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maxturner's reviews
95 reviews
Queer Werewolves Destroy Capitalism by M.J. Lyons
5.0
I'm technically giving this 4.5 but rounding it up to 5 stars. Reasoning at the end as to why I've knocked off half a star.
I rarely give 5 stars as often there is something more I want from stories, and especially anthologies/collections, even if that's simply "more"! And whilst I would love more of this (and I'll be checking out Lyons' other stuff), the stories all felt very complete and well-rounded. I, perhaps cynically, had also not expected the appearance of trans male characters in an M/M collection, so that was a pleasant and welcome surprise!
That isn't to say there aren't a few things I think could have been done better, which I'll get to at the end. But overall, the >almost< 5 stars here is based on 2 things - the fantastic stories, and the fact that I would gladly pick this up and read it again (and again).
Some spoilers ahead for the stories (though not major ones that would mire enjoyment)
I almost didn't pick this one up as, from the cover and the title, I was expecting something overtly political, but other than Queer Werewolves Destroy Capitalism and Queer Werewolves Destroy The Oligarchy, both fun little stories, the politics aren't in your face. Whilst, of course, the anti-capitalist sentiment is there, it is more abstractly addressed in the rest of the stories.
Both Queer Werewolves stories, especially the first as the second is more of an epilogue, are set in a modern world with supernatural elements which are nicely weaved in, giving us a setting and group of characters that draw you into the politics and have you rooting for them and their handling of the situation. An enjoyable and smutty read, and especially will appear to trans/monster enjoyers :)
Obsidian Devil and The Dead Man's Hand is a great queer Western, and again the world building here and the depth of characters is really well done, it felt really immersive for such a short story and leaves the reader satisfied with the end.
Peril on Gargara is pretty much pure sci-fi smut, and it's great! Again there is a lot of detail to the characters and situation that takes this past gratuitous (not that there's anything wrong with gratuitous smut) and into a story that holds meaning for the characters. Another trans masc character here, which is a nice bonus!
Heir is my absolute favourite of all the stories in this volume, probably one of my favourite stories in recent memory. If it wasn't obvious by now, I'm a sucker for good worldbuilding, and this story has that in spades. I LOVE this world. I love the characters and the story. I could read a longer version of this where more of the world is explored on their journey, I could watch a film or TV show of this. Just pour it all straight into my skull. There is a particular heavy-handedness that often comes with stories set in a low tech future with a high tech past, and often an awful lot of info dumping - Heir doesn't have that at all. The history of the people and the planet itself are very deftly woven through the narrative in a way that makes sense and doesn't overwhelm. The story itself is lovely and the ending is just so hopeful and warm.
The Painting of the Empty Bed is my second favourite - an interesting historical and excessively queer take on a locked room mystery. I love that it is an epistolary (never enough of those), I love the characters and how they are all viewed through the narrator (as well as how he sees himself and the world around them - again incredibly rich!!). And I love the resolution of this story, not just the well deserved sex, but to the mystery itself. I do love a good mystery, and especially ones where I'm not entirely sure how they did the thing, and this one kept me guessing for quite a while and had an absolutely brilliant end.
Overall, you can say I very much enjoyed this book. But to the minuses-
Some of the stories, including Heir, could have done with a bit more of an edit to ensure they flowed and made sense. There were a few sentences here and there that seemed skipped over and could have done with more work.
In regards to the flow, I also personally found the order of the stories quite jarring. Whilst I understood the desire to lead with the titular Queer Werewolves, the jumping from modern (though supernatural) around historical and science fiction broke the flow of the stories. Perhaps it would be better to read them chronologically - historical, modern then sci-fi?
