Sara > Recent Status Updates

I've been listening to this on audio only when out on walks, so it's going to take forever to finish - but I'm surprised at how well-suited the story is to intermittent listening. I think it'd drag a bit if I were reading/listening to it normally.

I bounced off of this reading the physical version a few years ago, but audio seems to be doing the trick.

I KNEW the events of chapter 57 were going to kill it on audio, and I was not disappointed. I listened to it twice!

I have been checking Edelweiss for this daily and I SCREECHED when the eARC finally became available.

Listening on audio this time.

This could well be because I'm reading an ARC, but it's an... interesting... choice to use sentences of untranslated hanzi characters in the middle of paragraphs. Maybe just a prepub version thing?

I like the voice this is written in, but can I snark for a second? The author has emphasized the added cost of Massachusetts sales tax twice now, for two things MA doesn't charge tax on - food & clothing.

I can hardly believe this is a debut. The character work is incredible.

Been listening in spurts at work.

Somehow, this book is gayer on audio. I cannot explain why I feel this way, just know that it is a compliment.

My dog got sprayed by a skunk last week, so Donut running afoul of mobs inspired by Pepé Le Pew is a little too real 😂

I'm getting Emily Wilde vibes from this. (That's a good thing!)

Started this on audio for a plane ride. Not 100% sure when I'll finish, but wanted to document anyway!

I'm not entirely sure where my rating is going to land with this one, but if nothing else - it's very readable.

I was trying to describe the genre/vibe of this book to a coworker, and I came up with "queer, retail gothic horror". Just thought I'd share.

Holy shit.

I have no idea how I'm going to review this without spoiling the book one ending, but I will say - I would recommend re-reading book one shortly before this one comes out. In retrospect, Islington dropped a lot of breadcrumbs leading to that twist, and I'm only now just picking some of them up.

I've been checking Edelweiss periodically for this, and I SCREECHED when I saw the ARC was available. (I'm going to reread the last bit of Will one more time before diving it, but I am SO EXCITED to get this early!!)

Darrow is 110% in love with Cassius. I know that's not where this story is going, but you cannot change my mind on this.

So far, reading these books feels like speedrunning a video game, somehow? (This is a complement!)

Holy shit.

I wouldn't have picked up this book based on just the synopsis, but in Stiefvater I trust. (I like it so far!)

Is this reading quite a bit like Dune by way of the Kingkiller Chronicles? Yes. Am I enjoying it? Also yes.

If I didn't have to work tomorrow, I would 100% stay up to finish this tonight. This book absolutely lives up to the hype!

Back to reading this, and it's gotten better as I've gotten deeper into the story.

The fact that our brooding love interest's last name is Mendacity (oh sorry, Myndacity... lol) took me right the fuck out. I tend to like Gillig's ideas much better than I like her execution, so we'll see how this goes.