eloise_bradbooks's reviews
765 reviews

 It is a difficult task to write a sequel to a book which was probably only meant to be a stand-alone. And yet Erik J. Brown delivered.
All That's Left In The World is one of my favourite books of the last few years. Going into The Only Light Left Burning, I already cared so much about these boys and their relationship, but I soon discovered that there was even more love for me to have for them and the little found family they were building...
The "post-apocalyptic" part is there but probably not as "apocalyptic" as some may imagine. It's more about making it through the travels, finding people who will care for you like you will care for them, and also just living your teenage / young adult life ...
A+ ! 

 Grumpy duke discovers that he can actually fall in love, but maybe women aren't the ones he should be thinking about, when he goes on an adventure with a sunshine of a man he's ignored for some time...
It's fun, it's silly, it's wholesome. Good book. 

Dear Wendy is the queer platonic love story we’ve been waiting for. It’s contemporary, fun, cosy and a hug / love letter to aroace people.
It showcases so well the different nuances of aspec identities, how two people with the same identity can feel and want different things, all while finding comfort in all their similarities.

On a personal level, I would have liked a lit less online banter and (even more) real-life bonding between Jo and Sophie. I felt like it needed more time to be developed to truly understand the idea of them heading towards "a queer platonic love story". 

The Prospects is a very sweet enjoyable achillean romance between two baseball players, including the first trans professional baseball player.
I'd heard so much about this book in the last few weeks. It seemed like the new favourite book on the queer side of bookstagram, so I had high hopes. Especially as it was marketed as a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers achillean romance.
I think that description and the hype lead me to have TOO high expectations, wrong expectations, and with a feeling of disappointment.
I think this is a really sweet romance, with little drama, pretty comforting, great trans rep and great discussions around mental health, intimacy, race and being queer in the public eye. I don't think it's particularly slow burn or even enemies-to-lovers though, which is what I was expecting and looking for... 

The Chronicles of Nerezia is a series of cosy fantasy novellas that is focused on aspec characters in a queer normative world where platonic bonds are at the centre of the story.
Flooded Secrets is the second book after Awakenings which I also really enjoyed.
I already love and care about these characters, I can't even begin to imagine how I'm going to feel after even more books...
BRING. IT. ON. 

 Eden Jones is an ace, bi and non binary teen with social anxiety, who has told their mother they have many friends at their new school. The problem is... they don't. So when Eden's mom throws a party and invites what she thinks is Eden's friends, Eden has to try to befriend them for real.

Asking For A Friend is a middle grade story about queerness, friendship, finding the people who you finally feel free to be yourself with, and being honest with yourself and people around you.
It's queer joy at its best.
There are so many forms of queerness in this book, through Eden's identities and their new friends (trans, lesbian, genderqueer, mental health issues, foster care rep...). None of these kids are perfect and that feels so real and honest and true and even more important when they accept each other as they are and form the best friendgroup you could imagine.

I can imagine this book being so important in the hands (and in the hearts) of young readers, wether they're queer or questioning or simply wanting to learn more about queerness.

As an ace, bi, non binary person with social anxiety and who has struggled to develop new friendships, this book felt like a soothing hug for my inner child and my current adult mind who knows it took so long to accept all of this about me and who would have loved to have stories who represented me like this one does. 

 Well, this book is an impressive mix of funny, romantic and emotional moments all in one book.
I definitely felt the great queer romcom movie potential and I need *someone* to pick it up NOW.*

Here We Go Again follows Rosemary and Logan, two lesbian English teachers with ADHD who used to be best friends but who haven't spoken in years, forced to spend time together in a "queer-mobile" to take their mentor (and his enormous dog) on a death-roadtrip...

On a personal note I would have taken away a few things from books (Logan's "[first name] fucking[last name]!" sayings were so annoying) and I just felt like there could have been even more emotion and connexion between the two girls (this is a romcom after all)...
But altogether it remained a great book I really enjoyed reading. 

Icarus is a wonderful heartbreaking but hopeful and romantic tale of two teenage boys finding each other and finding the strength to break away from neglect, abuse and generational trauma.
As well as a deep heartfelt romance, there's also a brilliant tale of friendship and it just shows what it means to be surrounded by people who actually care about you... 

3.5/5 ~ I'm a little torn with this book because on the one hand I know I had a good time and enjoyed it. But that's mostly because I cared so much about about these characters in the first book that seeing them again and seeing them interact just gave me so much joy and feels.
BUT I also know that this book does not live up to the previous one.
I kind of read it sporadically and was always happy to pick it back up, but didn't really feel the need to turn every page and loose sleep over it, which is what I got from reading Silver Under Nightfall.
There was less action, less anticipation, more sex but less actual development within the different characters, and the ending felt a little anticlimactic...