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xangemtheelibrarian's reviews
985 reviews
The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
This was absolutely beautiful. I wish Hadley could have helped my dad when he was in hospice. For those of you who have lived through watching your loved ones deteriorate until they are gone, this book might hurt. The very first story Hadley tells broke me. It was the *first story.*
The remaining stories left me emotional in some way or another, but really understanding what this book was going to be hit me at the end of Glenda's story. I know I picked this book up knowing it was about death and hospice, but knowing didn't stop how much that first story hurt.
I never once thought I needed to put this book down though because Hadley did such a wonderful job writing something so beautiful. We all have questions about death and what's beyond. We won't ever know if there is something or not until we experience it ourselves. But as Hadley said herself: it isn't really what you believe that matters so much in the end, it's how you chose to live and whether you are able to make peace with the choices you made up to that point.
The remaining stories left me emotional in some way or another, but really understanding what this book was going to be hit me at the end of Glenda's story. I know I picked this book up knowing it was about death and hospice, but knowing didn't stop how much that first story hurt.
I never once thought I needed to put this book down though because Hadley did such a wonderful job writing something so beautiful. We all have questions about death and what's beyond. We won't ever know if there is something or not until we experience it ourselves. But as Hadley said herself: it isn't really what you believe that matters so much in the end, it's how you chose to live and whether you are able to make peace with the choices you made up to that point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicide
They Threw Us Away by Daniel Kraus
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
I... I just couldn't get over how Sugar's silly behavior is all because of her head injury. No one else seems to be bothered, so it's probably just a me thing, but it was giving some serious ick.
All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr
This is a work of art. A powerful testimony to the internalized guilt and fear victims of sexual assault and rape face when they decide to speak up against their abusers. Amina is a character that is so easy to sympathize with. Her experience feels so real, and for good reason. The author notes in the back that she wrote this novel in verse as "first and foremost a hug to survivors like my younger self."
There aren't many stories in this world nowadays that move me like this one has. I think the last (currently published 😉) book that made me cry like this was The Little Snake by A.L. Kennedy. I will be purchasing a personal copy because I'm finding I dont want to return this one to the library. I want to highlight all my favorite parts. I want to keep this for anyone else who might need it someday.
This story is a terrible tragedy, but it is so full of hope, courage, and strength. Amina is an overcomer. 🦋
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I never wanted to be the back that carries a movement.
Never wanted to be the megaphone
that amplifies the survivor's song.
All I wanted was a listening ear,
willing to understand my story for what it is,
and not what people think it should be.
Someone willing to hear my story,
and love me,
Anyway.
- Mina, pg. 272
This is a work of art. A powerful testimony to the internalized guilt and fear victims of sexual assault and rape face when they decide to speak up against their abusers. Amina is a character that is so easy to sympathize with. Her experience feels so real, and for good reason. The author notes in the back that she wrote this novel in verse as "first and foremost a hug to survivors like my younger self."
There aren't many stories in this world nowadays that move me like this one has. I think the last (currently published 😉) book that made me cry like this was The Little Snake by A.L. Kennedy. I will be purchasing a personal copy because I'm finding I dont want to return this one to the library. I want to highlight all my favorite parts. I want to keep this for anyone else who might need it someday.
This story is a terrible tragedy, but it is so full of hope, courage, and strength. Amina is an overcomer. 🦋
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and War
Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes by Ebony Stewart, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Mercedes Acosta, Val Howlett, Francisco X. Stork, Karen Jialu Bao, Alechia Dow, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Sonia Patel, James Bird, Nikki Grimes, Patrick Downes, Rocky Callen, Isabel Quintero, Marcella Pixley, Anna Drury
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-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
"We Are Stardust," "The Call: a One-Act Play," and" Spidey Sense" were my top three stories in this collection. We Are Stardust has to be my ultimate favorite though, because it just resonated with me.
This collection is such an eye-opener. It's a candid discussion about the experiences of those struggling with their mental health. I felt for so many of these characters. I felt seen through some of them. And other characters revealed mental health struggles I didn't even know were a thing! So many of the authors put themselves and their own personal experiences into these stories. It just feels so authentic.
