Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray

 

Borrowed from the library but ebook previously provided by NetGalley for review.

4/5 stars

Koffi lives at the Night Zoo with her mother, working off a debt that her late father created. Ekon dreams of becoming a Son of Six like his older brother.

Their paths end up colliding in the hunt for a mysterious wild beast that is allegedly slaughtering everyone but along the way feelings grow, they learn that magic is real and not everything is what it seems...

I loved the way this entwined together and the way things progressed and the religion and magic system but I did find the ending a little abrupt. I will seek out the sequels some time though.

Steff Out x 

When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari

Borrowed from the library but ebook previously provided by NetGalley (and possibly not downloaded as I can't find it on my Kindle but it is on my feedback list).

3/5 stars

Kai, Orla and Zak have been best friends for years, centred around their little undergrowth hideout. Always in the background though is Kai's father and his shadows. But then his mum becomes pregnant and the shadows fade.

Things are good for a while but then tragedy strikes and the shadows return with a vengeance. Spreading to Kai as well his friendships break down. Newcomer Om is the only one with a chance of getting through to him before it's too late.

This book annoyed me. It was all too vague and meandering and trying to be poetic and I'm just there thinking "get to the point already" which is sad because I could tell what it was saying was important but it was kind of lost on me

Steff Out x 

Jemima Small versus the Universe by Tamsin Winter

 

4/5 stars

Jemima Small is 12 going on 13. She is super smart, science and maths are her specialities but she knows a lot about a lot. Her body image is however not great. She's fat and the kids at school and even members of the public will not let her forget about it.

Then comes a weigh-in in science class, a remarkably cruel thing for a school to sanction, especially in front of peers, the results of which lead Jemima to be invited to fat club. Jemima dreads it but it turns out that Gina who runs it is actually kind of nice and not at all weight loss obsessed but more concerned with overall wellbeing, including mental wellbeing.

Alongside this Jemima has a chance to star on her favourite smart kids TV quiz show but will she let her body worries get in the way?

This was a super cute, quick read. It was let down slightly by the mum thing being brushed over so quickly, the ending felt a little abrupt and there were also a few Harry Potter references which dated things slightly, especially as there were no other pop culture references.

Stef Out x

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

 

Ebook from the library.

5/5 stars

This was not really what I expected but I loved it anyway.

August has moved to New York in an attempt to get away from her mother's obsessive search for her missing brother which has clouded August's whole childhood. She's on her third college degree and fiercely minimalist with her possessions.

She is at first unsure about her new roommates, one claims to be psychic, one leaves strange art everywhere and the third is basically nocturnal with a dog who has become communal. Over time they become family, along with August's work crew at Billy's Pancake House and Annie, the drag queen across the hall. Along the way she meets Jane on her subway commute. Cool, mysterious and electrifying, Jane isn't who she appears to be...

The story with Jane was a bit startling at first for what I thought was a regular contemporary romance/whatever but the whole thing drew me in and was so well written!

To me this book is queer joy and I highly recommend it!

Stef Out x

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

 

Ebook from the library.

5/5 stars

This was a beautiful book! Wallace is a lawyer and one of the partners at his firm. He likes things to run smoothly and he loves his suits. He is very organised and in reality not a very nice person. And then he finds himself at his own funeral following an out of the blue heart attack.

The funeral has very few attendees, his ex-wife and his three firm partners. And one other strange woman. Mei is a reaper, he's her first solo job and she's a little late, she's here to break the news to Wallace that he's dead and to take him to Hugo, the ferryman.

Wallace understandably struggles with the idea of being dead, and the idea of being stuck in his off-duty flip-flops. That the ferryman's base is a quirky tea shop does little to help, at least initially, but gradually with the help of fellow ghosts Nelson, and Apollo the dog, Wallace accepts his fate and allows Hugo to help him.

I loved this! It was so heartwarming and I loved the characters, everyone was really well-rounded and well-developed. There are difficult moments but they were handled sensitively. The representation was brilliant and again really well handled. The ending was beautiful and perfect and I loved it!

