Month: January 2023

“Fear is a powerful ally, but feed it too often, make it too strong, and it will turn on you.”

In a fantastical world resembling tsarist Russia, people are separated by ability. They are born either ordinary or grisha, people with the ability to manipulate matter. Eryk and his mother, Lena, are outcasts of both groups. They are grisha, and two of the most rare, powerful, and deadly of their kind. This places a target upon their backs aimed for by both sides. Their unique abilities force them into a life of secret identity and moving from town to town. When Eryk and his mother come to a hidden grisha camp for the winter, their routine of living sheathed is interrupted. When Eryk befriends a pair of sisters in the camp, one his own age, he tragically learns the consequences of letting his guard down and revealing his true self.

Demon in the Wood is Bardugo’s first graphic novel, and it has proven impressive in its elevation of her past material. It pulls stories from her hit series Shadow and Bone, indulging its readers with the origins of its villain, the Darkling. Demon in the Wood has been effective in humanizing the character readers had come to know as cruel and unfeeling, all while providing great visuals of Bardugo’s world. 

I finished this graphic novel quickly, not because it is a graphic novel, but because I became so invested in Eryk’s story. I may be biased as I have already read Bardugo’s other works prior to the release of this most recent one, and I feel as though it could fall flat for anyone left regrettably out of the loop. Regardless, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read full of fantasy, fear, and freedom stifled.

The book “I Fell in Love With Hope” by Lancali, which is a pen name that the author writes under, is about learning to hope once more in a world of doubt and despondency. It is a work of realistic fiction with elements of magical realism woven throughout. In some ways, the book itself is a representation of many different types of people, including non-binary, LGBT, and disabled people.

The five main characters are either frequently in and out of hospitals or have spent most of their life there. They all suffer from various chronic conditions that have an impact on their way of life, but by working together, they are able to find the strength to go through truly challenging times. Sam, Neo, Sony, Hikari, and Coeur are their names, and because of their distinct personalities, many readers can identify with various characters.

The plot of the book is largely unaffected by climactic events because it is heavily character-driven. As a result, the words must be arranged on the page in a way that draws the reader in. The lines themselves are brilliantly crafted, as evidenced by the statement, “Our words fold over each other, dance together as our hands mimic them, act them out, that comfortable, ruinous distance the only thing keeping her mine, ghostly, unreal” (Lancali 64). A line like this should have had more power, but almost every sentence is constructed in this manner, which inevitably lessens its force.

Additionally, one might anticipate that the characters would be simple to relate to given how character-driven the plot is. I misjudged that, as it turned out. The novel’s characters were all difficult for me to relate to, which made the story go by very slowly at times. The personalities of the characters are not fully developed, assuming they have any depth at all.

Next, for the most part, the novel does a good job of portraying its subjects. The quality of life of four of the main characters is impacted by disability, and Lancali writes about both the happy and terrible days. Nothing that shouldn’t be sugar-coated is attempted to be done by the author. Other relationships include those between two male characters and a female character as well as a non-binary character.

The non-binary component is the only thing missing from the novel’s representation. It wasn’t until the latter quarter of the novel that I realized the narrator was non-binary because it wasn’t really mentioned. Up until that time, they have never been discussed in the third person. I believe that aspect of the book might have been handled better because it is heavily promoted as being a representation of non-binary individuals.

I give “I Fell in Love With Hope” a total of 3 out of 5 stars. The storyline twist at the end of the book is pretty unexpected, and the work has a great concept, however, it could have been written with a different format to make it easier and more interesting to read. In my opinion, the language may have occasionally been less ornate and it tended to decrease the impact of the well-written statements. But I do think you should give this book a shot if you value representation in literature and like character-driven storytelling.

The son of the first female President And the young Prince of England bring their “feud” to the front cover of every magazine and tabloid in the world the two are forced to uphold a fake friendship for the press but what started off as simple lighthearted banter and joking messages back and forth turned to a passionate romance across continents.

