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xangemtheelibrarian's reviews
985 reviews
Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston
challenging
emotional
slow-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? No
3.0
This book was okay. I hated watching Lotus go through all that hatred and racism, all because of her hair.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Racism
The First Magnificent Summer by R.L. Toalson
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I do not like the father. I wish him all the misery this world can afford him. This book is insanely triggering. I wish some of that father's words didn't hit me as hard as they did. And I want so badly to give this book 1 star, but that's only me lashing out at the antagonist of this book.
Victoria has a wonderful mother (but tbh, WHY in all the 9 hells did she let them go with him??) and a wonderful grandmother in Texas. She needs to stay with them. They are teaching her to grow into a strong woman who will never be silenced or made smaller by a man who doesn't even really care about her.
Victoria has a wonderful mother (but tbh, WHY in all the 9 hells did she let them go with him??) and a wonderful grandmother in Texas. She needs to stay with them. They are teaching her to grow into a strong woman who will never be silenced or made smaller by a man who doesn't even really care about her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
The Bluest Sky by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
challenging
emotional
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? No
4.0
This was really hard to read. Not hard in the sense that I struggled through it, because I didn't. I finished this in less than a day. This was emotionally difficult to read. This may be a middle grade book, but it pulls zero punches about how scary it was for Cuban people who did not agree with communism. And as people fled their home for America, seeking refuge, the Cuban government did everything it possibly could to make those fleeing miserable.
The one person I felt the most sorry for, however, was a minor character that didn't even get a full page dedicated to him. He had been in prison in Cuba because he was gay. And because Cuba decided to get rid of him, he was put onto a ship with out main character. When he finally set his feet onto American shores, he cried out, "Freedom!" But I know America. And America in the 80's was not friendly to the LGBTQIAP+ community. It still isn't; not really. Especially in red states like Texas and Florida. And this super minor character is stuck in my head because... I can't help but wonder if he ended up feeling cheated once he learned that he wouldn't be safe, even in America: the land of the "free."
The one person I felt the most sorry for, however, was a minor character that didn't even get a full page dedicated to him. He had been in prison in Cuba because he was gay. And because Cuba decided to get rid of him, he was put onto a ship with out main character. When he finally set his feet onto American shores, he cried out, "Freedom!" But I know America. And America in the 80's was not friendly to the LGBTQIAP+ community. It still isn't; not really. Especially in red states like Texas and Florida. And this super minor character is stuck in my head because... I can't help but wonder if he ended up feeling cheated once he learned that he wouldn't be safe, even in America: the land of the "free."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles
challenging
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
3.0
It's a story about a kid who is struggling at home and at school, until he finds chess, and friends to stick with him after moving from his hometown. I hate that sometimes fate just seems to have it out for people, that some people don't get heard, and their stories are overwritten by another's perspective. I wish it was different. But Lawrence has learned how to stand tall and keep others from egging him on down a harder path. I love the person he grew into over the course of his story.
Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.0
Nic Blake is hilarious! I love her attitude and smart quips. She has a sassy personality you can't help but like.
I absolutely love it when authors bring mythology to life, and this is no different with African American tales.
I would recommend this for fans of Percy Jackson, Harry Potter (ironically), and The Magisterium series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.
I absolutely love it when authors bring mythology to life, and this is no different with African American tales.
I would recommend this for fans of Percy Jackson, Harry Potter (ironically), and The Magisterium series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.
The Secret Battle of Evan Pao by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
This story may be slow-paced, but it packs a punch. I think I actually like it when books don't magically resolve every single issue in the book. Evan's dad, and their relationship, is still a huge question mark. But seeing how Evan made a home for himself in one of the least hospitable places he could have possibly ended up in, felt the same as when I see a sunflower, tall as I am, thriving out of a crack in the concrete on the shoulder of the highway.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-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
5.0
"Maybe they would wonder if they had been misreading it all along, puzzled by the combination of the gentle message and the harsh images. Though why shouldn't mercy show up among skulls and knives and fire? Wasn't mercy just as powerful as intimidation? Maybe even more."
This story may be slow-paced, but it packs a punch. I think I actually like it when books don't magically resolve every single issue in the book. Evan's dad, and their relationship, is still a huge question mark. But seeing how Evan made a home for himself in one of the least hospitable places he could have possibly ended up in, felt the same as when I see a sunflower, tall as I am, thriving out of a crack in the concrete on the shoulder of the highway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, and Racism
The Cursed Moon by Angela Cervantes
Beautiful! I finished this in about 5 hours. It's a fast, super easy-to-digest read that is perfect for the spooky season! I would recommend this story to anyone who read and loved Nightbooks by J.A. White.
Rafa is a wonderful character that garners a lot of empathy. He works very hard to be that protector that he feels his little sister needs. He's angry. He feels like his mother has failed him and he's not looking forward to her being released from prison. He turns his trauma into scary stories to help him cope. And every scary story he writes ends with a happy ending. And while Rafa's mind is focused on his stress over his mother coming back home, this story itself is mainly about the ghost story. It is about a boy trying to break a curse and save not only his sister, but every child hurt by the Caretaker.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Rafa shrugged and smiled. "I'm working on my happy endings."
Beautiful! I finished this in about 5 hours. It's a fast, super easy-to-digest read that is perfect for the spooky season! I would recommend this story to anyone who read and loved Nightbooks by J.A. White.
Rafa is a wonderful character that garners a lot of empathy. He works very hard to be that protector that he feels his little sister needs. He's angry. He feels like his mother has failed him and he's not looking forward to her being released from prison. He turns his trauma into scary stories to help him cope. And every scary story he writes ends with a happy ending. And while Rafa's mind is focused on his stress over his mother coming back home, this story itself is mainly about the ghost story. It is about a boy trying to break a curse and save not only his sister, but every child hurt by the Caretaker.
Stateless by Elizabeth Wein
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? No
5.0
This was actually a very interesting Historical Fiction novel! I enjoyed the different perspective of an international European air race right on the brink of WWII. I loved all the characters, and I especially loved Stella. Thought the mystery was intriguing and twisty enough to keep me guessing nearly the whole time. Altogether a good read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, and War
The International House of Dereliction by Jacqueline Davies
dark
funny
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
5.0
(Pregame review: I can't think of the title without getting hungry for pancakes.)
This is delightful in the same way a house-flipping show run by the Addams family would be delightful. The dark and comedic narrative, the journey to help all the ghosts in the International House of Dereliction, and the focus being less on character development and more on the plot itself all lend to a quirky story. Spooky and silly in all the best ways!
This is delightful in the same way a house-flipping show run by the Addams family would be delightful. The dark and comedic narrative, the journey to help all the ghosts in the International House of Dereliction, and the focus being less on character development and more on the plot itself all lend to a quirky story. Spooky and silly in all the best ways!
My Second Impression of You by Michelle I. Mason
emotional
funny
slow-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? Yes
2.0
Maggie is INSUFFERABLE. The Best Day Ever app was really cool, but I just hated the main character so much. And I hated Theo too. It's probably because I couldn't stand Maggie, but I immediately was on the side of literally everyone Maggie had a conflict with. Except maybe Katie or Katherine or whatever her name was. I'm pretty sure she and Maggie don't get along simply because they are too similar.