Mickey7

 Tell me a story... about space and humanity

Mickey7 (Mickey7 #1) by Edward Ashton

Publication date: February 15, 2022

Date read: May 20, 2022

Mickey is an Expendable - the only employee on the space mission whose DNA and memories are stored for a procedure that will regenerate him if he dies. The Expendable's job on the mission is to do whatever dangerous or suicidal tasks that might come up - and after he dies, the next Mickey is created in his place. When Mickey7 is left for dead on a scouting mission, he miraculously makes it back to base, only to find that Mickey8 has already been generated. Since duplicate Expendables are forbidden, Mickey is left to figure out how to stay alive and unnoticed. But his personal problems aren't the only trouble on this mission, which has landed on a planet that is less hospitable than originally assumed. And with terraforming and farming going poorly, plus the native species showing violent interest, it might just be up to Mickey to ensure his people's survival. 

The audiobook was narrated by John Pirhalla and Katharine Chin.

While I read a fair amount of sci-fi/fantasy, I don’t read a lot set in space; it’s just not my usual go-to. But this sounded intriguing, so I had to give it a shot. 

Like any science fiction set in an alternate world, it takes a few pages to get used to the world-building, but it’s not too bad. It’s actually set in what is supposed to be our world, just a long way in the future. The technology is obviously crazy advanced, but the characters are all human. 

I thought the characters were mostly really great, and Mickey was a lot of fun. He’s a little cavalier and silly at times, but also understands the stakes enough to take things seriously when needed. But he’s a really enjoyable character that was a lot of fun to follow.

I also liked the science and backstory of the Expendables - how they’re made and how it’s supposed to be different from just a clone. Mickey is supposed to still be the same person every time he is regenerated, but seeing the subtle differences between Mickey7 and Mickey8 was really intriguing. I actually really liked all the science in this book, especially when Mickey dove into the history of colonization of other planets and the reason why only one Expendable is allowed at a time. I also thought that the science center was explained in a way that made it sound plausible but also easy to understand.

There was only one scene that I didn’t really like and thought was unnecessary - and, yes, it was a sex scene. Mostly just insinuated and nothing was shown, but the characters involved just made it too weird for me. 

Mostly, though, it was a really fun story with intriguing characters. I’m glad I read this one and I think that anyone who enjoys space-set science fiction will enjoy this one. There is also a sequel coming out in March 2023, and I definitely plan on reading it. 

Note about the audiobook: the narrator sounds like a young Michael Douglas. I liked it. I thought the audiobook was really well down, and I like that they used a different voice for when he got comm messages. Made it sound authentic.  

Rating: 4/5 stars 

Trigger warning: death, animal attack, suicide (mentioned), gore, medical experimentation, parasitic infection 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book

The Pages

 Tell me a story...about a book’s place in history 

The Pages by Hugo Hamilton

Publication date: February 1, 2022

Date read: May 30, 2022

Joseph Roth’s novel, Rebellion, was written in 1924 and was banned and burned by the Nazis in Germany. This novel, The Pages, follows a copy of Roth’s book that was stolen from a book-burning in 1933, and owned by a man who drew a map into the back page of the book. When it makes its way to Lena, in the present day, she decides to travel to Germany and see if she can find the location drawn in the back of the book. 

I don’t even know if that’s a good description of the book, but it’s the best I can do. This book jumps around a lot - from Joseph Roth and his mentally ill wife, to the men who stole the book from the burning, and into the present, where it follows artist Lena and immigrant Armin. There is very little in the way of plot - the search for the location of the map being really the only solid action - but rather just follows these characters (and a few others) throughout their day to day lives.

I liked the concept of using the book itself as a narrator, and sometimes it paid off by giving the reader a really unique third person perspective. Other times it just seemed disjointed. And others, it just played out like a normal omniscient third person narrator. 

The writing in this book is very pretty and descriptive, and not in a way that gets overdone. The problem, for me, is that the lack of plot and jumping around between characters left me not caring enough about any of the characters. I didn’t feel like I spent enough time with anyone to really care about them, and since we didn’t get anyone’s internal thoughts or feelings, it left a little cold. 

