Scan barcode
neuroqueer's reviews
375 reviews
M Is for Monster by Talia Dutton
Thoughts:
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Quick takeaways:
Protagonist(s): Interesting
Antagonist(s): Grief
Plot: Good
Overall: A-
Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this. It is a good graphic novel with themes of grief, self-discovery and family. Quick read for a little hit in the feels.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Quick takeaways:
Protagonist(s): Interchangeable
Antagonist(s): Circumstances
Plot: Confusing yet not?
Writing: Flowery
Overall: C+
Thoughts:
I liked the idea behind this a lot (two time-traveling and reality shifting operatives for rival organizations try to one up each other and in the process fall in love) but the writing was not my line. I got lost sometimes but liked the plot when I understood what is going on. If you like people professing their love in overwrought sentences, this is for you.
Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Quick takeaways:
Protagonist(s): Passable
Antagonist(s): The Patriarchy?
Plot: Potential Here
Writing: Good
Overall: C+
Thoughts:
Nuns living on a living ship in space, spreading the word and helping those in need. Interesting idea.
The book has lots of intrigue in the beginning. A few of the nuns’ backstories are given as each character conducts their role on the ship. There’s decent world building for a short story. The beginning felt very slow but then turned into a rushed ending. The writing is great but I left it feeling nothing. I didn’t care what happened to anyone in the story. The only character name I remember after a few days is Faustina but I think that’s just because of the name.
My favorite sci-fi series (and probably the only one) is Martha Well’s Murderbot series. It was well done enough that I want to pick up more sci-fi. I think if I started with this one first, I wouldn’t continue. It’s not a bad book by any means but it’s not amazing. The premise is amazing but the execution isn’t. I don’t think this is a gateway book for sci-fi. I think this is a good book for sci-fi fans who want a quick read.
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Quick takeaways:
Protagonist(s): Charming
Antagonist(s): Not important
Plot: Good
Writing: Great
Overall: A-
Thoughts:
Here we go again with another romp with Chih and neixin Almost Brilliant! You don’t need to read the previous books to read this one. You just need to know that Chih is a travelling cleric that gathers stories to chronicle for their monastery. Each novella chronicles their journey. This story is as short and satisfying as the previous ones. It’s a quick read with colorful characters. It’s amazing how Nghi Vo ties two related stories so seamlessly in under 100 pages.
All Dogs Have ADHD by Kathy Hoopmann
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
Overall: B-
Thoughts: Cute little book for kids about ADHD. Very simple explanations explaining behavior and how it should be looked at/handled. The use of dogs was a good idea (and they were all extremely cute). It includes a list of every type of dogs so kids can learn about breeds too.
Witchblood Vol. 1: The Hounds of Love by Matthew Erman
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Quick takeaways:
Protagonist(s): “Quirky” witch
Antagonist(s): “Quirky” vampire
Plot: Save the world
Overall: C+
Thoughts:
Plot idea: Hero who doesn’t want to save the world is forced to save the world. Not an unusual plot idea in media.
Plot idea for this book: Quirky witch who is actually super powerful doesn’t want to save the world is forced to save the world from quirky cowboy vampire who wants to be a God. Interesting spin on that but I could not get into it.
The art is nice. The original artist worked on the modern witch tarot deck which is a nice looking deck so I knew what art I was going to see here. There are some really unique character designs here.
I liked the explanation of the origin of vampires and witches.
Off the bat though, I did not like the hero Yonna. I started the book not liking her and ended the book not really changing my opinion.
I’m not sure why though?
Maybe it’s because I disliked that she caused problems and never really owned up to them.
Maybe it’s because she came across as ungrateful.
Maybe it’s because she felt quirky for the sake of feeling quirky? And even then it was not quirky enough.
Maybe it’s because in situations like these, the hero not wanting to be involved usually is justified for some reason. Didn’t feel that way for Yonna. Leads do not have to be goody two-shoes and want to save everyone because of their chaotic good alignment. It’s actually more interesting if there is some hesitance about jumping into perilous situations while being morally ambiguous. I just don’t think it was executed well here.
The other characters looked nice but they weren’t especially interesting. I pretty much forgot most of their names already.
It also didn’t help that the story felt very rushed. I’m guessing the creators only had X amount of issues to get the story done. I think if it was expanded to more than 10ish issues it would have been better.
Overall, I see the potential but I just didn’t gel with it.
The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook, 3rd edition: The Ultimate Guide to the Most Effective Diets -- What they are - Why they work - How to do them by Pamela Compart, Dana Laake
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
Strike the Zither by Joan He
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Quick takeaways:
Protagonist(s): Good
Antagonist(s): Range from subtle and interesting to obvious and plot device
Plot: Three Kingdoms based so intriguing
Writing: Good
Overall: B
Thoughts:
Did anyone else play Dynasty Warriors when they were young?
That’s how I first got exposed to the Three Kingdoms story. I’m a sucker for legends and fighting and I did go down the rabbit hole of learning more about the real life counterparts to these video game characters (I love Zhen Ji in game but she was so screwed over IRL). So, I have a surface knowledge of the Three Kingdoms.
Since this book takes from the Three Kingdoms, at times it is as exciting, action packed and subterfuge-filled as the original story. A lot of the characters are switched from male to female (eg. Zephyr, our lead, represents Zhuge Liang). The world felt like gender didn’t matter which was great. I did like Zephyr. She was worked in realism, not idealism. In regards to other characters, Miasma(representing Cao Cao), Crow(representing Zhou Yu) and Cicada (representing Sun Quan?) were interesting and felt like they did have some layers. Everyone else was fine but not notable. I think weakest character was Ren (representing Liu Bei). It felt like everyone said she was a great leader but I didn’t really see that enough in terms of her actions. It’s possible it is because we don’t spend a lot of time with her. However, if Zephyr’s core goal is to help Ren, I want to see what makes Ren so special.
Sometimes, it felt slow but picked up after a while.
I didn’t get why Crow liked Zephyr so much instantly at first. After finishing and thinking, I realized it was more respect than an instalove thing. He knew of her prowess beforehand and his respect grew as he got to know her. There is some bubbling romance there but not instalove which I’m grateful for.
The biggest change is when we go to stanza 1 to stanza 2 of the book (part 1 to part 2). I don’t want to give away spoilers but it really jumped the shark for me at first. It DOES work in that Zephyr had to balance even more secrets while trying to achieve her goals. However, it took a while for me to accept it. The twist can even been seen as convenient or maybe a deus ex machina for possible upcoming situations. I feel that it also takes away from Zephry and her abilities a bit.
It took me a bit to get into the book but I did like it. I wasn’t wowed but it is good. I will keep an eye out for the sequel.
De døde ser deg by Alexander Løken
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
I was reading this while studying Norwegian but I have to drop Norwegian and I'm rusty. I will go back to this when I go back to my language studies.
Afrotistic by Kala Allen Omeiza
Did not finish book. Stopped at 56%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 56%.
I think this is a good book for young autistic people and I resonated with the lead (I went through similar thoughts and feelings when I was young and undiagnosed). I’m just not interested.