I absolutely adore this series. Long novella series aren’t incredibly common, and this one is especially unique in that its installments function bothI absolutely adore this series. Long novella series aren’t incredibly common, and this one is especially unique in that its installments function both together and separately, allowing its readership to dip their toes into these stories one by one, enjoying the world on a scale both large and small.
To be honest, I had left the past couple books in this series feeling slightly lackluster. The first book, THE EMPRESS OF SALT AND FORTUNE, was a riveting and gorgeous story. The second one, WHEN THE TIGER CAME DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, contained such a wind of whimsy. But then the third book, IN THE RIVERLANDS, felt like Nghi Vo had already run out of story structures. The third book was a fun read and had lovely writing and characters, per usual, but honestly tried too hard to replicate the exact emotional arc and payoff of the first book, and fell short in that attempt. The fourth book, MAMMOTHS AT THE GATES, was better than the third in that it clearly was forging its own path, but it felt more like a separate reprieve from the other adventures. It lacked an impact that the initial two books had.
So when this fifth book came around, I didn’t have very high expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I was still excited for another installment, as I’ve definitely grown attached to this series regardless of its narrative accomplishments and was looking forward to reentering this world. But boy oh boy, Nghi Vo has found her footing again and we are so back, baby.
Nghi Vo brings the gothic into this installment of The Singing Hills, paying homage to classic stories like Bluebeard.
Though the structure of the pacing was still reminiscent to the other stories in this series, the use of information and lack-there-of was much more precise and complex than in the stories we’ve seen so far. Utilizing a dream-like, unsettling atmosphere, the approach to this book was so well-done and really served the story at hand.
Vo also brilliantly called back to a narrative thread from one of the other tales (I won’t say which) with such tact. Though some readers may find that repetitive, I found it to be a really strong choice. It allowed the installments, though primarily standalones, to start holding some elemental conversations, without causing either story to lean on the other. It was exactly the right installment to start bridging the gaps between the stories at hand without rupturing their ability to function on their own. Regardless of which order you read these books in, this parallel will be an exciting and unexpected familiar face amidst these otherwise mostly unconnected narratives.
As I mentioned earlier, in the third installment, the narrative parallel felt more like “oh, we’ve seen this trick before.” It didn’t quite work. Whereas in this installment, it was precisely BECAUSE we had seen this trick before that it worked for the narrative. It felt like that thread had concluded, now resting off to the side, because of the way its presence functioned in the structure of that previous story. So of course we fell for the trick again, because we thought we had left it behind.
I think this is also the first time in The Singing Hills series that Vo has really made use of limited narration. We’ve, at this point, come to rely on Chih as a truthful and honest storyteller, whose sole purpose is to chronicle information, which allows us a consistent and trustworthy perspective in which to view the world. And wow, does Vo capitalize on this lens in this one.
I am so pleased to see something new and invigorating pumped into the lungs of this series. After the lull of the past few books, it was really exciting to read an installment that is definitely competing for my favorite of the books out so far.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: dead body, drugging, blood & gore, decapitation (offscreen), alcohol, sexual content (implied)...more
If vampires, biblical/mythological creatures, an aroace neurodivergent MC, queer found family, and a dark academia setting sound like something you miIf vampires, biblical/mythological creatures, an aroace neurodivergent MC, queer found family, and a dark academia setting sound like something you might love, you should read FALLEN THORNS.
Arlo struggles to fit in. He's tall and awkward and nervous and doesn't really understand how to connect with people. The only person in his life who he can be himself with is his best friend Rani. But one day, he finds himself being asked on a date. And though he doesn't really get the whole relationship thing, he decides to give it a go. But branching out doesn't seem to work too well for Arlo, especially when his dating life meets a fatal end. Quite literally. Who knew one kiss could change someone so fundamentally?
After finding himself rescued and taken in by a family of vampires, Arlo has to learn how to live all over again. His body has changed, his appetite has changed, his perspective has changed, but most of all, his physical ability to support himself has changed. He finds himself needing to open up and rely on those around him, forcing him out of his shell and forcing him to confront parts of himself that he's been too scared to look at directly. But along with his unexpected rapid coming-of-age, Arlo finds something else growing inside of him. Another voice that's been a part of him for longer than he's known.
