sarahyjackson's reviews
193 reviews

A Reign of Rose by Kate Golden

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.75

A great end to the trilogy! Meandered a little in the middle but otherwise very satisfying. I’ll miss Kane and Arwen - but very interested in that vampire gentleman…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pregnancy

The Titanic Survivors Book Club: A Novel by Timothy Schaffert

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

I thought a lot of the meditations on survival, books, & community were lovely. All the more so the really immersive, decadent prose. I am *not* a love triangle girly but I did appreciate the queer element to this one. I wish we’d stayed with the other “survivors” for more of the narrative. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

Funny Story by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

Trademark Emily Henry sharp banter, pitch perfect scene setting, main characters I would enlist in the army for…

And featuring: making out during a Fast & Furious movie! Family of origin trauma impacting attachment! Chardonnay redemption arcs! Mr Tumnus crushes! Library love!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse

There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

Abdurraqib’s pitch perfect poetic prose winds its way through meditations on home, place, love, death, hate, fear, fury and, of course, basketball. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, and Grief

The Prospects by KT Hoffman

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

4.5

I loved the interrogation of hoping/wanting; Gene’s love of his trans body and his physicality in intimacy; and the tenderness of scenes between Luis and Gene. I also felt like their characterizations were really consistent and faceted! Spice also great, if a long time coming. 

I felt that it was *a lot* of baseball. I am used to sports in sports romance being a kind of backdrop that moves the characters from event to event and this was a bit more of a sports homage than I wanted - but I think baseball fans will adore. Also the way conflict was managed/resolved sometimes felt kind of clunky to me? Like a split take where I’d missed something. 

Either way! Baseball season is nigh! Trans men are men! Drop Estrada’s hair products, cowards!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia

Minor: Deadnaming

Catchpenny by Charlie Huston

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Urban noir fantasy with an unreliable protagonist. I liked the magic system/metaphors and the climax was interesting if a little bit rushed.

The author thanks Taylor Swift in the acknowledgements I also liked that.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Pretty Rings and Broken Things by Kat Singleton

emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Ours by Phillip B. Williams

emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

Once I settled into the Afro-surrealist genre/posture I was able to enjoy the story more. I liked what I felt was the tension of “freedom from/freedom to” within Ours. Saint was a really compelling character! 

The audiobook was really well done but I found I needed the anchoring experience of holding this book in my hands and moving my eyes over the words — so I actually did most of it as a physical read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Rape, and Sexual violence

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

funny informative sad fast-paced

5.0

Smart, snarky, compassionate!

Sleet Princess by S.J. Tilly

emotional funny fast-paced

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

5.0

A perfect hug of conclusion to the Sleet series with bonus furry play. 💕💕💕

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol