#unofficial review

[imjustwritingg]

Other than wanting to wrap Hailey in cotton wool and give her the biggest hug, how are you feeling/what are your thoughts after last nights episode?

This turned into an unofficial review of sorts and it got rather long, so I’ll post it all below the cut for those that want to read my thoughts.

I might be in the minority here, but I really enjoyed the episode. I kinda loved it actually, and it might be one of my favorite episodes. I enjoyed everything about it…the writing, the directing, the acting.

Gwen Sigan wrote the episode, but I gotta give her credit where it’s due because it was pretty damn good in my book. It reminded me a lot of her writing days prior to her becoming show-runner and I miss those days so very much.

I think the tidbits of Hailey’s past are coming way too late, but I still really enjoyed getting to peek into her life a bit more. Just wish we could have gotten more of it along the way and not three episodes before the character is gone.

I loved Kevin’s blatant callout to Hailey in the first minute of the episode of how she’s dealing and if running is helping her. He asks this question of “how are you doing…really doing?” with no words and just one look, and then we’re given the answer by Hailey deflecting and avoiding yet again under the guise of wanting a sugar fix. I think that was brilliant. It conveyed everything you needed to know about Hailey’s mental state in one short moment.

No Voight in the episode was such a gift.

Hailey being in charge and leading this particular case was the right move and she handled it so well. I’m bummed we probably won’t see her leading her own unit someday.

Also back to the no Voight thing just for a moment to say that it’s interesting to see how the dynamic shifted with the team versus him not being around and Hailey being in charge. The team felt lighter to me, like in the sense that they weren’t on edge, walking on eggshells in a way. Everything just felt calmer. There was still an intensity and an urgency to solve the case, but rules were followed, there was no off the book cowboy bullshit, and it felt like everyone followed Hailey and trusted her, whereas with Voight they were obeying orders that were barked out to them. I don’t know. It just felt really different and so very satisfying to me.

I love Kevin and Kim’s ability to communicate with one another with just one look between them. Makes me think of the early days of them being partners and being on patrol. They still work so wonderfully together.

This case was sick. A mother doing that to her own child is demented. Where these writers, and Gwen specifically, come up with these ideas is beyond me, but someone should probably do a wellness check on her. Like girly needs some serious therapy and R&R.

Josephine Petrovic. I had some hesitation with her at first as you usually do with a new character as you try and suss them out, but I’ve gotta say, I like her. I like her and I hate that I like her and I hate that she only just came onto the show because I would love to see what happens with her if she were to stick around, but I can’t watch this show without Tracy or Jesse — mostly Tracy — but neither of them? I just can’t do it. I have some other thoughts on Jo, but I will save them for another ask I received.

I obviously saved the elephant in the room for last…Jay. I really don’t think the mentions and nods to him in this episode were “bad” in any way because it’s stuff that has already been said about the character…Gwen’s version of him at least, but I do think there is a reason why he is being brought up and why there are so many nods to the marriage. Hailey insisted she wasn’t angry with him in the premiere. She signed the divorce papers, sent them off, and that was that and she washed her hands of him. Except she didn’t. Because she is angry, she hasn’t moved on in the year and a half he’s been gone now, signing the papers didn’t give her any closure…hell, even him signing the papers didn’t give her any closure, (I will die on the hill that he only signed them because it’s what he thought she wanted). I personally do not think she will get any closure whatsoever if she doesn’t have a conversation with him, if she doesn’t confront him and all of it head on…the anger and resentment and confusion and the love that is still there. You can’t turn that shit off. You can’t just push it away and be like, “okay, I’m done with you now, goodbye.” Life doesn’t work that way. Emotions don’t work that way. Grief sure as shit doesn’t work that way, and I feel like that is the stage Hailey is stuck in right now. Grieving the loss of Jay and her marriage and stuck in a limbo that she doesn’t know how to navigate on her own while dealing with childhood trauma that she actually isn’t really dealing with at all. And she is without a doubt on her own. That is the one thing that has been made clear this season. She has no family, not any friends other than co-workers, and right now, she doesn’t have Jay. I respect the “independent woman, gonna stand on my own, I don’t need anyone” mindset, but I don’t agree with how we got here and I also don’t fully agree with the notion that she doesn’t need anyone because everyone needs someone. You can’t do life alone. You need someone in your corner, someone by your side, someone who gets you in ways you don’t even know yourself, and for Hailey, that person is and will always be Jay Halstead. I think she will realize she needs to get out of Chicago like her brothers, like Jay, like Will, and I hope that wherever she ends up, Jay is there waiting for her and the two of them can just start over without Chicago and their past looming over them like a dark cloud. And for the love of God, let them both go to therapy…together and separately.

Brenna Malloy directed and it was just…perfect. True cinema if you will. The close-ups of the actors’ faces during certain scenes and how the camera would pan to them at just the exact right moment for a reaction, the no background noise and intentional pauses during scenes that allowed moments to feel heavier and more real, the ending shot of Hailey and her teary eyes…I feel like it was a story that was so delicately handled and crafted by Brenna, and I’m just really impressed.

Tracy Spiridakos. I mean, what more even needs to be said? The woman is a powerhouse. It always amazes me knowing how much of a goof she is on set and then you watch an episode like this and it’s just like…WOW. Her range of emotion and the way she makes you feel every single one of those emotions is truly something that needs to be studied. You cry with her, you smile with her, you laugh with her, but the biggest thing is you feel for her character, and I think that is something that not all actors are capable of doing with an audience. Tracy knocks it out of the park, across the highway, into the next town every time, and her execution is consistent every time as well. No one is doing it like her, and I love and respect the hell out of that woman and her talent.

I think the same also needs to be said for Bojana Novakovic. I have been surprisingly impressed by her and kind of adore her. I’ve really been enjoying the character of Josephine Petrovic and I hate that she’s only coming into the show now right when Tracy is walking out the door because Bojana alone is incredible, but her and Tracy together? It’s like magic to me. Their chemistry as scene partners and the way they bounce off each other is absolutely insane, and then their ability to pull you in and keep you locked in…ooof. I think it’s something special and I’ve really enjoyed seeing them together on-screen.

As for how I feel…

I feel good? Okay? The episode didn’t do much for me in the grand scheme of “what is Hailey gonna do” or “what’s gonna happen” because we already anticipated her leaving Chicago. That wasn’t ever in question. But the actual reason for Hailey leaving is still muddled to me, even more so because she hasn’t resolved anything in her life. She still has these demons, a past filled with trauma she hasn’t found peace with, she has no closure with Jay, she has questions and zero answers, and she is already and literally running from her problems.

So, is she supposed to leave Chicago and start over somewhere and her problems are just gonna go poof? Magically disappear? Because that’s not how that works, and I think that would be yet another injustice to the character and more lazy writing. I do think the episode (finally!) laid the groundwork for Tracy’s exit, but it should have started in episode 1, not 10. Tracy gave them an entire season to wrap up Hailey’s story, and I feel like they wasted so much time and it’s gonna be another rushed exit once the curtain falls. It’s not that I’m surprised in that regard, but I am disappointed (again!) especially considering how much of a fuss Gwen made about “it’s so generous of Tracy to give us a whole season.”

If Gwen’s plan was to make Hailey’s exit about her family and her childhood trauma then the seed should have been planted long before now, and Jay shouldn’t still be a sore subject for her. I think we’re in for a really emotional ending to the season, not just for Hailey, but for the first time since season eight I’m actually looking forward to a finale again.

In conclusion and a very long story short…I loved the episode, but Gwen Sigan is still on my shit list.

