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scaredy_bear's reviews
72 reviews
The Flesh of the Sea by Lor Gislason, Shelley Lavigne
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
The Flesh of the Sea is hands down the best book I have read this year. It has excellent pacing, endearing characters and creatures, intriguing mysteries, and some truly memorable (and fantastic) gross-out scenes. I could not ask for more.
Wilford Bowen, a gentle, nerdy guy who joins a pirate crew after being rejected by the Royal Society of London. Determined to make new discoveries to impress the RSL and his close friend Jean Baptiste de Beaupré, Wilford documents his otherworldly encounters in a series of letters to Jean, interspersed with Jean's journal entries.
I intended to annotate this book more formally, but my categories ended up being “Sweet Queer Stuff”, “Gross Stuff”, and “Pirates Being Better People Than the British Ever Were”.
The monster of the week setup was used wonderfully. Discovering each anomaly through Wilford’s curious eyes is incredibly fun. The pirates are well-developed; despite their number, each one is distinct and significant, enhancing rather than overshadowing Wilford’s journey. I felt like a proud dad watching Willie come into his own.
Please read this book. I am completely in love with it. Every person I cross paths with over the next few days (or weeks) will be hearing about this book. Despite its brevity, it has captured my heart. Thank you, Lor & Shelley. If you two ever revisit these characters, I will be first in line to preorder.
Thank you Hedone Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Houses of the Unholy by Ed Brubaker
3.75
With past ties to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, a woman spends her days helping families locate members who have joined cults. She tries to remove and deprogram them from the cult so they can return home. Her past quickly catches up to her when she crosses paths with an FBI agent specializing in cult crimes.
I am perpetually fascinated by the Satanic Panic. It was essentially a modern-day witch hunt in many respects. On the surface, it might seem like older generations were only in a frenzy over kids playing Dungeons and Dragons. In truth, it had devastating real-life consequences for some people. Now, with movements like QAnon stirring up new controversies and outdated traditionalistic sentiments gaining traction in America and Canada, it begs the question if we're on the cusp of another witch hunt. This book delves into the aftermath of the Satanic Panic and its potential implications for the future when similar fear-mongering happens in the modern day.
The story would have benefited from more room to develop. Everything unfolds quickly, which leaves some aspects feeling underexplored. Despite pacing issues, the narrative is compelling, complemented by exceptional artwork. Jacob Phillips, in particular, excels in capturing the moody atmosphere of the book with deep moody colors.
With more fleshing out, this book would have easily earned more than 4 stars from me. I anticipate incredible future works from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. They are certainly talents to watch.
With more fleshing out, this book would have easily earned more than 4 stars from me. I anticipate incredible future works from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. They are certainly talents to watch.
Thank you, NetGalley and Image Comics for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Shark Night by R.L. Stine
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
Twelve-year-old Liam is to film a toothless hammerhead shark for his mom’s Shark Night movie, but things quickly go awry when the wrong shark is lowered into the giant tank. Hijinks ensue!
If you grew up on R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series like I did, this book is lighter on horror in comparison. The pace is breakneck, which makes it difficult to build proper tension. However, it compensates for the lack of straight-up horror with a fun, twisting adventure. The settings and side characters constantly change. Liam begins terrified of swimming with the shark (understandably), but he faces each twist and challenge with courage. I give this book 3 stars. Personally, as someone who enjoys horror, I felt it didn't quite meet the expectations set by its promotion in that genre. However, it could be a fantastic read for kids who enjoy stories about overcoming wild experiences, especially those who love watery adventures.
Thank you, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
If you grew up on R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series like I did, this book is lighter on horror in comparison. The pace is breakneck, which makes it difficult to build proper tension. However, it compensates for the lack of straight-up horror with a fun, twisting adventure. The settings and side characters constantly change. Liam begins terrified of swimming with the shark (understandably), but he faces each twist and challenge with courage. I give this book 3 stars. Personally, as someone who enjoys horror, I felt it didn't quite meet the expectations set by its promotion in that genre. However, it could be a fantastic read for kids who enjoy stories about overcoming wild experiences, especially those who love watery adventures.
Thank you, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.