What a great debut!! It’s the kind of story that leaves you gradually unsettled instead of scared from the beginning. Ren’s characterization and arc uses not just body horror, but girlhood as horror, and for “Chlorine”s premise being so strange, she felt so real as a character. I don’t really know how else to explain the “girlhood as horror” description, except for the author(Jade Song!) captured the pain, community, and scrutiny in growing up as a teenage girl. And Ren definitely grew into herself—something a little more than a woman, and less human than one—through a gory and nontraditional (self-imposed) transformation. Which will be interpreted differently depending on the reader: like some other literary horror novels, the fantastical can blur the lines between metaphor and something literally happening.

And the sapphic longing with her and Cathy!! Cathy had her shortcomings, but the ending pulled on my heart.

I also loved the way mental health was written about! Ren’s insistence on being perfect. Her craving for acceptance from her parents. Her gradual numbness and tiredness, how that showed in her internal monologues as a direct result of all of the pressure and abuse she’d endured. How swimming helped her grow into her mermaid self, although she started looking at certain parts of it differently the less she thought of herself as human. The writing was immersive, too, I felt like I was put directly into the obsessiveness of her mind and thoughts. I recommend looking at some of the trigger warnings before you read this if you’re sensitive to that kind of subject matter, but this was one of the more realistic traumatized characters I’ve read about.

I definitely think I’ll want to see where Jade Song goes as an author!

Maybe 3.5 stars, if I feel like it? I’m most likely settling on just three, though. For the first half of this book, I really wasn’t vibing with it. Judy irked me as a POV (she was well-meaning but said some iffy things as a straight ally, also she kind of had “not like other girls” vibes lol), the writing style felt a little too juvenile for my liking, and being anxious about Reza and him hiding his gayness certainly didn’t help. And then the big argument between Art and Judy happened, which made me hate both of them for 50 pages or so because they were both acting so terrible???

But I feel like after that, once the emotional parts of the story kind of force everyone to get their shit together, I liked it a lot more. I got a little teary-eyed at two points, even if I didn’t full-on cry or sob. (Reading anything about AIDS will always make me hurt, as a queer person.) I’m far too young to have lived during that time period, but I liked how different notable protests and activist groups were involved in the plot. The community amongst the gay activists, along with the social stigma surrounding queerness during the AIDS epidemic and the fear of being out, was captured effortlessly in my opinion. Reza’s POV was the most emotionally raw, putting *both* of those aforementioned themes on full display, and sometimes leaving lines that felt like a gut punch. (I was already emotional when he came out, but then there was “There is no word for coming out. In the language my mother speaks, I literally don’t exist”??! OOF…) Even during times where the other two POVs would get on my nerves, I felt for him.

Besides Reza, I liked Stephen the most. I thought his relationships with Art and Judy were the most thought-out. Outside of those three, though, some of the character dynamics/relationships drive me nuts, but there was a level of complexity—specifically in the friendships—that I could appreciate at times. 

I’m still keeping this at 3 stars because there’s a lot I took issue with, though. The side characters fell flat for me(except for Tara), the diversity in gay/queer voices centered was kind of lacking(not a single trans character, Reza was the only fleshed-out nonwhite one), and I wish some of the drama had been resolved in a better way. 

I see the importance of this story, but overall, my feelings are mixed.

“The Otherwoods” is my second middle grade book (that I’ve read outside of elementary/middle school, lol), and I couldn’t have wished for a better experience!! I loved Justine Pucella Winans’ YA debut, “Bianca Torre Is Afraid Of Everything”, and this was no different. This was a blast. Dare I say that MG fantasy suits Winans’ writing style a lot more than I expected it to?!? River was a nonbinary protagonist that, while not an exact reflection of my personality from around their age, I wish I got to have when I was younger, and I really rooted for because Winans has a knack for writing anxious enby kids god bless. Their dynamic with Xavier was super cute, I thought their accidental “found family” relationship was earned, and I’m still in a little pain from that twist oof!

Also, (MR FLUFFY) PANCAKES <3!!! I already love cats, but I’m glad that we got to have an alive emotional support one for the duration of this eerie story. The way he was in-tune with River’s emotions, but also realistically catlike in his own wants/goals sometimes, reminded me of my own cat. (Sadie dearest, that’s why I’d put down my book just to pet you more times than the usual)

And as a fantasy, I can totally see the target demographic (middle schoolers and older elementary schoolers) eating this up! I love the descriptions for each fantastical part of The Otherwoods, and as an adventure with some creepy parts to it(not anything *scary*, but the Centertrees were a little horrifying!!), this was fun enough that I whizzed through the pages past the first quarter. That first 25% is a little rough because of all the gaslighting. (The consequences of being the only kid to see spirits and monsters…)

If you’re into middle grades and you like casual queer rep PLEASE check this one out!!

