Status Updates From Nest of Tongues

This book is on very thin ice.

I couldn't figure out what was bothering me about this book until I read some of the other reviews. Performative. That's what bothers me. The main characters interrupting the plot to be like "You're not being feminist right now." or something similar is just grating. If your characters actually believe these things, they shouldn't have to shout out they do every two minutes.

This is the most heavy-handed book I have ever read in my entire like. All tell, no show, and all the "tell" is the characters constantly reminding each other that racism, fascism, etc. are bad. Also, the two main characters are cringe. I have to keep reminding myself that they are kids, and that kids are cringe, but this is an entirely different level. Like bad Twitter posts level of cringe.

Might have to DNF :(

this is the most Bay Area Fil-Am bullshit I've ever read and I'm not even 100 pages in. what is the fucking point of having manananggal characters if you're not going to make them ACTUAL manananggal instead of bargain bin Twilight vampires?