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tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
A fun, fast read that needed more of everything to really make it stick. Feels like a book that, when I'm reviewing my 2024 reading list in December, I'll think, Oh yeah, I read that, but I won't be able to tell you much about it.
For anyone else thinking, "This was a good but underdeveloped idea," I highly recommend Charlotte Nicole Davis' Good Luck Girls duology. It treads many similar themes and gives them much more room to breathe. https://app.thestorygraph.com/series/2450
For anyone else thinking, "This was a good but underdeveloped idea," I highly recommend Charlotte Nicole Davis' Good Luck Girls duology. It treads many similar themes and gives them much more room to breathe. https://app.thestorygraph.com/series/2450
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Death
Moderate: Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Sexism, War, and Gun violence
Minor: Emotional abuse, Vomit, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Animal cruelty
Graphic: Fascism Minor: Child labor, Betrayaljazhandz's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Gun violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Grief, and Death
Minor: Child abuse, Vomit, and Medical content
morebedsidebooks's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Blood, Cursing, Grief, Transphobia, and Sexism
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and War
bookishminna's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
i really liked this book! each character felt so distinct and real. i took a star off because 1) i felt the character relationships were a little rushed and 2) there were two characters who were with the group the entire time and had no dialogue, characterization, or even interaction. they were the group's "mission" so to speak, in that they had to be taken somewhere, and it wasn't really necessary for them to interact with anyone, but i do wish that they'd gotten a bit more "screen time"
all in all, incredibly fun read that dove more deeply into themes of homophobia, abuse, chosen family, healing, and morality than i honestly thought possible in a novella format. kudos to sarah gailey for such a well-rounded novella!
favorite quote:"She had seen a man decide that she deserved to die. And she had killed him for it."
all in all, incredibly fun read that dove more deeply into themes of homophobia, abuse, chosen family, healing, and morality than i honestly thought possible in a novella format. kudos to sarah gailey for such a well-rounded novella!
favorite quote:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Child abuse and Physical abuse
o_morr's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-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? It's complicated
2.0
I realllly wanted to love this book. I mean the blurb made it sound so good. A queer sci-fi western? What an amazing concept. I really think this book had so much potential, but thre just wasn't enough time for Gailey to fully flush out everything she was trying to include in this story. The characters all feel very flat, even our protagonist, Esther. I find it really disappointing that so much of her character revolved around her love interest, alternating between half-hearted sorrow for her best friend and feelings for a person that she just met.
Look, I know everyone grieves in different ways, but I find it hard to understand how our main character can go from witnessing her best friend and love interest be hung per order of her own father, to developing feelings for someone new two days later. I honestly don't know why her best friend's death was ever included in the story, sure it starts the plot of the story, but that can be done in so many ways. Why include this tragic and untimely death if the main character is never going to be shown to react to it in a way that doesn't feel forced. Also, I really don't understand the inclusions of the whole "I'm going to be married off" thing, it was literally mentioned once in the entire novel. The author really could have just made Esther run away since she was queer. There was no need to include all these loose plot threads.
Past the questions I have about the start of the novel, the plot is relatively simple. Main Character has a flawed mindset that they slowly overcome, all while riding horses and shooting guns. Heck yeah. I mean not super groundbreaking but good enough for me. (Well at least good enough to motivate me to finish the book). The main thing that makes this book different is that it focuses on women (well really not-men) who are queer. I love me some good representation, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give this book a pass on its flaws. (Though I really did love the fact that not only was there a non-binary character but said character was a love interest).
Circling back to flaws in this book; world-building! Look I understand you can only fit sooooo much into 186 pages but man I really wish there was some more world-building. The setting of this book was so intriguing but it left me with way not many questions (and not in a like a fun philosophical way, but in a "hey this feels really incomplete" way). Like what is up with this war? Who exactly is the government, and what is the governmental system? If there used to be cars what happened to all of the infrastructure? What are the rebels fighting for? and so much more!
To just summarize my thoughts and feeling here: I think Upright Women wanted was an ambitious novel, but that lead to its own downfall. I think the author was trying to do something really great here, and I genuinely love getting to see queer representation, but there was just too much the author was trying to make happen. This book needed to either focus on characters or plot or world-building, but it tried to do all three, leaving it feeling underdeveloped, rushed, and just 'meh'. I wouldn't really recommend this book unless you're looking for a short palate cleanser between more serious novels.
Look, I know everyone grieves in different ways, but I find it hard to understand how our main character can go from witnessing her best friend and love interest be hung per order of her own father, to developing feelings for someone new two days later. I honestly don't know why her best friend's death was ever included in the story, sure it starts the plot of the story, but that can be done in so many ways. Why include this tragic and untimely death if the main character is never going to be shown to react to it in a way that doesn't feel forced. Also, I really don't understand the inclusions of the whole "I'm going to be married off" thing, it was literally mentioned once in the entire novel. The author really could have just made Esther run away since she was queer. There was no need to include all these loose plot threads.
Past the questions I have about the start of the novel, the plot is relatively simple. Main Character has a flawed mindset that they slowly overcome, all while riding horses and shooting guns. Heck yeah. I mean not super groundbreaking but good enough for me. (Well at least good enough to motivate me to finish the book). The main thing that makes this book different is that it focuses on women (well really not-men) who are queer. I love me some good representation, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give this book a pass on its flaws. (Though I really did love the fact that not only was there a non-binary character but said character was a love interest).
Circling back to flaws in this book; world-building! Look I understand you can only fit sooooo much into 186 pages but man I really wish there was some more world-building. The setting of this book was so intriguing but it left me with way not many questions (and not in a like a fun philosophical way, but in a "hey this feels really incomplete" way). Like what is up with this war? Who exactly is the government, and what is the governmental system? If there used to be cars what happened to all of the infrastructure? What are the rebels fighting for? and so much more!
To just summarize my thoughts and feeling here: I think Upright Women wanted was an ambitious novel, but that lead to its own downfall. I think the author was trying to do something really great here, and I genuinely love getting to see queer representation, but there was just too much the author was trying to make happen. This book needed to either focus on characters or plot or world-building, but it tried to do all three, leaving it feeling underdeveloped, rushed, and just 'meh'. I wouldn't really recommend this book unless you're looking for a short palate cleanser between more serious novels.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Death, and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Transphobia
laurajones's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Gore, and Transphobia
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Vomit
finkydink's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Minor: Death, Child abuse, Homophobia, and Transphobia
librarianmage's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
An amazing read that left me wanting for more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Gun violence
Minor: Gore, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
podanotherjessi's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book had a really good message that was, unfortunately, spelled out in black and white at the end of the book like a moral in one of Aesop's fables. The characters were sweet but all rather one dimensional. The end came a little bit out of nowhere with thing wrapping up just a little too quickly and perfectly. That said, the Western backdrop was surprisingly appropriate for the story being told, and I found myself liking the simple plot. Just sweet and simple. Would make a great children's movie!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Death and Hate crime
Minor: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
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