eloise_bradbooks's reviews
765 reviews

Absolutely gorgeous novel written in verse, about two trans boys in love, growing together and coming into their own at their own pace but always supporting each other through it all. It was beautiful.
The only reason I'm not giving in 5 stars is because being obsessed with war is not something I really like reading about...

Awakenings was such a nice read.
In one small book (180 pages) you get a mix of cosy fantasy AND epic fantasy! With very likeable characters who get to play boardgames together, sometimes try to get away from villains, and find their happy place with each other.
I love that we're getting a second novella very soon, which will hopefully develop the characters even more.

I've been meaning to read Claudie Arsenault books for a while and this one definitely encouraged me to move her author books up my TBR. 

In Walked Trouble is a rivals-to-lovers sapphic romance about two women who have been through some tough times, now fighting for a cash bonus in their bartending job. But if course as they get closer, they fall for each other...

I thought this was a good story overall. It's easy to read and never drops into uninteresting.

For me though, the women go from "enemies" or rivals to lovers quite fast. They fall in love veeery fast, which I always struggle with.

I need them to spend more time together, go through more shit together for me to really get behind the "you're family" / "I love you" aspect of the story which is central in feeling the strong emotions the author wanted to make us feel with this story.

On another note, the chapter titles being fun drink names was a really cool idea! We need more fun chapter titles like these ones!!

I'd like to thank Dana Hawkins for sending me an digital copy of this book.

Jenna Miller writes some great contemporary YA books about fat lesbians and is now definitely on my "look out for everything she publishes" list.

This was a pretty addictive read you fly through. The story flows really well.
I did appreciate the story and the characters but there were times where I found myself quite critical towards our MC, mostly in her way of not understanding her crush's potential difficulties (with coming out for instance) which I found too hurtful.
But it does also feel like a book where the characters feel pretty real, make mistakes, and own up to them. It's a good growth story.

DNF 60%. Nope. Not for me.
Idiots only going on and on about wanting to fuck the other but thinking it's not right cause it's against dumb rules they set at the beginning... Ridiculous.

Skater Boy follows Wesley "Big Mac" McKenzie, the schools resident "bad boy" -and closeted gay boy- as he falls for a cute ballet dancer, forcing him to question what he wants to do and be in life.
The romance was cute but I loved that there was so much to this story than that. We see Wes grow in so many ways and find where he belongs at school, with his friends, with his mother and step dad... It was inspiring and encouraging.

 If you like romantasy and want something queer, you'll probably enjoy this a lot.
If you're looking for some epic fantasy, lots of fae lore and deep political intrigue, you may be disappointed.

I can see what's to like, when you like that kind of thing. It's a romance-driven story in an elves & fae queernormative world with cute animal-like bonds. It's well written and pulls you in and keeps you reading... up to a certain point.
For me, I was really intrigued, was immersed for a time, but ultimately couldn't get behind any of the romances. We've got sapphic enemies-to-lovers where they're enemies for a bit then somehow fall in love out of nowhere. The other romance doesn't have anything special either...
I guess I would have liked more lore, more fantasy, more politics (and this comes from someone who doesn"t read that much fantasy...), more sibling bonds.

Maybe I wasn't in the mood, maybe it wasn't for me, but this book just didn't do anything to surprise or make me care for the characters or the world enough to care about what could have been an epic fantasy story about bad ass warrior women. 

It's Heartstopper, of course I loved every second of it.
The mental health aspect is always so well done but it was also great to read more about Nick's insecurities too in this 5th volume. We see less of the gang in here but it still shows the importance of friendship and support.