Tag: queer books

Reviews

Walking Practice Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Walking Practice Review

This book was honestly one of the weirdest things I’ve ever read, and I mean that in the best possible way. It follows a shapeshifting alien stuck on Earth who changes between male and female forms to have sex with humans before, well… eating them. It’s bizarre, unsettling and kind of brilliant. Beneath all the chaos, it’s really a deep look at what it means to be human or what it means to never quite fit into the world’s expectations.

Through the alien’s voice, Min dives into big ideas about gender, queerness, loneliness and disability. The creature keeps changing shape, breaking every rule of identity, yet it still craves connection and love. There’s this strange tenderness underneath all the violence and hunger that makes it hit harder than you’d expect. It’s messy and emotional and painfully relatable at times.

The writing plays around with structure too, stretching out words and spacing to make you feel off balance, like you’re inside the alien’s head. It’s graphic, sexual and often confronting, but it’s also beautifully human in its own odd way.

Walking Practice won’t be for everyone, but if you like stories that are strange, gutsy and full of feeling, this one’s worth the ride.

⭐️4/5 stars, weird in the best way.

Reviews

Bury Your Gays Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Bury Your Gays Review

Bury Your Gays follows Misha, a Hollywood writer who’s pressured by producers to kill off a queer character in the name of ratings. What unfolds is a mix of horror and satire as the villains from his own scripts step off the page and begin stalking him, blurring the line between art and reality.

I found this book original and bold, especially in how it critiques Hollywood’s treatment of queer stories and the wider issue of corporate greed in media. It tackles erasure, tokenism, AI ethics, and trauma, all while highlighting the power of friendship and love in all forms. Some of the monsters, particularly Mrs. Why, were genuinely creepy and surprisingly sad, while the flashbacks to Misha’s childhood gave depth and context to their creation.

That said, I did have mixed feelings. The pacing dragged in places and the chapter transitions sometimes left me feeling lost. The audiobook added to this with extra voices and sound effects that felt unnecessary. The Black Mirror-style AI angle also felt a little tired, and while the ending had some campy horror flair, it fizzled out and leaned heavy-handed.

Overall, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. It’s clever, confronting, and very readable, and even if it doesn’t quite stick the landing, it adds something valuable to the conversation about queer representation in media.

⭐️3/5 stars In the end, it’s a bit messy but still worth the read.

Reviews

The Knight and the Butcherbird Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on The Knight and the Butcherbird Review

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a short, moody read that mixes fairytale vibes with a gritty dystopian setting. The world has clearly fallen apart and what’s left feels like some kind of medieval society where oral storytellers and knights still have a place. It’s a really cool concept and I was hooked from the beginning just trying to figure it all out.

The story is told by Shrike, a seventeen-year-old who acts as the town’s historian. A knight rocks up to kill a demon, but it turns out the demon is actually Shrike’s wife, May. From there, things get complicated. You start to realise there’s more going on beneath the surface and Shrike’s not just telling the story, she’s in it. The twist hits hard, but I couldn’t help feeling like I wanted more time to sit with it all.

That’s kind of the main thing for me. The ideas and themes are solid (grief, love, transformation, letting go) but there just wasn’t enough space to really dig into them. It’s one of those stories that makes you wish it was a full novel. The world building is interesting, with little hints about sickness, poverty and something deeper going wrong in society, but we don’t get much more than a glimpse.

I also found Shrike’s age a bit jarring. She reads much older than seventeen and her relationship and choices felt more believable for someone in their twenties. The knight, though, was a great character and brought a lot of tension and mystery.

The writing itself is beautiful, lyrical, sharp and easy to fall into. Harrow’s style definitely carried the story and made me want to keep reading. Even with the rushed pacing and lack of detail, it still had an impact.

⭐️3/5 stars If you’ve got an hour to spare and want something different, this one’s worth a look. Just go in knowing it might leave you wanting a bit more.