Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy Book Review

Full disclosure: I was given a free eARC copy of this book by Dutton Marketing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Since I published my review of The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood, I’ve read plenty of retellings of Greek mythology. I have always enjoyed that subject ever since I took a mythology class in high school. One of the things that we did was read parts of The Iliad by Homer – the epic story about the Trojan War. It was quite enlightening. A tale like that deserves plenty of retellings, including today’s subject Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy by A.D. Rhine (the pseudonym of authors Ashlee Cowles and Danielle Stinson). It’s a wonderful feminist take on the classic epic with its theatricality, understanding of Greek mythology, and the female characters that are brought to the forefront.

Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy follows four women in the midst of the Trojan War. Andromache the Amazon has proven herself to be a capable leader, but can she maintain that status now that she’s the mother to the city’s long-awaited heir? She must bring together a divided city in time to make a final stand. Rhea is a Trojan spy, but she never expected to find love behind enemy lines. When the final battle lines are drawn, she must decide where her loyalties lie and how much she’s willing to lose. Helen is no longer the broken woman Paris took to Troy. She must cast off her shroud of grief and use her healing gifts to save Troy’s greatest hope. Cassandra has seen Troy’s fate. However, she knows that the truth is only as valuable as the person who tells it, and only a few in Troy value her. All that is about to change. One hero will rise, and another will fall, and Cassandra will have her say. All four shed unexpected light on the legend of Troy.

This novel is actually the second book in the duology that began with Horses of Fire. I didn’t realize this while reading it, but one can still read it as a stand alone.

One of the things that stood out to me was its theatricality. It’s rightfully dramatic because the story is based on one of the most famous legends of all time. The stakes are high since it takes place during a war; therefore, the reactions and emotions are going to be heightened. For example, much of The Iliad and Daughters of Bronze lead up to the fight between Hector – Andromache’s husband – and Achilles. For those who have read both, Andromache has a perfectly reasonable reaction to Hector’s fate. It also paid tribute to the spirit of ancient Greek theatre not only with the heightened emotions, but also with the intent. The purpose of theatre in ancient Greek times was to show both sides of an issue. For instance, when Hector is looking to go and fight Achilles, Andromache tries to dissuade him since she has just as much of a say in what happens in Troy as much as the heir to the Trojan throne. He counteracts this with his own reasons.

Moreover, Cowles and Stinson have a great understanding of Greek mythology. They clearly did a lot of research while making this and Horses of Fire that they were able to infuse it naturally in the story. For example, there were moments, in which Cassandra was sitting in a bathtub while the characters were strategizing, and I immediately thought, “That’s not foreshadowing her demise. NO! Not all!”

Furthermore, the authors use their knowledge to explore certain underlying elements. Even though the gods don’t play a major role in the novel, many of the characters invoke them in a general sense since the Achaens believed in how they controlled fate. At the same time, many, especially Cassandra, are also aware that they have a say in their destinies. 

And of course, I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t mention the characters in this book. The Iliad featured moments of character development from various women so much so that scholars have postulated that Homer was a woman. This carries over to Daughters of Bronze since the women are fantastically developed. Each has their own motivations. Andromache wants to prove her leadership now that she’s a mother. Rhea desires a sense of belonging while with Ajax. Helen strives to make it known that she has more strength than people realize, and Cassandra wants people to believe her visions. In addition, I love how they work with each other and how their relationships change during the course of the novel. While these characters were great, my favorite was Cassandra. She has a gift for seeing into the future, yet rarely anybody believes her. Luckily, our protagonists do even if it means death and destruction for Troy. Cassandra even provokes Andromache’s ire when she puts her son in danger.

Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy by A.D. Rhine is a wonderful retelling of The Iliad from a feminist perspective. I love how dramatic it is given the source material and how the authors understood Greek mythology. Most importantly, Andromache, Rhea, Helen, and Cassandra are fantastically fleshed out characters, and I enjoyed seeing them interact with each other. It’s no surprise that it’s been getting rave reviews from various readers. I would recommend it for those who love Greek mythology, feminist versions of famous tales, and reading about the Trojan War and the legend of Troy. Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy will be out Tuesday, November 26, so go grab it wherever you get your books.

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The Nutcracker Chronicles: A Fairytale Memoir Book Review

Full disclosure: I was given a copy of this book by BooksForward in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas is coming soon, and that means more Nutcracker-related content! Last year, I reviewed The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen – a novel inspired by both the ballet and the book Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman. This year, I’ll take a look at The Nutcracker Chronicles: A Fairytale Memoir by Janine Kovac – a memoir written by a former ballet dancer who participated in numerous performances of The Nutcracker ballet. It’s a great book detailing the author’s struggles in the ballet world while recounting her relationship with the famous story.

The Nutcracker Chronicles: A Fairytale Memoir provides a modern twist on the classic holiday ballet, intertwining the story of Clara and the prince with the true-life story that unfolded backstage. Janine Kovac was seven years old when she knew that she wanted to be a ballerina while watching her first performance of The Nutcracker. It wasn’t long before she herself was dancing the part of a snowflake; flower; mouse; soldier; and Fritz, Clara’s brother. This was all in search of the magic she felt only on the stage. She recounts her pursuits of an elusive dream that compels her to endure blistered toes, weekly weigh-ins, second-hand pointe shoes, and constant insults from her directors like why can’t you just dance like a pretty girl?

