Don’t let the size of this 181-page novella fool you--Ring Shout may be small but it sure is mighty. 

Ring Shout follows a group of bad-ass women led by Maryse Boudreaux who are hunting down KKK members. In this world, Klansman are both metaphorical and physical monsters who disguise themselves as men but are gruesome monsters when they reveal their true form. Maryse channels collective hurt and a desire for vengeance to fight the hate that the Ku Kluxes and other racist monsters thrive on. 

This story may just be a new favorite of mine! I don’t read a whole lot in the horror/fantasy genre but was really sucked into this story. My favorite aspects were the Odyssean/mythological references, its reimagination of sci-fi/horror tropes, and the fact that it followed a band of strong female protagonists who are fighting white supremacy left and right.

I love short stories for their concise ability to really make you think, and for that same reason I think I need to start reading more novellas. Ring Shout doesn’t waste any space. P. Djèlí Clark imbues each page with action, wonder, and sentences that you’ll want to read twice so you can fully absorb their weight.  

We get a little bit of everything in this novella. There is history mixed with myth, oral tradition, Gullah-Geechee culture and language, sword wielding, and even world jumping. It as has the perfect ending for a sequel and I really hope that P. Djèlí Clark gifts us that story in the future. 

If any of this sounds like your thing (or even if it doesn’t), I highly recommend Ring Shout for a balanced dose of both history and fantasy!

 

Wow. I honestly did not expect to love this one as much as I did. It flawlessly weaves immigration issues, LGBTQ+ rep, werewolves, witches, and the most gorgeous world-building I’ve recently encountered into one novel. I think even fantasy haters will find something to love in this magical tale. 

A phenomenal poetry collection by “a Nêhiyaw, Two-Spirit, trans femme supernova writing to reclaim and harness ancestral magic and memories” (from bio). These poems speak directly to Twist's intersectional experience. My favorites were “Born in Mourning” and “I Am the Boundless Space between Oceans of Water and Wheat.” 

Highly recommend this historical fiction tale, especially if you want to learn more about U.S. history regarding slavery and the antebellum period. I loved how dimensional the main character is and how her identity and experience encompasses several seemingly opposing elements. 

I found that Firefly Lane's plot and character development left a lot to be desired. I had decided to read it since the Netflix series is coming out soon and I am one of those people who will refuse to watch a show/see a movie for years until I read the book. It was okay, but I didn't love it as much as I had expected to. 

This story portrays the friendship of Tully and Kate, two friends that meet during their teenage years in the ‘70s and remain friends throughout the decades into the 2000s. I didn’t feel particularly connected to either of these two main characters and was frustrated by the lack of character development throughout. They both kept making the same mistakes over and over and nothing really changed until the last few chapters. It felt like the glue holding together this friendship was time alone and not a deeper emotional bond.

Much like the only other Kristin Hannah novel I’ve read, The Nightingale, this book will likely bring a few tears to your eyes and take you on an emotional journey in the last 80 pages. However, for a 479 page book, I expected to feel some sort of connection to either character much sooner than that and ended this one on a note of disappointment.

An amazing own voices tale by an author/featuring an MC who is ace and Lipan Apache. I got lost in this parallel world and its lovable characters. If you want an intersectional YA speculative fiction/mystery that will warm your heart, this is it. Ellie reminded me so much of myself as a teen and her character really spoke to me.