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mcicenia's reviews
31 reviews
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
i’m a little disappointed i didn’t like this book more. from what i’ve read, fledgling is a mixed bag in terms of reviews, but it seems as though most agree that this isn’t butlers best work.
i really enjoyed the premise of the book! exploring topics of race and sexuality through the mythology and folklore of vampires resulted in a captivating and exciting story. i did enjoy the book, though mostly at surface level for the spec fic elements and the pacing.
although i think that expressing vampirism through a more overtly erotic lens is important, especially in emphasizing the queerness of the mythology, i really despised that butler chose to use adult/minor relationships to illustrate this. for me, i think that the more sexual aspects could’ve been written with more complexity. i also just wasn’t really drawn in by butlers language. i prefer prose that cuts deeper, has more density and complexity. i think it’s hard to navigate complex issues like race and sexuality without writing with and eliciting more emotion.
i’m not sure i would recommend this book, mostly because of the adult/minor relationships.
i really enjoyed the premise of the book! exploring topics of race and sexuality through the mythology and folklore of vampires resulted in a captivating and exciting story. i did enjoy the book, though mostly at surface level for the spec fic elements and the pacing.
although i think that expressing vampirism through a more overtly erotic lens is important, especially in emphasizing the queerness of the mythology, i really despised that butler chose to use adult/minor relationships to illustrate this. for me, i think that the more sexual aspects could’ve been written with more complexity. i also just wasn’t really drawn in by butlers language. i prefer prose that cuts deeper, has more density and complexity. i think it’s hard to navigate complex issues like race and sexuality without writing with and eliciting more emotion.
i’m not sure i would recommend this book, mostly because of the adult/minor relationships.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Racism, and Sexual content
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
emotional
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
4.0
another baldwin masterclass. an incredibly complex reflection on religion, race, and family.
lost me a bit in the last part. i think that probably i’m just not smart enough to digest and formulate my own perspective on how it ends, but ultimately i just very much enjoyed the non-linear narrative style centered around the idea of prayer.
lost me a bit in the last part. i think that probably i’m just not smart enough to digest and formulate my own perspective on how it ends, but ultimately i just very much enjoyed the non-linear narrative style centered around the idea of prayer.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
What a gorgeous and inventive concept for a book. I’ll always enjoy novels that play with different forms of conveying plot, and i particularly loved the beauty of letters, especially in a sapphic relationship.
the world building is a bit confusing, and while i think that it’s important that a sense of mystery was preserved throughout, i do think a bit more clarity might’ve benefitted my understanding. i was quite surprised to find a sapphic relationship portrayed so well in a book half authored by a straight man.
finally, this was a captivating novel. at just under 200 pages it doesn’t hurt to read, and i’d probably recommend to anyone fond of spec fic and queer romances.
the world building is a bit confusing, and while i think that it’s important that a sense of mystery was preserved throughout, i do think a bit more clarity might’ve benefitted my understanding. i was quite surprised to find a sapphic relationship portrayed so well in a book half authored by a straight man.
finally, this was a captivating novel. at just under 200 pages it doesn’t hurt to read, and i’d probably recommend to anyone fond of spec fic and queer romances.
A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
gorgeous. brilliant. i always find myself in awe of belcourts prose. similar to butler, belcourts language demands critical thought. i often found myself rereading and rereading paragraphs to truly begin to digest the complexity and beauty of it all. this is an incredible elegy for queer and brown life while also a celebration of life as a form of resistance.
i can’t wait to return to this book and to share it with others. i will mention that it’s important to check the content warnings prior to reading.
i can’t wait to return to this book and to share it with others. i will mention that it’s important to check the content warnings prior to reading.
Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
Did not finish book. Stopped at 95%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 95%.
The narrative style just didn’t work for me unfortunately. i listened as an audiobook so it might’ve been better to read as a physical book.
Boulder by Eva Baltasar
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
i really enjoyed the prose and imagery of this book !! otherwise i unfortunately don’t think the main relationship was built on enough for me to really feel anything.
Any Other City by Hazel Jane Plante
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
read content warnings!!