Over a twelve-year career, Janine danced with ballet companies in San Francisco, Seattle, Germany, Iceland, and Italy, returning home every holiday season to perform The Nutcracker with Ballet El Paso. Despite the challenges of the ballet world, Janine couldn’t resist the inner glow and effortlessness she feels on stage, under the lights, dancing to Tchaikovsky. This is when she feels beautiful.

I talked about my previous experiences with The Nutcracker ballet in my The Kingdom of Sweets review, so this memoir was right up my alley. For starters, the structure is inventive. It’s basically the ballet, but with Kovac’s personal story woven in it. Each chapter is a scene from the show, and she talks about her life and how it pertains to that particular part of the ballet. For example, in the chapter title “Chinese,” Kovac describes what her life was like during the initial Covid lockdown and how she – a Latina – dealt with the problematic elements of the ballet like the Chinese dance. The way that she weaves her story into the tale is effortless.

Kovac also paints a brutally realistic picture of what it’s like to be a professional ballet dancer. Throughout the memoir, she discusses how she struggled to make sure her appearance and weight were in line with what a ballerina should look like, especially as one with brown skin and just a few pounds heavier than what’s required. She also had to perform the precise steps at the right time all while being graceful. This was a challenge for her as well since she had coordination issues like always dancing to the left while the rest of the group moved to the right. I love to dance, but even I wouldn’t want to do it professionally. 

On top of that, she had to withstand insults hurled at her and other dancers by instructors, especially Ms. Heuser – the director of the El Paso Ballet Theatre at that time. Ms. Heuser had a reputation, for stories like how she danced for Hilter in Germany circulated. It’s easy to portray someone like Ms. Heuser as evil as the Mouse King, but Kovac doesn’t go that route. Her relationship with her instructor is far more complicated. Despite the insults she threw, Ms. Heuser also gave Kovac opportunities to dance in The Nutcracker and would always be there to pin the wigs just right. She even bestowed Kovac a bouquet of flowers at one point as a way of apologizing for not allowing her to dance in the “Waltz of the Flowers” scene.

The best part of this memoir is Janine herself. Readers can easily sympathize with her as she navigated the ballet world. She made friends and relationships, including the Prince Charming whom she would marry, but she also went through ordeals like the ones I mentioned earlier. This will make readers ask, “Why did she stay around even if she wasn’t getting the good roles?”

Janine has an answer for that: the power of the stage. Throughout the book, Kovac mentions how yearned to dance on the stage because that’s where she shines and feels the most beautiful. It didn’t matter if she’s playing Fritz, a soldier, a clown, a Dunce Flower (the name of one of the positions during the “Waltz of the Flowers” scene), etc. She wanted to perform, even when she was sort of living vicariously through her dancer husband and kids later on. I certainly felt that hunger as I read the memoir as I recalled the times when I was on the stage. It also didn’t matter if I didn’t know the kinds of moves that Janine had to execute as a ballet dancer. The point was that they were hard and required precision, elegance, and grace – things that she had to work on. And still, she wanted to do it to let her beauty shine.

The Nutcracker Chronicles: A Fairytale Memoir by Janine Kovac is a wonderful book to read during the holidays. This is especially true if one is going to see or be in a production of The Nutcracker. Janine is relatable as she yearns to be a ballet dancer, but she has a hard time making it in that world. Her conflicts, including the one with Ms. Heuser, are handled realistically and emphatically. While the ballet environment is portrayed in a brutally honest manner, Kovac still manages to maintain a sense of wonder as she hungers to be on the stage. In addition, the structure is unique with Janine’s story mirroring that of the one in The Nutcracker. Along with the audience I mentioned above, I would also recommend it to those who love to read about ballet or dance in general, who are current or former dancers, or anyone who loves consuming all Nutcracker-related stories. The Nutcracker Chronicles: A Fairytale Memoir is out now, so go grab it wherever you get your books.

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Remarkably Bright Creatures Book Review

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt has undoubtedly become one of the most popular books to come out in the last two years. And, it’s not hard to see why. It had an octopus as one of the narrators. What other novel has a creature like that? I finally read it recently, and I enjoyed it, especially for its main characters.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is about a widow and her unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus. After her husband’s death, Tova Sullivan took up night shifts mopping floors and tidying up at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Keeping busy has always been her way of coping, especially after her 18-year-old son Erik mysteriously disappeared on a boat in Puget Sound over 30 years ago. She becomes acquainted with Marcellus – a curmudgeonly giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. He knows more than anyone could imagine, but he wouldn’t lift any of his 8 arms for his human captors until he starts a friendship with Tova. Marcellus, ever the detective, deduces what happened the night of Erik’s vanishing, and he must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster in order to discover the truth before it’s too late.

After reading it and discussing Remarkably Bright Creatures at a book club, I realized that it uses the blueprint mostly used by Fredrik Backman. Many of his novels are character studies and feature a cranky elderly person who finds a way to connect with others in the most unlikely of ways. Think of Ove and Britt-Marie. In this case, Remarkably Bright Creatures has Marcellus and Tova – an octopus who makes snarky comments on human attendees at the aquarium and a human who keeps her distance from others in order not to get hurt. It’s not the first book I reviewed that uses this structure, yet it still stands out with its main characters.

