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writeonsteph's reviews
1224 reviews
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
4.0
Think Percy Jackson, but with for the existential adult sub-group: an excellent mythology, an engaging main character, and fun ride overall. I struggle with Gaiman, as I always feel he is close to the brink of brilliance, but just misses it, and American Gods is no exception. The climax feels...less than, and the ending, while enjoyable, leads to wanting more.
This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
3.0
The narrative style itself is relatively groundbreaking (a school shooting told from the perspective of multiple characters, including the shooter) but I felt the characterization to be its biggest weakness. It hit every trope of YA literature, and while that is not the kiss of death, I struggled to feel invested in the cast she had created. A novel idea, for sure, but overall execution left me dissatisfied.
Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky
4.0
As a Beatles fan and overall observer of fan culture, I highly enjoyed this hilariously dark novel. It is clear the author understands dynamics of not only fan culture, but of contemporary friendships. My favorite part of the novel is that there really is no hero in the novel--but you love all of the characters in spite of that.
Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz, Kat Helgeson
3.0
Gena/Finn is another case study of "great idea, somewhat disappointing narrative". While I commend its attempts to capture the complexity of sexuality (particularly bisexuality), I again felt somewhat disappointed, though I could not pinpoint my main issues. If I had to hazard a guess, it would be that I felt like I was reading yet another novel about a woman who loves a woman end poorly--something that is relatively common in YA and middle grade reads. I loved the concept of a 21st century epistolary novel, and felt the characters were authentic and lovable. The inclusion of fan culture was genius. All in all, a relatively fantastic novel.
We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach
4.0
The concept of the novel is simple: the world is ending, right before the cast of characters, interconnected in their own ways, are set to graduate. Done in the style of roving perspectives, you become entranced with the narrative--do the big questions of high school matter, when the threat of annihilation grows more likely? Wallach captures strong, and diverse voices in this narrative, and leaves you wondering: what would my last days be like?
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
4.0
Essential reading for any and all that enjoy well-crafted, and frankly, terrifyingly real dystopian narratives. Moore manages to capture a timelessness like that of Orwell, and his message is still of great importance: an idea is much more difficult to kill.