#hailey upton #chicago pd #upstead #jay halstead #tracy spiridakos #gwen sigan #bojana novakovic #unofficial review

[animatedglittergraphics-n-more]

my 2023 Tumblr Top 10

1. 5,432 notes - Jul 9 2023

2. 5,097 notes - Feb 9 2023

3. 2,737 notes - Dec 6 2023

4. 2,481 notes - Mar 17 2023

5. 2,276 notes - Feb 25 2023

6. 2,215 notes - Apr 21 2023

7. 2,051 notes - Jun 9 2023

8. 1,987 notes - Dec 5 2023

9. 1,610 notes - Oct 15 2023

10. 1,539 notes - Nov 8 2023

Created by TumblrTop10

#tumblrtop10 #my 2023 unofficial year in review

[frogayyyy]

(unofficial)

I posted 5,365 times in 2023

That's 2,236 more posts than 2022!

345 posts created (6%)

5,020 posts reblogged (94%)

My Top Posts in 2023:

#10

what a sad little life t’pring

670 notes - Feb 28 2023

#9

772 notes - Jul 1 2023

#8

star trek writers in the 60s: these two guys have a deep loving bond that spans their lifetimes and is inherently tied to being queer, not only because of their own personal character arcs but because of the intentional subtext surrounding their relationship and the real life context at the time

star trek writers in the 21st century: two guys being dudes. they hate each other. you can have a little bit of friendship as a treat.

863 notes - Jun 24 2023

#7

maybe if u stopped playing on ur nintendo u would be a better father

1,112 notes - Jan 23 2023

#6

i love that star trek is trending simply because neil gaiman ships spirk

1,262 notes - Oct 9 2023

#5

🫶

1,290 notes - Apr 30 2023

#4

wyd if u go to spock’s quarters and he answers the door like this

1,540 notes - Jun 3 2023

#3

you mean that you ah talkin about biology? that is, to say, the uh reproduction? of... vulcans?

star trek where everything is the same except jim is benoit blanc

1,828 notes - Feb 18 2023

#2

spleep

6,571 notes - Sep 30 2023

My #1 post of 2023

extra special Amok Time Day this year because it’s been 56 years… happy 9th pon farr spock!

16,379 notes - Sep 15 2023

(stats by TumblrTop10)

#UNOFFICIAL #i’ll do it myself 😤 #ngl guys there have been some bangers this year #tumblrtop10 #my year in review #my year in review 2023 #i had to do maths that took me like 20 minutes 😭 #thanks to everyone who’s been a part of my year ily 🫶

[fideidefenswhore]

the not directly articulated thesis of hunting the falcon is that while catherine of aragon took henry's literal virginity, anne boleyn took his emotional virginity.

#and from that point on? he was emotionally slutty. #or maybe he always had been #and it was but waiting to be discovered... #anyway there's my unofficial review #this book was a serious intellectual endeavour #yet at times irreverent in what must be the inside jokes and secret language of its own writer team (married; as they literally are) #certain chapters opened with this sense of gravity #and other chapters opened with 'during this year henry's sheets were likely literally soaked with precum.' #and you would be like ok. wow. you didn't have to do him like that. #this post is going to get flagged. isn't it .

[astramachina]

For those of you who've been following me for a while now, there's a good chance you got to experience my journey reading the Remembrance of Earth's Past series last year. I loved Three-Body Problem, but The Dark Forest and Death's End were like pulling teeth. Both books had their very very good moments, but getting through them was a tedious experience I considered giving up on on multiple occasions. I will give it to Cixin Liu tho, I needed to know how the series ended and that alone was the sole reason I pushed towards the finish line. Any author that can make me tough out bad writing for the sake of seeing the end deserves some kind of award (and he won a ton anyway, so).

I approached the Netflix series with zero expectations given their propensity for shitty adaptations (One Piece notwithstanding), but after watching the first episode I was left cautiously optimistic.

Having watched all 8 episode I'm still unsure how to feel about it. I spent most of the series hitting pause to rant at my roommate about it, both positively and negatively.