The book did start to pick up for me around the 85% mark, and I thought the ending was strong (if incredibly sad). It just, unfortunately, wasn’t enough of a payoff for me to rate this one very high. I liked what it was trying to do, and I hope that there are readers out there who will love it. It just didn’t work for me. 

Rating: 2/5 stars 

Trigger warning: suicide (mentioned), drug overdose, locking up mental health patient against their will, elder abuse, threatened violence against children, domestic abuse, execution, the Holocaust

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Shine On, Luz Veliz!

 Tell me a story...about finding your identity 

Shine On, Luz Veliz! by Rebecca Balcarcel

Publication date: May 3, 2022

Date read: May 9, 2022

Middle schooler Luz (pronounced Loose) was a soccer phenom, until an injury forced her to give up the game. Since her only friends were soccer girls, and it was even the only way she really connected to her dad, she’s stuck now trying to figure out what her new identity is, outside of soccer. Complicating things even more, is a half-sister in Guatemala that she didn’t know about, who suddenly has to come live with them. Now Luz has to navigate a new family dynamic in addition to deciding if she wants to sit on the sidelines of soccer or find another passion. 

It’s been a while since I’ve read a middle grade story, and the innocence of the drama is kind of refreshing. Not to say that there isn’t real drama - Luz goes through a lot in this book - but the way the characters deal with the drama is definitely appropriate for their age. 

The book surprised me (but in a good way), by starting after Luz’s injury. She’s already dealt, off-page, with the difficulties of recovering from her injury and having to stop playing soccer. I think if the book tried to include this it would have, in addition to just being too long, been too many issues for us to have focused on. Instead it dealt with Luz trying to find her new place in the world, having already realized that her old place is no longer there. 

My only complaint about this book is how much I disliked Luz’s father. I don’t know if we were supposed to have felt more sympathy for him at the end, but I really didn’t. He made his child feel alienated and like all she had to offer was soccer, and made things especially difficult for her once Solana arrived. He wasn’t abusive, but he definitely wasn’t a good dad.

I thought Luz was a wonderful character throughout. Immature enough to be believable as a middle schooler, but never annoying. And I liked how she was able to change her opinions on people and situations fairly quickly, after getting a glimpse of a difference side. Ahh, the innocence, and the ability to change your opinion without digging in and being stubborn.

This was a really sweet book that also dealt with heavy issues like deportation and death. Definitely recommended for middle grade readers, especially young girls who will enjoy reading about an average (in a good way) female protagonist. Also a great intro to how STEAM programs are for everyone. I hope this one gets a spot on middle school reading lists in the future. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Trigger warning: death of a parent, deportation (discussed), murder (discussed), gang violence (discussed)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

U4 - Jules

 Tell me a story... about the teens of the apocalypse 

U4 - Jules by Pierre-Paul Renders

Publication date: January 7, 2022 (originally published in French)

Date read: April 26, 2022

A virus has wiped out almost everyone on Earth, leaving only teenagers left. No one knows why. Jules is left alone, except for a drug-addicted brother who he never sees anyway. That, and a message he got before the internet went down, to meet someone named Khronos and try to save the world. 

There are four volumes of this comic - Jules, Koridwen, Stephane, and Yannis - that can be read in any order. The conclusion - supposedly called Khronos - should be read only after reading the first four. *I say “supposedly”, because it looks like it was called Contagion in the French release…

…Which brings us to the only issue with this series: only Jules is currently available in English. Hopefully if this issue is a success, the publisher will release the others soon. Fingers crossed. 

This is an excellent post-apocalyptic comic. I liked seeing a mostly teen world, just for the sake of seeing what would happen. Had a very Lord of the Flies vibe - not because of the outcome (no spoilers here), but just the general tone. 

Jules was a wonderful character to start with. He’s incredibly likable and also relatable. I see a lot of people acting just like he does in this type of hypothetical scenario. I thought a lot of the other characters that we meet along the way are also pretty well-developed and - important in the case of a comic - easily distinguishable. 

Which also brings me to the artwork, which I thought was great. My initial impression was that it was a little simple, but as it went on, I came to absolutely love it. The details were there just where they needed to be. All of the characters were easy to tell apart, and I thought that the characters were really expressive. I don’t know if the same artist drew the French editions, but I really like the artwork done here.

As long as the whole set of comics are eventually released in English, then I highly recommend this one. I add this stipulation, because if this ends up being a standalone comic, it will not work and be incredibly frustrating, since it does end on a cliffhanger. Also, while I obviously haven’t read the others, I think that Jules seems like a great starting point, just due to his character. Really enjoyed this one, and I will definitely pick up the other issues when they are released in English. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Trigger warning: mass death, pandemic, images of corpses, kidnapping, murder, threatening a child, rape (mentioned), suicide (mentioned), death of a family member, drug use (mentioned)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

The Lost Lights of St Kilda

Tell me a story... about an island cut off from the world 

 The Lost Lights of St Kilda by Elizabeth Gifford

Publication date: March 5, 2020

Date read: April 17, 2022

When Fred Lawson takes a research position on the isolated island of St Kilda for the summer of 1927, he doesn’t know that he will be joining the last community to ever live there; the island will be evacuated only three years later. When Fred is later captured by the Germans during the Second World War, he looks back on his time on the island, thinking about the girl he left behind. 

I listened to the audiobook, read by Fiona McNeill, Geoffrey Newland, and Diane Brooks.

This story was so sweet. I loved the main characters of Fred and Chrissy and hearing about their lives on the island. I had never heard of St Kilda before reading this, and I really liked the decision to have one main character be an island native and one be an outsider. It gave great perspective to the story. 

I also really liked that, while this was a love story between two people, it was even more a story about the place. It read like a love letter to this island and its way of life. The writing was beautiful but not overdone. I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author in the future. 

The audiobook was very well put together, and I thought the voice actors did incredible jobs. I really felt like I was there with them. 

This is not a plot-heavy book, but if you like learning about a place and people from a historical fiction novel, I highly recommend this one. A beautiful story that made me want to learn more about this island and the people who called it home. 

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Trigger warning: imprisonment, war, torture (mentioned), sexual assault, death, violence

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book 

Happy-Go-Lucky

 Tell me a story... that’ll make me laugh 

Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris

Expected publication date: May 31, 2022

Date read: April 9, 2022

In a more serious tone than in some of his earlier collections - but still with his own brand of humor - Sedaris tackles the issues of the past few years, from the pandemic, to the death of his father. 

This is the first book by David Sedaris that I haven’t listened to the audiobook of (which he always reads himself). I still enjoyed this collection, but it’s not the same as hearing him read his stories. (I wasn’t about to pass up a Sedaris advanced copy, though!) 

I also need to note, before I get into the stories themselves, that the cover of this book is horribly perfect. The old-timey clown picture is unsettling, but it kind of works, and was obviously done on purpose, because that’s who Sedaris is. But my reaction upon first seeing the cover on NetGalley was “No way, I’m not going to read a book with that creepy clo… oh, it’s David Sedaris! Yes please!” I mean, the cover definitely got my attention. 

Now, I adore David Sedaris. I think his books - especially his earlier collections - are wonderful. Whenever someone asks me about trying out audiobooks for the first time, I recommend Me Talk Pretty One Day as a great choice. This collection still contains his trademark humor and wonderful tales about his family (Amy makes a lot of appearances in this one), but the topics are overall much more serious. There are a few essays dealing with his ailing/dying father, a few with the COVID pandemic, and a lot about just getting older. It’s still an enjoyable collection of personal essays, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend starting here if you’ve never read his books before. Because despite the title, this is not a happy book. 