Lastly, and this may not be everyone's preference as I am aware that there are readers who are opposed to trigger/content warnings or notes, but personally I feel that this collection could have done with them. From the title the politics and anarchy are implied and so perhaps a level of violence and of course monster fuckery. Which is all good, however I think warnings related to the treatment of race/racism might not go amiss. And certainly, as a trans guy, I am aware that many trans and non-binary folk would appreciate a content note at least around what language is being used to describe anatomy and what sex acts take place involving trans characters so they can avoid it if it's something that would be uncomfortable or dysphoric for them. Whilst I'm personally okay with pretty much any language used, I'm knocking off a half a star as I can see this being a potentially uncomfortable read for any trans or non-binary folk going into it not knowing what to expect. So whilst I would absolutely recommend this volume to trans and non-binary readers, I would also preface my recommendation with content notes.
I rarely give 5 stars as often there is something more I want from stories, and especially anthologies/collections, even if that's simply "more"! And whilst I would love more of this (and I'll be checking out Lyons' other stuff), the stories all felt very complete and well-rounded. I, perhaps cynically, had also not expected the appearance of trans male characters in an M/M collection, so that was a pleasant and welcome surprise!
That isn't to say there aren't a few things I think could have been done better, which I'll get to at the end. But overall, the >almost< 5 stars here is based on 2 things - the fantastic stories, and the fact that I would gladly pick this up and read it again (and again).
Some spoilers ahead for the stories (though not major ones that would mire enjoyment)
I almost didn't pick this one up as, from the cover and the title, I was expecting something overtly political, but other than Queer Werewolves Destroy Capitalism and Queer Werewolves Destroy The Oligarchy, both fun little stories, the politics aren't in your face. Whilst, of course, the anti-capitalist sentiment is there, it is more abstractly addressed in the rest of the stories.
Both Queer Werewolves stories, especially the first as the second is more of an epilogue, are set in a modern world with supernatural elements which are nicely weaved in, giving us a setting and group of characters that draw you into the politics and have you rooting for them and their handling of the situation. An enjoyable and smutty read, and especially will appear to trans/monster enjoyers :)
Obsidian Devil and The Dead Man's Hand is a great queer Western, and again the world building here and the depth of characters is really well done, it felt really immersive for such a short story and leaves the reader satisfied with the end.
Peril on Gargara is pretty much pure sci-fi smut, and it's great! Again there is a lot of detail to the characters and situation that takes this past gratuitous (not that there's anything wrong with gratuitous smut) and into a story that holds meaning for the characters. Another trans masc character here, which is a nice bonus!
Heir is my absolute favourite of all the stories in this volume, probably one of my favourite stories in recent memory. If it wasn't obvious by now, I'm a sucker for good worldbuilding, and this story has that in spades. I LOVE this world. I love the characters and the story. I could read a longer version of this where more of the world is explored on their journey, I could watch a film or TV show of this. Just pour it all straight into my skull. There is a particular heavy-handedness that often comes with stories set in a low tech future with a high tech past, and often an awful lot of info dumping - Heir doesn't have that at all. The history of the people and the planet itself are very deftly woven through the narrative in a way that makes sense and doesn't overwhelm. The story itself is lovely and the ending is just so hopeful and warm.
The Painting of the Empty Bed is my second favourite - an interesting historical and excessively queer take on a locked room mystery. I love that it is an epistolary (never enough of those), I love the characters and how they are all viewed through the narrator (as well as how he sees himself and the world around them - again incredibly rich!!). And I love the resolution of this story, not just the well deserved sex, but to the mystery itself. I do love a good mystery, and especially ones where I'm not entirely sure how they did the thing, and this one kept me guessing for quite a while and had an absolutely brilliant end.
Overall, you can say I very much enjoyed this book. But to the minuses-
Some of the stories, including Heir, could have done with a bit more of an edit to ensure they flowed and made sense. There were a few sentences here and there that seemed skipped over and could have done with more work.
In regards to the flow, I also personally found the order of the stories quite jarring. Whilst I understood the desire to lead with the titular Queer Werewolves, the jumping from modern (though supernatural) around historical and science fiction broke the flow of the stories. Perhaps it would be better to read them chronologically - historical, modern then sci-fi?
