Idlewild, is such a perfect recipe for disaster. Take a bunch of under parented queer kids that are too smart for their own good, put them into an environment where they face no real consequences, and give them a lack of support. As I was finishing the book, I kept asking myself to a moment where it all went wrong, and I couldn't think of one. This was a death by a thousand cuts. I recall a point in the book when I turned my partner and said: "I sort of hate both of the main characters, but also feel incredibly sorry for them." As I finished the novel I felt like N would have had a better time at school without F, but I do not think that F would have averted her fate, not without a more positive influence in her life. This book was a whole ass vibe, and if you are a queer kid who grew up in a weird ass private school your life, this book will ring some long forgotten bells.
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that_witch_upstairs finished reading Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas
Content warning Vague spoilers for the book
that_witch_upstairs finished reading I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya
A trans artist explores how masculinity was imposed on her as a boy and continues …
A short but incredibly impactful read.
As someone who grew up an immigrant and queer, I found the themes in this book very relatable to my own upbringing. From being the outcast, to being told that I needed to be more manly and trying to copy men to "do it right" ultimately failing. The people in my life all to eager to erase elements of my queerdom, my womanhood, to suppress it in favor of the cis heteronormativity that guides their life. I'm Afraid of Men is a must ready for any intersectional feminist.
that_witch_upstairs finished reading Fire and Song : Warformed by Bryce O'Connor
The Iron Prince will claim his crown.
Reidon Ward’s first semester at the Galens Institute …
Really built off the first book, we see the gang come together, and Reidon really be challenged in multiple aspects. While I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one, it was still really good and I am looking forward to the third one.
that_witch_upstairs finished reading Iron Prince (Warformed: Stormweaver #1) by Bryce O'Connor
Was a really fun read, and using a military academy as a stand in for a sect was also really well done. Started book two as soon as I finished book one.
that_witch_upstairs rated The Barrow Will Send What It May: 5 stars
The Barrow Will Send What It May by Margaret Killjoy (Danielle Cain, #2)
Margaret Killjoy's Danielle Cain series is a dropkick-in-the-mouth anarcho-punk fantasy that pits traveling anarchist Danielle Cain against eternal spirits, hypocritical …
that_witch_upstairs reviewed Men in the Shadows by Jason C. Roberts
Review of 'Men in the Shadows' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
Read the book earlier this year.
The book really felt as if it was setting up for more to come, and is making me excited to see how things play out. The cast of characters was greatly expanded upon, and it was nice to see the clearly overpowered main character struggle.
For things I did not like. It is possible to build a world with power struggles and not have any sexual predators in it. Especially when the main character's first stages of puberty are detailed in the novel.
I think there are a lot of good ideas in this book that are worth a lot of merit, but a few scenes really made me sit back and go "Yeah I do not see why that would be needed."
Review of 'Reborn - A Cultivation LitRPG Series' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
For a first book in a series I was hooked, the way the world system works really well, and it employ the political aspects well very well, getting me to think about the political implication of everything as well. The world building is where I thought this was lacking a bit, as I still have many questions on how this works and how humanity lives with the creatures of this world. As they seem to either have little intelligence or some, or just be fully sentient beings with their own political power struggles.
Overall a pleasant read and made me look forward to book two.
that_witch_upstairs rated The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas: 5 stars
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin
Some inhabitants of a peaceful kingdom cannot tolerate the act of cruelty that underlies its happiness.
that_witch_upstairs rated The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion: 4 stars
The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy (Danielle Cain, #1)
The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy pits utopian anarchists against rogue demon deer in this dropkick-in-the-mouth punk …
that_witch_upstairs rated The Third Person: 4 stars
that_witch_upstairs rated Light From Uncommon Stars: 4 stars
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in this defiantly joyful adventure set in California's San …
that_witch_upstairs rated Iron Widow: 4 stars
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (Iron Widow #1)
Science fiction and East Asian myth combine in this dazzling retelling of the rise of Wu Zetian, the only female …
that_witch_upstairs rated Patience & Esther: 4 stars
Patience & Esther by S. W. Searle
Patience is a kindhearted country girl, eking out a living in Edwardian England as tremors of social change rock the …
