Kubo Tite - Bleach, vol. 21-24

I know I say this pretty much every time I talk about Kubo, but I love his art! So much! The little grumpy chibis! The dynamic lines! The fight scenes! I don't even care about fight scenes and he makes me think they're exciting!

( Spoilers for vols. 21-24 )

In conclusion, I got itty-bitty lesbian ninja figurines from rilina yesterday and they are the bestest things ever.

Dessen, Sarah - Dreamland

Caitlin O'Koren's sister Cass has suddenly run away, leaving the O'Koren family in emotional chaos. Cait's always felt like she's been the shadow of her popular, smart sister, and in her sister's absence, she starts trying to define herself, doing things that her sister wouldn't do. She ends up dating Rogerson Biscoe and lands in much more trouble than she originally anticipated.

This is going to be a rather short write-up that doesn't do justice to the book at all, but I figure it's better to get it out there than to keep not writing it, like, um, all my other non-written-up books.

Anyway, even though the book sounds very much like a Very Special Episode on domestic abuse, it isn't. Since I knew that the book was about an abusive relationship before reading, I was surprised by how little was actually on the abuse. The book begins with Cass' disappearance, and rightly so, since it's the event that unbalances everything in Caitlin's life. One of the things I loved the most about this book was that even though Caitlin was withdrawing into her own world with Rogerson, Dessen never forgets that Cait has many other relationships. Even though the book is in Cait's POV, Dessen still shows the effects that Cait's behavior has on her mother, her mother's friend Boo, her best friend Rina, and others. And of course, through it all, is the presence and absence of Cass.

I am very possibly a total sucker for any sort of close sibling relationship, so I am biased. But I am so glad that the book rotates around Cass and Cait and their relationship, along with Cait's relationship with Rogerson. And the evolution of Cait's relationship with Rogerson is believable as well.

The book ends with Cait's rehab and recovery; it's believable and quiet, and I particularly sympathize with Cait's eventual boredom with the constant discussion of her issues.

I'm not writing this out well, but this is a very good book and has the same delicate, real feeling that the rest of Dessen's books do.

Links:
- coffeeandink's review
- gwyneira's review

Stuart, Anne - Moon Rise

I had been looking for this for nearly three years now, thanks to coffeeandink's romance conversion kit (see comments), and after finally finding it in a used bookstore a week ago, I've been a little scared to read it, just because of the weight of expectation.

When Mely said that the book took the danger/sex subtext of Gothics and turned it to text, I didn't quite expect it to be that literal. But it really is. It's great! I mean, I'm not quite sure if it works as a romance per se, since I seriously doubt the hero or the heroine will make each other happy, and I think they're both going to die in a week or so, but that's part of the Gothic goodness!

Annie Sutherland's father slipped down the stairs drunk one night and broke his neck. At least, that's what everyone says. But Annie thinks otherwise, and goes to find James McKinley, her father's right-hand-man, to see who killed her father, and gets in waaaaay over her head. Annie's a bit too sweet for me; Stuart makes attempts to make her smart and funny and brave, but Annie usually comes off as the dreaded spunky instead. James is completely messed up and spends pretty much all of the book trying to figure out if he should just kill Annie; he is the alpha bastard written correctly, without the soft, squishy inside. Well, James eventually succumbs to his soft, squishy inside, since this is a romance, but Stuart never fails to show that his alpha bastard spy killing assassin nature has not changed in the slightest.

I guessed the villain right off, but since I was mostly in it for the Gothic angst and dysfunction and got that by the boatload, I am not complaining at all.

Links:
- rachelmanija's review
- pocketgarden's review

Watase Yuu - Absolute Boyfriend, vol. 02 (Eng. trans.)

Why yes, I am STILL behind on book-logging! And instead of actually writing a review that I am supposed to, I am instead doing half-assed reviews of other things.

Dear Watase Yuu,

I am not buying your manga again, no matter how cute or well-drawn or cracktastic they are. Even a naked guy in a box lined with pink tissue paper will not appease me! Do not attempt to deceive me again! I am on to your evil ways, and I know that every single non-heroine female will turn evil and stab the heroine in the back and there will be stupid, stupid romantic misunderstsandings.

Even Soshi, with his cute glasses and quiet attempts to take care of Riiko, will not persuade me.

No longer your pawn,
Oyce

I swear, this time I will stand firm against the lure of Soshi and cute chibi drawings, because Watase Yuu does the same thing. All the time. I know this! And yet, I keep reading it. To recap this volume and pretty much every single Watase Yuu series:

- The heroine is sweet and innocent despite many provocations to the contrary
- The heroine's best friend/sister/random female character is evil and hates the heroine and attempts to sabotage all her romances
- The heroine is the beloved of several men, all of whom are deeply attractive
- The heroine bounces from one guy to another as multiple romantic complications ensue
- The heroine is caught in compromising positions with assorted guys despite being completely innocent
- Everyone turns against the heroine except said romantic interests

Watase Yuu - Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden, vol. 03-04 (Eng. trans.)

Ok, maybe I don't completely mean the letter I just wrote because I am weak-willed to the power of manga!

I may casually keep reading this series, as it is set in a magical world and there haven't been too many sporky female rivalry moments yet. Yet. But I am on to Watase Yuu's evil ways, and I have no doubt that it will eventually show up!

Also, the series has much less high school shenanigans than the others, given that it's set in an imaginary world.

I have to admit, I still want femslash from the warrior-who-turns-into-a-girl.

Otherwise, while the additional warriors were somewhat interesting, I am still not into the series, largely because I want a female character who is not a) sweet and innocent and determined to save people no matter what, b) evil and emotionally manipulative, or c) actually a guy.