SORRY I DON'T HAVE WORDS BUT THIS MADE ME CRY WHEN I HAD JUST PUT MY MAKE UP ONSORRY I DON'T HAVE WORDS BUT THIS MADE ME CRY WHEN I HAD JUST PUT MY MAKE UP ON...more
“They were in love with each other, and that was good. Love wasn't the problem. It was losing it that could hurt the Grays.”
The Lost Coast is a beautifully atmospheric novel about witches, female friendship and being unapologetically queer.
This story revolved around Danny, who just moved to a new town with her mother. There she meets the Grays, a group of queer witches, and she realizes quickly that more than just coincidence brought her to this new town. We follow Danny as she grows closer to the Grays and helps them discover the mystery of the forest that one of their friends has vanished in.
It is so hard to describe this story without giving too much away. It has a very mysterious atmosphere and vibe to it and I think it is best to go into it knowing as little as possible. But if you like queer, witchy stories that focus on female friendship and found family, this is an absolute must-read for you.
“I didn’t have friends before the Grays. That word was an empty outline until they filled it in. ”
I actually usually don't feel very drawn to stories about witches but The Lost Coast intrigued me because I loved Capetta's Echo After Echo and generally love all things sapphic, so I honestly didn't even care that this was a witchy story!
And I actually ended up not minding the witchy elements at all. On the contrary, I loved that all the Grays had different abilities and individual things they felt more drawn to.
“That girl might have magic in her heart, but never forget how much of her power is handed right to her by other people.”
My favourite aspect of this book was how queer it was. All of the Grays are queer and so absolutely unapologetic about it. Having this diverse group of people all being so openly queer is something that made so incredibly happy. I also loved how Danny is so casual about making out with girls because I feel like YA does not often show that it's totally cool to just casually make out with people (given, of course, that they're all okay with it). Seeing a girl being unapologetic about this, especially with other girls, is something I have huge appreciation for.
As for the specific identities mentioned in the book, there's Lelia who is non-binary (she/her pronouns) and "not allo". Hawthorn is Black and bisexual. Rush is fat and June is Filipino. And there was definitely a huge polyamorous energy between them but they never really define themselves that way. The Grays are just the Grays and they love each other in many different ways. Danny never uses a specific label but is definitely attracted to multiple genders and reads pan.
“Even with all the girls I’ve hooked up with, I sometimes find myself wanting to kiss a boy, and that makes it harder for a lot of people—I won’t declare myself and stick to one side of a fence. I don’t know how to explain that I don’t even see the fence.”
I totally loved the structure and writing style and it really worked for this story. In the beginning the writing felt a little bit distant and until the end I had some issues getting really emotionally connected but I ended up not minding this at all. The writing is so lush and beautiful that the feelings and thoughts of the characters came across incredibly well!
The story switches between different points in time and point of views and included things like the whole school and "the trees" as points of views as well. Which sounds a little bit confusing in theory but works so well. I think that these perspectives really helped to create a certain atmosphere because it makes the world building almost seem like a character. It made the atmosphere so easy to grasp and I felt completely engrossed in it.
“The Grays are always touching and kissing each other because so many before us couldn't. Each kiss carries the weight of so many kisses that never were. Every touch is an invisible battle won.”
The element of female friendship, found family and unconditional love in this novel is so incredibly strong, it is very hard to even find words for it. But it was easily my favourite aspect. The love that the Grays have for each other was yet another thing that they were so unapologetic about and the fact that they never feel the need to define it was a very powerful element of this story.
There is also an absolutely wonderful romantic storyline between Danny and one of the Grays. This is another aspect where Capetta's writing really stands out because the way that Danny's feelings were described was so very beautiful. The book also features a very well done sapphic sex scene, which is something I hugely appreciate being present in YA.
“The way she walks, at home in her skin, with all the doors open wide, is what I want. She turns back to me and smiles. Rush wants me with her, and she doesn't have to cast a spell to convince me. She is the spell.”
Overall, I think this is an incredible novel that is very underrated and deserves much more love. If you enjoy novels that center a group of girls that all love each other unconditionally and without any limits, this is a novel for you. I loved this novel with my whole heart and am so glad queer girls out there get to read it.
