A thoroughly enjoyable, whimsical little folk-tale-like story that's full of lovely writing and world-building. I must admit that the beginning sectioA thoroughly enjoyable, whimsical little folk-tale-like story that's full of lovely writing and world-building. I must admit that the beginning section had me confused for a while, since the reader is pretty much tossed into the story mid-stream. I don't doubt that I will have to re-read this some time in the future, and with a text version rather than audio, for everything to click. But, overall, I enjoyed it a lot and will definitely continue on with the series!...more
Memoirs are so difficult for me to rate and review. What can I say? This was the story of a young, Black, queer man and how he came to terms with his Memoirs are so difficult for me to rate and review. What can I say? This was the story of a young, Black, queer man and how he came to terms with his identity, while also offering hope to others who are struggling with, questioning, or simply needing help affirming their own.
First and foremost: I am so happy that this anthology exists. I love when underrepresented voices get the chance to be heard. The fact that it was oneFirst and foremost: I am so happy that this anthology exists. I love when underrepresented voices get the chance to be heard. The fact that it was one of the best anthologies I've read this year was just the icing on the cake.
On to the stories!
1. Abacus, by Nathan Adler.
This had to be one of the most creative stories I've ever read. I mean, a bio-AI rat who, via his online avatar, falls in love with another boy? So original!
Sadly, there were a couple issues that I'm still puzzling through. First of all, I'm not sure how old the human protagonist is, but the way things are worded, he's quite young. Maybe thirteen/fourteen(ish)? And, well, an AI is non-aged, but still very much far more “adult” than the human. There's just a big power imbalance that I couldn't quite get past to allow me to enjoy the characters in a romantic relationship.
And then there's... (view spoiler)[the fact that the AI expected the human boy/teen to run away with him, even though he's now a rogue AI who must live “underground” for a while....it just didn't seem right, expecting the teen boy to go along with him. I think it should have ended differently. The AI should have left him, or something. I think the setting and feel the story had before the romance began warranted a less fluffy, “HEA” ending. (hide spoiler)]RATING: 3 stars.
2. History of the World, by Adam Garnet Jones.
Wow. I was blown away by this story. So many deep and interesting themes compounded into one short story—and they all fit so perfectly! Immigration, climate change, the horrors of our consumerist society, gender and racial identity . . . there was just so much, so many layers, and all of them beautifully woven in. This is a must-read story for everyone, in my opinion. (view spoiler)[My only gripe was I felt the big event (the other wife leaving, and the family separating toward the end) was a little ham-fisted in. But that's about it, I think. (hide spoiler)]RATING: 4.75 stars. Personal favorite of the anthology!
3. The Ark on the Turtle's Back, by Jaye Simpson.
I couldn't really get into this story very well. There was so much summarized, rather than shown, and since it had a similar premise to the last story (evacuation off an apocalyptic Earth), it did not shine as much as it could have. To me there were too many characters to the point where it sometimes got confusing who was who. RATING: 2.5 stars.
4. How to Survive the Apocalypse for Native Girls, by Kai Minosh Pyle.
I enjoyed this story a great deal. It had an interesting structure and several fascinating characters. I do feel that the narrator's friend, Migizi, was the true protagonist, and the story might have been a little more engaging if it had been told from their POV. But it was a good story as it was. RATING: 3.5 stars.
5. Andwànikàdjigan, by Gabriel Castilloux Calderon.
A lovely tale about the power of stories, which is something I can always get behind. I really liked how the dual-timeline weaved together, adding more depth and background to the central story. It was handled very well, I thought. RATING: 4 stars.
6. Story for a Bottle, by Darcie Little Badger.
This one was quite unique in several ways, one of which is how the story's told, via a letter sent to the protagonist's younger sibling. It was really neat, and didn't lessen the suspense of all that the protagonist went through...which was some pretty tense stuff. I was pleased that the story ended on a somewhat positive note—I was worried there for a while. I did feel that the medium did make the protagonist seem a little more passive than I would have liked. I think if it was taking place “in real time” we could have seen more of her resistance and felt more of her fear and the like. The emotions just weren't as tightly strung as I would have preferred. Still a very good little story. RATING: 4 stars.
7. Seed Children, by Mari Kurisato.
This had to be the grimmest story in this anthology. Thankfully, much of what makes it so isn't on the page. In fact, this was a quick read. A quick, frightening dunk into cold water before we're passed off to a more optimistic conclusion. RATING: 3.5 stars.
8. Nameless, by Nazbah Tom.
Really didn't care for this one. There just wasn't much of a story, in my opinion. And the writing was very monotonous and dull. RATING: 2 stars.
9. Eloise, by David A. Robertson.
Despite being a more “literary” story, this one packed a surprising amount of suspense. Fascinating worldbuilding, too, having to do with the dangers of tech when it becomes so omnipresent that it takes over a person's life.
The plot did feel a little ham-fisted in places, but the lovely writing and other aspects helped me overlook some of that. Overall, a lush, frightening look at a future I could honestly see happening some day. RATING: 4.5 stars.