Stef Out x

To Dare by Jemma Wayne

 

I found this quite a dull book really. I kept expecting more from it. Instead I got tasteless descriptions of a violent beating and wholly unlikeable characters.

Sarah in particular annoyed me. Blaming Veronica for her sister's death when she wasn't even involved. The issues that led to it may have been caused by Veronica but I feel that there was enough years for Sarah to have gotten help for her issues.

The ending was very disappointing. Very rushed and a lot of lack of clarity. I was surprised when I noticed I was near the end of the book because I felt like there was still so much to cover. Even now I'm unsure of what really happened.

2/5 stars

Stef Out x

Plan Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

Read March 2022. Borrowed from the library but also own as an ebook thanks to NetGalley.

3/5 stars

Dual timeline told in alternating chapters. Half is set in 1902 where Libbie is running a girls school with her partner Alex when a diary of a girl named Mary MacLane starts making its rounds. What follows is tragedy and creepiness. And a lot of yellow jacket wasps 😬

The other half is set in the present day where a horror movie is being made about Brookhants School's tragic past. It girl Harper Harper is one of the co-leads and is also co-producing. Aubrey is a former child star whose role in the film has suddenly changed. Merritt is the writer of the book about the original tragedy that is now the basis for this film.

So firstly this book is super queer. Like 99% of the female characters have a same sex leaning. Harper is named lesbian, Aubrey is bi, not sure what Merritt is and the historical sections introduced me to the term "Boston Marriage" wherein two women (whether romantically inclined or not) would live together in order to achieve careers and independence uncommon for the time.

I thought that it was interesting and creepy but the novel was too long (over 600 pages) and too slowly paced. A lot could have been cut in my opinion. Also the ending was very abrupt. I've seen reviews saying it could have been a duology: the historical story and then the modern one. That would allow for the detail without being overlong.

Stef Out x 

Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins

 

Read February 2022. Borrowed from the library.

5/5 stars

I read this in two sittings and it could have been one but I needed to get to bed. I loved this book! The characters were amazing, Felipé was so relatable for I too am a fat, socially awkward gay. And like Felipé my school bullying was directed towards my weight rather than anything sexuality based. Sigh.

I loved the development of both the boy's characters and the growth of their relationship. I also loved Caio's friends and I wish we'd had more of them. I just wanted more story in general, 15 days was just not enough!

Stef Out x

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

On the Come Up – Angie Thomas

Read March 20 - Library

Another story of politics and the power of one person’s voice from Angie Thomas. I loved the varied cast of characters. Bri was awesome and Sonny was adorable. I liked the dynamic between Bri and Malik and the way things grew with Curtis. It was more of a personal story than ‘The Hate U Give’, focused on Bri’s dream of becoming a rapper like her late dad. It was an interesting look and how fame can change you and how easily your own words can be twisted against you. Stay true to yourself was a key theme. I did feel like the ending was a little rushed and a little incomplete though.

4/5 stars

Stef Out x

Theatrical by Maggie Harcourt

Theatrical – Maggie Harcourt

Read March 20 - Library

This was so nearly 5 stars but, in the end, I just couldn’t justify it. The detail and the scene-building were phenomenal! That is were the problem lies slightly… The theatre is described so vividly that it becomes a character more than the actual human characters. I liked the slow burn romance but overall, the characters were a little 2D. Their personality is all theatre all the time. Even the love interest doesn’t have much beyond the theatre. He’s juggling it with school and work and his parents are dead. Also, he likes weird popcorn combos, something Hope notices when he’s coincidentally at the cinema at the same time as her but is never mentioned later. No-one talks about interests, music, movies, other shows etc. Also, the ending was rather abrupt. The show ended and then the book did. Despite all this critical stuff I did really enjoy the book. I enjoyed the flow and I loved Hope as a character and how she grew throughout the book.

