mesy_mark's reviews
672 reviews

Luster by Raven Leilani

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

 

Okay, so I listened to this and just have to ask, what did I listen to> The narrator gave it some life but the content is just confusing. Our MC lives in the deplorable apartment and has many failed relationships gets entangled with a married man and it's okay because the wife gave consent (yeah for ethical nonmonogamy) and then she moves into their house since she lost her job and shitty apartment.

I didn't get the relationship between our main character and Eric. And the arrangement he mentions that has rules, one of which is not in the home, is broken so what's the point of the list when there were no consequences? And then there is the wife Rebbeca who is a medical examiner, and our MC spends more time with or with the foster (Black) daughter.

The transition between scenes needs work on as when I listened to this it seemed to have just jumped to this is how it is now, like our MC moving in without how she got her stuff out of the old or again breaking an agreement t in the rules.

This just didn't seem to have a point. At least it was short and I can shelve it away.

 

Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster by Andrea Mosqueda

hopeful lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

This bisexual disaster,  Maggie, needs a date for her sister's coming-of-age party.  The trouble is three friends of hers have sparked maybe more feelings in her.   First is the ex-boyfriend, the second is the straight friend, and the third is the new girl who came to town,  To short out her feelings and satisfy an art project photographer Maggie spends on one time with each capturing photos reflecting on the different feelings sparked through each friend.

This was a cute story.  As I listened to this book, I was taken into the mind of our MC trying to get the gist of what friendship feelings versus romantic relationship feelings,  I thought the flow of the book was well done as spacing out Maggoe's art project with other events throughout the book making it feel realistic.  The cast is diverse coming from racial to sexual orientation. 

 Overall it is a YA romance where the out of the closet is not the focus instead it is just established and normalized as Maggie is a queer character focused on her relationships from family to love and not a coming out story. questioning if MC is LGBT

Gender Euphoria by Laura Kate Dale

inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

 This book looks at a diverse community that is the trans community and those feel joy experience as trans. The essays each one contributed she there is more than trans pain in a trans person. A good book for the community or anyone to read. 

Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington, from FDR through Clinton by James Kirchick

informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

 Boy is this a long volume. Covering mainly male homosexuality with the flare of bisexuality as occasion, the 20th century of USA presidents is looked through the queer eye. From president to president, we get exhaustingly detailed aspects of the administration and the climate of gays in America. This 26-hour audiobook is quite a lot to get through and did have me lulled with some boredom at points but I think that is more how political readings tend to bore me more so than the queer content. In the audiobook edition of this book, the narrator's masculine voice has an even and pleasant flow reading over the text. Overall, it was a good deep dive into the gay Washington for me though political reads can only have my interest to a point. 

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 Lara is back in school after her summer with Jasmine catching the eye of Chase after years of crushing. But now Jasmine attends Lara's school and Lara must come to terms with her feelings for Chase and Jasmine.

This is a quick read of bisexual representation. The process of seeing where the heart lies, coming to terms with sexuality, and feeling pulled in two directions. As I listened to this book I felt for Lara questioning what her summer was like and why Chase is finally taking an interest in Lara after so many years of not. Props for the bi rep. 

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was an interesting book.  For me not knowing latnx history or culture I had difficulties with the use of Spanish having to pick up clues in the English.  Overall this book is paced a little slow in the beginning but once hitting that climax I couldn't get enough of this book.  Heavily drawn into that portion of the book I made through the rest of it.  Overall it was good.

Those Who Wait by Haley Cass

lighthearted relaxing slow-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

3.25

Sutton wants to finish school and find love so as she completes college she joins an app for sapphic relations.  In comes Cholette who has been meaning to delete the app and focus on he political campaign.  As the two women connect and talk an FWB relation starts.

This is a slow romance.  It is well paced for its long length although I thought some of the narrator's voice irritate my ears.  i like how it was given a long length to really not make the book feel rushed or a quick insta love component as many romance books go.  You really get a look into the characters and motives.

Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts) by L.C. Rosen

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

If you want a sex-positive book you found it.  Jack is convinced to write a Dear Jack Of Hearts column on his friend's blog about sex and sexuality.  At the same time, Jack starts receiving pink notes from a stalker, and the stalker is getting demeaning.

I loved how sex-positive this book was.  How confronting stereotype types  I was eager with each Jack Of Hearts letter. And wondering how far the stalker will go.    The flow of the masculine-sounding narrator's voice was easy to understand.  Overall I really liked how this book got into the sexuality of high schoolers, this one being more everyone is doing it end of the spectrum compared to other ya books that hint at sex to have occasional interactions.  This book focuses on a teen's active sex life but not in a creepy way.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

2.0

For a memior, this just doesn't work as one.  Yes, the author is going into her abusive relationship but I didn't get a sense of her through the text.  We got the second person You... when recounting the abuse back to the first person.   We get that the loo in on abusive relationships in the queer community is lacking (and she just sticks to the L of the spectrum as that is what she went through) Dream House as a metaphor for the relationship as a whole was interesting along with the other flowery langue used in this book.  With a memoir I want tit feel for the author's experience and this book did not provide.