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citrus_seasalt's reviews
316 reviews
From the Roots Up by Natasha Donovan, Tasha Spillett
4.25
Another solid book in this series, makes me want to read all three of the volumes at once!! The only reason my rating is a margin lower is because the time skip was sudden, and while Dez still has some facets of her Two-Spirit identity to figure out, a lot more of that happened before the story than I expected. Dez and Miigwan’s friendship wasn’t as center stage as it was in volume 1, but I really liked seeing the introduction of new characters, and the focus on Two-Spirit people. (Both their cultural significance, as well as their struggles because of lasting colonial gender roles.) Honestly it’s so rare to see stories that explore that, and even stress the importance of doing it in a culturally relevant space.
I’m really enjoying the characters themselves, and the emotional depth they’re written with. I just wish the volumes were longer.
I’m really enjoying the characters themselves, and the emotional depth they’re written with. I just wish the volumes were longer.
Surviving the City by Natasha Donovan, Tasha Spillett
4.5
A surprisingly short read, but there was still a lot of information and substance in it. While the panels weren’t crammed with details, they were still beautifully illustrated and colored, and it was nice to see the inclusion of different cultural practices and ceremonies into the character arcs. It took me some pages to catch onto what the meanings of the ghosts and malevolent spirits were, but I liked seeing the ancestors watching over Dez and Miikwan. That was very sweet. (And the malevolent spirits are warnings about when someone had bad intentions, but I’m also wondering if they’re tied into colonialist beliefs? I’m guessing yes, from when Dez showed her grandmother’s experiences with residential schools, but also from a moment in volume 2.)
I appreciated the way different issues were incorporated into the main characters’ lives in a way that felt realistic. I particularly liked how Miikwan’s grief surrounding her mother was handled, how that tied into a message about keeping the humanity of MMIWG intact and not just keeping them in mind as a statistic, and how it dealt with when Dez ran away and it brought up Miikwan’s very real fear about the same thing happening to another one of her loved ones. (Also, that she got to process those feelings with the help of other characters! The support systems in these books are very strong.) I would’ve also liked to see more information provided on how the foster system treats Indigenous kids—while that was a large plot point, there weren’t other links and sources for reading like there was for information on MMIWG.
Because of it’s shortness, I’ve read this and the second volume back-to-back. Not sure if that made them flow together, though, I didn’t know there was a slight time skip.
I appreciated the way different issues were incorporated into the main characters’ lives in a way that felt realistic. I particularly liked how Miikwan’s grief surrounding her mother was handled, how that tied into a message about keeping the humanity of MMIWG intact and not just keeping them in mind as a statistic, and how it dealt with when Dez ran away and it brought up Miikwan’s very real fear about the same thing happening to another one of her loved ones. (Also, that she got to process those feelings with the help of other characters! The support systems in these books are very strong.) I would’ve also liked to see more information provided on how the foster system treats Indigenous kids—while that was a large plot point, there weren’t other links and sources for reading like there was for information on MMIWG.
Because of it’s shortness, I’ve read this and the second volume back-to-back. Not sure if that made them flow together, though, I didn’t know there was a slight time skip.
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker
3.75
Unsure whether to give this 3.75 or 3.5 stars. Fun overall, there was some interesting magic, the slice-of-life approach to fantasy was very cute and the mundane approach to a lot of it prevented infodumps, and I enjoyed the casual representation. However, I was expecting more from the plot itself. It’s not “more vibes” as a couple of negative reviews have said (which, ????), the foundations are definitely there, but I often found myself confused by the quickness of fights, one-dimensionality of the villain and the sudden magical things that were introduced into the plot. (The one con of the mundane approach to the worldbuilding! Sometimes there just wasn’t explanation for certain things.) I would’ve liked to see more substance in the magic system, especially the wolf magic.
It did, at least, bring me a bit of joy during Trans Day Of Remembrance.
It did, at least, bring me a bit of joy during Trans Day Of Remembrance.
Splinter & Ash by Marieke Nijkamp
3.0
Disappointed by this, tbh. Parts of it were cute—the disabled and queer rep was fantastic(NONBINARY REP THAT DOESN’T USE THEY/THEM PRONOUNS?? WORD??), Splinter’s perseverance in her POV as well as her overall fiery attitude made her a highlight of the first half, and the friendship between the titular characters was endearing. I think in hindsight their development was a little rushed, but I still liked them nonetheless.