I looooved this so fucking much. It made me laugh out loud numerous times, it made me cry, it literally made me feel almost every single emotion thereI looooved this so fucking much. It made me laugh out loud numerous times, it made me cry, it literally made me feel almost every single emotion there is. I JUST LOVED IT SO MUCH OH MY GOD 😭...more
The Wicked King was a fantastic sequel that that made me fall in love with a♦ Video Review ♦
Call 911, Holly Black just tried to MURDER me!!
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The Wicked King was a fantastic sequel that that made me fall in love with all of the elements that I had barely any feelings towards in The Cruel Prince.
“When the king returns, rose petals will scatter across his path, and his footfalls will bring an end to wrath.”
The character development was impeccable. Both Jude and Cardan were so very well written in this book specifically. I loved seeing a different side of Cardan and him just opening up more. While his actions are not excused, we definitely get an explanation for them. He is such a nuanced, believable character with so many layers still left to uncover in the third book. I am really starting to fall for this character, which I did not expect AT ALL when I read The Cruel Prince.
Jude is slowly but surely becoming one of my favourite female characters. She is so multi-layered and I love seeing this strong, fierce woman with so many weak moments. And there's so many moments where we see her being so scared but she is still such a brave character.
“It occurs to me that maybe desire isn't something overindulging helps. Maybe it is not unlike mithridatism; maybe I took a killing dose when I should have been poisoning myself slowly, one kiss at a time.”
The main reason why I was invested in the first book and wanted to continue the series was the relationship between Jude and Cardan and Holly Black did not disappoint with this development. There were sooo many good scenes between the two. This is honestly one of the best enemies-to-lovers romance ever written and I'm so thrilled to see where this relationship is gonna go in the third book.
“I've wanted this and feared it, and now that it's happening, I don't know how I will ever want anything else.”
I also really came to appreciate the world building and the setting. I loved being in the palace and Holly Black has a way of really bringing across the atmosphere through her writing. Seeing the Undersea Kingdom was maybe my favourite part (apart from the romance hehe). I love everything to do with mermaids and sirens, so getting a glimpse into that aspect of this world made my heart incredibly happy.
In an effort not to spoil anything, I'm gonna end my review here. But know that if you felt indifferent about The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King is 100% worth picking up. I believe this is a Fantasy series you should not miss out on. I, for one, cannot wait to read the final book in the trilogy. Anybody have any idea how I make the time pass faster cause I need it NOW!
Sometimes books just shoot cupid's arrow right into your heart and you have so much love for it, that it's hard to explain why. I'm gonna tell you all of the things that I enjoyed and loved about The Princess and the Fangirl, but there's no way to actually explain to you how it made me feel. This book filled a void in my soul that I didn't know existed and I'm so grateful for this book and the whole universe around ExcelsiCon that Ashley Poston has created.
“I am a kaleidoscope of hope and dreams and wonder in the shape of a girl. I am not a porcelain doll. I am not empty. I am worthy. I am enough.”
Before we really get into this review, let me talk about the representation. One of the main characters, Jess, has a f/f romance and her love interest is black. Both characters never mention any labels or specifics about attraction (or maybe I was crying while they mentioned it) and I'm digging it. We need on-page representation but we don't always need specifics. The love interest of the other main character, Imogen, is Japanese-American (although I don't know how I feel about the fact that Imogen said he looked like a J-Pop star). Imogen has two moms and her brother is in a relationship with another guy.
I really enjoyed Poston's Geekerella on a lot of levels but what really got me about the novel were the fandom elements and how much of her own love for fandoms Poston put into it. And The Princess and the Fangirl did it AGAIN.. maybe even better. There were so many beautiful, fandom related moments in here. Reading this as someone who has made herself a home online and in many fandoms, this book felt a little like coming home too. Poston just GETS IT! And she writes about how it feels to be part of fandom culture like no other.
“We need those stories, too. Stories that tell us that we can be bold and brash and make mistakes and still come out better on the other side.”
And oooh, my heart with all of the Geekerella references. You COULD definitely read this without having read Geekerella but I would really advise against it. First of all – if you enjoy Geekerella, you'll probably enjoy this one and vice versa. But this book is really loaded with references to its events and characters, so not only do I imagine it's probably a bit confusing in parts but you'll just have a much greater reading experience if you can recognize all those references. AND there's some spoilers for Geekerella and I'd find it really sad if you couldn't discover those events and character developments for yourself. So, please read Geekerella first! It's worth it! It also makes the reading experience much more emotional.
This is also important for the understanding of the fictional sci-fi show, Starfield! If you've read Geekerella you have a certain knowledge of this show, which is really important for understanding the impact that a lot of the events in this novel have. And if, like me, you also fell head over heels in love with this fictional show, it truly feels so wonderful to be back at ExcelsiCon, to read about Starfield again, to experience the fandom. I'm not even gonna lie – I'm a Starfield fan and this book only strengthened my love for it. One day I want this show to actually happen. I can quote so many things from the show. I literally want a shirt that says "Look to the stars! Aim! Ignite!" And there was one really beautiful scene at the end of the book where this phrase gets used and I could literally feel myself experiencing this moment with everyone else and I just BAWLED!
“As our friends in the Federation always say – Look to the stars!” “Aim!” echoes everyone on the showroom floor and I join in for the final word: “Ignite!” Cheers rise up across the showroom floor, and I close my eyes and relish it, because there's nothing quite like the possibility of another ExcelsiCon.”
One aspect that I also really loved was the two perspectives that we got. Apart from the fact that I truly loved both main characters with all their flaws and everything, it was just so fun to see the perspective of an actress at a con (and especially someone who is not involved in fandom at all) and of a frequent con-goer who even shared a booth with someone and then see those roles reversed. Both characters learned a lot from this experience and I just think that it worked incredibly well in this context. This also had so much commentary on social media, misogyny in especially Science Fiction and Fantasy fandoms, harassment at cons.. you name it. Sometimes those moments felt a little clumsy but god, I'd rather have them in there clumsily than ignore the fact that this is A CONSTANT THING that happens. I like that we see an actress as part of a big Science Fiction franchise (especially a rebooted one) and how much harassment she experiences through social media. It referenced both Daisy Ridley's and Kelly Marie Tran's situations and it was clearly a very timely commentary on that. It was really great to see this talked about in a novel cause I had never read about it, especially from this side of things, and I thought that Poston did such a good thing to also explain how it's hard to escape those comments and how it's scary.. but also sometimes even scarier to not read about yourself. I just thought that this was overall handled incredibly well. And I loved that the main character pointed out her own white privilege and that she acknowledges that she receives less hate than many women of colour in similar situations.
Through those perspectives, especially of the actress, Jess, experiencing the "fan"-side of things, this book explores the theme of the art-house movies vs the popular, entertainment movies and how there is value to both and an audience for both and how the entertainment media shouldn't be belittled, especially by people working inside of it. I loved this aspect because that is exactly what I feel about this book! This was no Great Gatsby. This book has many flaws. There's some overly dramatic scenes in here, it has a very quickly developing romantic storyline (I'll get into this in the next paragraph) and I know this is gonna be too filled with pop-culture references for a lot of people. And I get all that. This is no Literary Fiction. But this pulled at my heartstrings and it was exactly the fluffy and emotional read that I needed. And it made a huge impact on me, an impact that a Great Gatsby would never achieve.
“What I am built for is to fall in love slowly, page by page, like reading a favorite book. I am built for the nearness of someone, the quirk of their lips, the sincerity of their smile, the dreams just underneath their skin. I fall in love moment by moment, collecting who they are, who they were, who they want to be, into a kaleidoscope of colors.”
When it comes to the romantic storyline, you have to go into this knowing what you're gonna get. If you cannot handle a romantic storyline that takes place over a couple of days, this is not the book for you. I do not mind short real-life time spans, especially not if it's at a con because.. let's be real, cons are magical places and feelings are very heightened. But you might have to suspend your disbelief. Let's keep in mind that this is a fairytale retelling. If you take out that element, or, like me, just don't care, I loved both romantic storylines SO GOD DAMN MUCH. Now, I gotta say, with the whole Princess and the Pauper situation, the f/f romance was one that some people will probably not love? Cause it's basically build up on a lie and I definitely wish Poston had done something different but at the same time, I can't deny that.. I kinda didn't mind? Like I'm putting this info here cause I know it's gonna bother other people but for me, I still think it worked well and Poston just managed to sell this romance to me regardless, which is SKILLS in and of itself. The m/f romance was a dislike-to-love (there wasn't enough time for hate) and it was SOME GOOD STUFF! I could tell IMMEDIATELY this was gonna be it and I looove that, I loved the dynamic and development.
