cosmicwillow's reviews
641 reviews

Ashes of Gold by J. Elle

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adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

such a great sequel! i loved how we got to dive further into the lore of this world and really get to explore rue’s culture. this was quite a bit darker than the last book, but i think it worked really well with getting to that well-deserved happy ending. my only real gripe is that most of the twists were pretty predictable.
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Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

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adventurous 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? Yes

4.0

wow! this was such a cool world to step into, and i really loved the way the author wove it so seamlessly into our world. they crafted such a great urban fantasy setting. at so many points i was on the edge of my seat, yelling “no!!” as the twists came - i was so gripped and im so pumped to get into the next book asap!
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There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé by Morgan Parker

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

4.0

really great stuff in this!
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Pageboy by Elliot Page

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emotional reflective medium-paced

3.75

i always feel weird rating memoirs but this was mostly okay, just from a writing standpoint. page’s writing is fine, and i didn’t mind the nonlinear narrative at all, but in places it either went too purple or too clunky and disjointed at times.

other than that, i truly commend page for sharing these intimate and painful moments in his life - i imagine this book will have a much greater impact on trans readers. i enjoyed reading this, and my heart goes out to elliot.
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Magnolia Flower by Zora Neale Hurston

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hopeful 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

5.0

beautiful all around!
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Persephone Station by Stina Leicht

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

2.0

i wanted to like this so much!! the premise is so cool but god the writing is so meh and i just couldn’t connect with the characters. the potential in this is so good but man it’s utterly disappointing. im so sad i didn’t like this more!
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A Witch's Guide to Burning by Aminder Dhaliwal

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adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

i picked this book up purely on the cover and title alone, knowing nothing about it except what i could assume from the title and that it’s a beautiful book. it was the last copy at the bookstore i was at and i couldn’t walk away from it. im so glad i didn’t - what a stunning story! i enjoyed every second of this. the art was lovely and the characters were unique and so fun to get to know, along with the lore of this universe. and ultimately the story this told about healing and connection was so gorgeous. this left such an impact on me and i just loved it so so much.
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The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

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dark emotional 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? Yes

3.75

i can definitely see why this book is so highly regarded! i enjoyed it and thought it was a good story. though the characters made it tough to like them, they were so compelling and drove the story forward well. i definitely felt gut-wrenched for theo quite often, despite how grating he could be.

one thing that is pretty inconsequential but stood out as bothersome to me was the amount of times tartt used tooth aches as pain metaphors like i swear she did it like every 100 pages or something, it was ridiculous.

overall i enjoyed this and am glad i finally read it!
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This Is Me Trying by Racquel Marie

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emotional 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? Yes

4.75

wow. this is such a powerful story that i ache for my teenage self to have. raquel is such a brilliant writer, and her books keep getting better as i read them. all the characters are so dynamic and real, and i always get so hooked in. this book was no exception and i love the way grief and how it has a different impact on each individual was depicted. also shout out to bea’s sense of style bc sameeee.
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You Will Get Through This Night by Daniel Howell

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informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.0

this has to be prefaced by the fact that ive been a fan of dan for 10 years, as i think someone who isnt a fan or hasnt heard of him would have a much different impression of this book. while i found his jokes to be on brand, they took away from the tone and purpose of the book, making it nearly impossible to be completely accessible to someone who doesnt have an awareness of dan’s humour. that really stood out to me the most. if i wasnt a fan, they would feel so odd and awkward to me. it just really limits the audience for this, which is unfortunate. however, most of the anecdotes worked really well and added that level of personality that served the book.

now to get to the content as a whole. as someone who has been on a mental health journey for over a decade now, and has seen counsellors of all kinds since i was 6 years old, nothing in this was new or revolutionary. i mean, i didn’t expect it to be - dan is a youtuber, not a mental health expert or psychologist (though im glad the book was made in consultation with doctors and experts in the field, which contributes to the fact that this is very general knowledge honestly). but that said, having it all in one place, written accessibly and well, is a benefit! that comes with more drawbacks, because those books already exist (and dont have dan’s face on them and are written by experts). all that to say, this was enjoyable but it applies to a very narrow main audience - fans of dan who are new to or only somewhat familiar with mental health support, mainly cbt, or young people who are most likely fans of dan. and of course, fans of dan in general regardless of need or familiarity with mental health support (like me!). id also have liked for this to touch upon the capitalistic aspects of mental health, which was glossed over for the most part, likely because dan is an affluent white man in the uk. 

without a doubt, dan worked hard on this and did a great job; destigmatizing conversations around mental health is so important and needed. it just sucks that its so limiting in the style of humour, in the cover design, and in the vastness of the content. ultimately, i enjoyed this from the standpoint of a fan and as someone who enjoys having a one-stop-shop kind of book to refer to it as needed (god knows my notes from therapy over the years are spread across several notebooks, loose sheets of paper, and filed away in hidden corners of my brain). i would recommend people aged 11 to 18 read this, or people unfamiliar with mental health support as a whole who need a cheap and accessible way to have everything in one place and enjoy sardonic humour. and of course, fans of dan. 
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