wafer's reviews
631 reviews
A Black Fox Running by Brian Carter
dark
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
While the prose itself is gorgeous, the plot progression seems lost. I love the concept of a nihilist outlook on what makes a ‘good death’ to these foxes, but it’s not explored nearly as much as I was hoping it would.
Honestly, go for fox & the hound first.
Honestly, go for fox & the hound first.
Out of the Blue by Jason June
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Hey, don’t judge me. I like a fun low stakes YA summer fun novel just as much as the next guy. And like! It IS fun. This made for a fun morning, a month-long fling between some guy and a nonbinary merperson.
There are some quotes here that got my eyebrows up. Probably the most egregious offense was a moment where a character blows up at another for ‘not listening’ when said character never bothered to communicate in the first place.
But like. It’s cheesy. It’s silly. The mer culture is butter on bread surface level. But that’s the fun of it. I had fun!
There are some quotes here that got my eyebrows up. Probably the most egregious offense was a moment where a character blows up at another for ‘not listening’ when said character never bothered to communicate in the first place.
But like. It’s cheesy. It’s silly. The mer culture is butter on bread surface level. But that’s the fun of it. I had fun!
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.5
I really needed a fun little sci-fi road trip story, and this delivered quite well! The characters are all quite likable, and the world building with such a diverse array of alien species made for a lot of fun scenarios.
There is a romance later on that comes seemingly out of nowhere, and I wasn’t a big fan of how Ohan’s they/them pronouns are treated as a symptom of a disease. It kind of nearly crosses the border into demonizing plurality, but I know for sure that wasn’t the author’s intention.
There is a romance later on that comes seemingly out of nowhere, and I wasn’t a big fan of how Ohan’s they/them pronouns are treated as a symptom of a disease. It kind of nearly crosses the border into demonizing plurality, but I know for sure that wasn’t the author’s intention.
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-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
4.5
Absolute banger of a horror novel, and that’s coming from someone who didn’t grow up in what I know is an all-too-familiar traumatic environment.
Feels like it could have used an epilogue though, to be honest. The ending is a bit abrupt.
Feels like it could have used an epilogue though, to be honest. The ending is a bit abrupt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, and Homophobia
A Rulebook for Restless Rogues by Jess Everlee
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
3.0
Always love seeing more work from this author, though I think I personally prefer the first in this series. The writing itself is great, engaging and tight, but the overarching plot fell a bit flat for me. It feels like there was a lot of struggle in getting certain story beats to mesh together.
It was a fun time though! Just not necessarily a repeat.
It was a fun time though! Just not necessarily a repeat.
Frost Dancers by Garry Kilworth
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is an odd one. I’m usually a huge fan of Kilworth’s work, and his take on hares certainly isn’t a bad one, it just feels tonally off. I really wish he hadn’t felt the need to include such a bizarre antagonist as the harpy eagle (who you only know is a harpy eagle once you read the afterward - the narrative is intentionally vague on that). Very abrupt ending as well.
I liked it! Just not my favorite of his line-up.
I liked it! Just not my favorite of his line-up.
Claudine by Riyoko Ikeda
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This is a weird one to review. This is a manga about a trans man created in 1979, and it was honestly more tactful than I expected it to be, but it’s still pretty old fashioned and has the usual antiquated attitudes towards trans identities that you’d expect. Really not a fan of how the narrator, a psychologist, continually misgenders Claudine despite being the only character who affirms his manhood. It makes me wonder if it’s a translation thing.
Honestly, my main criticisms aren’t even about the trans stuff though. The volume is short as hell, less than a hundred pages, yet it goes at a breakneck pace with zero time to catch its breath in-between plot points. We never really get to know Claudine at all outside of his romantic trysts.
I’d say you probably should read it as a historic piece, and Ikeda’s artwork is eternal eye candy. Claudine himself is handsome as all get out and honestly affirming even by his design. It’ll take you less than a hour to read, so why not?
Honestly, my main criticisms aren’t even about the trans stuff though. The volume is short as hell, less than a hundred pages, yet it goes at a breakneck pace with zero time to catch its breath in-between plot points. We never really get to know Claudine at all outside of his romantic trysts.
I’d say you probably should read it as a historic piece, and Ikeda’s artwork is eternal eye candy. Claudine himself is handsome as all get out and honestly affirming even by his design. It’ll take you less than a hour to read, so why not?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Deadnaming, Self harm, and Suicide
A Trans Man Walks Into a Gay Bar by Harry Nicholas
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
This took me such a long time to read, if only from how painfully relatable so many of the author’s experiences have been to my own. I’d read one essay and then have to put it down for a handful of days. Harry does such a great job describing what it’s like to experience hyper visible invisibility.
There are so few books out there written from a gay trans man’s perspective. This is one of those precious few.
There are so few books out there written from a gay trans man’s perspective. This is one of those precious few.
Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-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
3.5
This is a big mix of loving the characters, the writing, and the majority of world building - but the more cerebral focus on mind control and brainwashing was a tough sell for me.
Still really enjoyed my time, but a lot of it just isn’t for me I think.
Still really enjoyed my time, but a lot of it just isn’t for me I think.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I hate that I’m giving this two stars. Such a strong opening!! Yet it’s bogged down by a horrific bloated middle that just dilutes what impact there is by the end.
There’s stuff here I like. I like that Snow is as horrible as he is from the get-go. I love Lucy Gray and how we know so little about her because we’re locked in that limited 3rd person narrative. I love how you only get glimpses of who she really is through her songs. I love Sejanus and his whole conflict with his tribute. I love the revelations with the ending.
Ugh but hippity hoppity, that villain was lame. And would think! So was the game!
Man. This thing needs the fluff taken out of it to save the great opening/ending.
There’s stuff here I like. I like that Snow is as horrible as he is from the get-go. I love Lucy Gray and how we know so little about her because we’re locked in that limited 3rd person narrative. I love how you only get glimpses of who she really is through her songs. I love Sejanus and his whole conflict with his tribute. I love the revelations with the ending.
Ugh but hippity hoppity, that villain was lame. And would think! So was the game!
Man. This thing needs the fluff taken out of it to save the great opening/ending.