Lots of practical advice packed into this slim book. Plenty of good reminders, too, though there were a few things I'd never heard before (or didn't rLots of practical advice packed into this slim book. Plenty of good reminders, too, though there were a few things I'd never heard before (or didn't recall), which I plan to implement into my work and studies. I loved how each lesson was delivered in only a page or two. Give me pure information over long-winded speeches and anecdotes anytime (for this kind of book, that is ;).
Just a few of the lessons from this book:
1. It's better to spend 5 minutes a day every day than an hour once a week, when practicing a new skill.
2. Be willing to feel stupid while learning. It's essential to growth.
3. Break tasks into chunks.
4. Don't watch the clock and measure progress instead.
5. You always want to be struggling a little in order to advance.
6. Make a game out of practice.
7. Shrinking the area of practice (including perimeters around intellectual work, such as writing. Think prompts and restrictive exercises) aids in creativity.
8. Take naps in between study/learning sessions.
9. Always think in terms of the positive outcome (what you want to happen, rather than what you don't want to happen).
10. When studying, it's better to read the material once and write a summery than to read the material five times and try to memorize it.
A lot of great ideas and research clearly went into this story. It's very well-written and I was intrigued by basically all the characters. UnfortunatA lot of great ideas and research clearly went into this story. It's very well-written and I was intrigued by basically all the characters. Unfortunately, the format read like a particularly fascinating newspaper article, and I found it hard to get very invested in the characters because by the time I was becoming accustomed to one, the story moved on to the next, thus the emotional impact wasn't quite there. It just wasn't a very satisfying story, in my opinion, though I applaud the author's creativity.
I don't have a lot to say about this book. It was a fairly quick-paced, rather light YA sci-fi romance. The two leads whose POVs we view the story froI don't have a lot to say about this book. It was a fairly quick-paced, rather light YA sci-fi romance. The two leads whose POVs we view the story from, Ellie and Morris, were by far my favorite characters. Everyone else was pretty tropey and weren't fleshed out that much. Of course, a lot of the book focuses on Ellie and Morris's journey from New York to California, so it was just the two of them a lot of the time. I particularly liked how passionate they both were about stories and music, while living on an alien conquered earth that has banned all art forms and where being in possession of a single book can get you killed.
Pretty much my only complaints aside from the rather shallow side characters was that there were a few repetitive scenes where Ellie and/or Morris get captured or almost captured. It also seemed like a few loose ends weren't tied up very well by the end. I'd love a sequel (because even aside from those unresolved plot threads, there are different planets for our protagonists to explore, which were only mentioned in this book), but from what I can tell this is going to be a standalone. :(
Overall, The Sound of Stars was a fun read and had one of the best romances I've read in a while. A solid 4 stars....more
Elatsoe has plenty of great qualities, for sure. The worldbuilding was probably the biggest highlight. I loved the magic and sense of wond3.25 stars.
Elatsoe has plenty of great qualities, for sure. The worldbuilding was probably the biggest highlight. I loved the magic and sense of wonder that fills this book. How Ellie could summon the ghosts of extinct creatures—and her beloved doggo companion Kirby!—was really fascinating. I also loved anything and everything that had to do with the Lipan Apache culture, and there was quite a bit of it that was weaved in throughout the book. It's wonderful seeing this kind of representation in fiction and I hope to read more books featuring them in the future.
In addition to being Lipan Apache, the protagonist, Ellie, or Elatsoe, is also on the ace-aro spectrum (definitely ace). I liked her a lot, though I wish I'd been allowed a little more insight into her thoughts and feelings. This book would have benefited greatly, in my opinion, if it had been in first-person or close third-person. The omniscient narration was a hurdle that prevented me from getting very close to the characters and kept everyone somewhat at arm's length.
My biggest issue, however, was quite possibly the tone, which, at times came across as cartoonish in some regards, such as when the cackling bad guys made speeches or did stupid things and it was played up as a joke. The last third of the book had a very...Scooby-Doo quality to it, for sure, and the phrase “meddling kids” was used by one of the villains to describe Ellie and her sidekick Jay, at one point. So I guess fans of that show might get more out of this book than I did. *shrugs*
The mystery, which is this book's main plot, was also very lackluster. I don't want to spoil it, but let's just say it could have benefited from more (some?) plot twists, or really anything that wasn't the seemingly straight line we had from start to finish. I understand that this is the author's debut novel, and that mysteries are often hard to write where they satisfy all readers, but still. *shrugs again*
At the end of the day, this is an enjoyable, purely fun mystery with some good rep. Definitely worth a read if you enjoy teens being "meddling kids" with an adorable ghostly canine companion at their heels!...more
I went into this book excited and finished it thinking meh.
Dread Nation had a lot of potential: a unique setting, a chance to make some fantastic comI went into this book excited and finished it thinking meh.
Dread Nation had a lot of potential: a unique setting, a chance to make some fantastic commentary on race and gender, and a woman of color protagonist who is strong and smart and gives absolutely no fucks about what anyone thinks. But, alas, so much of this book didn't pan out as I'd hoped.