And the cherry on top has got to be the fact that so many of the stories had a magical spin to them, of they weren't straight up fantasy.
Please pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of each story. I'm not kidding when I say this collection is a candid look at mental health. The thoughts, feelings, and traumatic experiences of these characters can be very triggering. The authors do not sugarcoat what they discuss.
This collection is such an eye-opener. It's a candid discussion about the experiences of those struggling with their mental health. I felt for so many of these characters. I felt seen through some of them. And other characters revealed mental health struggles I didn't even know were a thing! So many of the authors put themselves and their own personal experiences into these stories. It just feels so authentic.
And the cherry on top has got to be the fact that so many of the stories had a magical spin to them, of they weren't straight up fantasy.
Please pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of each story. I'm not kidding when I say this collection is a candid look at mental health. The thoughts, feelings, and traumatic experiences of these characters can be very triggering. The authors do not sugarcoat what they discuss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Seduced by the Swamp Creature by Ivanna Schloppykoch
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I mean. It's 60 pages. It's a short story where girl meets monster. They bang. Monster turns out to be more human the the human love interest.
Honestly though, this lil short story is really lightherted and sweet. You've got consent throughout. And the town doesn't even blink an eye at the fact that Darla Jean fell in love with the swamp monster.
Honestly though, this lil short story is really lightherted and sweet. You've got consent throughout. And the town doesn't even blink an eye at the fact that Darla Jean fell in love with the swamp monster.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence and Violence
All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell
informative
medium-paced
5.0
This was such an informative and thorough look at the death industry. I shudder to describe this part of our lives an "industry," but that's what it is. It's what I felt when my mother dragged me around to funeral homes to plan my dad's funeral.
I began to get curious about death and medicine when my dad was put on hospice. My mother begged me to not read Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty because one chapter described the process of embalming. I read only that one chapter out of spite because I was an adult and she couldn't control what I decided to read. I'm still glad I did read that chapter.
I tell that story because if you're like me, knowing is what brings you comfort. Solving the mystery. Being able to understand the processes that happen behind the scenes. Death is one of the things that society deems taboo to be curious about. Which is so stupid because death is a part of every single life that will ever come to exist.
I'm so grateful for Campbell. I'm grateful for her attention to detail and her ability to talk about this "taboo" subject. I'm grateful for the way she talked about how encountering death over and over and over again changed her. Her journey to write this book impacted her in the same way that first responders and medical personnel are affected by the tragedies they face daily. And inexplicably, I felt closer to my dad while listening to this book.
Maybe someday I will have the courage to try to meet death the same way Hayley Campbell has in this book. Maybe this is the closest I will get until my body dies. But either way knowledge is power and solace in a person like me, who is terrified of the unknown more than anything else.
I began to get curious about death and medicine when my dad was put on hospice. My mother begged me to not read Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty because one chapter described the process of embalming. I read only that one chapter out of spite because I was an adult and she couldn't control what I decided to read. I'm still glad I did read that chapter.
I tell that story because if you're like me, knowing is what brings you comfort. Solving the mystery. Being able to understand the processes that happen behind the scenes. Death is one of the things that society deems taboo to be curious about. Which is so stupid because death is a part of every single life that will ever come to exist.
I'm so grateful for Campbell. I'm grateful for her attention to detail and her ability to talk about this "taboo" subject. I'm grateful for the way she talked about how encountering death over and over and over again changed her. Her journey to write this book impacted her in the same way that first responders and medical personnel are affected by the tragedies they face daily. And inexplicably, I felt closer to my dad while listening to this book.
Maybe someday I will have the courage to try to meet death the same way Hayley Campbell has in this book. Maybe this is the closest I will get until my body dies. But either way knowledge is power and solace in a person like me, who is terrified of the unknown more than anything else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Medical content
Specifically, the things that hurt this author the most was seeing a dead baby. If that's a trigger for you, consider the strength you have to tackle a book that does not mince words about autopsies and death.
