Dear Review Reader, It pains me on occasion such as this to bring you dire news (well, at least by the time you read the end of this review) that thougDear Review Reader, It pains me on occasion such as this to bring you dire news (well, at least by the time you read the end of this review) that though I was radiantly hopeful and anticipating this new book, this is no longer the case (though maybe I don't need to actually be telling you this, as you can plainly see my rating of DNF already).
This is not a freshwater review, as I am simply filled with too much salt (primarily at the editor who let bypass such a multitude of illogical details in the first chapter alone that I cannot bear not to mention it). I write to tell you this (and I hope you have picked up on my particular style of writing which is not by chance but is in fact an exact parody on every line!) because I regrettably touted this book as the next Emily Wilde when, alas, it is not.
Though the cover is quite beautiful (stunning colors!) and I love a light academia (or a dark academia, or perhaps a greyscale academia that's somewhere in between), it is difficult to read the same voice written across four different characters -a voice written precisely like this, with this frequency of parentheses and all- and I cannot fathom having read a further 400 pages.
May the readers who love this style find this book perfectly made for them. For now I shall swim to other waters.
Yours, Me, My Shelf, & I (If it helps, I also go by "GR reviewer")
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All thoughts, opinions, and sassiness are my own. ----------------------- Original Review ----------------------- I have been told this is like Emily Wilde but underwater, so now I have no choice but to read it.
Merged review:
Dear Review Reader, It pains me on occasion such as this to bring you dire news (well, at least by the time you read the end of this review) that though I was radiantly hopeful and anticipating this new book, this is no longer the case (though maybe I don't need to actually be telling you this, as you can plainly see my rating of DNF already).
This is not a freshwater review, as I am simply filled with too much salt (primarily at the editor who let bypass such a multitude of illogical details in the first chapter alone that I cannot bear not to mention it). I write to tell you this (and I hope you have picked up on my particular style of writing which is not by chance but is in fact an exact parody on every line!) because I regrettably touted this book as the next Emily Wilde when, alas, it is not.
Though the cover is quite beautiful (stunning colors!) and I love a light academia (or a dark academia, or perhaps a greyscale academia that's somewhere in between), it is difficult to read the same voice written across four different characters -a voice written precisely like this, with this frequency of parentheses and all- and I cannot fathom having read a further 400 pages.
May the readers who love this style find this book perfectly made for them. For now I shall swim to other waters.
Yours, Me, My Shelf, & I (If it helps, I also go by "GR reviewer")
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All thoughts, opinions, and sassiness are my own. ----------------------- Original Review ----------------------- I have been told this is like Emily Wilde but underwater, so now I have no choice but to read it....more
Sarah Pinsker wrote one of my favourite scifi novels: We Are Satellites, but I hadn't read anything else by her. As soon as I started this novella I wSarah Pinsker wrote one of my favourite scifi novels: We Are Satellites, but I hadn't read anything else by her. As soon as I started this novella I went searching through my Goodreads and found I'd put something else from her on my TBR (Two Truths and a Lie) and decided to read that short story first.
While there are similar threads between this and the short story like a young woman who feels disconnected from her life and her family, no future or dreams of her own, Two Truths and a Lie is much more spooky. It's got a creepypasta feel where everything is familiar and recognizable, but just off enough that you're left feeling unsettled with a persistent itch in the back of your brain.
Haunt Sweet Home feels like the much more commercial cousin that delivers more explanation, more of a moral, more of a neatly tied up ending. It's a quick jaunt that never strays too creepy and doesn't leave any lingering questions. 3.5/5
Audiobook Notes: While I think it's appropriate for this sort of disaffected character, the narrator had a noticeably flat affectation and a fair amount of vocal fry. I'm glad the story was short because I imagine it would've started to overstay its welcome, even if it was fitting for the story.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
I absolutely loved the tone and relatability of the main character in this funky little surreal horror novella. It's very voicey and manages WHIPLASH.
I absolutely loved the tone and relatability of the main character in this funky little surreal horror novella. It's very voicey and manages to offer decent commentary on broken families that have experienced trauma, shitty men who make dating awful, and the horrors of healthcare (particularly as a woman)-- it actually really reminded me of Rachel Harrison's style. Honestly as soon as it started, it was giving 5/5 energy!
But...
Does the ~dog die?: (view spoiler)[WHY DID THEY HAVE TO KILL SO MANY CATS?! Like sure, men suck, kill the men. But the poor little kitties? (hide spoiler)]...more
Don't pay attention to my rating-- that number is for me and not for you.
This was a perfectly cute contemporary romance with a fantastical setting. ItDon't pay attention to my rating-- that number is for me and not for you.
This was a perfectly cute contemporary romance with a fantastical setting. It felt like Red, White, & Royal Blue so I think it would be perfect for fans of that book.
Because of the fantastical setting, the plot can get a little more outrageous and the villain can be much more nefarious than in a Contemporary novel. And for obvious reasons, they spend more time talking about holidays, the feelings they give you, and participating in various holiday traditions.
I thought the Christmas puns were funny, but feel a little betrayed that we didn't also get Halloween puns.
Why the rating?: I'm not a RWRB fan and this honestly didn't do anything for me. It's not bad, just not for me. I think other folks will find it charming, though.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
Ya know... I'm normally not the target audience for books with covers similar to this one. But I'm a sucker for gothic, horror, smutty, and deadly comYa know... I'm normally not the target audience for books with covers similar to this one. But I'm a sucker for gothic, horror, smutty, and deadly competitions so I had to request this anyway.
And I'm glad I did because this was surprisingly fun. You still can't convince me this isn't Danny Phantom fanfic (and see my real time conspiracy theory below)!! But I thought the couple had fun banter/sniping, the manor and its mysteries were engaging, and the horror elements were well done.
I appreciate the OCD rep in this (specifically how it handled and represented intrusive thoughts) as I've not seen that rep before in a novel, but it always felt honest and not like it became a defining characteristic for the main character nor the story while still presenting a lingering threat.
There were a few errors here and there (interlicking instead of interlinking, etc) and some elements that weren't as dimensional as others (Cade is basically a carbon-copy of The Hunger Games's Cato and is almost cartoonishly evil so that the reader holds no sympathy for him). But overall it didn't detract from either my enjoyment or investment in this silly little, horrorotica, Danny Phantom romantasy.
Thank you to Second Sky/Forever and NetGalley for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ------------------------------------------------ I'm 80 pages in and I think we finally just met the love interest??? And I have a new conspiracy theory on the inspiration!
He's petting a ghost cat and described as:
He had shocking white hair and bright jewel-green eyes ...The edges of his silhouette didn’t have the same haloed blue glow that the other Apparitions had; rather, there was a faint white illumination about him instead
vs:
When he first woke up, he realized he had snow-white hair And glowing green eyes He could walk through walls, disappear, and fly He was much more unique than the other guys
[image]
Update, 2 pages later: HE'S A PHANTOM PHANTOM PHANTOM PHANTOM
“You’re not crazy,” he agreed, gaze softening. “This is clearly your first time meeting a Phantom.” Phantom. That was it. No wonder he was so… solid.
I had to go back and check after the first few chapters to make sure I was really reading a debut. I instantly thought that it had a distinct voice anI had to go back and check after the first few chapters to make sure I was really reading a debut. I instantly thought that it had a distinct voice and perspective, but was also impressed with how quickly and seamlessly the book was able to set up the rules of the world and start seeding details for later plotbeats.
This story answers the question of 'wtf could be the explanation for the series of events in the original Cinderella story' if the stepsister was the hero and was actually behaving rationally. And I think it overall accomplishes its goal.
I did feel a little foolish that it took me so long to recognize the specific Disney Cinderella influences, vs the original Grimm ones. But I think that just speaks to how well integrated and natural they felt within this story.
While the story is fairly tame for the first 20-25% or so, the body horror and other horror elements goes straight to 11/10 pretty rapidly. There wasn't a trigger warning page in my arc but I sincerely hope there will be by the time this releases. Cause dear lord.
Does the ~dog die?: (view spoiler)[The housecats are pretty gruesomely treated in chapter 11, but otherwise everything is okay if you skip that chapter. They're not pets in this, but if you're inclined to feel sympathy for rats/mice then fully give this book a pass. (hide spoiler)]
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
"My daughter is a demon who lives in the forest... My daughter is a reckoning. My daughter burns like the sun and you will never catch her.
"My daughter is a demon who lives in the forest... My daughter is a reckoning. My daughter burns like the sun and you will never catch her.
This is a full brainpower book. Full stop.
I think that my rating will go up over time and as I can read further in the series, but I have to admit that I was just along for the ride on this first read-through and my overall enjoyment was a 3-3.5/5. (It didn't help that I had a physical arc, but several names and tenses and chapter headers were different in the final version which I simultaneously listened to on audio.)
This reminds me in a lot of truly excellent ways of Harrow the Ninth and The Old Guard-- which are franchises that I love. But man does it get confusing when you're not only jumping timelines and perspective shifts but also multiple people might be in a given body at any one time.
I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment, but I think I'm gonna need a notebook the next time I sit down to read this (or to read the analysis of someone much smarter than me so I can truly grasp what's happening).
Thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the free copy for review. ...more
I'd love to talk more about this book and who I think it is and isn't for, but unfortunately it's a St. Martin's Press title and we're still wDNF @36%
I'd love to talk more about this book and who I think it is and isn't for, but unfortunately it's a St. Martin's Press title and we're still waiting for them to respond to the boycott....more
This was a solid, YA coming-of-age novel from the perspective of a teen Indian boy.
I enjoyed seeing him connect with his culture and feel like he wasThis was a solid, YA coming-of-age novel from the perspective of a teen Indian boy.
I enjoyed seeing him connect with his culture and feel like he was achieving the markers of manhood, while gaining introspection and insight into why his father acts the way he does. There was a lot of heart in the character relationships and none of the conflict seemed unreasonable or overblown, but was handled maturely.
My only tiny nitpick is the way they refer to alpha/beta/omega dynamics in wolves which felt very Western influenced and has long been disproven, even by the scientist who originally wrote the paper.
Fun and engaging from the beginning, upbeat and action-packed, intimate yet with mass appeal.
I love the biting commentary and the way the tension is Fun and engaging from the beginning, upbeat and action-packed, intimate yet with mass appeal.
I love the biting commentary and the way the tension is maintained throughout. Chuck Tingle is definitely here to prove that he's a heavy-hitter and more than the goofy titles that made him famous.
The flashbacks to Misha's childhood and the foundational moments that built him as a person (and later became the building blocks for his career) made the character feel real and help to build investment in his unfolding horror and stubborn adherence to his principles.
This is pure summer fun and would make an excellent TV series and/or movie, I think all the nods and winks to Hollywood culture would do particularly well in that medium.
Definitely pick this up. 4.5/5
Audiobook Notes: There are soooooo many famous authors credited on this audiobook and I have no idea who all they played, but the production quality was superb. The primary voice actor did an excellent job with inflections and presenting different characters and was instantly so engaging. Well done.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for granting me an audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
I have so many books to read and not enough time to do it. So when I'm one fifth into a standalone and have 0 investment -to the point that I forgot II have so many books to read and not enough time to do it. So when I'm one fifth into a standalone and have 0 investment -to the point that I forgot I was reading it- then it's time to abandon ship.
The concepts of the rings that reveal your gender/etc is kinda cool, though I think wearing your kinks out in the open is... certainly a weird choice? Not sure how it makes sense in their culture.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for granting me an audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
Overall I think this is a 2 for writing (there's hardly any and it doesn't add anything) and a 5 for the art (it's fun and vibrant and tells the storyOverall I think this is a 2 for writing (there's hardly any and it doesn't add anything) and a 5 for the art (it's fun and vibrant and tells the story without the words).
This is a very classic feeling story and I would believe if you told me it's been around for generations (or at least since the invention of airplanesThis is a very classic feeling story and I would believe if you told me it's been around for generations (or at least since the invention of airplanes). For me, it's in the same vein as Pamela Purse, but with a stronger moral and a redemptive conclusion.
The illustrations were lovely and just right for this type of book, and I appreciated how many of them there were.
My one criticism is that it's implied throughout that not only is Ivy Lou beautiful and inherently good because of her blonde curls and blue eyes, but the witch outright states that her own stringy hair is black as evil. I prefer when children aren't taught to equate morality with phenotype presentation.
[image]
Thank you to The Collective Book Studio and NetGalley for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
I hate to be with the voice of the majority on this one, but I just wasn't engaged by this book. It seems to be marketed as Adult, and they're all at I hate to be with the voice of the majority on this one, but I just wasn't engaged by this book. It seems to be marketed as Adult, and they're all at least of age to be graduating from college, but I think the target demographic is much more suited to a young YA audience.
Unfortunately the characters had very simplistic thoughts, so their POVs held little interest for me. I found it repetitive that even 80% into the novel we were being told for the umpteenth time about the setup and plan for the night's events.
And the final reveal? Not only was it telegraphed early on, but it was kinda incredible that a group of collegiate students who attend or work at this specific library would be unaware of that fact. Cause it honestly felt like a flashing neon sign to me, a non-librarian who doesn't work at this library renowned for that sort of thing. Spoilers: (view spoiler)[It's not a throwaway detail that they're specifically handling/scraping old, green books in the library. Read more here: https://blog.papercraftpanda.com/do-y...(hide spoiler)]
Moral of the story: don't do drugs with a bunch of strangers in an isolated setting you can't leave.
Major Spoiler Nitpick: So I was complaining about some of the details to my partner and mentioned (view spoiler)[the beheading by paper cutter (hide spoiler)] and my partner was immediately scowling and annoyed because (view spoiler)[1. it's unlikely they're keeping the tools sharp enough in this little-used basement room, 2. you have to put so much weight into cutting off a human head that there's no way you could do it in a single slice -especially with that tool- (hide spoiler)]. That's just one of several details that don't really bear up under scrutiny.
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for granting me an audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
This is the first book I've read in the series, but it honestly reads enough like a standalone that that was perfectly fine.
My biggest complaint is thThis is the first book I've read in the series, but it honestly reads enough like a standalone that that was perfectly fine.
My biggest complaint is that they were faffing about for the first 20-25%. I had to double check the synopsis and make sure I was reading the right book, because it was so unrelated and unwilling to start the actual plot. But once the plot picked up it was fairly solid.
This is peak Dad Book. There's (eventually) a lot of chases and high octane situations. There are explosions and fires and gruff men making their way through the wilderness and using niche knowledge to get out of impossible situations. Sure, the main character is a little too perfect, a little too lucky, a little too generally overpowered. He makes a lot of assumptions, often based on the jobs of other men, and it's only because of the author that he always turns out to be right.
This isn't a bad book, despite very much not being my kind of read, and I could easily hand it over to my father-in-law or other middle aged men I know and feel like it will keep them sufficiently entertained once the action picks up.
Audiobook Notes: Standard male narrator, did a decent job. Could've injected just a wee bit more emotion or personality, but was all around average.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me an audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
This was unexpectedly fun and original and creative-- an interstellar heist with the future of multiple civilizations depending on the results. Moral This was unexpectedly fun and original and creative-- an interstellar heist with the future of multiple civilizations depending on the results. Moral quandaries and alien infections and connected space highways and chases and battles and long-dead alien planets. 4.5/5 rounded up!
The first thing that I loved was the characters. I only had the audiobook so apologies if I misspell, but I adored Auncle (her Fenro alien friend). They were delightfully sweet and excitable and empathetic, and had cute alien phrasings like considering "emotional digestion" or calling Maya zir "splendid, squishable friend" and apparently zir species has 20,043 different emotions they can experience. Maya had a strong personality and voice that I appreciated, and I really grew to like Wil as well, but it was mostly the aliens that did it for me.
I also thought the politics and histories of these different planets and peoples was really interesting, and I could see the motivations behind each of them so there were no true villains, just peoples who -in fighting for their survival and what's right for them- were put in direct odds against everyone else. Which is the kind of nuanced antagonism I appreciate.
This was also, probably, my favourite use of premonitions/prophecy/etc? This is a trope I've complained about a lot in the past, because it's very hard to implement in a way that feels successful for both the reader and the characters. But I really liked how the virus altered Maya and gave her this occasional glimpse into possible futures. It was very dreamlike, so not necessarily 100% true to reality, but could give just the tiniest edge needed to spin the odds in their favor. It never overstayed its welcome and was well-worked into the greater world-building.
And lastly, this book did something I truly love: in the last 25% we get dropped on a planet of a people that have long since died out. Their structures and even statues remain, and complex buildings rife with booby traps and treasure and long-guarded secrets; but even their demise is unfathomably ancient. (This sort of thing has always delighted me-- from being a kid and reading The Magician's Nephew or watching The Fifth Element, to more modern properties like Canaan House of Gideon the Ninth).
Overall I would definitely recommend to fans of properties like Stargate and Firefly. While it has more in common with the complex network of travel and alien histories of Stargate, you're also following a lovable group of -ostensibly criminal- rogues who are fighting to uphold their own morality despite might be technically legal or not.
Audiobook Notes: I think my love for the aliens is in no small part due to the narration. Even Elephant, who lasted a short time on page, has an outsized proportion in my memories because I just loved the life she breathed into zir.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for granting me an audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
This was a fun, summer romance read (though not as romcom as my personal tastes run). And admittedly, the love interest did make me smile a few times This was a fun, summer romance read (though not as romcom as my personal tastes run). And admittedly, the love interest did make me smile a few times with his corny sense of humor.
While there wasn't any real downtime, there were a lot of conversations and scenes that were nothing but phone-calls. Granted, it's not Fantasy so there aren't necessarily as many opportunities for action scenes, but it was still a little over my threshold. I need just a bit more action to happen that isn't just talking. (Imagine 20 & 30 year olds actually using their phones to make calls, though??? Maybe this was a Fantasy after all ...more
This is a muuuuuuuuuuuch more serious book than the cover and title and synopsis imply.
There's an impression many people have that the main character This is a muuuuuuuuuuuch more serious book than the cover and title and synopsis imply.
There's an impression many people have that the main character is neurodivergent, but that doesn't ring true to me. It seemed very obvious that she had trauma from a childhood event that she had re-written in her mind and built an entire life/persona around this false narrative.
I think the appeal is supposed to be in the characters, but I couldn't connect to them. And unfortunately the story seemed very unoriginal based on the media I've consumed in the past. It all played out exactly how I assumed from the beginning.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audio arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
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