Z’s Reads

Book Review - The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

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I did not expect to love this book as much as I did, but oh my god.

The Wild Robot follows a robot named Roz that gets washed up on an island after the cargo ship she was travelling on gets wrecked in a storm. While she wasn’t the only robot on the ship, she was the only survivor. However, she most certainly isn’t the only inhabitant on the island. Roz quickly makes it her mission to learn how to not only survive, but thrive in an environment that she clearly wasn’t made for- But the animals were.

This book gave me everything that A Psalm For The Wild Built didn’t (sorry not sorry, I need to review that one at a later date too because I have sooo many thoughts). It was heartfelt, funny, and confronted difficult topics such as displacement and grief with so much grace and tenderness that I genuinely found myself sobbing over a goose. This is a CHILDREN’S BOOK. For CHILDREN.

The book is also illustrated by the author, and the artwork in this book might be some of my favourite of all-time. Totally re-ignited my desire to write and illustrate a children’s book of my own.. 👀

This was a genuinely fantastic read, easy to fly through in a few hours, and will leave you feeling all of the warm fuzzies and with a renewed respect for nature that will make you want to sit in a forest and just observe your surroundings for the next few days. While this is “only” a kids book, giving it any less than 5 stars for how much it accomplished in such a simple and wonderful way just felt wrong. I would highly highly recommend this one to anyone in a bit of a reading slump, or anyone looking for some pure and heartfelt escapism. And if you have kids- PLEASE read this with them! Peter Brown, you magical man. Save some for the rest of us (and if you see this- I will gladly trade you a kidney for a signed copy, please and thanks 🥰).

Z’s Reads

Book Review - I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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This book was BRUTAL. While the title of this memoir is dark and intentionally shocking, it is nothing compared to the stories of child abuse, manipulation, eating disorders and dysfunctional relationships Jennette McCurdy details throughout each chapter. From tales of a distant father and over-present mother, to a boyfriend that may-or-may-not be Jesus reincarnated, this memoir covers everything from Jennette’s younger years, all the way up until she left the acting scene. When I say she covers everything detail, I mean EVERY detail. This memoir is not for the prudish or feint of heart. My only slight nit-pick is that I felt the ending was quite abrupt and almost seemed an odd place to leave off, however I would still recommend this book to anyone that’s had even the slightest interest in picking it up (provided you have a relatively strong stomach). One hell of a memoir and Jennette is clearly one hell of a writer too, and I hope this isn’t the last thing we ever see her publish!

(And more importantly I hope you’re doing well Nette babes cus YIKES)

Z’s Reads

Book Review - The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

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“You were a child the first time the Saint of War came to you.”

This is my first book review, and will likely be my most incoherent. There are no words to describe JUST how much I love this absolute belter of a short story, but just know that I would willingly give up both of my kidneys for a physical copy of this book. No further questions Your Honour.

The Six Deaths of the Saint follows the life of a young and sickly servant girl, after she is pulled from the brink of death by a stunning prince and his cohort of saints, priests and bards. This young girl is then raised to be a fearsome warrior, a true master of the sword. “You had taken to them with a skill that verged on the unnatural”.

A warrior whose name and flowing red hair has her enemies running for the hills, and she is truly able to prove her worth to her Prince and to her kingdom. But if only it were that simple.

I am not going to say another word about the story itself, as I URGE you to just go and read it. This 30-ish page short story is packed full of raw emotion, savagery, love, loss, and prose that will make you take a step back, read it again, highlight it, and then read it AGAIN. I have read this book cover-to-cover 4 times in the last 3 days and every single time I find something new that knocks the wind out of my sails all over again. Just incredible writing from start to finish without being too… Flouncy. I am now on a mission to read everything Alix E. Harrow has ever written in the hopes of ever feeling anything ever again. Ugh.

In conclusion:

Yap Central Station, Z’s Reads, Behind The Scenes

The First Of Many - 14/4/2025

Hello there.

I’ve been thinking about starting a little blog/digital diary for such a long time, but kept putting it off for reasons unbeknownst even to me. If you follow me on Instagram (or any of my other platforms), you likely already know that I’m an avid reader, and will have seen little book hauls, reviews, and snippets of my work on my stories from time to time. While these are… Fine.. God knows I’m a yapper. There’s only so much you can fit into one tiny phone-screen sized disappearing post, and I need to yap. So welcome to the blog! I’ll be chatting endless sh*t about the books I love (and hate), as well as all the things that go on in my life and work behind-the-scenes (and whatever else I fancy). If you have any comments, suggestions, or post-topics you’d like to see etc, pleaseee let me know! I’d love to hear your thoughts! The first book review (of many) will be coming soon!

Smell ya later ✌️☺️