This is a book that sneaks up on you in more ways than one. The characters just worm their way into your heart, nestling themselves inside crevices when you're not looking. They were so easy to love and relate to, and I felt like I was just as wrapped up in the arms of this precious and ferocious found family as Arlo. And the pacing follows this path as well, as it eases you into a steady and consistent pace, the motions of the story gliding comfortably along until you're deep into the thick of it before you know it. I would definitely call the majority of this book leisurely-paced or quiet, until suddenly it’s not. Without even realizing, the stakes become suddenly high and you're screaming and crying and clutching your chest with anticipation.
There's so many fascinating moving parts to this world and to these characters and I'm left with the perfect amount of questions and confusion and desperation. I cannot WAIT to see where Harv takes us for book 2.
CW: blood & gore, death, murder, self-inflicted wounds, dismemberment (off-page), torture, mutilation, eye horror, character death, grief, suicide (mention), panic attacks, death of parents (past), death of sibling (past), sexual harrassment, alcohol consumption, emesis...more
Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I adore this series and wish they could go on forever. I think this one fell veThank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I adore this series and wish they could go on forever. I think this one fell very much in the middle for me. Loved this exploration of life through memory, and the way that this expresses the way a person, after death, becomes nothing but a pile of stories. Though sometimes, they can become a pile of stories far before their end.
Thank you to the publisher in exchange for an honest review!
unfortunately this was my least favorite of the series so far, the “twist” felt far too seThank you to the publisher in exchange for an honest review!
unfortunately this was my least favorite of the series so far, the “twist” felt far too set up and unsatisfying (and definitely tried to mimic the reveal style of the first installment, which is an amazing reveal style but didn’t work for me in this one). however, nghi vo knows how to tell a story and I still thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience.
SHADOW AND BONE meets FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST but make it Jewish and about sexual trauma in this new queer, Jewish, dark fantasy (NOT a romantasy!).
Our stSHADOW AND BONE meets FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST but make it Jewish and about sexual trauma in this new queer, Jewish, dark fantasy (NOT a romantasy!).
Our story takes place in a post-war world, like a sea after a rough storm, residual debris floating to the surface and now adrift. Dimitri, the self-exiled Tsar, is struggling as he copes with the loss of his husband, Alexey, in more ways than one. He's surrounded by his friends who all want to support and love him the best they can, but his violent past with Alexey makes it hard for him to accept tenderness. Alexey is now the acting Tsar, furious at his husband's betrayal and hungry for power. With the help of the Holy Science, he intends to remake the world as he remade himself, as the Chosen One of the Lord, a vessel between realms. Vasily watches Dimitri ache, determined to take down Alexey and provide Dimitri with the happiness and freedom he deserves. But in order to make that happen, he'll have to craft an elaborate plan. One that involves risking his life and getting incredibly close to the enemy.
This violent yet resilient story wonderfully explores the effects of trauma, especially from abusive relationships, and how we write our scars deep into the bones of our identity, carrying the blame of a fault that was not our own.
My only critique of this book is less of a critique, but more something that if I was editing this book, I would suggest as a way to elevate the narrative. The story begins in the aftermath of a war, with most of the present stakes and circumstances informed by a complex backstory. With that in mind, I wish information about what exactly occurred in the past was divulged slowly in small, intentional moments. This post-war environment could have had a stronger impact and helped with pacing if the audience had been kept stewing in obscurity for longer, gathering up the shattered pieces bit by bit to make a full picture. Especially if Alexey had been kept vague, with only hints at his POV up until a certain point in the story. These changes definitely would have allowed for a stronger balance of intrigue and drama.
But other than that, I really enjoyed this story and found it full of such vivid and nuanced commentary about trauma and abuse.
I don't recommend this book lightly, as I found myself often nauseous from the violence and gore or deeply upset by the graphic sexual abuse. A third of the narration is told from the mind of an abuser, and witnessing his cruelty in high definition is not the easiest feat, nor is that of witnessing the other characters sacrifice their all in the name of their country's freedom and safety. But if these contents are something you're able to handle, it really is all worth it in the end. I can't wait to see how the story continues in the sequel.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
CW: sexual violence, abusive relationship, blood & gore, violence, injury detail (graphic), body horror, human experimentation, trauma, sexual content, character death, gun violence, drug use, war (past), torture (mention), child death (mention), death of father (past), emesis, alcohol...more
This was an incredibly fascinating, prickly, messy read.
I'm not even quite sure how I feel about this now and I may come back to this review to tweakThis was an incredibly fascinating, prickly, messy read.