Red White and Royal Blue is a story a coming of age story and a quest to find your true identity at its core, but it deals with far more than that. This book addresses heavy topics like having to mask your identity. Mental health, addiction racism, and misogyny. Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of the first female President and while he acts like a happy-go-lucky person he struggles with his mental health, this struggle while not heavily acknowledged by his peers and family is shown to us as readers quite frequently. Although Alex has a good relationship with both his parents the strain of their divorce caused him to overwork himself academically to give himself something else to think about. Alex seems to frequently overwork himself and it causes him immense stress he begins to crack under the pressures but in doing so he has also isolated himself over the years, breaking off any friendships he had and has nobody to turn to but his sister and his newfound friendship with prince Henry.

Prince Henry is the youngest prince and with his older brother being “perfect” and being the prince he has high expectations. With his older sister still dealing with the aftermath of heavy addiction, Henry feels this pressure to be perfect. Henry tells Alex “The options I’d like… they don’t seem to be options at all. I have people who interest me, but I shouldn’t pursue them. At least not in my position”. Being a prince, being gay has never been an option for Henry so he constantly hides his true identity and intentions behind masks. As Alex gets to know him he reveals all these small things and details that he has to hide because of who he is as a public figure. Henry constantly struggles with his identity and he feels as though what he wants should happen for him so as soon as something good happens he runs away.

Although both Henry and Alex have their own struggles they find a way to help each other through them and what once started out as a “feud” turned into a blossoming friendship and a passionate romance.

In The Language of Thorn: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo, there are many short stories, most if not all of them including some form of fantasy or magic. One aspect I liked about this book, is that the beginning of each story started off with an image around the writing. As the stories progress, the images turn into a sort of frame around the words. The writing of the stories can get a bit boring at times, because Bardugo puts in a lot of attention to detail. Some readers might enjoy how descriptive she is about the environment and the characters. One of my favorite stories was actually the very first story in the book. This story sort of reminds me of Beauty and The Beast, but with a twist towards the ending of it.

Although some of the stories do move relatively slow, I found this book to be pretty interesting. It is a good book to sit down and relax with, since it’s not too thrilling or anxiety-inducing like some other books. I would definitely consider sitting down by a fire on a winter day and reading these stories. I think most of them are a very good length, and each story has a moral or type of lesson behind it. For example, one of the stories features an animal that is betrayed by a human, and that story tells the story of how the animal develops trust for her, even though he shouldn’t have.

“I don’t think your brother did it- and I’m going to try to prove it.” – Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a captivating novel following teenage girl Pippa Fitz-Amobi as she attempts to solve a five-year-old murder. Fairview, Connecticut, is a typical American suburban town where families go to raise their kids, and abnormality is rare. That is until Sal Singh kills his girlfriend, Andie Bell, the popular high school senior.

Before Sal, Andie’s alleged killer could be convicted, tragedy struck again. Sal comes up dead as the result of suicide, fully cementing the idea that he killed Andie. Five years later and tragedy still inhabits the town. Pippa, a high school senior, casts a shadow of doubt on the murder case upon herself. Everyone believes Sal committed the murder, and no one in town is willing to help prove otherwise, but Pippa continues to leave no stone unturned in hopes of bringing in a new light.

I enjoyed A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Jackson was able to create a fast-paced thriller without falling into the trap of being able to see the ending from a mile away. Throughout the story, I had no idea where the plot was taking me, causing me to need more. Even though A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a book I would reread, the novel is far from perfect. If you are looking for a plot-driven page-turner, this book is definitely for you, but unfortunately, Jackson failed in character development. The characters seemed to fall flat, and I could not put myself in their shoes during the experiences like I had with others. Other than the issues with the characters, I fully recommend this book.

The “Holy human pressure cookers Batman” but darker.

“Trust nothing, suspect everything. If you want to figure out the truth, you shouldn’t just be standing here, trying to get me to talk. Go out and see color for yourself.” 
― Marie Lu, Batman: Nightwalker

Before there was Batman, there was Bruce Wayne, the typical nosey teenager. Bruce Wayne, the 18 year old heir to Wayne Enterprises, does not like parties with people who only like him for his money. In his haste to leave the party, which happens to be for his 18th birthday, he runs into a police chase. Bruce decides that because his car is the only car which can catch the criminals, he must be the one to catch the criminal, which the police do not like. As punishment for interfering with the police, Wayne is given community service in Arkham Asylum. In Arkham he meets a mysertious girl, Madeleine Wallace, who is locked up with the worst of the worst. She even refuses to talk to anyone but him. Madeleine aids him in his quest to learn more about the Nightwalkers, a criminal orgianization that has recently started terrorizing Gotham’s streets and one Wallace has ties with. The Nightwalkers are a clear parallel to the League of Assassins, with a Madeleine instead of a Talia Al Gaul. I spent the entire book thinking Madeleine is Talia, and was slightly disappointed to find out otherwise.

