Book reviews: random edition
Jun. 29th, 2021 07:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rainwatersparkMay the Best Man Win by ZR Ellor
Genre: YA contemporary romance
Content warnings: Transphobia, homophobic slurs, ableism, ableist slurs
DNF.
After browsing the Goodreads reviews for this book, I didn't think I would read it. But when I heard that one of the leads was autistic, I became curious about the autism rep and wanted to read the book for that.
Ultimately, though, I still ended up DNF'ing this book for the exact same reason I originally didn't think I would read it: Because I wasn't interested in reading a book about two characters who were just jerks to all their friends and everyone around them. There are flawed characters, which I love, but I don't love reading about characters whose jerk behavior is validated by the book.
Regarding the autism rep: I don't know if the author is autistic. The rep isn't the worst thing I've ever read, but it didn't feel very organic to me, either. I guess I'd prefer understated autistic traits, as in this book, over overstated autistic traits (my problem with autistic rep in other books), but it kind of felt like Lukas's autism was only brought up in several discrete instances, rather than forming an integral part of how he perceives the world. As just one example, many autistic people struggle with rejection sensitive dysphoria, and given Lukas's negative relationship with his family, I'd expect him to have rejection sensitive dysphoria that would be triggered by situations like Jeremy dumping him for no stated reason. And yet, Lukas's reaction to his breakup seems like one a neurotypical person would have.
Pop Star by Eden Finley
Genre: Adult MM romance
Content warnings: Stalking
Between this book and Inside Affair by Ella Frank, I'm starting to get really fond of celebrity/bodyguard romances where the celebrity hires the bodyguard due to a stalker, and the plot combines romance with suspense over the stalking.
I've been reading a lot of Eden Finley's books recently (this series, her Fake Boyfriend series, and her Steele Brothers duology), and something about her writing style is just so compulsively readable. There's definitely a consistently similar narrative voice to most of her books, but the different tropes lend just enough variety to her books, plus I appreciate the lack of bi-erasure (unlike some other self-published MM romance authors).
Pop Star did feel a little slow in the first half, as the stalking plot doesn't really pick up until 60% of the way or so. I also had a hard time pinning down Harley Valentine's character; he didn't feel as diva-ish as I think he was supposed to be. But I was really moved by Brix's relationship with his dad, and how Harley expresses his love for Brix by caring for his dad. I really do wish more romances focused on acts of caring to express romantic feelings, not only physical intimacy.
Nameless Season 2 by Dean Koontz
Genre: Adult thriller
Content warnings: Violence, mention of rape, animal cruelty
(Note: This is a series of Amazon Original Stories.)
Reading about a white male author’s vision of a dystopia is extremely boring.
I don’t know who first said that the problem with dystopia in fiction is that it imagines what happens to people of color as happening to white people, but that’s exactly the problem with Season 2 of Dean Koontz’s Nameless series. In the overarching plot across these six novellas, the titular protagonist, Nameless, is racing against the clock to prevent his visions of a dystopian, totalitarian future from coming true in America.
As though concentration camps and violent murder of innocent people are the worst things that could happen in the US, which makes me wonder if the author has paid any attention to ICE or police brutality in recent years.
The most dystopian future for the US isn’t totalitarianism; it’s something that’s already happening now, the proclamation of democratic ideals while preventing specific groups of people from voting, concentrating power in the hands of the privileged super-rich, letting industry dictate policy such that innocent people are subject to mass shootings, poisoned water supplies, lack of healthcare.
There are too many books, written from a privileged standpoint, that like to point fingers at individuals as sources of problems, rather than systems.
Four Kings Security series by Charlie Cochet
Genre: Adult MM romance/romantic suspense
Genre: YA contemporary romance
Content warnings: Transphobia, homophobic slurs, ableism, ableist slurs
DNF.
After browsing the Goodreads reviews for this book, I didn't think I would read it. But when I heard that one of the leads was autistic, I became curious about the autism rep and wanted to read the book for that.
Ultimately, though, I still ended up DNF'ing this book for the exact same reason I originally didn't think I would read it: Because I wasn't interested in reading a book about two characters who were just jerks to all their friends and everyone around them. There are flawed characters, which I love, but I don't love reading about characters whose jerk behavior is validated by the book.