The story in general had quite a few holes and convoluted explanations. Lots of explanations. And once the characters left Baltimore (end of part 1), it took quite a while before I became invested in the story again. Part 2 of the book focused on a more western locale, one loaded with a lot of caricature antagonists, including an evil sheriff and preacher. Yep.
Pretty much the only characters who stood out were Jane, the protagonist, and Katherine, her often reluctant side-kick. I very much enjoyed the dynamic between them. Everyone else was fairly forgettable.
The writing was also hit and miss. Jane's nonchalant, even peppy, tone when discussing such brutal things as people being eaten by zombies took some getting used to, that's for certain.
A couple things that bugged me to no end was the use of the words “bosoms” (when talking about her own chest/breasts) and “bobbed wire” (I mean WTF is that? It's barbed wire, sheesh). Other characters used those terms, too, so it wasn't just a Jane thing.
I was just hoping for more from this book: more character-development, more emotional payoff from Jane's backstory (which is a weaved-in mystery for a good part of the book), and more deeper themes. This book just skimmed the surface on all counts.
Not super excited to pick up the sequel, but I probably will . . . eventually.
Such a brilliant and fascinating book. Although the audio version was very well done and a pleasure to listen to, I think I'll have to re-read this inSuch a brilliant and fascinating book. Although the audio version was very well done and a pleasure to listen to, I think I'll have to re-read this in a text format some time to really absorb more of the information. There was just so much.
“Growing beyond our racial ignorance—and getting serious about disrupting white supremacy—requires developing an intersectional sensibility: awaren
“Growing beyond our racial ignorance—and getting serious about disrupting white supremacy—requires developing an intersectional sensibility: awareness of interlocking systems of oppression and concern for a wide variety of marginalized groups. To put it bluntly: if you’re not thinking about race intersectionally, then you’re not thinking about race intelligently.”
Such an important book. Really, everyone should read it, no matter if you live in the U.S. or not.
A very insightful read. Not an easy one at all, but an important one that illuminates so many key events of U.S. history in regards to civil4.5 stars.
A very insightful read. Not an easy one at all, but an important one that illuminates so many key events of U.S. history in regards to civil rights.
This book featured a no-nonsense and sometimes brutal dose (like a punch to the face) of clarity on the issues of race, gender, and, most importantly, the intersection of the two. I learned that it wasn't only white men who treated Black women so inhumanely, but that many a white woman—even feminists—simply could not see past their prejudice and chose to perpetuate the oppression caused by white-supremacy.
And though this is an older book, the messages in it are still so, so relevant today. I'd particularly recommend that white feminists read this work as it calls out several of the pioneers of the women's rights movement for their racist sentiment. I mean, I can respect them for what they did for some women, but I can also revile them for their cruelty against women (Black women, that is) whom they sought to exploit for their own purposes.
What holds this book back from being a full 5 stars was the, at times, dry writing and because I felt the argument against capitalism could have been stronger/more compelling? I would have liked for the alternatives to have been discussed more....more
I'm honestly not sure what I think of this book. It's just so personal, so raw, that I'm having trouble formulating an opinion about the book as a whoI'm honestly not sure what I think of this book. It's just so personal, so raw, that I'm having trouble formulating an opinion about the book as a whole. It's part of a person's life, sculpted with all the cracks and blemishes showing. I've never read anything so real.
Were there things I liked? Yes, there were plenty of fascinating anecdotes and the writing was some of the most moving that I've ever read. Were there things I disliked? Indeed—internalized sexism, to name one—but like any relationship, for that's how it felt reading this, like listening to a friend sit you down and tell you about themself, you're never going to agree on all issues or have the same opinions about everything. And that's okay. You work with what you've got.
I've never even heard of T Kira Madden before I picked up this book, but upon closing it, I feel like I'm leaving a good friend. That's how powerful this memoir was.
So, simply in terms of how well-executed this book was, I'm going to give it 5 stars. Anything less would not be fair.
CONTENT WARNING: child abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, violence, and possibly more than I'm not remembering (I paused this book for a while when I was about halfway through it)....more
This was a lusciously-written, beautiful and haunting book, but I didn't end up loving it. There were some aspects I absolutely adored, such as the shThis was a lusciously-written, beautiful and haunting book, but I didn't end up loving it. There were some aspects I absolutely adored, such as the sharp writing and brilliantly rendered setting. The author could glide seamlessly between witty humor and nail-biting suspense, sometimes on the same page.
I think one of my problems was that I kept comparing this book to The Miseducation of Cameron Post, and some of my favorite things about it—the characters and relationships, in particular—weren't as engaging in Plain Bad Heroines. Oh, I cared for some of the characters just fine (Harper ...more
Well, that was a lot of fun! Great worldbuilding, too. I love when an author can pack in a lot of details without bogging down the story with them. HeWell, that was a lot of fun! Great worldbuilding, too. I love when an author can pack in a lot of details without bogging down the story with them. Here, I felt, there was a good balance and the Egyptian setting felt so real and vibrant on the page.
As for the characters, though there were some that are considered "stock" in the mystery genre (view spoiler)[ experienced detective and rookie sidekick (hide spoiler)], they were a fun enough crew to follow.