“Fear clears the mind. Panic clouds it.” 
― Marie Lu, Batman: Nightwalker

As is typical for a Marie Lu book, Batman: Nightwalker was good, but it doesn’t quite compare to Lu’s other books such as The Young Elites, Legend, or Warcross. Batman: Nightwalker is still enjoyable in the moment, but as time passes, it is forgettable. However, the clues laid for the detectives to uncover is wonderful. The twists and turns Madeleine challenges Bruce with both emotionally and as a detective are done in Lu’s typical style, which is to say, excellent. Whether Batman is a new or an old character to readers, the fast pacing and the compelling characters, makes Batman: Nightwalker a compelling read despite lacking some accuracy to the original material. For example, Bruce has no training and his parents deaths do not seem to influence him to do good, he just inherently is morally perfect as the stereotypical main character’s are.

“You have a heavy heart, for someone with everything.” 
― Marie Lu, Batman: Nightwalker

Any causal Batman fan will like this book. Die hard fans would shred it. However, Lu does introduce Bruce Wayne to readers as if we don’t know him, so no prior knowledge is necessary. This book is for any fan of Marie Lu or Marrissa Mayer’s.

“Can you ever truly comprehend anything about something, or someone…unless you experience it for yourself?” 
― Marie Lu, Batman: Nightwalker

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard is a supernatural fantasyesque story about a sixteen year old girl named Wednesday Winona Wednesday who prefers to go by Winnie. Winnie lives in Hemlock Falls where she is a part of the Wednesday clan. Seven clans live together across seven different estates. These seven clans protect the outside from the nightmares within. Every day at sundown, a mist rises in the woods and nightmares are created. It’s up to the hunters of the clans to kill them and prevent them from escaping. Every sunrise, however, the mist rises again and the nightmares disappear. Nightmares are creatures sprung from the sleeping spirits that dwell beneath their home in Hemlock Falls.

Winnie desperately wishes to become a hunter but there are certain restrictions that have stopped her for four years. Four years ago, it was discovered that her father was a traitor to the clans and was secretly a Diana spy. The Diana were a group of people who used to be like the Luminaries but now wish to release the nightmares upon the rest of the world. After her father escaped, Winnie’s family was sentenced to 10 years of exile. No one else was even supposed to acknowledge their presence. But as Winnie is now 16, there are no rules stopping her from partaking in the hunter trials. While participating in the first trial, a quick whispering blob attacks her in the woods and kills the banshee she was tangling with. After the first trial, she lies about being the one to kill the banshee and suddenly everyone wants to speak to Winnie again. Winnie now has to prove herself to the Luminaries while also attempting to figue what that whisper thing in the woods actually was.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a really exciting book that was very quickly paced and it held my attention the entire time that I read it. I liked the characters’ personalities and I thought they each had well made storylines. Winnie had a small crush on one of the other characters, Jay. However, there is hardly any romance in this story. There are brief mentions of her getting nervous around him but nothing more than that. I really appreciated this. I don’t often like romances in these kinds of books because they are usually overdone and end up taking over the plot. Without any sort of romance, you are really able to learn about Winnie and see how she progresses without a romantic relationship.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes the supernatural and anyone who is not a fan of romance. The Luminaries is fantasyesque but it is not like your typical fantasy story. It isn’t set in a new realm or a kingdom, but actually takes place in our real world. It also isn’t about things like dragons or princesses but instead werewolves and badass fighting women.

Touching Spirit Bear focuses on the life of troubled young Cole Matthews. The book could be considered realistic fiction. At the beginning of the book Cole beats up a kid named Peteris is severely injured. Peter faces permanent effects from the attack while Cole is sent to a juvenile detention center. To avoid jail he agrees to spend a year on an island in complete isolation. While Cole is the main character there are multiple other characters in the book who play vital roles in the story. Cole’s father, mother, Peter, Garvey, and Edwin are all key characters in Cole’s development as a character.

