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blithesquesttoread's Reviews (480)
'His warmth wrapped into mine as we immersed ourselves in the light and sound, no longer confined by frail human bodies. Right now, we were music , we were art. And together, we transcended.'
I wish words would help me describe how beautiful this book was to me. I just can't say it was a good read you know because then I'll be lying to myself. I usually avoid reading books that will get me very emotional. Though I love them, they intimidate me a lot. Aix Marks The Spot was one such book.
***
Blurb - Jamie is exiled to Provence, France to her Mamie whom she has never met or talked to in seventeen years, after an accident almost kills her family. She is isolated in her grandmother's house, the guilt of almost killing her parents is gnawing at her and on top of that there's no Wi-Fi. But soon she discovers a letter return by her father to her mother which marks the beginning of a treasure hunt. She is certain that the treasure hunt is the answer to all her problems, that her mother will be fine again when she finds the treasure. Armed with the letter and help of a cute French boy and also her translator, Valentin, she is ready to go on a tour to find what the universe is intending her to find. But what she didn't count on was falling for her said translator.
***
I really loved the characters, the setting and how the story was told. The characters had a depth to them which urged me to keep on reading so as to know more about them. The setting, that is Provence, was utterly beautiful. The way it was described brought vivid images to my mind and I wanted to explore every road, every town, every marketplace and every tourist spot mentioned in that book. The story was told in an amazing manner. The letters and the treasure hunt which connected all of it spoke volumes. I couldn't help but fall in love with the novel with each chapter. And I'll be honest... I wanted the story to last longer!
'And while I had only been in Aix once before, on the day my heart shattered, I found a piece of it here, and stuffed it right back in my chest where it belonged.'
I was provided with an arc of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I wish words would help me describe how beautiful this book was to me. I just can't say it was a good read you know because then I'll be lying to myself. I usually avoid reading books that will get me very emotional. Though I love them, they intimidate me a lot. Aix Marks The Spot was one such book.
***
Blurb - Jamie is exiled to Provence, France to her Mamie whom she has never met or talked to in seventeen years, after an accident almost kills her family. She is isolated in her grandmother's house, the guilt of almost killing her parents is gnawing at her and on top of that there's no Wi-Fi. But soon she discovers a letter return by her father to her mother which marks the beginning of a treasure hunt. She is certain that the treasure hunt is the answer to all her problems, that her mother will be fine again when she finds the treasure. Armed with the letter and help of a cute French boy and also her translator, Valentin, she is ready to go on a tour to find what the universe is intending her to find. But what she didn't count on was falling for her said translator.
***
I really loved the characters, the setting and how the story was told. The characters had a depth to them which urged me to keep on reading so as to know more about them. The setting, that is Provence, was utterly beautiful. The way it was described brought vivid images to my mind and I wanted to explore every road, every town, every marketplace and every tourist spot mentioned in that book. The story was told in an amazing manner. The letters and the treasure hunt which connected all of it spoke volumes. I couldn't help but fall in love with the novel with each chapter. And I'll be honest... I wanted the story to last longer!
'And while I had only been in Aix once before, on the day my heart shattered, I found a piece of it here, and stuffed it right back in my chest where it belonged.'
I was provided with an arc of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book was EVERYTHING.
***
It's hard to write reviews. When it's a book you didn't like, it becomes easier cause the only thing you gotta do is rant. When it comes to a book you marginally liked, it's a bit difficult cause you have to balance between your like points and hate points. When it's a book you loved, it becomes difficult too cause you are always trying to make sure you covered everything.
But then there are books which blow you away. You gobble it up like you've been hungry since the day you were born. Every line makes sense to you, speaks to you. And trust me, there aren't enough words to describe this. Amazing, beautiful, gorgeous, lovely, awesome and magnificent seem so pale compared to your experience. You try to find words to describe it more vividly, try to find words to put your emotions intricately. Words which will say how complete you felt after reading that book. You frantically try to write a review, a long list of things, when all you want to say is THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING.
