LGBT

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

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Rating: 4/5

The Darkness Outside Us tells the story of Ambrose and Kodiak, two sworn enemies having to stick their dislike and animosity towards each other aside if they want to survive. Ambrose, was sent into space to find answers of what happened to his sister, Minerva was the first human sent to colonize Saturn’s moon. The two men must put their differences aside and work together to find answers while also uncovering dark secrets behind their mission.

Wow! What a delightful, entertaining, and interesting book! There is so much that I loved about it and I didn’t even intend on reading it and I’m glad that I picked it up. The two leads, Ambrose and Kodiak stole my heart with their banter and I love their contrasting personalities and felt like they were very developed and easy to empathize with. Kodiak was closed off while Ambrose was open and warm and the more the two men are around each other, the closer they become. The romance was well done, I didn’t feel like it was rushed or lacking any development and it felt right. The story and the pacing was incredibly beautifully written and I felt invested to the end. It was a really entertaining and heartfelt story about two people realizing that they aren’t that different than they thought.

The book is actually marketed wrong in my opinion. It’s more adult sci-fi than young adult so a lot of people are missing out on this fantastic book! Even if you don’t like sci-fi, I feel like you would still enjoy the book because of the other aspects of it. Sci-Fi is my go to genre but it’s becoming more of a genre that I read more and more.

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

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Rating: 4/5

“That’s the beautiful thing about the universe. It puts you through trials, but it never gives you anything you can’t handle. We grow from these things.” 

Ollie thinks he’s found his perfect match in Will Tavares, he’s fun, affectionate, and kind and Ollie can’t wait to continue the romance after summer ends. There’s just one problem, Will stops texting Ollie as soon as break is over and Ollie is crushed. Add insult to injury, Ollie finds himself moving across country due to a family emergency and Ollie is less crushed when he finds out he’ll be going to the same school as Will. But, Ollie soon sees a very different Will and not someone he wants to be around especially when Will goes from hot to cold every other week. But just as much as Ollie doesn’t want anything to do with him, Will starts showing up in Ollie’s life a bit more than Ollie wants. Ollie wants to keep his resolve up and not fall back into Will’s hands but it starts to become harder and harder.

A bit of a slow start but nonetheless a pretty good read. I did find it a little short and would’ve liked to read more about Ollie and Will. At first, I wasn’t sure if the romance would work because they seemed to different and I didn’t see the attraction at first but the more I got into the book, the more I liked their relationship. This is my second read by Sophie Gonzales, I read Perfect on Paper in June and really liked it so I decided to check this one out. A fun and easy read with a cute plot with interesting characters.

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anne-Marie McLemore

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Rating: 4/5

“And it’s not the perfect moment. It’s not even one of the six movie moments we’ve had in the past week. But it’s the moment. It’s our moment. Something in me just knows.”

The Miss Meteor pageant hasn’t any a winner like Chicky Quintanilla and Lita Perez in all it’s history. But that’s not why Lita and Chicky want to enter the competition as Miss Meteor isn’t about being perfect but sharing who you are to the world and loving the parts of yourself. So to pull off the biggest underdog in Miss Meteor’s pageant history Lita and her ex-best friend Chicky are going to try and put the past behind them and imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough, they are everything.

I love a good underdog story and this book was a real treat. Anne-Marie McLemore is one of my favorite authors so when I saw this book on goodreads, I decided to check it out. It was such a fun, witty, heartfelt, endearing story with magical elements that kept you glued to the page. While it took awhile to get used to the writing style as I’m used to McLemore’s flowery style but there’s a lot more to focus on than that. Miss Meteor is a story of self-empowerment and stepping into yourself accepting your imperfections and owning who you are. I think that was my favorite aspect of the story with the characters reclaiming what they were shamed for and it’s so relevant especially in today’s world.

The dynamics between Lita and Chicky were great, I enjoyed reading about their friendship and with what happened in the past I hoped they would find their back to each other. Not only do they have a great bond but their friendship felt very real and I enjoyed it. I would also say that for the rest of the characters throughout the book as there was a lot of love from sisters, families, and other characters that was very heartwarming and wonderful to see.

Overall, a very endearing story about self-empowerment and being proud of you are flaws and all.

This Poison Heart by Kaylnn Bayron

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Rating: 3/5

Brisesis has a strange yet fascinating gift where she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. But, when her aunt dies and gives her dilapidated estate to Bri and her parents decide to leave rural Brooklyn for the summer in hopes that Bri can hone her magically gift in the open space that surrounds her aunt’s estate. At first, things are perfect but looks can be deceiving and Bri and her family don’t have any idea of what sinister awaits for them. Soon, strangers start coming to the door wanting elixer’s and when Bri learns that she can make them, she decides to use her talent and things couldn’t be better. Until, Bri meets a woman named Maria and the two become friends until Bri finds out that Maria is keeping secrets of her own and soon Bri finds herself with more than she bargained for and she must not only save herself but her family.