4/5 stars

Stef Out x

Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern

Amy and Matthew – Cammie McGovern (Also known as "Say What You Will")

Read March 20 - Library

There are so few novels with disabled characters at the centre that this was so needed and refreshing. It wasn’t sugar-coated at all. Amy was also intelligent, something disabled people are rarely allowed to be. Matthew – one of the students hired to be her peer helper – is trying to avoid his own problems. OCD. His illness helps him avoid making friends despite wanting them. Seeing their friendship grow and evolve was really enjoyable and I liked that they were flawed: Matthew had serious avoidance issues and Amy could be selfish. Again, like so many books I found the ending lacking.

4/5 stars

Stef Out x

Yes, No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

Yes, No, Maybe So – Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

Read March 20 - Library

So as a Brit a lot of the American politics went over my head so near the beginning my rating hovered around a 3 but I absolutely loved the character development, the inter-faith relationship and the slow burn romance. It’s probably my own fault but I haven’t read many books with Muslim characters and I really appreciated that the book took place over Ramadan, though slight niggle I do wish Maya’s faith was discussed a little more. It felt a little over-shadowed by Jamie’s Jewishness, what with his sister’s bat mitzvah, his family and even the candidate they’re working for being Jewish. I did like Jamie’s growth in particular and his improvement and willingness to learn. Also, I want either a direct sequel with Jamie and Maya or a sequel featuring Jamie’s sister, Sophie. I loved her and I want more of her story!

5/5 stars

Stef Out x

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Leah on the Offbeat – Becky Albertalli

Read March 20 - Library

Bi girl representation! So cute! Slow burn romance, relatable characters, character growth, I loved it all! Leah was not perfect; she was stroppy and snarky and shut out her friends but she’s loyal and calls bullshit out when she sees it – casual racism is still racism and I really appreciated its inclusion. I did feel a little bad for Garrett but at least it looks like he got his own happy ending. Leah’s ending just made me grin like a loon! Also more girl drummers please!

5/5 stars

Stef Out x

Countless by Karen Gregory

Countless – Karen Gregory

Read March 20 - Library

Hedda is in the grip of an eating disorder she refers to as 'Nia' when she discovers that she is pregnant. She decides to call a truce with Nia to try and grow and nurture a healthy baby.

This book was heart-breaking. Hedda was such an interesting character, I enjoyed reading about her inner conflicts and seeing her growing affection for her baby. I’ve never had any problems with anorexia, but I did appreciate the lack of explicit references towards calories and weight. My overall criticism was that I wanted more. A less abrupt conclusion for Robin, more about the unit and how everything began, Hedda’s friends, especially Molly, and especially her family.

3/5 stars

Stef Out x

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

All the Bright Places – Jennifer Niven

Read March 20 - Library

I’ll take one squished heart to go please because this book was full-on and heart-wrenching. Also, if it wasn’t obvious from the blurb massive content warning for suicide mentions. It’s detailed stuff. Well researched but definitely triggering. There’s also brief mentions of bulimia and self-harm. The characters are so well-written, and I love that their relationship was slow burn, not instalove. I loved their growth over the course of the book, especially Violet. I really enjoyed reading about their wanderings and I hope that they were real places. I wish we’d had more of Violet’s new project coming to fruition in the actual book. The last third of the book was traumatic but I loved the continuing theme of growth.

I understand that there is a film adaptation of this book. I couldn't get past the start and Violet and Finch's meeting being changed so much. How they meet is a massive plot point of the book and unless that scene appears later the movie is naturally not going to be the same. But even if it does the fact that they've already met would diminish it.

5/5 stars

Stef Out x

Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales

Tonight the Streets Are Ours – Leila Sales

Read Aug 19 - Library

Arden was a doormat, but I did kind of like her. She was kind and loyal and had hope for the future, Lindsey was annoying, she didn’t have much personality beyond whiny leech. Apparently, she was a runner but no mention was made of any events or competitions. I did sympathise with her being gay in a small town, she did seem lonely, but at the same time she didn’t seem to want to change anything. Chris annoyed me. He had no personality beyond “I’m an act-or”, also pet names like babe and sweetheart piss me off. The sudden across country road trip seemed rather unrealistic and dangerous! Let’s drive across three states to find some blogger bloke! Unsurprisingly Peter was a jerk. A flash git who only cared about his own ego. Also the reveal of him being Asian felt a little forced and a little bit like tokenism: “hey here’s a POC even though there’s literally no hint until my pretty white girl protagonist points it out despite her being obsessed with his blog”. Overall, the storytelling was compelling, the plot was weak and the characters basic.

3/5 stars

Stef Out x

The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill

The Surface Breaks – Louise O’Neill

Read Aug 19 - Library

This advertises itself as a feminist retelling of The Little Mermaid and to that I would say yes but at the same time no. The first half was less clear cut. We had few characters, less information about the mer-world than I’d have liked and overall, seemingly vapid thoughts about their appearance and men. Things did not seem happy per say but there was nothing that was a major red flag initially. While I loathe the concept of instalove the story took on a much more interesting turn in the second half once Gaia took on her human guise. It didn’t make a lot of sense, but Gaia only seemed to reveal her full life and understand how bad it was once she was among the humans. The second half of the book definitely took a U-turn with its criticisms of the expectation of women and the trouble with many men. I feel that the ending was a little rushed, despite my small criticism of the pacing I wanted more! Also, my copy had a bonus “chapter” on the Sea Witch and oh goodness I want a whole book on her!

3/5 stars

Stef Out x

Meat Market by Juno Dawson

Meat Market – Juno Dawson

Read Aug 19 - Library

This was a great book. Juno writes great characters; everything was really well-researched, and I almost feel like I was there. Key word being almost, the made-up fashion brands and designers were a little jarring. More descriptive work could have been used on the settings, sometimes there wasn’t much distinction between locations. There were so many different characters that it felt like many didn’t get enough page time. Especially Sabah, I loved her! I also wanted to know more about Jana’s family and their history. I quite enjoyed the way Jana spoke; she was very authentic although I did rather detest her constant use of the word ‘aint’. The story within the story was very timely with current event and I feel like it was written very authentically. I also especially loved the end “where are they now” memos. It was kind of cute.

4/5 stars

Stef Out x

Goodbye, Perfect by Sara Barnard

Goodbye, Perfect – Sara Barnard

Read July 19 - Library

This is the second Sara Barnard book I have read and let me tell you this woman is brilliant at characters and building tension. I loved Eden and I loved the way her relationships were explored, Connor was a sweetheart and I know they are fictional, but I hope they last! I would have loved to have seen more with Valerie, what we had at the end wasn’t enough! I really appreciated Eden’s growth in such a short space of time. I also thought the themes of the novel were so important and under-talked about. Grooming is a serious thing and kids need to know the signs. If there was a negative, I would say that the ending was rather abrupt. I wanted more on the aftermath than a couple of hurried lines.

4/5 stars

Stef Out x

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

If I Was Your Girl – Meredith Russo

Read July 19 - Library/Owned

A beautifully written, beautifully told, own voices story about a teenage trans girl names Amanda. I thought that Amanda was beautifully written and well fleshed out though Meredith Russo does admit that Amanda’s transition is highly idealised and not like most people’s experiences. I also loved the flashback scenes; how sincere they were. Grant was such an interesting character, full of dark and light. Bee was interesting and I wanted more about her. Beyond that though I felt like the rest of the side characters were under-developed. Especially the girls. I have already forgotten the names of 1 or 2. One was Chloe, another might have been Taylor? Chloe lived on a farm and her “identity” was her biggest personality trait. Another girl’s trait was religion but the “good” sort of accepting type. I did also find the ending a little flat, it just kind of stopped. A lot of stuff was just left unresolved which was rather frustrating. Also as I’m cis (ish) I don’t know if it’s my place to be bothered but I was a bit bothered by Amanda describing herself as transsexual considering I thought that it was an outdated and incorrect term. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

(Originally borrowed from the library, now own a copy.)

Bonus US cover which apparently features a trans model!

4/5 stars

Stef Out x