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706 reviews
Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
I loved reading Jasmine Mans’ poetry collection BLACK GIRL, CALL HOME. In these poems, Mans gracefully writes about race, feminism and queerness. It’s a heartfelt collection that flows between discussing the poet’s childhood and relationship with her mother, to reflecting on lost loves and societal perceptions of queer relationships.
It also includes powerful sections that focus on sexual assault, and past and present injustices against Black women. The poet’s ability to write about these topics in uncomplicated ways while sharing so much truth is admirable. She places an emphasis on honouring those who have come before us and honouring ourselves, too. Ultimately, this book is a tribute to Black girls and women as the poet finds her way home to herself and encourages the reader to do the same.
I enjoyed the emotional journey of these poems; there’s a lot of sorrow and pain but there’s also hope and love as the poet presents a way to move forward while remembering the past. Some of these poems made me feel calm and seen, while others had me nodding in agreement with anger. I sped through these poems but I returned to them many times as I wrote this review, and each time I came away with a greater appreciation for the simplicity and truth of the words within this book.
I think a lot of people will be able to find a piece of themselves in these poems or something that will challenge their perceptions of one of the topics covered. Pick this up for a tender and emotional exploration of Blackness and queerness.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
4.25
KINDRED is about Dana, a young Black woman who is mysteriously pulled back through time to the antebellum South. The original novel is one of the most captivating and heartbreaking books I’ve ever read, and it was also my introduction to Octavia Butler’s work. After watching and discussing the tv show adaptation with a friend, we decided to buddy read this graphic novel adaptation.
Before I read this I thought that this adaptation might feel rushed because it’s hard to translate all of the nuance and depth of the original story into a comic. So I'm surprised by how well this graphic novel captured the essence of the novel, and I thought it worked well. I was captivated and impressed by how well it highlighted and condensed important conversations from the original book. That said, this worked well for me because I’m already familiar with the novel. I think it would be jarring to read this without having read the novel first.
The storytelling thoughtfully portrays Dana’s empathy, intelligence and awareness of her situation. One aspect clearly missing from the tv adaptation was Dana’s inner monologue (which is crucial to the story), but the graphic novel places this at the forefront and readers are never left guessing what she’s thinking. This adaptation also does a great job of portraying character personalities and relationships, and I enjoyed those aspects more here than I did in the show.
Everything about the artwork is amazing—the colour choices set the mood and accentuate the story, and the facial expressions perfectly convey the intense emotions experienced by the characters. The art was the highlight of my reading experience.
This graphic novel manages to be a succinct adaptation with thoughtful choices and emotional storytelling. I recommend picking this up after you’ve read the novel and/or watched the show.
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera
challenging
mysterious
reflective
4.0
In THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS, Fetter is raised to kill. His world is full of cults, devils, anti-gods, and secrets, and his mother has trained him to cut down his sainted father who abandoned them. When his mother deems him ready to take on his mission, Fetter escapes into the world and leaves his mother and destiny behind. He makes a new home for himself in Luriat, a city known for its Bright Doors. The doors are tied to the novel’s central mystery, and as Fetter learns the truth about the doors, he learns the truth about his world.
This is an intriguing book that reads like a myth. Vajra Chandrasekera’s beautiful prose contains several layers of mystery and explores themes of destiny, violence, revolutions, divinity and loss. Through Fetter, the author subverts typical fantasy tropes while also following them, especially in regard to being the chosen one. Fetter’s journey is full of strife as he fights against his destiny, and his humanity is on full display as he grapples with his choices. He’s driven by his upbringing but also by his love for his friends and desire for a different world. He’s a messy and broken character living in a broken world, and his struggles and choices feel real. This is an interesting contrast—despite everything Fetter is capable of, he’s vulnerable and shows weakness throughout the novel. Fetter is a deeply human character in a strange and complex fantasy world, and that was my favourite aspect of this story.
I’m still unpacking my feelings about this book and I think I’ll have to reread it before I can fully appreciate it. There are a lot of interesting concepts and moving parts and I’ll be thinking about Fetter for a long time. Chandrasekera’s prose is what kept me hooked and I look forward to reading more from him. This book is out now; my thanks to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC.