I Kill Giants
cw: homophobic slurs, parental death
It took me a really long time to pick this one up, but I’m glad I did. It’s a really interesting story that ends up packing more of an emotional punch than you expect it to. It’s also quite a quick read and a standalone, so you don’t have to worry about new books coming out. I really disliked the main character throughout most of the book, but I believe that was the intent of the author. Be prepared for a lot of “I’m not like other girls” nonsense, as well as violence and verbal abuse. If you think you can handle all that, I definitely recommend picking this one up.
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐
Eden
cw: transphobia, kidnapping, underage drinking, drug use
disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for review consideration. All of the opinions presented below are my own.
I requested this from NetGalley mostly on a whim and ended up being pleasantly surprised. What I liked most about it was probably that it followed the aftermath of the sisters’ kidnapping rather than focusing on the kidnapping itself. It was more of a study on how trauma impacts individuals as they age, as well as the role that relationships with others play in our lives.
“I own the ground, but not the water,” she said. “Isn’t that something?”
The main character is a queer woman (I believe she’s a lesbian, but never drops a definitive ID) and it’s nice that it’s just sort of a fact rather than a plot point. My one issue was the way she referred to another character: as “maybe trans” and later as another character’s “girlfriend/boyfriend.” It didn’t really feel like a respectful way to portray them and rubbed me the wrong way, although I’m a cis woman and can’t speak fully to the representation.
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins
There isn’t a lot to say about this one for me. It was cute, I enjoyed the art. It was fun seeing the THB come to life. I thought the way they incorporated Griffin the DM was interesting, but it didn’t work super well for me. I’ll be interested to see how people who didn’t listen to the podcast like it, since I have an inkling I wouldn’t have really enjoyed it without the background I had. It felt a little rushed to me and I had a hard time connecting to the characters, which was wild since I had already connected to them. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t anything groundbreaking for me.
Rating:⭐⭐⭐.5
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(All covers courtesy of Goodreads.)
Sarah Ames-Foley 