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Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
Bad Cree was one of my most anticipated 2023 releases and while I did like it, it didn’t quite live up to its premise as it ultimately reads as one of those debuts that manages to be both refreshing (in its imagery, in its lack of the usual romance subplot) and cliched (in its storyline,…
1st pov, 3 STARS, Adult, alberta, America, bad cree, canada, canadian author, Contemporary, Cree, cree author, dead girls, DEATH, Dreams, FANTASY, female authors, forests, GUILT, hauntings, HORROR, indigenous, indigenous author, Jessica Johns, lgbtq+ side, MAGICAL REALISM, MYSTERY, native american & first nation, Native American & First Nation authors, nehiyaw author, PARANORMAL, published in 2023, queer side characters, read in 2023, SISTERS, subject over characters/story, SUSPENSE, trauma -
Ru by Kim Thúy
I was born in the shadow of skies adorned with fireworks, decorated with garlands of light, shot through with rockets and missiles. The purpose of my birth was to replace lives that had been lost. My life’s duty was to prolong that of my mother. Ru is a short read that blurs the line between…
1970s, 1980s, 1st pov, 2000s, 20th century, 3 STARS, Adult, autofiction, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, canada, CHILDHOOD, cold tone, Contemporary, cultural dissonance, DEATH, female authors, HISTORICAL FICTION, introspective, Kim Thúy, language, LITERARY FICTION, lyrical prose, Malaysia, MEMORY, migration/immigration, motherhood, mothers & daughters, My reviews, neurodivergent side characters, Poverty, published in 2009, Quebec, read in 2022, reading, restrained prose, Ru, style over character, TRANSLATED FICTION, trauma, unnamed characters, unnamed narrator, Vietnam, vietnam war, vietnamese canadian author, vignettes, war -
The Break by Katherena Vermette
The Break is a harrowing yet lucidly written intergenerational family saga that examines the repercussions of a horrific act of violence.The book opens with Stella, a young Métis mother, witnessing a violent attack on some land near her house. Although torn, Stella doesn’t rush to the victim’s rescue and calls the police instead. When they…
3 STARS, addiction, Adult, body dysmorphia, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, canada, canadian author, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), family, FAMILY SAGA, female authors, ghosts/spirits, grandmothers, indigenous, indigenous author, Katherena Vermette, LITERARY FICTION, MAGICAL REALISM, motherhood, mothers & daughters, My reviews, native american & first nation, Native American & First Nation authors, published in 2016, rape, read in 2022, reading, sexual assault/abuse/rape, social issues, The Break, trauma, violence, violence against women -
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Cloud-Atlas-esque novels seem to be all the rage in 2022… “This place is precarious, that’s the only word for it. It’s the lightest sketch of civilizations, caught between the forest and the sea. He doesn’t belong here” This is my third novel by Mandel and once again I have rather conflicting thoughts and feelings about…
1910s, 20th century, 3 STARS, Adult, America, ART/CREATIVITY, ARTISTS, beautiful prose, belonging, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, books about books, books about writers, canada, canadian author, Contemporary, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), dystopia, Emily St. John Mandel, f/f side, female authors, HISTORICAL FICTION, interconnected stories, interesting structure, lgbtq+ side, LITERARY FICTION, loneliness, moon, morality, musicians, My reviews, pandemic, philosophical, published in 2022, queer side characters, read in 2022, reading, restrained prose, SCI-FI, Sea Of Tranquility, siblings, SPECULATIVE FICTION, time travel -
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu
Like most other collections of short stories, Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century is a bit of a mixed bag. Out of the 12 stories, only 2 really stood out to me while the rest blended together somewhat. The author uses fantastical elements to explore familiar themes and dynamics. I liked her use of…