I'm not even quite sure how I feel about this now and I may come back to this review to tweak my thoughts.
I think ultimately, though it certainly had some faults and I certainly have some criticisms, I enjoyed this book. I don't know if I would recommend it widely, as it's incredibly specific, but for anyone who is looking to pick it up, I would highly recommend reading it on audiobook, as I didn't find myself bored for a SECOND despite many of my friends telling me that they found this book to drag. Dani Martineck was a brilliant choice for a narrator, fleshing out the characters and providing an extra layer of tone to the already quirky voice.
If I were to recommend this to someone, I would heavily express that this is an autobiographical vampire story that explores gender, sexuality, identity, fandom, societal ableism, and archiving ourselves in a way that is raw and tangled and disorderly.
Our main character Sol is given the arduous task of archiving the work of a writer whose work he used to follow, to sort through the traces she left on the world (pun intended) and detangle her life from her work, to pull apart the rhetoric she's imbued into her characters and storylines to figure out where the fiction ends and where she begins. To figure out what is inspired by other media or what is purposeful or unintentional residue from her own experiences and beliefs. Dead Collections asks us, the audience, to do the same, in turn, with Isaac Fellman and the way he has poured himself into this story, archived his experiences and beliefs into his own fiction. There's an incredible parallel between reader and character, having to pull apart metaphor from reality, trying to make sense of all the sticky meanings and the blurred line between art and artist.
Unfortunately, I think this work is not done justice by the publisher, who markets this as more of a fiction tale. And in doing so, I think that strips away much of the nuance to this story, which makes sense why so many reviewers find themselves feeling confused by its rhetoric. The conversational web Isaac Fellman has woven in this book is beautiful, but thick, and at times some spare bits of debris become ensnared in it, warping the defining commentary out of shape. And without imparting the reader with the knowledge that their job as the witness of this story is to define those boundaries and pull out the messy bits, I could see how that narrative debris could warp the story too far for an audience to appreciate its shape in the first place.
Honestly, as I type out this review, I think I'm becoming more appreciative of the book. There's truly nothing else out there quite like it, and though some of the messy bits are a little too messy, (I do have some critiques still about some of the messaging on ableism and transphobia and how it stretched a LITTLE too far. I also have some hot takes about the main couple and how I don't think they are entirely healthy.) I think it's a fascinating and creative piece of documentation of self.
CW: sexual content, transphobia, deadnaming (in-text), dysphoria, ableism, car accident, medical content, blood & gore, physical assault, abusive relationship, suicidal thoughts, infidelity (past), sexual assault (mention)...more
Nghi Vo truly writes novellas like no one else. For a book with such little physical space, her stories span breadths far and wide. Her characters areNghi Vo truly writes novellas like no one else. For a book with such little physical space, her stories span breadths far and wide. Her characters are enriched and her world feels so lived in and well-developed.
This story in particular features: -a sapphic relationship between a tiger and a scholar who recite poetry to each other -foxes disguised as humans -discussion about the shifting of narratives to serve an audience -stories saving lives
Thank you to Peachtree Teen for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A timeless fairytale in verse about a girl made out of the dreams oThank you to Peachtree Teen for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A timeless fairytale in verse about a girl made out of the dreams of men, desperately determined to forge a story of her own.
R.M. Romero seems to have a pattern of centering characters who find themselves trapped by the narratives and projections of the people and the world around them, and have to learn how to rewrite those narratives. And it gets me every time.
In our world, I think most people can relate to feeling weighed down by the expectations of others, whether that be parents, partners, friends, or even strangers on the internet. So much of our society teaches us to find worth in who we can be for other people. And so this book’s messages about self-empowerment and choosing the role we play in the stories that are told about our lives feels incredibly relevant despite the 1880s setting.
Juggling themes about the relationship between humans and nature, and about the tool of fairytales in determining who we view as "monsters" and "heroes", Romero strikes a wonderful balance between subtle literary metaphor and overt conversations.
This story feels precious and kind and hopeful. If you’re looking for a modern fairytale with a diverse cast, knife-sharp prose, and a queer romance, look no further.
Content Warnings: animal death, abusive relationship (emotional, physical), confinement, blood, death, nonconsensual kiss, violence, loss of sibling (past), loss of father, drowning (past), grief...more
Thank you to the publisher and GetUnderlined for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I absolutely adored the concept of this book. I Thank you to the publisher and GetUnderlined for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I absolutely adored the concept of this book. I think there is an untapped well of potential for collaborative literature that makes me want to become an editor myself just to make it happen, and this book felt like a glimpse into that world.
