Author Archives: Leigh Briar

Entirely Perfect in (Almost) Every Way

This story was highly commended in the 2021 Feast Festival Short Story Competition in the emerging writers category. Feast is Adelaide’s largest annual queer arts and culture festival. ⚧ Persephone James could not, with any amount of her logical reasoning, determine why she felt lonely. Her loneliness was weighted like a ball chained to theContinue reading “Entirely Perfect in (Almost) Every Way”

Review: Ophelia After All

Title: Ophelia After All Author: Racquel Marie Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Released: Feb 8 2022 Rating: ★★★★★ “Hamlet would make a great lesbian.” Racquel Marie, Ophelia After All Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an audio ARC. Racquel Marie has nailed her debut. I spent a long time putting this review off, becauseContinue reading “Review: Ophelia After All”

To Live & Survive: A Study of The Ones We’re Meant to Find

[This essay was written for a university topic on metaphor and the Fantastic in fiction. It contains spoilers to Joan He’s novel.] Joan He’s sophomore novel for young adults, The Ones We’re Meant to Find, is a science fiction exploration of a world beyond the point of global climate disaster, suggesting how the age ofContinue reading “To Live & Survive: A Study of The Ones We’re Meant to Find”

Trans Narratives, Overlooked: A Review of Detransition, Baby

Title: Detransition, Baby Author: Torrey Peters Publisher: Penguin Random House Released: 2021 Rating: ★★★★★ “She knew that no matter how you self-identify ultimately, chances are that you succumb to becoming what the world treats you as.” Torrey Peters, Detransition, Baby We’re all familiar with the textbook trans experience. Born in the wrong body, we growContinue reading “Trans Narratives, Overlooked: A Review of Detransition, Baby”

“Welcome to Leftover Bay!” A Review of Sugarcoated

Title: Sugarcoated Series: Leftovers (Book 1) Author: Sarah Epstein Publisher: Fourteen Press Released: 2021 Rating: ★★★★★ He was, I realised with a sinking feeling, perfect assistant manager material. Sarah Epstein, Sugarcoated There are so many things I have to say about this book and its author, all of them glowing praise. After reading this wholesomeContinue reading ““Welcome to Leftover Bay!” A Review of Sugarcoated”

Review: Circe

Title: Circe Author: Madeleine Miller Publisher: Bloomsbury Released: 2018 Rating: ★★★★★ “The grudges of gods are as deathless as their flesh.” Madeleine Miller, Circe *This review contains spoilers* Madeleine Miller’s award-winning second novel, Circe, is an absolute spectacle of a story. A deep-dive into the psyche of one of The Odyssey‘s most intriguing players, theContinue reading “Review: Circe”

“None Stranger Than Itself”: The Uncanny Horror of Monsters and Men

[This essay was written in 2020 for a university class on the Gothic tradition in Western literature.] Gothic literature is latent with the unknown and the unknowable. Recognisability in the face of otherworldly horrors compounds an already unsettling narrative, and as explored below, seeing ourselves in what we do not understand chills us more thanContinue reading ““None Stranger Than Itself”: The Uncanny Horror of Monsters and Men”

Book Review: Stay Gold

Title: Stay Gold Author: Tobly McSmith Publisher: HarperCollins Released: 2020 Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Stay gold, Pony. The world needs you. Stay gold when it’s hard. When it’s lonely. When it’s scary. Especially when it’s scary. Tobly McSmith, Stay Gold *This review contains spoilers* Tobly McSmith’s debut novel Stay Gold follows the dual-perspectives of Pony, a transgenderContinue reading “Book Review: Stay Gold”

April Reading Wrap-Up

April was a very eclectic reading month for me this year! A handful of the books I read were for one of my uni classes on epic literature, so it was a little expansive for me — which is something I always enjoy! I’ve also been in such a variety of moods when it comesContinue reading “April Reading Wrap-Up”