alandd's reviews
1395 reviews

Liberty Walks Naked: Poems by Maram Al-Masri

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

 

Raw but beautiful. More books like this are needed in the world.

Crudo pero hermoso. Hacen falta más libros como este en el mundo.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Teenage Dirtbags by James Acker

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring relaxing tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

I'm a sucker for all things mental health related, even more when it's during adolescence. I love it when an author gives a truthful, real image of what it is like to be a teenager with issues. I was expecting something good with this book, but I found absolute perfection.

Full review to be published on February 14:  https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/02/resena-review-teenage-dirtbags.html

Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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? Yes

5.0

 I saw one of the author's reels on Instagram and I was curious to know what this story was about. When I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read it. It was an emotional, mental, spiritual need, and everything in between. And boy did it live up to expectations. It is a light but solid, strong, and emotionally intense narrative. It left me speechless!

Full review to be published on February 12: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/02/resena-review-skater-boy.html 

Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective tense 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? Yes

5.0

 I saw one of the author's reels on Instagram and I was curious to know what this story was about. When I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read it. It was an emotional, mental, spiritual need, and everything in between. And boy did it live up to expectations. It is a light but solid, strong, and emotionally intense narrative. It left me speechless!

Full review to be published on February 12: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/02/resena-review-skater-boy.html 

Out of Left Field by Jonah Newman

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

The synopsis caught my attention because it sounded innocent, one of those that remind you what it is like to be a teenager. To some extent it also has that 90s feel. However, it was an honest story above all, realistic, without trying to give a perfect or idealized image of what it is like to grow up as the creator did.

Full review to be published on February 9th: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/02/comic-out-of-left-field.html

Samson & Domingo by Gume Laurel III

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

This time I decided to totally get out of my comfort zone to try something more different. This verse novel seemed like the right choice, and boy was it! It was a fairly light, simple read, easy to enjoy, and it made the time fly by. I admit that the beginning was not what I expected, but I was already immersed in reading after a few pages.

Full review to be published on February 7: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/02/resena-review-samson-domingo.html

He's Expecting Vol 1 by Eri Sakai

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

This is a funny manga that speaks about misogyny, unwanted pregnancies, double standards, and so on. However, it does it from a place of empowerment and social work. Some of the topics are hard, but while they're treated as such, there's not that much doom and gloom that you would expect. It does seem a bit idealistic at times, but it is a comfort reading for sure.

Full review to be published on Feb 5:  

https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/02/manga-hes-expecting-vol-1.html

Disney Manga: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas - The Battle for Pumpkin King by Dan Conner

adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-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

¡Hay de todo en este libro! Hay intriga y corrupción política, relaciones, drama familiar, trauma transgeneracional, ¡y no me hagas hablar de los elementos de fantasía! Sólo leer la sinopsis fue suficiente para emocionarme. Es uno de esos libros que te sorprenden repetidamente.

Reseña completa: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/01/resena-review-poisons-we-drink.html

There’s a lot going on in this book! There’s political intrigue and corruption, trauma, relationships, family drama, transgenerational trauma, and don’t get me started on the fantasy elements! Just reading the synopsis was enough to get me excited. It’s one of those books that surprise you repeatedly.
Full review: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/01/resena-review-poisons-we-drink.html

What We Lost in the Swamp: Poems by Grant Chemidlin

dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.0

Powerful visuals, metaphors that surprised me, and a style that is impossible not to love. Definitely recommended!