Super cute! Loved the insights into being goth, and all the fashion that she got up to. Also loved the fandom stuff, and the cosplay! Super awesome! Really loved it, and would recommend it! Especially to those who might be going through the foster system, as well. I think it’s great representation, and kids will see themselves in it.

This is my first time reading a story from the perspective of a child in foster care.
It was nice to see her find a passion in cosplay and friends.
The story is very much teen like especially in the language that they use. There is cursing so be mindful of age appropriateness.
I like the idea of the main character being Goth.
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overall story was not my cup of tea. It’s an easy read but I personally didn’t fall in love with the story. That being said it is all due to my own personal preference in stories and genres. I should probably write a bit deeper in regards to the full synopsis.

I believe a lot of teens could pick this up and totally relate to it and feel connected with the main character they understand what it means to belong.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and physical finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe

Author: Lindsay S. Zrull

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Foster care plus size vegetarian MC, Asian character, Black character, Mexican American anxiety disorder character, bipolar disorder character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, plus size, foster care, cosplay contests

Publication Date: July 19, 2022

Genre: YA Contemporary

Age Relevance: 14+ (Bullying, Cursing, Schizophrenia, Sexual content, Parental Death, Fatphobia, Anxiety, Panic attack, Suicide, Bipolar, Deportation, Abelism, Racism, Romance)

Explanation of Above: There are mentions of schizophrenia, anxiety, and a very brief mention of bipolar and suicide. There is one scene with a panic attack, but it is quick. There is some bullying shown throughout the book. There is some cursing in the book. There are very brief mentions of sexual content in the form of kink and sex jokes, nothing explicit is shown. There is mention of a parental death and very brief mention of deportation. There is some fatphobia shown in the book and one instance of abelism. There is also one scene of racism shown in the book. There is also some slight romance in the form of kisses.

Publisher: Flux Books

Pages: 341

Synopsis: Bounced between foster homes since the age of seven, Jessica knows better than to set down roots. Most of the kids at her new Michigan high school think she’s a witch anyway (because, you know, goth). The only one who gives her the time of day is geeky Oscar, who wants to recruit her fashion skills for his amateur cosplay group. But Jess is fine showing off her looks to her Insta fans—until a woman claiming to be her biological mother barges into her DMs.

Jess was claimed by the state when her bio mom’s mental illness made her unstable. While their relationship is far from traditional, blood ties are hard to break. There’s only one problem: Jess can’t reunite with her mom in New York City without a bunch of paperwork and she worries her social worker will never approve the trip. That’s when she remembers Oscar’s cosplay group, which is aiming for that big convention in New York . . .

So, Jess joins Oscar’s team—with every intention of using them to get to her mom. But her plan gets complicated when she discovers that, actually, cosplay is pretty great, and so is having friends. And Oscar, who Jess thought was just a shy nerd, can be as gallant and charming as the heroes he pretends to be. As the big convention draws near, Jess will have to decide whether or not chasing a dream of “family” is worth risking the family she’s built for herself.

Review: I really love this book! As someone who grew up with a mom who suffered from mental health issues, I really connected with the main character and her plight. I wasn’t ever in the foster care system, but I could relate to her struggles with her mother. It’s like constantly walking on eggshells and not knowing if your remarks or questions will set them off. It’s not knowing if they’ll come out of their room to make dinner or not. It’s being yelled at for things you didn’t do and having bread thrown at you because they didn’t like the way you folded the towels or they didn’t remember where they set their bible. It’s super hard and being in foster care or not you always feel the effects. I love how unashamed the book discussed mental health, because while there can be significant heartbreak in it, it’s not the end of the world for most and it’s something that can be helped a lot by medication. I really appreciated the ending, because I’m currently in the unknown with my own mother. I don’t know what the future looks like and I’m glad this book left it open as well. The character development was well done and I also really liked the world building. The story was well plotted and it developed very naturally throughout the book.

The only thing I thought the book could improve on was that the romance I thought could be a bit more pronounced (but that’s a personal preference) and I think the cover could have been better designed to fully illustrate the plus size heroine. She’s there and she’s plus size, but she hiding herself and in all her black apparel it’s hard to see that she’s plus size. I think it would be great for young people to see her better.

Verdict: I highly recommend this one for younger kids going through what I did and what this MC is.

Excuse me while I wipe tears of joy and sadness that have resulted from reading about this Goth Queen. I loved that this setting was in Detroit, even including a scene from the Whitney! The cosplay convention joys and the descriptions of makeup and costumes that go into it were amazing! Diving into the thoughts and feelings of a foster kid can be tough but this book is written in such a way that it’s not jarring but rather informative and heart wrenching. I love the mental illness representation and seeing it through the eyes of a kid who is trying to understand it herself. There is so much love in this book and it had me rooting for these kids and Barbra the whole time. I loved seeing the found family and the whole hearted support of a teen. Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC and the author for sending this story out into the world, I loved every moment in it.

This book ruined me a little; it was alternately sweet and heartbreaking and I'm definitely purchasing it for our collection.

Jess has moved from house to group home to house for the past nine years. Having entered the foster care system at seven, Jess doesn’t know what it’s like to have a safe place to call home.

“Foster Care Pro-tip number eight: Never become emotionally involved with anyone. Ever.”

Jess doesn’t expect this placement to be any different but Barbra, Jess’ new foster parent, is unlike any of the ones she’s had before.

Jess’ look is inspired by the “patron saint of goths”, Edgar Allan Poe. This has acted both as a protective layer and a way to express herself. She never expected her creativity to lead to cosplay but if that’s what she needs to do in order to make it to New York to see her biological mother, then that’s what she’s going to do.

“Who knew dressing up in costume after the sixth grade could be so much fun?”

Barbra was a foster kid’s dream come true. A big part of me tried to keep her at arm’s length, just like Jess did, because she seemed too perfect and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ultimately, though, I ended up loving her to bits and allowing myself to hope that she actually does represent reality for some foster kids.

Goofy, geeky Oscar was absolutely adorable and stole my heart early on. His enthusiasm and passion were infectious and I wanted to watch him as he created the foam weapons of my dreams.

This is a story of found family, of learning to be vulnerable and to trust, and letting people get to know the real you. The experience of being a foster kid was realistic and the discussions about mental health were refreshingly honest.

“It’s suddenly hard to believe that I’ve lived this long without knowing another human being who understands what this is like.”

The cover image, which I loved and was what drew me to this book in the first place, had me expecting a middle grade story. Imagine my surprise when Jess’ first day of school included a stranger mid psychotic break trying to get as many swear words in a sentence as possible and a reference shortly thereafter to a “kinky sex dungeon”. Spoiler: Not a kinky sex dungeon.

I did get irritated at times by Jess fairly consistently saying “thank the Goddess” and the way it all played out was predictable, but … the story was just so heartwarming, the pop culture references abounded and I loved watching Jess’ journey through the pages.

As I’ve come to expect, an email address that was mentioned during the story doesn’t currently exist. Every time I see one in a book I test it out, hoping that one time a publisher will figure out the marketing potential and set it up with an auto-reply. I keep hoping for something fun like a message from one of the characters, behind the scenes info from the author or a secret competition to win book swag. One day I’ll be pleasantly surprised. Until then I’m going to keep sending test emails into the void.

Content warnings include mention of abuse, bullying, death by suicide, fat shaming, foster care, mental health and neglect. Readers with emetophobia may have trouble with one scene.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flux, an imprint of North Star Editions, for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.

Received a digital arc of this a couple of months ago and it took me a while before I dived into this.

This is literally goth meets cosplay. I never thought I'd read a book about cosplay before but here we are. This is so cute and reading each page is like joining the gang with their adventure. Jess is your goth girl but though she hears different comments on how she presents herself, she remains firm on being who she is. Her strong character may seemed stubborn on diffferent times but she is the type once you know her you would definitely be drawn to her. Being goth is completely different to cosplay but meeting the right cosplayer can change that.

The author really did her best on being as realistic as possible. I've read books about Schizophrenia in the past but it nothing on how it is being describe in the story. It is not the only mental disorder that is being mentioned in the story. The way each characters deals with it is amazing knowing that they are in their teens.

