BEST OF THE MONTH
Brutal Youth by Anthony Breznican
In the crowded subgenre of school-themed drama, Breznican's Brutal Youth may stand tall above them all. It certainly does for me. It's everything you could want from a book like this: funny, smart, heartbreaking, and emotionally complex.
WORST OF THE MONTH
Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon
Every once in a while, I'll give one of these old science fiction classics a try. Sometimes I'm burned (this one) and sometimes I fall in love (Simak or Sturgeon). It's your cliche' science-over-plot mishmash of high-concept ideas.
The rest:
The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick. Not quite as good as The Measure, but if you liked that one, you'll like this one. Grade: B
White Trash and Recycled Nightmares by Rebecca Rowland (collection). Not bad, but I expected more from this Shirley Jackson Award-nominated collection. Grade: C
Whatever Kills the Pain by CW Blackwell (collection). Crime-themed collection. Don't skip Hard Mountain Clay either. This guy is good. Grade: B
Mister Miracle by King/Gerads (graphic novel). Eisner winner, but I like my graphic novels simple. Very complex and layered. Grade: D
The Dark and Bloody by Aldridge/Godlewski (graphic novel) Very good redneck horror comic. Grade: B
The Girls Before by Katle Alice Marshall. Maybe Rules for Vanishing is the only book I'm going to love from Marshall. Grade: C
James by Percival Everett. These pop-literary novels sometimes work for me. Not this time. Grade: C
Suffer to Survive by Ryan C Thomas. Fourth installment of the Roger Huntington saga. Another solid entry. Grade: B
Journal of the Gun Years by Richard Matheson. Not my fave from the Legend. Grade: C
Once Upon a Halloween by Richard Laymon. Middle-to-lower-tier Laymon, but one of the holy grails of Laymon fandom. Grade: C
Top Ten of the year lists are next!
Reviews by Jason Cavallaro
Jcavallaro42@gmail.com
Twitter: @pinheadspawn
Brutal Youth by Anthony BreznicanIn the crowded subgenre of school-themed drama, Breznican's Brutal Youth may stand tall above them all. It certainly does for me. It's everything you could want from a book like this: funny, smart, heartbreaking, and emotionally complex.
WORST OF THE MONTH
Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon
Every once in a while, I'll give one of these old science fiction classics a try. Sometimes I'm burned (this one) and sometimes I fall in love (Simak or Sturgeon). It's your cliche' science-over-plot mishmash of high-concept ideas.
The rest:
The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick. Not quite as good as The Measure, but if you liked that one, you'll like this one. Grade: B
White Trash and Recycled Nightmares by Rebecca Rowland (collection). Not bad, but I expected more from this Shirley Jackson Award-nominated collection. Grade: C
Whatever Kills the Pain by CW Blackwell (collection). Crime-themed collection. Don't skip Hard Mountain Clay either. This guy is good. Grade: B
Mister Miracle by King/Gerads (graphic novel). Eisner winner, but I like my graphic novels simple. Very complex and layered. Grade: D
The Dark and Bloody by Aldridge/Godlewski (graphic novel) Very good redneck horror comic. Grade: B
The Girls Before by Katle Alice Marshall. Maybe Rules for Vanishing is the only book I'm going to love from Marshall. Grade: C
James by Percival Everett. These pop-literary novels sometimes work for me. Not this time. Grade: C
Suffer to Survive by Ryan C Thomas. Fourth installment of the Roger Huntington saga. Another solid entry. Grade: BJournal of the Gun Years by Richard Matheson. Not my fave from the Legend. Grade: C
Once Upon a Halloween by Richard Laymon. Middle-to-lower-tier Laymon, but one of the holy grails of Laymon fandom. Grade: C
Top Ten of the year lists are next!
Reviews by Jason Cavallaro
Jcavallaro42@gmail.com
Twitter: @pinheadspawn
The author does not allow comments to this entry
No comments