Scan barcode
fanboyriot's reviews
853 reviews
The Golden Shears by D.S. Murphy
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Not going to lie, I didn’t like this book, it was even worse than the first one. I feel like the plot could be good, the adventure was nice but I hated the characters and the authors take on the Greek gods and goddesses. Again the main character is insufferable. The lines of dialogue are extremely childish and overall I hated the writing style of this. Like the line: “Lots of chocolate. And some male companionship, for making out in the dark and stuff. If only we knew any boys.” ( - Chapter four, pages 39 and 40) like why? This was so random with everything that was going on at the time and making out with boys was what you were thinking about… not to mention the wording “male companionship” just sounds disgusting.
Spice Level: 🌶️ (1/5)
Angst Level: n/a
POV: First Person
Release Date: 20, February 2018
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson
emotional
sad
slow-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
2.0
♡ Angst
♡ Lots of Backstories
♡ Multiple Point of Views
My thoughts with this book have been “huh?” and “what is even happening?” I was so confused with so much of this book. The plot only made sense near the last 80% as things tied together but up until then it was a cluster of confusing and random backstories.
The switching point of views was a bit annoying, for the most part it was third person point of view for Miles and Dizzy, first person point of view for Cassidy mostly, and a bit of second for Wynton. I liked that it had multiple point of views I just wish they were all in third person point of view or even first person point of view. The letters/notes were kinda confusing at first but I got used to them later on. The characters themselves were okay. They had depth and a backstory but I didn’t really find them all that likable.
Dizzy was so random at times as if the author wanted to make her seem younger than she was or something. She was so frustrating to read. And all the mentions about her lack of sexual experience was weird for her age in my opinion. Miles was okay. He clearly had a bit more trauma and things to work through but at the end of the day he was also frustrating to read just a bit less than Dizzy. Cassidy was the only one I even remotely liked, I could have honestly read a book about her on her own and all the adventures her and her mom went on. Her growing up and working through all of the trauma and grief pushed onto her at a young age. Wynton was just kinda there. I didn’t care either way for him. His character didn’t really add anything to the story in my opinion other than when he was in a coma.
The ending was also kinda meh. I was expecting a bit more after so much build up. Nonetheless, thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Spice Level: n/a
Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧💧💧💧 (4/5)
POV: Multiple, Third Person, First Person, and Second Person (kinda)
Release Date: 24, September 2024
Rep: Synesthesia (Main Character), Bisexual (Side Character), Gay (Main Character)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
Moderate: Mental illness and Grief
Minor: Cursing and Car accident
The Institute by Stephen King
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
♡ Small Town
♡ Toxic Institute
♡ The Kid Saves the Day
While I don’t care for a lot of Stephen Kings books, I think I might have finally found the exception. This book was really good. The details in this book weren’t overwhelmingly unnecessary but rather well written into the plot, the backstory and setting. While there were a few parts I didn’t care for like the mentions of a thermometer, dude, they are children why was that necessary to write like that and then joke about later one in the book? It was just an ick about the book.
There were more things I enjoyed about this book than things I disliked. The plot was amazing and all of the characters were very well detailed. It was such an entertaining read, it kept my interest the entire time.
Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧💧💧💧 (4/5)
POV: Multiple, Third Person
Release Date: 01, September 2020
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Fatphobia, Genocide, Mental illness, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Dementia, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Abandonment, War, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Excrement, Police brutality, Car accident, and Alcohol
Ugliest by Kelly Vincent
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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? No
5.0
♡ Booktok
♡ Political Vibes
♡ Wholesome Friendships
I loved this book. The character development is so satisfyingly shown in every character, the shy characters like Nic who came out of their shell more and more by the end of the book. I think the characters were all unique in personality and in general, they had flaws and depth to their personality. Even the side characters seemed to have an actual and believable life.
This book had great queer rep and it was really nice to see the detail the author went into with it all. The main character Nic had a mindset of not assuming anything about anybody because they learned from the past and I think that worked out well.
While this book does get a bit political its done in a tasteful way. It gets a bit depressingly accurate how it feels living in the the United States currently. It showed the good and bad. Not everyone was filled with hate but it taking place in a small town in a red state a lot of people were pretty hateful and it really didn’t matter what they looked like. But in the end, people genuinely cared and want change. It felt like what's going on currently of people finally learning the word “freedom” works for everyone and not just in favor of the hateful, ignorant lawmakers and their supporters.
This book overall though was rather hopeful, it was nice to read something so clear on topics that are sometimes brushed under the rug. While I tend to stay out of politics for my own mental health, it's like a balancing act of staying informed and not falling into hopeless despair and I really liked how the author went about this with each character. It was nice to see the realistic characteristics of it all, especially showing for Mack and how his mood declined for a while the more involved he got without taking a breather. It also showed in Nic as well, as they got braver with being able to stand up for themself and their friends.