I had many issues with the books, but some of the more obvious ones came from a writing standpoint. I love hard sci-fi. I could not excuse the sheer length of those final two books. The atrocious treatment of women as objects to romance and use as bartering for the main character. The abysmal MCs (specifically Luo Ji) that made me want to yell to the high heavens due to annoying they were. The lack of human connection between characters.

For books so steeped in sociopolitical and ethical commentaries, the flagrant misogyny and homophobia was eye-rolling. And not even in a "This is Bad" sort of way, just in a "This is So Fucking Boring" kind of way. I cannot speak for the author's biases, because the contents of a book in no way reflects the views of an author or their character.

Where the books shone the brightest were during the battle scenes, the looming dread, genuinely horrific thought experiments.

And, surprisingly? It feels like the people at Netflix thought the same.

I've never watched Game of Thrones but I understood why people were against it from the get-go. That, along with the whole "whitewashing" thing which I consider to be interesting. For starters, you're using whitewashed wrong. Yes, they moved the central story from China to England which was... a fascinating choice, but of the core five (that quickly became the core four), only two of them are white. I'm not saying it was okay for a western adaptation to take a cast and further diversify it, I'm just saying that that's not whitewashing.

That aside, I did like some of the choices that were made from a narrative standpoint. Reshuffling and streamlining events, for one. Removing the whole plot line about Luo Ji hunting down a woman who he invented in his head in order to marry her? I'm not entirely sold on the idea of taking core events and divvying them up between four different people, but I do understand what they're trying to do.

The book series failed at crafting believable and impactful relationships between its human characters, which made the narrative feel hollow and one-dimensional. This adaptation aimed to change this by slapping a band-aid over the issue. Like I said, I'm still unsure of how I feel about this.

A lot of unnecessary stuffing was removed to make a suitable run time, and I say unnecessary because there's really no scenes that are making me go "oh, I wish this had been included". Was some stuff rushed? Yes. The passage of time could have been outlined a little better, but that's a small nitpick on my end.

The scale of things was toned down, and I don't think Netflix has the capability (or budget) to tackle space battles.

Honestly? I don't really see this getting a second season for a variety of reasons, and I'd be okay with that.

It was an "okay" watch, in the end.

Tho, I'm still flabbergasted by the random "gory scary jumpscare" scenes????? Where did those come from??? I don't remember anything like that being in the books but, you know. I've read a lot more books since finishing these, so.

#texts. #watch tag #3BP spoilers #3 body problem #spoilers #i needed to talk about it or else i'm going to explode. #miller writes #i guess? since this is kind of an unofficial review

[suchamiracle-does-exist]

2023 Tumblr Top 10

1. 334 notes - May 10 2023

Let's sign Cha Cha Cha with Käärijä MIGUEL💜 on TikTok

2. 173 notes - Mar 14 2023

3. 159 notes - Apr 1 2023

Evolution of Conrad Veidt 🎬 Thanks @matthew-garth for suggesting the idea and music 🫰🏻 Such a miracle does exist on TikTok

4. 63 notes - May 8 2023

5. 60 notes - May 8 2023

6. 49 notes - Apr 27 2023

Sua vain yli kaiken mä rakastan 😭 Music: Vaasan kaupunginorkesteri 2nd violin trio "Romanssi" (2020) Such a miracle does exist...

