Christina (A Reader of Fictions) > Recent Status Updates

I've been on hold for this ebook for MONTHS from the library. I'm hoping that means it's excellent.

I've read 8 chapters, and I'm setting this aside and waiting for the audiobook from the library. The guy's perspective has a unique style that I'm struggling with, which I think audio will help with.

I never thought I could get tired of Austen references, but this book is testing that...and defeating me.

I can already tell this book is going to stress me the hell out, as it opens with the heroine having major Becky Bloomwood vibes. Lots of bad choices and lying about those choices to come. Not sure if this will be for me or not.

"Omega Ship" - Rae Carson: Ummmmmmm, so this seems like the set up for a porno??? It opens on a ship with the last humans left alive, and things have gone wrong so only two boys and a girl survive. Now they have to repopulate the planet. That's the whole thing. O_o

"Dread South" - Justina Ireland: Without any context, this story's okay. It's well written, and the concept's interesting. However, as a love triangle, it's a pass, because it's so much more about the setting and the world building than the emotions, which feel distant. I felt no romantic connection between anyone, though it's attempted. Also, feels cheap to do merely do a short in the world of Dread Nation.

Warning: animal death

"Riddles in Mathematics" - Katie Cotugno: A decent opening to the anthology, though I would argue this is not, in fact, a love triangle. The heroine thinks there's a love triangle, but there actually isn't one. I mean, I guess that counts for some people? This worked okay for me. I liked the writing. The characters have potential, but there's not enough time spent for me to care about the ship.

"Be Brave and All" - Laura Silverman: What starts out as a cute romance shifts to be more about political activism. Not bad certainly but not what I wanted based on the story's opening. Besides, I'm basically always going to want a romance above all.

"He Who Revives the Dead" - Elie Lichtstein: After nearly drowning, a girl goes on a Birthright trip to try to deal with her feelings and fears. Well-written but another one that was a bit too short for me to really connect.

"Some Days You're the Sidekick; Some Days You're the Superhero" - Katherine Locke: Set deep in fandom (a site for making characters Jewish, which sounds like an awesome concept tbh), this story's super nerdy and super pop culture. The references are heavily Marvel so I didn't understand some of them. Wasn't sure about the MC's boy voice, but otherwise a nice story with a focus on friendship and nonbinary people.

"El Al 328" - Dana Schwartz: So I liked the writing a lot in this story, but it didn't actually feel like a complete story? Some stuff happens on a flight and in a hotel, but it doesn't appear to mean or accomplish much of anything. I wish this had been longer and gone somewhere.

"Jewbacca" - Lance Rubin: Another story focusing on the various things Jewish can mean to people. Rye, the MC, feels like, though both his parents are Jewish, he's not Jewish ENOUGH because they don't attend temple and his dad's Buddhist and Rye doesn't know much about Judaism. It's a sweet story, but Rubin's humor didn't work for me personally.

"Good Shabbos" - Goldy Moldavsky: Two girls go on a series of rather silly Shabbos adventures. To a large degree, this one doesn't really work for me stylistically for purely subjective reasons, in that most of the humor doesn't tickle my funny bone. If it's your sort of humor, this will be a total blast. The omniscient narrator/footnotes are sometimes funny but sometimes provide explanation.

"Aftershocks" - Rachel Lynn Solomon: A cute story about an awkward first date with the family. There's not a lot of this kind of YA out there, so it's sweet how realistically fumbling the start of this relationship is; everyone doesn't get their awkward relationship practice done in middle school. Themes of mental health (anxiety/OCD) and being Jewish without being religious are explored as well.

"The Hold" - David Levithan: Though well written, Levithan's entry, which potentially seems autobiographical?, looks back on teen experiences and considers what being Jewish means to him. I think "The Hold" is good, though admittedly a bit too narratively experimental for my personal tastes, I do feel like the story is more adult than YA (not bc of content but tone).

Last update was for this spot in the book oops.

Two Truths and an Oy - Dahlia Adler: Very cute, voice-driven short story about a girl attending college orientation and feeling like a fish out of water in her first time outside of a Modern Orthodox Jewish community. There's excellent tension between her desire for a bit more freedom and the comforts of the familiar, with no real negative judgment given to either side. Also, the social anxiety is so relatable.

Indoor Kids - Alex London: Super adorable short story. I've tried London's SFF and wasn't a fan, but this contemporary tale about a Jewish boy at summer camp is fantastic. It's a bit low on plot, but the voice is excellent and carries the story. And the cute m/m ship doesn't hurt at all either.

So far there's no sign of a plot.

Deliciously grim and psychopathic like the first book. *evil smile*

Oh man, I do not remember what happened at the end of book two basically at all, but I really don't want to reread books one and two, so we'll see what happens.

What a cheesy, pointless prologue!