I don't think I would shut up on how cosplayed as a group. A couple of people with diffent ambitions but did all those things together is amazing. Reading it makes me think how Jess was so lucky to have these people in her life despite her terrible past.

This is a solid book and it instantly becomes my favorite read.

I LOVED THIS BOOK.

Jess has been in the foster system since age 7, when her bio mom's untreated mental illness made it unsafe for Jess to remain in her care. She's bounced between group homes and foster placements for nearly a decade and has developed a strict list of rules to keep herself from being vulnerable to future emotional pain. Jess has just been placed with a new foster parent, Barbra, and started at yet another new school, where she is immediately bullied for her unique fashion and makeup. She meets a geeky boy named Oscar and (somewhat reluctantly) joins his cosplay group because it might be a way to see her bio mom again.

******************
I loved so many things about this book. Jess was a wonderfully complex character who felt like a real person. Her snarky armor and vulnerable interior life were so perfectly written and raw. I loved her unapologetic body positivity and her genuine love of fashion and elaborate makeup and how she very gradually allowed herself to open up to the new people in her life while still trying to protect herself and find a way to have a relationship with her bio mom. I lost it when she was talking about how afraid she was of inheriting her mom's schizophrenia - I can relate to her fears of lurking genetic timebombs and thought it (and all of the mental illness discussion) was really beautifully handled. Oscar and Emily were excellent characters as well. And Barbra. Everyone deserves to have a Barbra in their life. And extra love for the little MFM shoutouts (SSDGM!) and the cutest cover ever.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I absolutely adored this funny, heartwarming, prickly, sweet book about a goth teen in foster care who deals with big issues alongside small high school dramas (though they certainly feel big to high schoolers!). Every aspect of the book is pitch perfect, from Jess's hesitancy to form attachments to her new friends and new foster mom to her increasing anxiety over what it means to cosplay and indulge in fantasy worlds when one has a familial history of schizophrenia. I loved every character and wanted to give each one the biggest hug -- Zrull absolutely allows her characters to be teens, which means they often make terrible decisions and act badly while feeling guilty about how badly they're acting (a detail I always love in YA). I will be eagerly recommending this novel to all my customers!

Perfect for cosplay lovers. I mean for someone like me.

It was actually very special to come across a story like that, which encompasses the passion for things, in this case the passion for gothic and cosplay and how one puts soul and life into this field.

I felt very identified with the characters in the story. I kept thinking about my next cosplay. he he

In addition, he handles mental health problems very well and how this affects the daily lives of people who suffer or see someone suffer with a mental illness.

This book frustrated me. I agree with other reviews that the second half is much better. Once you get to about 60% it's far more interesting, but you really have to struggle your way there. I just found the main character not likeable. Unless that was the goal, then bravo, you made me hate her.

These are the notes I took while reading:

We get it. “You’re not like other girls” ugh

The writing is childish and doesn’t fit young adult. I wouldn’t recommend this to people who enjoy ya. This is a middle grade book. The title and cover are misleading. The main character is annoying. For someone who doesn’t want to be judged she sure does judge LITERALLY EVERYTHING. Just cuz you had a shitty upbringing doesn’t mean you get to be shitty.

The first half of this was mind rotting. Jess is awful. She jumps to horrible stereotypes every time she meets someone. The way she treated Oscar, the first time they hung out was gross. She’s not likeable in any way.

Who hasn’t heard of cosplay?!? Ya goof. Also, thrifting isn’t some foreign concept. I’m not awed by the fact this kid buys second hand. Get over yourself.

She knows what a Skeksis is but not cosplay!?

Also, it's winter in Michigan, do none of these kids own coats?

I hate the cliche use of Poe. Like wow. So edgy.

It’s final girl, not scream queen.

I really hate how stupid Jess is, of course the adult taking care of you has watched movies from the 80’s. They're not some secret thing only you and your dumb friends know about.

How does the kid who makes cosplay constantly, not know what spirit gum is?!

I was expecting a cute goth girl and a nerdy cosplay boy to become friends and go on convention adventures. And what I got was a whiny narcissistic teenager that treated everyone she met like shit.

I hate the word normies.

It was an incredibly selfish and childish thing to abandon her friends at the final competition. And they all so easily forgave her. Nah-uh. Why does she get a pass? She's such a dick to everyone.

A version of What I Carry for goths, Halloween lovers, or general nerds, this YA contemporary does a great job of presenting foster care and mental illness in a way that feels both truthful and relatable. The story moves along nicely, well-written and -paced, and the cast of characters is strong - main character Jess starts off the book with her Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way vibe turned up a little strong, but it tempers through the book. There are some small quibbles - the romance was nice but not necessarily packed with chemistry and it didn't quite feel like it built super well; the scene where pictures of Jess and her cosplay group were found and posted around school never got enough of an explanation so it felt mostly like an excuse to start an argument between Jess and Oscar; and while the Poe/foster care connection was well-made and certainly feeds into Jess's aesthetic, considering her deep knowledge of his biography, it seemed like purposeful avoidance not to mention his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin (maybe goth queen Mary Shelley, who also had an odd and difficult relationship with the memory of her mother might have been another option? - but overall a read that balances fun geekiness and serious themes.

This was such a cute read - even while dealing with tough topics. I loved the detail of the cosplay (would love to see those costumes!!). It did really well exploring how Jess felt about her mom, foster care, friends and her foster mom. Totally recommending to my teens for YA readers advisory.

Typically, I only read fantasy/sci-fi, so this book came as quite the shock to me. When I saw the description of this novel from TBR & Beyond, it called out to the goth girl I always wanted to be and the nerdy girl that I am.

The relationship between Jess and the other "misfits" made my heart so happy. Every interaction had me falling even more in love with this cast of characters. With each new nerdy cosplay, I wanted to become friends with them. The beautiful relationship between Jess and her foster mom and the complicated relationship between her and her bio mom will have you on a rollercoaster of emotions.

While the beginning felt slow and took me awhile to catch my attention, I truly enjoyed reading this book and getting to see Jess's growth as she learns how to accept love in the most unlikely of places.

I just want to start off by saying I'm slightly older than the age range for the intended audience of 14-18 so I'm uncertain if this is why I felt disconnected from the book. The thing is I have read and loved other YA books so I don't think this is the case.

The writing style was a little inconsistent for instance there was a line where Jess breaks the fourth wall and says "maybe I should explain a little something about my biomom..." I felt like the prior chapters had already alluded to the this being a possibility so I was thinking Jess could have confirmed it in a more nuanced or less obvious manner.

While I appreciate the significance of Edgar Allan Poe, the constant mention of him was a little overwhelming as well. I wish their was more mention of other goth icons, Morticia Adams, Eric Draven etc etc

I really liked how the descriptions of Jess' makeup and clothing showed her to be a creative and hard working person. I loved how consistently stylish she was. Also loved Barbra's positivity and charm. It was nice to see them grow closer.

Overall I like the premise. It was a good storyline of found family.

I will champion this book to the ends of the earth. It is so beautiful and wholesome and heartbreaking and magical and I loved every second of it. I legitimately cried and I’ve been telling everyone I know about it as I’ve read it this week. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

This beautiful masterpiece showcases the foster care system, it’s heroes and shortcomings. It champions geekdom, fandom, inclusivity, and cosplay. It’s feature so many cool quotes from various pop culture icons and Edgar Allan Poe. Mental health is a huge topic in this book and as someone who struggles with several anxiety disorders and bipolar disorder the representation is so important and that well done. The author perfectly captured the energy and excitement and diversity in cosplay and conventions. They also highlighted judge mental and misguided individuals who unfairly judge or gatekeep certain characters from certain peoples and how beautiful it can be to empower people to be who they want to be.

Hands down one of the best books I’ve read this year. If you want a diverse cast, romance, mental health, infused with spectacular geek representation and cosplay goodness pick up this book.

Don’t walk, RUN! This book was amazing.

Thank you Netgalley for this lovey ARC!!!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First of all, I absolutely love the cover. Jess and the gang completely stole my heart. As someone who loves fandom, cosplay, and just being a geek in general, this book made my heart smile. Seeing these kids navigate the con and cosplay world was extremely entertaining. I also enjoyed seeing all the familiar fandoms along with some new ones. I love going to cons and seeing the amazing costumes and makeup so I would have loved to be there to see them perform.