I think that it’s a good book that discusses lots of tough topics in a way that’s easy to understand and comprehend. Some of the things the book discusses are also important topics that are very well explained. I liked the way the book was set up. The author starts in the actual time and has flashback-like moments all throughout the book. That’s how the reader learns about Cole’s past. The book can be a bit confusing in the beginning before you know the backstory of what’s happening. As the story progresses the author asks questions that’ll make you think.

I didn’t like the setup of the book. The timeline would jump back and forth between the past and the present. It took a while for me to understand what was happening and to understand the full story of what was happening. I also feel the end of the book was easy to predict. It was a classic character shift, and while it is a good book it was stereotypical. I liked the amount of detail the author put into the book and how real some parts of it were. The author also made Cole a relatable character in a way. He’s a teenager going through things that not everyone goes through but some of his emotions are something that most readers can understand.

I think this book would be enjoyable to people who are into nature. People who like realistic books that talk about difficult topics in a sensible way. Cole goes through a lot in the book and he becomes a different person. He started out as a person who was angry at the world and in the end, he was a calm person who was more at peace with himself. People who like reading books with drastic character changes and maturing characters would enjoy this or find it a compelling story.

Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen is a coming-of-age romance novel that follows Auden West through her summer of the unexpected. Auden is smart and has only ever focused on school and getting good grades. She never really had a childhood because her parents, now divorced, didn’t believe in that sort of thing. Her mother, an award-winning author, and professor was always focused on her work and expected Auden to do the same. Her father had one great best-selling novel years ago and hasn’t been able to produce anything since. After the divorce, he moved to a beachside town named Colby, where he married a much younger woman, Heidi, and just welcomed a new baby.

Upset with her life as it is, Auden decides to take her stepmother’s offer and spend the summer in Colby. While there she learns that there is a lot more to life than education. She gets a fun job, makes real friends, and even meets a boy.

Eli is grieving from an accident that wasn’t his fault and has closed himself off from the world. He no longer hangs out with his friends or rides BMX like he used to. Instead, he spends his days working at the local bike shop and his nights riding around town. When he and Auden meet they begin spending their nights together hanging out and start to form a unique connection.

I really enjoyed this book and thought that it was very well written. Dessen implied lots of imagery in her text and I could imagine what the beachside town of Colby looked like. I really enjoyed her character development from start to finish and could not put this book down once I started reading it.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes the typical romance book/Sarah Dessen storyline. A girl having issues at home goes to spend the summer with a distant relative. While there she meets lots of new and unusual people, including a boy. She begins doing things that she never would have before and everything is going great. That is until something goes wrong and she is forced to face the issues of her past.

In this article, Michael Carte explores how the need for diversity in young adult and youth books continues to grow as the population of minorities expands. Carte explains how the youth population of minorities continues to grow and is expected to become the majority soon. He uses statistics to show the diversity in the youth population “there are 42 million adolescents in America. A total of 54.1 percent (22.7 million) of them are white, 22.8 percent (9.6 million) are Hispanic, 14 percent (5.9 million) are black, 4.7 percent (1.97 million) are Asian, and 4.4 percent (1.8 million) are other (i.e., American Indian/ Alaska Native, Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, mixed race).” Seeing the percentage of minorities in America, one would expect literature to reflect that, but according to an analysis done by publishers, this was not the case. In a study of 3500 books, only 270 were about African Americans, 83 were about Hispanics, 113 were about Asians, and then 42 were about Native Americans. Of the 3500 books used for this analysis, only 508 were about minorities.

Michael Carte explains the reasons for this need for more diversity despite the support of many volunteer organizations. One reason Carte explores is the need for more diversity in editors. According to a Publishers Weekly survey, 90 percent of editors identify as white. There needs to be more diversity not only in editors but in writers as well. Many influential authors and organizations are taking lengths to change that fact, such as internships and grants specifically for minorities. Carte describes how as time goes on, the need for diversity only increases and how important it is for minorities to be able to see themselves in the literature they read.

Cart, Michael. “Carte Blanche: celebrating diversity.” Booklist, vol. 113, no. 8, 15 Dec. 2016, p. 39. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A476563541/ITOF?u=maine&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ea2780a6. Accessed 19 Jan. 2023.