I just reviewed Becky Albertalli’s “Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda” and I’m not going to lie, I was reading “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” at the same time, and sometimes I had trouble telling the difference between them. And I mean that with every compliment, because, as I wrote in my “Simon” review, there’s a strong and important tradition of novels that normalize the alienation of adolescence, and the millions of forms that it can take. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is […]
People really are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows
This book is a goddamned delight, and everyone should read it. The end. No, just kidding. But I am really glad I picked it up (on the recommendation of basically the entire CBR community, amirite?), even though lately I’ve been trying hard to balance my male protagonists and authors with the underrepresented lady brains that are at large and largely ignored (axe grinding alert!). I’m glad I picked it up because it’s incredibly sensitive, and thoughtful, and nuanced. It’s also a little bit self-conscious and […]
“But hey man, we’ve all got something. We’re all weird and damaged in our own way. You’re not the only one…”
From the author of my hysterical sobbing jag of 2015 (Or as it was sold under, All the Bright Things) comes the sweet, romantic story of Libby and Jack. Libby was once the world’s fattest teen. Now, years later she has lost half of her weight and is about to return to regular school. Jack passes himself off as a normal guy, but has realized that he has prosopagnosia, which means that he can’t recognize faces. Even his immediate family and friends are complete blanks. […]
“No matter how catastrophic the rumor, people will always adjust and find it dull in hindsight. Or they forget about it altogether…”
Save This one is sort of similar to The Dark Days Club, in that they are both set in the Regency era, and both involve supernatural elements. These Vicious Masks is closer to the X-Men, as it involves humans with special powers. Evelyn is the only one who can save her sister, Rose, after she is kidnapped and taken away to London. She encounters a city full of people with abilities. You can read my full review here.
Plucky Heroine is Stupid
Oh boy, where to start with The Glass Magician? There’s a LOT of pining in this book. Ceony, our plucky heroine from The Paper Magician is back learning from Emery Thane, three months after she rescued his heart from the evil Lira. She’s living with him, playing perfect little housewife trying to audition for that role permanently. And learning more about magic, I guess. A series of accidents leads Ceony to believe the Excisioners that took Lira’s frozen body are now after her. She turns out […]
Plucky Heroine is Plucky
Set in Victorian times, The Paper Magician adds magic based on different materials. When Ceony Twill, our plucky heroine, graduates from magic school, she is placed in an apprenticeship with a paper magician, and is not happy about it. Emery Thane is her teacher, and he shows her some interesting things to do with paper, as well as bringing stories to life (which seems a bit of a stretch) and Ceony settles into her new life quickly. She starts cooking and cleaning for Emery, and explains […]
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