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A review by carol26388
Apex Magazine Issue 105 by Jason Sizemore
5.0
Update: So Not Surprised... review was moved into the entire Apex Magazine edition
Review for "A Witches' Guide For Escape" by Alix Harrow
A boy who needs escape meets a librarian. As we all do.
"Because I am a librarian of the second sort, I almost always know what kind of book a person wants. It’s like a very particular smell rising off them which is instantly recognizable as Murder mystery or Political biography or Something kind of trashy but ultimately life-affirming, preferably with lesbians."
I love the mix of humor and sadness here. Harrow also has some lovely worth-smithing.
His caseworker was one of those people who say the word “escapism” as if it’s a moral failing, a regrettable hobby, a mental-health diagnosis. As if escape is not, in itself, one of the highest order of magics they’ll ever see in their miserable mortal lives, right up there with true love and prophetic dreams and fireflies blinking in synchrony on a June evening.
And, of course, a character I can relate to. I also appreciate the cultural nods.
I’m not a natural rule-follower. I roll through stop signs, I swear in public, I lie on online personality tests so I get the answers I want (Hermione, Arya Stark, Jo March). But I’m a very good librarian of either kind, and good librarians follow the rules. Even when they don’t want to.
found at https://www.apex-magazine.com/a-witchs-guide-to-escape-a-practical-compendium-of-portal-fantasies/
Merged review:
You silly kids. There's no way the GR Librarians are going to let this stand by itself, are they?
~~~
A Southern boy who needs escape meets a middle-aged librarian. A very interesting intersection of books, librarians, economics, and life.
"Because I am a librarian of the second sort, I almost always know what kind of book a person wants. It’s like a very particular smell rising off them which is instantly recognizable as Murder mystery or Political biography or Something kind of trashy but ultimately life-affirming, preferably with lesbians."
I love the mix of humor and sadness here. Harrow also has some lovely worth-smithing.
"His caseworker was one of those people who say the word “escapism” as if it’s a moral failing, a regrettable hobby, a mental-health diagnosis. As if escape is not, in itself, one of the highest order of magics they’ll ever see in their miserable mortal lives, right up there with true love and prophetic dreams and fireflies blinking in synchrony on a June evening."
And, of course, a character I can relate to. I also appreciate the cultural nods.
"I’m not a natural rule-follower. I roll through stop signs, I swear in public, I lie on online personality tests so I get the answers I want (Hermione, Arya Stark, Jo March). But I’m a very good librarian of either kind, and good librarians follow the rules. Even when they don’t want to."
found at https://www.apex-magazine.com/a-witch...
Review for "A Witches' Guide For Escape" by Alix Harrow
A boy who needs escape meets a librarian. As we all do.
"Because I am a librarian of the second sort, I almost always know what kind of book a person wants. It’s like a very particular smell rising off them which is instantly recognizable as Murder mystery or Political biography or Something kind of trashy but ultimately life-affirming, preferably with lesbians."
I love the mix of humor and sadness here. Harrow also has some lovely worth-smithing.
His caseworker was one of those people who say the word “escapism” as if it’s a moral failing, a regrettable hobby, a mental-health diagnosis. As if escape is not, in itself, one of the highest order of magics they’ll ever see in their miserable mortal lives, right up there with true love and prophetic dreams and fireflies blinking in synchrony on a June evening.
And, of course, a character I can relate to. I also appreciate the cultural nods.
I’m not a natural rule-follower. I roll through stop signs, I swear in public, I lie on online personality tests so I get the answers I want (Hermione, Arya Stark, Jo March). But I’m a very good librarian of either kind, and good librarians follow the rules. Even when they don’t want to.
found at https://www.apex-magazine.com/a-witchs-guide-to-escape-a-practical-compendium-of-portal-fantasies/
Merged review:
You silly kids. There's no way the GR Librarians are going to let this stand by itself, are they?
~~~
A Southern boy who needs escape meets a middle-aged librarian. A very interesting intersection of books, librarians, economics, and life.
"Because I am a librarian of the second sort, I almost always know what kind of book a person wants. It’s like a very particular smell rising off them which is instantly recognizable as Murder mystery or Political biography or Something kind of trashy but ultimately life-affirming, preferably with lesbians."
I love the mix of humor and sadness here. Harrow also has some lovely worth-smithing.
"His caseworker was one of those people who say the word “escapism” as if it’s a moral failing, a regrettable hobby, a mental-health diagnosis. As if escape is not, in itself, one of the highest order of magics they’ll ever see in their miserable mortal lives, right up there with true love and prophetic dreams and fireflies blinking in synchrony on a June evening."
And, of course, a character I can relate to. I also appreciate the cultural nods.
"I’m not a natural rule-follower. I roll through stop signs, I swear in public, I lie on online personality tests so I get the answers I want (Hermione, Arya Stark, Jo March). But I’m a very good librarian of either kind, and good librarians follow the rules. Even when they don’t want to."
found at https://www.apex-magazine.com/a-witch...