The plot was standard to a painful degree, though. I think for kids new to the fantasy genre they’ll get a lot out of the action, the characters with endless ambition, and the sprinkling of kingdom politics, but for me (as both someone well-acquainted with fantasy for younger demographics, and an older reader) the plot twists were predictable and the lack of immersion in the world left me feeling bored. I’ll admit there was one plot twist I technically didn’t predict, but that’s because I couldn’t tell if it was a plot hole or not.
And, of course, there are some other grudges I have that younger readers either won’t catch on to, or won’t care about as much(I grew up with the “Rescue Princesses” series, and those princesses made some pretty terrible decisions that partially annoyed me and sent my dad fuming, okay): Ash’s kidnappers were a little terrible at their job and that was obviously the reason why she could have more than one escape attempt; Lucen’s turnaround was quick, and frustrating for an arc that started out with some surprisingly realistic examples on how bullying can be overlooked especially because of favoritism; and Ash’s “I can protect myself :)” message being hammered in for a couple of moments annoyed me because she still obviously needed some help..?
I did like a few other things, though: Firstly, Splinter and Lucen’s initial reluctance to work with each other. Their banter was fun, and I liked that Splinter used several opportunities to call him out. But the main reason why the pacing of Lucen’s turnaround annoys me so badly is that a lot of his issues with Splinter very clearly stemmed from sexism, and the story didn’t think about even exploring how the toxic masculinity cultivated with both monarchy and squire/knight roles cultivated that?? (Because it can also be tied to the reason he revealed for being so closed-off to Ash!) Secondly, I liked Ash’s internal conflict around befriending—and subsequently betraying—Mist and Hazel. (Although the wording for her guilt and anxiety was simplistic.) I don’t know how to feel about the overall message of it though, because as important as it is for kids to recognize when they did wrong and ruined a friendship, Ash was forced by her circumstances, and also clearly valued Mist and Hazel as friends, she just wasn’t in a space she could say she did.
I think I’ll be dropping the series, but it’s pretty cool that characters like Splinter and Ash can exist.
The plot was standard to a painful degree, though. I think for kids new to the fantasy genre they’ll get a lot out of the action, the characters with endless ambition, and the sprinkling of kingdom politics, but for me (as both someone well-acquainted with fantasy for younger demographics, and an older reader) the plot twists were predictable and the lack of immersion in the world left me feeling bored. I’ll admit there was one plot twist I technically didn’t predict, but that’s because I couldn’t tell if it was a plot hole or not.
And, of course, there are some other grudges I have that younger readers either won’t catch on to, or won’t care about as much(I grew up with the “Rescue Princesses” series, and those princesses made some pretty terrible decisions that partially annoyed me and sent my dad fuming, okay): Ash’s kidnappers were a little terrible at their job and that was obviously the reason why she could have more than one escape attempt; Lucen’s turnaround was quick, and frustrating for an arc that started out with some surprisingly realistic examples on how bullying can be overlooked especially because of favoritism; and Ash’s “I can protect myself :)” message being hammered in for a couple of moments annoyed me because she still obviously needed some help..?
I did like a few other things, though: Firstly, Splinter and Lucen’s initial reluctance to work with each other. Their banter was fun, and I liked that Splinter used several opportunities to call him out. But the main reason why the pacing of Lucen’s turnaround annoys me so badly is that a lot of his issues with Splinter very clearly stemmed from sexism, and the story didn’t think about even exploring how the toxic masculinity cultivated with both monarchy and squire/knight roles cultivated that?? (Because it can also be tied to the reason he revealed for being so closed-off to Ash!) Secondly, I liked Ash’s internal conflict around befriending—and subsequently betraying—Mist and Hazel. (Although the wording for her guilt and anxiety was simplistic.) I don’t know how to feel about the overall message of it though, because as important as it is for kids to recognize when they did wrong and ruined a friendship, Ash was forced by her circumstances, and also clearly valued Mist and Hazel as friends, she just wasn’t in a space she could say she did.
I think I’ll be dropping the series, but it’s pretty cool that characters like Splinter and Ash can exist.