Yeah well, this book was THAT book. I was able to connect to X and Twin and Caridad and Aman and frankly every other character in this book (except those characters which make you want to dive into the book and beat the sh*t out of them). Xiomara spoke to me, the fact that it was poetry which made her feel seen was so much similar to me. Every doubt that I have had, every question I have thought about asking but never asked, every action that I may have performed to protect myself was so similar. What made other characters connect to me was the fact that I have seen them around me all too often, disguised as people I know personally or people I have observed and never spoken to. I'm glad I had my eye out in the library for this book ever since it arrived there and took it home with me the first day it was available. And I'm glad I waited before reading it because trust me, it made it all too lovely.
If it's up to me, I can talk about The Poet X everyday *dreamy eyes* but I gotta control myself.
***
It's hard to write reviews. When it's a book you didn't like, it becomes easier cause the only thing you gotta do is rant. When it comes to a book you marginally liked, it's a bit difficult cause you have to balance between your like points and hate points. When it's a book you loved, it becomes difficult too cause you are always trying to make sure you covered everything.
But then there are books which blow you away. You gobble it up like you've been hungry since the day you were born. Every line makes sense to you, speaks to you. And trust me, there aren't enough words to describe this. Amazing, beautiful, gorgeous, lovely, awesome and magnificent seem so pale compared to your experience. You try to find words to describe it more vividly, try to find words to put your emotions intricately. Words which will say how complete you felt after reading that book. You frantically try to write a review, a long list of things, when all you want to say is THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING.
Yeah well, this book was THAT book. I was able to connect to X and Twin and Caridad and Aman and frankly every other character in this book (except those characters which make you want to dive into the book and beat the sh*t out of them). Xiomara spoke to me, the fact that it was poetry which made her feel seen was so much similar to me. Every doubt that I have had, every question I have thought about asking but never asked, every action that I may have performed to protect myself was so similar. What made other characters connect to me was the fact that I have seen them around me all too often, disguised as people I know personally or people I have observed and never spoken to. I'm glad I had my eye out in the library for this book ever since it arrived there and took it home with me the first day it was available. And I'm glad I waited before reading it because trust me, it made it all too lovely.
If it's up to me, I can talk about The Poet X everyday *dreamy eyes* but I gotta control myself.
Can we please forget and move on from the fact that I almost binge-read this book during my exams? It will be very much appreciated, thank you.
OMG, I am mild panicking because idk where to even start with this book! South Asian MC, with a diverse cast and fake dating trope??? There was nooo way I was gonna pass up reading this book and I am soo glad I read it. I swear I had more coherent sentences when I was thinking about writing a review... now I just wanna scream and say GO READ THIS BOOK IT IS A GEM.
Starting with the characters (because they are soooo freaking adorable, cutiess), well I loved them. Karina and Ace both were sooo cute I cannot. They were going above and beyond with the cheesy comments and I was there to witness it all and I was even texting me friend how in love I was with them. Even though I loved them both, it was Karina who stole my heart completely . Her poetry, her thoughts, how she dealt with her troubles, the way she time and again asserted her boundaries was so refreshing to read! Throughout the book she was this one constant that inspired me soo much I cannot even start. Not gonna lie, there is a weird obsession going around with kids taking up studies only in STEM. I have witnessed it first hand and even though I was glad that I wasn't forced into it, it is still pretty bad. Like it's ridiculous when people have no clue whatsoever beyond Biology and Engineering and it is so hard on people. Karina's struggle, her thoughts of just doing everything for her parents - everything just hit so close, it was difficult. All I wanted to do was go into the novel and just hug her, give her strength, fight her stupid relatives (I guess this relatives problem is a universal thing... I wonder if it can ever get sorted) and just like shake her parents and tell them to treat her right.
