sashareads
she/her | 25 yo ADHD’er | sometimes I sound smart and insightful, sometimes I sound like I lost an argument with a doorknob🧑🩰
19973 points
October 2026
3.79 average · 456 reviews
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You're No Better is a YA horror novel that follows Morgan, a trans and autistic boy forced to stay in the closet by his abusive mother in an effort to make more money from the documentary she has forced him to participate in about his serial killer father.
The novel is driven by its characters, especially Morgan, who is one of the most complex characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. It's no wonder that being raised by a serial killer and a checked-out abusive mother left him with scars deep enough for a river to run through. Morgan is manipulative and cruel, though he doesn't actually want to be, and really, how can we expect him to be different when cruelty is all he has ever known? He is terrified of becoming either of his parents and feels completely abandoned by the world, which in turn makes him abandon the world right back. Being inside his head was frustrating, at times deeply uncomfortable, and completely heartbreaking.
I was by no means surprised by how well AJW handled the trans and autism representation (he always does a phenomenal job in that respect), but what really stood out to me was the portrayal of PTSD, OCD, and especially intrusive thoughts. The book captures how self-destructive these thoughts can be, how they make you question whether you secretly want the things your mind throws at you even when those thoughts leave you feeling sick to your stomach and fundamentally wrong. It explores the way intrusive thoughts can exist in direct opposition to the actions you consciously and subconsciously choose, yet still make you wonder whether you're only pretending and they somehow reveal who you actually are.
They don't.
I hope anyone who struggles with intrusive thoughts takes it to heart when I say: you are not the thoughts you cannot control.
While I do enjoy true crime shows from time to time, I'm also aware that they often leave out context and shape events according to a narrative they've already decided on. The way this book critiques true crime, true crime fandoms, and fanatics through parody was phenomenal. It genuinely made me stop and reflect on the genre as a whole and my own relationship with it.
Unfortunately, there were also places where the story fell a bit short for me. I didn't find the writing as immersive or atmospheric as I did in The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. At times it also felt repetitive and a little blunt. The pacing didn't quite work for me either. We start out strong, but the middle section slows down considerably before the final 20% suddenly accelerates into a whirlwind of revelations and developments. That kind of structure isn't unusual, but because the middle dragged for me, the ending felt slightly disproportionate and rushed in comparison. Combined with the writing style, it meant I never quite developed that itching feeling in my fingers to immediately pick the book back up whenever I put it down.
Overall, though, this was a great book. Its character work is some of the strongest I've read, and Morgan is a character I don't think I'll forget anytime soon. If you've enjoyed AJW's previous work, I suspect you'll have a great time with this one as well. I'd still absolutely recommend giving it a go, even if I ultimately hoped it would do a little more for me than it ended up doing.
I'd like to thank Daphne Press, Netgalley and Andrew Joseph White for the ARC. The thoughts above are entirely my own.
Rating: 3.75 rounded down
Chanel Miller, I doubt you’ll ever see this, but I want you to know how deeply I admire you. Thank you - for your courage, your strength, and the way you kept going even when the world failed you. For standing up for yourself, and for everyone who didn’t get the chance to. For sharing your story with such honesty and for lending your voice to a fight that’s still far from over.
Your words carry a power that will stay with me long after I closed this book.
Open Throat is a gorgeous, unique, heart‑wrenching, and thought‑provoking story about displacement, loneliness, and the quiet exhaustion of becoming what others expect you to be simply because you’re tired of proving you deserve to exist - all told through the point of view of a mountain lion.
I adored this book from start to finish. The writing is superb, the societal commentary is sharp, and the mountain lion’s voice is handled with such care that it pulls on every single one of your heartstrings. Even the stranger moments feel grounded because of how clearly the narrative understands its own perspective.