The Dark We Know by Wen-yi Lee
4.0
Edit: I changed my rating to 4 stars! This book has been on my mind for a while, it’s been fun to on-and-off psychoanalyze Mason and Isa. With that said, my critiques and understanding of the mixed reception this book received still apply.
A claustrophobic and personal gothic horror/mystery combination that, while emotional, I was conflicted about the execution of. A lot of characters felt archetypal, even in different flashbacks or dream sequences that tried to add another dimension to the roles they were relegated to by Isa’s POV. I did enjoy all the layers to the mystery, though, and how most of the threads connected in a way that made sense (at least, in the bizarre context of a story like this). (I feel like the only parts that “didn’t connect” were just re: the Angel itself: it was a strange mix of eldritch, human, and possible metaphor. Is that just a me thing, though?)
I know I’m certainly not the first reader to have said this, but the beginning was kind of irritating to me too, due to the melodrama (and partly the slow pacing). Mason and Isa’s interactions were very bizarre??? I get the initial desperation of trying to figure out and piece together the summoning rituals but, yeah, still really strange to me.
The poetic prose was vulnerable, though. This is also not an original thought (hello Zana), but Wen-Yi Lee has such a strong grip on emotions that, despite a lot of this novel not being to my personal tastes, still kept me reading. I definitely teared up with that one scene of Mason and Isa at the cliff, and them laying together in the forest. The nostalgia, grief, and guilt was dealt with so well. I think this also has to do with the purposefully rambly nature of some of Isa’s thoughts. (And maybe me currently watching my brother play “In Stars And Time”— Isa’s spirals remind me a bit of how Siffrin’s spirals are shown by the text boxes! Goodreads reviewers, don’t leave comments with spoilers under my review, I’m still on Act 3.)
I was pleasantly surprised by how this book handled suicide as a horror device. In the context of supernatural horror particularly, it’s one of my least favorite tropes. But by making it clear the kinds of shame and abuse the kids were subjected to beforehand, and that the Angel isn’t planting harmful thoughts into their heads but merely amplifying the kinds of depression they are already experiencing, I felt that trope was adequately subverted. It’s not their tendencies and their depression that is demonized, but the Angel’s predatory tactics. The importance of grief and ghosts—metaphorical and literal— made Otto, Mason, Trish and Isa’s struggles with this throughout the story deeply meaningful.
Audiobook slowed down my pacing a significant amount, I think that’s also why I absorbed the emotional scenes despite me listening to around an hour of the audiobook on 1.2 or 1.5x speed. (No slight against the narration or the writing, I was just trying to see if I could finish the audiobook before midnight, haha.) As always, Natalie Naudus’s narration (say that quickly three times) is a treat. It’s so interesting getting to hear her voice on a story like this one, knowing some of the personal stuff that went into her debut novel (which is also focused heavily on being repressed by a religious small community! And had a bi FMC!). I think that alone makes the selection of her for the audiobook memorable, but she also had great pacing and expressiveness. But I was not expecting her to sing in that one part with [spoiler redacted] losing it a little!! That was unintentionally funny, if only because of the voice she had to maintain for that character.
Also, I’d like to say that the moment that the inclusion of Taylor Swift’s “are there still beautiful things” lyric gave me HEAVY songfic vibes. But when I figured out that lyric was from “seven”, I realized it wasn’t just that part that felt that way, but literally the entire book?? Mason and Isa were structured so heavily around that song. The nostalgia, the childhood trauma, the ongoing compassion and love oh god. That might actually wreck me.
Honestly I would still recommend this, my critiques are mostly due to my own personal tastes. I can understand the people that really enjoy this.
***************
pre-review:
3.5 I’m rounding up because the ending made me tear up and I liked how some of this had the kind of rawness that could only be matched by a journal entry. RTC
(Note: my rounded up rating only applied to my Goodreads review.)
A claustrophobic and personal gothic horror/mystery combination that, while emotional, I was conflicted about the execution of. A lot of characters felt archetypal, even in different flashbacks or dream sequences that tried to add another dimension to the roles they were relegated to by Isa’s POV. I did enjoy all the layers to the mystery, though, and how most of the threads connected in a way that made sense (at least, in the bizarre context of a story like this). (I feel like the only parts that “didn’t connect” were just re: the Angel itself: it was a strange mix of eldritch, human, and possible metaphor. Is that just a me thing, though?)
I know I’m certainly not the first reader to have said this, but the beginning was kind of irritating to me too, due to the melodrama (and partly the slow pacing). Mason and Isa’s interactions were very bizarre??? I get the initial desperation of trying to figure out and piece together the summoning rituals but, yeah, still really strange to me.
The poetic prose was vulnerable, though. This is also not an original thought (hello Zana), but Wen-Yi Lee has such a strong grip on emotions that, despite a lot of this novel not being to my personal tastes, still kept me reading. I definitely teared up with that one scene of Mason and Isa at the cliff, and them laying together in the forest. The nostalgia, grief, and guilt was dealt with so well. I think this also has to do with the purposefully rambly nature of some of Isa’s thoughts. (And maybe me currently watching my brother play “In Stars And Time”— Isa’s spirals remind me a bit of how Siffrin’s spirals are shown by the text boxes! Goodreads reviewers, don’t leave comments with spoilers under my review, I’m still on Act 3.)
I was pleasantly surprised by how this book handled suicide as a horror device. In the context of supernatural horror particularly, it’s one of my least favorite tropes. But by making it clear the kinds of shame and abuse the kids were subjected to beforehand, and that the Angel isn’t planting harmful thoughts into their heads but merely amplifying the kinds of depression they are already experiencing, I felt that trope was adequately subverted. It’s not their tendencies and their depression that is demonized, but the Angel’s predatory tactics. The importance of grief and ghosts—metaphorical and literal— made Otto, Mason, Trish and Isa’s struggles with this throughout the story deeply meaningful.
Audiobook slowed down my pacing a significant amount, I think that’s also why I absorbed the emotional scenes despite me listening to around an hour of the audiobook on 1.2 or 1.5x speed. (No slight against the narration or the writing, I was just trying to see if I could finish the audiobook before midnight, haha.) As always, Natalie Naudus’s narration (say that quickly three times) is a treat. It’s so interesting getting to hear her voice on a story like this one, knowing some of the personal stuff that went into her debut novel (which is also focused heavily on being repressed by a religious small community! And had a bi FMC!). I think that alone makes the selection of her for the audiobook memorable, but she also had great pacing and expressiveness. But I was not expecting her to sing in that one part with [spoiler redacted] losing it a little!! That was unintentionally funny, if only because of the voice she had to maintain for that character.
Also, I’d like to say that the moment that the inclusion of Taylor Swift’s “are there still beautiful things” lyric gave me HEAVY songfic vibes. But when I figured out that lyric was from “seven”, I realized it wasn’t just that part that felt that way, but literally the entire book?? Mason and Isa were structured so heavily around that song. The nostalgia, the childhood trauma, the ongoing compassion and love oh god. That might actually wreck me.
Honestly I would still recommend this, my critiques are mostly due to my own personal tastes. I can understand the people that really enjoy this.
***************
pre-review:
3.5 I’m rounding up because the ending made me tear up and I liked how some of this had the kind of rawness that could only be matched by a journal entry. RTC
(Note: my rounded up rating only applied to my Goodreads review.)
Mamo by Sas Milledge
5.0
damn I got no way to articulate my thoughts except for:
a) This is easiest 5 stars I’ve given to a comic in a while
b) I really enjoyed the bits of worldbuilding across the chapters. Made the setting feel more natural as the magical creatures and problems were being introduced! Some of the smallness of the town’s magical problems gives a couple parts a cozier/more slice-of-life feel but there’s still a helping of mystery.
c) Artwork was BEAUTIFUL!!! Seriously! Scrumptious to the eyes the whole time. There was so much movement, too. From the spells, to the transformations, to the times Mamo would wreak havoc.
d) I liked how the magic behind binds and debts tied into Orla’s complicated relationship with Mamo. It creates an extended metaphor throughout, as Orla deals with coming back.
e) Sapphics :)👍👍 in general though I really enjoyed Orla and Jo’s interactions.