And then there was the whole romance aspect, and I can't even begin to talk about it. I mean, oh my, I genuinely thought that these stuff will be dealt with more 'openness' for people in abroad but apparently not. I dunno why but dating is some sort of weird stereotype that people run from here, you just cannot date, and if you date more often than not it is a secret . And while reading there was this whole conflict going around in me that I can't even describe, I still don't know what was that one thing that wasn't setting with me, no matter what. And then there is Ace... what do I even talk about him? Why is he so sweet? The best thing that I loved about him was how he was accepting the fact that there are stuff he doesn't understand and might not understand but that doesn't mean he gives up on trying. That is honestly the best thing about him. Oh and the fact that he is into music and astronomy... can he be anymore dreamy?
And then there are Karina's friends and her Dadu whom I just adore so muchhhh... I am not crying honestly. I love the fact that they stood by her when she was having a hard time, dealing with anxiety, dealing with her strict parents and overall down self-confidence. It was not easy on any of them and I am so happy for Karina that she got so amazing friends. And Dadu was just the best grandparent one could ever hope for. I just love her! As for the plot, there's not much to tell because it had the almost same outline of a fake dating trope. What enhanced the plot was the amazing character development, and the general setting of the book. The book, according to me, was character driven and honestly that is the best thing about it. Towards the end it felt rushed and I really wanted to read moreeee. Like I desperately need more content on them and the side characters. I loved this book just sooo much <3<3 Ohhh and I see that a new book is coming by Miss Tashie and yes I am counting down the days.
Trigger Warning: Anxiety attacks, strict parents, verbal and mental abuse by parents
Thank you so much to Miss Tashie and Inkyard Press for providing me with an arc of this book <3
***
I cannot believe its over
OMG, I am mild panicking because idk where to even start with this book! South Asian MC, with a diverse cast and fake dating trope??? There was nooo way I was gonna pass up reading this book and I am soo glad I read it. I swear I had more coherent sentences when I was thinking about writing a review... now I just wanna scream and say GO READ THIS BOOK IT IS A GEM.
Starting with the characters (because they are soooo freaking adorable, cutiess), well I loved them. Karina and Ace both were sooo cute I cannot. They were going above and beyond with the cheesy comments and I was there to witness it all and I was even texting me friend how in love I was with them. Even though I loved them both, it was Karina who stole my heart completely . Her poetry, her thoughts, how she dealt with her troubles, the way she time and again asserted her boundaries was so refreshing to read! Throughout the book she was this one constant that inspired me soo much I cannot even start. Not gonna lie, there is a weird obsession going around with kids taking up studies only in STEM. I have witnessed it first hand and even though I was glad that I wasn't forced into it, it is still pretty bad. Like it's ridiculous when people have no clue whatsoever beyond Biology and Engineering and it is so hard on people. Karina's struggle, her thoughts of just doing everything for her parents - everything just hit so close, it was difficult. All I wanted to do was go into the novel and just hug her, give her strength, fight her stupid relatives (I guess this relatives problem is a universal thing... I wonder if it can ever get sorted) and just like shake her parents and tell them to treat her right.
And then there was the whole romance aspect, and I can't even begin to talk about it. I mean, oh my, I genuinely thought that these stuff will be dealt with more 'openness' for people in abroad but apparently not. I dunno why but dating is some sort of weird stereotype that people run from here, you just cannot date, and if you date more often than not it is a secret . And while reading there was this whole conflict going around in me that I can't even describe, I still don't know what was that one thing that wasn't setting with me, no matter what. And then there is Ace... what do I even talk about him? Why is he so sweet? The best thing that I loved about him was how he was accepting the fact that there are stuff he doesn't understand and might not understand but that doesn't mean he gives up on trying. That is honestly the best thing about him. Oh and the fact that he is into music and astronomy... can he be anymore dreamy?
And then there are Karina's friends and her Dadu whom I just adore so muchhhh... I am not crying honestly. I love the fact that they stood by her when she was having a hard time, dealing with anxiety, dealing with her strict parents and overall down self-confidence. It was not easy on any of them and I am so happy for Karina that she got so amazing friends. And Dadu was just the best grandparent one could ever hope for. I just love her! As for the plot, there's not much to tell because it had the almost same outline of a fake dating trope. What enhanced the plot was the amazing character development, and the general setting of the book. The book, according to me, was character driven and honestly that is the best thing about it. Towards the end it felt rushed and I really wanted to read moreeee. Like I desperately need more content on them and the side characters. I loved this book just sooo much <3<3 Ohhh and I see that a new book is coming by Miss Tashie and yes I am counting down the days.
Trigger Warning: Anxiety attacks, strict parents, verbal and mental abuse by parents
Thank you so much to Miss Tashie and Inkyard Press for providing me with an arc of this book <3
***
I cannot believe its over
Wow… It’s been a while since I have read a sci-fi cum dystopian cum fantasy plot and the experience was most definitely refreshing if not confusing and attentive.
I really didn’t want to begin my review like this but honestly I haven’t been able to get over how Nami died (It isn’t a spoiler… It is written right there in the blurb) and how soon she died. I was looking for more family background – where she comes from, her bond with her family, how much they love her and she loves them etc. I am conflicted here coz it makes sense that the author didn’t give much family background as it would’ve been unnecessary but I was still pretty bummed up by the way she died (mind you, she also admits that later in the book). And well, that is I guess the only complaint-confusion I had with the book.
I really liked how the plot seemed to be fast paced but at the same time not so fast paced. You could see Nami struggling a lot to trust people and question everything around her. That gave her a unique character development which was amazing to read. The plot seemed fast paced in a very, how do I describe it, not so pinned way. To elaborate, it seemed like a lifetime was passing for the characters and hence, it all seemed way more real, vivid and like a movie scene playing before your eyes. While reading I tried to pin down what was moving so fast with the book and I figured that it wasn’t the plot but rather the dialogues and characters that were moving quickly. So it most definitely felt like a true definition of Infinity.
Coming onto Infinity, OMMGGG the concept was creepy and creative af. I mean I was sooo curious to see how exactly the world was created and how did the afterlife human consciousness narrowed down to a superficial queen which was real but unreal at the same time. Of course it was unnerving and I am not trusting any AI devices for sometime (or maybe I’ll end up trusting too much to see if this world exists. And trust me, one of the most amazing things I like about this book (apart from the cover) is how it was able to make me think about such possibility of afterlife existing in real life. I did sense romance coming in since kinda the beginning but my warmth towards romance in this was pretty limited. I was surely shipping them together but maybe more like in a friendly way? I am most definitely looking forward to the next novel in this series!
I was provided with an arc via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I really didn’t want to begin my review like this but honestly I haven’t been able to get over how Nami died (It isn’t a spoiler… It is written right there in the blurb) and how soon she died. I was looking for more family background – where she comes from, her bond with her family, how much they love her and she loves them etc. I am conflicted here coz it makes sense that the author didn’t give much family background as it would’ve been unnecessary but I was still pretty bummed up by the way she died (mind you, she also admits that later in the book). And well, that is I guess the only complaint-confusion I had with the book.
I really liked how the plot seemed to be fast paced but at the same time not so fast paced. You could see Nami struggling a lot to trust people and question everything around her. That gave her a unique character development which was amazing to read. The plot seemed fast paced in a very, how do I describe it, not so pinned way. To elaborate, it seemed like a lifetime was passing for the characters and hence, it all seemed way more real, vivid and like a movie scene playing before your eyes. While reading I tried to pin down what was moving so fast with the book and I figured that it wasn’t the plot but rather the dialogues and characters that were moving quickly. So it most definitely felt like a true definition of Infinity.
