Sorry I'm late!
I was firmly in dental purgatory for the last two weeks, as my teeth launched an epic anti-Jason campaign.
I can't be defeated that easily! (but if I WERE to be defeated, tooth pain is a good option)
Let's go.
BEST OF THE MONTH
Candyland by Elizabeth Engstrom
I love these one-setting stories with limited characters. They can go awry with the wrong author though, and Engstrom is NEVER the wrong author. For all you readers out there in awe of the current crop of "sad girl lit" out there, may want to take a peek at this one.
WORST OF THE MONTH
They Will Dream in the Garden by Gabriela Damian Miravete
This is a short story collection and I can honestly say I didn't even enjoy one of them, so let's move on.
The rest:
We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough. I don't usually go for gothic plots, and it isn't one of Sarah's best, but still pretty good. Grade: B
The Old Lady by Kristopher Triana. A little different from Triana's normal fare, but if you want a better sample of Triana's non-extreme stuff, I'd go for And the Devil Cried instead. Grade: C
Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner. Easily one of the strongest books of the month. YA grief horror. Grade: B
Badasstronauts by Grady Hendrix. Clearly an early science fiction experiment from Hendrix, but still good. Grade: B
When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy. Everyone likes this one more than I did, so I might be wrong. Grade: C
Nipping Them in the Bud by Edward Lee. Clearly not as strong as his OG classics, but still some fun to be had. Grade: C
Beautiful Darkness (graphic novel) by Vehlmann/Kerascoet. A disturbing mix of beautiful art and an eerily dark story. Grade: B
The Hotel Life by Willy Vlautin. I actually enjoyed the film adaptation more. Grade: C
How to Make Friends With the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow. Outstanding YA grief drama. Grade: B
You'd Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow. Another one! She's good. I need to read more. Grade: B
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata. The premise wears a little thin eventually, but great high-concept sf (?) fantasy (?) story. Grade: B
See you next month!
Reviews by Jason Cavallaro
Twitter: @pinheadspawn
BlueSky: @jasoncavallaro
I was firmly in dental purgatory for the last two weeks, as my teeth launched an epic anti-Jason campaign.
I can't be defeated that easily! (but if I WERE to be defeated, tooth pain is a good option)
Let's go.
BEST OF THE MONTH
Candyland by Elizabeth Engstrom
I love these one-setting stories with limited characters. They can go awry with the wrong author though, and Engstrom is NEVER the wrong author. For all you readers out there in awe of the current crop of "sad girl lit" out there, may want to take a peek at this one.
WORST OF THE MONTH
They Will Dream in the Garden by Gabriela Damian Miravete
This is a short story collection and I can honestly say I didn't even enjoy one of them, so let's move on.
The rest:
We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough. I don't usually go for gothic plots, and it isn't one of Sarah's best, but still pretty good. Grade: B
The Old Lady by Kristopher Triana. A little different from Triana's normal fare, but if you want a better sample of Triana's non-extreme stuff, I'd go for And the Devil Cried instead. Grade: C
Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner. Easily one of the strongest books of the month. YA grief horror. Grade: BBadasstronauts by Grady Hendrix. Clearly an early science fiction experiment from Hendrix, but still good. Grade: B
When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy. Everyone likes this one more than I did, so I might be wrong. Grade: C
Nipping Them in the Bud by Edward Lee. Clearly not as strong as his OG classics, but still some fun to be had. Grade: C
Beautiful Darkness (graphic novel) by Vehlmann/Kerascoet. A disturbing mix of beautiful art and an eerily dark story. Grade: B
The Hotel Life by Willy Vlautin. I actually enjoyed the film adaptation more. Grade: C
How to Make Friends With the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow. Outstanding YA grief drama. Grade: B
You'd Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow. Another one! She's good. I need to read more. Grade: B
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata. The premise wears a little thin eventually, but great high-concept sf (?) fantasy (?) story. Grade: B
See you next month!
Reviews by Jason Cavallaro
Twitter: @pinheadspawn
BlueSky: @jasoncavallaro
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