Lastly, and this may not be everyone's preference as I am aware that there are readers who are opposed to trigger/content warnings or notes, but personally I feel that this collection could have done with them. From the title the politics and anarchy are implied and so perhaps a level of violence and of course monster fuckery. Which is all good, however I think warnings related to the treatment of race/racism might not go amiss. And certainly, as a trans guy, I am aware that many trans and non-binary folk would appreciate a content note at least around what language is being used to describe anatomy and what sex acts take place involving trans characters so they can avoid it if it's something that would be uncomfortable or dysphoric for them. Whilst I'm personally okay with pretty much any language used, I'm knocking off a half a star as I can see this being a potentially uncomfortable read for any trans or non-binary folk going into it not knowing what to expect. So whilst I would absolutely recommend this volume to trans and non-binary readers, I would also preface my recommendation with content notes.
Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino
4.0
I'm hovering between 3.5 and 4 so rounding it up (will explain why at the end)
To preface: I have absolutely no exposure whatsoever to Goblin Market and didn't realise that this was related in any way, so I went in with no expectation on that front and cannot speak on how it relates.
For me Not Good for Maidens was a gripping story that is really well-woven together. It can be difficult to tie all the threads when telling a story over two different time periods heading towards the same climax, but it's brilliantly done here.
Whilst I found the first part a little slow, I found the writing very rich and evocative. I loved the purposeful repetitions (which I assume are, in part, a throwback to the source material), and the descriptions gave me a Labyrinth vibe (though quite a bit more gruesome).
Overall this was an enjoyable tale with a satisfying (if anticipated) ending.
The reason I'm wavering on the stars is because I did struggle a little to connect with the characters. But it's really hard for me to be objective on that aspect as I listened to this via audible and... the narration is a train wreck.
I am not going to judge this book as far as I can on the narration, but would recommend definitely not listening to it - please do read the book instead. The narration would have benefited from a narrator from the UK/Yorkshire who could also do an American accent, as the vast majority of characters are not from the US and I have absolutely no idea what the narrator was trying to do. The most palatable moments were those when the characters for some reason had a soft Scottish or Irish lilt, but the vast majority of the time, it was some strange, mangled dialect that never once approached a Yorkshire accent. I cannot emphasise enough how awful this narration is, and that is why I can't reasonably judge how much my connection to the characters was in the writing or (more likely) the horrific narration.
For fans of Labyrinth, and dark fae stories, I'd definitely recommend this - just not the audiobook!
To preface: I have absolutely no exposure whatsoever to Goblin Market and didn't realise that this was related in any way, so I went in with no expectation on that front and cannot speak on how it relates.
For me Not Good for Maidens was a gripping story that is really well-woven together. It can be difficult to tie all the threads when telling a story over two different time periods heading towards the same climax, but it's brilliantly done here.
Whilst I found the first part a little slow, I found the writing very rich and evocative. I loved the purposeful repetitions (which I assume are, in part, a throwback to the source material), and the descriptions gave me a Labyrinth vibe (though quite a bit more gruesome).
Overall this was an enjoyable tale with a satisfying (if anticipated) ending.
The reason I'm wavering on the stars is because I did struggle a little to connect with the characters. But it's really hard for me to be objective on that aspect as I listened to this via audible and... the narration is a train wreck.
I am not going to judge this book as far as I can on the narration, but would recommend definitely not listening to it - please do read the book instead. The narration would have benefited from a narrator from the UK/Yorkshire who could also do an American accent, as the vast majority of characters are not from the US and I have absolutely no idea what the narrator was trying to do. The most palatable moments were those when the characters for some reason had a soft Scottish or Irish lilt, but the vast majority of the time, it was some strange, mangled dialect that never once approached a Yorkshire accent. I cannot emphasise enough how awful this narration is, and that is why I can't reasonably judge how much my connection to the characters was in the writing or (more likely) the horrific narration.
For fans of Labyrinth, and dark fae stories, I'd definitely recommend this - just not the audiobook!
A Howl: An Indigenous Anthology of Wolves, Werewolves, and Rougarou by Elizabeth LaPensée
3.0
As with many anthologies, this is a mixed bag in terms of themes and variety, but also quality.
It was great to see so many different stories and ideas for the theme, as well as the range of different artistic styles.
The only let down really was that quite a few of the stories could have done with more developmental editing. There were some that weren't very coherent and others that ended confusingly. I was also disappointed that two of the stories I liked the most were part one and the second part was not included in the volume. This might not be an issue for some people, but I'm personally not a big fan of including serials in anthologies.
Overall it was a good, enjoyable read, but could have done with a few improvements.
It was great to see so many different stories and ideas for the theme, as well as the range of different artistic styles.
The only let down really was that quite a few of the stories could have done with more developmental editing. There were some that weren't very coherent and others that ended confusingly. I was also disappointed that two of the stories I liked the most were part one and the second part was not included in the volume. This might not be an issue for some people, but I'm personally not a big fan of including serials in anthologies.
Overall it was a good, enjoyable read, but could have done with a few improvements.
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
4.0
There was a point in the first quarter where I wasn't sure if I would like this. The mystery unfolding didn't make sense to me, or rather where I thought it was going didn't grab me and felt a bit weak for a writer I'd heard so many good things about. But I'm so glad I continued reading because I was totally wrong about where it was going - the best possible kind of mystery! - and I enjoyed it very much.
As the story goes on you feel yourself being pulled further and further down a rabbit hole that you're not sure Misha will make it out of. I especially enjoyed the ending - and the looming sense until the very very end, that there really was no escape because nothing is more compelling or powerful than greed.
A really entertaining read, I'll definitely be checking out more of Chuck Tingle's work!
As the story goes on you feel yourself being pulled further and further down a rabbit hole that you're not sure Misha will make it out of. I especially enjoyed the ending - and the looming sense until the very very end, that there really was no escape because nothing is more compelling or powerful than greed.
A really entertaining read, I'll definitely be checking out more of Chuck Tingle's work!
Slender Man by
1.0
I picked this up for the same reason I picked up Horrorstör, I am a sucker for interestingly formatted books. And like Horrorstör the end product is very much style over substance. Like Horrorstör, this feels like someone has had a great concept and the story is a poorly executed afterthought. Unlike Horrorstör, which was at least a little entertaining in a popcorn movie sort of way, this is just boring. It's not scary, the mystery falls flat and the different epistolary methods are so nonsensical as to jar the reader out of the story.
To give some credit, there were some scenes that were very evocatively written. These are usually contained in Matt's descriptions in his journal. For example clearing up the dead birds and the way their window collisions had created an image. Few and far between, these were the only moments were I felt briefly engaged and interested in what was happening.
Reflecting on the story itself, it's just not gripping. The points where the tension should be building up isn't done especially well, and then when you get to the climax of the tension, there's nothing there - literally. Each time we're about to "get to the action" it is not recorded and all characters involved don't remember it. If told in a straight forward format, this might have actually been something interesting to play with, but in this format it just feels a bit lazy - like the author couldn't find a way to effectively portray those scenes using the format they had chosen so just didn't bother.
The format itself... rarely have I read a book so much in need of a framing device. Arguably there partially is one - when it was revealed at the end that potentially this was all fabricated, but by then I'd completely checked out. And again, it just kinda felt lazy - like the author wasn't even really committed to the bit. For example, the police interviews where we just had the relevant snippets rather than the whole interview and letting the reader suss out the relevant bits, the bizarreness of someone waking in the middle of the night and deciding to document their nightmares by dictaphone. The most bizarre of all were the dinner table conversations randomly recorded by his parents with no explanation as to why anyone would do that. And a doctor that bafflingly sends easily intercepted paper letters rather than via secure email?? Yes, arguably this can all be chalked up at the end to Matt having fabricated all of these things. But by the time that idea is introduced it's just become one more thing after another that jars the reader out of the story.
I have read many stories where I have checked out like this only to be absolutely astounded by the ending which turns it all on it's head. That was the reason I kept reading - in the hopes that would be the case here. But it wasn't. The big a-ha at the end of it possibly having all been fabricated was more of a damp squib, so underwhemingly presented that even if it had been a mind-blowing twist (it wasn't), it would still have fallen flat.
