Beth Tabler
Thank you to Netgalley and Ruby & Topaz Publishing for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for my open and honest review.
Sadly after a few false starts on this book, I have found that it wasn't for me. This story has all the excellent markings of a solid book. Hadley does a great job laying the scene and creating the setting. Where I think this story ran into problems was with the characters and specifically the dialog. I found it stunted and unrealistic. Stunted in delivery and unrealistic in style. Harper, the main character, comes across as a generally normal tom-boy type teen girl. She plays soccer and fights with her mom. To confuse the situation, she is also half alien. Harper also lives within a world plagued by something called Maasai Mara Sleeping Syndrome. You go to sleep and don't wake up. As I said, Hadley has done a great job setting the scene here. It sounds like it could be a fascinating story. It plods along with Harper having unrealistic interactions and illogical emotions. She isn't a likable protagonist, someone I care about and want to get behind. She just existed in the story. She was flat. And, that made me fall flatly out of the story.
When reading this story the question you have to ask your self repeatedly is:
“What is the Fusion World Project?”
Because while reading the first hundred pages or so, the reader doesn't know. This story is written as if you are coming into a TV show in the middle of a season. This might seem a bit discombobulating for some readers, but for me, I was intrigued. I wanted to know more about the characters, and why they were reacting the way they did. The author keeps you in the dark a bit, doling out pieces of information as the story progresses until you can put everything together like a jigsaw puzzle in the end. Often when authors write multiple books in a series, each book is a mini story in of itself. Each book has a small story arc that plays into a much larger story arc. This does have a story arc, but instead, I felt like I was reading one part of a single story. But, I know that this story is only laying the general framework for great things to come.
One thing that completely floored me was the ending. As I said, I spent a lot of this book grasping at the pieces of the story and slowly building the backstories. But, right around the 75% mark, BAM. Everything began to fall into place and I audibly said “Oh Holy Shit” a few times. Tamone brought everything together and I was cheering for the characters.
A fun parallel I drew while reading this story was the Philanthropy Team was a ragtag group of members. All had different strengths and weaknesses trying to overcome huge odds. It made me think of the 80's movie Red Dawn. The writing is much better in this story, but I could just imagine Sajaler shouting “PHILANTHROPY” while spray painting it on an enemy tank.
I had a lot of fun reading this story. Even when it felt disjointed in the beginning, it still had amazing dialog and character creation. I am looking forward to the next book where Tamone feels even more comfortable in the characters and they stretch out a bit. Give this story a try, you will dig it. It is a great example of science fiction.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for my open and honest review.
DNF at 40%
I first want to start off saying that I am a longtime lover of Katie Macalister books. She is hands down one of my favorite authors, and thus I jumped at the chance to start reading this book as soon as possible. I tried, I really tried and could not become engaged in the story, narrative, characters, or anything. I am not sure I can specifically point to one thing that was an issue, but more of a combination of things I did not like or it felt unsettling. Firstly, the shifting narration style and POV on the top three characters (Allegria, Deo, and Hallow) was jarring and confusing to follow. The sex scene that I read before DNF was awkward and uncomfortable. The dialog did not flow as her usual character-driven stories do. It all felt forced and unnatural. This is a shame because like I said, I love her books, but this was a hard miss for me.
The 2011 movie, Drive starring Ryan Gosling as the titular Getaway Driver was an underground hit. It is based on the novella written in 2006 by author James Sallis. The novella follows a man who stunt drives for the movies by day while driving for criminals at night. The driver is a profoundly moral man, moral as in he abides by a strict set of his morals and codes of ethics. After a driving job goes south, very south, the unnamed driver needs to rectify things.
The story is reminiscent of an in 1940's camp noir. Quiet, and methodical the story moves at a measured pace until we get to action scenes supercut with moments that jump back through time that give the graphic novel a very cinematic feel. It is bloody, but not in a gratuitous way. The graphics of the story are drawn in a way that has a very 1980's neon feel. The panels practically glow off of the page.
Artwork aside, the adaptation of this story falls flat for me. It might not be the book's fault but more that the movie so heavily overshadows it. It just doesn't have the same sort of magic you expect from this story, although it tries. I suggest giving this a look through but go watch the fantastic movie.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my open and honest review.
