“Boys with everything. The world had been and always would be theirs for the taking. Sade had learned to fear the men who had everything, because even“Boys with everything. The world had been and always would be theirs for the taking. Sade had learned to fear the men who had everything, because even the moon, the skies and the earth could not sate them.”
overall, incredibly impactful and emotional. a bleak but honest examination of the power of the rich and elite and the institutions they reign over.
this was definitely a slowburn. i would say the first half could be tightened up bc it truthfully did almost lose me (it felt almost like a repeat of ace of spades) BUT i'm glad i continued bc the meat and heart of the story is in the second half.
i kind of also have mixed feelings on the end. on the one hand, i see how having a more realistic ending matches the tone and allows the emotional weight and impact of the story. on the other hand, i wonder if it would be cathartic for some readers to have a best-case ending.
overall, fantastically done.
Keep swimming. Or if that’s too hard, at the very least, float....more
My dear E., I have thought of nothing else but you and your letter over the past day or so, and I do not intend to start thinking of anything else anytMy dear E., I have thought of nothing else but you and your letter over the past day or so, and I do not intend to start thinking of anything else anytime soon.
rating: 4.25
this was a beautifully written story about discovery, family, and the unknown.
agoraphobic and brilliantly curious "e." has suddenly vanished along w her penpal, scholar henerey clel. their siblings begin corresponding first in condolence and mourning, then in earnest exploration as they start to uncover the mysterious disappearance (and what may have preluded it...).
To think that a person’s entire life could be summed up in the jumbled, incomplete assortment of ephemera they leave behind.
personally, while it took a moment for me to adjust to the epistolary style that is first primarily following siblings sophy and vyerin, the more i got to know e and henery the more i became invested - especially as the mystery of the "luminous circumference" developed. sylvia cathrall has created a fantastical world where many of the inhabitants live under or on water. there is lots of creatively playful reimagining of marine life that is reminiscent of the life aquatic with steve zissou.
mental health was a strong theme, with e being agoraphobic and having anxiety & (i think from author's note?) ocd. various characters including henery and his brother vyerin both discuss depression as well as other characters. almost all of the characters are also queer, with much bi/pan representation. science, academia, and exploration are a central theme as well (chancellor rawsel, it's on sight).
if you have thalassophobia or fear of the deep ocean, this might make you feel claustrophobic haha. i think some things to be aware of is that this is only the first book in a series (so sorry, a bit of a cliffhanger!) and the slower-paced writing & challenge for the reader to slowly "uncover" and piece together info along w our new penpals may put some off, but if you have the patience for it you'll be rewarded with many heartfelt moments, charming humor, fun uncoverings, and even romance.
i'm very excited for this to release and even more excited for its follow-up!
If we happen to make a slight detour into that luminescent world – well, then, I will consider myself lucky to do so in your company.
_______________________ current arc read
light academia x epistolary fantasy set underwater? i'm in!...more
i really wanted to like this bc sapphic vampires in academia, but i mostly wanted to dropkick the poetry professor who was triangulating them.
i wasn'ti really wanted to like this bc sapphic vampires in academia, but i mostly wanted to dropkick the poetry professor who was triangulating them.
i wasn't aware going in how central the relationship w the professor would be, and age gap just really isn't for me. if you don't mind age gap and/or toxic power dynamics though, you will probably enjoy more than i did.
this book is drinking a warm cup of tea while wearing your softest sweater stepping outside into a brisk, chilly autumn morning with the morning dew othis book is drinking a warm cup of tea while wearing your softest sweater stepping outside into a brisk, chilly autumn morning with the morning dew on the grass and your breath misting in the air.
“I just told him the truth.” “Which is?” “That you’re the best thing in my life right now. That he’s out of his fucking mind if he thinks any of that bullshit is true. That I would . . . That I’d be lucky if you’d even so much as let me get on my knees in front of you.”
this really was elio's book for me. i like daisy (surfer girl studying marine biology? i swear this was written for me), but having already been acquainted with elio since book 1 where he was at rock bottom to come full circle to his renewal in this book was wonderful. these two needed to find someone to make home in and they found it.
i enjoy the slower, grounded feel of ki's writing. i would compare this series to lovelight farms in similar tone and vibes with very character-based writing and a quaint cozy element always present. i thought ki handled writing a sex worker character with appropriate sensitivity and understanding, with lots of sex positivity in the story (spoiler: (view spoiler)[the scene where daisy "helps" him work was super hot and fun (hide spoiler)]).
also, it's not explicitly stated, but i would consider elio to be bi/pan/queer and suspect daisy to be demisexual or something close to that as well?
i'm looking forward to the next book in this series!...more
this takes place over a surprisingly short period of time, and the majority of the book is a few very focused scenes. that being said, i pirating: 3.5
this takes place over a surprisingly short period of time, and the majority of the book is a few very focused scenes. that being said, i picked this up in need of something super fluffy bc i was feeling anxious af and it served its purpose well. there were definitely some corny lines, but it also made me giggle and kick my feet. the smut be smutting in this that's for sure. overall, it's not my fav contemp but i think it's a strong start for this new author....more
ava reid is just one of those authors where i feel like i'm falling slowly into the book, enveloped by "i will love you to ruination." "yours or mine?"
ava reid is just one of those authors where i feel like i'm falling slowly into the book, enveloped by my own senses as the her masterful imagery illustrates her story. it's a slow lull that draws you in, like waves rising on the shore that before you know it, you've reached high tide.
