4.5 (eta to round up to 5 stars rather than rating down) loved this sm - themes of friendship, family, mental health, queerness, gender, and coming of4.5 (eta to round up to 5 stars rather than rating down) loved this sm - themes of friendship, family, mental health, queerness, gender, and coming of age. loved all the characters, their friendships, how supportive win's mum is etc. a v sweet book <3
however it felt a little too convenient/easy/straight forward (despite the topics), hence the 4 stars - but i think that's more because of it being a YA book, rather than an inherent flaw (eta i also think the illustrations weren’t ‘special’ enough to get it to 5 stars - i read two graphic novels illustrated by tillie walden this day also which probs influenced that haha)...more
a really well done middle grade graphic novel about the holocaust. beautiful artwork. appreciated the inclusion of how nazis also targeted people witha really well done middle grade graphic novel about the holocaust. beautiful artwork. appreciated the inclusion of how nazis also targeted people with disabilities as i feel this isn't often discussed. shows both the potential good and bad in humanity. how we must not forget the past - and how in so many ways, it seems as though, unfortunately, not even 100 years later, we are (ever so prevalent given the current genocide in palestine)...more
another sweet middle grade read with some important lessons - for both young and older readers - you're not the mistakes you make, our parents are jusanother sweet middle grade read with some important lessons - for both young and older readers - you're not the mistakes you make, our parents are just people, neutrality is complicity, friendship requires work - really enjoyed getting insight into characters not explored in wonder!...more
3.5 a fun read. relatively low ranking for me only bc i don't think ill reach for it again, but i don't regret reading it :) and i've now officially r3.5 a fun read. relatively low ranking for me only bc i don't think ill reach for it again, but i don't regret reading it :) and i've now officially read all of becky's books!...more
loved this collection - maybe my favourite short story collection that i’ve read?? so many stories i wish we had full/longer stories for though 3
favouloved this collection - maybe my favourite short story collection that i’ve read?? so many stories i wish we had full/longer stories for though 3
favourites - the fermi paradox is our business model, the cartography of sudden death, the super ultra duchess of fedora forest, clover, a temporary embarrassment in spacetime, the time travel club
my thoughts on most of them: (about half? the collection i'd already read in Even Greater Mistakes: Stories) - the fermi paradox is our business model - 4/5 - everything i love in a space story. and a v interesting business model lol - as good as new - already read. meh - the cartography of sudden death - 4/5 - i keep thinking about this after reading it which i think is a good sign! - six months, three days - already read didn’t love which seems to be an unpopular opinion! - clover - already read, loved - intestate - didn’t really get it - the master conjurer - interesting exploration about fame etc but not my vibe - the unfathomable sisterhood of idk - such a cool/interesting concept !!! wtf at stacia tho. mary is a good friend!! - the day it all ended - interesting! idk how i fully feel but i like it hah - rat catchers yellow - already read but i swear some of these stories are slightly dif from the other anthology i read them in?? or maybe bc i’m rereading?? but i liked this better this time. maybe i should reread the others too lol - the super ultra duchess of fedora forest — adored this - finding a purpose without work, found family, fun names, how to get on with others even though you dont always agree/aren’t perfect etc - margot and rosalind - too short to properly get into but i loved the idea (The iceman laughs, not entirely at Margot. “Believe me, there’s nothing worse than being both immortal and intelligent. Imagine the boredom! Plus you start to ask questions, and the worst thing about questions is that sometimes, they have answers.”) - victimless crimes - weird - stochastic fancy - interesting concept re democracy! - rager in space - found it interesting re outgrowing friends and reinventing self but the ending fell flat lol - palm strike’s last case - found this very interesting - drugs, hard decisions, humans trying to live elsewhere - i’ve got the music in me - interesting looking at the idea of slippery slope laws, laws where everyone says aren’t dangerous but are etc. - fairy werewolf v vampire zombie - hated both times i’ve tried to read it now haha not my vibe - suicide drive - parent relationships, how people aren’t black and white. confused about the end and what the suicide drive actually was lol...more
another pleasant surprise - wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as i did and i can see why it's marketed as a classic YA/NA aussie coming of age. lanother pleasant surprise - wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as i did and i can see why it's marketed as a classic YA/NA aussie coming of age. loved all the characters and their complexities ...more
did quite enjoy this book but not giving it a ranking as i recognise there were a lot of harmful tropes/representations
i think the book did do a good did quite enjoy this book but not giving it a ranking as i recognise there were a lot of harmful tropes/representations
i think the book did do a good job of addressing complex issues though - family (and the mum being viewed as the villain), class, friendship. the portrayals of transness weren't totally awful but i do wish it had been done better, especially given it is the central theme of the book...more
read in one sitting. i will always love cathy cassidy.
