Rowan's Bookshelf (Carleigh) > Recent Status Updates

3rd act breakup was also pretty dumb, not even a breakup just. deciding to be mad at each other now after they kissed

The "liminal queers" bonding moment was nice, as was the magic historic christmas train car

Kinda skimming through this - its cute with how they keep ending up doing fun things together, and nice that different experiences of queerness are being explored. But I'm not loving it or anything

The bickering about taking the wrong train is too real and I was getting annoyed irl as well oops

Awesome....mc overhears something mean and gets upset...love that trope... yay.... :/

Yessss girls cuddle at this somehow school sanctioned snow-in lol Really hope this doesn't turn into a story about Outing though

Man, this is getting really good reviews but this definitely reads like a teenager's diary / tumblr-obsessed blog. Like "what to wear if you're gay" type stuff fr

Good presentation of balancing friendships and relationships - it's like watching an AITA play out, where everyone is a justified asshole

Pretty cute so far! Jordan is mostly mature but has some moments of insecurity, especially around being labeled a "stalker" again, so it's understandable

Oof Gideon fumbles it with the classic "love interest overhears an obvious lie" I hate that trope

Alex is still a very sweet boy but Gideon has put in the WORK and is pulling ahead in my mind lol

Pacing has slowed down a lot, not as much scheming as I liked in the first half. Gideon's feelings split between Alex and Rune are really well done

THIS WHOLE BEACH SCENE IS 🤌🤌🤌
they're falling for each other, they're playing each other. They're convincing themselves it's all a rouse but being vulnerable and actually falling and I'm losing it

Points to Gideon for being Oh So Tragic then trying to change the subject by taking off his clothes lmao

The spice is pretty good, but the scene where they're sharing their pasts with each other and watching over Freddie is really really sweet omg

Yea mmm fuck Gideon and Alex should beat him up more

So why are we supposed to be lusting after Gideon when Alex is literally right there and isn't going to uh murder her??

I can't tell if I love it or hate it that she uses menstrual blood for her magic

This kid just cannot stop going out, someone yells at him, they make up, he is given a bit of trust and then he immediately disobeys again. It's like 4 times now

I liked the sickness after the pool thing. His mom loves him. Which makes him rather unsympathetic when he gets caught and acts like a brat when he's in trouble. His mom is trying to protect him!!!

Psycho chapter is just her talking about cool characters that people really like so not a lot of commentary there. The actresses are awarded for it and memorable, so they're actually being praised for being an "unlikeable" character - idk anyone who hates them

Okay she did come around a say that Trainwreck's likeability usually comes from the redemption aspect - and its important to have that be on their own terms and in their own way, not getting a partner who will "fix them" and adhering to a standard. So points for this chapter, even if it does focus on the wrong thing for part of it

popculture "hates" trainwrecks and see them change throughout the film because...that's just how films work? A character realizes a flaw and changes. HOW they change is important, and unfortunately not really discussed beyond a paragraph in this chapter. These are unlikeable characteristics and the double standard should be addressed, not trying to defend those traits as good somehow

now HERE is something interesting: Trainwrecks are a problem because they're not adhereing to "how to be a girl" and often are infantilized bc of their behavior. But the alcoholic, no-responsibility types ARE a problem (thich author does not admit to) and need some kind of change - the change that's meaningful and not just societal expectations.

SLut also being a chapter that's underwhelming. "There are sluts in media and they are ridiculed, shamed, and not taken seriously." Okay and??

Angry woman is another chapter that doesn't go deep enough - better at making a real definition for the archetype, but focuses too much on Promising Young Woman and how that specifically portrays anger. What about Gone Girl? Katara from Avatar? Furiousa from Mad Max? We like their anger, we love those characters. Furiousa caused more of a discussion online than PYM anyway

I don't think using the movie JOKER to show how male rage is "always accepted and praised" is very effective. Anyone familiar with that film knows it came with SO MUCH controversy and was really criticized for having a shallow message and promoting violence - Taxi Driver would be the more classic and effective example (which joker was based on anyway)

Kid keeps going on forbidden dates with a human then gets mad when he gets in trouble for it booo also there is literally nothing magical about this. He's just trapped in an apartment with a secret garden, and has his sister whip up potions?? I think they're potions? but the magic aspect of this was a damn lie

Points off for supporting the monarchy
But really, what he does and doesn't know is completely random

I'm having a hard time believing this kid who was raised completely isolated by his mom and sister still talks like a regular teenage boy. Liam is also very flirty and cute