenced. The characters fall quite one dimensional and the writing just doesn’t match up with the age group. Sad to say I don’t think I’ll be continuing.
This one honestly felt too much like a Harry Potter copy. Just some of the examples I found:
- there is a teacher playing good and bad (AKA Snape)
- Thestral like creatures that are invisible horses
- a stone that is hidden inside a bank
- dementor like creatures
- memory bottles that you can enter
- a magical sport called “Quogo”
There were a few HP similarities in the first book but I overlooked it due to it being a series set in a magical school and therefore there’s bound to be similar situations. However this one just got too much for me.
Also, the characters are 17-19, but the dialogue is very basic and reads very much like a younger end middle grade. I’m not a fan of the villain as there has been no development as to why she is evil and I personally prefer my villains to have a reason.
The author also referred to a homeless man as a ‘hobo’ which I felt was very derogatory. Overall, I love the unique elements that the author has created themselves, however far too much of it seems similar to HP for it not to have been directly influenced. The characters fall quite one dimensional and the writing just doesn’t match up with the age group. Sad to say I don’t think I’ll be continuing.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
4.0
I absolutely loved this and thought the author did an INCREDIBLE job at providing examples of how the legal system and News (specifically in America) distorts stories to paint Black people in a negative light. This book was so important and touched on so many things that are relevant and need to be discussed and brought to light, including gangs, police brutality and conversations about race between white people and POC.
. Justyce was a great character to follow and I enjoyed getting to know him. Seeing his struggles and coming to terms with his own identity was so insightful.
This is a must read. It got me riled up and angry in so many ways. Seeing how white people can be so ignorant to racial injustices that POC, particularly the black community face in the US made me rage!
. Justyce was a great character to follow and I enjoyed getting to know him. Seeing his struggles and coming to terms with his own identity was so insightful.
This is a must read. It got me riled up and angry in so many ways. Seeing how white people can be so ignorant to racial injustices that POC, particularly the black community face in the US made me rage!
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
2.5
I watched an episode of the Netflix adaptation 2 years ago and was terrified, so going into this I was expecting to be, well, SCARED. I think because this book was written in the 1950’s, it’s writing style strips it of causing fear in a modern audience (or at least that’s how it felt for me!).
Most of the book is spent listening to Eleanor’s imaginary games and her whimsical thoughts and ideas about the house. I did enjoy the different characters and the way the house was described, and am now on episode 4 of the adaptation and really loving it.
Also I’m a huge baby when it comes to scary things, so I was surprised at how non scary this book was 😂
Most of the book is spent listening to Eleanor’s imaginary games and her whimsical thoughts and ideas about the house. I did enjoy the different characters and the way the house was described, and am now on episode 4 of the adaptation and really loving it.
Also I’m a huge baby when it comes to scary things, so I was surprised at how non scary this book was 😂