Let’s start with Tova. She is a 70-year-old widow who works at the local aquarium to keep herself busy. At first, Tova comes off as standoff-ish and wants things done in a certain way like lining the trash bins. She wants to be around people and not interact with them at the same time. This dynamic is seen whenever she’s with a group of friends that called themselves the Knit Wits. Once she begins bonding with Marcellus, she realizes that she enjoys having company and tries to make more of an effort to be more present. Tova sees Marcellus as incredibly smart – a trait that most humans fail to realize, for he’s able to escape from his area and retrieves items like keys from various places.

And there’s Marcellus. As I alluded to earlier, there hasn’t been a novel that features an octopus as a main character. He’s the best part of Remarkably Bright Creatures. His snarky, but endearing voice is absolutely memorable, and I love how Van Pelt starts his sections with the day number of his captivity. And at one point, he expresses that he’s had enough of counting the days that he’s been in the aquarium. When Marcellus begins his friendship with Tova, one can feel the sweet side of him coming out, as if he’s grown accustomed to her face. Marcellus brings out the open side of Tova so much he becomes desperate to solve the mystery involving her son Erik. The only thing I have to complain about with Marcellus is that for a book that’s heavily marketed on him, he’s not in it for all that much compared to Tova and the other main character Cameron.

One would probably notice from my summary that Cameron isn’t mentioned. I’ve read other blurbs for the book, and many of them fail to include him too. There’s a good reason for that. He’s kind of a spoiler. For those who haven’t read the novel yet, how he fits into the picture gets revealed by the end in a clever way. 

More importantly, there are some readers that don’t really like Cameron. I understand that. He’s a whiny deadbeat who’s still angry that his mom abandoned him when he was a child, and he’s 30 years old. I wasn’t bothered by him, for he’s supposed to be annoying. Readers are supposed to be irritated by him because he remains stagnant and doesn’t know his true potential. Also, since this is from Tova’s perspective, she sees him in that light at first. Overtime, she realizes that Cameron is more than that. On the other hand, I find it interesting that many of the positive reviews omit him. I get that too. He basically exists to show the opposite way of handling grief and as a contrast to that of Tova. In other words, the level at which one can enjoy this book depends on how one can tolerate Cameron.

I also listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie. Ireland is an actress who’s appeared in television shows like Law and Order; movies like Rachel Getting Married, Glass Chin, and The Irishman; and plays like Reasons to be Pretty, which earned her a Tony nomination. She has previously recorded audiobooks like Sleeping Beauties by Stephen and Owen King, Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, and a handful of novels by Fredrik Backman. Ireland puts on a good performance. She voices Tova as an uptight, but sweet older lady, which becomes more relaxed as the novel progresses. Cameron is portrayed as whiny and immature. The rest of the male characters kind of sound the same, but the minor female ones have some distinctions. Cameron’s Aunt Jean has a chatty and coddling voice that’s straight out of a trailer park.

While Ireland is good, the real standout is Urie. Urie is an actor best known for his role as Marc St. James in the television show Ugly Betty. He has also been on Broadway in musicals like How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as Bud Frump, Spamalot as Sir Robin, and Once Upon a Mattress as Prince Dauntless. He’s great as Marcellus. Urie puts in the right amount of snark and sincerity to make not only the octopus three-dimensional, but also the friendship with Tova believable. I was always looking forward to his sections because listening to him is a godsend. Marcellus was already a memorable character, and Urie brought him to life even more. Honestly, I wish Remarkably Bright Creatures could be adapted into a musical, so Urie could be cast as Marcellus and sing as the curmudgeonly octopus. 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is a remarkable novel (yes, I finally had to say that word). It contains one of the memorable hooks for any book with Marcellus the octopus. On top of that, the friendship between him and Tova is so endearing. Of course, readers will have to put up with Cameron just like Tova does for most of the novel. I would recommend it to those who love reading about animals, friendships between them and humans, grief, and loss. And if one has the chance, listen to the audiobook; Michael Urie is great as Marcellus. 

Before I go, I want to let everyone know that I will be recording another episode of the Adapt Me Podcast this month. Jesse McAnally – co-host of The Cheese Wheel Podcast – and I will discuss how we would adapt this novel. Keep an eye out for the link.

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Committed: Startup Survival Tips and Uncommon Sense for First-Time Tech Founders Book Review

Full disclosure: I was given a free advance reader copy of this book by Sasha Stolz Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Part of my job as a book reviewer is reading titles that I wouldn’t normally seek out. Some of these are books that appeal to a niche audience. However, I believe that even if a title is not for everyone, there’s still something that people can connect to, especially if it’s good. I’ve looked at books like Caterham Sevens: The Official Story of a Unique British Sportscar from Conception to CSR by Chris Rees in the past. Today, I’ll analyze another niche title, this one being Committed: Startup Survival Tips and Uncommon Sense for First-Time Tech Founders by Eldon Sprickerhoff. While it’s a manual that effectively appeals to a specific audience, general readers can find something in it too.

Committed: Startup Survival Tips and Uncommon Sense for First-Time Tech Founders gives advice for people looking to start a technical business written by a tech founder who has “walked the path.” Great tech simply isn’t enough, and many first-time technical founders don’t know what they don’t know. To them, most business books focused on startup strategies might seem inaccessible, outdated, and off-topic.

To that end, Eldon Sprickerhoff, cofounder of cybersecurity firm eSentire, has assembled a list of everything he didn’t know as a first-time technical startup founder before his firm rocketed to a valuation of over $1 billion, finding product-market fit, raising early- stage capital, competing against bigger and better-funded competitors, building resilience, pushing through failure—and dealing with success. In Committed, Sprickerhoff offers readers “survival strategies” that encourage technical founders to embrace their new title, the one that matters: Chief Survival Officer.

When I started reading Committed, one of my first thoughts was that it reminded me so much of Caterham Sevens: The Official Story of a Unique British Sportscar from Conception to CSR by Chris Rees. Obviously, these books tackle completely different topics, but they have two things in common: their target audiences are very specific, and they use jargon that appeals to those groups. With the former, Sprickerhoff’s readers are inspiring technology founders, while the latter appeals to car enthusiasts, especially of Caterham Sevens.

While I’m not looking to start up a technology company nor am I a car aficionado, that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy books about niche things. After all, I placed That’s Me, Groucho!: The Solo Career of Groucho Marx by Matthew Coniam on my best list back in 2020, and that too has a very specific fanbase. What I’m saying is that even though I didn’t connect to books like Committed, I found things in them to like.

Both Sprickerhoff and Rees try to appeal to a wider audience, yet the latter is the most effective. Sprickerhoff uses analogies quite a lot, and he’s quite good at knowing which ones to use. The most frequent one he utilizes is how a company is like a baby. The founder has to take good care of it in order for it to survive and thrive. They will undoubtedly love the company, yet Sprickerhoff lets his readers know that they can’t expect that everyone, including employees, will adore it in the same way (p. 38). In addition, while the author uses tons of technical and business language, he always makes sure that his audience understands what he’s talking about. For example, in his chapter about funding, he defines the different types like pre-seed, seed, and Series A. While discussing seed funding, Sprickerhoff mentions angels, which are seed funds that might include “accelerator groups, formal family offices, or high-net-worth (HNW) investors, many of whom might have previously trod the very road you’re on” (p. 136).

They are usually the group, in which founders will likely try to seek outside investment money from.

One of the most beneficial parts about the manual is the chapter on mental health. Sprickerhoff is fully aware of how taxing it can be to start up a business. Specifically, he says the following, “You should expect that despite whatever success you achieve at some point, things will fall apart. Most of what I have put together in this book I learned along the path through the various mishaps, bumps, and bruises that come along with nurturing a startup” (p. 176).

To combat this, he offers plenty of coping mechanisms that help to bring people to the surface when they feel that they are drowning. These include spending time with family, exercise, talking to people outside of the startup ecosystem, listening to motivational speakers, listening to music, and therapy. He even reveals his own “Startup Hype List” of songs that get him through the day. They include tunes like “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, “99 Problems” by Jay-Z, and “Started From the Bottom” by Drake (p. 180).

Advice like these make the manual realistic when it comes to starting up a tech business. Sprickerhoff offers a positive view of achieving this goal, while also being blunt about it. Two of the other important tips that he gives is “Everything will take longer than you expect it to, even when you take this statement into account” and “Learn how to sell. Do not abdicate the responsibility for selling” (p. 195).

This and other pieces of advice are iterated throughout the book, but Sprickerhoff also includes them in the “TL;DR” section at the end.

He too gives personal stories about his trials and tribulations when starting a tech business. This adds authenticity to what he says. In case anybody is wondering, he also offers his opinion on reality television shows like Shark Tank. 

Committed: Startup Survival Tips and Uncommon Sense for First-Time Tech Founders by Eldon Sprickerhoff is a great manual for those looking to start-up a technology-related company. It offers great, realistic advice. Even if the author uses jargon that some readers might get confused with, he always takes the time to explain it without being condescending. Also, he sold me on the analogies and the mental health chapter. Although it’s not a title for me, I can see tech/business people committing themselves to reading it. Committed: Startup Survival Tips and Uncommon Sense for First-Time Tech Founders will be out Tuesday, November 12, so go grab it wherever you get your books.

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Adapt Me Podcast – I Was a Teenage Slasher

Hi Everybody!

Pay homage to your favorite slasher movies and try to control your killer instincts because returning guest Mel B of BDA Publishing and I discuss how we would adapt “I Was a Teenage Slasher” by Stephen Graham Jones in the latest episode of the Adapt Me Podcast! You can check it out at this link.

In the meantime, you can see my review of I Was a Teenage Slasher here.

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None of This is True Book Review

Content warning: this review mentions alcoholism, domestic and sexual abuse, and grooming.

Ever since I read Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell, I have been wanting to read more of her work. I understand that her thrillers focus on families and are edgier than most. An example of this is one of her latest novels, None of This is True. It contains all Jewell’s hallmarks, is on par with Then She Was Gone, and has a fantastic audiobook.

None of This is True is about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own true crime podcast. Popular podcaster Alix Summers celebrates her 45th birthday at her local pub when she crosses paths with Josie Fair – an unassuming woman. She, too, is celebrating her 45th birthday. In fact, they are birthday twins. A few days later, they run into each other again, this time at Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks that she might be an interesting subject for her series. She tells Alix that she is on the cusp of great changes in her life. Alix agrees to interview her. 