It must also be said, in case you’re unfamiliar with Sedaris, that his humor is not for everyone (although is any comedian’s humor really appealing to all audiences?) Sedaris is very politically liberal, and not afraid to mention politics in his work, although none of the essays are purely political pieces. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed all of Sedaris’s work up to this point. I like how he can make me laugh even when discussing serious topics; I found “Unbuttoned” - about his father’s illness - particularly funny. Not a great starting point if you’ve never read Sedaris before, but definitely one to check out if you’re already a fan. If you’re looking for a better place to start, pick up Me Talk Pretty One Day or When You Are Engulfed in Flames, on audiobook if possible. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Trigger warning: mentions of death/illness of a parent, suicide, sexual assault, prostitution, physical assault, depression, mental illness, and drug use

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. 

Two Truths and a Lie

 Tell me a story... where you don’t know who to trust 

Two Truths and a Lie by April Henry

Expected publication date: May 24, 2022

Date read: March 30, 2022

On their way to a theater competition, a group of teenagers and their chaperone are stranded in an unexpected blizzard, finding shelter in a run-down motel. Their fellow guests at the motel include another group of teens on their way to a robotics competition, a few adult males, each traveling alone, the motel owner, and a caretaker. While the teenagers decide to play “Two Truths and a Lie” to pass the time, Nell pulls a slip of paper that reads: “I like to watch people die” and “I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve killed”. The kids assume it’s a prank, until bad things start to happen. When a student disappears, the motel guests have to work together to figure out what’s happening, before it’s too late for everyone. 

I unintentionally read two locked-room stuck-in-a-blizzard mysteries back to back, which might have affected my feelings for this one (the second of the two). That being said, I did enjoy this one. 

I really liked Nell, our main protagonist. The characters that were supposed to be unlikable were loathsome. We get a lot of love-obsessed teenagers for main characters, but this book is written for a teen audience. None of the characters were too annoying about it, just a few moments that had me (not a teenager) rolling my eyes  

My biggest complaint also has to do with one of the things that I liked best about this book, and I’ll do my best to keep it as spoiler-free as possible. Up until the half-way point of this book, it was unclear if we were dealing with a ghost story or a murder mystery. I loved the way that both scenarios seemed possible for a good way into the book. My biggest complaint is that the way that it didn’t end up going, wasn’t as wrapped up as I wish it had been; it left a few unanswered questions. I also didn’t love the epilogue - I don’t mind stories getting wrapped up in neat little bows, if it’s done well. This one kind of reminded me of the cards you get at the end of teen rom-coms that tell you what happened to each character. But again, I’m not a teenager, and I don’t think that most readers of the target audience will mind this trope. 

Overall, I actually liked this book quite a bit. The plot moved fast and I loved that I didn’t know where it was going. It’s a fast, fun read and I think teen mystery fans will really enjoy this one. 

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Trigger warning: Murder, hanging, death by fire, human trafficking, gore, drugging someone against their will

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Kent State

 Tell me a story...about a day that won’t be forgotten 

Kent State by Deborah Wiles

Publication date: April 21, 2020

Date read: January 29, 2022

A novel in verse. This book tells the story of three days at Kent State University - May 2-4, 1970 - that culminates with the killing of four American students by National Guard troops during a Vietnam War protest. The book is told simultaneously from multiple points of view, including students, National Guard members, and adults in the community. 

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Christopher Gebauer, Lauren Ezzo, Christine Delaine, Johnny Heller, Roger Wayne, Korey Jackson, and David de Vries. 

I don’t know how this book would work as a hardcover read, since it almost reads like a stage play. On the audiobook, characters interrupt each other and talk to each other, rather than each character having a chapter. This makes for a great audio experience, but probably wouldn’t be as affective in other forms.

As a reader, I was going into this book as someone who didn’t live through the event, but who was at least vaguely familiar with what took place on May 4, 1970. I thought that the book did a good job of playing to all audiences. The full events were described, so anyone with no knowledge beforehand would understand what happened, but it also wouldn’t be over-explained for those who had been familiar with the events as they happened. I also liked that the story was told as people looking back on the events that they lived through, so you have the first-person account, but with the benefit of hindsight.