Coming onto Infinity, OMMGGG the concept was creepy and creative af. I mean I was sooo curious to see how exactly the world was created and how did the afterlife human consciousness narrowed down to a superficial queen which was real but unreal at the same time. Of course it was unnerving and I am not trusting any AI devices for sometime (or maybe I’ll end up trusting too much to see if this world exists. And trust me, one of the most amazing things I like about this book (apart from the cover) is how it was able to make me think about such possibility of afterlife existing in real life. I did sense romance coming in since kinda the beginning but my warmth towards romance in this was pretty limited. I was surely shipping them together but maybe more like in a friendly way? I am most definitely looking forward to the next novel in this series!
I was provided with an arc via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Can we all just take a moment and acknowledge two things - first, this book cover is just so AWESOME I can't even begin to explain my feelings and second, Middle Grade books are the best. Oh and no, the topic isn't up for discussion because these art two indisputable facts. Period.
I cannot begin raving about this book and the fact that this made me antsy to read Amina's Voice is just plan giveaway about how amazing it was. The novel started off in Pakistan and oh my I really wanna visit it someday! But what struck me more was the similarity of events that strangely felt like home. The book was obviously more character driven - we saw how Amina was growing, how she was dealing with the whole not belonging enough to her roots, or identity crisis?, how she was so willing to make a change and contribute her part to the society piece by piece.
But more than that, it felt like a very cute love letter to all the Third World Countries - that their story isn't all about disturbance and violence. Which was such a strong message to be delivered! I know violence, terrorist attacks, displacement etc. aren't something that should be ignored but what's more important is to actively acknowledge the lives present there - the disturbance present in the country is a part of their life, not their whole life. It gave a very strong message that amidst the violence, the achievements should also be taken into account and should be acknowledged so that many others take inspiration from it.
The novel overall was soo short, I really wanted to more about Amina! I hopeee there's one more novel for her story because it is soo beautiful! It threw light upon growing as a person, pursuing dreams, giving to community and omggg it had such an amazing diverse cast! I truly loved it and I cannot waitt to read Amina's Voice (I know the order of the series is wrong but, well, Amina's Song can be very well read as a stand-alone book!). Also, not related, but ig Bollywood movies are pretty famous :p
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of gun violence, destruction of property, poor health, displacement, taliban attacks and instances that can be considered micro-aggressions
Thank you to the Author and netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book!
I cannot begin raving about this book and the fact that this made me antsy to read Amina's Voice is just plan giveaway about how amazing it was. The novel started off in Pakistan and oh my I really wanna visit it someday! But what struck me more was the similarity of events that strangely felt like home. The book was obviously more character driven - we saw how Amina was growing, how she was dealing with the whole not belonging enough to her roots, or identity crisis?, how she was so willing to make a change and contribute her part to the society piece by piece.
But more than that, it felt like a very cute love letter to all the Third World Countries - that their story isn't all about disturbance and violence. Which was such a strong message to be delivered! I know violence, terrorist attacks, displacement etc. aren't something that should be ignored but what's more important is to actively acknowledge the lives present there - the disturbance present in the country is a part of their life, not their whole life. It gave a very strong message that amidst the violence, the achievements should also be taken into account and should be acknowledged so that many others take inspiration from it.
The novel overall was soo short, I really wanted to more about Amina! I hopeee there's one more novel for her story because it is soo beautiful! It threw light upon growing as a person, pursuing dreams, giving to community and omggg it had such an amazing diverse cast! I truly loved it and I cannot waitt to read Amina's Voice (I know the order of the series is wrong but, well, Amina's Song can be very well read as a stand-alone book!). Also, not related, but ig Bollywood movies are pretty famous :p
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of gun violence, destruction of property, poor health, displacement, taliban attacks and instances that can be considered micro-aggressions
Thank you to the Author and netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book!