I think this book is great for any age, people are always growing—but especially the younger audience who might want a less “in your face” way of learning the very real effects of our country and world when it comes to basic human rights for BIPOC communities or LGBTQIA+ communities all the while staying within the safety of a fictional book; if that makes sense.
A big thank you to the author for letting me be one of the beta reader for this.
Spice Level: n/a
POV: First Person
Release Date: 13, August 2024
Rep: Non-Binary (Main Character), Asexual Transmasc (Side Character), BIPOC (Side Characters) LGBTQIA+ (Main and Side Characters)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Deadnaming, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and Classism
No Rules Tonight by Ryan Estrada
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.0
♡ Banned Books
♡ Beautiful Artwork
♡ South Korean in the 1980’s
First off, the artwork in this was seriously so good! Second this graphic novel was so well balanced, it showed the harsh reality of what it was like growing up under dictatorial rules in South Korean in the 1980’s, but also the friendships and relationships built.
Banned books, adventures, and young love being some of the highlights of this book, leaving in some lighthearted moments to the depressing time of curfews, mandatory military service, and overall fear of the government. It was a great and informative way to tell a story and a part of history.
After living under strict curfews and political tensions they get a night where they’re allowed to break some of the rules their government forced on them. Taking a trip to the snowy mountains where things don’t go as planned but everything seems to work itself out in a once in a lifetime kind of trip.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for this eARC in exchange for a review.
Spice Level: n/a
Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧💧💧💧 (4/5)
POV: Graphic Novel
Release Date: 01, October 2024
Rep: Korean (Main and Side Characters), LGBTQIA+ (Side Characters)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Violence
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
The Other Ones by Fran Hart
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
5.0
♡ Spooky Setting
♡ Friends to Lovers
♡ Found Family Vibes
This book was everything! I knew I’d like it but wow this was seriously so good. It was entertaining and the spooky vibes of it were immaculate. And the formatting was absolutely stunning on the inside. I loved all the illustrations at the top of each chapter.
The characters were honestly so addictive to read about I loved how they interacted and I loved the friendships. Sal and Pax were so cute together and I really enjoyed their vibes.
It was really nice to see the mental health rep too, and how well it was written into to the book.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, Scholastic, and Chicken House Imprint for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Spice Level: n/a
Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧💧 (2/5)
POV: Third Person
Release Date: 20, August 2024
Rep: LGBTQIA+ (Main and Side Characters), BIPOC (Main and Side Characters)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, and Outing
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.0
♡ Rom Com
♡ Royal Fantasy Vibes
♡ The Lady Gets the Knight (but make it Sapphic)
I loved the humor in this book. The way the characters interacted was nicely done as well.
When I read this I wasn’t in much of a mood for it but pushed through and ended up really enjoying it. The plot wasn’t too confusing as some fantasy books can be, but this kept my interest. It was such an entertaining read.
And the queer rep was better than I was expecting actually.
Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧(1/5)
POV: Duel, Third Person
Release Date: 28, November 2023
Rep: Sapphic (Main Couple), Achillean (Main Couple), Thai (Side Character), Biracial Iranian/White (Side Character)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Outing, and Gaslighting
The Scarlet Thread by D.S. Murphy
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Honestly, I couldn’t stand the main character and thought the writing was the kind of thing a middle schooler obsessed with Wattpad would write—but I don’t want to be rude to middle schoolers who write on Wattpad because I’m sure their work would be better than this.
Pushing past the main character is the typical “pick me” and “I’m not like other girls” vibe she genuinely seemed difficult to like. First chapter in and she was already on my nerves. Not to mention how she used her one friend as a shield so all the “lesbos” didn’t try anything on her… like dude, trust me when I say they don’t want you.
The plot was the only thing saving this book. I liked the urban fantasy vibes it had. Had some love pet peeves about how the gods and goddesses were written but it wasn’t that bad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Lesbophobia and Alcohol
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Dearest Gentle Reader, this book wasn’t what I was expecting. While it did bring to life the characters and their stories, I feel as though it fell rather flat compared to the show. I did enjoy the epilogues and the audiobook was narrated rather nicely, I don’t think I will be continuing this book series as of now. It was entertaining just not really worth it to me, perhaps I’ll revisit this series later though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Fatphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Alcohol
Pageboy by Elliot Page
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Deciding to love yourself was the whole point of this book. All the ups and downs of life, the self discovery of a trans person. The pain of being trans and living in a world not built for trans people.
While some of the pacing was a bit awkward and the timeline was difficult to follow but I ended up loving listening to this; especially since the author was also the narrator.
I learned a lot about this author and I’m so happy that he was in a place to write this book and share it with the world. I also liked how he mentioned several times about his privilege in a very genuine way, actually acknowledging the problems with trans healthcare and other issues as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Outing, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Misogyny, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic