bea_reads_books's reviews
234 reviews

Aces Wild: A Heist by Amanda DeWitt

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

I enjoyed these characters and their dynamics so much, which is good because frankly I found the plot to be a bit lacking. I feel like marketing it as a heist book is a tiny bit misleading, since there wasn’t as much heist activity as I was expecting. However, I really did love the characters and how wholesome the depiction of queerness and family dynamics was. 

Overall, if you’re looking for a quick, fun, feel-good read, definitely pick this up. But if you’re looking for heist books like Six of Crows, it might be a bit disappointing.

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

challenging informative medium-paced

5.0

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Skate for Your Life by Leo Baker

challenging informative

4.25

The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Vomit

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For by Natalie C. Parker, Zoraida Córdova

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Trans+: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You by Kathryn Gonzales, Karen Rayne

informative

4.0

I found this book for the most part very insightful. I knew a lot of the subject matter already, but that’s not to say I didn’t learn anything new (I definitely did). 

I just wish my copy hadn’t had so many formatting issues. I had problems with a few pages being out of order, some charts and graphics overlapping the text, and a TON of pages were just missing or blank. I wish I had actually gotten to read the whole thing 🥲

Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket

mysterious 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? No

3.5

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

adventurous dark emotional funny sad fast-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? It's complicated

4.75

This was such a wonderfully unique version of the shape shifting concept that I was not at all expecting. The author writes in a way that I’ve never quite seen, and he grabs you right form the very first chapter (which was, incidentally, one of the strongest openings to a book I’ve ever read). The way that Shesheshen and Homily navigate politics and peril their budding relationship is so beautiful, and I adore them both to pieces 🥹