I don’t even know where to begin with this book, it touched me in so many aspects, I cannot even try to explain them all. And oh my, this book made me soo emotional I cannot. But first can we have a moment of appreciation for the book cover and how accurately it describes the essence of this book. Not gonna lie while reading this book, I was fully getting the feels of an ongoing series or drama. I cannot even begin to piece together my feelings.
I freaking loved all the characters, okay? Except maybe Kira. But omg Alina, Josie, Jude, Ethan, Margot, Colleen, Diya, Harrison, Laney, Adi, Birdie all very sooo truly beautiful and amazing and they just made this story touch me so much more!
Dance has been always a very integral part throughout my life, so it was natural for me to attach to this story. And by attach, I mean obsessed in such a way that I was honestly just thinking and talking about it (well, the fact that there was a South Asian rep with my same name did not help me… I now feel how truly uncomfortable it is to have one’s name in books :’ ) anywhere possible. Alina is a character that is extremely relatable because it is not easy to lose something you worked years on to building. Especially when it comes to professional arts, any form really, hours and hours are put into it and the fact that you will not be as perfect as you were before, is truly terrifying. And the particular thing about this book was how it was separate from the common trope of romance uk? The main character knew what she wanted with her life and was grieving her loss for it.
The Anger, Jealousy, Hate, Desperation – all those things combined made this book even more difficult but also so, I don’t know how to explain it, real? It is hard to believe that everyone’s life is always put together. What pained me most was the relationship that had developed between Alina and Josie, her younger sister. The jealousy she felt was so raw and real in the beginning, it really hurt. And then there was Alina and Colleen… You could see how much desperate Alina was to be with her, talk to her again but she couldn’t somehow do it. Her character development is sooo amazing, like AAAHHH!
And then there is Jude… it is honestly difficult to picturize him being like a real human being. HOW CAN ANYONE BE SO GOOD AND SWEET? I am genuinely still trying to grasp about it but he, as a person, was definitely one of the characters I would want to be friends with. And oh my, his character development is also something I rooted for so much. And then there’s all the other side characters that just blow my mind away. For a debut novel, this one was soo amazing and I am truly hoping to read more works by the author!
Rep: Japanese-American (ownvoices), Black SC, Latinx SC, m/m side romance
*Trigger Warnings: Microaggressions, Racism, Strained relationship, MC dealing with anger and depression
*Note: Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book!
I freaking loved all the characters, okay? Except maybe Kira. But omg Alina, Josie, Jude, Ethan, Margot, Colleen, Diya, Harrison, Laney, Adi, Birdie all very sooo truly beautiful and amazing and they just made this story touch me so much more!
Dance has been always a very integral part throughout my life, so it was natural for me to attach to this story. And by attach, I mean obsessed in such a way that I was honestly just thinking and talking about it (well, the fact that there was a South Asian rep with my same name did not help me… I now feel how truly uncomfortable it is to have one’s name in books :’ ) anywhere possible. Alina is a character that is extremely relatable because it is not easy to lose something you worked years on to building. Especially when it comes to professional arts, any form really, hours and hours are put into it and the fact that you will not be as perfect as you were before, is truly terrifying. And the particular thing about this book was how it was separate from the common trope of romance uk? The main character knew what she wanted with her life and was grieving her loss for it.
The Anger, Jealousy, Hate, Desperation – all those things combined made this book even more difficult but also so, I don’t know how to explain it, real? It is hard to believe that everyone’s life is always put together. What pained me most was the relationship that had developed between Alina and Josie, her younger sister. The jealousy she felt was so raw and real in the beginning, it really hurt. And then there was Alina and Colleen… You could see how much desperate Alina was to be with her, talk to her again but she couldn’t somehow do it. Her character development is sooo amazing, like AAAHHH!
And then there is Jude… it is honestly difficult to picturize him being like a real human being. HOW CAN ANYONE BE SO GOOD AND SWEET? I am genuinely still trying to grasp about it but he, as a person, was definitely one of the characters I would want to be friends with. And oh my, his character development is also something I rooted for so much. And then there’s all the other side characters that just blow my mind away. For a debut novel, this one was soo amazing and I am truly hoping to read more works by the author!
