cielosiluminado's reviews
326 reviews

Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this book absolutely destroyed me… in the best way possible. i need to lay down and stare at the ceiling for a while.

i can definitely see myself going back and rereading this masterpiece and discovering something new.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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dark reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

i couldn’t put this down because it was such a hot fucking mess and my mind kept exploding that i loved every second
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

2.5

mmmm i don’t know how i feel about this. i just didn’t click with this.
Epic by Elle Kennedy, Sarina Bowen

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

this was so cute???? such a cute send off to these beloved characters <3
Us by Elle Kennedy, Sarina Bowen

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.5

this was so much better than the first book. i didn’t expect wes and jamie it to turn out that way. loved seeing them having grown so much as individuals and as a couple.
Circe by Madeline Miller

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adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

the ending… *chefs kiss*
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century by Alice Wong

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emotional informative relaxing medium-paced

5.0

everyone should read this incredible, eye-opening, and brilliant collection of essays by disabled authors.

my favorite essay was definitely ‘how to make a paper crane from rage’ by elsa sjunneson.

I am a disabled woman. I have learned to suppress, to fold, to disappear. When I fold down my rage, I fold down myself. I make myself smaller, prettier, easier to consume.

But I am not easy to consume … And I am angry at the world.

I am angry because I live in a world that does not see me as capable. I am angry because I live in a world where I am expected to keep up or sit down...

I am angry because this world? It wants me to sit back and let someone else take the wheel, and I've never been that kind of girl.

i, myself, am a disabled woman and i had never read something so powerful as that essay describing disabled rage. i had never read anything that had resonated with me as much as that moving writing.

this should definitely be one of those books, anthologies, that every reads at least once in their life. i can see myself returning to this book in the future. it was beautiful.

note to self, i guess? at first i listened to the audiobook and then realized that there were like 2 extra essays that were in the book that weren’t included in the audio for some reason so i switched to reading the book itself.
Him by Elle Kennedy, Sarina Bowen

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

i really adored jamie and wes tbh. how they became a couple was fascinating to watch unfold lowkey. don’t get me wrong, the plot wasn’t bad at all and all the characters were compelling but wow these female authors should’ve probably taken a second thought about writing some of the derogatory language they used in this book. definitely a product of its time.
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft

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adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

i had such a fun time reading this book. i’ll be honest that i got this book because i liked the cover. and i was pleasantly surprised to discover it was a murder mystery with an adventure! the characters were so complex and all had their own flaws. i loved sylvia so much. she was so interesting as a character who maintains a sense of idealism and romanticism despite all the atrocities she lived through. my favorite character was lorelei though. she is a perfect example of a morally grey character. i’m so glad we got to see how much her character developed throughout the story. the plot was also captivating but i do wish there had been more world building. the book sort of starts right in the middle of another story and you unravel the mystery through there.
How to Tell When We Will Die: On Pain, Disability, and Doom by Johanna Hedva

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

this was such a unique perspective. i really enjoyed some essays, particularly sick woman theory but some of the others completely lost me. that being said, it was still worthwhile listen because it inspired a ton of introspection and thinking about things in new ways and has given me some ideas to think about to improve my own disabled life.