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The Marks of Birth by Pablo Medina

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Historical Fiction Thoughts: This book was complex and interesting. Medina was able to convey the pressures of being a firstborn grandchild, especially the male, with the way in which so many different family members interacted with Antón and the way in which his life turned out in the third part of the book. He also tackled the life of an exile really well with the first part building up the climate showing us how so many peoples' lives were and when the revolution came why they needed to leave. I thought it was interesting seeing both Felicia and Antón’s lives in the USA and how differently they adapted due to the age in which they left. I also liked the smattering of Spanish phrases through the book as it feels so authentic and also gave me a glimpse of how Felicia must have felt having to translate things that she didn’t understand regularly. Favourite Quote: “All of society was being turned around and there was nothing to be done about it. The life she...

Our Deadly Summer by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Mystery, Contemporary Fiction, Dual POV, Multiple Timelines Thoughts: This is such a complex and interesting book. At its heart it’s all about women, femininity and female friendships but the mystery element of what happened on The Last Day of Summer added a building tension throughout. The quick chapters and changing timelines helped build unease very quickly, especially at the beginning. I liked the Dual POV and the way it let us see how the summer unfolded from both sides of the friendship. I found the victim from summer quite illusive with me at one point considering 6 people I thought it could be and I was still wrong. The girls in Deuce were all well thought out characters and it was interesting to see how they interacted coming from such different backgrounds, especially the rich English girl being thrown in with 4 Irish girls. I also liked some of the lesser mentioned characters, Dolly specifically because she was such a caring character when ...

Glow by Maya Pagán

Rating: 2 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Young Adult Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I have mixed feelings about this book, especially with it being marketed to teens/young adults. I liked that it covered the different types of hair and skin so they are able to appreciate more what they are working with and having the to shave or not to shave and shaving guide are great for young adults as it can be a difficult topic at that age. I thought the morning and night routines are great and there are actually a few things I’ve started to implement for my own wellbeing journey recently. There are some great DIY recipes here and it’s also great to bring some less known treatments or more culturally or medically specific ones such as the Oat bath and the Hot Oil Treatment. However, there were some ingredients in the book that are more harmful than helpful which could be worse with it being targeted at young skin and some may not ha...

Obligations to the Wounded by Mubanga Kalimamukwento

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Short Stories, Domestic Fiction, Africa Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I didn’t realise that these short stories would be as hard hitting as they were. I appreciate the blurb warned us and I did expect some harsh truths about the expectations on girls and women in a different culture. Kalimamukwento did a really good job of getting across the pressure of children bearing the hopes and expectations of their parents, especially where the parents move to try give their children a better life. It was also really interesting to see how periods are treated in a different part of the world and the way in which the journey into adulthood/womanhood is marked. I also found it interesting to see the way that same sex relationships are seen in Zambia and the difference to how they are treated in my own country. Overall, these are great short stories for a brief insight into a different culture and a great step...

Bloodletting a Butterfly by Alec B Hood

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Poetry Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a powerful poetry collection despite its simplicity. The poems are provocative and some really made me feel things, especially those about the child dying with the state of the world at the moment. The images that are used compliment the few poems they go along with despite many being simple, they still evoke feelings with the words. Favourite Quote: “the ones who never heal end up hostages to their own hate” With thanks to Atmosphere Press and Netgalley for my advanced digital copy of this book.

Not My Circus by Delicia Niami

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Memoir Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a lighthearted memoir despite jumping into the gritty in the first paragraph. It’s a lovely celebration of Pride and queer love, and identity when she explores her social life in the 90s. The photos included at the beginning of each paragraph is a nice touch and I liked the chapters having a title too. However, there isn’t much detail about other traumas mentioned from her childhood but I wasn’t aware that it’s a second memoir so most of trauma she is ‘triumphing over’ (word used on front cover) must be covered in book one so I was in the dark at points. Favourite Quote: "I realized once I moved out and began working at The Advocate that the actions you take as an individual can create a ripple effect. By embracing my identity, sharing my experiences, and standing up for my rights, I'd hoped to make a meaningful impact to a ...