As they progress, Alix discovers that Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated. Although she finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Soon, Alix realizes that Josie is hiding some deep, dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie finds a way into Alix’s life and later her home. But as quickly she comes into Alix’s life, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover the terrible and terrifying legacy that Josie left behind and she becomes the subject of her own podcast with her and her family’s life under mortal threat. Alix wants to know who Josie Fair is and what she has done.

None of This is True contains some of Lisas Jewell’s trademarks. It contains a focus on realistic families. While Alix seems to have the perfect life, husband, and kids, it’s not actually that way. Nathan – Alix’s husband – is an alcoholic despite being a loving husband and father. This is why Alix goes back and forth on leaving him even though she loves him. 

As for Josie, her life is messed up to some degree. She is raised by a single, narcissist mother. Then, she marries a man who is a lot older than her and has two daughters, who are not always well behaved. At first, I felt sorry for Josie, for she appeared to be a classic example of a domestic abuse victim. I even cheered for her when she stood up to Walter – her husband – during an argument. I could easily see what Alix saw in Josie and why she would want to record a podcast about her. She even explicitly states that the podcast was a distraction from thinking about her own life by looking at someone else’s. However, it becomes clear that Josie is not as much of a victim as Alix initially thought. The second half of the book made me want to handcuff Josie and haul her off to jail. 

Like with Then She Was Gone, parts of None of This is True were predictable to some degree. I had a good feeling of what had occurred during the second half. However, to quote the review of the former, “two-thirds in, the book fulfilled and defied my expectations.” How so? Jewell has this knack for basically saying, “Yes, it was exactly what you thought happened and worse.”

This is why I don’t mind the predictability of her books. The worst part about fear is when it actually happens and feeling powerless to stop it. Jewell plays onto this quite a lot. In this case, Alix fears that Josie might infiltrate her life in more ways than one. This and much worse occur. It still shocked me and made me want to do a double-take when I heard what finally went down.

It takes a bit to get going with many of the creepy and horrific stuff happening in the second half. Despite this, the exposition effectively paints how Alix and Josie’s lives are and sets up the relationship between the birthday twins. The novel needed time to develop these to show how Josie is not the person she claims to be.

I have only one complaint about the book. It needed to end sooner. It almost veered into Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King territory with how many endings it had. I feel that it should’ve concluded after Alix makes her final warning to Josie on her podcast after the latter disappears. However, I would’ve kept the epilogue with Josie on the bus years later.

The best part of reading this story was listening to the audiobook. It’s narrated by Nicola Walker and Louise Brealey with a full cast. Walker is an actress best known for her roles in British shows like Spooks and Unforgotten. She has a Cate Blanchett-voice, which allows Alix to appear calm and put together. It’s also a great tone for someone working as a podcaster. Walker speaks in this cadence for most of the audiobook, so when Alix’s life falls apart, the narrator lets loose and conveys the emotional breakdown well. 

Brealey is an actress best known for her role as Molly Hooper in the Sherlock BBC series. She has also taken part in recording audiobooks like Julia by Sandra Newman, The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold, and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. She plays Josie with meekness with a notion that there’s more than what she lets on. When Josie goes deranged, Brealey conveys that the character may not have the self-awareness to realize what she has done.

While the performances were extremely good, what set this audiobook apart from others is the production. Since the novel involves a podcast and recorded interviews, the sound design mimics the kind of audio heard in both. As someone who runs a podcast, I can attest that this was done effectively with its clear, crisp sound. I also liked how during the recorded interview segments, the interviewer is barely heard because of how far away the microphone is from them. This puts more of the focus on the interviewees and their truths. The music during the podcast parts was great too as it portrays a sense of foreboding without shoving it hard into people’s ears. This is why I recommend people to listen to the audiobook over the book because of how good the former is.

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell is a wonderful thriller. It paints a realistic picture of the lives of the two main characters, which effectively sets up their relationship. Although it can be predictable, it still does a good job pulling the rug from under readers with its twists and turns. I’m still going to remember how I felt when I read those particular moments. Above all, the audiobook is incredible with its narrators and production. I would recommend this to all readers, especially those who love suspense, particularly books like Gone Girl; stories that involve podcasts and lives being unraveled; and want more from their audiobooks. It was one of the most thrilling novels I’ve read in awhile, and I can’t wait to read more of Jewell’s work.

Before I go, I want to let everyone know that I will be recording another episode of the Adapt Me Podcast next month. The hosts of the Badass Literature Society podcast – Michael, Barabara, and Lauren – and I will discuss how we would adapt this novel. Keep an eye out for the link.

Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates. Also feel free to email me here for any review suggestions, ideas, or new titles!

Serafina and the Black Cloak Book Review

When I was a Children’s Librarian, we prepared Battle of the Books for 5 months. To plan ahead or so to speak, I tried to read all of the titles that we selected. I was able to see why they were chosen, especially Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty. It was a good, spooky, and entertaining book even if I didn’t connect to it as much as a younger reader would.

