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eegekay's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexism, and Transphobia
danielles_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
“Only difference between a sheriff’s posse and a gang of bandits is a man with a star pinned on his shirt.”
I didn't enjoy this one as much as The Echo Wife. It didn’t have much of a plot other than “go to this one place.” There was some slight character development as Esther became more confident in herself and her queerness, less submissive and ready to fight, but I don’t think there were really enough pages to fully understand her character. I wanted more world building (
I really enjoyed the general feelings of “just because the state says it’s right doesn’t mean it is” and “fuck the police” though 👌🏻
Essentially this was one of those novellas that felt like it should have been a novel in order to really flesh out the author’s ideas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexism
meganelise's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Violence, Transphobia, and Sexism
fujo_cat's review
adventurous
dark
tense
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
Oh boy, what a ride! I'm used to a slow start, but this one just started full speed, no excuses taken! I don't have much to comment, just that it was a page-turner that never slowed down, even in the times that there wasn't something super chaotic happening. I really enjoyed how diverse the cast was, from wlw couples to ppl outside the binary (Cye my beloved) and even non-monogamous folks! As someone who is both the three (tho I am also aroace, so platonic love for me), I loved seeing it haha It never felt a tiny bit forced, maybe because of the way it works with the plot and the way characters are much more than their labels!
The only negative bit (and the reason I gave it a 4.5/5 and not a full note) is that it ended in a way that works way too well for a sequel when there isn't one... and I wanna read it!! >:'( Hmph!
The only negative bit (and the reason I gave it a 4.5/5 and not a full note) is that it ended in a way that works way too well for a sequel when there isn't one... and I wanna read it!! >:'( Hmph!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Blood
Minor: Vomit and War
foxmulders's review
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Transphobia, Violence, Sexism, Homophobia, and Gun violence
phantomdoodler's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Outing and Domestic abuse
thebookbin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
So it is 11:57 and I just finished Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey. This is a short novel about lesbian cowgirl librarians (and if that sentence doesn't excite you, we can't be friends). I think the premise was awesome, but it didn't quite live up to its own standards. I was wary of this book: I'd read some Gailey before--I didn't really enjoy Magic for Liars but the premise of this book was too tempting for me to ignore.
Where I think Gailey excels is that she is capable of writing a compelling and interesting but unlikable MC. Esther is a lesbian whose girlfriend was just hanged and it is implied Esther will meet the same fate, and so she runs away to join the illustrious traveling Librarians who spread propaganda and Approved Reading Material to the masses. Esther has a lot--and I mean a lot--of internalized homophobia. This novel was very short and I think it would have benefited by being longer or part of a series. Esther almost immediately falls for Cye, a strong-willed road-hardened nonbinary Librarian Apprentice and that deep intense crush didn't fit in with both her internalized homophobia and her grief over recently executed Beatriz.
Esther, the main character, is by far the least interesting character in the book. She is naive and fully under the whims of propaganda. The story moves too fast, she goes from traumatized runaway to full bandit in less than 100 pages, but I feel like I didn't get to witness any of that growth. Cye, as previously mentioned is a young wry sharpshooter that Esther almost immediately falls for. Bet and Leda are the two head librarians, older, more weathered and used to desert life and the Old Gay content you crave. They are two halves of a whole, but each interesting in their own right. And my personal favorite, Amity. An assassin so hardened by desert life, she is immune to death. But by god is she funny, and she's not a villain character. She's incredibly interesting to read.
Overall, this is a solid 3/5 stars for me. I adored the premise and the groundwork is there for something great, but the execution prevented it from reaching its full potential.
Where I think Gailey excels is that she is capable of writing a compelling and interesting but unlikable MC. Esther is a lesbian whose girlfriend was just hanged and it is implied Esther will meet the same fate, and so she runs away to join the illustrious traveling Librarians who spread propaganda and Approved Reading Material to the masses. Esther has a lot--and I mean a lot--of internalized homophobia. This novel was very short and I think it would have benefited by being longer or part of a series. Esther almost immediately falls for Cye, a strong-willed road-hardened nonbinary Librarian Apprentice and that deep intense crush didn't fit in with both her internalized homophobia and her grief over recently executed Beatriz.
Esther, the main character, is by far the least interesting character in the book. She is naive and fully under the whims of propaganda. The story moves too fast, she goes from traumatized runaway to full bandit in less than 100 pages, but I feel like I didn't get to witness any of that growth. Cye, as previously mentioned is a young wry sharpshooter that Esther almost immediately falls for. Bet and Leda are the two head librarians, older, more weathered and used to desert life and the Old Gay content you crave. They are two halves of a whole, but each interesting in their own right. And my personal favorite, Amity. An assassin so hardened by desert life, she is immune to death. But by god is she funny, and she's not a villain character. She's incredibly interesting to read.
Overall, this is a solid 3/5 stars for me. I adored the premise and the groundwork is there for something great, but the execution prevented it from reaching its full potential.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Sexism
hmatt's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I will preface this by saying that I don't love comparing books in a negative way to other books - but I was hoping to like this more than I liked Outlawed, and I did. It's just the right length, I think, and I'm glad that the author didn't succumb to the pressure of making it longer just because (even though I want more out of this world!). I liked that nothing felt like it was hitting me over the head. More queer speculative westerns, please!
(Incomplete CWs logged because I'm writing the review way later)
(Incomplete CWs logged because I'm writing the review way later)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, and War
(Incomplete CWs logged because I'm writing the review way later)emzhay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
There’s was a time in my life that I needed a book like this and I hope it finds someone else in their time of need
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Homophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Sexism and Transphobia
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