7. 46 notes - Feb 11 2023

8. 44 notes - Aug 8 2023

9. 43 notes - Jun 9 2023

10. 42 notes - Oct 19 2023

Ancora 💋 Music: Mina ”Ancora ancora ancora (Mark Ronson Remix)” (2023)

Created by TumblrTop10

#tumblrtop10 #2023 tumblr top 10 #unofficial my year in review #käärijä #miguel💜 #felix kammerer #austin butler #bafta 2023 #conrad veidt #lyhdynkantajat #kivimiehet #stone men #eurovision song contest #eurovision song contest 2023 #polls #das boot #das boot 2018 #das boot 2024 #rick okon #klaus hoffmann #favourite movie meme but different #mina #ancora ancora ancora #2023 was crazy & party and heavy sad but lovely #own gif #own video #own post

[nucifraga]

#aliexpress reviews #enstars #ensemble stars #ensemble stars!! #hajime shino #hiiro amagi #hiyori tomoe #leo tsukinaga #madara mikejima #ibara saegusa #natsume sakasaki #rinne amagi #mmm unofficial omanjuus have two types of reviews: #treat them like kings #Or #whatever the fuck half of these are #they're hilarious and also not that expensive i'm going to buy 2 #of the teeny ones because i live with family and im not that shameless (yet) #aliexpress #plushies

[unofficialadamtaurus]

guess what i just fucking read. ha. haha ha. YOURE SO FUNNY.

Don’t sell me short, I’m hilarious!

#astronnova #unofficial adam answers #wilt and scatter reviews #wilt and scatter #you’re welcome :)

[maulfucker]

Phantom Menace college au where Padme is an exchange student and Qui-Gon is a professor and Obi-Wan is his assistant and at the end Maul gets Qui-Gon fired so Obi-Wan pushes him down some stairs the next time they meet on campus

#hm i should make an original post tag #star wars #the phantom menace #sw tpm #qui gon jinn #obi wan kenobi #padme amidala #darth maul #palpatine is a senior professor who wants to be the [rector?] and he makes padme give the current administration a really bad review #anakin is. some kid qui-gon is trying to adopt probably. #and/or kid he met in a field trip and is now trying to get him a scholarship because he's very smart and deserves it #they go to tatooine for biology or maybe geology field class reasons. instead of because their ship is broken #maul is a student from another department who's like. palpatine's unofficial godson or something #and he's really good at getting people in trouble with the university. which is why he's following qui-gon. to get him fired #none of this makes sense i just really really wanted to make a joke about maul getting qui gon fired instead of killing him in an au #and it made me laugh so here i am. making a story in the tags

[leonsleftbicep]

i watched all two of the silent hill movies with my mum these past two days (we are both sick so we have been watching movies)

and omg, the first one was great for the actual movie, the second movie was good just to see pyramid head and not actually the movie

also

WHY WAS HE FUCKING ASS OUT ALL MOVIE???? BOY WAS LETTING THEM AIR OUT OMG

#the duck has thoughts #movie review #slasher saturday #? #unofficial slasher saturday #silent hill #silent hill films #pyramid head

[reiikyun]

Imma be giving Pilot an updated design to accommodate for triple splashdown coming back

He's got enough subtle scars, he doesn't need to inflict anymore on himself with another strainful special

#fishblubs #just some special gloves to protect his knuckles #the design is simple in my head but the splash of blue i think ties his color palette together nicely #it was Rett's idea #Army helped patent the design for wider production after getting Pilot's honest review #so unofficial new Krak-On item

[matsudaqko]

Mini Review: The Unofficial Hatsune Mix

Blog by: MatsudaQko

----------------------------------------

Volumes: 3 (English Version if this manga is an Omnibus)

Genre: Fanfare, Comedy, slice of life

Mangaka: KEI Garou

Rating: 7.5/10

________________________________________

Song 1: The Mangaka and Art Mix

To start, I wanted to talk about the art and the person behind this series, because it's probably one of the more important aspects of this whole thing.

The person who draws Unofficial Hatsune Mix is none other than Kei Garou, who if you don't know, designed and is the artist for the popular digital singer Hatsune Miku.

This manga has of full color illustrations, of which you can find before you get into the reading part of it. (For the English Omnibus Version you find it before in-between transition from one volume to the next before reading.)

Looking at this and then his new art, you'll see just how far this artist has come, and just how much of a glow up he's had since making this back in 2008.

I think it's absolutely awesome that he drew for this, it makes it more special and personal to the character, with how passionate the people behind Hatsune Miku are.

_______________________________________________

Song 2: Story and Layout Mix

There really isn't exactly a all out connecting narrative for this manga, in fact, it's more like 4komma manga, telling diffrent stories and narrative themes each chapter.

All the regular characters, Hatsune Miku and her friends (Kagamine Len and Rin, Megurine Luka, Meiko and Kaito), go on diffrent adventures and take on diffrent roles as you progress through each chapter.

One really cool thing about this is the way the chapters are set up, called songs, which matches up with the theme of using vocaloid characters as the focus of the story.

This story also has a lot of cameos from other recognized and popular characters within the Vocaloid community, such as Vocaloid Kamui Gakupo, Fanloids Akita Neru and Yowane Haku and the very popular Utau Miracle Diva, Kasane Teto. They all play into the story very well and in the same funny and charming way Miku and her other leads do.

It's a very fun read for sure, and definitely something to eat up if your a long time or new Vocaloid Fan!

_______________________________________________

Song 3: Conclusion And personal thoughts Mix

To be honest, I really liked this. It's not particularly the best thing in the world, but it hits me with a special kind of nostalgia, in the same way Tokyo Mew Mew does for me. I enjoyed this a lot being a long vocaloid fan myself and it's a pretty digestible and quick read if you want something to keep you busy while you wait on deciding on a more focused narrative it might be next you wanna tackle.

I'd rate this a good 7.5/10 (as you've probably already seen), just because it's extremely easy going of a read, though most likely won't capture just anyone's attention overall. It's fanfare at its finest, and again, a fun read especially for Hatsune Miku fanatics and vocaloid lovers.

That concludes today's review! I hope you take some time, maybe consider if you wanna take a gander at the Unofficial Hatsune Mix. I hope you have a great day and keep on reading!!

_______________________________________________

MatsudaQko 2023

#manga review #manga and stuff #manga blog #manga blogger #hatsune miku #kei garou #MatsudaQko #unofficial Hatsune mix #vocaloid #manga

[inspector-constable]

Okay, I finally watched Bright Young Things. Obviously I loved our precious Miles (the best character) and there was a lot of fun and color and things to enjoy, but...

What the hell happened in that movie?

Can someone please explain?

Why did that girl have to drive the car and what made her go crazy?

What was the whole point of the main character's journey?

Why did he keep selling and buying a HUMAN WOMAN from David Tennant

Was it supposed to be romantic???

HELP?????

#bright young things #michael sheen #david tennant #movie review #to be fair i may have watched an “unofficial” version that was subtitled in spanish #there were maybe 4 pixels per frame and i dont speak spanish #it was fun though

[authortango]

💫

Hi hi! thank you for the ask, I've been wanting to talk about books in general more. :3

💫 last book you read

The last book I read was actually Spitfire from tumblr's @mayakern !! It was so good, it had phenomenal worldbuilding, where we got to learn about the different governmental structures and their relationships with each other. The main plot of the book is that Prince Caederyn, from Nadara, accepts the proposal of Princess Allene from Voswain, much to Feon's, his bonded dragon, despair and chagrine. There's this whole struggle for Caed and Feon about figuring out who you are and how to love, and there's a lot of romance/really mostly smut (it's really good). Allene tries to help them but ultimately they have to figure it out for themselves. Allene's main conflict is trying to figure out who attempted to assassinate her and Caed on their way back to Nadara for their wedding, so there's a little side mystery.

Anyway I highly recommend ordering it from Maya's Amazon page and reading it immediately, I need more people to read this book.

#spitfire #maya kern #last book i read #yeah I'm still not over this book #maya kern here is my very messy unofficial review #best books of 2022 #favorite book this year

[f1]

Formula 1 Drive to Survive: The Unofficial Companion reviewed | F1 reviews

Whatever your views on Drive to Survive, it has utterly transformed interest levels in Formula 1. Many of us have colleagues who previously showed zero interest in the sport who now watch occasionally, drawn in by the personalities and drama of the Netflix smash hit. It is therefore no surprise that the cash-ins are starting to appear and, as is the always the case, of somewhat mixed quality. Guenther Steiner’s book (reviewed here previously), from the excerpts I’ve seen, is a crime against language – foking terrible – whilst the slew of celebrity F1 podcasts must surely be getting close to diminishing returns. Into the mix comes Drive to Survive The Unofficial Companion by Stuart Codling. A journalist with a renowned track record, most recently Codling has penned photograph-led coffee table books such as Art of the Formula 1 Race Car. The Unofficial Companion isn’t quite the book I was expecting: It’s more a primer and potted history of the sport than a direct tie-in to the Netflix series. As you’d anticipate it is solid stuff, with decent sections on the great cars, circuits, rules et cetera interspersed with smaller articles on key incidents in the sport’s history. Unlike many recent F1 history books there is extensive acknowledgement of life before the 2000s. The editorial selections are well-crafted, covering a lot of ground in not too many pages. Feature: Netflix’s ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive” season five: Spoiler-free review But I don’t really know who this book is for. My friends and colleagues who got into the sport through Drive to Survive would no doubt be more interested in something that told the full story behind each episode or focused more on the personalities who’ve been introduced through the series. It feels like a missed opportunity not to link more directly to the incidents shown in Drive to Survive. Less of a ‘companion’ to the series, more a potted history of its subject. My other gripe is that the book is priced at £22, but in layout and content is closer to a ‘bookazine’. At £10 on a supermarket or airport newsagent shelf this would be cracking value. But it is easy to be sniffy – when I was discovering American football and cycling through Channel 4’s television coverage I was crying out for books like this. For new fans to F1 there are far, far worse primers out there. RaceFans rating Read all the RaceFans book reviews. “Formula 1 Drive to Survive: The Unofficial Companion” Author: Stuart Codling Publisher: Motorbooks Published: 2023 Pages: 192 Price: £22 ISBN: 9780760380673 Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free Reviews Browse all Reviews via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/

#F1 #“Formula 1 Drive to Survive: The Unofficial Companion” reviewed | F1 reviews #Formula 1

[astramachina]

trans horror just hits different, but there's something about cosmic horror specifically, when helmed by a trans protagonist at the hands of an author who knows what they're doing, that can leave you speechless.

i can name very few books, if any, that have managed to make me cry while the protagonist is having that brief reprieve amidst the madness. there's been a tiny dagger nicking away at my bones from the moment this book started and i immediately thought to myself "this character is transgender, i don't care what anyone says", only for the other shoe to drop 60% into the story and i'm left standing there, fork in hand, pasta bubbling away on the stove as sniffle like a baby. that dagger is now wedged deep in my heart and with no way to stanch the bleeding it's just going to have to stay there until the muscle heals around it.

cosmic horror, defined as being the fear of the unknown, navigated by a character who has already battled and won against their own microcosmic unknown? the horrors can no longer touch them, therefore they must fight to keep the only people that matter from succumbing to madness because they are practically immune?

oh so you ripped apart pangea, scarring the planet to make a home for you and your offspring? get a load of those same scars upon my body, which i did to bring myself life, bitch. oh so you are the great devourer of all of time and space but motherfucker i will clamp my teeth around your nonphysical form and bite down and emerge unscathed? no markings you leave upon my body will hold as much power as the ones i chose.

brother, i'm never going to recover from this one.

#unofficial review for a book i haven't even finished yet #i'm SO happy to hear the sequel dropped a couple of weeks ago. #i'm not the same person who pressed play on this audiobook last night. it's been AGES since i've picked up something i couldn't put down. #give this woman every award on the planet right fucking now. #not dropping her name because she's very active on tumblr and i don't want to make a fool of myself sdlkfjhsdfsdf #reading tag