This reads like a fanfiction of a sports anime, which I guess it kind of is since it’s a novelization of the comic series originally by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad. (I haven’t read the original material either but from what I know of Pacat, I’m sure it’s quite faithful to the original.) The fencing is present but somewhat disappointingly muted; instead, the focus is on the characters and their stumbling, often-hilarious journey towards romance. Predictable sweetness, with occasional biting social commentary.
Month: June 2023
What Fresh Hell is This? Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You, by Heather Corinna
After reading a couple of online articles about menopause that had the general tone of “if only I’d known beforehand,” I figured that since I’m currently in the beforehand period of life, I’d better educate myself. I don’t think I could have picked a better book. Corinna’s work is extremely educational along with being extremely understanding; she encourages people to take care of themselves while also sympathetically telling them what kinds of things to expect. Symptoms as well as physiological root causes are explored in a very down-to-earth, straightforward tone. I loved the inclusive tone of the book; Corinna constantly makes sure to acknowledge the existence of gender diversity as well as people who may abruptly entered menopause through medical procedures, which underlines the fact that menopause is experienced differently for every person. Really great resource.
The Golden State, by Lydia Kiesling
The stream-of-consciousness style of this book took a bit to get into, but drags you deep into the head of a young mother trying to find her way. Narrator Daphne is clearly not well as she takes her baby from her 9-to-5 job in San Francisco and drives out to her grandparents’ old trailer in the high desert; once there, she experiences every moment of the joy and boredom of being sole provider for a small child while also dealing poorly with her feelings of loneliness and inability to reunite with her husband (stranded outside the US because of citizenship and visa issues). Her social interactions are mainly with secessionist neighbor Cindy and senior citizen Alice, and the two relationships come together in a very interesting way. I really liked the realistic and sympathetic illustration of how the mental state of a first-time mother could spiral downwards in the absence of outside help, and although the Cindy-and-Alice plotlines were a little weird, their impact on Daphne was really well done and just what the story needed.
To Each This World, by Julie E. Czerneda
Earth is uninhabitable, and the surviving humans now live on New Earth with the technological assistance of the alien Kmet. One day, a message from a faraway human “sleeper” ship throws both human and Kmet into a frenzy; the humans are delighted to reunite with their long-lost family, but the Kmet seem to have problems. Henry, the arbiter between humans and Kmet, must turn all his faculties to understanding the Kmet while preserving humanity; his pilot, Killian, turns her natural suspicion into a mission to understand what makes the Kmet tick. The book unfolds very slowly but speeds up as you go, as the humans gather more clues against the clock of their species’ destruction. Extremely inventive alien biologies and life cycles; great exploration of scenarios where one must make morally problematic decisions. The characters were really well fleshed-out and kept the book from being too much of a thought experiment in places; the secondary characters and relationships were fantastic as well. Fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky would like this, I think.
Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, by Doris Pilkington / Nugi Garimara
True story of three half-Aboriginal girls who were taken from their homes in 1930 and placed in a settlement to unlearn their heritage (back home we’d call it a residential school). Finding their treatment unacceptable, they escaped, found the fence built across Australia to contain the invasive rabbit population, and followed it on foot for 2400km to get back to their homes. One of the girls was Molly, mother of the author, who told her story to her daughter. The story is very short and self-contained, ending soon after the girls arrive home; it does include many pieces of the historical record, which add a lot of background as to why the government thought it so necessary to round up and confine the girls. Very necessary voice from a generation mostly silenced by history.
Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow, by Jessica Townsend
Third in the Nevermoor series, this book deals with the deadly Hollowpox, a disease affecting sentient Wunimals which reduces them to mute, unthinking animals. Morrigan, though she is finally getting training for her unique skills, seems to have a mysterious connection with the Hollowpox and can’t stop worrying over her friends. Townsend does a great job balancing joy with terror for Morrigan, surrounding her with fearful experiences and supportive friends at the same time, so the reader never feels like the angst is too much to keep going. Really interesting political developments towards the end. Looking forward to reading the next book alongside the kids!
White Trash Warlock, by David R. Slayton
First of the Adam Binder books. I love a gritty urban fantasy, though this one is definitely less than urban, considering that Adam spends quite a bit of time in his aunt’s trailer in the back woods… at least not when he’s not being guilt-tripped into battling dark forces in Denver as a favor to his estranged well-to-do brother. At least he meets a cute guy in the city, though he’s still got unresolved issues with his ex. Poverty, class tensions, and problematic family dynamics for our LGBT warlock lend depth to what otherwise seems like a standard little-guy-against-a-big-magical-evil plotline. This book is mostly setup to what feels like it’ll be a long extended battle, but I’m definitely interested to read more.
The Midnight Lie, by Marie Rutkoski
Born into the lowest caste of her society, Nirrim keeps her head down, follows the rules (mostly), and doesn’t attract attention from the cruel, capricious High Kith… until she meets a sassy, rulebreaking foreigner who slowly makes her question everything about her society and even her own family. Love the slow-burn sapphic romance, which develops as the characters develop more trust in one another; the background of Nirrim’s society provides intrigue and danger by turns. Really interesting reveal at the end; it will be interesting to see whether the author has written herself into a corner.