And again, so much could have been improved with a good framing device - perhaps this being a file someone has found, or a report, a cold case being dug up, etc. There are many ways this could have been framed where the different pieces of documentation could have been presented in a way that didn't make the reader think "why the hell is his mum recording them eating dinner?". And again, I will take the point that perhaps this was intentional, that it is all meant to seem strange because it all turned out to be fabricated, but it doesn't read as though that were the case. And if it was the intention, then the author just did a terrible job in their attempt to pull that off. This book just isn't that clever.
This whole book just felt like the author came up with what they thought was a clever idea and then put the bear minimum of effort into the execution. The horror in this story is the bad execution and the mystery is why the author even bothered. Beyond disappointing.
To give some credit, there were some scenes that were very evocatively written. These are usually contained in Matt's descriptions in his journal. For example clearing up the dead birds and the way their window collisions had created an image. Few and far between, these were the only moments were I felt briefly engaged and interested in what was happening.
Reflecting on the story itself, it's just not gripping. The points where the tension should be building up isn't done especially well, and then when you get to the climax of the tension, there's nothing there - literally. Each time we're about to "get to the action" it is not recorded and all characters involved don't remember it. If told in a straight forward format, this might have actually been something interesting to play with, but in this format it just feels a bit lazy - like the author couldn't find a way to effectively portray those scenes using the format they had chosen so just didn't bother.
The format itself... rarely have I read a book so much in need of a framing device. Arguably there partially is one - when it was revealed at the end that potentially this was all fabricated, but by then I'd completely checked out. And again, it just kinda felt lazy - like the author wasn't even really committed to the bit. For example, the police interviews where we just had the relevant snippets rather than the whole interview and letting the reader suss out the relevant bits, the bizarreness of someone waking in the middle of the night and deciding to document their nightmares by dictaphone. The most bizarre of all were the dinner table conversations randomly recorded by his parents with no explanation as to why anyone would do that. And a doctor that bafflingly sends easily intercepted paper letters rather than via secure email?? Yes, arguably this can all be chalked up at the end to Matt having fabricated all of these things. But by the time that idea is introduced it's just become one more thing after another that jars the reader out of the story.
I have read many stories where I have checked out like this only to be absolutely astounded by the ending which turns it all on it's head. That was the reason I kept reading - in the hopes that would be the case here. But it wasn't. The big a-ha at the end of it possibly having all been fabricated was more of a damp squib, so underwhemingly presented that even if it had been a mind-blowing twist (it wasn't), it would still have fallen flat.
And again, so much could have been improved with a good framing device - perhaps this being a file someone has found, or a report, a cold case being dug up, etc. There are many ways this could have been framed where the different pieces of documentation could have been presented in a way that didn't make the reader think "why the hell is his mum recording them eating dinner?". And again, I will take the point that perhaps this was intentional, that it is all meant to seem strange because it all turned out to be fabricated, but it doesn't read as though that were the case. And if it was the intention, then the author just did a terrible job in their attempt to pull that off. This book just isn't that clever.
This whole book just felt like the author came up with what they thought was a clever idea and then put the bear minimum of effort into the execution. The horror in this story is the bad execution and the mystery is why the author even bothered. Beyond disappointing.
The Last Children of Tokyo by Yōko Tawada
4.0
This is such a difficult book to review. And yet I was so close to giving it 5 stars.
There are things in this book, on a technical level, that I usually hate but they just didn't bother me. I was so engaged and invested in the story.
I've seen people call this charming or enchanting, and that sums it up. It's a slow, meandering slice of life ramble - a style I like when done well, as this is. But that life we're seeing a slice of is in a future that is deeply intriguing but that none of us would want to live in.
I'm only a fan of this density of world building when it is done well and purposefully - not just jarring exposition dumps. Here the world building is pretty much constant, but it makes sense that it is and with each page we learn more about this deeply troubling future. The world building is essentially another main character in this story that we get to know as we read on.
Speaking of the main character - we follow Yoshiro in his caring for his great-grandson, Mumei, with regular flashbacks to different parts of his incredibly long life. His is both a charming and devastating story, making it all too easy to root for Yoshiro and share his pain. He is so well drawn out and the more the story reveals about him the more I grew to care for him.
All that said, on a technical side, usually head hopping will take me out and whilst the majority of this book is a limited third person following Yoshiro, the final quarter starts to jump around to other characters, including Mumei including a brief stint in first person with Mumei. And I have taken it into account in giving it only 4 stars. Whilst it briefly bothered me, it felt even more revelatory to the story especially seeing this harsh and unforgiving world that Yoshiro tried to protect him from, through Mumei's eyes.
Another reason for the 4 stars is the abruptness of the ending. Once we're in Mumei's POV there is a sudden multi-year jump that is handled in a bizarre way - that didn't feel out of place in this book, but I did still want more. Mumei is just suddenly many years older and doesn't really remember the intervening time. But again, this just moved the story and things felt suddenly faster and then... ended abruptly.
And I don't even hate that. It felt purposeful and reflective of this terrible world, that this boy - meant for so much more - came to a sudden end.
I not only enjoyed this book, I loved it. It's going to live rent free in my brain for a long time to come.
There are things in this book, on a technical level, that I usually hate but they just didn't bother me. I was so engaged and invested in the story.
I've seen people call this charming or enchanting, and that sums it up. It's a slow, meandering slice of life ramble - a style I like when done well, as this is. But that life we're seeing a slice of is in a future that is deeply intriguing but that none of us would want to live in.
I'm only a fan of this density of world building when it is done well and purposefully - not just jarring exposition dumps. Here the world building is pretty much constant, but it makes sense that it is and with each page we learn more about this deeply troubling future. The world building is essentially another main character in this story that we get to know as we read on.
Speaking of the main character - we follow Yoshiro in his caring for his great-grandson, Mumei, with regular flashbacks to different parts of his incredibly long life. His is both a charming and devastating story, making it all too easy to root for Yoshiro and share his pain. He is so well drawn out and the more the story reveals about him the more I grew to care for him.
All that said, on a technical side, usually head hopping will take me out and whilst the majority of this book is a limited third person following Yoshiro, the final quarter starts to jump around to other characters, including Mumei including a brief stint in first person with Mumei. And I have taken it into account in giving it only 4 stars. Whilst it briefly bothered me, it felt even more revelatory to the story especially seeing this harsh and unforgiving world that Yoshiro tried to protect him from, through Mumei's eyes.
Another reason for the 4 stars is the abruptness of the ending. Once we're in Mumei's POV there is a sudden multi-year jump that is handled in a bizarre way - that didn't feel out of place in this book, but I did still want more. Mumei is just suddenly many years older and doesn't really remember the intervening time. But again, this just moved the story and things felt suddenly faster and then... ended abruptly.
And I don't even hate that. It felt purposeful and reflective of this terrible world, that this boy - meant for so much more - came to a sudden end.
I not only enjoyed this book, I loved it. It's going to live rent free in my brain for a long time to come.
Revenge Arc by Cat Voleur
4.0
This is how you commit to the bit on interestingly formatted books! This is so incredibly well done, and brilliantly thought through - an example of when the substance is as strong as the style, which is so often not the case with interestingly formatted books.
Personally, I do love an interestingly formatted epistolary and this delivered! The formats (tweets, blogs, reddit, etc) all fit well together and make sense in the narrative. The only thing I wasn't so keen on was a quirk in the actual layout - it tripped me up in places where the next epistle started right at the bottom of a page rather than on a fresh page but it's a small quibble.
I really enjoyed the story itself, a few interesting twists and turns that kept it fresh and interesting to the end. And, rather skillfully, the characters feel well crafted and you can get to know them which can be difficult with this sort of format.
The only thing I was unsure about was the habit of replacing the names of things - deep web instead of dark web, but also the movies Riley reviews are all fake names alluding to real movies. At first, I thought was fun, but then I started to find it odd as to why it was being done this way, and wondered if it was then part of the plot - is this an alternate reality, etc. In the end, it didn't seem to be for any particular reason and the more I thought about it the more it irked me as other things weren't changed - like websites (twitter, reddit, AO3, etc). That said, it didn't bother me so much as to ruin my enjoyment, it just made me ponder why it was done this way and perhaps whether I missed something in the plot that explained it.
Overall I enjoyed this immensely and have to give massive kudos to Cat for such a brilliantly crafted volume.
Personally, I do love an interestingly formatted epistolary and this delivered! The formats (tweets, blogs, reddit, etc) all fit well together and make sense in the narrative. The only thing I wasn't so keen on was a quirk in the actual layout - it tripped me up in places where the next epistle started right at the bottom of a page rather than on a fresh page but it's a small quibble.
I really enjoyed the story itself, a few interesting twists and turns that kept it fresh and interesting to the end. And, rather skillfully, the characters feel well crafted and you can get to know them which can be difficult with this sort of format.
The only thing I was unsure about was the habit of replacing the names of things - deep web instead of dark web, but also the movies Riley reviews are all fake names alluding to real movies. At first, I thought was fun, but then I started to find it odd as to why it was being done this way, and wondered if it was then part of the plot - is this an alternate reality, etc. In the end, it didn't seem to be for any particular reason and the more I thought about it the more it irked me as other things weren't changed - like websites (twitter, reddit, AO3, etc). That said, it didn't bother me so much as to ruin my enjoyment, it just made me ponder why it was done this way and perhaps whether I missed something in the plot that explained it.
Overall I enjoyed this immensely and have to give massive kudos to Cat for such a brilliantly crafted volume.
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
4.0
I always encourage people to read fiction by and about diverse characters as you can learn just as much, if not more from doing so than just non-fiction and biographical alone.
This is a great example of that. As a trans man, many of Yadriel's thoughts and feelings resonated with me. But Latinx culture is something completely new to me, so I really enjoyed learning more about Yadriel's beliefs and community and how that impacted his life as a trans person.
I loved the story between Yadriel and Julian and I think the ending was really well done. Overall, a really great book that will definitely lead me to read others by Aiden Thomas.
The things I wasn't so keen on are kind of a double-edged sword. Despite really enjoying learning more about the culture, I found it really difficult to get into the first chapter as it felt so exposition heavy and dense. Once I got past that it was fine, but if I hadn't heard such good things about the book this might have put me off reading further.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The only other thing I wasn't so keen on was that - whilst the "baddy" made sense - it was a shame that it was the only other person who didn't have powers. And whilst this made sense to the story, I wasn't keen on how black and white it felt that one of them was good and it sort of corrupted the other one. It might have been more interesting if we heard about others who had no or less powers so it felt less binary good vs evil, and would also have further demonstrated and strengthened what was being said about the powers diluting over time.
This is a great example of that. As a trans man, many of Yadriel's thoughts and feelings resonated with me. But Latinx culture is something completely new to me, so I really enjoyed learning more about Yadriel's beliefs and community and how that impacted his life as a trans person.
I loved the story between Yadriel and Julian and I think the ending was really well done. Overall, a really great book that will definitely lead me to read others by Aiden Thomas.
The things I wasn't so keen on are kind of a double-edged sword. Despite really enjoying learning more about the culture, I found it really difficult to get into the first chapter as it felt so exposition heavy and dense. Once I got past that it was fine, but if I hadn't heard such good things about the book this might have put me off reading further.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The only other thing I wasn't so keen on was that - whilst the "baddy" made sense - it was a shame that it was the only other person who didn't have powers. And whilst this made sense to the story, I wasn't keen on how black and white it felt that one of them was good and it sort of corrupted the other one. It might have been more interesting if we heard about others who had no or less powers so it felt less binary good vs evil, and would also have further demonstrated and strengthened what was being said about the powers diluting over time.