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teeclecticreads's reviews
277 reviews
Winnie Nash is Not Your Sunshine by Nicole Melleby
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Even though this is a story that was told from the perspective of a 12-year-old, I feel like anyone from any age can learn so much from this beautifully honest novel. I was so moved throughout the whole book to see how Winnie as struggling to cope with her mom’s current pregnancy given that she had depression from her previous miscarriage. Not being able to talk about this with her grandma who she was staying with for the summer, along with her queer identity was so much to bottle up (as it would be for anyone).
I couldn’t help but tear up because I was filled with all the emotions that Winnie was feeling – the anxiety, the worry, the anger, the feeling of abandonment, and the desperation to hold on to the good. However, the friendship, support, and community she did experience was just as touching to experience with her. I’m so grateful that I was able to read this arc And I hope that it touches everyone who is able to read it just as it touched me.
I couldn’t help but tear up because I was filled with all the emotions that Winnie was feeling – the anxiety, the worry, the anger, the feeling of abandonment, and the desperation to hold on to the good. However, the friendship, support, and community she did experience was just as touching to experience with her. I’m so grateful that I was able to read this arc And I hope that it touches everyone who is able to read it just as it touched me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Talia has become an auto-buy author for me.
“Get a Life, Chloe Brown” gave me everything I love in a romcom and more. I got fun banter, I got diverse characters and I got important, sensitive topics being discussed with such care and realness. Crohn’s and Fibromyalgia are different but I related a lot to some of the symptoms that Chloe experienced. I fell for all the characters’ personalities and the pacing of the story felt so natural and real. I think this is the first time I didn’t even mind a third-act breakup because of how well it was written and how reasonable it felt to the storyline.
I’m so grateful for stories like these with disability representation that show that people who are disabled deserve to and can be loved like everyone else. It’s something I needed especially right now as I experience difficult days in the hospital because of my own disability. Even though I may feel like it sometimes, I’m not a burden, I’m not a setback and yes my chronic illness may cause challenges but I deserve a fun, fulfilling life.
“Get a Life, Chloe Brown” gave me everything I love in a romcom and more. I got fun banter, I got diverse characters and I got important, sensitive topics being discussed with such care and realness. Crohn’s and Fibromyalgia are different but I related a lot to some of the symptoms that Chloe experienced. I fell for all the characters’ personalities and the pacing of the story felt so natural and real. I think this is the first time I didn’t even mind a third-act breakup because of how well it was written and how reasonable it felt to the storyline.
I’m so grateful for stories like these with disability representation that show that people who are disabled deserve to and can be loved like everyone else. It’s something I needed especially right now as I experience difficult days in the hospital because of my own disability. Even though I may feel like it sometimes, I’m not a burden, I’m not a setback and yes my chronic illness may cause challenges but I deserve a fun, fulfilling life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
End Game by Michaela Jean Taylor
challenging
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Blood
Written in Ice by Cali Melle
3.5
I’m grateful to Cali Melle for choosing me to be an ARC reviewer. I really enjoyed the plotline because it was something that I’ve never seen in a sports romance before and I thought that the pacing was good. However, I did not feel a connection between the MCs and it felt like their relationship was just one of lust, not love. Even at the end, I thought that there could have been a little more substance to their romance. Overall, it was just okay.
Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Gosh this was good! When I finally got to read the book without distractions I ended up finishing it in one whole day. It was giving me serious Squid Games/Hunger Games meets Bridgerton vibes. I must admit that the pacing was too slow in the beginning and there was a lot of talking in riddles until we got to the action. Adina was also annoying me a lot with all the terrible decisions she was making, but I enjoyed her determination to succeed. The juiciness of the plot and the ending made up for all of that though. I just love that it also highlighted a serious issue that minority groups, especially black people, face where we try to work twice as hard in a world with an uneven playing field just to get a chance at making a better life for ourselves. Definitely a fav read of the year so far.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw by Eddie Ndopu
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
Eddie is such a great storyteller and truly immersed me into his world through this audiobook. I was able to learn so much about the experiences of wheelchair users (as I am also disabled but I am ambulatory) There were a couple things that I could relate to with my own life and I found myself getting angry at the way that he was treated; knowing what it feels like personally. He endured so much in trying to get tertiary education at Oxford University, and I'm very glad he was able to overcome while also finding humour to sprinkle throughout the retelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Abandonment