But unfortunately, I think the execution fell a bit flat for me. The writing of each individual author and of the story itself wasn't bad at all, and I found some new (to me) authors I want to read more of, particularly Hafsah Faizal and Darcie Little Badger. But this format just held the story back. It was almost Sisyphean in the way we hit a narrative refresh at every hour of the story. With each new chapter, the boulder rolled back down the hill, as each author had to start from scratch with character introduction and explaining a corner of this world and a magic system. It was exhausting.
I think this could've worked MUCH better if there were maybe... a third of the amount of authors, each writing a few chapters from their characters' POVs. With 18 perspectives being introduced until the very tail end of the story, I was spending more of my mental energy trying to keep track of the characters and the world-building than figuring out the actual mystery at hand. Every 20 pages or so, we were given a new POV that had to establish a new character, a unique magic system, a backstory, their relationship to the dead professor, relationships with other students, and tell a concise story with a beginning, middle, and end. It was just too convoluted and kept my head swimming and overwhelmed with unnecessary information.
Besides melting my brain a bit, this continued introductory format also hurt the storytelling itself. With the way information was handed to us, it wasn’t woven together enough for a mystery, which caused the first half of the story to feel entirely obsolete, with many of the early plot threads either turning out to be red herrings or remaining entirely unresolved. I honestly had more questions than answers at the end.
Finally, this structure hurt the climax, making it still feel out of nowhere, despite the attempt at building a through-line, just because we were being still introduced to entirely new characters and plots in literally the last pages. And with that, it lacked an ability to give the audience a final button to weave together the thematic conversations of the story. What are we supposed to take away from this world? I’m still not quite sure.
If we had less authors and a few chapters from each character, I think the pay-off would have been much more satisfying, and the world-building would've shone much more. This school and its characters were really drew me in, but it was just sand slipping through my fingers with this many POVs and storylines. It was just too much to keep track of and so much fell through the cracks.
CW: (I'm just listing them all together because the stories are so intertwined) murder, death, dead body, injury detail, fire, violence (brief), panic attacks, mental illness, hallucinations, blood, poison, kidnapping, grief, mentions of: loss of loved one, ableism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, bullying, colonization, war, generational trauma, spiders...more
A really cute cozy fantasy with lovable and hilarious characters who felt like dear friends. It did unfortunately feel like 3/4 of a book, as it triedA really cute cozy fantasy with lovable and hilarious characters who felt like dear friends. It did unfortunately feel like 3/4 of a book, as it tried to juggle too much, and ended up leaving too many bits of the story unfinished to carry into a sequel, which left me feeling incomplete. But it's certainly a sweet and quick read, though one that requires a good cup of tea (and maybe a sweet treat to pair it with!)
(side note: I feel slightly uncomfy with the fictionalization of bagels, which is a food that emerged out of antisemitism, and is incredibly important to Jewish culture/history, but it was only a short bit of the story!)
CW/TW: violence, blood, fire, injury detail, medical content, alcohol consumption, decapitation parental death (mother), emesis...more
A sugar-sweet cozy autumnal story featuring a family I desperately wish I could be a part of, a diverse cast of characters, and a heart-warming childhA sugar-sweet cozy autumnal story featuring a family I desperately wish I could be a part of, a diverse cast of characters, and a heart-warming childhood friends-to-lovers sapphic romance.
the coziest and sweetest little graphic novel i've had the pleasure of reading in quite some time. overflowing with wholesome autumnal vibes and just the coziest and sweetest little graphic novel i've had the pleasure of reading in quite some time. overflowing with wholesome autumnal vibes and just the cutest little guys you ever did see.
I think i'm going to be DNF-ing this for now, though I hope to come back to it someday. (p. 276)
On paper, this book is wonderfully up my alley. It hasI think i'm going to be DNF-ing this for now, though I hope to come back to it someday. (p. 276)
On paper, this book is wonderfully up my alley. It has ghosts, stories about stories about stories, theatre, discussions about Christian imperialism, multiple timelines, and African mythology. And I was (heavily!) intrigued by all those concepts, but I just found myself having a hard time sinking my teeth into the story, and I tried REALLY (REALLY REALLY) hard. The most interesting part of this work, the only thing that truly kept me going, was its thematic conversations of decolonizing spirituality and bearing witness via story. And these are strong! Really strong! So strong that I still think I might pick this book back up again someday to see how these come to fruition. (I adored the exploration of magic and wisdom found in the spaces between things - and how artists and creatives are more deeply connected to those in-between moments/places - as well as the bleeding together of time and space through storytelling.)