Overall, I thought this book was excellent. It’s short - 144 pages and about an hour and a half on audio - but it packs a real punch. It’s written for teens, which it uses to be both informative and also to bring it full circle to give a lesson for teens today. Very well done, and highly recommended in the audio format for both teens and adults.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Trigger warning: murder, arson, rioting, tear gas, war

Under Her Skin

 Tell me a story... that gives me the chills

Under Her Skin by Lindy Ryan and Toni Miller (editors)

Expected Publication date: April 5, 2022

Date read: March 12, 2022

Black Spot Books presents its inaugural Poetry Showcase, featuring the best in never-before-published dark verse and lyrical prose from the voices of Women in Horror. This collection centers on the concept of body horror, specifically focused on the female body. 

When I first started this collection, I questioned the use of the term "body horror" in the synopses, as most of the poems were more about how the female body is treated, and tended to be a bit gory and raw, but not really "body horror". More about body dysmorphia or body image. But as the collection continued, there was definitely more body horror to be found. 

Despite a fair amount of gore and queasy content, this collection is overall very beautiful. I don't read a lot of poetry, but I really liked this collection and the way that these authors find a way to be both beautiful and disturbing with so little word count.

This collection isn't exactly what I was expecting, as I was anticipating more scary content (with the horror genre) than disturbing/gory content, and there really wasn't anything scary in the collection. But I think that was more my naive interpretation of "horror poetry" than anything negative against this collection. 

Overall, I really liked this book. It's a quick read, but there were a lot of poems that really stuck with me (whether for the beauty of the words or for the disturbing feeling left by them). I can't wait to read more collections from this group in the years to come. 

Favorite poems: 

Harm by Emily Ruth Verona

Winnow by Tiffany Michelle Brown

Lilies Left for Mom by Brianna Malotke

The Carrion Flowers by Morgan Sylvia

Rating: 4/5 stars

Trigger warning: body horror, violence, gore, body dysmorphia, rape

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book

The Nice House on the Lake, Vol. 1

 Tell me a story... about a vacation gone wrong

The Nice House on the Lake, Vol. 1 (issues #1-6) by James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno (Artist), and Jordie Bellaire (Colorist)

Publication date: March 1, 2022

Date read: March 14, 2022

They all know Walter - some from high school, some from college, one from more recently - but they've never hung out all together as a group. But after a difficult year, when Walter invites everyone to a week at an idyllic lake house, they all decide that they can put up with Walter's eccentricities for a short amount of time, reconnect, and relax. But when something goes wrong, they're all thrust into a new reality that will make them reconsider who to trust, and figure out how to survive. 

I know that description was vague, but I really believe that the less you know about the plot going into this one, the better. I knew absolutely nothing when I started this, and I'm happy about that.

However, not being able to talk a lot about the plot does make writing a review a bit harder... but I'll do my best.

As far as the plot goes, I really loved it. In horror, it's hard to come up with a completely new idea, and the "group of people brought to an isolated location" troupe is nothing new. But I wasn't expecting the direction this story quickly took, and I enjoyed being along for the ride. This is only Volume 1 of a series, so nothing is wrapped up at the end, but I can't wait to read more. 

I thought that the art in this collection was also great. It is drawn in a somewhat realistic style (as opposed to a cartoonish one). I loved the expressions that the artist was able to create on the characters, and the scenery was gorgeous when it needed to be, and disturbing at other times. Both artist and colorist did a great job. (I will also freely admit that I picked this one up based on the cover art, which is wonderful.)

I did, on a few occasions, have a difficult time telling characters apart or remembering which was which, but I don't feel that I can blame the artists for this so much, because I read it on my phone (as an advanced digital copy) as opposed to a larger physical copy. I am purchasing a physical copy to have now, though, and plan to read it again to see if I have an easier time keeping them straight. (In the back of the volume is a page showing each character, their name, and their nickname, but it wasn't easy for me to move back and forth between the pages on the digital copy).

Overall, I loved this story. It went in a direction that I really wasn't expecting, but that I was completely on board with. If you like horror comics (a little gruesome, but not so realistic that it was hard to look at), I definitely recommend this one. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Trigger warning: gore, death by fire

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book