This is the second book that I’ve read from Bayron and I actually prefer Cinderella is Dead to this one because the pacing for this book was awful imo. The character didn’t even arrive in the setting until 25% into the book and while there parts where I felt like things were picking up, the poor pacing continued throughout the book and it made me a bit disappointed. Briesis is very relatable character and I do think she was well-written and I liked her personality but I just felt like the pacing of the book really impacted my enjoyment of it. Another part that irked me a bit was the immortal love interested who was in the body of a seventeen year old. The main character, Breisis is barely seventeen yet her love interest some hundred years her senior? That might not bother some people but that felt weird to me.

But, there a few things that I enjoyed and in particular the relationship between Bri and her mother, I felt like it was a very well written and there is so much love between the two of them and that’s always nice to see. I also enjoyed learning about the magic system and I thought that it was explained very well and made it interesting. I wish I could’ve enjoyed this book as much as others did but I couldn’t due to the issues that I mentioned but if you feel like this sounds up your alley, check it out for yourself!

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

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TW: Abuse, Violence, Accidents, Loss of loved ones etc.

Rating: 4/5

“You can bargain with anybody, spirit or human. All you need to know is what do they want and what are they scared of. That’s all.” 

Black Water Sister follows the story of Jessaymn, a young woman who is moving back to the Malaysia, her childhood home where the past that she left behind comes back in a way that she didn’t expect. When she arrives back, Jess begins to hear voices and at first she chalks it up to stress but then she comes to realize that the voices hears is that of her estranged grandmother, Ah-Ma. In life, she was a spirit medium, the avatar of mysterious deity Black Water Sister and now she’s decided that Jess is gonna help her settle the score with a gang leader who offended the god. On the journey, Jess is thrown into a world of gods, ghosts, and family secrets, she finds that making deals with spirits is a dangerous game and she may not make it out alive.

What a compelling read! Not only did I enjoy the characters, the storyline, and the dynamics within the world that Cho created, but I really enjoyed learning about the culture. I laughed, cried, and didn’t want the book to end but sadly it did. This is the first book that I’ve read from Zen Cho and I will definitely be checking out more by her because of her writing and how she gives a beautiful backdrop into the south east asia culture. I learned quite a bit while following Jess on her journey and what witty, sassy, fun, and sarcastic protagonist. Jess was an absolute delight and I loved learning more about her and seeing her grow in this journey. One that is about self-discovery and not only figuring her place in the world but feeling secure with her identity and taking command of that narrative.

The supernatural elements were great, I really enjoyed Cho weaving that into the story and it really added more to the story. I don’t mind gore or horror but it can be a lot for others that something to think about as there are a few scenes that a bit graphic but for the most part, it was more haunting than anything.

This was such a fun, mysterious, haunting, and enthralling read so if you’re looking for an enjoyable urban fantasy with a witty, fun-loving, and relatable character while being spooked and entertained with Cho’s storytelling then this is it!

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

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Rating: 4/5

“It is not your fault,” she said gently. “Greed and hurt drive people to do horrible things.” 

Cemetery Boys follows a young latinx boy, Yadriel who is striving prove himself as a a young sorcerer not only to himself but to his family who aren’t as accepting or supportive as he wants them to be. He enlists the help of his best friend, Maritza and his cousin, he sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set him free. The only problem is, he summons Julian Diaz, the school’s notorious bad boy and he’s not going to go without putting up a fight. Julian and Yadriel end up making a deal so the two can get what they want but the more time Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

I wanted to read this book for last month’s readathon but I got around to it a bit late and didn’t finish it on time. I’d heard lots of good things and I am a fan of Aiden Thomas, I do enjoy the representation that he puts in his novels and he is a great writer. While I felt like the worldbuilding and writing could use improvement, this was a fun book with great representation and diversity. The characters were interesting and well written and I did love reading about Yadriel’s perspective and their journey. I would’ve liked to see more developed with the magic system as that was intriguing but I felt like it needed to develop a little more to fully understand it. 

Overall, a good with with great LGBT + Latinx representation! 

Tomorrow Will Be Better by Sarah McBride

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Rating: 5/5

“Hope can be limitless. Inspiration can always be found. Ideas are endless. But time, t“Each of us has a deep and profound desire to be seen, to be acknowledged, and to be respected in our totality. There is a unique kind of pain in being unseen. It’s a pain that cuts deep by diminishing and disempowering, and whether done intentionally or unintentionally, it’s an experience that leaves real scars.” 

Tomorrow Will Be Different tells the story of Sarah McBride and their journey of loss, heartbreak, love, acceptance with their identity and their fight for the trans community. In 2016, McBride made history with being the first transgender to speak at the Democratic National Convention. McBride’s mission of being an advocate for the community has launched them into the spotlight as a relentless fighter who just wants equality for the transgender community.

“Hope can be limitless. Inspiration can always be found. Ideas are endless. But time, that is the one resource that none of us can afford to waste.” 

But, before all this, McBride was a teenager struggling with her identity. McBride’s raw honesty and emotional depth share her personal struggles of how they came to fully accept herself and found her way as a woman. Her story has inspired millions and she not only found her calling but created a platform for herself and others to speak their truth.

“None of us know how long we have, but we do have a choice in whether we love or hate. And every day that we rob people of the ability to live their lives to the fullest, we are undermining the most precious gift we are given as humans. 

Memoirs aren’t usually my thing but I wanted to find a book for the Goodreads Bingo that happens every month and I stumbled upon McBride’s memoir. Safe to say that I was absolutely blown away by her story and the ups and downs that had occurred in her life. The way she writes is simple but has a rawness to it that keeps you hooked to the page. Not only was this a painful yet beautiful memoir but it really shows how much work there is still to do regarding the transgender community ensuring that they have the same rights as others. There were a lot of emotions felt throughout the book and I couldn’t put it down.

“Having certain privileges does not mean that your life is easy or that you do not face challenges. It just means that you don’t experience specific kinds of obstacles or barriers faced by someone with a different identity or background. And our empathy should require us to acknowledge the plight of others in both its similarities to ours and in its differences.” 

One of the things that I loved about the book and how McBride emphasizes her own privileges while discussing intersectionality. She is able to be honest and open with readers with those issues and I found that incredibly well done and powerful. This book moved me and I would definitely recommend it others especially if they are wanting to understand the struggles and issues that the transgender community faces with their fight to equality.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kaylnn Bayron

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Rating: 3.5/5

“Do not be silent. Raise your voice. Be a light in the dark.”

Cinderella Is Dead is a retelling of an old class but this time there’s a twist. 200 years have passed and the fairy tale is over and now teen girls are required to attend the ball in hopes of finding a suitable match and if they don’t get one, the girls are never heard from again. One such girl, Sophia would rather marry her best friend, Erin than attend a ball in hopes of finding prince charming or paying the price for not being suitable as a wife. But, like the girls Sophia doesn’t have a choice and while she’s at the ball, she befriends Constance, the last known decedent of Cinderella and her sisters. Together, they plan to bring down the King forever and while in the process, they learn more about Cinderella’s story than they ever knew.

“It’s risky…But sometimes that’s the only way to get things done. Take the risk, light the fuse. Onward.” 

I absolutely loved retellings so I was really excited to finally get this in my hands and read. The premise of the book was very intriguing and I did like how it was written, the prose was sharp, interesting, and engaging. The beginning of the book was great, fun, and I loved how the first few chapters showed the harsh, cruel, and patriarchal world that young woman have to strive to survive without fear or judgement of being who they want to be. The characters were great, I liked Sophia and Constance and I found their relationship interesting and Sophia was a relatable character with not wanting to conform to what society wanted her to be.

“You weren’t selfish. You saw a future for yourself that she couldn’t imagine. You wanted her to believe that the two of you could find a way through all this. That’s what happens when you care about someone. And when you’re brave enough to imagine a different life.” 

But, the second latter of the book fell flat for me and I hate to say that. There were parts that didn’t make sense and I found some plot holes and the worldbuilding wasn’t as good as it was the first part. This is a very cute retelling but there was a lot in the second part that made me not enjoy it as much as I wanted.

But, if you’re looking for a twist on an old classic then you should give it a try! Who knows you may end up liking it!

The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz

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Rating: 4/5

“It wasn’t an endless future, and it wasn’t one with a clearly defined goal, but maybe that was what living actually felt like.” 

The Cybernetic Tea Shop is told from two points of view, one of them is Clara, who is the main protagonist and the other is by a robot, Sal. Clara is an AI tech and moves to a new town and starts frequenting a tea shop where she meets Sal. Clara is very intrigued by Sal and the two end up helping each other in many different ways.

“Home was here, but here was gone, and home was nowhere.”

What a cute novella! I normally don’t read novellas but I saw chatter and good things about in the goodreads discord server and decided to check it out. Not only did I love it but the main character is asexual and that made me very happy because there are times where it’s hard finding good rep. I loved Sal and Clara’s relationship, it was very well written and developed in a way that didn’t feel rushed. It was endearing, sweet, and realistic and I love seeing the way that it developed throughout the story.

If you’re looking for a fun, cute, and short story then this is right up your alley!