Highly recommended to anyone who might be interested in a breezy mystery set in a glittering, historical Egypt setting with a touch of feminism!
Cameron Post is one of the most compelling protagonists I've read about in a long time. Not exactly Wow. This book. So many emotional highs and lows.
Cameron Post is one of the most compelling protagonists I've read about in a long time. Not exactly likable, at least not until deep into the book (at least to me), but she was definitely compelling. Loved her quirks—the dollhouse, her klepto tendencies, the way she often masked her feelings with humor—all of them.
I adored Adam and Jane, who are both tied for favorite character slot in this book, and I'm not at all ashamed about that. Both are so funny, and still at the same time just a couple of people in desperate need of hugs. I also loved the diversity they brought to the book. Adam being Lakota and a two-spirit person, while Jane has a physical disability.
Even the less important characters were very much fleshed out, and while not all of them were characters I can genuinely say I “liked”, I have to admire the skill the author put into bringing them to life on the page. I'll just kind of breeze over a few more characters:
Grandma Post: Really adored the stony relationship she had with Cameron at times, and the enduring bond that kept them close despite it all.
Aunt Ruth: Well, she wasn't my favorite, but I really appreciate that she wasn't portrayed as “Evil Christian Relative”. She genuinely cared about Cameron and thought she (Ruth) was doing the right thing. She also had so many quirks that she, as well, felt very much like a “real person” to me.
Coley: She's very much presented as "perfect" (I know Cameron grossly overly idealized her, but still). Even before all the . . . trouble started with her, I never saw whatever it was Cameron saw in her.
Jamie: I kind of didn't like him, then kind of did, then didn't, and now I'm left liking him, if only in memory, if that makes any sense.
Lindsey: She was fine, but the bit about her “dating” people who were like ten years older than her while she was fifteen was really weird and I didn't care for that aspect at all. I do wonder if a lot of that was made up to “impress” Cameron. It's hinted that might be the case, but never confirmed. Aside from that, she was a fun and memorable character. Liked how she filtered things through a feminist lens for Cameron.
Quite a few people have shelved this book as a romance, which it is not. Yes, there are relationships, some of which are sexual or semi-romantic, but not a proper romance, not at all. What there is are a lot of complicated relationships (good, bad, and in between) and some really awesome friendships.
As for the story itself, this being more literary, there wasn't what I would call a “plot”, but a character journey, with each snippet, each moment, bringing the reader and Cameron to the end of its logical and emotional course. I very much enjoyed it. That said, it could have been better paced in spots. My biggest issue in terms of pacing was around the middle or so, near the prom. That part dragged so hard.
The beginning as well is a bit slow. We're introduced to a lot of setting details and description. The setting in general is so rich and really grounded me into the era and location: late '80s/early '90s in Miles City, Montana. Nowhere else. The author had me thoroughly convinced of that.
As an aside, I found it so refreshing to read a YA book without social media playing a big role in the story. Here, I just loved how people hung out with each other and all that. So much '90s stuff, too. Lots about music and pop culture. It was all such a lovely dream, reading this book.
One thing I did find odd was how easy it was for Cameron to meet so many lesbians (and/or bi/pan women) in 1990s Miles City, Montana. That required . . . quite a bit suspension of disbelief on my part.
::CONTENT WARNING::
Lots of cussin' in this book, as well as a couple explicit (or close enough) sex scenes. Homophobia, obviously, including internalized. Also had the very rough mentioning/details of the aftermath of a side-character's self-harm. Lots of underage marijuana and alcohol use. May have been more things that I'm not recalling.
Despite it technically being YA, I'd recommend this book only to older, more mature teens (ages 16+ or so) because of a lot of the subject matter. I also feel they would be more likely to appreciate the slower pacing and more literary style of story that it is.
*Happy sigh* What can I say? I adore this series so much and this was yet another excellent addition to it. Now I can only hope that book 4 will drop *Happy sigh* What can I say? I adore this series so much and this was yet another excellent addition to it. Now I can only hope that book 4 will drop soon, because the ending of this book, while complete enough to be satisfying, left many questions yet to be answered. And, not going to lie, I can always use more of William and James's and/or Preston and Benji's ghost-hunting adventures in my life.
As for this book itself, I felt it was very strong in pretty much all areas. We had more of the wonderful character arcs that the authors are famous for, at least in my household, with both Preston and Benjamin growing as people over the course of the story and facing the repercussions of their choices with dignity and learning from them. Basically all of the secondary characters were compelling, and I'm very much hoping that some of them will get books or at least stories of their own at some point. I must add that the last quarter or so was full of delicious suspense that kept me reading way longer than I had the time for, but it was well worth it.
The romance was lovely and very well-paced, at least for me, someone who adores slow-burn romances. It was also friends-to-lovers, which is another of my favorite romance tropes. Benji and Preston really are wonderful together, especially once they acknowledged and began trying to work through some of the problems that were in their relationship.
Honestly, the exploration of the characters and how they try to overcome their flaws and limitations, be it forging a life beyond the remnants of abuse, dealing with addiction, or trying to live beyond the shadow of an overbearing parent, these books handle them with both sensitivity and care. The actual hauntings and ghosts are only second to the real, personal ones, though I enjoy that aspect of the series as well.
It's also always refreshing to see a well-written character who is vegetarian or vegan, and Benji is by far one of my top three characters of the entire series, easily. It's also refreshing that Preston is mostly supportive of Benjamin and his vegetarianism. For anyone sensitive to violence against animals, I must add a CW for the quite graphic death of a horse. That scene honestly made me tear up a little.
--- Since this is currently the last book that's published, I'll go ahead and list my ratings of other books in the series here as well.
Very much enjoyed this sweet little installment in the Dark is the Night series. It featured fewer ghosts this time around, but just as much of the loVery much enjoyed this sweet little installment in the Dark is the Night series. It featured fewer ghosts this time around, but just as much of the lovely relationship development between James and William that I've really come to appreciate. (view spoiler)[Bonus points for the super adorable ending! (hide spoiler)]...more
Having read—and loved!—one of the author's short stories, I had high expectations coming into this book.
I'll begin with my thoughts on the charactersHaving read—and loved!—one of the author's short stories, I had high expectations coming into this book.
I'll begin with my thoughts on the characters:
Hmm, well, what few were in it, were fine, though it took me a while to really care about/like any of them. Out of them all, I liked Akeha best; Mokoya just never really developed enough for me, and maybe because she wasn't in it much aside from the earlier parts (which was the part I liked least) and the end.
Besides the twins, you had Thennjay, who was rather annoying when he was introduced, but was an all right character for the little amount of time we spent with him. There was also Yongcheow. Basically all there was to him was he's part of this resistance movement, but he's against violence. Oh, and Akeha rescues him and then they kind of become buddies and then they are in love. No buildup of any of that aside from a couple conversations. Um . . .
Let's just say I didn't care for the romance. Yongcheow was very bland and his only purpose in the book seemed to be so he could be Akeha's love-interest. I just didn't buy their relationship—way too rushed and glossed over. Now, that kiss Akeha had with Thennjay early in the book, that forbidden romance was what I was interested in seeing develop. But no, nope. We get Yongcheow instead. -_-
As for the antagonist, I found her to be quite the cliché cardboard cut-out of an evil villain. She just wasn't compelling or nuanced at all.
One thing I must address about Akeha was his seemingly random/arbitrary decision to go from non-binary to male. It's like, he identified just fine as non-binary, then, after repeating the male pronoun to himself for a minute, decides, “That's it! I'm a man!” then runs off to be confirmed, just like that. I would have liked to see more, I don't know, logic and emotion put into that decision. If someone identifies just fine one way, would they really just change their gender so suddenly? As a result it felt very rushed and, dare I say, forced?
I would have loved to have read an entire book—series—featuring a non-binary protagonist. Surprisingly, all of the non-binary characters in this book confirm to either male or female at some point, which was yet another disappointment I had with this novella.
Moving on to plot.
The story revolves around twins Akeha and Mokoya, the latter of whom is a prophet who has visions, and their mother, the Protector, is the ruler of the country and takes advantage of those visions.
The mother is the antagonist of the book, though, all through it she didn't really feel like a threat—I mean, I know she was doing bad things, but I never really felt like the protagonist was in danger. He seemed to leave the city arbitrarily (like quite a few of his decisions...)
Over time (because a lot of time passes in this book, or rather, is skipped over, in some instances) it's told that Akeha's been smuggling and the like, working against his mother and her people. He saves Yongcheow, a member of a rebel faction (or something like that), and the pair team up. More time passes . . . they're in a relationship . . . more time passes . . . Akeha discovers a nuclear bomb (basically). So much is summarized, skipped over.
The book skips over a ton of stuff (it had to cover around 35 years in the confines of the novella format). I personally couldn't stand that aspect. I hate large time jumps and when an author simply tells the reader what the characters have been up to. Why???
Worldbuilding:
Here's where I'm most torn. I enjoyed the non-England setting. The rather Asian-inspired world was ripe with potential. However, much of it felt skimmed over as well. Maybe it's just me, but when I think back to some of the scenes, I picture them taking place in blank rooms, basically. Would have loved to have gotten a richer experience of the setting because it was original and fresh, but it seemed the author rationed out the descriptions at only certain times and didn't care to really immerse the reader into many of the scenes.
The magic system was overall fine, though it wasn't explained very much. Apparently one can do pretty much everything with it: heal, attack with an elemental flavor, use it for long-distanced communication and even to make gifs . . . yes, gifs. It was neat, but . . . well, maybe a bit too ambitious. Could have used more focus, more rules and limitations. Clearly it was very tech-based, a lot of it. The world was also quite advanced, as guns were beginning to be made and telephones were in development. All neat stuff. I liked this aspect of the book as well; so tired of medieval-level technology that's so prevalent in many fantasy books!
I touched on, briefly, an issue I had with the handling of gender in the book, but I'd like to elaborate a little more here.
When I first came across this book, I went into it expecting a world where everyone is non-binary until they're a certain age, then they confirm their gender (that's also something the magic is used for), which includes them having the option to remain non-binary. I was under the impression (just from some things I'd heard about it; I didn't look very closely at the blurb until later) that the protagonist was going to remain non-binary as well. I was excited to see that kind of representation. But then came the seemingly arbitrary decision for Akeha to become male. His sister became female. Another important character who was non-binary longer, became male (in a skimmed over manner; in the previous part, he was they, and in the next he was he). So, that all left me surprised.
It's said at one point in the book that people choose their gender at a certain age, like, late teens or so, but then there are at least three different children who are referred to as “the boy” and “the girl”. Mokoya's child, at the age of three(!) decided she was a girl and that was that. It contradicted itself directly on those points.
I have no idea why this book couldn't, especially if combined with its twin companion novella, have been a full-length novel. I'm talking 300 - 400 pages. Really show things and give the reader a reason to care about the characters and the world and this grand plot that's unfolding. This novella just felt like such a wasted opportunity (in many ways).
If this review comes across as mostly negative, that isn't my intent. There were several things I liked, such as the worldbuilding, some of the characters, and the climax—thought that part was handled pretty well. But I'm afraid the many glaring issues I had with it won't allow me to raise it above a 3 star rating.
Bravo! I'm not sure I've ever read such an authentic portrayal of a narcissist before. Oh, wait a second **re-reads the blurb** Oh, right. This was suBravo! I'm not sure I've ever read such an authentic portrayal of a narcissist before. Oh, wait a second **re-reads the blurb** Oh, right. This was supposed to be about Solomon Reed, who is agoraphobic. Somehow, somewhere in this book, it just seemed like Lisa Praytor took over the story. I mean, she has the big plot question: will she get into the second-best psychology school in the country? While Solomon is there, seemingly, to be the subject of her essay.
I wish I could say that Solomon was more important in his own book than that, but sadly, that wasn't the case. A lot of his experience feels skimmed over and it was the rare moment where I actually saw his struggles and pain. Not that I think that's how all mental health topics should be portrayed in fiction, but when it is the main premise of the book, I guess I just expected a little more emphasis on his condition and on him.
Instead, we get pages and pages of Solomon and Lisa (and eventually Clark) chatting...and chatting...and just hanging out in general. It got boring really quick. It didn't help that I couldn't stand Lisa most of the time and Clark was about as interesting as a piece of cardboard. Solomon's about the only character I genuinely liked and wanted to read more about.
To get an idea of my dislike of Lisa, there are several reasons. For one thing, she does not respect her partner or his boundaries at all:
They went upstairs to Clark's room and, as soon as the door was shut, Lisa started kissing him. It was pretty much the same every time. He would kiss her like they were filming a scene in a movie or something, all passion and no restraint. And as soon as things started to heat up, he'd ease off and kiss her like they were at a middle school dance in the fifties. And God forbid Lisa tried to put her hands below his waist. He would, in the nicest and most subtle way possible, move her hands right back up to his stomach or chest every single time. And his stomach and chest, while quite impressive, could only do so much for Lisa. “I love you,” he said before a long kiss. “I love you, too,” she said back, again with her hands moving down. “Come on, quit it.” “You quit,” she said, trying again.
My other big issue with her isn't all her fault, but more of, I guess, how the author thought female friendships and interactions are like?
An example:
Later that evening, as the campers were eating dinner and watching the camp improv group, two other counselors, Tara and Lydia, sat down beside Lisa with a hungry look in their eyes like they always got when gossip was floating around camp. “I heard she called you a bitch. Is that what happened?” Tara whispered. “No, I told you. She called her boyfriend gay,” Lydia added. “Will you two shut up?” Lisa said, her whisper a little louder than theirs. “It's not that big a deal. She's just jealous. “I heard your boyfriend's spending all his time with a gay guy,” Lydia said. “Is that true?” “They're like best friends,” Lisa defended. “He's my friend, too. There's nothing wrong with it.” “Do they hang out without you?” Tara asked. “Of course.” Then Tara and Lydia quickly shot each other a look and turned back to her with sad eyes. “Are you okay?” Lydia asked, “Damn it. Will you two listen to me? My friend Sol is gay. My boyfriend Clark isn't. I know because he's my boyfriend. So drop it and please stop listening to Janis.” “Just let me ask you this,” Tara said. “Do you have sex?” “That would be none of your business.” “Just answer the question,” Lydia ordered. “We've come close a few times.” “Oh, no,” Tara gasped, shaking her head. “You poor thing,” Lydia added.
**Book gets tossed across the room**
Ahem.
And yes, a good chunk of this book is dedicated to Lisa and Clark's very uninteresting (in my opinion) relationship troubles. I also felt that Lisa did not grow at all over the course of the novel. And while the blurb has her intentions to “fix” Solomon in quotation marks....um, yeah, that pretty much is her intention and I really didn't see any evidence contrary to that.
A quick note about why I'm certain she's a narcissist: it's just her whole attitude throughout the book, rather than particular instances where I could pull up quotes (I could also do that, but this review's gotten long enough as it is).
To summarize: This wasn't a horrible book, it just wasn't what I was expecting. I'm aware that this is an own voices book and I have no intentions of belittling the author's experiences or saying he should have written this story any other way. I just had too many issues with the plot, characters, and writing to rate this above 2 stars. ...more
A lot of interesting takes on dragons in this anthology. There are twenty-nine entries in all. The following is my impression of each story/poem:
1. “WA lot of interesting takes on dragons in this anthology. There are twenty-nine entries in all. The following is my impression of each story/poem:
1. “What Heroism Tells Us”, by Jane Yolen. This was a super short poem and I really didn't get much out of it. So, I'm not sure what to rate it. RATING: 0/unrated.
2. “Matriculation”, by Elle Katherine White. Mostly worldbuilding, and even most of that I wasn't a fan of (too Harry Potterish), but what disappointed me the most was that as soon as any hint of a story began, it was over. I literally exclaimed, “What!” when I flipped the page and the next story's title was there. The concept of vampire pawnbrokers who draw blood via needle and the blood acting as payment was neat. Sad that there wasn't much of an actual story amid all the worldbuilding—and that so much of that worldbuilding was ridiculous. RATING: 2 stars.
3. “Hikayat Sri Bujang, or, The Tale of the Naga Sage”, by Zen Cho. This one was just okay. Really nothing remarkable. Jumping over to another person's POV in it was really weird and added nothing to the story. I mean, all there was to the woman in those parts was her fingernail length. So . . . RATING: 2.5 stars.
4. “Yuli”, by Daniel Abraham. All right, not so much boring—to the contrary, this story was quite lively. I couldn't stand the protagonist (then again, you're not supposed to), nor did I understand the switching back and forth from the “main” story to the second-person tabletop game thing, but okay. The ending felt very unresolved. RATING: 3 stars.
5. “A Whisper of Blue”, by Ken Liu. All right, this was a good story. Beautifully written, engaging, and well-drawn characters. At first I thought the idea of dragon-energy in a modern earth was a little silly, but it turned out to be very . . . not silly. I was very much engaged with the story after a little bit into it. RATING: 4.25 stars.
6. “Nidhog”, by Jo Walton. A fine poem. Not amazing, but not bad. RATING: 3 stars.
7. “Where the River Turns to Concrete”, by Brooke Bolander. Really strong character voice—and I loved the characters, too—while having an intriguing plot and fantastic writing? Awesome. It might have explained a little better what happened toward then end, but, meh, it worked fine as it is. RATING: 4.5 stars.
8. “Habitat”, by K. J. Parker. A very silly story . . . Not really my thing, but the character voice, hence the character, was more endearing than most. Or well sort of. It was better towards the beginning, but then I lost a lot of respect for the character later on. Someone who can be all bubbly after their brother dies. Yeah . . . not a fan of that. What irked me the most was the pointlessness of the whole thing. The MC is offered money to catch a dragon. MC catches dragon and gets money (with some past stuff, war, mostly, thrown in between? Just didn't work for me). The End. Yeah, well. RATING: 2 stars.
9. “Pox”, by Ellen Klages. Slow to start, though not boring. Detailed and interesting, but very lightly plotted, I'd say. The story is mostly about a girl with a bright imagination who loves dragons. I really liked her aunt and her friend (and, well, the protagonist was fine too). Just a really lighthearted and fun story. Bonus points for cute little lizard . . . dragon? RATING 3.5 stars.
10. “The Nine Curves River”, by R. F. Kuang. A Mary-sue that's actually done well (in terms of the story)? I was surprised myself. And the Mary-sue isn't the narrator, but “you”. Yeah. It was a bit odd, but I was moved by the story. Quite sad, but well done. RATING: 4.25 stars.
11. “Lucky's Dragon”, by Kelly Barnhill. Another odd story, and another told from a child's POV about the wonders of dragons. Extra points for having a cute little dragon eating cookie crumbs! All in all, very much enjoyable. RATING: 4 stars.
12. “I Make Myself a Dragon”, by Beth Cato. This makes the third poem, and is my favorite of them, by far. Lovely overall, and the meaning beneath it all was so compelling. Superb. RATING: 4 stars.
13. “The Exile”, by JY Yang. All right this, this is my favorite story of the anthology. So brilliant. Unleashing a god on a planet because only a god can make a planet. Simple, and clever all at once. And then there's the character stuff—you know, the best part—where the character's in anguish and wondering what the hell the point of anything is. The only flaw it had to me was the ending, which was a bit of a downer, and I was hoping for something a little more positive. Some stories are—and have to be—like that. Not 100% sure this one needed to be. RATING: 4.75 stars.
14. “Except on Saturdays”, by Peter S. Beagle. Not much of a story, in my opinion. I mean, this rather boring professor meets a woman who is actually a dragon on a bus, then they go to her apartment and might have had sex? She leaves and he just goes about his life. The End. Just not my thing. RATING: 2 stars.