Seeing the world through the mountain lion’s eyes becomes an effective way to examine human behaviour. The story highlights how frivolous - and frankly ridiculous - we can be, how much value we place on things that don’t matter, and how easily judgement and expectation can push someone into a box they never wanted to occupy, only for people to pat themselves on the back for “proving” you must have belonged there all along.
The stream‑of‑consciousness style isn’t just a stylistic choice; it mirrors the mountain lion’s constant negotiation between instinct, observation, and survival. That rhythm gives the book a sense of immediacy that works incredibly well. It might be a smidge weird, but that oddness is part of what makes it memorable.
I loved every moment spent in the mind of this radical mountain lion. Do yourself the favour of reading it. You won’t regret it.
Last updated: 10th of October 2026
I've always been a notoriously bad planner, but there are so many amazing quests that I really want to work on🤤 So... I've decided to try making an overview where I divide the quests into different seasons. For each season, I'll choose 2-4 quests to actively focus on, whether that's earning the first badge or leveling up an existing one.
For example, this fall I'm working on Beyond the Bodice-Ripper, Forgive Us Our Trespasses, The Sea Was Never Meant For Us, Queer Horror and The Werewolf Within.
I've mostly sorted the quests based on the vibes I personally associate with each season, along with a few keywords that feel like they capture those vibes. I'm close to finished, but if you have any thoughts on where a quest might fit, I'd love to hear them!💖
❄️ Winter - Keywords: cozy, reflective, escape ❄️ Memoir & Biography Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Fantasy Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Sci-Fi Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Classics Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Romantasy Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II (could also go under Summer for romance and adventure vibes) The Kaleidoscope of Time: A Time Travel Quest Contemporary Christmas Romances Love, but Also Food (could also go under Summer for romance) Cozy Fantasy Found Family in Fantasy Sci-Fi Charcuterie Black Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Speculative Fiction Asian-Inspired Fantasy One and Done Fantasy Epic Sci-Fi and Fantasy Series Meow-moirs: A Cat's Purrspective Medieval Times (could also go under Fall) Lady Knights Who Like Other Ladies Fairy Tale Retellings (could also go under Spring) Hockey Romances (Hockey takes place on ice. Ice is Winter. It could also go under Summer) Critically Acclaimed Memoirs (could also go under Spring) Russian Lit 101 British & Irish Classic Literature Classic Literature from the United States Japanese Literary Fiction Universe Quest: Realm of the Elderlings Universe Quest: The Cosmere + Cytoverse Quiet Novels Made for the Movies (could go under any season depending on what book you choose) From Bookshelf to TV (could go under any season depending on what book you choose)
🌿 Spring - Keywords: growth, learning, discovering 🌿 Non-Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II True Crime Starter Pack Vol I Historical Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Greek Myth Retellings Mythological World Tour Justice for All Feminism Without Exception Solarpunk Futures A Quest For The Future: Climate Fiction Teach Me Something New and Oddly Specific Tiny But Mighty Nonfiction Plants, fungi, and trees - oh my Majestic Minibeasts: Moths, Millipedes, Mites, & More Through the Eyes of Animals Love in the Big City STEM Romance 102 Siblings Intro to Poetry Universe Quest: Lord of the Rings & Tolkien's Legendarium (could also go under Winter) Universe Quest: Rick Riordanverse Universe Quest: Octavia Butler's Afro-Futuristic World Poetic Stories LGBTQ+ Middle Grade Neurodivergent Middle Grade
☀️ Summer - Keywords: romance, fun, adventure ☀️ Romance Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Games & Trials Flights of Fire Here For The Himbos (could also go under Winter) Monster Romance Series Starters Saddle Up, Sweetheart: Cowboy Romance Love by the Town Limits Forbidden Fruit: A Forbidden Romance Quest Cosmic Courtship: Alien Romance Fantasy and Sci-Fi with a Side of Romance Operation Epic Scope (for adventure - could also go under Winter for escape) Queer Detectives on the Case (could also go under Fall) Universe Quest: Maasverse (could also go under Winter) Supporting Women's Wrongs Men Loving Men in Literary Fiction Universe Quest: Discworld Sapphic Across Genres Achillean Across Genres