If given unequivocal proof that god exists, what would happen to the world's religions?
That is the question that Turtledove asks in his newest alternate world science fiction novel called Alpha and Omega. Turtledove is famous for asking the big “What if's” in alternative history. Previous stories include a second civil war (How Few Remain), third world war (American Empire series), supervolcano (Eruption) plus many more. Turtledove is a highly prolific author.
Alpha and Omega sees ancient prophecy realized in Jerusalem. All prophetic triggers for the end of days. This proves that without a doubt that God is real. But the question becomes “whose god?” What should the followers of Christianity, Judaism or Islam expect from the realized prophecies?
This was a difficult read for me. The subject matter is interesting, alternative history can be engrossing especially when you are somewhat familiar with the subject matter. This might have been my issue with this book and why it did not resonate with me. I am not overly familiar with Judaic and Islamic traditions and history. I think had I been more familiar this would have been a more engrossing read. As it stood though, I found it very dry and difficult to get into. I attempted to finish this but I ended up DNF at 80%. I could not get into the story. I just did not care about the characters enough to be interested in their plight.
If you would like to see more of my reviews, please check out my website at https://beforewegoblog.com/
I had a great opportunity to do this as a buddy read with my great friend Jodie at Witty and Sarcastic Book Club. She plows through books like a fiend and if you haven't checked out her site you really should. She is a fabulous reviewer and reads all the cool stuff.
I have read a lot of urban fantasy, I mean a lot. I adore the genre. It hits that spot of fun and fantasy. This story hits a lot of those fun spots. The great kick-ass heroine that channels a bit of the Mercy Thompson vibes with some Kate Daniels. Nadira is more than just a tough character which adds a great dimension to the story. She has insecurities that war with her training and this allows the reader to identify with her as a character.
My only slight complaint with this book with the pacing. I had a difficult time with the pacing. I felt it was a bit uneven. The middle slowed down a touch. But once the story got going though, it was pretty exciting. I especially enjoyed the ending leading into the next book. Check out this indie story. It is really fun and worth the read.
Check out Witty and Sarcastic Book Club's Review
I received a copy of this from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for my open and honest review.
If you would like to read more of my reviews or various other bookish things please come by my blog
at https://beforewegoblog.com/
Mira Grant has written some of my favorite stories. Have you read The Newsflesh Series or Parasitology? If not, you should. Both are fantastic. Grant has a way of writing aspects of the horror genre that humanize it. For instance, in Newsflesh, the main antagonist is zombies. But, more than that, it is the yoke of our fears as a society. Instead of a typical zombie yarn, we have a story that is very human and one the reader can empathize. In Parasitology, we have science and technology run amok — again a story with horror aspects that can be empathized within our technology-driven world.
The ability to empathize or care about the main characters is entirely missing in The Shadow of The Spindrift House.
It doesn't make it a bad book — it's typical and humdrum. What could have been exciting and terrifying is boring and predictable. I still liked it; I gave it a three out of five stars. It is still a serviceable book. But, it is no way up to par with Grant's other books. It is a typical haunted house story, with slightly stupid characters that make predictable mistakes and choices and pay for their decisions with deadly consequences. If the book was longer and Grant had more of a chance for significant exposition on her characters and more worldbuilding with the house, it would have been much better. As it stands, though, it feels short and a bit choppy.
If you are looking for a haunted house book to whittle away at for an hour or two, it isn't bad. But only if you are hard up for something to read in that genre. Otherwise, pick up The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson or Room 1408 by Stephen King.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for open and honest opinions.
This is a fun way to tackle learning law while expressing your undying love of Harry Potter. The main premise is using Harry Potter character's and plot points, this book gives you a thorough examination of the law and how it would pertain to said plot points and what the consequences are. I think at times this might be a little dry for the everyday reader but would be a killer gift to someone who is both an ardent fan and studying law. Even as a study aid for passing tests in law school, this might be a useful book.
Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Oh, how I love Phoebe and Marigold. A better pair has never existed. My daughter and I love reading about their adventures. There is humor that an adult would find funny, and humor that is perfect for sharing with your children. It is masterfully written to appeal to so many tiers of audiences. I love the overarching themes of acceptance and loving yourself. It s such an important trait to help instill in kids. I definitely suggest picking up this series to read with your child, you will enjoy it.
For more reviews, visit www.beforewegoblog.com
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for my open and honest review.
This book is about more than running. Sure there is running. Katie is an Ultra Marathon runner, which is amazing. But this story is so much deeper than that. This story is about motherhood, power, your inner self, overcoming obstacles, and specifically mortality. Arnold's family turmoil and health scare send her for a loop. This is a difficult book for someone expecting all running, this is definitely not all running. But this is a cathartic book and a good read.
I received a copy of this from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for my open and honest review.
A wacky and imaginatively crafted tale with a seal named Ned, who has welded on opposable thumbs, and enhanced brain, and drives a flying sled. He hangs out with none other than H.G Wells, intrepid traveler, and explorer.
What is this about? I honestly don't know. It is a rip-roaring book written in an almost stream of consciousness vibe. Jack and Jill play a part, as does Tomi, once a bully of a child, now hulking she-beast that travels on a sled made from the bones of allies and enemies alike. She uses the moniker Tomi who must be obeyed and eats lunch early. There are also two apes who lived in a world where humans were not flourishing. In this world, apes are humans. Their cruise ship that was trying to outsail the end of the world smashed into a flying saucer. They, thrown from the boat, landed on HG Wells ship. He graciously invited them on the boat, they ate fish and dressed up in some odd clown costumes. (just what wells had available) They end up accompanying Ned and Jack on a quest to find the fleece to save a sick Jills life.
It is absurd. It is quirky. It is damn fun.
If you are in to have your mind batted around like a ping pong ball, this book and series will be right up your alley. Check it out.
If you would like to read more of my reviews or various other bookish things, please come by my blog
at https://beforewegoblog.com/
Reading Flint Maxwell's Knight and Shadow feels like you are reading and paying homage to the wonderful storytelling of Steven King and the classic fantasy hero story. Knight and Shadow is the story of a badass gun knight and a young boy on a quest to find him.
The story begins with Ansen Kane going under the name Crowne - A brooding and a melancholy man hiding out in anonymity in what amounts to the old west. Kane, sitting and playing cards and minding his own business, is accosted by three bounty hunters looking for him. Kane wants none of it.
“His left hand brought the whiskey up to his lips once more, while the right hand rested on the butt of his own weapon, just beneath his long, leather coat. But his revolver was bit scavenged, nor did it come from the Long Ago. His revolver was forged in the fires of Wolfscar Volcano and was as deadly as the magic that leaked from within its chasm.”
Kane, “still as a stone,” evaluates the situation. The bounty hunters are typical bullies, Veiled threats, aggression, and bravado. “Kane's face remained impassive. His fingers continued to hover over the revolver beneath his coat.”
You get the drift here... Knight and Shadow is classic western storytelling. Tension and bravado. Bad guys and misunderstood heroes. On the hand and another side of the continent, we have 17 years old Isaac milking his cow Carmen on his birthday. When a boy turns 17, he becomes a man. Isaac is celebrating this achievement with his mother. All he wants for his birthday is a riffle, something to hunt with, but deep down, he wants something worthy of the legendary gun knights. Gun knights that have been hunted down to extinction.
These two narratives, thousands of miles apart and utterly different in tone, come slamming together throughout the fascinating story. You like Ansen Kane as a character. He has morals, but his life is a series of gray choices. You like Isaac naivete and optimism, but you aren't annoyed by it as a reader. Both characters develop and change throughout the story and culminate into some exhilarating action and outcome.
Knight and Shadow is a great read and worthy of its status as a SPFBO5 semi-finalist. I recommend it to anyone who loves westerns with a fantasy overtone.
Review for Give the Family My Love by AT Greenblatt
“Give my family my love” is a phrase fraught with meaning. It could be a phrase as light and delicate as something uttered on the phone to a relative while on vacation, “Hey see you next week and give the family my love.” Or, densely and emotionally packed containing the summation of a lifetime of love between individuals, “Goodbye my love, I am leaving for boot camp and then active service, give my family my love.” It is purely contextual and outright compelling phrase dependent on the circumstances. That is why it is such an apt name for this nebula nominated short story, Give my Family My Love by AT Greenblatt. In this turn of phrase, it is used in a way that encompasses all. It is a goodbye to not only the protagonist's planet, and her life, but to everything she has ever known.
It all started with a letter and a trek across a foreign land.
“I'm beginning to regret my life choices, Saul. Also, hello from the edge of the galaxy.”
Hazel, an astronaut, is traipsing to a destination through on an utterly foreign planet. She is an astronaut, matter a fact, she is the last astronaut from Earth. Hazel is a hail mary; she is all the hopes and dreams for a dying planet. And most of all, she is the little sister to a very pissed older brother. Whom the letter she is dictating as she tromps through the soil is meant for.
“So here I am. Walking.”
Saul(her brother) becomes a beacon for why she is doing this.
“Sorry to do this to you, Saul, but if I don't talk to someone—well, freak out at someone—I'm not going to make it to the Library. And like hell I'm going to send a message like this back to the boys on the program. You, at least, won't think less of me for this. You know that emotional meltdowns are part of my process.”
As she walks, she realizes that she might die far from home and alone in the most real and complete sense. What Hazel is walking to is The Library. An alien collection of information, that if Hazel is good enough for, she may have access to and live. She tells Saul all this.
The reason I loved this story is that it is subtle and still magnificently massive in scope. The subtleties are around Hazel's relationship with her brother and a lifetime of nuances and moments. Moments that are known and appreciated to anyone that has a brother, maybe a brother you are currently in a tiff with. It is an intimate moment inside a character, that even with such limited dialog, you can get a clear sense and feeling of her mind and presence in the scene. Also, through Hazel's letter writing, you can get a sense of the hugeness of what she is doing. The last hurrah of the human race. The one and only astronaut sent to the stars to save humanity. Even with this huge thing, Hazel is pretty grounded and ordinary, making jokes with her brother while occasionally being flummoxed at the craziness of doing what she is doing.
“The Archivists have set up something that's not too different from a studio apartment in the corner of the section on sea coral. It has running water and artificial sunlight and all eleven seasons of MASH on a TV that looks like it came from the 1980s. I have this theory that my living quarters are part of some junior Archivist's final thesis project, but I'm probably just culturally projecting. On the bright side, if they picked the 80s, they could have done much worse than MASH.”
The story delves even deeper when Hazel talks about moments where things changed for her. Moments of profound sadness.
“There aren't many defining moments in my life. Mostly, I think defining moments are clichés in hindsight. So maybe this is too, but do you remember that summer, ten years ago, when everything burned? Yeah, hard to forget.”
I feel like somewhere in our ever-diminishing world, there is someone like Hazel, or maybe she hasn't been born yet. That will get this chance to see The Library and send information back that will save humans from themselves. I hope to meet that girl, or maybe my daughter is that girl, or perhaps your daughter is. I wish I meet her. I will not want her to go, can't someone else go? But she leaves me to seek the stars. I will miss her, desperately, to the very marrow of my bones, I will miss her. And maybe I will be her Saul. She will tell me how her day went at the Library, learning of the wonders of the world, how books came to life right before her and enveloped her. I will get to see this girl live a dream. I will get to know this girl save us. But I will never see this girl again. In that last part, Give My Family My Love becomes bittersweet.
I loved this story, and you will love it too.
Taking as a whole, this is not a poor edition. I don't believe it is up to par with the previous versions of Captain Tripps, American Nightmares, and Soul Survivors. Maybe it is because Hardcases mainly deals with the villains of the novel — specifically Trashcan Man. I never felt like Trashcan Man was a fully fleshed-out character in the original book, so I lack interest in reading about him in the graphic novel. I do think that graphically this book shines as much as previous installments. The images of Las Vegas with people being crucified on the strip are pretty stark. It shows just how evil the Las Vegas folk are and how low they will go. It is an excellent addition to the series, as it keeps the story flowing, but I didn't enjoy it a whole lot.
The Rise of Gaia is author Kristen Ward's third novel, and frankly, she just keeps getting better and better. In this outing, Ward touches on a few different topics, but first and foremost is the topic of climate change. Readers have been seeing a lot of books out in the world about this subject. It is on the minds of authors as well as readers because we as humans are seeing the effects of environmental degradation more and more every day. Instead of writing a purely dystopic novel, which you find often when dealing with climate change, Kristen wrote a novel exploring friendship, love, and unusual circumstances.
The protagonist of the story is a young woman name Terran. A nod to Kristen about the name choice, the word Terran translates to “of the Earth.” This sets a fun foreshadowing about how Terran develops as a character and the interesting path she takes in the narrative. Terran is an atypical teenage girl, in that instead of playing with social media, worrying about her hair or school drama, Terran feels most at home hiking. I like this as a character attribute. Often teens are written stereotyped. Terran and her best friend Beth are interesting characters because they are realistic in that they seem like real people.
The story progresses as Terran is wracked by visions of a dying Earth. She feels the pain of loss at a natural world that is rapidly disappearing, and sorrow for a broken future. Eventually, we come to find out that Gaia (The entity representing the spirit of the natural world) has decided that Terran is a chosen one. What that means for Terran's future and how she sees the world is the bulk of the story.
The strongest element of the story and the part that I enjoyed the most was the depth of friendship between Beth and Terran. As I was a teenage girl, so very very long ago, I remember the intense and important relationships that I formed that as a young girl and how they lasted me a lifetime. I loved that Kristen explored some of those aspects.
Again Kristen as written a wonderful and affecting story. I am so happy to have been a part of this blog tour and highly recommend reading any of her books.
I received this copy from the author in exchange for my open and honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review it.
This was an interesting, if not a bit strange story. I can honestly say that I was not entirely sure where the story was going. The author added quite a few twists and turns. The story has some disturbing visuals which I think add to the overall plot and darkness the author envisioned. It involves PTSD, multi-verses, being lost, and not sure of what your reality is. The only critique I can make is that I would have liked to have seen this much longer with more developed characters. It has enough meat to make a much more involved book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is gorgeous, wonderful, beautiful, exquisite. There are not enough words. It appeals to the geeky plant nerd side of me and the side that loves good design. The pages are simply conveyed, but not simplistic in style or substance. Great for a coffee table book, or a detailed book about tree types. Recommend!
I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the Publisher: It's among the hottest trends in the food world today—magically colorful dishes and drinks that are as bewitchingly beautiful as they are incredibly tasty and nutritious. Now, Kat Odell—a food journalist, author (the just-published Day Drinking), and entrepreneur who started selling her popular unicorn nut milks in 2015—celebrates the unicorn food movement with a rainbow of 75 recipes.
The recipes are vegan. The ingredients are all-natural and super-nutritious, from fresh fruits and vegetables to superfoods like flax, coconut oil, spirulina, chia, and bee pollen. And the offerings are exactly the kinds of hyper-colorful, super-fun dishes that healthy-forward eaters love, including gently flavored nut milks, grain bowls loaded with vegetables, probiotic breakfast custards, toasts with slathers and spreads. This is health food as never seen before, filled with joy, and words can't do the colors, the (all-natural) sprinkles, the whimsical decorative touches justice—the deep glowing yellow of a Frozen Turmeric Lassi, the greens of Soba Noodles with Arugula and Arugula Pesto, the intense oranges and purples of Sweet and Sour Radish Tacos, the tie-dye rainbow effect of Veggie Summer Sunset Rolls with Pineapple Kimchi, and the pastels of Chamomile Milk Tea Pudding with Fennel and Pistachios and Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream Sticks.
Filled with dazzling full-color photographs, published in a package as special as the dishes themselves, Unicorn Food is a cookbook of real beauty, in the look, in the recipes, in the spirit of the food itself.
Joy and ever-freaking rapture! My trapper keeper carrying, hair band loving, Lisa Frank buying, side ponytail wearing inner child of the 80's, just did a squee and a backflip.
Drink and eat the Rainbow man. Preferably wearing glitter.
I seriously loved this cookbook for the simple fact that I can pretend that I am a hoity-toity chef making things with the words fennel, kimchi, and infusion at the same time as playing with my colorful food like I would play with playdough. I am absolutely and unequivocally sold on the concept. Plus, it is just a really lovely book to look through.
As far as the writing is concerned, she did a great job. It feels slightly whimsy and straightforward at the same time. I have a real issue with cookbooks that take themselves way too seriously. She doesn't. Lastly, the book inspired me to try some of these concoctions for both the chance of prancing around my house as a unicorn. (see photo below) But, also my health. I would recommend this to anyone, serious chef or novice. It is just a whole lot of fun.
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This book is not my standard fare for reviewing. I found myself at the library getting my usual weekly haul of books and saw this laid out on a table. It had a gorgeous, “Recommended by the Librarian” sticker on it. Usually, I enjoy children's literature and try to read great ones to my daughter, but I steer clear of reviewing because it is not my wheelhouse. This book, however, is not just for kids because the message is this beautiful and can be enjoyed by all.
The story is told in the form of a fable. And, all encounters throughout the day are beautiful and should be enjoyed. It is a lesson I often forget when I find myself running a million miles an hour. It is a lesson that many of us need to remind ourselves on a daily basis and I am very grateful that this book has given me a beautiful reminder.
It is graphically stunning. The pictures seem practically backlit, and the cover has a gold foil to it that adds a level of elegance not often seen in picture books. My recommendation is to find one of these and display it on a shelf. When you are feeling lost in this fast-moving world, open it up and be reminded of the beauty of a single moment.
This is a quiet and contemplative book. Full of soft and colorful graphic that impart an air of wonderment from page to page. It follows the imagining of a child sitting at their drawing desk looking out their window at the world beyond them. Traveling from window to window is a long winding river. The child begins to imagine themselves aboard a small ship traveling the currents of the river place to place, all while they remain safe in the bosom of their home. The river journey is long and wild. It goes through cities, farms, factories, hills, and valleys. It travels over waterfalls and down into the neverending darkness of the ocean at night. Once the adventure is done, the child comes back to himself and is sitting back at their drawing table in the dark, the river always there snaking from window to the other having had a fantastic adventure indeed.
Although this is a picture book, the beauty of it is that all of us, adult and children alike, have sat at a desk longly gazing out the window and wondering what journey is before them. The same can be true of planes, or oceans. Adventures abound even though we are stuck inside looking out the window. We can all relate to this brave heart in a child.
This is a subtle and beautiful book worthy of your child's attention or sitting on a shelf being admired by all. I highly recommend checking it out.
Vault is my new favorite comics publisher. With many of their titles, they combine socially relevant ideas and science fiction/horror/fantasy that gives their stories a more profound meaning while still being entertaining and thought-provoking. The initial idea of portraying race relations as a chasm is what drove me to buy a copy of Fissure by Tim Daniel in the first place.
El Sueno was always a divided town. On one side you have the US and the other side we have Mexico. One day, a mysterious gas erupts from the ground with a rumble, and the mental divide that had always split the town is now a physical one. Many townsfolk fall into the chasm, while others are driven by some force that attracts them. At the heart of the story is Romeo and Juliet lovers, pregnant Latina Avery Lee Olmos, and Hark Wright. The conflicts, familial, and cultural that keep them apart turn into physical and horror laden. What lies in the abyss of that sinkhole will test a young couple's ability to survive. They need to join together to survive the chasm. Something wicked lays at the bottom of that hole, something not quite human.
There are a lot of well-done aspects of this story. First and foremost is the excellent writing done by Tim Daniel (Enormous, The Plot). Daniel managed to capture the tension and nuances of a community divided by politics in a way that was not heavy-handed. It was apparent what the struggles were that El Sueno faced as a community, without coming out and slamming the readers face in it. The Romeo and Juliet type love story also fits well within the context of a divided society. Again it wasn't heavy-handed, but sweet. Hark and Avery could have been any couple that struggled with the divide of culture and politics. Instead, because of the excellent writing, they came off as real people rather than caricatures of a Latina and a southern white man. Also, the story is told partially in Spanish. I loved that. It is a rare thing to have multiple languages in a graphic novel, and second, it is appropriate for the story and a city that straddles Mexico and the US.
