Welcome to Litsy!

4.5/5⭐ These poems are so well crafted. The imagery & symbolism throughout this book is so powerful. Medusa & the poem about her 1st period blew me away.

I thought the resolution of the climax was a little too smooth given the tension that led up to it, but overall the tackling of growing up, religion, family, writing, duality, etc were wonderful. The author's narration in audio made Xiomara come alive. #projectnew #blackathon #contemporaryathon

2/5⭐ I appreciated what this book tried to do, but not how. The characters were annoying. Public library work is consistently described as boring & easy, which is aggravatingly false. Multiple times Alice's boss inappropriately crossed boundaries, none called out. Alice's family's horrible treatment of her is passed off as love.

I did like the exploration of asexuality and positive portrayal of therapy. #projectnew #blackathon #contemporaryathon

1/5⭐ This book reads more like an early draft. Stilted writing, tense changes, misspellings/wrong word endings, and a ton of repetition (see example in image). The concept is interesting, but the execution needs an editor. #blackathon #projectTBR #projectnew

1/5⭐ If there are any meaningful feminist themes like I expected given the praise for this book, they're completely buried in the muddled writing style. #projectnew

4/5⭐ This book is truly MAGICAL. Gorgeous writing I wanted to dive into. I adored the creative steampunk aspects. it's everything I want in a fairytale retelling. The story isn't terribly complex (some plot thread wrap-ups seemed thin), but the developing agency of the main character is done very well. I appreciated the exploration of friendship, love, & being true to your own dreams. #projectnew #TIABchallenge

1/5⭐ This book started out so well, and then it just...flatlined. The narrative bounced around a bunch of characters and became confusing. Nothing happened, either plot- or character-wise. A story basically retelling the real-life 1980s NYC drag scene should never be described as boring, but that's what happened. #projectnew

4/5⭐ Ooh, well I am intrigued. The pacing is perfect, including how new ideas/characters/traits are unveiled. The characters are compelling, the action engaging, the universe complex. Can't wait to continue with the next volume. #projectnew #TIABchallenge

3/5⭐ The social commentary aspects were very well done, especially against the backdrop of the Frankenstein themes. At times it seemed a little rushed and to gloss over things--I expected more nuance for the original monster, but that never materialized. I loved Josephine and her brilliance. #projectnew #TIABchallenge

1/5⭐ Sad I didn't enjoy b/c the hardbacks are so pretty. Many 1D POVs w/ no apparent purpose. Info overload w/o knowing what matters. Many long-winded passages. E.g.:
Alais: *dramatically insists on speaking w/ her father*
Father: What's wrong?
A: *silence*
F: Are you hurt?
A: ...
F: Do you need help?
A: ...
F: I can't help if you don't talk.
A: ...
If a scene drags at 1.8 audio speed, something's wrong w/ the pacing. #projectTBR #projectnew

3.5/5⭐ Loved the 1st half. The crafting of characters/setting was done so well. The presence of the ghosts was chilling & wonderful. Lost my way a bit in the 2nd half of the book. What little plot existed (not the point of the book, admittedly) seemed to fall off completely by the end. Some of this might have been amplified since I read the audio with no visuals for shifting scenes/timelines. Overall though a powerfully written book. #projectnew