Serafina and the Black Cloak is the first book in the “Serafina” series. Serafina and her pa – the maintenance man – have secretly lived in the basement at the Biltmore estate as long as she can remember. She has explored the mansion, yet she must take great care to never be seen. None of the rich folk including the owners – the Vanderbilts – know that she exists. But when various children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is – a man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore’s grounds at night. After she escapes, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt – the owners’ young nephew. Together, they must uncover the true identity of the Man in the Black Cloak before more children vanish. In the meantime, Serafina’s hunt leads her into the forest that her pa had taught her to fear. There, she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic, one that’s bound to her own identity. To save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek answers that will unlock the puzzle to her past.

Serafina is a very interesting character who wants to know her true identity. For someone who’s been isolated for most of her life, she’s able to read people’s emotions pretty well. To be fair, she’s been observing the rich people all of her life. In addition, when her pa reveals where she actually comes from, her reactions are normal for a 12-year-old who just discovered the truth to something, ranging from relief that she has an answer to anger that her dad didn’t tell her sooner. I rooted for her to discover her true identity and to connect with people beyond the basement. Oh by the way, did I mention she fights a mountain lion at one point?

Another aspect that I liked was the villain. He’s the man in the Black Cloak who snatches various kids. He was actually kind of terrifying to me, and I’m an adult! To be fair, I’ve always been slightly unnerved by stories, in which people snatch others and take them far, far away. On top of all of that, no one knows who it is. The book even plays on various expectations on what readers think villains should be. Throughout, Serafina observes various men at the estate and takes mental notes on who it could be. At one point, she assumes it’s the coach driver because of how nasty he treats her and how he runs away when Serafina and Braeden fight off the Man in the Black Cloak in the forest. The identity of the villain will blow some younger readers’ minds.

I also enjoyed the world building in the novel. The descriptions of the basement that Serafina and her pa give it an isolated, yet comfy environment. For the Biltmore estate, it’s portrayed as a grand, but cold place with most of the rich people being indifferent to others who aren’t like them. This is especially true when Serafina leaves the grounds for the first time and remarks on how spooky it looks from the outside. (On a side note, looking at the actual pictures of the Biltmore estate only proves how accurate Serafina’s observations are of the place). As for the forest, it’s depicted as dark and menacing at first with all of the tree trunks blocking various parts of the walk paths and how Pa forbids Serafina to go there no matter what. However, once she finds herself in the woods, she sees all of the terrifying attributes, yet there’s an openness that allows her to be free before she has to endure various obstacles.

It took me a while to read Serafina and the Black Cloak because it didn’t connect to it as much as I wanted to. As much as I like Serafina, the villain, and the environment, it was another kid-discovers-real-world-and-true-identity story. I rooted for Serafina don’t get me wrong, yet I did that in the same way I would for other characters going through similar things. In other words, no matter how much she stood out, she’s still part of a trope.

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty is a good book that I wished I had more emotional investment in. Even though the novel follows the kid exploring a new world and true identity cliche, it stands out with Serafina being a realistic 12-year-old, a villain that challenges readers’ expectations, and the world building. I would recommend this to kids aged 9 and older as well as adults who love fantasy, protagonists discovering their real identities, and books set at historic mansions like the Biltmore estate. If this novel did anything for me, it’s wanting to travel to North Carolina to see that particular home, so I’m going to get me some plane and museum tickets to go there in the future.

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I Was a Teenage Slasher Book Review

It’s October yet again, and that means scary content! For the rest of this month, I will review books that will focus on horror, the spooky, and thrillers. First up is I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones. It’s a great homage to iconic slasher movies despite some issues with the storytelling.

I Was a Teenage Slasher is a classic slasher story with a twist. In 1989 Lamesa, Texas, oil and cotton rule the land, and everybody knows everyone else’s business. Tolly Driver is a good kid with more potential than application, and at age 17, he is about to be cursed to kill for revenge. In his autobiography, Tolly explores the Texas he grew up in and a shared sense of being an outsider to get people to understand why he murdered a handful of people all those years ago.

Stephen Graham Jones has been on my list of authors to read for a long time. I had heard great things about his work, which are usually in horror and fantasy. I’m normally not into those genres, but that title caught my eye. Also, The Only Good Indians has been in my to-be-read pile for a long time. I’m happy to report that I Was a Teenage Slasher didn’t disappoint. 

The book does a good job with the setting. It embodies what it was like growing up in a rural Texas town in the 1980s. I especially enjoyed reading the bit, in which Tolly reveals people will go to great lengths to prove how country they are. It’s Texas after all. In addition, Jones does a great job with exploring how conservative the place is that people had to hide the unique parts of themselves. If they can’t, they will be considered outcasts like Tolly with his peanut allergy and Amber – his indigenous best friend. Although I couldn’t imagine a lot of the farming details like what a pumpjack was, I still got the strong sense of place through Jones’s writing.

In addition, the novel is a wonderful homage to the slasher horror movies that people love. It has all of the elements that make them so special like the slasher murdering people for revenge and moral reasons as well as the final girl, who is usually the last character standing in a flick like that. As much as he loves the genre, he’s willing to critique the tropes associated with it. Throughout the novel, Amber, who watched tons of those films, guides Tolly into remembering what happened during his murderous rampages and what will happen. Tolly too mentions how the movie that was based on those murders got some details wrong and emphasized certain elements over others. He also ponders why the slashers don’t use guns, but he finds out why soon enough. My favorite part was when Amber gets Tolly to put out some knives in his mom’s kitchen, so she could hear the sound they make. The “schting” sound effect is forever etched in my brain. Also, the twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat, especially the one towards the end.