🍂 Fall - Keywords: spooky, gothic, introspective, horror, mystery 🍂 Literary Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Thriller Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Horror Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Taboo Topics Dark Academia Blood Suckers Sapphic Vampires Queer Horror Botanical Horror Horrors from Beyond Gothic Literature Southern Gothic Fiction Strange Plagues The Werewolf Within The Monstrous Feminine The Sea Was Never Meant For Us: Ocean Horror Mermaids After Dark Forgive Us Our Trespasses: Religious Horror Evil Scientists Fictional Dystopian Societies (could also go under Spring) Beyond the Bodice-Ripper: Historical Romance (could also go under Spring or Summer) The MacLeaniverse (could also go under Summer) Skeletons In The Closet Whispers in the Walls Latin American Horror Feminine Rage Japanese Crime Fiction British and Irish Crime Classics Fever Dreams & Strange Realities Those Who Lurk Among Us: Monster Manga Welcome to the Circus Every Villain is a Hero in Their Own Eyes Tragic Love: Queer Edition
Quests I'm unsure where to put - help would be greatly appreciated🥰 Ay wey Mexican Authors Isekai Light Novels
Since this is a quest for all of us to enjoy, I’d love to hear what kinds of books you’d like to see more of in the future. I’m not thinking specific recommendations (there’s a separate post for those!), but more about the types of stories you’d be excited to discover through the quest.📚
Of course, every book will contain elements of science fiction, fantasy, or magical realism simply because time travel is involved, but would you like to see more hard sci‑fi? More fantasy? Horror? Literary fiction? Romance? Historical fiction? Something else entirely?
I’d also love to hear if there are particular themes you’d like to see explored through time travel. Are there certain questions, ideas, or emotional journeys you find especially fascinating when time gets a little wonky?
I’ve tried to build a quest with a little something for everyone, so I’d love to hear what corners of time travel fiction you enjoy most and what you’d like to be able to explore more of.❤️
I’m all ears, and I’m incredibly grateful for any feedback you’re willing to share.⏳✨
Edited5wThank you to everyone who voted! The tally is in, and the winner is: The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas🎊
You can start the book anytime between the beginning of September and the end of November. There’s absolutely no pressure to read at the same time or pace as anyone else, though you’re more than welcome to coordinate buddy reads in the comments on this post.
I’ll leave a comment below sharing when I plan to pick up the book, and I’d love to read alongside you!😍 If you’d like to join me, just reply to my comment and I’ll ping you when the time comes.
I want to make it clear that this is an UNOFFICIAL readalong - meaning no badge and no requirements. I’d love to see you in the forum sharing thoughts, ideas, and theories with your fellow time traveling adventurers, but there’s absolutely no pressure to join or engage beyond what you normally do when you read.
What is the book about? The Psychology of Time Travel spans decades and is told through alternating perspectives.
We start by following four female scientists who build the world’s first time machine in the sixties. Just as they’re preparing to debut their invention, one of the women suffers a breakdown that threatens the entire project - and the future of time travel itself. In an effort to protect what they’ve created, the remaining women exile her from their team, erasing her contributions from history.
Fifty years later, time travel is everywhere. Ruby Rebello knows her grandmother, Granny Bee, was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. Then she receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, and Ruby becomes obsessed…
There’s more to the story, of course - but we’ll have to see where this time‑bending adventure takes us.⏳✨
I'm so excited to go on this adventure with you!
sashareads commented...
I'm looking to pick up the book around October 10th, if anyone wants to join me🕰️
EditedThank you to everyone who voted! The tally is in, and the winner is: The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas🎊
You can start the book anytime between the beginning of September and the end of November. There’s absolutely no pressure to read at the same time or pace as anyone else, though you’re more than welcome to coordinate buddy reads in the comments on this post.