i wasn't sure if i'd enjoy her as much now i'm an adult but this book reminded me of why i treasread in one sitting. i will always love cathy cassidy.
i wasn't sure if i'd enjoy her as much now i'm an adult but this book reminded me of why i treasured her books so much as a kid/young teen - because she portrays young people with so much care and compassion.
i guessed the twist pretty early on, but still loved this book and seeing the growth of eden and ryan <3 ...more
i've been following jennifer on instagram for several years and even through her captions etc i knew she was an incredible writer, so when i saw this i've been following jennifer on instagram for several years and even through her captions etc i knew she was an incredible writer, so when i saw this book at a local neighbourhood house to raise money for the the indigenous literacy foundation, i thought it justified breaking my book-buying ban!
jennifer writes so beautifully, in a way that makes me feel calm and at peace, but also so many different emotions, especially about what it is to be human, both the mundane and the messy. the fact that some of these are set in australia/melbourne makes them feel even more special.
the only reason i didn't give it 5 stars is because there weren't any stories/characters i could truly connect with/relate to.
favourites - we got used to here fast, peaks, eternal father...more
adored this! came by it as a recommendation in Kemi Ashing-Giwa's newsletter and i'm so glad i did. somehow manages to still be a cozy book despite beadored this! came by it as a recommendation in Kemi Ashing-Giwa's newsletter and i'm so glad i did. somehow manages to still be a cozy book despite being set in the middle of a space war. loved the narrator being a young girl. idk i just loved reading this and would happily read more set in this world! ...more
“Hannah Arendt, the political philosopher, coined the phrase “the banality of evil”—that evil is very often “terrifyingly normal.” She knew, as many w
“Hannah Arendt, the political philosopher, coined the phrase “the banality of evil”—that evil is very often “terrifyingly normal.” She knew, as many who have suffered do, that the worst things can happen in the blandest of places—between the lines in a textbook omitting large swaths of history or in the hushing of a child who has something important to say. All these things are done in the name of keeping our worlds safe, consistent, banal.”
4.5 - i am tempted to round down not up, but that's only bc i loved bitter even more (so i'll stick with how i felt after reading this, without the comparison)
i've seen this book floating around for a few years now and knew it was well loved, but didn't really know what it was about. i am so glad i picked it up!!!
some things i loved: - library positivity - jams' parents acceptance of her just as she is - her transness, neurodivergence etc - jam and redemptions friendship - emphasising that these things aren't black and white - there is so much nuance, good people sometimes do bad and hard things, and it's not always clear if that's the right thing to do (and equally people who do bad things are just everyday people - its not always obvious who is 'bad') (and that this was portrayed so well for younger readers) - how children are treated with respect - believing what people tell you
some quotes - "the problem is, when you think you've been without monsters for so long, sometimes you forget what they look like...people forget. but forgetting is dangerous. forgetting is how the monsters come back" - "a lot of things were manageable as long as they were honest" - "the truth does not change whether it is seen or unseen... a thing that is happening happens whether you look at it or not" - "were there levels of monsters? were some worse than others? was that even the kind of thing you could measure?" "the angels, they had to do things underhand, dark things... hard things... good and innocent, they not the same thing; they don't wear the same face... it's all just people, doing hard things or doing bad things. but it's all just people, our people"
loved the explorations of friendship and family, figuring out who you are, imperfect characters, ace and disabled rep, the little roman4.5 loved this!