The best thing about this novel is Tolly himself. Writing from a serial killer’s perspective can be difficult, yet Jones pulls it off. Tolly had my sympathies from the beginning. His dad dies prior to the start of the book, and what happens to him at the infamous party was absolutely cruel. I’m not surprised that he ended up killing his perpetrators. But, Tolly is more than his suffering. Jones proves this by giving him a distinct personality. He may not have a lot of ambition, yet he enjoys his English classes and hair metal bands. One of the most interesting things about writing is that certain words like band names are underlined. This clearly underscores Tolly’s love for music and the English language. Another thing that works about the main character is how he wrestles with the killings. Even though Tolly barely remembers what occurred when he slashed people, he makes no excuse for his actions and the following consequences. Did he really do it? Has there been a slasher with a bigger guilt complex than Tolly Driver?

I only have one complaint about the novel. The writing can be disjointed, especially at the beginning. I get why it’s written that way, especially with how Tolly tries to articulate his feelings about what had happened. It’s stream-of-consciousness. However, this was off putting since the beginning is supposed to grab readers’ attentions to make them keep going with the story. While I love the concept and the main character, I had a hard time getting into the story due to the way it was written. It got better later on.

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones is a unique novel in the horror genre that pays a loving tribute to slasher movies and that I will never forget. The setting is great, and the main character is memorable. Plus, how many slasher stories have been told by the killer themselves? It’s not for everyone due to the amount of blood and gore as well as its stream-of-consciousness writing style. Nonetheless, I would still recommend it to those who love horror, especially slasher movies. Read I Was a Teenage Slasher while it’s still October.

Before I go, I want to let everyone know that I will be recording the latest episode of the Adapt Me Podcast soon. Returning guest Mel B – owner of DBA Publishing – and I talk about how we would adapt this novel. Keep an eye out for the link.

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White Book Review

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Full disclosure: I was given a free advance reader copy of this book by Sasha Stolz Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Content warning: this review discusses racism, white supremacy, and mental health.

When I finish a book, it may take some time for me to formulate my thoughts on it. This can be hours, days, or even weeks depending on the title. On average, it takes me a day or two to gather my thoughts on a particular novel. In the case of White by Aviva Rubin, this process lasted three weeks. I wanted my review to do it justice while still expressing my opinion. With much thought, I can say that it’s a powerful and layered novel about one woman’s fight against white supremacy.

White is about a woman determined to destroy the white supremacist system in Canada. Sarah Cartell grew up in a white supremacist family, controlled by her grandfather whose values and violence marks them all. But, when she befriends the town librarian, who shows her how those beliefs are full of lies, Sarah begins digging up everything she can about the people her family celebrates and her grandmother and aunt who left a long time ago. Determined to dismantle that system, she infiltrates a Neo-Nazi gang by beginning a tumultuous relationship with a skinhead that excites and confuses her. As Sarah races to stop hate crimes, her new friends are put in danger, and a horrific family secret begins to emerge. This unraveling lands her in the psychiatric ward and begs the question, can anyone escape the love of a hateful family unscathed?

This book is heavy, and I’m not just talking about the amount of pages it has. The content is weighty since it deals with one woman’s goal to destroy white supremacy in Canada and the psychological fallout. The framework is Sarah talking to a therapist at a mental health facility as she unpacks everything that led up to her entering the place. This is not a book for readers seeking out light-hearted stories.

The novel is labeled as “near historical fiction” because it takes place in the 1990s before the Oklahoma City bombing, but it mainly focuses on how Sarah tries to escape her hateful family, which feels timeless. What works about this conflict is how complicated it is. Obviously, many of her male relatives, especially her grandfather Thomas, are terrible, but there are scenes in which she bonds with them. For example, growing up, Thomas wanted Sarah to be a pastor in his Church of Purity despite the naysay from her brothers Keith and Blake. While he was a white supremacist and a controlling human being, Thomas still saw potential in Sarah. In addition, the reasons why Sarah’s grandmother and aunt left as well as why Sarah’s dad and the other aunt stayed are not as clear cut. 

And of course, the strongest element of this story is Sarah herself. She is a wonderful multi-layered character. She grew up in a hateful environment, but she didn’t realize that it was so until the town librarian Mrs. Broder – who’s Jewish –  educates her and opens up her mind. Because of this, she wants to expose the entire white supremacy system in Canada. However, it takes a toll on Sarah physically, mentally, and emotionally. When she’s at the progressive McGill University, she spends most of her time researching Aryan-based/Neo-Nazi groups instead doing work for her classes, and she barely eats. Moreover, she starts a relationship with a skinhead, which she has mixed feelings about. On one hand, he sometimes takes advantage of her. On the other hand, she feels excited to be in a relationship, where she feels important. Additionally, she keeps many of her friendships at an arm’s length not to hurt them. Even though they also want to dismantle the hateful system, her friends recognize how she’s becoming more self-destructive and try to help her out with little to no avail. I wanted to tell Sarah, “You have friends that care about you. Drop your work for now!”