"it began as all things did: a girl on the shore, terrified and desirous."
effy sayre is timid, unassuming, and afraid. she desperately wants to break out of her shell, to spill out the words and dreams inside her, but is paralyzed by fear. she yearns to be a writer, but is resigned as a woman to study architecture instead (as the only woman in her college, it was enough of a fight for that alone). reid cleverly likens the dissociation one may experience post-trauma to being underwater - effy struggles to swim, and her anxiety comes in waves.
the story is about her finding her voice again and breaking to surface, learning to not let herself drown.
the only enemy is the sea.
"it's terrifying." "most beautiful things are."
reid's use of the sea as a supernatural force, an ever-present threat, a means of escape, and, later, a symbol of peace is poetic and powerful. the storms make for an ominous atmosphere, with saltwater's ability to erode land, ships, and man. but there is also a mystical element, a way of cocooning or stepping out of reality when effy disconnects. the idea of drowning - how one can suffer, silently. "it can take 10 minutes to drown" ianto tells her. that sometimes people pass away weeks later from the after effects of drowning. but some people drown for a whole lifetime.
i didn't know how to do anything but wait and drown.
she wondered if you could love something out of ruination, reverse that drowning process, make it all new again.
perhaps a romance is a story with no end at all; where the end is but a wardrobe with a false back, leading to stranger and more merciful worlds.
the romance between effy and preston was a delightful surprise for me. i went into this book as blind as i could be, though i had some preconceived notions about the tone and vibes from art and just seeing posts around. but i hadn't realized there would be such friction between the two of them from the start, effy rebuffed at being stuck in proximity with a literature student (and the envy she felt, only doubled by the fact he borrowed all the books she wanted lol). their banter was delightful, the small seeds and buds of effy effortlessly blooming back into herself. she's never afraid to speak up around him, and the gentleness preston provides her lets her continue to grow and build trust with him. he's the only character who really sees her.
"you'd be surprised how much cognitive dissonance people are capable of."
he hadn't touched her, but saints, she wanted him to.
"you took away all other wanting from me."
ava loves motif and imagery. preston and his glasses, the indents. his cigarettes. the fairy king's dark hair, echoed on master corbenic's arms, as well as ianto's. corbenic's large hands to preston's slim, smooth fingers. angharad's blond hair mixing into the fairy king's dark locks. clear eyes, murky eyes. and water, the ever-present sea. the ceilings leak. the water rises. effy's stomach churns like a violent riptide. reid leaves breadcrumbs for you to trail and mull over. the wavering connection between reality and fable keeps you guessing at what is the truth - and what exactly is truth.
i was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me.
it's very hard to believe something when it feels like the whole world is trying to convince you otherwise.
at the heart of this story is a feminist commentary on academics, literature, and society as a whole. women are expected to be meek and unassuming, they are thought to be too capricious and silly for deep thinking, philosophizing, and even storytelling. they are not listened to and when they are, not believed. they are thought to be too childish, but also too tempting. this is a fantasy piece that follows in the footsteps of the #MeToo movement and its lasting effects during the years since.
effy and her story is one that resonated greatly with me. after ASID and lady macbeth, reid is well on their way to securing themselves as a spot as one of my favorite authors.
but if fairies and monsters were real, so were the women who defeated them....more
He'd come to the Foxhole Court every inch a lie, but his friends made him into someone real.
who doesn't love an underdog story.
this entire series
He'd come to the Foxhole Court every inch a lie, but his friends made him into someone real.
who doesn't love an underdog story.
this entire series was a ride, but most especially this final installment. this book is packed and BAT SHIT, but gives way to a riveting buildup to the final showdown. i feel like things overall were tied up fairly well. andrew minyard and neil josten are probably the only characters i will ever suffer a mafia/underground crime plotline for. this is the most dysfunctional found family ever and i love them.
i need to go find any and all fan art and post-epilogue fan fic of this series now, thank you....more
He was their family. They were his. They were worth every cut and bruise and scream.
this series continues to be a tumultuous ride. i lrating: 4.25
He was their family. They were his. They were worth every cut and bruise and scream.
this series continues to be a tumultuous ride. i love the exy game scenes, i wish there were more. definitely some problematic things. even more violence lingering in every corner.
watching neil finding his place with the foxes is so worth it though. andrew has grown on me so much, i see why he's such a fan favorite.
and with that, the slowest of burns ever that has me giggling and kicking my legs at the barest hint of what's to come:
"Speaking of unpredictable assholes, when did that happen?" "When did what?" Neil asked. Wymack eyed him. "Forget it."
yes this was incredibly smutty and kinky, but moreso i really loved the adhd rep. i've read some decent adhd rep recently, but alex was able to reallyyes this was incredibly smutty and kinky, but moreso i really loved the adhd rep. i've read some decent adhd rep recently, but alex was able to really put into words the struggles and darker side of dealing with adhd.
did not expect this to have a deeper cut to it but i was pleasantly surprised.
volume 1 was enjoyable, but this dived into the action now that the exposition was covered.
i love how they've worked in explaining the sport, its rulevolume 1 was enjoyable, but this dived into the action now that the exposition was covered.
i love how they've worked in explaining the sport, its rules, competition rules, etc. mid-match or practice without bogging down the flow. excellent character ensemble as well.
a fun, creative way to explore such a competitive sport!...more
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