Regarding the autism rep: I don't know if the author is autistic. The rep isn't the worst thing I've ever read, but it didn't feel very organic to me, either. I guess I'd prefer understated autistic traits, as in this book, over overstated autistic traits (my problem with autistic rep in other books), but it kind of felt like Lukas's autism was only brought up in several discrete instances, rather than forming an integral part of how he perceives the world. As just one example, many autistic people struggle with rejection sensitive dysphoria, and given Lukas's negative relationship with his family, I'd expect him to have rejection sensitive dysphoria that would be triggered by situations like Jeremy dumping him for no stated reason. And yet, Lukas's reaction to his breakup seems like one a neurotypical person would have.
Pop Star by Eden Finley
Genre: Adult MM romance
Content warnings: Stalking
Between this book and Inside Affair by Ella Frank, I'm starting to get really fond of celebrity/bodyguard romances where the celebrity hires the bodyguard due to a stalker, and the plot combines romance with suspense over the stalking.
I've been reading a lot of Eden Finley's books recently (this series, her Fake Boyfriend series, and her Steele Brothers duology), and something about her writing style is just so compulsively readable. There's definitely a consistently similar narrative voice to most of her books, but the different tropes lend just enough variety to her books, plus I appreciate the lack of bi-erasure (unlike some other self-published MM romance authors).
Pop Star did feel a little slow in the first half, as the stalking plot doesn't really pick up until 60% of the way or so. I also had a hard time pinning down Harley Valentine's character; he didn't feel as diva-ish as I think he was supposed to be. But I was really moved by Brix's relationship with his dad, and how Harley expresses his love for Brix by caring for his dad. I really do wish more romances focused on acts of caring to express romantic feelings, not only physical intimacy.
Nameless Season 2 by Dean Koontz
Genre: Adult thriller
Content warnings: Violence, mention of rape, animal cruelty
(Note: This is a series of Amazon Original Stories.)
Reading about a white male author’s vision of a dystopia is extremely boring.
I don’t know who first said that the problem with dystopia in fiction is that it imagines what happens to people of color as happening to white people, but that’s exactly the problem with Season 2 of Dean Koontz’s Nameless series. In the overarching plot across these six novellas, the titular protagonist, Nameless, is racing against the clock to prevent his visions of a dystopian, totalitarian future from coming true in America.
As though concentration camps and violent murder of innocent people are the worst things that could happen in the US, which makes me wonder if the author has paid any attention to ICE or police brutality in recent years.
The most dystopian future for the US isn’t totalitarianism; it’s something that’s already happening now, the proclamation of democratic ideals while preventing specific groups of people from voting, concentrating power in the hands of the privileged super-rich, letting industry dictate policy such that innocent people are subject to mass shootings, poisoned water supplies, lack of healthcare.
There are too many books, written from a privileged standpoint, that like to point fingers at individuals as sources of problems, rather than systems.
Four Kings Security series by Charlie Cochet
Genre: Adult MM romance/romantic suspense
(Yeah, I attempted to read this series a year or two before, but I decided to make another attempt.)
I honestly liked Charlie Cochet’s THIRDS series. There were some things I questioned—some of the dialogue, and some of the over-the-top reactions that made the characters come off as immature and much younger than being in their mid-thirties—but I really liked the romantic suspense element. I didn’t realize until recently that romantic suspense novels aren’t that easy to find, because traditional publishers ignore the genre, so many of them are relegated to self publishing.
I honestly liked Charlie Cochet’s THIRDS series. There were some things I questioned—some of the dialogue, and some of the over-the-top reactions that made the characters come off as immature and much younger than being in their mid-thirties—but I really liked the romantic suspense element. I didn’t realize until recently that romantic suspense novels aren’t that easy to find, because traditional publishers ignore the genre, so many of them are relegated to self publishing.
What to say about this series…I liked the romantic suspense premise, what with each book (or almost every book) being a bodyguard romance, but I found the characters themselves, and therefore the romances, kind of a let-down. Ace reminded me way too much of Dex from the THIRDS series, and King had very Sloane-like vibes. Colton was an entertaining enough love interest, I guess, but Laz was just kind of…I don’t know, one of those bland damsel-in-distress types who need a big, strong man to protect them? Leo was distinct at first due to his apparent autism, but over time he also became a kind of Laz-like personality.
Sigh. I’m disappointed.
Sigh. I’m disappointed.
