randi_jo's reviews
416 reviews

Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

2.75

Look, I'm just tired of Jack and Jill. Jack is obviously the author's favorite special baby and Jill is too stupid and too flat to even be considered a cartoon villain. Just let their story end please, Goddamn.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.

sorry I won't support him

Juice Like Wounds by Seanan McGuire

adventurous sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

I think the book this story happened in would've benefitted greatly from its inclusion. It explains so much about Lundy and her friends and why "forgetting" Mockery was so important in the end. Sigh.

In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

adventurous sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I think this one started off great but sort've lost steam by the end. Everything I think would've been fun/interesting/upbeat was hidden behind a time-jump with some light mentioning of what had transpired.

I think in general Seanan seems to have an idealized view of sibling relationships? Just each time something bad happens it's for the sake of a sibling relationship a la Jack and Jill and now Lundy and her little sister.

Just... yeah, I would happily trade any of my little brothers to live in a fantasy land that loved me. LOL. Also doubly so if my sibling also happened to be a murderer, but whatever.

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

adventurous funny medium-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? No

4.0

I liked the characters of this installment more than the others (although Nancy really was the star of book 1). The Nonsense world was a fun and interesting backdrop to a fun, if convoluted, time loop story. Can't wait to see more of Sumi, Cora, Nadya, and maybe even Rini in the future.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

adventurous reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

I found this one to be an interesting take on the vampire trope mixed with indigenous revenge. It was really deep, gross, and enthralling, bringing the anticipation of Three-Person's sins, but then it just petered out... I dunno. There was a point where everything felt like the climax and things were happening only for... it to not actually be the climax and then everything afterwards felt pointless and underwhelming.

Also ending thoughts:

Why did she even bother doing all that to the giant prairie dog, Arthur? Why was it her responsibility to torture him; because we know he's not dead, considering Good Stab and Cat Man lived through worse? I know it was symbolic, but also it was nonsensible. The amount of time I spent hoping Etsy would die because she had Arthur's blood... UGH. Not a great subversion, I'll admit.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

dark sad slow-paced

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

2.75

It was okay. I think there was too much about this book's plot in book one to ever make this match up to what was assumed and have either Jack or Jill coming out of it as sympathetic.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

adventurous dark reflective 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? No

4.25

Short, sweet, was not expecting the murder mystery, but then again I'm allergic to reading blurbs most of the time. It was fun and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series to see how the portal worlds work/the different places they lead.

If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga

challenging sad 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

2.75

I really liked this book. I did! Part 1 and 2, at least. I enjoyed the complex themes of culture shock, identity, nationalism, and the hairline balance someone walks when (essentially) immigrates to a place that is so divorced from their childhood views, but that is meant to be part of their 'culture', that they will let anything happen to them in order to feel a sense of belonging.

What I did not like was Part 3 preemptively trying to shame me for wondering about any of the other aspects of the story.

Like yeah, I get it, those things aren't what the story is about, but they're such self-centric and, really, western 1st world country-centric that many people won't look passed them in their activist stances, but like, come on, at least have a lengthy clap-back about it instead of a fake humblebrag about being fake published. Ugh.

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.25

So like, this was one of the most roundabout ways I've ever read to shame (by choice) childless people and just reinforcing the idea that women, no matter what, are caretakers and needed in a family unit to keep it functioning, whether they've given birth or not. Because, well like, fuck men and their parental abilities, you know??

(Because men loving their kids is totally not enough. They need a woman to help with emotional labor or else they ruin everything.)

Anyway, the rest of the book was great. Moody, dark, people obsessed with animal ghosts, and a crazy ass plot twist that had me yelling what the absolute fuck at 1am. I'm still not sure if I liked the ending or not, but I guess ambivalence is better than dislike? lmao

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Sexual assault

Minor: Death of parent