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poisoned_icecream's reviews
1995 reviews
One Good Turn by Sarah Wallace
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Nell Birks wants to do honest work and learn to cast spells after living her entire life as a pickpocket, but when she prevents a wealthy man from being robbed, she is told to break into and steal from the home of a powerful spellcaster named Finlington. This leads her to becoming Finlington's pupil and assistant.
This is such a sweet fantasy novella about friendship. Nell is a very endearing character and I adored the friendship between her and Pip. It is also nice to read about an aromantic lesbian who is unapologetic about wanting sex without romance. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it is more telling than showing, but that to me is a minor issue and did not make me enjoy this less. I will definitely read more from this author.
This is such a sweet fantasy novella about friendship. Nell is a very endearing character and I adored the friendship between her and Pip. It is also nice to read about an aromantic lesbian who is unapologetic about wanting sex without romance. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it is more telling than showing, but that to me is a minor issue and did not make me enjoy this less. I will definitely read more from this author.
The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Darby was fired from the company he was working at in New York, so when he calls his mom and she tells him that she's moving to a condo, he decides to move back to Oak Falls to help with the move. He also reconnects with his childhood friend, who he hasn't spoken to in a really long time. When he enters an independent bookstore called In Between Books, he travels to 2009 and sees himself as a teen before he transitioned.
This is both a beautiful book but also so frustrating. Every time Darby and Michael interacted I wanted them to just talk to each other already. Miscommunication in books annoys me so much. When they finally talk and are friends again instead of just people who knew each other as teens, I was so relieved. I also very much enjoyed seeing chosen/found family in this book. If I ever read this again it'll be as an audiobook because at times it lost my attention.
This is both a beautiful book but also so frustrating. Every time Darby and Michael interacted I wanted them to just talk to each other already. Miscommunication in books annoys me so much. When they finally talk and are friends again instead of just people who knew each other as teens, I was so relieved. I also very much enjoyed seeing chosen/found family in this book. If I ever read this again it'll be as an audiobook because at times it lost my attention.
Bedside Manor by Jack Townsend
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Jack and his friend Jerry are on a road trip when their car breaks down. They go to a manor to ask for help and while they're there the hostess tells them they're going to play a game and to not break character. Things get bizarre and absurd as the game goes on.
This book is so funny, I was giggling at just about every moment. It has vibes of cozy mystery mixed with cosmic horror. Also the audiobook has sound effects, which made the listening experience more fun and immersive.
This book is so funny, I was giggling at just about every moment. It has vibes of cozy mystery mixed with cosmic horror. Also the audiobook has sound effects, which made the listening experience more fun and immersive.
Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I had a lot of fun with this comic. The cozy, bright, and soft illustrations mixed with murder, horror and bloodshed in a small town of anthropomorphized animals was perfect for me. :)
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
I really enjoyed this, but there were also moments in which I was bored. It has three protagonists who have superpowers. One is a marine biologist, another is a rapper, and the third is a soldier. It is up to them to bring the people of Lagos together with the aliens, with the help of the president and a reporter and other characters. There's many characters who appear in several chapters or just one chapter before they die. My favorite moment was when there was a road that eats people, and the Nigerian folklore was fun to read. Even if I didn't always like this I'd still recommend it to readers who enjoy science fiction and fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World by Antony Loewenstein
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
This is so depressing and infuriating, but also an essential book. Loewenstein does an excellent at explaining how Israel tests weapons and surveillance technology on Palestinians and then selling to dictator and fascist nations. I struggled reading this but it was definitely worth the effort.
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
This is the sequel to All Systems Red. Murderbot left its guardian (a gentler way of saying owner), and is pretending to be a human. It meets a system named ART. At first Murderbot distrusts ART but they eventually become friends. Murderbot wants and needs to find out about its past, and to get to a certain area ART convinces it to take on a temporary job as a security consultant. The interaction between Murderbot and ART was so much fun to read and the few action scenes were well-written. I really adore Murderbot and really excited to read more of this series. :)
My Lesbian Novel by Renee Gladman
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
This is such an interesting and insightful book that analyzes romance novels. It has the author being interviewed by an unnamed person and in between their conversations about writing stories, there is a sapphic romance unfolding. I am definitely going to read more from this author.
Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Clara has a difficult time controlling her magic. All of her spells cause accidents and put people in danger. She grew up with just her father, because her mother left soon after she was born. When she accidently places a curse on her father that causes flowers to grow from his chest, she turns to her childhood friend Xavier for help. He agrees to help on the condition that she give him her magic after her father is healed.
At times I struggled to read this and almost decided to dnf but I'm glad I read to the end. It is very slow and some scenes that deal with substance abuse can be hard to read. I like that magic in this book serves as a metaphor for mental health and mental illness. Also the fact that being queer is considered a normal thing in this was nice to read. This is a pretty cottagecore fantasy romance book. :)
At times I struggled to read this and almost decided to dnf but I'm glad I read to the end. It is very slow and some scenes that deal with substance abuse can be hard to read. I like that magic in this book serves as a metaphor for mental health and mental illness. Also the fact that being queer is considered a normal thing in this was nice to read. This is a pretty cottagecore fantasy romance book. :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, and Mental illness
Thunderbird: Book One by Sonia Nimr
adventurous
emotional
fast-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
This is a fun middle grade fantasy book about a Palestinian girl named Noor who is chosen to save the world. With a ring left to her by her father she will travel through time to collect the feather of a phoenix before it goes up in flames. She has the help of a djinn and other friends. There is a lot of heart and compassion in this book and I am excited to read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation