July Reading Review
hot summer nights, mid-july
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I’ve been reading much more than I have been writing, so I apologize if my Substack has felt dead. I also don’t feel the need to comment on internet drama or cultural debates anymore. Engaging with ragebait, or producing more, just doesn’t serve me right now. What does serve me are the amazing reads below! As a reminder, reviews are for readers, not the author. If you’re looking for more, follow me over on my bookstagram @readingred.allie 💕
Heather - Caitlin Mullen
A crime thriller set in the NJ Pinelands? Sign me tf up!! This novel was gripping and I didn’t know where the story would go next. Family drama, betrayal, loss of innocence, and all the gossip that comes with close-knit communities collide in my first true 5 star read of the year. I initially read it on Libby but picked up a physical copy to pass around to all my friends; I cannot stop raving about this thriller.
“Sometimes you just feel the devil at your back and you’ve gotta run.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rottenheart - Kat Dunn
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
This is a sapphic retelling of Hamlet that explores complex mother-daughter relationships. I enjoyed this, and perhaps this is my own fault, but I kept comparing it to Hungerstone (her last novel) and felt Rottenheart fell short of what I expected. The pacing dragged, but if Kat Dunn is great at anything it is world and ambiance building. The romance aspects did not feel flushed out. I think Dunn would have been better served by sticking to the dissection of either mother-daughter or sapphic love, but because she is splitting and exploring both, they feel half examined. I would still recommend this — again, I may have had my own preconceived standards that color my review.
Rottenheart is set to release on October 13th, 2026
⭐⭐⭐.5
Kitten - Stacey Yu
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
What an amazing debut! A post-college coming of age explored through the relationship with Silver the cat. I do want to give a content warning, but feel I cannot do so without spoilers, so PLEASE message me privately if curious or worried about triggers. I really don’t know how to describe this novel other than “beautiful,” both linguistically and thematically. While I received this digitally, I plan to buy a physical copy to mark up as there is so much to explore!
Kitten is set to release on August 4th, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Honey - Imani Thompson
Yrsa, a PhD candidate, is sent down a homicidal spiral after knocking a bee into the lemonade of a shady professor, quickly learning he is deathly allergic. Yrsa is full of rage and has finally found her footing.
Honey started out gripping, but lost footing as the story progressed. I did not feel that Yrsa had meaningful character development. I did love the academic examination of Black identity and afropessimism as Yrsa worked on her dissertation. I felt like a lot of the story was happening to Yrsa rather than being propelled by her. Overall, it was just fine.
“Patience is not one of her virtues. Nor is faith, humility, or empathy.”
⭐⭐⭐
Soft Spots - Leila Renee
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
Robbin has run away from home, joining the UnitedCorps to help teach in South Bend. But when she learns her dad, who has abused her for years, is dying, Robbin is forced to confront everything she is trying to run from.
Soft Spots is an exploration of trauma, repression, questionable coping mechanisms, and family. There is a lot in this novel — and a lot that touched me personally — but I do take issue with the overuse of “lowkey” as a descriptor. I appreciate the portrayal of microaggressions and the critic of the American education system’s treatment of Black children.
Soft Spots is set to release on August 4th, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐
She’s a Lamb! - Meredith Hambrock
Are you a former theater kid? A current theater kid? Do you want to live (or relive) the epic highs and lows of semi-professional musicals? This is the novel for you! Jesamin knows she deserves the part of Maria in The Sound of Music and will stop at nothing to take what is rightfully hers.
I listened to this on audiobook and genuinely laughed out loud. It’s so funny and such a biting commentary on the all-so-often drama behind the drama. Totally recommend this one if you love a delusional and deranged woman.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gonna read them all!!!
I can't wait to read Kitten!!