Grief, Trauma, and Patriarchy: the True Banes of Anthony Bridgerton’s Existence

Dear Readers, I have a confession. When I read The Viscount Who Loved Me, I didn’t care much for Anthony Bridgerton. He was… fine? *insert shrugging emoji here* Now Anthony’s story has come to Netflix in Season 2 of Bridgerton, Jonathan Bailey’s acting has me re-evaluating my feelings about Anthony (and in my opinion, theContinue reading “Grief, Trauma, and Patriarchy: the True Banes of Anthony Bridgerton’s Existence”

Why ‘One of Us is Lying’ makes me uncomfortable

It’s hard to miss Karen McManus’ books in the YA section of your local bookshop. With their distinctive minimalist covers, they stand out. McManus has now written five books, including One of Us is Lying – her 2017 release and most popular book so far, with over 450,000 ratings on Goodreads. Its sequel, One ofContinue reading “Why ‘One of Us is Lying’ makes me uncomfortable”

The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill

The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill is a reimagining of The Little Mermaid. Branded as a story told through ‘a searing feminist lens… a book with the darkest of undercurrents’, it follows Gaia, the youngest daughter of The Sea King. She falls in love with a human boy and longs to find out what happenedContinue reading “The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill”

Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal

What is it like to navigate a world that isn’t designed for how your brain works? Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal looks at the impact of trying to be ‘normal’ for a neurodiverse teenage girl. As always, please note that this post contains spoilers! Topics covered:  Autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, sexual harassment, domesticContinue reading “Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal”

Nine Perfect Strangers

In this blog-exclusive review, we talk about the psychology behind Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers. Now a major TV series! Please note that this blog post contains spoilers! Mental health issues covered:  grief after a family member’s suicide, body image and disordered eating, drug use/psychedelics Additional content warnings for the book itself: diet talk andContinue reading “Nine Perfect Strangers”

Podcast Announcement

Hello friends! Today we have released the last episode of Season 2 of Novel Feelings. We have had such a wonderful time putting this season together. We read more books, we talked about tropes, and we had wonderful guests! We are so grateful for the generosity of everyone who came on the podcast this seasonContinue reading “Podcast Announcement”

S02E08. A Monster Calls

What does it mean when a monster shows up at your window? For our final review episode of Season 2, we discuss A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness with special guest, author Mat Larkin. We talk about the stages of grief, middle grade tropes, surprisingly therapeutic monsters, and all the feels! Mental health issues covered:Continue reading “S02E08. A Monster Calls”

The Morbids

In this blog-exclusive review, we talk about our views on Ewa Ramsey’s 2020 novel, The Morbids. For this blog, we’re joined by a special guest, Bree from Feelz Podcast, who gives her unique and comedic spin on this book. Please note that this blog post contains spoilers! Mental health issues covered:  Death anxiety, post-traumatic stress,Continue reading “The Morbids”

Interview with Kay Kerr

In this special episode, we chat to Kay Kerr, author of Please Don’t Hug Me and the newly released Social Queue. Topics include: autism representation, Kay’s writing processes for both of her books, and self-care. We also discuss Please Don’t Hug Me in spoilery details in the second half of the episode (we’ll let youContinue reading “Interview with Kay Kerr”

I Wish You All The Best

In this post, Priscilla wants to talk about I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver. This book is an honest and heartfelt portrait of coming out in the context of difficult and/or abusive family dynamics. The main character also wrestles with symptoms of anxiety and depression and starts therapy in the story. PleaseContinue reading “I Wish You All The Best”