But unfortunately it's just too long. (and that’s saying a lot, because that’s a complaint I NEVER have. I'm always asking for things to be longer.) There wasn't enough narrative direction or substance to keep the work moving for the amount of pages it does, which made it feel oddly stretched out. A single scene may take place over several chapters, with minimal emotional/narrative distance covered by the characters or the plot. (There was some more plot going on with the Wanderer's timeline, but it still lacked a forward motion.) Especially some of the detail work in Cinnamon's POV felt disconnected and random, as it often didn't help to build tone/world/story/character/etc. (which was especially frustrating for a book that aims to explore the connection between all things). It caused the writing to become too meandering and tangential, forcing a large amount of repetition to keep the through-lines well-saturated. I think the messaging and story would’ve flourished MUCH more at half the length.
Again, I really do hope to pick it up one day in the future (I want to see these brilliant themes play out!), and maybe it'll strike me as masterful then, but for now, reading this book feels a bit like staring at the horizon line and trying to see the curve of the Earth, but the perspective is just too small, and the Earth is just too wide.
CW (so far): grief, loss of family, homophobia & slurs, racism (anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Indigenous), gun violence, war, violence, blood & gore, decapitation, SA, rape (offscreen, recounted p. 81), childbirth (on-page), suicide attempt, fatphobia, bullying, eating disorder, slavery, drug use/overdose, emesis...more
A sweet and adventurous story of pirates, imperialism, and magic featuring a Black, genderfluid MC and a sapphic romance.
At times it reminded me of PeA sweet and adventurous story of pirates, imperialism, and magic featuring a Black, genderfluid MC and a sapphic romance.
At times it reminded me of Peter and the Starcatcher, in its messages, in its magic system, but mostly in the physical journey (setting off on a voyage, bonding on a boat, escaping and ending up washed up on land, exploring a new land while separated, getting assistance from mermaids, big pirate battle, etc.). Honestly I think the fact that it felt reminiscent of this piece of work to me was what mainly drove my interest in it.
My favorite element was definitely the storytelling (through song or tale). It was easily the most successful part of the book in my opinion. I felt it was so well-woven into not only the larger story but the individual moments of development. Plus, they were just good little stories on their own.
But something about this book just felt a little under baked. This is the second book I've read by this author and the second time I've felt this way about her writing. I just really struggle to connect to the characters or the romance? Like despite the conceptual drama and stakes of it all, I just didn't really... feel anything? And I think the romance just felt bland and declarative, almost as thought the author herself could utilize the book's magic system of just telling things how to be and making it happen, but stating that two characters are in love doesn’t magically make them read as though they’re in love. I really wish I could've felt more about the book but I just felt inexplicably detached. But this is maybe just a me-issue with Maggie's writing, because I clearly have some friends who loved this story.
CW/TW: imperialism/colonialism, violence, gun violence, murder, death, character death, grief, blood, torture, dismemberment, whipping, injury detail, homophobia, misogyny, alcohol consumption, alcoholism, slavery (mention), imprisonment SA (implied), emesis, suicide (mention), child death (mention), death of mother (past, mention)...more
Through the perspective of a nonbinary siren, this book takes us through the mental and physical journey of gaining a disability and learning to live with it.
Our main character, Perle, travels the path of mourning a life once loved in order to adjust to a completely new way of living. They find themself relying on those they would once consider enemies and having to redefine their understanding of freedom, independence, and strength. Over the course of this book, they learn to not only accept, but thrive, in their new reality, and through this are able to pave the way to a future that is better than one they could’ve ever imagined before their disability.
The characters were enjoyable, I thought the pacing was fairly well done, and I think the length was just perfect for the story that needed to be told. I will say, the high intensity moments were quite a bit repetitive, and after the third time the LI got knocked unconscious, the "is he alive??" moment we were meant to have as an audience lost its power. It just needed a bit of variety. I also felt that the romance element could've been a bit more cathartic towards the end, as I felt there was quite a bit of build and then just a brief little discussion about it in the final moments. But I did love the clarification of the quality of their relationship.
It's a really sweet story of healing, second chances, and creating support systems one can call family.