I’ll leave a comment below sharing when I plan to pick up the book, and I’d love to read alongside you!😍 If you’d like to join me, just reply to my comment and I’ll ping you when the time comes.
I want to make it clear that this is an UNOFFICIAL readalong - meaning no badge and no requirements. I’d love to see you in the forum sharing thoughts, ideas, and theories with your fellow time traveling adventurers, but there’s absolutely no pressure to join or engage beyond what you normally do when you read.
What is the book about? The Psychology of Time Travel spans decades and is told through alternating perspectives.
We start by following four female scientists who build the world’s first time machine in the sixties. Just as they’re preparing to debut their invention, one of the women suffers a breakdown that threatens the entire project - and the future of time travel itself. In an effort to protect what they’ve created, the remaining women exile her from their team, erasing her contributions from history.
Fifty years later, time travel is everywhere. Ruby Rebello knows her grandmother, Granny Bee, was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. Then she receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, and Ruby becomes obsessed…
There’s more to the story, of course - but we’ll have to see where this time‑bending adventure takes us.⏳✨
I'm so excited to go on this adventure with you!
sashareads commented...
Books in quests spreadsheet Okay, so I've made a simplified version of the spreadsheet and added some notes about how it works, so feel free to make your own copy if you'd like!🥰
The linked version is view-only, so you'll need to save a copy to your own Google account before you can make any changes.
I won't be updating this version of the spreadsheet, but it is current as of the latest quest drop (STEM Romance, Evil Scientist, Siblings, and Alien Romance), along with the additions that have since been made to other quests.
You can see the spreadsheet here: 🔗Pagebound - Books in Quest (Copy - not updated since Oct. 7th 2026)
Last updated: 10th of October 2026
I've always been a notoriously bad planner, but there are so many amazing quests that I really want to work on🤤 So... I've decided to try making an overview where I divide the quests into different seasons. For each season, I'll choose 2-4 quests to actively focus on, whether that's earning the first badge or leveling up an existing one.
For example, this fall I'm working on Beyond the Bodice-Ripper, Forgive Us Our Trespasses, The Sea Was Never Meant For Us, Queer Horror and The Werewolf Within.
I've mostly sorted the quests based on the vibes I personally associate with each season, along with a few keywords that feel like they capture those vibes. I'm close to finished, but if you have any thoughts on where a quest might fit, I'd love to hear them!💖
❄️ Winter - Keywords: cozy, reflective, escape ❄️ Memoir & Biography Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Fantasy Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Sci-Fi Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Classics Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Romantasy Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II (could also go under Summer for romance and adventure vibes) The Kaleidoscope of Time: A Time Travel Quest Contemporary Christmas Romances Love, but Also Food (could also go under Summer for romance) Cozy Fantasy Found Family in Fantasy Sci-Fi Charcuterie Black Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Speculative Fiction Asian-Inspired Fantasy One and Done Fantasy Epic Sci-Fi and Fantasy Series Meow-moirs: A Cat's Purrspective Medieval Times (could also go under Fall) Lady Knights Who Like Other Ladies Fairy Tale Retellings (could also go under Spring) Hockey Romances (Hockey takes place on ice. Ice is Winter. It could also go under Summer) Critically Acclaimed Memoirs (could also go under Spring) Russian Lit 101 British & Irish Classic Literature Classic Literature from the United States Japanese Literary Fiction Universe Quest: Realm of the Elderlings Universe Quest: The Cosmere + Cytoverse Quiet Novels Made for the Movies (could go under any season depending on what book you choose) From Bookshelf to TV (could go under any season depending on what book you choose)
