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Magic Mutants #1
Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl
Fight like a magical girl in this paperback original contemporary fantasy in which a Harajuku fashionista battles mutants—and social anxiety—by teaming up with an elite group of outcasts. Perfect for those obsessed with the technicolor worlds of Sailor Moon, The Umbrella Academy, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Book One of the Magic Mutants Trilogy.
Holly Roads uses Harajuku fashion to distract herself from tragedy. Her magical girl aesthetic makes her feel beautiful—and it keeps the world at arm's length. She's an island of one, until advice from an amateur psychic expands her universe. A midnight detour ends with her vs. exploding mutants in the heart of San Francisco.
Brush with destiny? Check. Waking up with blue blood, emotions gone haywire, and terrifying strength that starts ripping her wardrobe to shreds? Totally not cute. Hunting monsters with a hot new partner and his unlikely family of mad scientists?
Way more than she bargained for.
Holly Roads uses Harajuku fashion to distract herself from tragedy. Her magical girl aesthetic makes her feel beautiful—and it keeps the world at arm's length. She's an island of one, until advice from an amateur psychic expands her universe. A midnight detour ends with her vs. exploding mutants in the heart of San Francisco.
Brush with destiny? Check. Waking up with blue blood, emotions gone haywire, and terrifying strength that starts ripping her wardrobe to shreds? Totally not cute. Hunting monsters with a hot new partner and his unlikely family of mad scientists?
Way more than she bargained for.
290 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2021
3 people are currently reading
997 people want to read
About the author
Erin Grammar
1 book33 followersErin Grammar writes about horrible things happening to good people—while looking as cute as humanly possible. When she isn’t working on her latest novel, she likes to hunt for gemstones and Hello Kitty collectibles, spend time with her family (including two real and very demanding cats), craft, watch horror movies, and style wigs big enough to hold tons of secrets.
She lives in Southern California because she’s an actual lizard, and without constant heat she’ll die. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @eringrammar
She lives in Southern California because she’s an actual lizard, and without constant heat she’ll die. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @eringrammar
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
March 8, 2021
2.5 stars
I am a massive fan of the MCU and Sailor Moon, so as soon as I heard about this, I jumped at the chance to request the ARC. This book ticked off so many of my favorite themes and tropes. Superheroes and mutants? Gory horror? Found family trope? Tick, tick, tick! That being said, it pains me to rate this book so low. But keep in mind, 2.5 stars is not a bad rating! I did not enjoy this as much as I anticipated.
The writing was readable and fast-paced. I liked the descriptions of the clothes Holly wore and the way she described her lifestyle. I got a good insight into the Lolita fashion world which was enlightening. Despite the readable writing style and lovely descriptions, I personally did not gel with some of it. Some of the paragraphs lacked flow and there were a couple of info dumps that slowed down the pacing.
In terms of the plot, the beginning was so confusing because we are thrust straight into the action without explanation. However, this may be intentional as we are following Holly’s perspective. I was basically as clueless as she was. The world-building was really easy to follow after I got my bearings.
I found it difficult to relate to Holly at times because she came off as rude and self-centered. She made impulsive decisions and would jump straight into the fray without thinking everything through. I do love flawed characters but I found most of her actions rather frustrating.
By the end of the novel, I am glad she got character development and I am hopeful that she will continue to grow. It was heartwarming to see her open up to the rest of the crew despite her hesitation.
Like many other reviewers have pointed out, Holly made assumptions regarding Brannon’s sexuality based on a “feminine tattoo” he possessed and she kept entertaining the idea that he and Nuñez are together. This did not sit right with me because assuming someone’s sexuality reinforces stereotypes that are really harmful to the queer community. This came out of left field because Holly is part of the LGBTQ+ community and should know better than to push a sexuality onto someone without clarification.
Overall, I am incredibly disappointed by this but I am still interested in reading the sequel.
(Note, this is an ARC so there may be changes to the final manuscript)
Thank you to Midnight Tide Publishing and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I am a massive fan of the MCU and Sailor Moon, so as soon as I heard about this, I jumped at the chance to request the ARC. This book ticked off so many of my favorite themes and tropes. Superheroes and mutants? Gory horror? Found family trope? Tick, tick, tick! That being said, it pains me to rate this book so low. But keep in mind, 2.5 stars is not a bad rating! I did not enjoy this as much as I anticipated.
The writing was readable and fast-paced. I liked the descriptions of the clothes Holly wore and the way she described her lifestyle. I got a good insight into the Lolita fashion world which was enlightening. Despite the readable writing style and lovely descriptions, I personally did not gel with some of it. Some of the paragraphs lacked flow and there were a couple of info dumps that slowed down the pacing.
In terms of the plot, the beginning was so confusing because we are thrust straight into the action without explanation. However, this may be intentional as we are following Holly’s perspective. I was basically as clueless as she was. The world-building was really easy to follow after I got my bearings.
I found it difficult to relate to Holly at times because she came off as rude and self-centered. She made impulsive decisions and would jump straight into the fray without thinking everything through. I do love flawed characters but I found most of her actions rather frustrating.
By the end of the novel, I am glad she got character development and I am hopeful that she will continue to grow. It was heartwarming to see her open up to the rest of the crew despite her hesitation.
Like many other reviewers have pointed out, Holly made assumptions regarding Brannon’s sexuality based on a “feminine tattoo” he possessed and she kept entertaining the idea that he and Nuñez are together. This did not sit right with me because assuming someone’s sexuality reinforces stereotypes that are really harmful to the queer community. This came out of left field because Holly is part of the LGBTQ+ community and should know better than to push a sexuality onto someone without clarification.
Overall, I am incredibly disappointed by this but I am still interested in reading the sequel.
(Note, this is an ARC so there may be changes to the final manuscript)
Thank you to Midnight Tide Publishing and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 1, 2021
AUTHOR'S NOTE + CONTENT WARNINGS + P.S. IT'S BOOK ONE OF THREE
This author's note is particularly close to my heart, because I wrote MMNG despite the incredible odds. I wanted to create a book for misfits, for angry girls in pastel dresses dragging their way through the world with claws and teeth. A book about magic and science and having too many feelings with nowhere to put them. It's my love letter to my #Ownvoices struggle with social anxiety, magical girls, Sam Raimi-style camp and horror, and everyone who's ever felt like they don't quite belong.
It's a celebration of outrageous, uncompromising femininity in the face of crushing cosmic circumstances, a big middle finger to the concept of choosing between beauty and strength. Holly clings to the clothes that inspire her and thousands of others worldwide, her favorite Japanese fashions like Gothic Lolita and Fairy Kei, because they give her the power to be herself. And I want this book to inspire readers everywhere to hold onto whatever gives them power.
I wanted to write a diverse cast of uniquely human individuals with real flaws. People who hurt each other and are selfish and distracted, scared and grieving, who make such colossal mistakes, but are also so heavy, so real that they stick to your bones. A found family that loves each other despite their differences, even if they can't wholly love themselves. MMNG is for everyone trying (and looking) their best, for everyone imperfect and longing for a destiny that seems both intangible and all-consuming. For everyone searching for the hearts to call home.
And, just so everyone know -- :)
MAGIC MUTANT NIGHTMARE GIRL IS VERY, INCREDIBLY, INCANDESCENTLY GAY!!!!
Holly, in particular, is BI AF. The main cast includes queer representation for Black, Asian, Mexican-American, Cherokee, and Native Hawaiian characters who are unapologetically messy, love each other beyond measure, and make absolutely terrible life-choices.
I can't wait for everyone to meet them!
CONTENT WARNINGS: Grief, depression, parental death, anxiety (especially thought spirals and overthinking), bullying/harassment, mild gore and medical body horror, mention of violence-related PTSD, brief underage drinking, mention of drug use. I'll update these in the future based on observations from reviewers.
Thank you so much!
Updated 2/1/2021: Brief mention of organized crime, romantic crush (not acted upon) with slight age gap, and mistaken identity surrounding sexual orientation--not demonized or judged negatively in any way, only mentioned. I've tried to approach these subjects with as much sensitivity and care as possible through the lens of a somewhat unreliable narrator, but please be advised and take care of yourself if you find such content triggering.
This author's note is particularly close to my heart, because I wrote MMNG despite the incredible odds. I wanted to create a book for misfits, for angry girls in pastel dresses dragging their way through the world with claws and teeth. A book about magic and science and having too many feelings with nowhere to put them. It's my love letter to my #Ownvoices struggle with social anxiety, magical girls, Sam Raimi-style camp and horror, and everyone who's ever felt like they don't quite belong.
It's a celebration of outrageous, uncompromising femininity in the face of crushing cosmic circumstances, a big middle finger to the concept of choosing between beauty and strength. Holly clings to the clothes that inspire her and thousands of others worldwide, her favorite Japanese fashions like Gothic Lolita and Fairy Kei, because they give her the power to be herself. And I want this book to inspire readers everywhere to hold onto whatever gives them power.
I wanted to write a diverse cast of uniquely human individuals with real flaws. People who hurt each other and are selfish and distracted, scared and grieving, who make such colossal mistakes, but are also so heavy, so real that they stick to your bones. A found family that loves each other despite their differences, even if they can't wholly love themselves. MMNG is for everyone trying (and looking) their best, for everyone imperfect and longing for a destiny that seems both intangible and all-consuming. For everyone searching for the hearts to call home.
And, just so everyone know -- :)
MAGIC MUTANT NIGHTMARE GIRL IS VERY, INCREDIBLY, INCANDESCENTLY GAY!!!!
Holly, in particular, is BI AF. The main cast includes queer representation for Black, Asian, Mexican-American, Cherokee, and Native Hawaiian characters who are unapologetically messy, love each other beyond measure, and make absolutely terrible life-choices.
I can't wait for everyone to meet them!
CONTENT WARNINGS: Grief, depression, parental death, anxiety (especially thought spirals and overthinking), bullying/harassment, mild gore and medical body horror, mention of violence-related PTSD, brief underage drinking, mention of drug use. I'll update these in the future based on observations from reviewers.
Thank you so much!
Updated 2/1/2021: Brief mention of organized crime, romantic crush (not acted upon) with slight age gap, and mistaken identity surrounding sexual orientation--not demonized or judged negatively in any way, only mentioned. I've tried to approach these subjects with as much sensitivity and care as possible through the lens of a somewhat unreliable narrator, but please be advised and take care of yourself if you find such content triggering.
August 18, 2021
Free eARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
A bisexual girl who accidentally gets turned into a mutant after an encounter with someone’s experiment gone wrong sounds like a cool concept, right? And it sounds even better if this leads to her finding a queer found family that need her help hunting a rogue mutant… except the writing is jarring to read, the characters are one-dimensional and sometimes straight up insufferable, and the book has other problems galore.
In the beginning it was really fun to read about Holly’s obsession with Lolita fashion. She’s incredibly proud of her taste in fashion and isn’t shy to defend it, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, that’s also about the only thing I liked about her. When she first meets Brannon, the guy that first introduces her to the company that has been experimenting with mutants, she is completely obsessed with his ~hotness~, but also finds him a massive asshole, which he kind of is. When she sees that he has a “feminine” tattoo design on his back she immediately jumps to the conclusion that he must be queer and in love with his partner and best friend, Nuñez, and she can’t let this go. She obsesses over their “relationship” non-stop, and eventually lets it slip that she is sure they’re in a relationship when they… aren’t. For me this was the first sign that I was dealing with a protagonist I wouldn’t like because truly this makes no sense. Perhaps I would’ve accepted this if Holly was a straight girl who eventually grows to learn that you can’t make these kinds of assumptions based on stereotypes, but she is a queer girl herself and really should know better. She’s also incredibly impulsive and never listens to people who know better than her, which makes her come across as immature and annoying. Her actions often make no sense, and while I understand that she is proud of her fashion taste, it really goes too far if she’s concerned about her dress being dirty when lives are being threatened.
The plot was fine, I guess. Running around the city looking for a rogue mutant was interesting enough to keep me reading, but I never truly got sucked into the story. The villain that shows up in the last 10% of the book is your stereotypical evil scientist. The story comments on common tropes in superhero/mutant/etc. stories several times but follows them anyway for some reason. The action scenes were fun, but there wasn’t nearly enough action to actually be a fun superhero-esque story. Instead, we get bonding moments between Holly and the members of N.E.R.D.S., a secret government agency focused on… what actually? Honestly, it never quite became clear to me what they did except for experimenting on animals with the substance that turned Holly into a mutant. Most of the characters are quite forgettable, and they honestly felt like they were meant to complete a diversity checklist rather than being actual people with their own lives outside of this story.
And, speaking of diversity, I feel like this book had some problems when it comes to representation. A Cherokee characters is described to have to have skin colored like clay and coffee? I thought it was clear by now that food items aren’t to be used as descriptors of POC’s skintones. There is one Mexican-American character, and he is the one character that has a past involving crime and drugs, which seemed iffy to me as I’ve been told that’s a harmful stereotype associated with Latinx people. As a white person I’m definitely going to be watching out for reviews by POC to see what they have to say about these things, but I think it’s good to be aware that they are present and could potentially be hurtful.
All in all, a massive disappointment for me. I was looking for a fun story about queer found family and a kick-ass heroine but got unlikable characters and many problems instead. Unfortunately it’s gonna be 2 stars from me.
Content warnings:
A bisexual girl who accidentally gets turned into a mutant after an encounter with someone’s experiment gone wrong sounds like a cool concept, right? And it sounds even better if this leads to her finding a queer found family that need her help hunting a rogue mutant… except the writing is jarring to read, the characters are one-dimensional and sometimes straight up insufferable, and the book has other problems galore.
In the beginning it was really fun to read about Holly’s obsession with Lolita fashion. She’s incredibly proud of her taste in fashion and isn’t shy to defend it, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, that’s also about the only thing I liked about her. When she first meets Brannon, the guy that first introduces her to the company that has been experimenting with mutants, she is completely obsessed with his ~hotness~, but also finds him a massive asshole, which he kind of is. When she sees that he has a “feminine” tattoo design on his back she immediately jumps to the conclusion that he must be queer and in love with his partner and best friend, Nuñez, and she can’t let this go. She obsesses over their “relationship” non-stop, and eventually lets it slip that she is sure they’re in a relationship when they… aren’t. For me this was the first sign that I was dealing with a protagonist I wouldn’t like because truly this makes no sense. Perhaps I would’ve accepted this if Holly was a straight girl who eventually grows to learn that you can’t make these kinds of assumptions based on stereotypes, but she is a queer girl herself and really should know better. She’s also incredibly impulsive and never listens to people who know better than her, which makes her come across as immature and annoying. Her actions often make no sense, and while I understand that she is proud of her fashion taste, it really goes too far if she’s concerned about her dress being dirty when lives are being threatened.
The plot was fine, I guess. Running around the city looking for a rogue mutant was interesting enough to keep me reading, but I never truly got sucked into the story. The villain that shows up in the last 10% of the book is your stereotypical evil scientist. The story comments on common tropes in superhero/mutant/etc. stories several times but follows them anyway for some reason. The action scenes were fun, but there wasn’t nearly enough action to actually be a fun superhero-esque story. Instead, we get bonding moments between Holly and the members of N.E.R.D.S., a secret government agency focused on… what actually? Honestly, it never quite became clear to me what they did except for experimenting on animals with the substance that turned Holly into a mutant. Most of the characters are quite forgettable, and they honestly felt like they were meant to complete a diversity checklist rather than being actual people with their own lives outside of this story.
And, speaking of diversity, I feel like this book had some problems when it comes to representation. A Cherokee characters is described to have to have skin colored like clay and coffee? I thought it was clear by now that food items aren’t to be used as descriptors of POC’s skintones. There is one Mexican-American character, and he is the one character that has a past involving crime and drugs, which seemed iffy to me as I’ve been told that’s a harmful stereotype associated with Latinx people. As a white person I’m definitely going to be watching out for reviews by POC to see what they have to say about these things, but I think it’s good to be aware that they are present and could potentially be hurtful.
All in all, a massive disappointment for me. I was looking for a fun story about queer found family and a kick-ass heroine but got unlikable characters and many problems instead. Unfortunately it’s gonna be 2 stars from me.
Content warnings:
April 20, 2021
This book instantly sounded intriguing to me when I heard about it on Twitter, and the cover definitely grabs your attention too. I was really anticipating its release and was happy when my library got a copy. At first, I kept seeing a ton of great reviews and people being excited for it. After I started it and realized I was not loving it, I started to see more and more mixed reviews critiquing the same problems I was noticing. It had some fun moments, but there were quite a few aspects that I did not enjoy or like.
Erin Grammar’s Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl follows Holly Roads, a Harajuku fashionista, as her life completely changes after a confrontation with mutants. Holly survives this fight, only to wake up the next morning with blue blood and superhuman strength. In effort to search for a cure and hunt down the other mutants, she has no choice but to work with a guy named Michael Brannon and the rest of his team.
One of the main things I noticed right away about this book was the writing. It did not really blow me away. The pacing and flow were a little off throughout. This made certain things feel jumbled or out of place. The story was easy enough to follow, but I think certain things needed explored more while others needed clarification.
The characters here are meant to be flawed. The author wanted to write a story with flawed, messy characters who can be selfish and scared. In short, they make mistakes. I get that this is the point. However, some of this felt off. Holly makes mistakes, such as poor shaming and assuming someone’s sexuality based on stereotypes. She eventually goes on to admit that it was wrong to assume a character’s sexuality and vows to stop doing this, but I do not think this was handled very well.
With the characters, Grammar also talked about wanting to have a diverse cast. In terms of diversity, certain character descriptions rubbed me the wrong way. The author seemed to be trying to cover their bases in terms of representation, but this felt superficial. Another one of the main things that seemed weird was that a Mexican-American character’s backstory was tied to drugs and crime. The Asian characters were also made out to be mystical psychics. Others have pointed this out as well in their reviews because it feels like the author is relying on stereotypes. I understand that Holly and the other characters are meant to be messy, unreliable, and flawed and that the author had intentions to create a diverse cast. However, I felt like this was done with poor execution, and it still does not excuse the kinds of stereotypes and cliches the author may be perpetuating here.
To end on a more positive, there were still some things I liked about this book. It has ownvoices social anxiety representation. I also appreciated how Grammar included the found family trope and also touched on topics like family, grief, and toxic masculinity. I liked how a lot of the characters were a part of the lgbtq+ community too.
Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl was a let down for me. I was genuinely so excited to read it just based off the premise alone. This book had such potential, but I ended up not really loving the direction the author took this book in. I am very conflicted about it because some aspects were done really well and sets up nicely for the sequel, but there were still so many things that hindered my enjoyment overall. It is hard to say how the author meant for things to be taken, but it is worth noting that a lot of it seems to be based on harmful stereotypes.
*Content warning: grief, depression, parental death (off page), social anxiety, bullying, harassment, mild gore and medical body horror, violence-related PTSD, romantic crush with age gap, mentions of organized crime and substance abuse, mistaken identity surrounding sexual orientation*
Erin Grammar’s Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl follows Holly Roads, a Harajuku fashionista, as her life completely changes after a confrontation with mutants. Holly survives this fight, only to wake up the next morning with blue blood and superhuman strength. In effort to search for a cure and hunt down the other mutants, she has no choice but to work with a guy named Michael Brannon and the rest of his team.
One of the main things I noticed right away about this book was the writing. It did not really blow me away. The pacing and flow were a little off throughout. This made certain things feel jumbled or out of place. The story was easy enough to follow, but I think certain things needed explored more while others needed clarification.
The characters here are meant to be flawed. The author wanted to write a story with flawed, messy characters who can be selfish and scared. In short, they make mistakes. I get that this is the point. However, some of this felt off. Holly makes mistakes, such as poor shaming and assuming someone’s sexuality based on stereotypes. She eventually goes on to admit that it was wrong to assume a character’s sexuality and vows to stop doing this, but I do not think this was handled very well.
With the characters, Grammar also talked about wanting to have a diverse cast. In terms of diversity, certain character descriptions rubbed me the wrong way. The author seemed to be trying to cover their bases in terms of representation, but this felt superficial. Another one of the main things that seemed weird was that a Mexican-American character’s backstory was tied to drugs and crime. The Asian characters were also made out to be mystical psychics. Others have pointed this out as well in their reviews because it feels like the author is relying on stereotypes. I understand that Holly and the other characters are meant to be messy, unreliable, and flawed and that the author had intentions to create a diverse cast. However, I felt like this was done with poor execution, and it still does not excuse the kinds of stereotypes and cliches the author may be perpetuating here.
To end on a more positive, there were still some things I liked about this book. It has ownvoices social anxiety representation. I also appreciated how Grammar included the found family trope and also touched on topics like family, grief, and toxic masculinity. I liked how a lot of the characters were a part of the lgbtq+ community too.
Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl was a let down for me. I was genuinely so excited to read it just based off the premise alone. This book had such potential, but I ended up not really loving the direction the author took this book in. I am very conflicted about it because some aspects were done really well and sets up nicely for the sequel, but there were still so many things that hindered my enjoyment overall. It is hard to say how the author meant for things to be taken, but it is worth noting that a lot of it seems to be based on harmful stereotypes.
*Content warning: grief, depression, parental death (off page), social anxiety, bullying, harassment, mild gore and medical body horror, violence-related PTSD, romantic crush with age gap, mentions of organized crime and substance abuse, mistaken identity surrounding sexual orientation*
February 16, 2021
Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl is a stunning debut novel that drew me in from the first page and had me clinging to the edge of my seat as it drew to a close! The novel follows Holly, Lolita fashion enthusiast who, on the night of her birthday after coming across two bizarre looking brutes, ends up with superhuman strength after one of them explodes all over her!
From the get go I was so intrigued by the plot! As I'm sure you all know from my raving reviews of the Cute Mutants series, I'm a huge fan of anything mutant/X-Men related, and I loved this take on superhuman abilities! I really enjoyed Holly as a main character and I loved her personality and love of Lolita fashion; it made for a really unique read that was not only entertaining, but also so informative for someone like me who has only ever admired the style from the outside! The 'queerness' of this story was also something that I really loved - almost every character of note in the series is queer: Holly is bisexual and there are other lesbian, bi/pan and nonbinary characters, as well as characters on the ace spectrum, and there is very little romance in this book too!
This book is so action packed that there is never a dull moment throughout. I know that if I had picked this up when I was younger (during my Jane Blonde/W.I.T.C.H/Winx Club/Totally Spies/Trollz phase) I would have ate this book up - it would definitely have immediately become a new favourite of mine! The only reason I docked a star is just because the writing style didn't fully gel with me, but I know that it'll work for so many other people. I also know that there are quite a few changes between the ARC and the final copy, so when I finally get my hands on a gorgeous physical copy, there is still a high chance that my rating will go up as a result of this editing, so bear that in mind while reading my review!
Overall, I had such a great time reading this and I can't wait for everyone else to get to read this fun, whimsical and action-packed debut!
Thanks to Netgalley and Midnight Tide Publishing for an eARC copy in return for an honest review! I am also part of the street team for this release, but this did not affect my review and all thoughts are my own!
From the get go I was so intrigued by the plot! As I'm sure you all know from my raving reviews of the Cute Mutants series, I'm a huge fan of anything mutant/X-Men related, and I loved this take on superhuman abilities! I really enjoyed Holly as a main character and I loved her personality and love of Lolita fashion; it made for a really unique read that was not only entertaining, but also so informative for someone like me who has only ever admired the style from the outside! The 'queerness' of this story was also something that I really loved - almost every character of note in the series is queer: Holly is bisexual and there are other lesbian, bi/pan and nonbinary characters, as well as characters on the ace spectrum, and there is very little romance in this book too!
This book is so action packed that there is never a dull moment throughout. I know that if I had picked this up when I was younger (during my Jane Blonde/W.I.T.C.H/Winx Club/Totally Spies/Trollz phase) I would have ate this book up - it would definitely have immediately become a new favourite of mine! The only reason I docked a star is just because the writing style didn't fully gel with me, but I know that it'll work for so many other people. I also know that there are quite a few changes between the ARC and the final copy, so when I finally get my hands on a gorgeous physical copy, there is still a high chance that my rating will go up as a result of this editing, so bear that in mind while reading my review!
Overall, I had such a great time reading this and I can't wait for everyone else to get to read this fun, whimsical and action-packed debut!
Thanks to Netgalley and Midnight Tide Publishing for an eARC copy in return for an honest review! I am also part of the street team for this release, but this did not affect my review and all thoughts are my own!
Want to read
December 14, 2020this had me at "a Harajuku fashionista battles mutants and social anxiety"
April 5, 2021
MAGIC MUTANT NIGHTMARE GIRL promised to be a mashup of magical girl anime and superhero stories, with an LGBT angle and a heroine with anxiety.
What it was, was... some of that.
I have to admit, I picked this book up with the idea that EITHER I would love it, OR, I could “take one for the team” and call out the cultural appropriation that I was half afraid this was going to be. I... don’t really think it was that. The book is pretty clearly about a white American girl who likes Lolita fashion, and actually doesn’t borrow much from magical girl anime at all, story-wise. It feels much more like a typical American superhero story which... are hit and miss for me in general, if I’m honest. I love me some Tim Burton Batman, some Sam Raimi Spider-man, but I’m not exactly a fan of everything the genre puts out.
I was expecting more of an anime influence, and I didn’t get that... plot-wise, this is very much a Western-style superhero story.
The LGBT angle, I thought was well done. The main character, Holly, is bi, and she reads as pretty authentic to me. There are multiple other queer characters and they feel pretty much “right”. I was definitely satisfied in that regard.
Ethnic diversity was kind of a different thing... I don’t really think this had much *cultural appropriation* per se, since it was pretty upfront about not actually being Japanese culture, but the characters of color were.... eh. We’ve got three actually Asian characters, one of whom is a doctor and two of whom are kind of “mystical Asian” psychics. And the one Latinx character is the one with a background involving drug lords. I’m sure this wasn’t intentional, but that’s kind of a lot of stereotyping.
I didn’t really feel connected to Holly as a heroine with anxiety at all, and that especially saddens me because I LOVE to see myself in anxious characters. In fact, she sort of seemed.... like an asshole. There were a lot of connected issues here. First of all, Holly was the giant YA stereotype of an emancipated minor (or was she even a minor? I thought she was 18 and out of high school? Sort of not sure how this got called YA at all, honestly.) She was rich because her parents had died and left her everything. But her parents... were farmers from Ohio? I dunno, if I died tomorrow and left my kids everything I owned, they.... definitely wouldn’t be RICH. I’m not entirely sure how “farmers die in Ohio” leads to “daughter lives in rich neighborhood wearing $600 dresses EVERY DAY in San Francisco”... but OK, fine, if the character had been sympathetic I’d have looked behind that. I definitely think the author was going (a little too hard) for, “She’s sympathetic even though she’s rich through no real merit of her own because her parents are dead.” But. We don’t really get to SEE that trauma, and we don’t get to SEE the social anxiety, and so what we get is a rich, judgmental girl with no friends. And... that’s not very sympathetic.
One of the things I was really hoping to get from this book was an insight into Lolita culture. I was never really into the Lolita scene, although I was very, VERY into visual kei, which is definitely adjacent. I actually think Lolita fashion is gorgeous, but going into ONE shop in Harajuku and getting ONE look at the price tags turned me off that pretty quickly. It’s INSANELY expensive to look the part, and yet we have the heroine of this book thinking things like this:
“The greasy hoard transfixed him by announcing their arrival in broken Japanese. They each wore a different version of the same off-brand black and white maid outfit and filthy converse shoes. The one in front sported a headband made of neon green and pink dreadlocks. It lit up with every step she took. Some misguided souls used meet-ups as live-action role-playing events, and it looked like she’d come dressed as the Empress of Anime.”
Like. Where do I start? Our “rich because her parents died” heroine isn’t REMOTELY sympathetic to people who WANT to be a part of her subculture but can’t afford the clothes she can. She calls them “greasy” and “filthy” and insults their Japanese, when as far as the reader knows the extent of HER Japanese is “kawaii (cute) sounds kinda like kowai (scary), ha ha ha.” She seems to revere Lolita “meet-ups” here, but quite clearly LOATHES the other girls who shows up at these things and seems to think remembering their names is beneath her. And how the fuck is “Empress of Anime” any different from “Empress of brand-name dresses”?
I really didn’t like this character, can you tell? Some of my WORST memories of both California and Tokyo are of being judged for not being rich enough so... there’s not really a lot you can do to get me behind someone with that attitude.
The “romance”, if you can call it that, was similarly off. I think the premise was SUPPOSED to be that the mutant serum that made Holly a “magical girl” also made her fall in insta-love with a hot guy who... pretends to be an FBI-ish agent but actually works for a superhero agency? And is 23 to her 18 (?? I THINK???), which I would not really have a problem with (age-wise, they’re both adults), except he SEEMS like a full-grown adult, and she seems like.... well, you saw that quote up there.
Yes, insta-love is one of my pet peeves. Yes, the author did give an in-universe reason for it. Those things kind of cancel each other out, but these characters... just seemed to HATE each other. There was zero chemistry between them, and Holly was just SUCH a jerk to Brannon that... I don’t want her to end up with him. I don’t want her to end up with anyone!
I did end up learning a little about Lolita vocabulary, mostly through the glossary, and I got a few little scripted speeches about how it’s actually an act of great feminism, but I don’t really feel like I UNDERSTAND it any more than I did going into the book... which is disappointing.
Still, I was going to give this book three stars up until the end, because I acknowledge that the poor-shaming stuff and the disappointment over this being more Marvel than Sailor Moon are personal preference things colored by my own experience.
But then the book just... ended. And it didn’t really have to. One of the major conflicts was SORT OF resolved, and if the author had just handled the ending a little differently, it COULD have read as “this immediate problem is resolved but OH CRAP there’s a bigger problem waiting for the sequel.” As it is, though, it was just a cliffhanger. With some ableist-feeling stuff about a character who.... has a tracheostomy? Maybe? Some kind of speech- and throat-related maybe-disability maybe-just-superhero-thing?
A cliffhanger, anyway. And the rest of the book was NOT enough to make me say “OMG yeah gotta pre-order the sequel.”
Overall, I’m sorry to say, this one was a disappointment.
What it was, was... some of that.
I have to admit, I picked this book up with the idea that EITHER I would love it, OR, I could “take one for the team” and call out the cultural appropriation that I was half afraid this was going to be. I... don’t really think it was that. The book is pretty clearly about a white American girl who likes Lolita fashion, and actually doesn’t borrow much from magical girl anime at all, story-wise. It feels much more like a typical American superhero story which... are hit and miss for me in general, if I’m honest. I love me some Tim Burton Batman, some Sam Raimi Spider-man, but I’m not exactly a fan of everything the genre puts out.
I was expecting more of an anime influence, and I didn’t get that... plot-wise, this is very much a Western-style superhero story.
The LGBT angle, I thought was well done. The main character, Holly, is bi, and she reads as pretty authentic to me. There are multiple other queer characters and they feel pretty much “right”. I was definitely satisfied in that regard.
Ethnic diversity was kind of a different thing... I don’t really think this had much *cultural appropriation* per se, since it was pretty upfront about not actually being Japanese culture, but the characters of color were.... eh. We’ve got three actually Asian characters, one of whom is a doctor and two of whom are kind of “mystical Asian” psychics. And the one Latinx character is the one with a background involving drug lords. I’m sure this wasn’t intentional, but that’s kind of a lot of stereotyping.
I didn’t really feel connected to Holly as a heroine with anxiety at all, and that especially saddens me because I LOVE to see myself in anxious characters. In fact, she sort of seemed.... like an asshole. There were a lot of connected issues here. First of all, Holly was the giant YA stereotype of an emancipated minor (or was she even a minor? I thought she was 18 and out of high school? Sort of not sure how this got called YA at all, honestly.) She was rich because her parents had died and left her everything. But her parents... were farmers from Ohio? I dunno, if I died tomorrow and left my kids everything I owned, they.... definitely wouldn’t be RICH. I’m not entirely sure how “farmers die in Ohio” leads to “daughter lives in rich neighborhood wearing $600 dresses EVERY DAY in San Francisco”... but OK, fine, if the character had been sympathetic I’d have looked behind that. I definitely think the author was going (a little too hard) for, “She’s sympathetic even though she’s rich through no real merit of her own because her parents are dead.” But. We don’t really get to SEE that trauma, and we don’t get to SEE the social anxiety, and so what we get is a rich, judgmental girl with no friends. And... that’s not very sympathetic.
One of the things I was really hoping to get from this book was an insight into Lolita culture. I was never really into the Lolita scene, although I was very, VERY into visual kei, which is definitely adjacent. I actually think Lolita fashion is gorgeous, but going into ONE shop in Harajuku and getting ONE look at the price tags turned me off that pretty quickly. It’s INSANELY expensive to look the part, and yet we have the heroine of this book thinking things like this:
“The greasy hoard transfixed him by announcing their arrival in broken Japanese. They each wore a different version of the same off-brand black and white maid outfit and filthy converse shoes. The one in front sported a headband made of neon green and pink dreadlocks. It lit up with every step she took. Some misguided souls used meet-ups as live-action role-playing events, and it looked like she’d come dressed as the Empress of Anime.”
Like. Where do I start? Our “rich because her parents died” heroine isn’t REMOTELY sympathetic to people who WANT to be a part of her subculture but can’t afford the clothes she can. She calls them “greasy” and “filthy” and insults their Japanese, when as far as the reader knows the extent of HER Japanese is “kawaii (cute) sounds kinda like kowai (scary), ha ha ha.” She seems to revere Lolita “meet-ups” here, but quite clearly LOATHES the other girls who shows up at these things and seems to think remembering their names is beneath her. And how the fuck is “Empress of Anime” any different from “Empress of brand-name dresses”?
I really didn’t like this character, can you tell? Some of my WORST memories of both California and Tokyo are of being judged for not being rich enough so... there’s not really a lot you can do to get me behind someone with that attitude.
The “romance”, if you can call it that, was similarly off. I think the premise was SUPPOSED to be that the mutant serum that made Holly a “magical girl” also made her fall in insta-love with a hot guy who... pretends to be an FBI-ish agent but actually works for a superhero agency? And is 23 to her 18 (?? I THINK???), which I would not really have a problem with (age-wise, they’re both adults), except he SEEMS like a full-grown adult, and she seems like.... well, you saw that quote up there.
Yes, insta-love is one of my pet peeves. Yes, the author did give an in-universe reason for it. Those things kind of cancel each other out, but these characters... just seemed to HATE each other. There was zero chemistry between them, and Holly was just SUCH a jerk to Brannon that... I don’t want her to end up with him. I don’t want her to end up with anyone!
I did end up learning a little about Lolita vocabulary, mostly through the glossary, and I got a few little scripted speeches about how it’s actually an act of great feminism, but I don’t really feel like I UNDERSTAND it any more than I did going into the book... which is disappointing.
Still, I was going to give this book three stars up until the end, because I acknowledge that the poor-shaming stuff and the disappointment over this being more Marvel than Sailor Moon are personal preference things colored by my own experience.
But then the book just... ended. And it didn’t really have to. One of the major conflicts was SORT OF resolved, and if the author had just handled the ending a little differently, it COULD have read as “this immediate problem is resolved but OH CRAP there’s a bigger problem waiting for the sequel.” As it is, though, it was just a cliffhanger. With some ableist-feeling stuff about a character who.... has a tracheostomy? Maybe? Some kind of speech- and throat-related maybe-disability maybe-just-superhero-thing?
A cliffhanger, anyway. And the rest of the book was NOT enough to make me say “OMG yeah gotta pre-order the sequel.”
Overall, I’m sorry to say, this one was a disappointment.
March 10, 2021
This was so much fun! Super excited to be participating in the street team too! #MutantsWearBlack
Holly loves Harajuku fashion, both for how it makes her look and feel as well as how it keeps the world at a slight distance. When her best friend's amateur psychic relative gives her unwarranted advice, a simple walk home through the San Francisco hills becomes much more. Holly survives the harrowing experience only to wake up with blue blood, apartment-ruining super strength, and a hot man knocking at her door asking about what happened the night before. Then she's pulled into Brannon's world complete with mad scientists, labs, and a bunch of people after them
Also, who's going to fix her bed?
This was such a fun ride! A quick and exciting read that has notes of some of my favorite superhero stories. Holly is a quick-witted and intense main character and I love that she loves and cares about fashion so much. I had a lot of fun learning about the Harajuku fashion mentioned in the book both on Holly and other characters. It was cool to see Holly kick ass while also looking exactly how she wanted to be seen. I thought Brannon and Nunez were both well fleshed out and intense in their own ways, and I'm excited to see more of their backstories in the future. After the ending, I can't wait to learn more about each of the characters (especially Liz) and find out what happens in the next installments. I'd also like to point out all the great rep that's present in this book!
Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl is a funny and fast-paced adventure of a book that opens a series I think many different kinds of readers will really love!
#MUTANTSWEARBLACK
*Thank you to the author for the copy of this book and in general for just being a really cool person!
Holly loves Harajuku fashion, both for how it makes her look and feel as well as how it keeps the world at a slight distance. When her best friend's amateur psychic relative gives her unwarranted advice, a simple walk home through the San Francisco hills becomes much more. Holly survives the harrowing experience only to wake up with blue blood, apartment-ruining super strength, and a hot man knocking at her door asking about what happened the night before. Then she's pulled into Brannon's world complete with mad scientists, labs, and a bunch of people after them
Also, who's going to fix her bed?
This was such a fun ride! A quick and exciting read that has notes of some of my favorite superhero stories. Holly is a quick-witted and intense main character and I love that she loves and cares about fashion so much. I had a lot of fun learning about the Harajuku fashion mentioned in the book both on Holly and other characters. It was cool to see Holly kick ass while also looking exactly how she wanted to be seen. I thought Brannon and Nunez were both well fleshed out and intense in their own ways, and I'm excited to see more of their backstories in the future. After the ending, I can't wait to learn more about each of the characters (especially Liz) and find out what happens in the next installments. I'd also like to point out all the great rep that's present in this book!
Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl is a funny and fast-paced adventure of a book that opens a series I think many different kinds of readers will really love!
#MUTANTSWEARBLACK
*Thank you to the author for the copy of this book and in general for just being a really cool person!
February 22, 2021
Overall, this could be a standalone, but I am interested in where the series would head because of our magical girl story.
Spoiler-free Review: https://amberinoface.wordpress.com/20...
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
Spoiler-free Review: https://amberinoface.wordpress.com/20...
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
January 21, 2021
just wasn't able to get through this one. but the cover is STUNNING. just not the best writing, characters or plot it was lacking in many areas.
February 25, 2021
Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl was a fun, fast-paced book with a lot of elements I really enjoyed. The vibes of the book were immaculate. I love the idea of a mutant magical girl with blue blood and super strength. It definitely has the superhero shenanigans feel to it. Holly was an interesting main character to follow along with. She's not the most likeable of people, often coming across as selfish, vain, and downright rude on occasion. I think it's important for characters to be allowed to be messy. Holly struggles with anxiety and the way she combats that is by hiding her true self away with pretty dresses and an attitude. I'm looking forward to how her character will develop later in the series. I also enjoyed how much queer representation there was. Although, I thought Holly assuming Brannon was gay because of a feminine tattoo and close relationship with another man was a bit out of character. Holly doesn't seem the type to stereotype sexuality and being bisexual she should know that a man who likes men isn't necessarily gay? I'm also not certain about Nuñez, the latinx character, having been involved in organised crime, specifically drug cartels. As the only latinx character so far, it feels a bit off. Regardless, I did have a lot of fun with this book and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
CW: grief, anxiety, gore, violence, death, parental death, depression, bullying/harassment, mild body horror, drinking, mention of drug use, age gap.
Thanks to TBR and Beyond Tours and the author for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for participating in the blog tour!
If you enjoy diverse sci-fi you should check out my Blog! You could also follow me on Twitter or Instagram.
CW: grief, anxiety, gore, violence, death, parental death, depression, bullying/harassment, mild body horror, drinking, mention of drug use, age gap.
Thanks to TBR and Beyond Tours and the author for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for participating in the blog tour!
If you enjoy diverse sci-fi you should check out my Blog! You could also follow me on Twitter or Instagram.
May 23, 2021
Sequel?!?
April 11, 2021
I got this eARC from Netgalley in exhange for a honest review
The cover was adorable, and the story sounded so good. But meh, i could not care less about Holly. Plus i disliked how she jumped to conclusion about Branndon and Nunez because of how they acted and because of Branndon`s tattoo wich was feminine? come on. I thought this was going to be soo good, but i was just left bored... I will not be picking up the next book.
The cover was adorable, and the story sounded so good. But meh, i could not care less about Holly. Plus i disliked how she jumped to conclusion about Branndon and Nunez because of how they acted and because of Branndon`s tattoo wich was feminine? come on. I thought this was going to be soo good, but i was just left bored... I will not be picking up the next book.
January 14, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I first saw the cover of Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl I was absolutely amazed by it. This book looked, without any further knowledge, already like a weird, little adventure. The synopsis sounded delightfully weird and made me love the fact that books like this can see the light of the world.
This book is about a girl that is strongly obsessed with Harajuku fashion to a degree that it´s the one big thing that makes her character. I really hoped to like Holly as she was bold and soft at the same time and, I think, she was announced as an unlikeable protagonist. This truly fits as there are a lot of things about Holly that aren´t that likeable. She is very self-obsessed with herself and often makes decisions that, for the reader, are at times a bit confusing. A thing that really vexed me was how she treated the team of N.E.R.D., especially Brannon, regarding their sexuality. Though I appreciate that this book tries to present a diverse cast, I absolutely didn´t like her making decisions over Brannon and how he presented himself and how that must mean that he was gay. I know that she wasn´t supposed to be mega likeable but that just didn´t sit right with me. And while we´re on the point of diversity – was I the only one who thought Nunez background, as the latinx character of the book, was a bit of a stereotype?
All in all, I think the relationships in this book could´ve used a bit more work. I never felt like Holly was really friends with any of them and while her connection to Brannon made me kind of uncomfortable most times, I felt like she didn´t really bond with any of the others. They all seemed like really interesting characters but I could really not get any feelings for them in the end and I struggled to finish the book on the last 70 pages because I didn´t really care that much.
What I liked was the way Holly´s experience with Lolita fashion was written. I don´t have much knowledge about Lolita fashion so it was really interesting to learn more about it and see how she uses this fashion to express herself. I think it´s a very interesting trait for a protagonist to have, especially as it´s this combination of a more feminine, soft fashion style with the harder, stronger mutant powers.
I think, though I haven´t enjoyed the first book much, that I want to still read further parts of this series. I hope that we see the characters bond more and the authors writing evolve more. It´s a really interesting story idea and I want to see more of the world but there are a few things I hope do not continue to be used in the next book.
When I first saw the cover of Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl I was absolutely amazed by it. This book looked, without any further knowledge, already like a weird, little adventure. The synopsis sounded delightfully weird and made me love the fact that books like this can see the light of the world.
This book is about a girl that is strongly obsessed with Harajuku fashion to a degree that it´s the one big thing that makes her character. I really hoped to like Holly as she was bold and soft at the same time and, I think, she was announced as an unlikeable protagonist. This truly fits as there are a lot of things about Holly that aren´t that likeable. She is very self-obsessed with herself and often makes decisions that, for the reader, are at times a bit confusing. A thing that really vexed me was how she treated the team of N.E.R.D., especially Brannon, regarding their sexuality. Though I appreciate that this book tries to present a diverse cast, I absolutely didn´t like her making decisions over Brannon and how he presented himself and how that must mean that he was gay. I know that she wasn´t supposed to be mega likeable but that just didn´t sit right with me. And while we´re on the point of diversity – was I the only one who thought Nunez background, as the latinx character of the book, was a bit of a stereotype?
All in all, I think the relationships in this book could´ve used a bit more work. I never felt like Holly was really friends with any of them and while her connection to Brannon made me kind of uncomfortable most times, I felt like she didn´t really bond with any of the others. They all seemed like really interesting characters but I could really not get any feelings for them in the end and I struggled to finish the book on the last 70 pages because I didn´t really care that much.
What I liked was the way Holly´s experience with Lolita fashion was written. I don´t have much knowledge about Lolita fashion so it was really interesting to learn more about it and see how she uses this fashion to express herself. I think it´s a very interesting trait for a protagonist to have, especially as it´s this combination of a more feminine, soft fashion style with the harder, stronger mutant powers.
I think, though I haven´t enjoyed the first book much, that I want to still read further parts of this series. I hope that we see the characters bond more and the authors writing evolve more. It´s a really interesting story idea and I want to see more of the world but there are a few things I hope do not continue to be used in the next book.
December 27, 2020
2/5 stars.
Content warnings: mild gore and body horror, mention of violence-related PTSD, mention of drug use, parental death.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
First off, the cover for this book is absolutely beautiful, and as someone who grew up loving animes with magical girls I really was drawn to this plot. The concept was super cool but unfortunately this did not live up to my expectations at all.
Holly, the main character, is obsessed with Harajuku fashion and uses that to express herself, and truly that was one of the only interesting things about her. Her obsession is really made evident when, after ruminating over her actions early on after getting her strange abilities, she laments over not being able to wear her dresses and fears that her dresses will be, god forbid, donated to charity. Holly seems very self-obsessed the majority of the book, and though there’s some character development, she still felt very flat as a main character.
Her love interest Brannon also felt pretty flat for a character, and I wasn’t invested in their relationship at all. Holly obsesses over him as well, despite butting heads with him a lot, and makes strange assumptions over his sexuality over stereotypes with him being “feminine”, and I really would have expected better from a bisexual character. The other characters seemed cool too but again there wasn’t much to them; I particularly liked Nunez especially after finding out his backstory, but that was plopped in the middle of the book out of nowhere and uses some harmful stereotypes about Latinx people which I wasn’t comfortable with and felt very cheap.
I wasn’t invested in the story, it was slow-paced and involved mostly running around, and Holly coming to weird decisions I didn’t understand, and so much of it was confusing. I still have no idea what N.E.R.Ds really is. I know that being the first book of a series it should mostly be build-up, but I would have appreciated some more action. I loved the chase scenes with the mutants, and the book started off with a bang when Holly developed her abilities but then slowed too much I was dragging my feet to finish.
Overall, not as great as I had hoped it would be and I’m not sure if I’ll be continuing with this series.
Content warnings: mild gore and body horror, mention of violence-related PTSD, mention of drug use, parental death.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
First off, the cover for this book is absolutely beautiful, and as someone who grew up loving animes with magical girls I really was drawn to this plot. The concept was super cool but unfortunately this did not live up to my expectations at all.
Holly, the main character, is obsessed with Harajuku fashion and uses that to express herself, and truly that was one of the only interesting things about her. Her obsession is really made evident when, after ruminating over her actions early on after getting her strange abilities, she laments over not being able to wear her dresses and fears that her dresses will be, god forbid, donated to charity. Holly seems very self-obsessed the majority of the book, and though there’s some character development, she still felt very flat as a main character.
Her love interest Brannon also felt pretty flat for a character, and I wasn’t invested in their relationship at all. Holly obsesses over him as well, despite butting heads with him a lot, and makes strange assumptions over his sexuality over stereotypes with him being “feminine”, and I really would have expected better from a bisexual character. The other characters seemed cool too but again there wasn’t much to them; I particularly liked Nunez especially after finding out his backstory, but that was plopped in the middle of the book out of nowhere and uses some harmful stereotypes about Latinx people which I wasn’t comfortable with and felt very cheap.
I wasn’t invested in the story, it was slow-paced and involved mostly running around, and Holly coming to weird decisions I didn’t understand, and so much of it was confusing. I still have no idea what N.E.R.Ds really is. I know that being the first book of a series it should mostly be build-up, but I would have appreciated some more action. I loved the chase scenes with the mutants, and the book started off with a bang when Holly developed her abilities but then slowed too much I was dragging my feet to finish.
Overall, not as great as I had hoped it would be and I’m not sure if I’ll be continuing with this series.
Read
March 27, 2024Cute and chaotic, Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl is a fun mix for those who love X-Men, Puella Madoka Magica Girls, and fashion. The author knows what she’s talking about when it comes to Lolita fashion and its superhero action and dorky magical girl dream scenario is one I wished I had in middle school.
I think this story definitely reads on the younger side so I am a bit too old to fully connect with the writing, since some of the themes and actions are a bit heavy handed in its “showing” and explaining, but I can see younger teens enjoying this, especially since when I was a kid I didn’t really have a book about cutesy supergirls. It reads almost like a classic magical girl manga— you can really see where the author draws inspiration from.
What’s interesting about the story is that the author admittedly makes the characters extremely flawed and imperfect despite the ribbons and bows of their lives: the main character, Holly, often makes harsh assumptions about people and is rough around the edges which is an interesting contrast to the bright pink world it draws inspiration from.
The author, as mentioned, appears very well versed in the world of Harajuku fashion, which I enjoyed, though it often is explained in ways that don’t flow too naturally. I will say that it seems very odd that there seems to be no Japanese characters in the story despite its inspiration being from Japan. Lolita fashion may be a wide spread Community across the world and the author does make note of a good amount of references and credit to Japanese culture, but is warn her to be careful with how she develops a lot of these diverse characters and their diverse cultures. It would be beneficial to continue giving credit to Japanese culture.
All in all, cute and fun and action packed! Lolita fashion is a really interesting subculture (no, the Lolita doesn’t have to do with the classic just an unfortunate choice of naming) and I do think people should look it up and take a peek into the world of it.
I think this story definitely reads on the younger side so I am a bit too old to fully connect with the writing, since some of the themes and actions are a bit heavy handed in its “showing” and explaining, but I can see younger teens enjoying this, especially since when I was a kid I didn’t really have a book about cutesy supergirls. It reads almost like a classic magical girl manga— you can really see where the author draws inspiration from.
What’s interesting about the story is that the author admittedly makes the characters extremely flawed and imperfect despite the ribbons and bows of their lives: the main character, Holly, often makes harsh assumptions about people and is rough around the edges which is an interesting contrast to the bright pink world it draws inspiration from.
The author, as mentioned, appears very well versed in the world of Harajuku fashion, which I enjoyed, though it often is explained in ways that don’t flow too naturally. I will say that it seems very odd that there seems to be no Japanese characters in the story despite its inspiration being from Japan. Lolita fashion may be a wide spread Community across the world and the author does make note of a good amount of references and credit to Japanese culture, but is warn her to be careful with how she develops a lot of these diverse characters and their diverse cultures. It would be beneficial to continue giving credit to Japanese culture.
All in all, cute and fun and action packed! Lolita fashion is a really interesting subculture (no, the Lolita doesn’t have to do with the classic just an unfortunate choice of naming) and I do think people should look it up and take a peek into the world of it.
January 17, 2021
3.5⭐
Excellent exploration of fashion obsession, fun characters, and high stakes.
All I knew going into it was it had this very bright cover, and it had a bisexual character, and then, of course, the title.
That's literally all I knew.
Essentially the author tweeted out, "anybody want an eARC of my book?" and I went, "ah, bi rep? Yes, I want it."
This book starts out with a girl who is celebrating her 18th birthday with her best friend and as she's walking home, her best friend's grandmother has actually said, like, "maybe don't go through the alley way." And she's reported to have a little bit of psychic ability, so our main character doesn't really want to go through the alley way. And because she's avoiding the alley way, she ends up running into these dudes, and some things go down.
From there, we get an action-packed adventure filled with her very interesting brand of Japanese fashion. She falls in with this group of people that she assumes are trying to help her, from this organization that doesn't really have an acronym, and she has uncomfortable feelings about the agent that is watching her because he's really hot.
This ended up being a lot of fun, and because I knew virtually nothing going into it, I didn't know it was going to be the first in a series, so I was not looking forward to a cliffhanger and then there was a cliffhanger, so know that going in.
I would definitely read the next book.
Excellent exploration of fashion obsession, fun characters, and high stakes.
All I knew going into it was it had this very bright cover, and it had a bisexual character, and then, of course, the title.
That's literally all I knew.
Essentially the author tweeted out, "anybody want an eARC of my book?" and I went, "ah, bi rep? Yes, I want it."
This book starts out with a girl who is celebrating her 18th birthday with her best friend and as she's walking home, her best friend's grandmother has actually said, like, "maybe don't go through the alley way." And she's reported to have a little bit of psychic ability, so our main character doesn't really want to go through the alley way. And because she's avoiding the alley way, she ends up running into these dudes, and some things go down.
From there, we get an action-packed adventure filled with her very interesting brand of Japanese fashion. She falls in with this group of people that she assumes are trying to help her, from this organization that doesn't really have an acronym, and she has uncomfortable feelings about the agent that is watching her because he's really hot.
This ended up being a lot of fun, and because I knew virtually nothing going into it, I didn't know it was going to be the first in a series, so I was not looking forward to a cliffhanger and then there was a cliffhanger, so know that going in.
I would definitely read the next book.
February 15, 2019
I devoured this book in a couple of days and the characters have been in my heart ever since. This is the magical girl story I’ve always wanted, and one of the best things I’ve read in a long time.
If you like sass and banter, found family, and a searingly honest look at grief and coping. Laugh out loud funny, squee-inducingly shippable, and everything I want in a book. I can’t wait to read it again.
If you like sass and banter, found family, and a searingly honest look at grief and coping. Laugh out loud funny, squee-inducingly shippable, and everything I want in a book. I can’t wait to read it again.
March 10, 2021
Thoughts and Themes: I was so pleased to get to be a part of the street team for this book even prior to reading it and then was even happier once I finished reading the book. I really enjoyed getting the chance to read this book and it felt like I was getting a chance to be in this world. It was really nice to feel like I was a part of this world especially since I missed conventions, cosplay, etc. because of the pandemic.
This book manages to mix Sci-Fi elements with the contemporary world which had me hooked right from the start. It took me into a time in which the pandemic didn’t exist and I got to enjoy my favorite activities through immersion into Holly’s world. Similarly to how Holly now has people she would protect at all costs to her, this book gave me a character that I hate to love and would defend to the end. This book has the theme of found family all throughout it and that is something that I really enjoy especially when it comes to queer characters.
I really liked how the author gave us the trigger warnings for this book ahead of time so I knew what to expect in terms of that. One thing I really liked was how much of Holly’s social anxiety we see in the way she speaks to others and her actions. I really did like how that was displayed throughout the story because it felt so real to me. I can understand why others would not find Holly to be a likeable character but when you see so much of yourself in a character it’s hard not to like them.
The more I think about this book and the characters, the more I really love it. I can’t wait for my pre-order to arrive so that I can just go ahead and give the whole thing a re-read. I love the twist at the end of the story that really makes me unable to wait for the next book. I need to know what happens to my favorite character and new son who I will protect at all costs.
I recommend this to those of you who enjoy Harajuku fashion, Lolita, Cosplay, science fiction, messy queer characters, and strong female protagonist.
Characters: Throughout this story you get to meet Holly, who is our main character and several of the other members of N.E.R.D. You also briefly get to meet Holly’s friend along with one of the mutants. Our main characters include Holly, Nunez, Brannon, Chi Ho, Kyle, and Dr. Laura. I really love that most of our main characters have some kind of queer identity and that we really get a diverse cast of characters.
I really want more of these character’s backstory and am hoping that we will get more of that in the next book. I liked that we got some of Nunez’s backstory and got to learn how he became a part of N.E.R.D. I felt that we also got a bit of that from Kyle and that really added to the whole story. I can’t tell you much about any of their backstory because it really would ruin parts of the plot so you’ll just have to read to find out.
I really enjoyed the way that the relationships between Holly and the others developed and liked the idea of a found family for her. I liked how that aspect was written into this story and how this new found family adds to her character development. I really want to read more to see how this found family helps Holly develop and if it eases her social anxiety at all.
Writing Style: The story is told in first person through Holly’s perspective which is something I really enjoyed. I liked how much of the story is taking place in her head and how we follow along with her thoughts. The way that this is written really allows the reader to see how anxiety driven her thoughts are and how her response is driven by those thoughts. I’m really hoping that we get to see more of the other characters throughout the other books and that we may get some of their thoughts too. I love seeing everything through Holly as a unreliable narrator but I need to know what the others feel about this whole situation.
This book manages to mix Sci-Fi elements with the contemporary world which had me hooked right from the start. It took me into a time in which the pandemic didn’t exist and I got to enjoy my favorite activities through immersion into Holly’s world. Similarly to how Holly now has people she would protect at all costs to her, this book gave me a character that I hate to love and would defend to the end. This book has the theme of found family all throughout it and that is something that I really enjoy especially when it comes to queer characters.
I really liked how the author gave us the trigger warnings for this book ahead of time so I knew what to expect in terms of that. One thing I really liked was how much of Holly’s social anxiety we see in the way she speaks to others and her actions. I really did like how that was displayed throughout the story because it felt so real to me. I can understand why others would not find Holly to be a likeable character but when you see so much of yourself in a character it’s hard not to like them.
The more I think about this book and the characters, the more I really love it. I can’t wait for my pre-order to arrive so that I can just go ahead and give the whole thing a re-read. I love the twist at the end of the story that really makes me unable to wait for the next book. I need to know what happens to my favorite character and new son who I will protect at all costs.
I recommend this to those of you who enjoy Harajuku fashion, Lolita, Cosplay, science fiction, messy queer characters, and strong female protagonist.
Characters: Throughout this story you get to meet Holly, who is our main character and several of the other members of N.E.R.D. You also briefly get to meet Holly’s friend along with one of the mutants. Our main characters include Holly, Nunez, Brannon, Chi Ho, Kyle, and Dr. Laura. I really love that most of our main characters have some kind of queer identity and that we really get a diverse cast of characters.
I really want more of these character’s backstory and am hoping that we will get more of that in the next book. I liked that we got some of Nunez’s backstory and got to learn how he became a part of N.E.R.D. I felt that we also got a bit of that from Kyle and that really added to the whole story. I can’t tell you much about any of their backstory because it really would ruin parts of the plot so you’ll just have to read to find out.
I really enjoyed the way that the relationships between Holly and the others developed and liked the idea of a found family for her. I liked how that aspect was written into this story and how this new found family adds to her character development. I really want to read more to see how this found family helps Holly develop and if it eases her social anxiety at all.
Writing Style: The story is told in first person through Holly’s perspective which is something I really enjoyed. I liked how much of the story is taking place in her head and how we follow along with her thoughts. The way that this is written really allows the reader to see how anxiety driven her thoughts are and how her response is driven by those thoughts. I’m really hoping that we get to see more of the other characters throughout the other books and that we may get some of their thoughts too. I love seeing everything through Holly as a unreliable narrator but I need to know what the others feel about this whole situation.
June 24, 2021
Super fun read—I’m looking forward to the other 2 books!
Rep: MC is bi, best friend (not central in this book, but set up to be more central in the other 2) is enby
Rep: MC is bi, best friend (not central in this book, but set up to be more central in the other 2) is enby
December 9, 2020
magic girls ? check
fun acronyms for serious organisations ? check
characters you can't help but love straight away ? check
the way i'm already excited for the next books in this series because this one was everything to me
full review on my blog <3
fun acronyms for serious organisations ? check
characters you can't help but love straight away ? check
the way i'm already excited for the next books in this series because this one was everything to me
full review on my blog <3
March 22, 2024
Rep: bi main character, non-binary/demigirl side character, chinese-american side character, mexican-american side character, implied aroace side character, implied bi side character, implied aspec side character
CW: grief, depression, parental death (off-page, in backstory), anxiety (especially thought spirals and overthinking), bullying/harassment, mild gore and medical body horror, violence, mention of violence-related PTSD, brief underage drinking, mention of drug use, mention of organised crime, 18 year old protagonist develops a crush on someone in their early 20s though this is not acted upon
I have mixed feelings about this book.
It was, on the whole, a fun time! There were multiple parts that got me laughing, and the relatively fast pace meant that I didn’t get bored at all while reading. I also really appreciated how Holly refused to sacrifice her chosen aesthetic and interests in the face of everything that was going on around her. She might have suddenly gained super strength, blue blood, and a psychic connection with another one of the mutants, but she’s absolutely not doing anything if she’s not allowed to look cute doing it!
However, I struggled to connect to almost all of the characters, and for me that can really kill my interest in a book. I came away from it feeling like we’d been told some surface level things about the characters, but we hadn’t really got to know any of them properly. The character I ended up caring the most about, Nuñez, was the one we got the most backstory from and who (I felt, at least) formed the most genuine connection with Holly, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I ended up liking him the most. Holly spent a lot of time with Brannon, and constantly references having a crush on him, but they didn’t seem to actually like each other? I might just need to put this one down to allo nonsense, but I didn’t understand or believe her crush on him at all. The other two members of the team, Kyle and especially Laura, were pretty much non-entities. Especially Laura. It’s such a shame, because there’s potential here for a really cool found family dynamic, but it didn’t come through at all for me.
Something that other reviewers have picked up on, and that I’m echoing here, is that the decision to have the only Mexican-American character be linked to drug cartels is certainly a Choice™ that has been made. Also, Holly makes an assumption about the sexualities of two of the other characters based solely off one of them having a slightly feminine tattoo, and it’s a pretty long time between the point where she makes this assumption and when she’s corrected. Holly is supposed to be a messy and unreliable narrator, but she’s queer herself, and so should absolutely have known better than to do this. If her assumption had come solely from seeing the characters interact then I wouldn’t mind this sub-plot nearly as much, but the thought didn’t occur to her until she saw the tattoo and that bothers me a lot more.
If you’re looking for something with superhero origin story vibes, that’s fast paced and action packed, features messy queer characters that aren’t necessarily likeable, or that celebrates femininity (and especially harajuku and lolita fashion) and refuses to compromise on its inclusion, then I would recommend checking this one out! I don’t regret spending my time on it! It just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
I received an e-arc through the author in return for an honest review.
CW: grief, depression, parental death (off-page, in backstory), anxiety (especially thought spirals and overthinking), bullying/harassment, mild gore and medical body horror, violence, mention of violence-related PTSD, brief underage drinking, mention of drug use, mention of organised crime, 18 year old protagonist develops a crush on someone in their early 20s though this is not acted upon
I have mixed feelings about this book.
It was, on the whole, a fun time! There were multiple parts that got me laughing, and the relatively fast pace meant that I didn’t get bored at all while reading. I also really appreciated how Holly refused to sacrifice her chosen aesthetic and interests in the face of everything that was going on around her. She might have suddenly gained super strength, blue blood, and a psychic connection with another one of the mutants, but she’s absolutely not doing anything if she’s not allowed to look cute doing it!
However, I struggled to connect to almost all of the characters, and for me that can really kill my interest in a book. I came away from it feeling like we’d been told some surface level things about the characters, but we hadn’t really got to know any of them properly. The character I ended up caring the most about, Nuñez, was the one we got the most backstory from and who (I felt, at least) formed the most genuine connection with Holly, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I ended up liking him the most. Holly spent a lot of time with Brannon, and constantly references having a crush on him, but they didn’t seem to actually like each other? I might just need to put this one down to allo nonsense, but I didn’t understand or believe her crush on him at all. The other two members of the team, Kyle and especially Laura, were pretty much non-entities. Especially Laura. It’s such a shame, because there’s potential here for a really cool found family dynamic, but it didn’t come through at all for me.
Something that other reviewers have picked up on, and that I’m echoing here, is that the decision to have the only Mexican-American character be linked to drug cartels is certainly a Choice™ that has been made. Also, Holly makes an assumption about the sexualities of two of the other characters based solely off one of them having a slightly feminine tattoo, and it’s a pretty long time between the point where she makes this assumption and when she’s corrected. Holly is supposed to be a messy and unreliable narrator, but she’s queer herself, and so should absolutely have known better than to do this. If her assumption had come solely from seeing the characters interact then I wouldn’t mind this sub-plot nearly as much, but the thought didn’t occur to her until she saw the tattoo and that bothers me a lot more.
If you’re looking for something with superhero origin story vibes, that’s fast paced and action packed, features messy queer characters that aren’t necessarily likeable, or that celebrates femininity (and especially harajuku and lolita fashion) and refuses to compromise on its inclusion, then I would recommend checking this one out! I don’t regret spending my time on it! It just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
I received an e-arc through the author in return for an honest review.
February 19, 2021
This was...an interesting read. I was really excited because it sounded like a quirky mix of superheroes and Harajuku...but it fell so so flat.
First of all, this is labeled as YA, but it read more middle grade in my opinion. Everything was very simplified and underdeveloped and one of the most distracting things was that pretty much every other sentence was a metaphor or a simile ... too much. I found myself getting annoyed at how many contrasts or details were added in and ended up skim reading the last 60%. The characters are young but their behavior and conversation skills were stuck in 7th-grade drama circles. Development between characters was bland and fell short.
Overall, this could have been a really amazing middle-grade novel, but in regards to it being a superhero-type YA book, no...no thank you. If there happens to be a sequel I don't think I"ll be reading it.
First of all, this is labeled as YA, but it read more middle grade in my opinion. Everything was very simplified and underdeveloped and one of the most distracting things was that pretty much every other sentence was a metaphor or a simile ... too much. I found myself getting annoyed at how many contrasts or details were added in and ended up skim reading the last 60%. The characters are young but their behavior and conversation skills were stuck in 7th-grade drama circles. Development between characters was bland and fell short.
Overall, this could have been a really amazing middle-grade novel, but in regards to it being a superhero-type YA book, no...no thank you. If there happens to be a sequel I don't think I"ll be reading it.
January 18, 2021
I liked this book a lot: Holly is an interesting protagonist, who's flawed, but likable. The other characters are overall interesting too, especially Kyle, who's a secondary character, but certainly one I'm invested in. I also enjoyed how normalized the LGBTQ+ representation is in this book: Holly is bisexual and she talks about her interest and type, regarding all genders. There are mentions of nonbinary people, mentions of girls Holly was attracted to, the introduction of some characters' pronouns, all that, and it was truly heartwarming to read (as a nonbinary person).
But, however... it didn't reach my expectation. Unfortunately, it was way too high for what the book actually was, as I didn't find the plot all that... good. I definitely appreciated the work with LGBTQ+ representation and lessons on Lolita fashion, which is something that interests me, but I've never stopped to read about, for some reason. While I did like the characters a lot, I also didn't get to feel deeply connected to them. It's something I can't quite put my finger on: I did care about them, but it didn't make me breathless or anything. It was good, but not a favorite. It's worth a read, but do not commit the mistake I did of setting the bar too high.
But, however... it didn't reach my expectation. Unfortunately, it was way too high for what the book actually was, as I didn't find the plot all that... good. I definitely appreciated the work with LGBTQ+ representation and lessons on Lolita fashion, which is something that interests me, but I've never stopped to read about, for some reason. While I did like the characters a lot, I also didn't get to feel deeply connected to them. It's something I can't quite put my finger on: I did care about them, but it didn't make me breathless or anything. It was good, but not a favorite. It's worth a read, but do not commit the mistake I did of setting the bar too high.
March 20, 2021
Oh wow! I enjoyed this book so much, it ticked a lot of boxes for me and i am in love with these characters. There's found family vibes, lots of incredible friendships and light romance feels which was cute.
Stunning representation in cast, from various backgrounds and lifestyles many that still to be explored. Its definitely a great start to a series, giving sparks to the wider plot and allowing to see the personalities of everyone shine throughout.
My favourite is Diego he just had me from his first scene and very relatable, with his hiding behind humor and defense. Holly is lovable is all of her passion and was stunning to see her strength. Brannen i definitely was up and down with, similar to Holly he had me with those love/hate vibes but his great at what he does.
Laura was interesting for her short scenes and small insight into the background of situation, the science behind it all was fun to see. Oh and Kyle stole my heart, his just so adorable and that need for acceptance.
Hugo was sweet too, he was great in all of his scenes and hope to see more of him. Lets not forget Chi Ho or Nai Nai, who were rather entertaining and impacted on a number of events.
I adore all of the fashion aspects throughout and how important it is for Holly, the descriptions are incredible and really brought to life in all the colourful styles.
Also love action scenes so those were gripping, very memorable but i did like all the softer scenes too. Those really shaped the characters and their relationships so much. I am always here for bonding moments, heart to hearts giving me all the feels.
Theres plenty of twists and turns, with a cliffhanger of an ending! Which I'm not always keen on, yet this time has me hyped for the next book!
Overall a wonderful read that was perfect for me, fulfilling my love for found family and superhero aspects. While creating an interesting plot and lovable cast, that i can't wait to see more of 💕
Be aware of trigger warnings, the author has provided these in a review and shown at start of book.
*Free eARC provided by the author, part of street team. All opinions are my own. *
Stunning representation in cast, from various backgrounds and lifestyles many that still to be explored. Its definitely a great start to a series, giving sparks to the wider plot and allowing to see the personalities of everyone shine throughout.
My favourite is Diego he just had me from his first scene and very relatable, with his hiding behind humor and defense. Holly is lovable is all of her passion and was stunning to see her strength. Brannen i definitely was up and down with, similar to Holly he had me with those love/hate vibes but his great at what he does.
Laura was interesting for her short scenes and small insight into the background of situation, the science behind it all was fun to see. Oh and Kyle stole my heart, his just so adorable and that need for acceptance.
Hugo was sweet too, he was great in all of his scenes and hope to see more of him. Lets not forget Chi Ho or Nai Nai, who were rather entertaining and impacted on a number of events.
I adore all of the fashion aspects throughout and how important it is for Holly, the descriptions are incredible and really brought to life in all the colourful styles.
Also love action scenes so those were gripping, very memorable but i did like all the softer scenes too. Those really shaped the characters and their relationships so much. I am always here for bonding moments, heart to hearts giving me all the feels.
Theres plenty of twists and turns, with a cliffhanger of an ending! Which I'm not always keen on, yet this time has me hyped for the next book!
Overall a wonderful read that was perfect for me, fulfilling my love for found family and superhero aspects. While creating an interesting plot and lovable cast, that i can't wait to see more of 💕
Be aware of trigger warnings, the author has provided these in a review and shown at start of book.
*Free eARC provided by the author, part of street team. All opinions are my own. *
dnf
April 5, 2021Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl in exchange for an honest review!
Unfortunately Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl is a DNF (I quit after the halfway mark) for me. It's not a bad book, by any means, but after I got so far into it, I realized that I had absolutely no cares what was going on plotwise. And although it's marketed for YA, some of the writing felt very MG to me (note: I love MG, but when it's not meant to be MG but sounds like it, that's a bit of an issue).
I will throw some love at the absolutely GORGEOUS cover, the ~idea~ of the plot (i.e. Mutants?!@! YES PLEASE) & the aesthetic/fashion aspects of the book. Again, it wasn't a bad book just ended up not being my vibe.
Unfortunately Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl is a DNF (I quit after the halfway mark) for me. It's not a bad book, by any means, but after I got so far into it, I realized that I had absolutely no cares what was going on plotwise. And although it's marketed for YA, some of the writing felt very MG to me (note: I love MG, but when it's not meant to be MG but sounds like it, that's a bit of an issue).
I will throw some love at the absolutely GORGEOUS cover, the ~idea~ of the plot (i.e. Mutants?!@! YES PLEASE) & the aesthetic/fashion aspects of the book. Again, it wasn't a bad book just ended up not being my vibe.
January 27, 2021
3.5 🌟
Firstly I would love to comment the artist who did the cover. It's stunning! It's really a eye catcher.
The characters are likable and Holly is really nice. This story reminded me of some show or story but I can't remember what. I really love how fast passing this story is and that it isn't a slow burner. The Lolita scene is also something that I love that is included here. I haven't read any book with this fashion style involved yet.
The only reason that I didn't give this 4 stars is because I didn't have alot of connection with this story but still thought it was a cool concept.
Firstly I would love to comment the artist who did the cover. It's stunning! It's really a eye catcher.
The characters are likable and Holly is really nice. This story reminded me of some show or story but I can't remember what. I really love how fast passing this story is and that it isn't a slow burner. The Lolita scene is also something that I love that is included here. I haven't read any book with this fashion style involved yet.
The only reason that I didn't give this 4 stars is because I didn't have alot of connection with this story but still thought it was a cool concept.
March 3, 2021
I was so excited for this when I read the description! I really liked the overall idea and also some of the descriptions were absolutely beautiful. However I also feel like I didn't really enjoy Holly as a character or her point of view. I feel like this would be a really awesome idea for on screen and would love to see that one day. But I feel the way this was written didn't really excite me as much as I hoped. I also found it rather fast paced, but I did really enjoy the overall concept. I would be interested to read the next instalment to see if I enjoy it more when it comes out.
February 11, 2021
Sometimes you just need something a bit different and "Magic Mutant Nightmare Girl" was certainly that!
Fun, unique and bursting at the seams with Lolita fashion, this story is as bright and bubbly as it's gorgeous front cover. The pacing was slightly squiffy sometimes (technical term) and I was a bit confused at the beginning but I'm so pleased I pushed through to join Holly and her new N.E.R.D friends on such an action-packed adventure. I was entertained until the very end and I am now waiting desperately for book two after that cliffhanger!
Thank you Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Fun, unique and bursting at the seams with Lolita fashion, this story is as bright and bubbly as it's gorgeous front cover. The pacing was slightly squiffy sometimes (technical term) and I was a bit confused at the beginning but I'm so pleased I pushed through to join Holly and her new N.E.R.D friends on such an action-packed adventure. I was entertained until the very end and I am now waiting desperately for book two after that cliffhanger!
Thank you Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2021
Recieved an ARC courtesy of the Author;
Holy wow I was not ready for this blend of a story. The author does an amazing job of bringing this world of fantasy and sci-fi to life. I found it very easy to connect with the characters and immediately got attachments to the main character. I truly felt like the author made very relatable characters and plot. For once I was unable to foreshadow what was going to happen in a story. I can't wait for book two!
Holy wow I was not ready for this blend of a story. The author does an amazing job of bringing this world of fantasy and sci-fi to life. I found it very easy to connect with the characters and immediately got attachments to the main character. I truly felt like the author made very relatable characters and plot. For once I was unable to foreshadow what was going to happen in a story. I can't wait for book two!
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