The discussions of bullying and being yourself really hit home for me. It’s always hard to be yourself when the world is against you and I felt so heavy with Jess and Oscar. Being your true and authentic self can be the scariest thing out there. The cosplay world can also be unforgiving in this regard. You usually see pretty and skinny cosplayers on the fronts of websites and at cons. The fact that Jess and the gang were ready to give a POC, body positive, and queer represented performance and shake things up was so refreshing. I want to see more of it on the real world.

I also really appreciated the discussion of different mental illnesses as well as the difficult discussions of foster homes and being in the system. Schizophrenia, anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder are all serious and should be talked about and not shamed. We can’t help the way our brains work, but we can help the way we treat those around us that have it. The sensitive and delicate way this was handled was very well done. Nobody is crazy and nobody should feel like they are lesser for who they are. I’m so so glad that Jess was able to find her found family. Barbra and her friends were such amazing allies for Jess. This book was incredibly adorable and Jess’s characters development throughout with her being able to trust people and believe in herself had me laughing and crying the whole way. The last few chapters had me tearing up a bit. Also that scene with Oscar and Jess at the graveyard. This was an amazing debut book and I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future!

This book was such a surprise. First of, a disclosure: I did not plan on reading it. Or, well, it's a half-truth. I was scrolling down NetGalley before sleep and I thought it was a graphic novel when I requested it as the cover momentarily drew me in. So I was surprised when I received a whole ebook.
It's so rare for me these days to pick up a book that didn't come recommended by reviewers I trust and which I haven't checked up on before committing my time to but apparently fate had plans for me because I loved it from the start.

Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe is about mental health, foster care, and cosplay. It's a beautiful, touching story and the characters are amazingly crafted. The author went through the foster care system as well and the book is dedicated to the kids going through the same, so that they know they aren't alone and it shows on every page. It's a love letter to foster kids, bringing in a light of hope and validation.

Hurt/comfort is one of my fave tropes and this book is written around it, so of course I loved it. I'm a huge sucker for characters who have been hurt so much by the world finding their place in the world or their people and slowly opening up and healing. Characters who finally find people who appreciate and embrace them for who they are, with all their quirks and ugly parts, and who don't try to change them.

The discussions about mental health were a huge highlight of this book. There were so many beautiful fragments, done so respectfully but also not romanticizing or flinching away from the ugly parts of mental illness. I loved how it was stressed that mental health is health and should be treated as such and that therapy and medication are sometimes essential, just like any other doctor visit. However, I feel obloged to say that I am not an own voices reader for schizophrenia, so I suggest looking up own voices reviews before making up your mind about it (I haven't seen any so far but I expect more reviews will show up closer to and after the publication date).

The romance is very slow-burn, which my aro self appreciates as I'm currently avoiding romances. Instead, there's a big focus on friendship and family (blood and found).

I definitely recommend!

Honestly, I had not expected to truly enjoy this book -- it's a bit out of my comfort zone, now. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I not only did not hate it but also was actively invested in the story!

The writing style does at times veer just a smidge too close to mid-2010s Tumblr, but that effect is immediately cancelled out by the sincerity and honesty with which it is written.

The story focuses, in a way, on acceptance. On inclusion, yes, but mostly acceptance. The way in which Jess lives with her biological mother's mental health situation and the impact that being a foster kid has had on her is immensely empathetic and well written. Not to mention what an important story this is! The focus on body positivity and diversity within the cosplay community is also very much appreciated.

Motherhood and friendship are highly important here as well. I liked Barbara and the way her relationship with Jess developed -- it was all very sweet. Oscar, too, was a wonderful character. Although he is a love interest, romance is very much a subplot, which was refreshing.

Overall, a refreshing and wholesome story!

The characters in this book were really well developed. I understood and appreciated the relationships between all of them. I also really appreciated the honest portrayal of foster care in the United States--both Jess' memories of nasty foster parents and her very positive experience of living with Barbara. And most of all, I loved the depiction of mental illness in several forms--from Jess' birth mom to her foster mom to her friend Oscar. The portrayals were all very realistic and the diversity of people's experiences were really nice to see