HANDS DOWN THE BEST ANTHOLOGY I’VE READ!!! Even if there were some stories I vibed with less than others, it was clear these were carefully curated. I loved the range of voices and cultures strewn in throughout. (Although, to people outside North America reading this, this does center around Native American/Canadian voices.) There are also a couple authors whose work I want to check out now, which is pretty cool because hey, that’s what an anthology is supposed to do, right? I was expecting all the stories to stick to the “never whistle at night” theme, but don’t be thrown off by the title and summary! Firstly, not all the stories in this are horror per se(but they are all dark, as per the theme), and second of all they cover a lot of different types of horror: whether that be monster horror, psychological, or something along the lines of a gore fest. I remember only one or two of the stories actually had the whistle theme.

My favorites were “Snakes Are Born In The Dark”, and “Behind Colin’s Eyes”. “Snakes Are Born In The Dark” was a throughly bizarre story with nauseatingly-written body horror, an unexpected ending, and creepiness that made me shocked to see the author’s other books ARE ROMANCE BOOKS??? (I should’ve recognized DN Trujillo’s name.) “Behind Colin’s Eyes” first kept my interest with the POV choice of a foul-mouthed ten year-old, but then built a sense of dread that I found myself absolutely engrossed by. I loved the turn it took. Besides those two, though, I’m putting “Navajos Don’t Wear Elk Teeth” and “Collections” as my honorable mentions. 

Beyond the scary/unsettling elements though, I liked the integration of different cultures, and some of the character relationships in each story. There’s a lot of themes to cover, from survival, to revenge(particularly in an anti-colonial context), fitting within a cultural identity or struggling to, grief, or family: it just depends on the story which one of those is covered(or how many). 

Just know that almost every trigger warning you can think of—especially racism—is mentioned in at least one story. (“Sundays” in particular is a really hard one to read.) The horror in this anthology isn’t meant to be something enjoyed with popcorn, lol.

3.5 stars, because I had to take .5 stars off for the public musical declaration of love I’M SORRY!! (even if it isn’t in the usual confession format)

But this was a very enjoyable read! To be honest, although this is a romance book, the non-romantic relationships (platonic and familial) stood out to me most? I liked how the intersection of faith and economic status, as well as the stresses of living in poverty, were handled regarding Mahalia and her mother. Mahalia’s mom relying on religion while Mahalia herself doesn’t believe in it for the exact reasons her mother *does* creates a bit of a rift between them. (+ sometimes Mahalia’s relationship with religion—Christianity specifically—would be discussed in relation to her queerness. There were a couple of interesting discussions there, which works for the younger YA target audience.) Their relationship wasn’t perfect, obviously, but it felt realistically complex, and I’m glad that Mahalia’s mom was supportive in the end of the story. And Naomi and Mahalia’s friendship shined in the drafts for the playlist made for Siobhan, I loved the little notes added after each song, really creative way to build onto their dynamic!! (Easily one of my favorite parts of the book.) 

The one peeve I have re: Mahalia’s familial relationships though is I wish a bit more time was spent fleshing out her dad? There were a lot of unresolved issues there. 

Siobhan and Mahalia’s relationship progression is a little…iffy for me? A lot of it still happens when Siobhan’s in a romantic relationship with Danny. Although she isn’t out at school(and Danny’s a terrible person), I still don’t totally vibe with that??? But at least(thank goodness) they didn’t do anything serious until Siobhan broke things off. And also, this book is *very* cheesy, which I didn’t mind most of the time but I understand not everyone will like, and even for me it sometimes felt a little overly sweet. lol. (But when there wasn’t the weird issue with Danny, they had some pretty cute moments together!! Standard YA romance book fare, sure, but still. And they cracked a couple of self-aware jokes about that.) 

But hey, sometimes it felt nice to pause the book and realize that I was honest-to-god reading a light queer rom-com. I’ll admit, I take a lot of LGBTQ rep for granted after reading so many queer books. I think my middle school self would’ve appreciated something like this for sure. (Especially because the same 5 books would get recommended to me whenever I asked for queer characters.)

Hm. This was a cute slow-burn about not just romantic love but a love of baking, but…that’s kind of all I got from it? The relationship progression felt off at times, many of the side characters didn’t seem to acknowledge boundaries or respect the MCs, and on a story level, it didn’t really stand out to me. (Family drama, miscommunication/misunderstandings, coming of age themes revolving around the unsureness of what to do next in your life, etc.) I’ll say though that like the other graphic novels I’ve read, I liked the art and thought it was pretty! (But I’m interested in finding out what the creative thought process behind keeping everything in blues was.)

