#the thickety

[muddybeez]

Hihi :)) i posted this on instagram first but then i found out that there are thickety fans on tumblr soooo- here is my fanart for the first book😋 i have been working on making one piece of artwork for every book because genuinely it was my favorite series growing up

[ermine-57047]

Magnanimity by Rabbitology and Kara. Does anyone hear me.

[thegardenerscollectiveart]

Rygoth.

- Harpy/Veng/Panik (she/he/it)

[justmeinabigolworld]

You wanna know why I love middle grade books so much compared to YA?

One, they feel much more optimistic than YA, and more likely to try new, off-the-wall things

And two…

They don’t have all that gratuitous romance. Like, I already don’t read a huge chunk of YA books because they’re pure romance, and even in the books that aren’t explicitly about romance, there’s romance. Just when you think you’re safe, it pops up.

Oh, look! A fantasy book with a creative setting and a female protagonist! I’m gonna read it! Okay…good so far…wait, there’s this guy…oh, I don’t like where this is going…aaaaaaand they kissed. And the guy tends to be awful, too. Really mean to the protagonist, but she loves him anyway, because…she has to. It’s YA. I mean, sometimes the guy is fine, but sometimes he’s a piece of shit.

It’s like there’s some kind of law stating that all YA with a female protagonist must give her a love interest, complete with an angsty romance subplot, no matter what the story is about or how much (or little) it fits with the actual plot.

And you know what? I’m seeing more books that give the heroine a female love interest, which is great, even though that means the book has to be marketed as a “queer book” (so as not to upset the homophobes who would otherwise pick up the book or whatever). Still, a love interest is a love interest, and even though I enjoy seeing more queer representation these days, what I’d enjoy even more is a YA section that’s not dominated by romance.

Come on, people. We teens aren’t that horny. Not every book needs romance. Like, with how prevalent love interests are in teen fiction, why are you guys surprised that teens feel bad for having never kissed anyone? Hell, I’ve never kissed anyone, and I’m 19 at the time of writing this. Do I feel like a loser? Yes. Is it because of teen media? Yes…and it’s also due to seeing my classmates in relationships and feeling bad in comparison, but shush.

Also, this is gonna sound weird coming from a girl, but I’d like to read more YA with male protagonists. Everything seems to be about girls these days, and it’s good to have female protagonists, but let’s not leave guys out. As a plus, they have less of a chance of having a love interest. Hooray.

Seriously, though, not every girl constantly thinks about romance, and not every girl wants to read about it. Okay?

Hell, who am I even talking to? It’s not like the publishers are gonna listen to me.

But, uh, yeah. Read middle grade, it’s awesome. I’ve got some recommendations if you’d like.

I’ll probably make a post that’s just a list of good middle grade books and series, but here are a few:

The Thickety by J.A. White: really good dark fantasy, stuff that would even disturb adults, great worldbuilding and characters, and yes, there’s a love interest, but there isn’t much of a romance element. Feels really unique.

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell: yes, it was a series before it was a movie, and yes, the books are better. Very different from the movies, but that’s not a bad thing. The series gets darker as it moves along and Hiccup grows up, and things the characters took for granted are looked at with a more critical eye. Really interesting.

My Life With the Liars by Caela Carter: a book about a girl who grew up in a cult. Every time I read it, it gets more disturbing because I realize things that a younger me didn’t. Still, the book is more about Zylynn’s trauma and how she begins to heal and reach out, even as her worldview crumbles.

The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch: witty, charming, and secret! Apparently, some people find the author’s frequent asides and footnotes to be annoying, but I love them. The sequel trilogy isn’t nearly as good, though.

Okay, that’s it for now. I hope at least some of you can understand my frustration, and I hope you’ll check out these books!

[nachodroppedfood]

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY G (JUST FINISHED THIRD THICKETY BOOK AND HOLY FUCKKKING SHIT OH MY GOD OH M. OH MY FUCKING HELL. FUCCKKKKKKK. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! NACHO. NACHO I AM SHAKING YOU BY THE SHOULDERS. WHAT. HELLO. OH MY GOD.)

Okay. The sundering trial in Phadeen was SO FUCKING COOL and STARS ABOVE THAT WAS A GREAT KARA MOMENT and oh my god. WILLIAM'S BACK. HE'S BACK!!! OH HHHSD

ALSO!!!! Once again i am screaming "GRACE YOU BITCH!!!!!" into the empty air of my room. ohhhhhhhh i'm so fucking. i hate her. so much. she's fascinating and her dynamic with Kara is SO fun to read but ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh im gonna FUCKIMG GET HER. AGHH

and Lucas. LUCAS!!!!! LUCASSS BEING BACKKKKKKKKKKKK. I missed. i missd him. I'm so glad he found some family.

also... Oh my god. Safi. :( I just. Fuck, man. Safi. I need to bundle her in blankets. Well I need to bundle all of them in blankets. But oh my fucking god.

Im. wow. I - . I'm so glad I don't have to wait to read the final book. because i have it.

also the well of witches was SUCH A COOL SETTING like OH MY STARS. but the whole " ur thoughts are written on the paper" thing freaked me out. i have always hated the idea of someone peering into my thoughts because like. intrusive thoughts and stuff. also ADHD. and i ont want people seeing my thoughts.

Also. Taff played a bigger role in this book, I think, and it was great. I love him.

also Kara fucking with Rygoth towards the end of the book was SO fun to read. YES!!!! GET UNDER HER SKIN!!!!!! BE POWERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!

hhhhhmbghh. THICKETY SERIES MY BELOVED

YESYESYESYES THICKETY MUTUAL NUMBER 1 YOU GET ME YOU GET KE SOOOOO GOOD!!!!! ACTUALLY THE PART THAT STOOD OUT TO ME THE MOST WAS THE WELL OF WITCHES. IT STILL CREEPS ME OUT TO THIS DAY. ESPECIALLY FHE THOUGHTS BEINF WRITTEN ON PAPER! AAAACK

THICKETY MUTUAL NUMBER 1, PLEASE IM BEGGING OF YOU READ THE LAST BOOK. EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER. I PROMISE YOU. IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE

ALSO KARA X GRACE TOXIC YURI I WILL ALWAYS STAND BY THIS

[starseeker0033]

Drew these out of impulse in the middle of night ✌️

[professoryaoi069]

PEOPLE HERE ACTUALLY KNOW ABOUT THE THICKETY BY J A WHITE??!?! IM FINALLY HOMEEE this will now be a thickety lore/fic blog, thickety deniers dni

[microwave-radiation-1]

All else aside, I do respect The Thickety's commitment to having something horrible happen to the protagonists in the epilogue of every book. Those kids could not catch a damn break.