It’s the end of the year and time to check in on the diverse books I was trying to prioritise! I have read one more of the books I had on the list since my last update which was Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho but I didn’t end up getting to the other two. I’m moving away from YA contemporary so The Wicker King isn’t really on my radar anymore and I do still want to read The Rage of Dragons so hopefully I can get around to it in 2023!
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones – I don’t know whether it’s Stephen Graham Jones’ writing style or just Jade’s perspective in particular but I was confused as to what was happening for the majority of the story. Where she was and what she was doing and also who she was talking to, it was framed in a way that was a bit too chaotic for me. She was kind of devolving slowly but also as people kept dying she was become more assured of her predictions. It was very much a stream of consciousness style of writing and I couldn’t really follow along and appreciate it as much as others seem to. ⭐️2/5 stars
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry – The concept was something I found to be super intriguing, but the way the connection between them all is created was a touch on the ridiculous side. Emilio being the overseer that these girls need to appease and power up to beat their opponents and get to state was just so over the top and kept me invested. ⭐️3/5 stars
Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho – I still quite enjoy the lore and myths surrounding the Dokkaebi and learning all about Junu’s background and how he became one. Also learning about the Sansin and the Reapers were also really interesting to find out about. There just wasn’t enough action to keep me entertained throughout the book. The pacing was up and down and there were periods of time where all the characters were just sitting around waiting and it wasn’t very enjoyable. ⭐️2/5 stars
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