stardustandrockets's reviews
355 reviews

When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

I was told by a follower on instagram that this book is similar to Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews without the horror and they were right. It also reminds me a lot of the movie Last Christmas. It's a wonderful story about how grief manifests and everyone deals with it differently.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, and Grief

Moderate: Child death, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual assault, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

You Had Me at Happy Hour by Timothy Janovsky

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

While I enjoyed the mental health rep and how Greg and Julien met each other where they were when entering into their "sex pact", it fell a little flat for me story-wise compared to Janovsky's previous works (Never Been Kissed and You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Child abuse, Car accident, and Classism

Haunt Your Heart Out by Amber Roberts

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

bisexual rep (love interest), pansexual rep (main character), aspec character mentioned (MC's ex)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Grief, and Abandonment

bisexual rep, pansexual rep, aspec character mentioned

Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Alcohol

Moderate: Drug use, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body horror, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Holy shit! I didn't see the ending coming! Not once would I have ever guessed that's really what happened. I had my suspicions, but I was hoping to be proven wrong.

Read. This. Book.
Do it.
Read this book so you can join me in therapy to talk about how this book wrecked your soul!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse

Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee

5.0

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Abandonment

Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Grief

Minor: Vomit

Icarus by K. Ancrum

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Alcohol

Aurora's End by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

This book was obnoxious.