Thank you Orbit for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I heard queer Shakespeare in space, how could I not come running?
The Stars Undying is a qThank you Orbit for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I heard queer Shakespeare in space, how could I not come running?
The Stars Undying is a queer space opera retelling of Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra (partially the history, partially Shakespeare), featuring a butch lesbian Mark Antony and a gay dead god based on Alexander the Great.
Reading this book, I was constantly torn between the desire to pace myself to savor the material and the incapability to put it down. Emery Robin has delivered a shining pearl of a debut, overflowing with fascinating character dynamics, captivating dialogue, and expansive political world-building. And at the heart of the story stood Gracia, one of my FAVORITE main characters in a long time. She is quick and blunt and sexy and terrifying and badass, but most of all, fabulously unreliable. I had no idea what she had up her sleeve at any given time, and loved being on the edge of my seat all the way through her chapters.
I also didn't expect this book to be as Jewish as it was. Mind you, it isn't marketed as such, but Emery Robin is indeed Jewish and I found this to be reflective in the text, especially in some of the more religious elements of the story. It's not an obvious feature, and a goy would never recognize it, but I found myself gushing over some of the parts of the story that I found to deeply emulate the Jewish experience.
And though yes, it is based on history and Shakespeare, I don't think you need to be familiar with either to appreciate the craft of this work.
If you like dense political SFF stories, unreliable badass MCs, religious discussions, and were obsessed with either the Roman Empire, Ancient Egypt, or Shakespeare at any point in your life, I'd HIGHLY recommend The Stars Undying.
CW/TW: war, imprisonment, violence, gun violence, parental loss, grief, decapitation, sexual content (not graphic), child death, suicide (mention)...more
This is my first introduction to the SU graphic novels, and oh boy, this is just gonna be the beginning!
Containing 4 short stories about nonbinary babThis is my first introduction to the SU graphic novels, and oh boy, this is just gonna be the beginning!
Containing 4 short stories about nonbinary baby birds, sapphic prom dates, food trucks, and ren faires (respectively), this lovely little volume delivers perfect little pockets of this lovable world and its characters. Melanie Gillman effortlessly adds more content to the core heart of Steven Universe, with each chapter feeling like little filler episodes of the beloved series.
Each story, just like each episode of Steven Universe, left me feeling a little more mindful upon completion. I've always said that I love Steven Universe because watching it makes me a better person, and I'm happy to say this book is no different.
I will most definitely be picking up more of these....more
Thank you so much to Random House and GetUnderlined for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Important note: I don't know wThank you so much to Random House and GetUnderlined for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Important note: I don't know who wrote the blurb... but I'm not sure they read the book, because this is DEFINITIVELY not a romance. Very confused. Very concerned.
For fans of Steven Universe, this wholesome yet insightful graphic novel tells the story of two nonbinary teens who live incredibly different lives across a giant space war.
The characters were so lovable and wonderfully diverse; there wasn't a cishet person in sight, and most of the characters were POC as well. The more cartoon-ish style of the graphic novel (again, reminiscent of SU), especially within the figures, kept the content feeling accessible amid some of the darker or more difficult-to-understand moments.
Some incredibly nuanced and deep topics were brought to light amid the war themes, mostly in regards to the way that civilians and indigenous people are treated as props or disposable casualties. One of the characters also struggled with PTSD and was constantly having to live within survival mode, as the product of a war. Epic sci-fi like this, especially in YA, doesn't tend to bring up these more grounded and realistic conversations about war, and I felt this really set this work apart. However, these topics were introduced and set up in such a way that opened a lot of doors for messages and calls-to-action for the audience, yet seemed to fizzle out, and they weren't utilized to their full potential, especially in the more climactic moments of the book. Certain bits of dialogue actually seemed like it was going to bring these themes to a close, but went unacknowledged, which seemed... odd. A wonderful start, but left me hanging.
I also found this graphic novel to struggle within its own format. The author didn't seem to have a great grasp on the idea of using the panel as a camera lens, and the transitions of scenes or moments of dialogue were often clunky at best. Also, there were major inconsistencies with the speech bubbles and the formatting of their tails, which made it confusing as to who was speaking at times or how we were meant to interpret their speech. It seemed like it just needed a final editing round by someone other than the author.
CW/TW: war & war themes, parental death (offscreen), violence, gun violence, colonization, trauma/PTSD, vehicle accident, medical content (minor), blood, dysphoria (mention), emesis, bullying (brief)...more
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