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Never Hollowed By The Stare
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  • Home
  • REVIEWS+RECS
    • MANGA
    • BOOK REVIEW
    • SOUNDTRACK
    • QUOTE
    • TRAILER
    • DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS
    • BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
    • Reviews A-Z
    • MINI MOVIE REVIEWS
  • MEMES+TAGS
    • MUSIC MONDAY
    • LAST YEAR I WAS READING
    • FLICKer FADE SUNDAY
    • TAGS
    • MISC POSTS
    • PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
    • FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56
  • TOURS & BLITZES
    • COVER REVEAL
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    • ADVERTISE WITH US
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Archives

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  • Uncategorized

    BOOK TOUR: The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

    May 8, 2023 / No Comments
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    You May Also Like

    BOOK TOUR: 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe

    January 25, 2023

    MUSIC MONDAY: Monster (Under My Bed) by Call Me Karizma

    April 13, 2020

    BLOG TOUR: The Elven King’s Love by Devon Vesper (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    April 9, 2021
  • Uncategorized

    BOOK TOUR: Heathen by Natasha Alterici & Ashley A. Woods (Excerpt + Q&A with Author)

    December 26, 2022 / No Comments
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    You May Also Like

    BOOK TOUR: Show Me Wonders by Riley Nash (Excerpt)

    December 6, 2022

    RELEASE BLITZ: Cosy & Chill by Jackie Keswick (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    November 10, 2021

    DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS: Colette Davison

    May 10, 2022
  • Uncategorized

    BOOK TOUR: Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales by Melanie Gillman

    September 19, 2022 / No Comments
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    ME AND MUSIC TAG

    February 16, 2021

    COVER REVEAL: Shot In The Dark by Riley long (Giveaway)

    September 29, 2020

    COVER REVEAL: Shameless by Lola Malone (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    October 19, 2022
  • Uncategorized

    RELEASE DAY BLITZ: Heathen by Natasha Alterici & Ashley A. Woods (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    May 20, 2022 / No Comments
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    You May Also Like

    BOOK TOUR: Time For Love & This Time by Laura N. Andrews (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    March 7, 2021

    BOOK BLAST: Love Him/Hate Him by Chris Bedell (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    March 22, 2021

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Fire and Clay by Noja Lina (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    April 22, 2022
  • Uncategorized

    BLOG TOUR: Heathen by Natasha Alterici, Ashley A. Woods, Rachel Deering & Morgan Martinez (Excerpt & Giveaway + Guest Post)

    May 1, 2022 / No Comments
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    RELEASE BLITZ: A Touch Of Fever by Nazri Noor (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    September 13, 2021

    COVER REVEAL: Exception by Cora Rose

    June 16, 2023

    BLOG TOUR: Claw Of Exile by J.K. Jones (Excerpt)

    November 14, 2021
  • Uncategorized

    BLOG TOUR: Romeo X Julien by Mary Dumas & Bettina Kurkoski (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    September 23, 2020 / No Comments
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    BLOG TOUR: After Felix by Lily Morton (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    August 23, 2020

    RELEASE BLITZ: Like You Hate Me by Bethany Winters (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    August 31, 2023

    RELEASE BLITZ: Chasing The Horizon by Zenith Aislin (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    June 19, 2020
  • manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Midnight Radio

    May 18, 2019 / No Comments
    43702694

    Midnight Radio – Iolanda Zanfardino

    An intriguingly interwoven tale of four lives changed by a mysterious late-night radio broadcast that wakes them up from their mundane existences. Each tale speaks to different social issues without pandering to a political agenda: LGBT+ rights, racism, social network addiction, and the difficult decision between settling down versus following your dreams. Each tale is told in a vivid, polychromatic illustration style that flows from one character to another and back again in a uniquely identifiable fashion

    Midnight Radio tackled social issues and tried to be meaningful but does not really say anything new. The delivery was flat. It was kind of predictable. I was bored.

    On the upside, loved the polychromatic illustrations! It helped me follow the 4 interconnected stories and it’s nice to look at.

    P.S.

    I received a copy of Midnight Radio from Lion Forge via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

    Rating:
    2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book

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    PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE (July 8, 2020)

    July 8, 2020

    COVER REVEAL: His EliXXir by L.J. Harris (Giveaway)

    November 22, 2022

    COVER REVEAL: Love on Page Six by Claerie Kavanaugh (Excerpt)

    May 23, 2023
  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

    April 18, 2019 / 2 Comments
    42837514

    In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity–what it means and how to think about it–for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

    I learned the term asexual sometime in 2015 and more recently, gender queer. It wasn’t earth shattering or life-changing. It was more like something clicking into place with the knowledge that that disinterested state you have known all this time has a name. If this graphic novel was released much earlier, that light bulb moment would have come sooner too.

    In my country, the term gender queer is relatively unknown. If you are not hetero, it’s either you are a gay or lesbian. People confuse gay with trans, even the gay guys themselves almost always have the idea that being gay means becoming or acting like a woman. Those who prefer to act masculine are referred to with derision as ‘pretending to be a man’ or ‘not a real man’. Lesbians were also expected to be butch and lipstick lesbians are not common. Much of my experience with gender queers are those born biologically male and would be automatically tagged as gay. Maia Kobabe would be tagged as lesbian and it would take a very lengthy explanation to make people understand. There are no guarantees they will.

    This memoir will help open minds. It explores gender identity and self. It also talks about love and family and how having a sibling who just gets you could make all the difference in the world. It chronicles the difficulties and horrors a gender queer person goes through. It is raw and very honest, sometimes painfully so but always with a touch of humor and optimism. In itself, it is a highly enjoyable graphic novel with interesting illustrations and has an ending that leaves an opening for a sequel just in case.

    I highly recommend this to everybody.

    P.S.

    I received a copy of Gender Queer: A Memoir from Lion Forge via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

    Rating:
    4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away

    Soundtrack: Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
    Artist: David Bowie
    Album: Pin Ups

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    New Release Blitz: Pattern for an Angel by CJane Elliott (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    December 2, 2019

    COVER REVEAL: Death Of The Moon by S.A. Pavlik (Giveaway)

    March 18, 2022

    RELEASE BLITZ: Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life by Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid (Excerpt)

    August 16, 2022
  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Waves by Ingrid Chabbert & Carole Maurel

    January 13, 2019 / No Comments
    40744544. sx318

    Waves – Ingrid Chabbert & Carole Maurel

    A young woman and her wife’s attempts to have a child unfold in this poetic tale that ebbs and flows like the sea.

    After years of difficulty trying to have children, a young couple finally announces their pregnancy, only to have the most joyous day of their lives replaced with one of unexpected heartbreak. Their relationship is put to the test as they forge ahead, working together to rebuild themselves amidst the churning tumult of devastating loss, and ultimately facing the soul-crushing reality that they may never conceive a child of their own.

    Based on author Ingrid Chabbert’s own experience, coupled with soft, sometimes dreamlike illustrations by Carole Maurel, Waves is a deeply moving story that poignantly captures a woman’s exploration of her pain in order to rediscover hope.

    As somebody who has no interest in having children, I couldn’t even begin to imagine the grief and pain couples go through when they’re trying to have a child only to lose them to a miscarriage. I would even be an insensitive ass and dismiss the whole thing with “why don’t they just adopt?”

    Author Ingrid Chabbert shares her story via Waves, a graphic novel about two women trying really hard to have a baby. They were so close to their dream only to have it snatched away. Truly heartbreaking! Theirs is a very moving story about coping with a loss so immense that simply to continue moving is like learning to breathe again.

    “It’s like learning everything over”
    “No choice.”
    “It’s kind of like learning to walk again”
    “Yeah, just as frustrating”

    Their journey towards healing and recovery is reflected on their dreams of being submerged in the sea and struggling to swim against turbulent waters. It was very overwhelming. I would have drowned already. Yet these women kept fighting and their love for each other and the baby remained strong.