🌿 Spring - Keywords: growth, learning, discovering 🌿 Non-Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II True Crime Starter Pack Vol I Historical Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Greek Myth Retellings Mythological World Tour Justice for All Feminism Without Exception Solarpunk Futures A Quest For The Future: Climate Fiction Teach Me Something New and Oddly Specific Tiny But Mighty Nonfiction Plants, fungi, and trees - oh my Majestic Minibeasts: Moths, Millipedes, Mites, & More Through the Eyes of Animals Love in the Big City STEM Romance 102 Siblings Intro to Poetry Universe Quest: Lord of the Rings & Tolkien's Legendarium (could also go under Winter) Universe Quest: Rick Riordanverse Universe Quest: Octavia Butler's Afro-Futuristic World Poetic Stories LGBTQ+ Middle Grade Neurodivergent Middle Grade
☀️ Summer - Keywords: romance, fun, adventure ☀️ Romance Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Games & Trials Flights of Fire Here For The Himbos (could also go under Winter) Monster Romance Series Starters Saddle Up, Sweetheart: Cowboy Romance Love by the Town Limits Forbidden Fruit: A Forbidden Romance Quest Cosmic Courtship: Alien Romance Fantasy and Sci-Fi with a Side of Romance Operation Epic Scope (for adventure - could also go under Winter for escape) Queer Detectives on the Case (could also go under Fall) Universe Quest: Maasverse (could also go under Winter) Supporting Women's Wrongs Men Loving Men in Literary Fiction Universe Quest: Discworld Sapphic Across Genres Achillean Across Genres
🍂 Fall - Keywords: spooky, gothic, introspective, horror, mystery 🍂 Literary Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Thriller Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Horror Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Taboo Topics Dark Academia Blood Suckers Sapphic Vampires Queer Horror Botanical Horror Horrors from Beyond Gothic Literature Southern Gothic Fiction Strange Plagues The Werewolf Within The Monstrous Feminine The Sea Was Never Meant For Us: Ocean Horror Mermaids After Dark Forgive Us Our Trespasses: Religious Horror Evil Scientists Fictional Dystopian Societies (could also go under Spring) Beyond the Bodice-Ripper: Historical Romance (could also go under Spring or Summer) The MacLeaniverse (could also go under Summer) Skeletons In The Closet Whispers in the Walls Latin American Horror Feminine Rage Japanese Crime Fiction British and Irish Crime Classics Fever Dreams & Strange Realities Those Who Lurk Among Us: Monster Manga Welcome to the Circus Every Villain is a Hero in Their Own Eyes Tragic Love: Queer Edition
Quests I'm unsure where to put - help would be greatly appreciated🥰 Ay wey Mexican Authors Isekai Light Novels
sashareads commented...
I don’t even remember which book it was, or if there was a book at all, but @jordynreads one hundred percent helped me find my PB legs. Not long after, I stumbled into my eternal loves @minsuni and @gracie, who both helped me shine and still do🥰 Since then I’ve only met more and more wonderful, beautiful people who’ve shaped my PB experience and carved out their own little place in my heart. The list of people I want to give their due has grown so much that I won’t even try to name everyone, but that doesn’t diminish how brightly each of them shines to me.
I connected with @kimikat, @daydreamday, @curiousmoth, @notlizlemon, and @robyn00 a little later in my PB journey, but they still deserve a special shoutout for always being ready to dive into any book with me, to yap and analyse and spiral, and for cheering me on in everything I do❤️
While I came to Pagebound looking for a more ideal bookish space (which I did find), I found that the PB community came to be one of my fav things and I'd love to highlight that today 🫶🏼
For new and older users, what is maybe the first book, or most memorable book, that led to you finding your PB friends? If you've been around for a hot minute, maybe it's not the first book, but when/whomst did you suddenly feel welcomed by and from what book? For our new user-friends, if you are still learning how to interact, let us know which books you've been so excited to interact with on PB and maybe you'll find your friends in the comments :) I'd love to see how big our community is growing and which books have really helped make this place special for all of us! ♥️✨📚
I'll go first: while it wasn't one of my first books, The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin forum was when I really started to get active—and lo and behold is was our feral lovely @Fantasy who kept flirting scaring me in the forums (iykyk).
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