The graphics are gorgeous. Each of the panels has a slight tinge of a supernatural green to them, letting the reader know that not all is right. Again, I didn't find this to be heavy-handed. Instead, it added a sinister, almost sickly quality to the graphics that let me know that not all was right with El Sueno.
My only slight complaint was that Fissure could have been longer. There could have been more story told. Near the end of the book, the story felt a little rushed. I wanted to know more about Avery and Hark's struggle to escape. I wanted to learn more about the creatures and why they were there.
Overall, Fissure was a great addition to the Vault catalog. It had everything a horror comic needs plus a lot more to make the issues more substantial and memorable. Also, because Daniel is such a great writer, I will be checking out some of his other works.
Check out Fissure and let me know what you think.
Vault is my new favorite comics publisher. With many of their titles, they combine socially relevant ideas and science fiction/horror/fantasy that gives their stories a more profound meaning while still being entertaining and thought-provoking. The initial idea of portraying race relations as a chasm is what drove me to buy a copy of Fissure by Tim Daniel in the first place.
El Sueno was always a divided town. On one side you have the US and the other side we have Mexico. One day, a mysterious gas erupts from the ground with a rumble, and the mental divide that had always split the town is now a physical one. Many townsfolk fall into the chasm, while others are driven by some force that attracts them. At the heart of the story is Romeo and Juliet lovers, pregnant Latina Avery Lee Olmos, and Hark Wright. The conflicts, familial, and cultural that keep them apart turn into physical and horror laden. What lies in the abyss of that sinkhole will test a young couple's ability to survive. They need to join together to survive the chasm. Something wicked lays at the bottom of that hole, something not quite human.
There are a lot of well-done aspects of this story. First and foremost is the excellent writing done by Tim Daniel (Enormous, The Plot). Daniel managed to capture the tension and nuances of a community divided by politics in a way that was not heavy-handed. It was apparent what the struggles were that El Sueno faced as a community, without coming out and slamming the readers face in it. The Romeo and Juliet type love story also fits well within the context of a divided society. Again it wasn't heavy-handed, but sweet. Hark and Avery could have been any couple that struggled with the divide of culture and politics. Instead, because of the excellent writing, they came off as real people rather than caricatures of a Latina and a southern white man. Also, the story is told partially in Spanish. I loved that. It is a rare thing to have multiple languages in a graphic novel, and second, it is appropriate for the story and a city that straddles Mexico and the US.
The graphics are gorgeous. Each of the panels has a slight tinge of a supernatural green to them, letting the reader know that not all is right. Again, I didn't find this to be heavy-handed. Instead, it added a sinister, almost sickly quality to the graphics that let me know that not all was right with El Sueno.
My only slight complaint was that Fissure could have been longer. There could have been more story told. Near the end of the book, the story felt a little rushed. I wanted to know more about Avery and Hark's struggle to escape. I wanted to learn more about the creatures and why they were there.
Overall, Fissure was a great addition to the Vault catalog. It had everything a horror comic needs plus a lot more to make the issues more substantial and memorable. Also, because Daniel is such a great writer, I will be checking out some of his other works.
Check out Fissure and let me know what you think.
Catalyst is a book with enormous ideas. It takes on fracking, environmental degradation, thoughts, human relationships, religion, archaeology, and familial relationships. Those ideas are a lot to cover in 248 pages. Frankly, if you focused on even one of these ideas, you could cover it, but all is a tall order. But, in general, Catalyst conveys what it sets out to. It is a story about an archeological dig site and how environmental degradation is happening all over the planet.
One of the main focuses of the story is the relationships between the main characters. Mainly, the protagonist of the story is Marcie. Marcie is supported by her brother Eric, girlfriend Renee, and possible love interest Leo. These four characters come together at a dig site to do some summer work. Their advisors are grad students Loraine and Zeke, who also play pivotal roles in Marcie'sMarcie's development. There is something different about Loraine and Zeke. Something that takes the four main characters by surprise and changes their lives forever. I can't tell you more than that because.... spoilers. But, know the story does not go where you think it will.