    They found support from other couples with similar experiences. The comfort and relief they received from these shared stories was palpable. I’m happy they found reasons to smile again. They also found solace in writing and traveling. The idea that healing and inner peace don’t have to involve prayer to a god also resonated strongly with me

    Waves is an eye-opening experience for me. It reminded me and my callous streak, not to minimize other people’s pain. It showed my pessimistic self that even in their deepest despair people can still find the strength to move on. And in the midst of grief

    “You are allowed to laugh.”

    P.S.

    I received a copy of Waves from  BOOM! Studios  via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

    Rating:
    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: Ocean Breathes Salty
    Artist: Modest Mouse
    Album: Good News for People Who Love Bad News

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    RELEASE TOUR: Wane on Harvest Moon by Amanda Meuwissen (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    December 18, 2022

    BLOG TOUR: Love Directions by A.F. Zoelle (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    November 19, 2020

    BLOG TOUR: The Ex’s Boyfriend by Hurri Cosmo (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    November 7, 2021
  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Watersnakes by Tony Sandoval

    January 4, 2019 / 2 Comments
    41557029. sx318

    Watersnakes – Tony Sandoval

    Mila is a solitary teenager ready to put another boring summer vacation behind her until she meets Agnes, an adventurous girl who turns out to be a ghost. And not just a regular ghost, but one carrying the essence of an ancient fallen king and a mouth full of teeth that used to be his guardian warriors.

    Three-time Eisner Award-nominated writer/artist Tony Sandoval presents a wondrous world of secret places and dreamlike magic hidden in the everyday corners of our sleeping imagination.

    Tony Sandoval’s imagination knows no bounds! Talking octopus. Magical girls. Badass teeth warriors. Awesome stuff!

    Watersnakes is completely bizarre and surreal. The artwork is really beautiful and I love the combination of innocent faces, gruesome deaths and the copious amounts of blood that goes with it. I also love the dreamlike atmosphere and how it throws me off kilter. Several times I had to ask, is this really happening?

    Despite the languid looking art, the pacing is fast and the story telling is not bogged down by too much dialogue. The talky bits were concise and to the point but they also had some snappy humor. The events of the story simply happened here and now and there is little backstory. But even with all the weirdness, the plot is easy to follow. Mila and Agnes were wild, adventurous girls with a streak of crazy. Yep, shipping them!

    Watersnakes is a gothic horror graphic novel that sucks you deeper as it gets creepier and creepier. When the ancient king appeared, he asked to be taken to the water while doglike monsters hunted them. The warriors prepare to fight. The battle was fierce and took a heavy toll. The fields were red with blood.

    We are already dead…You can only see and feel the projection of our energy like the light from a dead star.

    Hold on to your teeth!

    P.S.

    I received a copy of Watersnakes from  Diamond Book Distributors  via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

    Rating:
    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: On+Off
    Artist: Maggie Rogers
    Album: Now That the Light is Fading

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    COVER REVEAL: Treading Water by Alex Winters (Excerpt)

    September 17, 2023

    BLOG TOUR: Forever Wilde In Aster Valley by Lucy Lennox (Excerpt)

    November 19, 2021

    BLOG TOUR: The Bond by Xavier Axelson (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q&A with author)

    October 10, 2022

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Book images and promotional materials are from Goodreads or media kits provided for blog tours, cover reveals and release blitzes. Manga covers and other images are sourced through Google image search. The two dorks in the header image is from a manga by TogaQ & Kikuchi Neko. The cat logo is my own design. Reviews and other writings found in the blog are mine unless otherwise stated. All Buy Links to Amazon and Bookshop in my posts contain affiliate links.

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
16h

FLICKer: Curse of the Unkissable Kid #shortfilm
A bullied kid drinks a magical potion before reading the fine print.

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
16h

RELEASE BLITZ: Infamous Park Avenue Prince by Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine (#Giveaway)



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16h

A GUARD AND A THIEF. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

BLOG TOUR: The Gauntlet Runner by J. Scott Coatsworth (Excerpt & #Giveaway)



https://neverhollowed.com/2023/09/21/blog-tour-the-gauntlet-runner-by-j-scott-coatsworth-excerpt-giveaway/

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16h

RELEASE BLITZ: A Minute More by Cora Rose



https://neverhollowed.com/2023/09/21/release-blitz-a-minute-more-by-cora-rose/

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