“I think there are people who come into your life, and you just know. For however long or short a time or however impossible it might seem – they're important. Like a guiding star amid a storm.”
In conclusion, I can only say I loved this book and could probably write five more paragraphs about it. Really, through writing this review I only just realized all the small nuances that added up to this being an absolutely fantastic read for me. It was so enjoyable and emotional and I will cherish this book forever. Look to the stars! Aim! Ignite!
Rounded up from 4.5 stars. This was an incredibly beautiful book about love and loss in so many different ways.
“We are the books we rea
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Rounded up from 4.5 stars. This was an incredibly beautiful book about love and loss in so many different ways.
“We are the books we read and the things we love. Cal is the ocean and the letters he left. Our ghosts hide in the things we leave behind.”
Going into this book I didn't know what to expect from it at all. I just knew I liked the idea of the little library where people leave notes and letters for other readers. I mean, which book lover doesn't love books about books? But what I got out of it, was so much more. I had a little bit of a hard time getting into this. It's as easy to get through as your next Contemporary but that was exactly my issue. I didn't really find it super engaging or found anything special about it. Exactly at the point where I thought of switching to the audiobook, I did get completely hooked though.
“I decide the feeling has something to do with Cal being in a library along with other people who no longer exist in the world. The traces of them are hidden, small lines in books. In a library from which no one can borrow.”
I absolutely loved the idea of the letter library and how it was used in the story. It wasn't just a fun gimmick to please book lovers, it was truly an important part of the story and the character's lives. And I love that we even got some letters included in the books.
I always speak openly about how much I appreciate when books include teens drinking alcohol. Because, believe it or not, it is quite the regular thing for teens and I wish we'd stop ignoring that. And I loved the way this book included it, probably also because it very much reminded me of my teenage experience with drinking. Sometimes you get drunk because you're mad or sad. It happens. It shouldn't become frequent and this book didn't glorify it in any way but it portrayed this as a completely normal occurrence in a teen's life and I just really appreciate that.
“The past is with me; the future is unmapped and changeable. Ours for he imagining, spreading out before us. Sunlight-filled, deep blue, and the darkness.”
I absolutely fell in love with all the characters and I enjoyed the relationships between them so much. This is a pretty short book so not all characters and relationships were super fleshed out but I came to appreciate every single character, from the general friendgroup to the families and the regular visitors of the bookshop! The characters are flawed in understandable ways with really good development.
I found myself being super emotionally attached, which is the biggest reason why I rounded up my 4.5 stars to a 5. There's books that make you feel emotional, books that make you tear up a little and then there's books like this, that truly find a way to your heart and you find yourself bursting into tears about fictional characters. I didn't think that this book would be able to do that, especially considering its length, but it really got me. Crowley created an atmosphere that made feeling emotional incredibly easily.
“We lose things, but sometimes they come back. Life doesn't always happen in the order you want.”
Overall I truly loved this book a lot and I know that it will stay with me for a long time. You should totally pick it up for the fun concept of the letter library and the wonderful characters.
“There was a whole world beyond that shoreline, beyond the forest, beyond the knuckle mountains, beyond, beyond, beyond, not beneath the surfa
“There was a whole world beyond that shoreline, beyond the forest, beyond the knuckle mountains, beyond, beyond, beyond, not beneath the surface at all, but beyond and waiting.”
I don't think I am in any shape or form capable of writing a review for this. I lack the skills to properly express what I feel. I honestly lack the skills to even UNDERSTAND what I feel. This has made a huge impact on me.
It's a quiet book. And a loud book. It is powerful, important, emotional. It hurts. It grieves. It loves. It is a book that is not afraid to go there but it does it with grace....more
Lea (drumsofautumn)
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