HONEST TO GOD 5 STARS THIS TIME GUYS, THIS IS A HISTORICAL MOMENT! OMG!! this is the first graphic novel I've rated 5 stars after I started reading consistently! (Technically, that's what I thought about "Snapdragon", but I read that back in 2022 and didn't log it...) And thank you to my Booksta mutual, Raven, for recommending this one on her Goodreads! I haven’t read “Check, Please” yet, so this is my first experience with Ngozi Ukazu’s work, but it’s definitely not going to be the last!

All the characters had large personalities that just oozed off the page, from some absolutely hilarious dialogue to impeccable designs! They truly felt like college students, in all their essence. (Virginia Slaughter was my favorite of the teammates!!! <3 perhaps i just love tall scary women but also her & her country family were so goofy + her relationship with Jasmine was so cute) Despite this, they meshed with each other very well on-page, and the progression of their companionship/group dynamic felt believable. I got the ending spoiled for me unfortunately(well..half of it) so I was expecting it, but all I'll say is that it's unconventional for a story like this, but leads to some cool character growth with Molly! Molly in particular changes more than expected throughout the story, but for the good. 

Also, the rep!! Of course there's queer people in the main cast, the main setting is an art school. Fork found in kitchen. But!! We got sprinklings of adorable sapphic romance(loved the chemistry) and an oddball nonbinary character in the form of Kavi. That was pretty cool to see. (+ the cast is of all different shapes and sizes, which isn't just neat on a silhouette/design level but also for diversity y’know??)

While this is a lighthearted, silly read, it also works well as a satire about how colleges prey on students. This is an unbelievable, fictional story yes, but it shows the downsides of depending on financial aid, and the lengths Molly goes to not only try to save herself from debt, but also to follow a dream that she steadily becomes more unsure of. 

I think that should be all my thoughts, or at least a good place to cap things off unless I want to truly go off the rails and ramble? TL;DR: please, go read this book!!!

MY FIRST (completed) REREAD SINCE 2023!!! Oh my goodness!! My rating remains completely unchanged— 4.5 stars, which I rounded up on Goodreads. I unfortunately don’t think there’s a ton of reread value (the few details I could catch this time just made me stressed, lol!), but hey, this was still adorable. (I feel like I definitely made a lot of the same jokes as last time, but I actually remembered to type them into my Goodreads or StoryGraph notes.)

Gabe Cole Novoa’s books have a way of making me feel seen on such a level that it feels sometimes distressing. I wasn’t sure if all their respective audiobooks could be tied into that (I am too disappointed in myself to laugh), but I’m pleased to say that Harrison Knight’s phenomenal narration made me realize that, yes, that is the case! I think the only gripe I had with him is that I felt that the narration of some of the more vulnerable, stressful moments felt a little underwhelming. But his voices were distinctive, and his expressiveness, along with his gentleness, made revisiting this book by means of audiobook totally worth it. I was entranced every time I pressed the play button. (But, I’m curious: why does Lydia have a lisp?)

Critiques I have, though: I do feel like the Molly Houses were a little glamorized for the sake of keeping the tone hopeful, and I understand if some more historically knowledgeable reviewers take issue with that. Also, Mrs. Bennett’s turnaround was just as abrupt on my second read. That was probably the only way to make the ending work, but it still seems a little strange, considering how she’d harp on Oliver’s disinterest in being a “proper lady”. Of those criticisms, only the first one is new.

Hhhhhrrrrrrgrrgrrgrr… while I do wish a couple elements of the original P&P romance could’ve translated over to Oliver and Darcy, I still think the changes in dynamic suit Oliver’s new identity! And again, the main romance is so, so sweet, it feels like staying up too late on a school night to read a really good fanfiction. Also, I’m starting to realize that Gabe Cole Novoa has a thing for making libraries plot-relevant, in one way or another.

Listening to this got me through the week, hooray! Highly recommend if you like people going to each other’s houses, but with the addition of the occasional bookstore, boys kissing, and frequent dysphoria. (Half-joking.)

_________

Original review (2024 / 02 / 22):
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint!!! Gabe Cole Novoa writes his trans main characters in a way that is so comforting to read about😭💕although his stories aren’t without conflict, they include trans joy in addition, and it really shines here in “Most Ardently” 🥹 I understood and felt Oliver’s inner conflict on a deeper, personal level. really just great representation IM GONNA LOSE MY MIND LETS TALK AHOUT SOME OTHER POINTS 

But I have not read “Pride And Prejudice”, I only knew from looking up a couple of things in the reading process that “Most Ardently” uses a decent number of (repurposed) plot points from the original, so my understanding of it is limited. And, therefore, so is my ability to give criticism! Small disclaimer.