loved the explorations of friendship and family, figuring out who you are, imperfect characters, ace and disabled rep, the little romances, men needing to do more to be good allies etc <3...more
i enjoyed this! only not a 5 stars bc i didn't totally fall in love with the characters - but they're 17 year olds very different from me (im a 24yo wi enjoyed this! only not a 5 stars bc i didn't totally fall in love with the characters - but they're 17 year olds very different from me (im a 24yo white lesbian who doesn't have adhd or autism) so i think that's to be expected and i think this book would be absolutely incredible for anyone who does identity more similarly to these characters (i mean still worth reading anyway, but my point being, my rating isn't a reflection of the books quality)
i loved all the great rep in this - neurodivergence, queerness - including trans, non-binary, and poly rep, and people of colour
as with felix, i loved how kacen lets all of their characters fuck up and be messy/imperfect/make mistakes - but also still be loved, have emotional maturity etc. and i enjoyed the explorations of these themes and how to call people out/in, hold people who do harm accountable whilst allowing them to grow etc etc (though at times, i think the YA-ness of this got to me)
also liked the acknowledgement of the pandemic/BLM throughout!
(also a slay for me - i got this book from a book outlet v cheap and it came with fun sprayed edges and is signed!!) ...more
continuing to heal my inner child one sapphic middle grade read at a time <3
i really enjoyed this - but not as much as some of the other mgs ive read continuing to heal my inner child one sapphic middle grade read at a time <3
i really enjoyed this - but not as much as some of the other mgs ive read and it did take me a while to get into (once cline and sylvie started getting closer) hence 4 stars, not 5. i love cline so much and i was so proud of her strength in staying true to herself (not conforming to religion, knowing she doesn't want to share her queerness with everyone yet, her bravery with her lyrics, her drive to get to the workshops etc).
(i will say - for a book that featured so many important female country singer songwriters, why was there not a single taylor mention lmao)
(didn't even realise until i read one of the reviews on here but there's basically no men in this book? big slay)...more
4.5. adored this! such a fun read and i fell in love with the entire cast of characters. such a perfect mix of heartfelt moments and humour. can't wai4.5. adored this! such a fun read and i fell in love with the entire cast of characters. such a perfect mix of heartfelt moments and humour. can't wait for lex's next book!!
"nobody else is ever going to care as much as you do about the things that you want... so it's up to you - you can put them aside forever, if you can live with that, or you can put on your bibg-girl girdle and demand more for yourself"
"fathers aren't always right just by virtue of being fathers"
"ascribing bad and goods to part of ourselves isn't helpful... perhaps - one thing that helps you, and one thing that you feel hinders you"
"i'm a man and my crotch isn't a burden" "maybe not to you... but its a burden on the rest of humanity"
"what i'm trying to say is, you knew, and it made perfect sense to you even when it didn't to me. i didn't have to try to justify it to you, or beg for your understanding - it wasn't something that even needed explaining. i had no idea how much that would mean to me. when i talked to you about it, even when you were being a bit of a nightmare, you always made me feel like it was... completely ordinary. something i should be allowed to want, and to have, without question. and this might sound foolish, but it felt like you were somehow on my side, even when you hated me. it made me braver. that's what i really want to thank you for."
"to be truly brave, first you must be afraid - and to be afraid, you must have something you cannot bear to lose" ...more
didnt enjoy this as much as i expected unfortunately - just wasn't what i was expecting i think (aids/activism etc didn't really play a huge role untididnt enjoy this as much as i expected unfortunately - just wasn't what i was expecting i think (aids/activism etc didn't really play a huge role until the last third of the book) and i couldn't connect with micah/CJ. not a bad book though!...more
loved this! there’s definitely some areas where if i think too much, brings the book down - but its such a fun and sweet story that i didn’t really caloved this! there’s definitely some areas where if i think too much, brings the book down - but its such a fun and sweet story that i didn’t really care too much
(e.g., plot/characters didn’t feel very fleshed out, which felt very apparent at times e.g., the fight with liz came from nowhere bc his friend group and their history/relationships weren’t fleshed out; the restaurant workplace was a bit toxic; the plot with the pig was a bit weird at points haha; the plot wasn’t very believable)
but overall such a sweet story about staying true to yourself, a love of food and books, friendship, everyone being on their own path, struggles of graduating uni and figuring out what you want to do with your life (+ queer rep!! - i wish wed gotten a sapphic side story or smth tho haha) ...more
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