First of Suri’s work that I’ve read and looking forward to the next in series at some point! 

Interesting take on a post apocalyptic world in which young women fight each other to the death in order to shepherd the dead across the bridge to beyond and find rest, or so we think. Slow-paced but not overly so, read this in one sitting. Not sure I agree that this book is YA really, but an inventive foray into the genre. Not quite SF and not quite F for me, this book falls somewhere in between. 

Thanks to NetGalley + Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

A faster medium-paced mystery/thriller due out later this year that's solidly written and earns a good middle of the ground three stars from me due to it featuring a femme protagonist who is struggling with some of her demons, but that repeats tropes around abused people being "incapable" of love (even if that trope is mildly challenged prior to narrative's resolution), and some other incongruous and/or frustrating portions of the narrative. Solid and will be enjoyed thoroughly by the right reader! 

Positive factors: 
- Good chapter length, and chapters that end on the right note to keep the pages turning/keep the reader engaged. 
- The author doesn't make too many assumptions about their reader (e.g. Stockholm syndrome and other things that are explained sufficiently, but explanations aren't over the top/are sufficiently woven into the narrative as to not be distracting).
- Interesting use of science/AI/compsci that adds to the intrigue factor in this novel.
- Formulaic of thrillers/cop murder mysteries in a good way with some twists that felt predictable and others that didn't.

Factors that gave me pause/felt less positive:
-

Poison used by the antagonist is distilled from a common southern/southwestern native plant, and is discussed by profilers as if it's not a commonly gardened native plant - felt unrealistic

- Unrealistic access granted by two of the profiler team to a special collections portion of an academic library without any interaction with library staff (unrealistic)
- Minor story/narrative misalignment when

Nina + co discover Melissa's body but then the text refers to a student discovering it earlier in the day in the next chapter

- Repetition throughout the novel of tropes that are simply incorrect by protagonist about abused people not being able to provide/give love or create loving environments (protagonist constantly refers to herself as "incapable" of love throughout), and while this is somewhat resolved by the end of the novel when

Nina "realizes" she's capable of love

, it's nonetheless a worrisome trope to have repeated so frequently by an otherwise strong femme protagonist.
- Antagonist's backstory weave in isn't really resolved by the team, and the chapters where the reader gains insight feel a bit incongruous at the end/like things weren't quite resolved/wrapped as tightly as I'd have liked to see. 

My first read of Cho’s work. Enjoyable read during surgery recovery! Family, culture, language, spiritualism and stories, and the consequences of ignoring cultural stories and knowledge in favor of development and “the future.”

Well GODDAMN. I don't give five stars. This book is a five star read. Writing is bloody brilliant, the foreshadowing and creepy factor are perfect, and the author strikes the right balance between chilling horror and dry/dark humor (literally had me cackling out loud). I ended the book with goosebumps in the best of ways.

Additional themes I appreciated: cycles of inherited and generational trauma (not just human trauma, but that of all species on this planet - I won't say more here but WOW); friendship and chosen family; the harms of parents with substance abuse issues; revenge (although a totally different take on this trope!); poignant and biting social commentary; what can happen when one ignores the cultural traditions of their people (a la La Llorona [the story, not the film] and other horror folktales but brought into the present). 

Can't wait to read more by Graham Jones! 

Thanks to NetGalley and City Starlight Press for an eARC on this one, although it came out Oct 2021. 

Really fascinating take on two time periods in an individuals life colliding through the time space continuum in a universe where old folks are in charge of the world (not gonna lie “the gerontocracy” had me laughing at its ingenuity). 

This short little novel also grapples with whether the past (and the future) can be changed. It requires a close read, as some time/space continuum stuff I found myself going back and re-reading a paragraph thinking I’d missed something, but honestly liked the way those bits aren’t pulled out of the text visually. 

I also love a novel where the bad guy gets it in the end really good, so this one definitely hit some sweet spots for me! 

Big thanks to NetGalley + Rebellion Publishing for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! 

Really interesting premise with a beautiful cover (dragons + dinosaurs + spaceships? + matrilineal/matriarchal society + political intrigue + polyamory + trans folk + sex work + magic of a sort + lots more) and interesting universe. Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me due to pacing  + muddled narrative (some chapters kept me on the line/made me turn the page, but then I'd stumble into one that felt chaotic and incredibly difficult to follow). This is an ambitious book whose execution felt lacking for me and/or could benefit from intensive editing for greater clarity for the reader. 

Some additional that had me struggling with this read included:
- lots of info dumping that didn't end up providing clarity about the universe or setting (as a reader I want to know the things I need to know, and am happy with unfamiliar/universe-specific words for things that I'll figure out with context but that balance was off with this one)
- execution of the gender role reversal bit (love the concept here, but the execution felt like a simple 180 of clichéd understandings of gender roles for this reader)

Also note: not for the faint of heart (please read TWs before picking this one up), but potentially the right fit for folks who enjoy heavier SFF and are comfortable with the type of content covered by TWs.

Another winner by Chambers. Love that this series breaks away from many others in that the characters (and in some ways, timeline) that we are following is slightly different, or we get to meet folks in a different part of the galaxy within the world Chambers shares with us. Both hilarious and wrenching, I found myself waxing philosophical about what it means not only to be human, but a sapient too.