While I have a small problem with the pacing of Darcy and Oliver’s relationship (also when Oliver’s as “Elizabeth”…they don’t really have that much time together but Darcy still writes in a letter that “she” feels like the only “woman” he could be comfortable with lol), there was still a decent amount of time for both of them to spend together on-page!! Although, this diverges from the original source material, not just by making queerness part of the story but also having Darcy and Oliver not *hate* each other at first. Dislike? Yes, but it’s a much different vibe, with a love story that feels gentler in a way. But I also think that’s understandable, as Oliver presents differently, has to live a double life because of that, and as a result gets to meet with Darcy under different circumstances(and levels of understanding). Petition for more Remixed Classics to be over 300 pages though, omg.

Now, for the million dollar question: Is there pride? I’d say. Prejudice? Arguable when in the context of Darcy and Oliver’s romance, but regardless of the reader they’ll definitely agree it’s not as much. Depending on how you feel about that detail dictates how much you like this book, or if you don’t. Sorry to all the enemies to lovers fans picking this up.

Also, I appreciated the little bit of queer history inclusion with the plot importance of the Molly Houses! I’d only heard about them once before I read this? But re: the historical stuff: There’s definitely been a sizable amount of research done, but it knowingly took a couple of creative liberties for the sake of the story, something that’s explained very clearly in the author’s note.

Anyhow. Overall? Really sweet to read, it was refreshing to read a historical fiction book that doesn’t center bigotry(doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, just means that it’s not a miserable story to read, it’s actually pretty comforting, coming from a trans person??). (Between this and “Brooms”, very happy to read books that do that.)

A solid anthology!!! I preferred the first half’s stories to the second half for the most part(whew the last story was intense though), but although 2-3 of them didn’t land as hard imo, none of them were terrible. Overall this was a great time with some genuinely creepy writing, and I liked how every subgenre was captured in this collection!!

My favorites were “Lights”, “I Love Your Eyes”, and “All My Best Friends Are Dead”.

I decided to finalize my rating at 4.5 stars! Although I’m a little bummed I didn’t find this to be a 5 star review, it’s still a book that will stick with me for a while, and likely be one of my favorites for this year.

“Sorrowland” caught me off-guard many pages before its climax and ending(which is polarizing among the readerbase, from what I presume?). It drew me in with its atmosphere, an unforgettable protagonist in the form of Vern, queer representation that prioritized showing the different ways we connect and love instead of labels(which isn’t the central part of the story considering the issues written about, but still pretty cool!!), and a sometimes tumultuous but ultimately heartfelt arc about family. The writing style isn’t something I’d call “subtle”, but its brashness with human and inhuman urges, emotions, and horrors both supernatural and systemic fit the tone of a story like this. 

Vern, oh my goodness! She is a character you cannot help but root for, although she avoids being a perfect protagonist. She’s difficult to trust others, to a degree where she’s sometimes recklessly self-sufficient(or at least trying to be). It’s clear from the get-go that Cainland fucked her up, but it especially shows in decisions she makes within the relationships she has with other characters, whether it be her familial relationship with her kids, or her two romantic/sexual relationships she has with women at different points of the story. But she’s also kind of a badass. She noticeably grows into herself the older she gets, and she demonstrates a fierce love and protection of her kids. But although she learns to adapt, her trauma is not the source of her strength. And that’s something I especially love about her: She’s written in a way that is unabashedly vulnerable. Her support system is small—really in the form of Bridget and Gogo, but necessary for her.

And oh my goodness, Vern’s family!! I love how there was also a found family element with Gogo and Bridget. I loved how their Lakota culture was incorporated into both their respective characters, and the home they helped cultivate with Vern, Howling and Feral. (Also, having Indigenous characters, in addition with Black characters, be at the forefront of a story using its horror elements to criticize America’s systemic, racist abuses was just…very satisfying. Granted, the events in the book are fictional, but you get the gist.) And their characters were very well-written! 

The different setting changes and twists kept me on my toes, so although this isn’t a fast-paced story, I was never bored for long. (But I have to admit, that first woods segment dragged out a bit.) A minor criticism is that although I kind of get the brief shift to Feral and Howling’s POVs for that one part where it’s showing the switch to civilization(which is abrupt for both of the kids, and difficult to adjust to), I still found it jarring and since it didn’t really happen elsewhere in the novel because we stuck with Vern’s POV, was it necessary to have that happen..?

Haunting and Feral brought an unexpected wholesome element to some parts of this story? They truly felt like kids. It was interesting seeing how they perceived some elements, like Vern’s body horror and the outside world, in non-conventional ways due to their upbringing. Also, their bond with their mother was so sweet…especially in those moments where they got especially worried about Vern and would try their best to help her, even if they could only offer so much🥺WAUGH…😭🫶

My feelings on the ending are mixed. Although it kept the darker tone, I thought there were a lot more plot-convenient parts, and there were slightly more sci-fi elements than I was expecting to be in a horror novel like this?? But because I absolutely loved the rest of the novel, I’ll probably gloss over a chunk of the “Kingdom Animalia” parts, lol.

Overall though this was a BANGER please go read it for the love of glob