I enjoyed this book mostly because of the topics surrounding queer heartbreak and the difficulties many trans folks face in discovering their gender identity. i think the topic of emotional abuse in a sapphic relationship was handled really delicately, something i think is important as we continue to shine light on manipulative and physically turbulent lesbian romances. the narrative style was intriguing! i really enjoyed the way plante committed to the memoir bit, especially in her creation of an arcGIS storymaps to fully build upon sadie tangs piece “miscellaneous kisses.”
i can’t give this book 5 stars because i unfortunately am not an enjoyer of kinky or elongated sexual content. i understand that kink and sex is monumental in transfemme (and transmasc) expression, so i understand why that content is included and how it shapes the characters within the “memoir,” but it’s not something i particularly enjoyed. that being said, i do find it important to continue to consume transfemme erotic media for a few reasons, the major being that due to my own gender identity being closer to transmasc, i’ve often overlooked what sex and gender euphoria looks like to transfemmes.
anyways, a beautiful piece of literature and i can’t wait to read more of plantes work
I enjoyed this book mostly because of the topics surrounding queer heartbreak and the difficulties many trans folks face in discovering their gender identity. i think the topic of emotional abuse in a sapphic relationship was handled really delicately, something i think is important as we continue to shine light on manipulative and physically turbulent lesbian romances. the narrative style was intriguing! i really enjoyed the way plante committed to the memoir bit, especially in her creation of an arcGIS storymaps to fully build upon sadie tangs piece “miscellaneous kisses.”
i can’t give this book 5 stars because i unfortunately am not an enjoyer of kinky or elongated sexual content. i understand that kink and sex is monumental in transfemme (and transmasc) expression, so i understand why that content is included and how it shapes the characters within the “memoir,” but it’s not something i particularly enjoyed. that being said, i do find it important to continue to consume transfemme erotic media for a few reasons, the major being that due to my own gender identity being closer to transmasc, i’ve often overlooked what sex and gender euphoria looks like to transfemmes.
anyways, a beautiful piece of literature and i can’t wait to read more of plantes work
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Transphobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Amatka by Karin Tidbeck
dark
mysterious
medium-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
3.75
a fun little spec fic ! i’ll always be a sucker for a space opera that deals with colonization of another planet but under the guise of mysterious politics and circumstances (see mat johnson). unfortunately, i don’t think this book (or johnsons) very effectively explores the theme of silencing as a form of governance. the central idea of the novel was promising, and i enjoyed the cast of characters and world building, but i think more could’ve been said.
for the queer aspects, i felt as though the romance between vanja and nina was without purpose. their relationship was hardly built upon, save for a few pages about sharing a bed, and it was hard to understand what brought the characters together in the first place. i think the novel would’ve benefitted from either leaving the romance out all together, or really building upon the idea of love between two warring sides.
to make a long review short, this book was fun! it’s a short read, and i’ll always recommend those, but i would say don’t expect to come away from this with a new outlook on the politics of governance, but rather enjoy tidbecks fantastic world building.
for the queer aspects, i felt as though the romance between vanja and nina was without purpose. their relationship was hardly built upon, save for a few pages about sharing a bed, and it was hard to understand what brought the characters together in the first place. i think the novel would’ve benefitted from either leaving the romance out all together, or really building upon the idea of love between two warring sides.
to make a long review short, this book was fun! it’s a short read, and i’ll always recommend those, but i would say don’t expect to come away from this with a new outlook on the politics of governance, but rather enjoy tidbecks fantastic world building.
Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
3.5
i should start off by saying i really really enjoyed this book. knowing the story of qiu miaojin, i understand why this is considered to be so revolutionary in chinese/taiwanese literature. although i think some of the commentary on gender roles in queer relationships is a bit outdated (obviously because this is from 1990s taiwan), i did really love how beautifully the sorrows of queer love was depicted.
for me, i think i was a bit challenged in understanding the portions with dialogue. i think that it comes down mostly due to miaojins style, but maybe once i read more translated lit i’ll return to this book and see if i understand it a little better. that’s the big reason why i couldn’t give this book a better rating, but i otherwise found the prose and crocodile excerpts to be gorgeous and thought provoking.
for me, i think i was a bit challenged in understanding the portions with dialogue. i think that it comes down mostly due to miaojins style, but maybe once i read more translated lit i’ll return to this book and see if i understand it a little better. that’s the big reason why i couldn’t give this book a better rating, but i otherwise found the prose and crocodile excerpts to be gorgeous and thought provoking.
Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I love indigenous futurism so much. again, i love the exploration of grief and generational trauma. at some points the characters were insufferable, so that’s where the reduced rating comes from. highly recommend the audiobook !!