Rep: Japanese-American (ownvoices), Black SC, Latinx SC, m/m side romance
*Trigger Warnings: Microaggressions, Racism, Strained relationship, MC dealing with anger and depression
*Note: Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book!
There's always an uncertainty for me while writing reviews because I always start with squealing about how amazing the book is and all. And frankly, for this particular book I am all squeals. To say that this book was amazing is so underrated because it was so much more. I mean what do I need more than an extremely queer read with an amazing diverse rep which is cute, fluffy and deadly, action-packed at the same time? The next installment, of course!
To start with this book, I really loved how the book was unapologetically diverse and made sure that it didn't seem as if it was a forced representation. We meet Dylan who is super awkward and would love to tape her mouth at any chance of conversation. She discovers that she can somehow converse with objects after kissing Emma at Emma's birthday party because of a game app. Through a chance encounter with Alyse in a bathroom who was able to change her appearance based on how she was feeling, Dylan realizes that she might not be the only person with mutant powers. Growing up with X-men as her safe haven, Dylan is super excited about the prospect of having a mutant team of her own. Together Alyse and Dylan find other who have mutants power, which includes Dani and Bianca. Dylan wants nothing more than to gather all these people in a team and make sure that a person who is quaking stuff is dealt with. Dani isn't really keen on this plan and openly says she won't be a part of it. Lou, Dylan's boyfriend, isn't really keen with this plan too.
Aahh, well it isn't really that easy for me to summarize this book but here I go. I honestly loved all the five characters I mentioned above except of course the quaking person. I'll start with saying how come the objects were so freaking smart?? This whole concept of talking to objects is super creepy for Dylan but I love the way she still goes with it. Lou, being a trans boy, is forced to go to an all-girls school because of his unsupportive parents. Throughout the book his struggle in accepting himself and deal with his parents and general transphobia is reflected.
I liked how in some or the other way the insecurities of all characters was shown so naturally. Pear (Dylan's parent) and Dylan's relationship was soo goofy and I loved reading about it soo much. Pear or Ness understood Dylan really well and they made sure to deal with Dylan's social anxiety and insecurities in a positive way. Coming onto other aspects that the book dealt with, there was a found family of misfits that we see in the end. And oh, that was the best aspect honestly. All the characters are soo diverse, there's possibly next to no commonness that you can overtly find between the characters but still they make so much sense together.
Throughout the book we see that the characters try to pinpoint where and how do they belong in the group and in the society. They are questioning their sexualities and gender identity and their interests. There are people who know what they want to do later in life, like Dani and Emma, and others who have no clue, like Dylan. I liked how the characters were so creative, like Lou who was a really good cartoon artist. Furthermore, there's dealings with homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexual assault, troubled past and so much more in the book. It's surprising how all of this was mentioned and showed in the book but it still somehow didn't seem heavy.
Apart from all this, there was the whole concept of relationships that was handled so well! I mean there was this whole instance of Lou being extremely jealous and frankly a d*ck sometimes. We had Dani's ex who gave a hard to to her constantly and then there was the relationship between Bianca and her girlfriend which was kind of different? I mean I still haven't formed an opinion there but alright. The negative and ugly sides of a relationship was highlighted but at the same time the beautiful sides were highlighted too, like Ness and Sarah.
So to conclude, go pick up this book ASAP because it is just too good to miss out on. It does contain lots of slang which some people might not appreciate and lots of references to X-men (there is a guide sort of thing at the end) which might be difficult for people to catch up on if they haven't read it before but I assure you it is SUPER AMAZING!
REP: Pansexual, Grey-ace, Demisexual, Lesbian, Bi-romantic, Trans, Genderqueer, Kiwi-Chinese, Korean, Pasifika, Non-binary...