I think some of the difficulties I faced reading this story are the pacing. It felt choppy. I think if it had another two hundred pages of story development, I would have connected with the characters on a deeper level. I enjoyed the environmental aspects of the story. I think a book that takes on fracking is essential. Not many people know the degradation that fracking does to the land, and I am glad that the author took the time to explain why it damages everything so much.
Even though this was not a book for me, I don't connect with YA as much as some readers do, this story has a lot of good. It is interesting, and I am curious about what the next book will look like. Plus, if you are interested in the metaphysical aspect of the human consciousness that this is an even better book for you as a reader.
All in all, Catalyst did not connect with me, but I think that readers of YA with a metaphysical or environmental theme will love this.
The Faith Machine by Tone Milazzo is a weird and wild combination of action and psychic “superheroes” fighting for the fate of the world.
We are in a world where The Avengers and other superhero juggernaut stories have become as familiar to readers and viewers as peanut butter and jelly. The stories have infiltrated our everyday vernacular and changed the superhero trope. A being with powers can no longer be a nuanced and profound thing. You have to wear spandex and a cape, possibly have a catchphrase of 12. Bad guys are always wrong to the core, and the good guys kiss babies and help older people across the street. Although this is entertaining in a grand “Boom,” “Pow!,” “Ka-Pow” sort of way, it doesn't leave much for actual feelings. I don't see superman ever dealing with apathy, depression, mania, or desperation.
All of this leads me to my newest read, The Faith Machine by Tone Milazzo. The Faith Machine is a new breed of Superheroesque story that is part noir, part thriller, part action and, part science fiction. Unlike many of the trope-filled superhero stories mentioned above that are a part of mainstream culture, The Faith Machine steps outside the box a bit. It reminds me more of a gonzo Watchman then anything having to do with superman. People with powers have double the problems. They are human, and with that comes all of the quirky human characteristics that swirl round in their monkey brains, including mental illness. God or something caused these people to be gifted, but all gifts have a price. It can be life-destroying or life-affirming. But in the end, these characters have a realness that most superhero stories do not have.
The Faith Machine has a huge cast of quirky characters. Occasionally, it was difficult to tell what was going on. But author Tone Mizolli kept his chapters brief, didn't use much exposition, and allows the actions, descriptions of thoughts help differentiate the characters. The story, in a nutshell, is difficult to describe accurately. “Welcome to the dangerous, clandestine world of ESPionage. Welcome to The Strip, where operatives on the fringe command teams of ‘Cards': Agents cursed with subtle, specialized, and sometimes sloppy psychic powers. Dr. Ken Park, Korean-American psychologist, and spy dares to lead six of these Cards. Together, they tackle esoteric threats the Department of Homeland Security cannot.” This description makes it sound like a psychic A-Team. It isn't, it is a much cooler story than that. “Park takes his team to Africa to retrieve the Faith Machine. Built by the Soviets to turn prayers into suffering, the psychotronic device fell into the hands of a demented warlord. Tragically, the mission fails, and the madman slaughters hundreds of innocents while the machine burns.
They return to the States in disgrace, and into an ambush by the mysterious and brutal Casemen. Cut off from command and each other; the scattered agents rush to their safe house in the west. While spy agencies from around the world want retribution for the catastrophe in Africa. Park's team outplays enemies left and right, while uncovering the true threat. There's another Faith Machine, one destined to bring hell on earth.” The team takes on a mission that was a bit too much. They come back to the states only to be attacked by a group called Casemen. It is time to run. They are running most of the novel, and that can be tiring for some readers. But I rather enjoyed the non-stop action. As for what happens next, I am not going to ruin anything. But know there is destruction, and the nature of God and faith.
Or something, it is a bit wild.
It is a great read. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the action. It isn't a book I would usually have picked up, but I am delighted that I did.
This graphic novel is beautifully illustrated. There is not any story as they are vignettes from different refugees lives. Each vignette is completely different. Rather than telling a cohesive story, this graphic novel reads much like someone's art diary. It is a collection of sketches punctuated by notations that help illustrate the individual's stories. The coloring is done sparingly and to good effect. It accents major events and important visuals while allowing other things to fade into the background. I recommend this if you are into history and peoples personal stories. I think if you are you will find this enlightening and well done.