15. “La Vitesse”, by Kelly Robson. This one was all right. A school-bus driver (and her teenage daughter) and a busload of kids vs a dragon. Very original, I'll give it that much. I feel like all the “deeper points”, the themes, weren't quite as deep as they could have been. And the dragon aspect at all felt really random, but, okay. All in all, it was a fun read. I enjoyed it. RATING: 3.5 stars.
16. “A Final Knight to Her Love and Foe”, by Amal El-Mohtar. Really liked this poem. The words and lines and everything flowed so well, like silk. RATING: 4 stars.
17. “The Long Walk”, by Kate Elliott. Not my favorite. Super misogynistic world. I know it was done that way to prove feminist points, but I, personally, prefer feminism in books where it's the status quo already that women are equal. I just don't care for the kind of worldbuilding where a woman is only referenced in terms of her relation to men. It had a lot of ambitions with the rest of the worldbuilding, but, alas, much of it wasn't very well explained—even when there was a character who was trying to do just that! The story was also too long, with a ton of description. Just bogged it down, in my opinion. RATING: 3 stars.
18. “Cut Me Another Quill, Mister Fitz,” by Garth Nix. This story was very “meh”, in my opinion. Engaging characters, but done in a shallow way (though the pumpkin-headed puppet was neat). I just couldn't believe these people would exist after the story's done. Ya know? The author didn't convince me this story world was a “real” place with “real” people with “real” lives. The story itself felt shallow as well. RATING: 2.5 stars.
19. “Hoard”, by Seanan McGuire. A very short story. Had more substance than the last, even if it was plot-less (basically). Can't say I liked it all that much, but I did find it engaging. RATING 3 stars.
20. “The Wyrm of Lirr”, by C. S. E. Cooney. Did not care for this “poem”. Too weird, and not even in a good way. Didn't really get the theme of it, either. RATING: 1 star.
21. “The Last Hunt,” by Aliette de Bodard. Another story with more worldbuilding than the format/length really allowed for. Most of it felt like a confusing mess. There are dragon overlords and they rule the humans (whom they keep as playthings) and just . . . keep the world all inhospitable because it's fun? Way too weak a motive for me to buy into it. I also didn't understand how the protagonist destroyed them—with prayer? Eh... RATING: 2 stars.
22. “We Continue”, by Ann Leckie and Rachel Swirsky. This story started out odd, but after a while I was sold. Interesting take on dragons—they live in a hive, like bees, with workers and cleaners. Very neat idea! Also liked how humans seemed to “chitter” to them, and the adorable bond between the human protagonist and the dragon. RATING: 4 stars.
23. “Small Bird's Plea”, by Todd McCaffrey. Could not stand this one! There was some underlying feeling/impression I got with it that rubbed me the wrong way from the start. I felt like the characters (and the female characters in particular) were cliché and bland. The protagonist burst into tears all the time (she's a child, I know, but it was still ridiculous). One of the male characters had a female commander (or something, at any rate she was higher ranked) and he'd do the stupid pause after saying something before adding, as an afterthought, “ma'am”. It was just so irritating to read. The story was also very juvenile. In the author's bio it says he wrote his first story when he was twelve, well, this story sounds like something an eight-year-old would write. Talking animals (demon possessed, but still), all with stupid dialogue? THAT'S one thing I know that irritated me: the cheesy dialogue. The whole plot and worldbuilding were super confusing, too, even when you had characters going on and on about stuff, it was still vague and confusing. Hated this. RATING: 1 star.
24. “The Dragons”, by Theodora Goss. A sweet tale featuring adorable little dragons that are a lot like kittens. So cute! Liked how the protagonist kept them, since she couldn't find anyone else willing to adopt the dragons, and how she returned to her own passion of painting, rather than stick with a job she hated. Just a delightful little whimsical tale. RATING: 4 stars.
25. “Dragon Slayer”, by Michael Swanwick. Really hated this story too. So offensive—with a world where there are huts where menstruating women are sent to be “cleansed”. What's worse is at the end the protagonist (an older guy) marries the girl he rescued when she was basically a child (oh, and who was disguised as a boy at the beginning because, ya know, that's how it has to be for a girl to do anything *eyeroll*). Just overall it felt like a pointless and bland story with a load of offensive garbage heaped on top. RATING 1 star.
26. “Camouflage:, by Patricia A. McKillip. Took a little while before I could understand what was going on during parts of this one, but, overall it was fine. Best part? That the dragons are related to octopus! That's how they're camo-dragons. So brilliant, honestly, and I loved the whole idea of it. RATING: 3.5 stars.
27. “We Don't Talk About the Dragons”, by Sarah Gailey. Enjoyed this story. Could really relate/sympathize with the protagonist, even if her family dynamics and mine are worlds apart. I understood her and some of her flaws, at any rate. A fantastic addition to the anthology. RATING: 4 stars.
28. “Maybe Just Go Up There and Talk to It,” by Scott Lynch. Took a long time to get into this story. The author's great with dialogue, but overall the story didn't really grab me: dragons are destroying the world, polluting it (as are the humans fighting them). Meh, meh. That's how I feel about it. RATING: 3 stars.
29. “A Nice Cuppa,” by Jane Yolen. An all right poem. Very short, but fine. RATING: 3 stars.
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