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spinesinaline's reviews
809 reviews
Rag and Bone by Priya Sharma
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content
Schrödinger's Gun by Ray Wood
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Suicide
Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit & Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction by Joshua Whitehead
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Alcoholism, Medical content, and War
The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher by E.M. Anderson
adventurous
challenging
funny
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
4.5
Thanks to Midnight Meadow Publishing for a copy to review!
This was incredibly delightful, but not without its heavy moments. Edna is such a fun character to get to follow on her adventures, always with her knitting in her bag. This fairly stubborn old woman living in a nursing home, worried over her hips and knees, is still nonetheless excited about an adventure that’ll take her away from regular bingo nights.
There are many heavy moments and the author has brilliantly balanced the hurt and pain with some levity in this story. The main character is grieving the death of her son, as many characters are grieving the deaths of their family members. The villain causes quite a lot of death and destruction so this is by no means a lighthearted read. But still, somehow the author has made these characters feel like family in a way that we can grow and laugh and cry alongside them.
This was incredibly delightful, but not without its heavy moments. Edna is such a fun character to get to follow on her adventures, always with her knitting in her bag. This fairly stubborn old woman living in a nursing home, worried over her hips and knees, is still nonetheless excited about an adventure that’ll take her away from regular bingo nights.
There are many heavy moments and the author has brilliantly balanced the hurt and pain with some levity in this story. The main character is grieving the death of her son, as many characters are grieving the deaths of their family members. The villain causes quite a lot of death and destruction so this is by no means a lighthearted read. But still, somehow the author has made these characters feel like family in a way that we can grow and laugh and cry alongside them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
After Elias by Eddy Boudel Tan
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A devastating and thought-provoking book, I’m very glad I picked this one up.
It's as much a book about grief as it is about trauma and depression and complicated familial relationships and brotherly connections. CWs for plane crash, death, suicide attempt, sexual assault.
One of the notes I made as I was reading was how much I love the way that the authors makes us feel about these characters. Just as we think we’ve gotten to know them and their inner workings and motivations, Boudel Tan changes things up and adds one more little hint of a backstory or a previously misremembered memory that throws everything back into the air for the reader to puzzle through.
While the present story largely takes place in Mexico, there are many flashbacks to life in Vancouver and there are many local references for Vancouver readers to pick up on. Specific areas aren’t always mentioned but there’s enough description that local folks will be able to place these characters easily, and it brings another level of familiarity.
It's as much a book about grief as it is about trauma and depression and complicated familial relationships and brotherly connections. CWs for plane crash, death, suicide attempt, sexual assault.
One of the notes I made as I was reading was how much I love the way that the authors makes us feel about these characters. Just as we think we’ve gotten to know them and their inner workings and motivations, Boudel Tan changes things up and adds one more little hint of a backstory or a previously misremembered memory that throws everything back into the air for the reader to puzzle through.
While the present story largely takes place in Mexico, there are many flashbacks to life in Vancouver and there are many local references for Vancouver readers to pick up on. Specific areas aren’t always mentioned but there’s enough description that local folks will be able to place these characters easily, and it brings another level of familiarity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcohol
The Long View by Susan Palwick
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It was an interesting premise to start but something didn't flow well and I didn't enjoy the characters, an odd little story that I'm not sure what it was trying to do.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and War
The Difference Between Love and Time by Catherynne M. Valente
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was excellent
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Possibly the most shocking opening line after that beautiful cover, “I would be lying if I say my mother’s misery has never given me pleasure”. I knew this would not be a lighthearted read from that start but this was a very intense, visceral read.
Antara has an incredibly complicated relationship with her mother, who appears to be developing dementia. As Antara struggles to care for her, and get her family and medical team to believe her worsening condition, we flash through Antara and Tara’s past, often flitting through memories at random and out of order.
The author does an excellent job at disorienting the reader and each time I thought I had a read on the MC, she would reveal something new that would twist everything I thought I knew! It’s a tricky story, dark and emotional and a little sinister and I was absolutely hooked.
Antara has an incredibly complicated relationship with her mother, who appears to be developing dementia. As Antara struggles to care for her, and get her family and medical team to believe her worsening condition, we flash through Antara and Tara’s past, often flitting through memories at random and out of order.
The author does an excellent job at disorienting the reader and each time I thought I had a read on the MC, she would reveal something new that would twist everything I thought I knew! It’s a tricky story, dark and emotional and a little sinister and I was absolutely hooked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Dementia
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
Skeleton Song by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I had no idea this was part of the Wayward Children series, I just read it because it was free on Tor but very interested in reading the series now. I really enjoyed the world-building, it feels like a very inventive story drawing on some cultural references
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Terminal illness