I give up on trying to make a formal review for this, my reviews aren’t the most sophisticated anyhow. If I do, it’ll probably be from me giving this a reread. (It’s not uncommon for me to reread a graphic novel the second I finish it. Lets me look at the storytelling I might’ve skimmed over and, also, shows me how much I truly enjoyed reading it lol).
a) This is easiest 5 stars I’ve given to a comic in a while
b) I really enjoyed the bits of worldbuilding across the chapters. Made the setting feel more natural as the magical creatures and problems were being introduced! Some of the smallness of the town’s magical problems gives a couple parts a cozier/more slice-of-life feel but there’s still a helping of mystery.
c) Artwork was BEAUTIFUL!!! Seriously! Scrumptious to the eyes the whole time. There was so much movement, too. From the spells, to the transformations, to the times Mamo would wreak havoc.
d) I liked how the magic behind binds and debts tied into Orla’s complicated relationship with Mamo. It creates an extended metaphor throughout, as Orla deals with coming back.
e) Sapphics :)👍👍 in general though I really enjoyed Orla and Jo’s interactions.
I give up on trying to make a formal review for this, my reviews aren’t the most sophisticated anyhow. If I do, it’ll probably be from me giving this a reread. (It’s not uncommon for me to reread a graphic novel the second I finish it. Lets me look at the storytelling I might’ve skimmed over and, also, shows me how much I truly enjoyed reading it lol).
Punk Rock Karaoke by Bianca Xunise
4.0
I really enjoyed this!! It’s a refreshing take on the coming-of-age genre, and totally a love letter to underground punk scenes. The exaggerated, sometimes messy art style added a lot of character and grunge. (Not sure if anyone on here has heard of Instagram artist d33d33draws, but the zine comic-adjacent style, as well as the focus on the intersections of queerness and Blackness, kind of remind me of her stuff!! Even though, yes, I know her and Bianca Xunise are two completely different artists.) I haven’t seen this many alternative characters in a graphic novel before, their designs were really awesome, and I also appreciated having a story that had LGBTQ and Black (and brown!) voices at the forefront. (That isn’t just shown in the main characters’ designs but in some of the Baby Hares struggles to get recognized, too. And there’s still some somewhat short, but important discussion on how frequently Black femmes get their work stolen.)
In general, though, the characters were very fun. The Baby Hares’ back-and-forth whenever they’d go to gigs together or hang out felt pretty true to that 18-19 age range.
The other characters were also entertaining, even those who appeared for very briefly had a lot of personality.
Also, the soundtrack included LITERALLY ON THE PAGES?? That was so cool! There was literally a punk or goth song chosen for different chapters depending on what was happening with the characters and story. I’m more familiar with goth than punk music, so those were what I recognized more, but I’m interested in finding out the nuances to the tone (and maybe even bits of music history??) that were brought into the narrative.
And, on a slightly different branch of the soundtrack topic, this is one of the only times I haven’t minded seeing lyrics created for an in-universe band! They amplified the angst and anger of the main characters, Ariel especially, in the best way possible. The scenes of Baby Hares collaborating to make their songs were also super fun to read.
I really liked the characters themselves, too. They were messy but all of their problems felt very real, especially in the kind of awkward time frame between highschool and college. Some of the ways the main trio would end up arguing would annoy me sometimes, tbh, but that kind of conflict and misunderstanding is pretty common in teens/young adults, and because of the bond they have with each other, it wasn’t something that broke their friendship.
(Also, I’ll admit that I spotted Clyde’s red flags pretty quickly, but that’s probably because I’m an outsider and not someone in Ariel’s shoes.)
The only reason this isn’t 5 stars is because the ending was a little ridiculous, and there was a line or two that didn’t sit right with me (…Ariel being embarrassed by their mom, and saying “I’m disassociating” as a little one-liner thing☠️). But. I’m surprised this isn’t talked about very much? I can’t even remember where I first discovered it on booksta but it was in literally just one post. Might’ve even just been something by the author?? My point is, this was too charming and creative of a graphic novel for this to slip under the radar.
In general, though, the characters were very fun. The Baby Hares’ back-and-forth whenever they’d go to gigs together or hang out felt pretty true to that 18-19 age range.
The other characters were also entertaining, even those who appeared for very briefly had a lot of personality.
Also, the soundtrack included LITERALLY ON THE PAGES?? That was so cool! There was literally a punk or goth song chosen for different chapters depending on what was happening with the characters and story. I’m more familiar with goth than punk music, so those were what I recognized more, but I’m interested in finding out the nuances to the tone (and maybe even bits of music history??) that were brought into the narrative.
And, on a slightly different branch of the soundtrack topic, this is one of the only times I haven’t minded seeing lyrics created for an in-universe band! They amplified the angst and anger of the main characters, Ariel especially, in the best way possible. The scenes of Baby Hares collaborating to make their songs were also super fun to read.
I really liked the characters themselves, too. They were messy but all of their problems felt very real, especially in the kind of awkward time frame between highschool and college. Some of the ways the main trio would end up arguing would annoy me sometimes, tbh, but that kind of conflict and misunderstanding is pretty common in teens/young adults, and because of the bond they have with each other, it wasn’t something that broke their friendship.
(Also, I’ll admit that I spotted Clyde’s red flags pretty quickly, but that’s probably because I’m an outsider and not someone in Ariel’s shoes.)
The only reason this isn’t 5 stars is because the ending was a little ridiculous, and there was a line or two that didn’t sit right with me (…Ariel being embarrassed by their mom, and saying “I’m disassociating” as a little one-liner thing☠️). But. I’m surprised this isn’t talked about very much? I can’t even remember where I first discovered it on booksta but it was in literally just one post. Might’ve even just been something by the author?? My point is, this was too charming and creative of a graphic novel for this to slip under the radar.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual harassment
The House Where Death Lives by Alex Brown
3.5
Unfortunately, the standouts were basically at the beginning. Even though one of my favorites was in the second floor(?) section, I still think that the anthology overall lost its momentum after the stair section. The first and second floor sections had a lot of stories that were super mediocre if not terrible. (There was a lot of predictability. Some of it fun, most of it not.) However, this was still a mostly enjoyable collection, and I can see it getting a couple readers into horror.
My personal favorites were “Good Morning, Georgia”(4.5⭐️), “Cradle And All”(5⭐️), and “The Phantom’s Waltz”(4⭐️). “Good Morning Georgia” was super predictable but I still enjoyed the story itself, it was sweet—the same can mostly be said about “The Phantom’s Waltz”(the ending was a slight subversion). I’m not that familiar with Filipino folklore and monsters, but “Cradle And All” was a creative and emotional use of the tiyanak.
Honorable mentions: “The Grey Library”(3.75⭐️), for having the ending twist and the overall writing style of a Goosebumps novel; “After Midnight”(probably 3.75⭐️?) for having a gripping narrative, but the modern references were a little grating; and “What Lies In Silence”(rating unsure, lol) for being a Justine Pucella Winans story about grief… if you know anything about my Bianca Torre lore this is a historical moment for me. (Also, it was a great palette cleanser after the stories in my “Dishonorable Mentions” section⬇️)
Dishonorable Mentions: “Let’s Play A Game” (2.5⭐️) and “Smartmonster”(2⭐️) for being stories I hated so much they were literally pissing me off. (“Let’s Play A Game” was anticlimactic and barely horror, “Smartmonster” was a YA dystopia snuck into this collection and I actively detested my reading experience.) I read a lot of this anthology in a night, though, so I was tired enough that I couldn’t read on and I had to go to sleep with that simmering☠️
The organization of the stories was super creative, though, and I loved the art included throughout. I think I should’ve read this during the Halloween season! It would have been more fun.
My personal favorites were “Good Morning, Georgia”(4.5⭐️), “Cradle And All”(5⭐️), and “The Phantom’s Waltz”(4⭐️). “Good Morning Georgia” was super predictable but I still enjoyed the story itself, it was sweet—the same can mostly be said about “The Phantom’s Waltz”(the ending was a slight subversion). I’m not that familiar with Filipino folklore and monsters, but “Cradle And All” was a creative and emotional use of the tiyanak.
Honorable mentions: “The Grey Library”(3.75⭐️), for having the ending twist and the overall writing style of a Goosebumps novel; “After Midnight”(probably 3.75⭐️?) for having a gripping narrative, but the modern references were a little grating; and “What Lies In Silence”(rating unsure, lol) for being a Justine Pucella Winans story about grief… if you know anything about my Bianca Torre lore this is a historical moment for me. (Also, it was a great palette cleanser after the stories in my “Dishonorable Mentions” section⬇️)
Dishonorable Mentions: “Let’s Play A Game” (2.5⭐️) and “Smartmonster”(2⭐️) for being stories I hated so much they were literally pissing me off. (“Let’s Play A Game” was anticlimactic and barely horror, “Smartmonster” was a YA dystopia snuck into this collection and I actively detested my reading experience.) I read a lot of this anthology in a night, though, so I was tired enough that I couldn’t read on and I had to go to sleep with that simmering☠️
The organization of the stories was super creative, though, and I loved the art included throughout. I think I should’ve read this during the Halloween season! It would have been more fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Grief, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia
The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron
3.75
A solid, but flawed, start to a series. Kalynn Bayron is another hit or miss author with me, but I was curious to see how one of her middle grades was, and I’m glad I checked it out! I’ll get this out of the way first: I think Bayron writes kids much better than teens. A lot of the friend group interactions felt authentic, and honestly, those were my favorite parts of the book. Their nerdiness? Their trust of each other? Ugh, I love Boog, Cedrick, Jules and Aaron. (Oh, and a fem-presenting nonbinary character is part of the main cast, too!! Hi Jules! I want to get overalls so I can imitate your outfits.)
And I’m so surprised by how recent middle grades address the stress put on young protagonists!! The grief felt by Boog and the others when Aaron went missing hit so hard. Definitely nailed the “surrealness” of a young mind dealing with an incident like that.
I also liked that there was a bunch of information given on not just vampires, but the societal attitudes around them. That’s so interesting to me! I do kinda wish that they addressed more of the implications of all of our real-life pop culture vampire icons also existing in this universe, but that’s just me speaking as an older reader (and thinking about the ethics/questions about creating and romanticizing fictional vampire lore in a universe with actual vampires). I don’t really expect that to be answered LOL
This also had a couple more creepy elements than I expected from a middle grade horror! (I enjoyed that.) Honestly the only thing Bayron tones down in her writing is the number of deaths (and amount of blood/gore). Which isn’t much, aside from the juvenile language.
However, I intensely disliked the pacing, and it’s what made me lower my rating from a full 4 stars. The book seems to end when the action starts, and a lot of the story is Boog just trying to figure out what’s going on with her friends. And, of course, a lot of lying done by parents and adults along the way. (There wasn’t even a conversation around what was or wasn’t age-appropriate knowledge and involvement, and that was so frustrating!! Even moreso, after seeing the reviews for books 2 and 3, and figuring out that’s never going to happen. I don’t think I’m used to that after reading Witchlings.😕) I think the only perk of the kind-of slow pacing is that the mystery surrounding Aaron and the entire friend group’s close-knit dynamic (but also the sheer number of secrets they keep) is actually pretty Stranger Things s1-reminiscent, just without the 80’s nostalgia. I can see why that show is a comp title.
I’m still gonna be continuing this series, though. I had a lot of fun. I might have a bet onwho is the vampire that turned Aaron.
And I’m so surprised by how recent middle grades address the stress put on young protagonists!! The grief felt by Boog and the others when Aaron went missing hit so hard. Definitely nailed the “surrealness” of a young mind dealing with an incident like that.
I also liked that there was a bunch of information given on not just vampires, but the societal attitudes around them. That’s so interesting to me! I do kinda wish that they addressed more of the implications of all of our real-life pop culture vampire icons also existing in this universe, but that’s just me speaking as an older reader (and thinking about the ethics/questions about creating and romanticizing fictional vampire lore in a universe with actual vampires). I don’t really expect that to be answered LOL
This also had a couple more creepy elements than I expected from a middle grade horror! (I enjoyed that.) Honestly the only thing Bayron tones down in her writing is the number of deaths (and amount of blood/gore). Which isn’t much, aside from the juvenile language.
However, I intensely disliked the pacing, and it’s what made me lower my rating from a full 4 stars. The book seems to end when the action starts, and a lot of the story is Boog just trying to figure out what’s going on with her friends. And, of course, a lot of lying done by parents and adults along the way. (There wasn’t even a conversation around what was or wasn’t age-appropriate knowledge and involvement, and that was so frustrating!! Even moreso, after seeing the reviews for books 2 and 3, and figuring out that’s never going to happen. I don’t think I’m used to that after reading Witchlings.😕) I think the only perk of the kind-of slow pacing is that the mystery surrounding Aaron and the entire friend group’s close-knit dynamic (but also the sheer number of secrets they keep) is actually pretty Stranger Things s1-reminiscent, just without the 80’s nostalgia. I can see why that show is a comp title.
I’m still gonna be continuing this series, though. I had a lot of fun. I might have a bet on
Lunar Boy by Cin Wibowo, Jes Wibowo
4.5
Super charming graphic novel, glad I decided to read it! I’d been anticipating it for a while, since I saw a post made by the authors about it.
I was sucked in from the beginning, with some magically surreal visuals and storytelling that feel akin to something like “The Little Prince”, and a setting that, while it was futuristic, managed to still feel grounded in how it handled different issues such as queerphobia and the struggle to fit in. (In many different ways! There was Indu’s queerness, yes, but him also being a cultural outsider in the Indonesian setting, and being sorta anxious to branch out and meet new people.) I especially loved how Indu gradually bonding with his siblings and classmates was handled. His nerves felt accurate for a kid at that age, I didn’t think for a second his reactions felt out of place.
The bilingual representation was *chef’s kiss*. It’s rare for me to see passive fluency discussed—I’ve seen bits of it throughout other stories centering immigrants, but the term hasn’t ever been used before in something I’ve read! Got to learn a bit from that, hooray. I loved how Indonesian language was weaved into the story, too. I don’t speak it, so I had to go off of context clues, but I actually appreciate the lack of translation. I think it shows Indonesian readers (especially LGBTQ+ ones!) that this is something for them.
In general, though, the Indonesian rep was fantastic. It is so rare for me to see queer stories from within that culture (just because of normalized queerphobia, the Indonesian folks I’ve known that aren’t cishet are closeted irl for that reason), and I loved that even in a sci-fi fantasy like this, there was still spotlight on the pre-existing terminology. (I’d heard the term waria before, but not priawan!) Their inclusion was so normalized, but still left room for characters that weren’t using labels or still figuring themselves out. To have that kind of positive representation was so lovely.
The art was also stunning!! Ugh I loved every page. Even the panels where there were less things going on visually.
Tbh I loved the family and platonic dynamics more than the few romantic relationships in the story, they just had less time to develop or kinda exist on-page, but I still found the characters charming.
Overall, pretty great! My only other critiques are that the ending was pretty rushed, and some of the dialogue didn’t feel very natural.
I was sucked in from the beginning, with some magically surreal visuals and storytelling that feel akin to something like “The Little Prince”, and a setting that, while it was futuristic, managed to still feel grounded in how it handled different issues such as queerphobia and the struggle to fit in. (In many different ways! There was Indu’s queerness, yes, but him also being a cultural outsider in the Indonesian setting, and being sorta anxious to branch out and meet new people.) I especially loved how Indu gradually bonding with his siblings and classmates was handled. His nerves felt accurate for a kid at that age, I didn’t think for a second his reactions felt out of place.
The bilingual representation was *chef’s kiss*. It’s rare for me to see passive fluency discussed—I’ve seen bits of it throughout other stories centering immigrants, but the term hasn’t ever been used before in something I’ve read! Got to learn a bit from that, hooray. I loved how Indonesian language was weaved into the story, too. I don’t speak it, so I had to go off of context clues, but I actually appreciate the lack of translation. I think it shows Indonesian readers (especially LGBTQ+ ones!) that this is something for them.
In general, though, the Indonesian rep was fantastic. It is so rare for me to see queer stories from within that culture (just because of normalized queerphobia, the Indonesian folks I’ve known that aren’t cishet are closeted irl for that reason), and I loved that even in a sci-fi fantasy like this, there was still spotlight on the pre-existing terminology. (I’d heard the term waria before, but not priawan!) Their inclusion was so normalized, but still left room for characters that weren’t using labels or still figuring themselves out. To have that kind of positive representation was so lovely.
The art was also stunning!! Ugh I loved every page. Even the panels where there were less things going on visually.
Tbh I loved the family and platonic dynamics more than the few romantic relationships in the story, they just had less time to develop or kinda exist on-page, but I still found the characters charming.
Overall, pretty great! My only other critiques are that the ending was pretty rushed, and some of the dialogue didn’t feel very natural.