Despite that, Sarah is such a compelling character that one can easily understand where she’s coming from, but still point out her flaws. She is also quite funny with certain observations. This allows the book to be not such a downer. By the end, one is not sure if she is going to be completely alright given how she was raised and what happened prior to her time at the mental health facility. But the novel offers a glimmer of hope that she might find her own happiness.

White by Aviva Rubin is a powerful tale about one woman’s escape from her white supremacist family and destroying the system in Canada. This novel is heavy with how it handles several topics with sensitivity and empathy. Many of Sarah’s male relatives are horrible, but their relationships with Sarah are far more complicated, which makes severing their bond more difficult. Above all, Sarah is a memorable character. She wants to do the right thing and feel important, but she ends up going down a self-destructive path. I recommend it to those who want to read books about white supremacy and social activism as well as coming of age stories about people who lived in messed up environments (ie Educated by Tara Westover). White is out now, so go grab it wherever you get your books.

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Kittentits Book Review

When I finished reading Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder a while back, I wondered if I could ever read something as insane and absurd as that. My question was answered when a dear friend, who works at a library, told me about Kittentits by Holly Wilson, which got published this year. She told me about the bonkers plot and wanted to know why the novel was called Kittentits. We both decided to read it to fulfill our curiosity. I finished first, and reader, we got a lot to unpack with this one because it’s not for everyone. Nonetheless, it was entertaining even though I was trying to figure out what was going on half the time.

Kittentits is about Molly – a rambunctious 10-year-old searching for friendship and ghosts. In 1992, Molly is tired of living in the fire-rotted, nun-haunted House of a Semi-Cooperative Living Community of Peace Faith(s) in Action (a halfway house) with her formerly blind dad and grieving landlady Evelyn. But when 23-year-old Jeanie, a dirt-bike riding ex-con with a questionable past, moves in, Molly quickly attaches herself to her. She might treat Molly terribly, but for the first time in her life, the latter feels seen because they both have dead moms and potty mouths. When Jeanie fakes her own death in a hot-air balloon accident, Molly runs away to Chicago with a stolen credit card and a pair of LA Gear Heatwaves to meet her pen pal Demarcus (who never writes her back for some reason), so she can hunt down Jeanie. Molly and Demarcus plan to perform a seance to reunite with their dead mothers in front of a live audience at the World’s Fair on New Year’s Eve.

Like with Nightbitch, I love the cover of Kittentits. I adore the shade of pink and the image of a cat with its expression all a glow like it just saw a can of tuna that the owner forgot to put away. And, the stars are the cherries on top. It’s a bizarre cover fitting for a book of that nature.

As for the content, it’s not going to be for everybody. If a reader isn’t put off by the title, they might be by some of the things that happen. Molly and other characters like Jeanie do a lot of R-rated swearing, and there are some gross things that occur. In fact, I propose a litmus test. If one can get through the first 12 pages, especially the tampon scene, then they will be able to read the rest of the book. Now, just because someone finishes reading a book doesn’t guarantee that they will like it.

The big problem with Kittentits is that it’s trying too hard. It desperately attempts to get people’s attention and shock them. For example, Molly likes to swear a lot. Given her circumstances, it makes sense for her to curse and say derogatory things, but it feels static after a while. Also, some of the gross out moments (ie the tampon scene) don’t have much pay off, so readers are simply thinking, “What’s the point?”

Also, the plot goes in so many directions that readers are forced to keep up with it if they haven’t been turned off by the vulgar language nor the disturbing imagery. In Kittentits, it’s a coming of age story of a little girl who wants to be seen as her own person, and it also has conjoined twins, hot-air balloons, a World’s Fair that never materialized in real life, and a seance. Granted, it’s not as convoluted as it seems, since most of it comes together at the end. At the same time, it could’ve been a bit more streamlined like Nightbitch. 

Despite the problems with the story and how it’s presented, I’ll admit that it got me intrigued with the main character and how it was going to unfold just like Nightbitch. Molly is not like any other child protagonist I’ve seen in a novel ever. I mean, there have been ones who are abrasive and blunt, but not on the level that she is on. She can come off as insensitive sometimes, especially when she’s writing to her penpal Demarcus. It’s no wonder that Molly gets drawn to Jeanie, who is even more vulgar and unabashed. I hated how Jeanie treats Molly, hoping that the latter will have a realization about the former. Luckily, she does. I simply hoped that Molly would achieve her goal of being seen and respected by the people around her.

Given my issues with how extra the plot is, I admire how bonkers it is. It has a wide range of elements like the ones mentioned above, and I wondered how they were going to play out. Even if it dragged in places, I wanted to see it until the end. That finale is one for the ages.

Kittentits by Holly Wilson is undoubtedly one of the weirdest novels I’ve ever read. The plot packs in so much, and even if it doesn’t always work, I admire Wilson’s gumption for putting all of it on paper. Also, Molly is a one of a kind child character whether readers like it or not. The book is unquestionably not for everybody. The only readers that I would recommend it to are ones who love shock value and coming of age stories. There hasn’t been a book like Kittentits before, nor will there ever be one again, so despite my grievances, I’m glad I read it. I wonder how my friend felt about it…

Before I go, I want to let everyone know that I have recorded the latest episode of the Adapt Me Podcast recently. Guest Sarah Rick and I talk about how we would adapt this novel. You can check it out here.

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