Trigger/Content Warning: Homophobia, Panphobia, Transphobia, Racism, Sexual Assault (forced kissing), Death, Violence, Hate Crime, Mention of Divorce and troubled past, Bullying, Earthquake, Blood, Deadnaming, Language.
I was provided a review copy for a book tour by Caffeine Book Tours and the Author and this is my honest review.
To start with this book, I really loved how the book was unapologetically diverse and made sure that it didn't seem as if it was a forced representation. We meet Dylan who is super awkward and would love to tape her mouth at any chance of conversation. She discovers that she can somehow converse with objects after kissing Emma at Emma's birthday party because of a game app. Through a chance encounter with Alyse in a bathroom who was able to change her appearance based on how she was feeling, Dylan realizes that she might not be the only person with mutant powers. Growing up with X-men as her safe haven, Dylan is super excited about the prospect of having a mutant team of her own. Together Alyse and Dylan find other who have mutants power, which includes Dani and Bianca. Dylan wants nothing more than to gather all these people in a team and make sure that a person who is quaking stuff is dealt with. Dani isn't really keen on this plan and openly says she won't be a part of it. Lou, Dylan's boyfriend, isn't really keen with this plan too.
Aahh, well it isn't really that easy for me to summarize this book but here I go. I honestly loved all the five characters I mentioned above except of course the quaking person. I'll start with saying how come the objects were so freaking smart?? This whole concept of talking to objects is super creepy for Dylan but I love the way she still goes with it. Lou, being a trans boy, is forced to go to an all-girls school because of his unsupportive parents. Throughout the book his struggle in accepting himself and deal with his parents and general transphobia is reflected.
I liked how in some or the other way the insecurities of all characters was shown so naturally. Pear (Dylan's parent) and Dylan's relationship was soo goofy and I loved reading about it soo much. Pear or Ness understood Dylan really well and they made sure to deal with Dylan's social anxiety and insecurities in a positive way. Coming onto other aspects that the book dealt with, there was a found family of misfits that we see in the end. And oh, that was the best aspect honestly. All the characters are soo diverse, there's possibly next to no commonness that you can overtly find between the characters but still they make so much sense together.
Throughout the book we see that the characters try to pinpoint where and how do they belong in the group and in the society. They are questioning their sexualities and gender identity and their interests. There are people who know what they want to do later in life, like Dani and Emma, and others who have no clue, like Dylan. I liked how the characters were so creative, like Lou who was a really good cartoon artist. Furthermore, there's dealings with homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexual assault, troubled past and so much more in the book. It's surprising how all of this was mentioned and showed in the book but it still somehow didn't seem heavy.
Apart from all this, there was the whole concept of relationships that was handled so well! I mean there was this whole instance of Lou being extremely jealous and frankly a d*ck sometimes. We had Dani's ex who gave a hard to to her constantly and then there was the relationship between Bianca and her girlfriend which was kind of different? I mean I still haven't formed an opinion there but alright. The negative and ugly sides of a relationship was highlighted but at the same time the beautiful sides were highlighted too, like Ness and Sarah.
So to conclude, go pick up this book ASAP because it is just too good to miss out on. It does contain lots of slang which some people might not appreciate and lots of references to X-men (there is a guide sort of thing at the end) which might be difficult for people to catch up on if they haven't read it before but I assure you it is SUPER AMAZING!
REP: Pansexual, Grey-ace, Demisexual, Lesbian, Bi-romantic, Trans, Genderqueer, Kiwi-Chinese, Korean, Pasifika, Non-binary...
Trigger/Content Warning: Homophobia, Panphobia, Transphobia, Racism, Sexual Assault (forced kissing), Death, Violence, Hate Crime, Mention of Divorce and troubled past, Bullying, Earthquake, Blood, Deadnaming, Language.
I was provided a review copy for a book tour by Caffeine Book Tours and the Author and this is my honest review.