3 STARS, Adult, BOOK REVIEW, Booklr, canada, canadian author, collection of short stories, DEATH, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), female authors, girlhood, hauntings, Kim Fu, Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, MAGICAL REALISM, My reviews, published in 2022, read in 2022, reading, short stories, SPECULATIVE FICTION, surreal -
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
Compared to Skim, This One Summer makes for a rather milquetoast affair. That is not to say that is bad but I did find the story and characters to be bland and very much been-there-done-that. This could have worked if the narrative had presented us with a more compelling protagonist than Rosie who is a…
2.5 STARS, ANGST, beautiful artwork, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, canada, coming of age, female authors, Graphic Novels, growing up, japanese canadian author, lgbtq+ side, mothers & daughters, My reviews, published in 2014, read in 2021, reading, Sequential Art, Summer, summer reads, teen angst, YOUNG ADULT -
Skim by Mariko Tamaki
Who knew that I would come across something that would make me feel nostalgia for the mid-2000s? Skim is a compelling coming-of-age story that is bound to make you feel nostalgic for the mid-2000s (even if you, like me, didn’t strictly ‘come of age’ in that time). Skim captures the angst, confusion, heartache, and loneliness…
1990s, 4 STARS, age gap, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, canada, coming of age, DEPRESSION, f/f, female artist, female authors, female friendships, first love, friendships, Graphic Novels, HIGH SCHOOL, identity, japanese canadian author, Jillian Tamaki, lgbtq+, LGBTQ+ Author, loneliness, Mariko Tamaki, mental health, My reviews, nostalgic reads, occult, queer, re-reads, read in 2022, reading, sapphic, seances, Sequential Art, SEXUALITY, Skim, suicide, tarots, Toronto, unrequited love, YOUNG ADULT -
Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados
“It takes practice to have restraint, and we are not yet at an age to try it out.” As the title and cover themselves suggest, Happy Hour is the book equivalent of an aperitif. I’m thinking of an Aperol spritz and some black olives. Nice enough while you’re having them but once they are gone…
1st pov, 3 STARS, Adult, ALIENATION, America, American, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, canada, canadian author, class, cold tone, Contemporary, contemporary malaise, ennui, female authors, female friendships, friendships, gay side characters, Happy Hour, horrible friends, latinx author, lgbtq+ side, loneliness, Marlowe Granados, millennial, mumblecore, My reviews, navel gazing, NEW YORK, PRIVILEGE, read in 2021, reading, rich people, satire, SLICE OF LIFE, SOCIAL COMMENTARY, toxic relationships -
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
Gut-wrenching and haunting Indian Horse depicts the horrific realities of residential schools, as well as racism and discrimination in 1960s Ontario. This is the third novel that I’ve read by Richard Wagamese and, while Medicine Walk and Ragged Company were no walks in the parks, Indian Horse’s unsparing bleakness and distressing content make those two…
1960s, 1st pov, 20th century, 4 STARS, abuse, addiction, Adult, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, canada, canadian author, conversational style, DEPRESSION, distressing reads, favourite authors, GRIEF, HISTORICAL FICTION, hockey, indigenous, indigenous author, LITERARY FICTION, loneliness, male authors, My reviews, native american & first nation, Native American & First Nation authors, nuns, Ojibwe/Chippewa, Ojibwe/Chippewa author, Pedophelia, published in 2012, RACE, read in 2021, reading, rural setting, social issues, sports, trauma -
Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung
“Lik bat chung sam—do you know what it means? It means, what your heart wants but cannot do. It is an uncomfortable feeling. It’s the feeling of wanting to do something and not being able to.” Ghost Forest is yet another novel that I decided to read because of coverlove. While by no means a…
1st pov, 2.5 STARS, 2000s, Adult, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, canada, CHILDHOOD, China, chinese canadian author, Contemporary, cultural dissonance, DEATH, family, fathers & daughters, female authors, Ghost Forest, GRIEF, hong kong, illness, intergenerational, language, MEMORY, My reviews, Pik-Shuen Fung, published in 2021, read in 2021, reading, style over character, stylised prose, unnamed narrator
luce [is reading] 