The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath
This book is one I've been wanting to read since it was published, and I kept putting it off in favor of other things. It interested me because the blurb hints at a potential poly relationship, and that is so rarely seen in YA literature. This is even better than that.
This is a story of an entire generation reckoning with the harmful ideology of their hometown. Gunner and Erlend are gay. Asta is Ace. And the beautiful thing about this story is how they become family. The journey each of these three teens take to understand themselves and take charge of their own happiness is so touching. Then they find out it's NOT just the three of them against the world. They find almost as many allies as they do enemies in this town.
I loved the piety vs. sin theme that colored the backdrop of this historical fiction. Christianity destroyed so much in Europe by creating a system where any Outsider was going to hell. This town condemned an entire family because they did not follow the church.
Very slight spoilers ahead:
And the most perfect thing of all that this story does not end wrapped up nearly in a bow. Many of the characters here are disabled or end up with injuries that impact their daily routines. They don't magically heal. Other characters struggle with mental health issues. Those don't magically cure either. The religion doesn't automatically leave the town because a few teens decided they weren't going to submit to it.
It ended realistically, and it was perfect.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-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? Yes
5.0
"Some do what's right, some do what they're told. I've been doing what I'm told for far too long." - Jørgen
This book is one I've been wanting to read since it was published, and I kept putting it off in favor of other things. It interested me because the blurb hints at a potential poly relationship, and that is so rarely seen in YA literature. This is even better than that.
This is a story of an entire generation reckoning with the harmful ideology of their hometown. Gunner and Erlend are gay. Asta is Ace. And the beautiful thing about this story is how they become family. The journey each of these three teens take to understand themselves and take charge of their own happiness is so touching. Then they find out it's NOT just the three of them against the world. They find almost as many allies as they do enemies in this town.
I loved the piety vs. sin theme that colored the backdrop of this historical fiction. Christianity destroyed so much in Europe by creating a system where any Outsider was going to hell. This town condemned an entire family because they did not follow the church.
Very slight spoilers ahead:
It ended realistically, and it was perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Minor: Animal cruelty and Transphobia
Ensnared by Tiffany Roberts
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
🤌🤌🤌
This is good. One or two typos, one or two things that happened that made me go 🤨 but overall what a good story. Monsterfucker is so my genre.
I agree with many of the reviews on here already: the blurb is misleading. This is a slow burn romance about two strangers with a language and cultural barrier falling in love as they learn about each other. They're different species, they aren't even from the same planet. But they take the time to learn each other's language. To communicate and to be patient with each other. And honestly it was so pure and lovely watching their relationship flourish.
From now on, I'm viewing relationships with others as an interconnected spiderweb. You can't change my mind.
This is good. One or two typos, one or two things that happened that made me go 🤨 but overall what a good story. Monsterfucker is so my genre.
I agree with many of the reviews on here already: the blurb is misleading. This is a slow burn romance about two strangers with a language and cultural barrier falling in love as they learn about each other. They're different species, they aren't even from the same planet. But they take the time to learn each other's language. To communicate and to be patient with each other. And honestly it was so pure and lovely watching their relationship flourish.
From now on, I'm viewing relationships with others as an interconnected spiderweb. You can't change my mind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Minor: War
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was so good until the very end? I loved the main character: her sass and her confidence. I loved this idea of playing with generational trauma and family bonds. But the plot twist was very out of left field. I feel like I can't say too much without spoiling the story.
I'll have to read other T. Kingfisher books because so far the only other one I read is "What Moves the Dead" and I adored that story.
I'll have to read other T. Kingfisher books because so far the only other one I read is "What Moves the Dead" and I adored that story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, and Blood
Moderate: Racism and Classism
Fire from the Sky by Moa Backe Åstot
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love this writing style. I realize this has been translated, but I sincerely hope the translator did the author justice in keeping the original tone of the book. I love the way the author describes how Ánte sees his world and experiences everything around him. I love Ánte's softness and his resolve to have both himself and his culture. His journey in this story was not easy. It won't be afterwards either. But this kiddo is strong. I believe in his power to create a world where he gets to have it all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual content