2.5 stars.

This was okay, but at this point I can definitively say I much prefer the show. On a theoretical level it's a fascinating premise, but something about the execution felt flat and disappointing to me; the humor that I appreciated in the first volume didn't land quite as solidly. Though I enjoyed getting to see where different parts of the show came from, in and of itself I really didn't like this volume as much.

This is the book club’s first pick (of three) for the semester, and I have to admit I'm not impressed. There are really interesting ideas about parent/child relationships, gender and sexuality, growing up, setting, and identity as a product of the above; however, I never found a moment where I identified or even really empathized with Alison — it was a lot of her describing her own “tendencies,” for lack of a better word (OCD, masculinity, homosexuality) and how abnormal/deviant they are. And while I acknowledge that it can’t have been easy growing up in the environment she did, never feeling free to be herself, the narrative tone was alienating.

The art itself is great; each deliberate detail contributes to the overall story and the pictures are cohesive. It’s raw and graphic in every sense of the word, uncomfortable in thought-provoking ways, and above all it’s very self-aware.

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this book — I don't read a ton of graphic novels (they've always interested me, and I read a decent amount of manga in middle school, but the medium isn't very Kindle-friendly as a whole and I do most of my reading on my Kindle nowadays) and the synopsis is intriguing though not especially descriptive. The plot is interesting throughout, and all the buildup comes to satisfying fruition at the climax when all three storylines converge and the "moral" (inasmuch as the narrative has one) emerges.

Some of the other reviews mention how clever the title is. For what it's worth, I've been referring to myself as "American Born Chinese" (or ABC) for about as long as I can remember, and definitely since before this book was published. Though it's not really an important issue; it might be regional or have grown in popularity relatively recently. Either way, to me it's a familiar turn of phrase ... which made it all the more disconcerting when I had trouble relating to this book. I know I'm extremely lucky to have grown up in a community with lots of fellow Asian-Americans, so I didn't feel out of place or singled out, and I went to Chinese school growing up so I know the language, culture, and stories. This version of Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) works well within the context of the larger story Yang is telling, but it's fundamentally different from the story I grew up with, and that threw me off quite a bit. Which is a complicated issue in and of itself, getting into retellings and storytelling culture and diversity of experience even within a demographic — I won't get into all that, except to say that this isn't the book's fault but it did impact my enjoyment of the story.

But! The art is terrific, and the narrative flow is fantastic. Objectively, this is a book that deserves all the awards and praise it has gotten. (It's just not quite right for me.)

I think this scenario is described in Deadline and/or Blackout so it didn't hold anything new to me plot-wise, but it's alarming to think the trilogy could've ended here. It's awful to think both Masons could be dead and the conspiracy buried. (Yes, I know it's all fictional and theoretical; you probably get what I mean.)

Though I am curious whether Grant had already decided to make Shaun immune to KA — because that adds another level of tragedy to it all. He would have gotten better. She would have lived.

This is indeed "both cute AND sad," and a perfect quick read for the holiday season.

This story is available on Tor's website.

Some people forget, but David remembered everything.

I've already read (and loved) the Villains duology so I know pretty much exactly what's going on here, but it's still amazing. Schwab is an incredible storyteller, succinctly establishing setting and characters that pull the reader right into their world; this short story was so satisfying and heartrending and yet I want more.

(For those who haven't read Villains yet, it makes a great teaser.)

"You went the way of wishes, and that is never straight. You went the long way around, but that was your way."

The first part gave me actual chills because it's so brilliantly constructed, delightfully meta; exploring Fantastica with Atreyu and Falkor is so exciting, even with the urgency of the Childlike Empress's condition. Of course the worldbuilding is fantastic, and I was almost as immersed in the narrative as Bastian was.

The second half was also well-written, but I found it much less enjoyable because it's more straightforward fantasy adventure, which was a bit of a letdown by comparison. And

Spoiler

Bastian is such a jerk, particularly to Atreyu and Falkor, and he's only "redeemed" at the very end, without ever really addressing his flaws or mistakes; you can't wholly blame AURYN for it, just as you can't wholly blame alcoholism or mental illness for an abusive or neglectful parent

.

It also bothered me that all five of the named female characters — the ineffable Childlike Empress included — are just archetypes, all of them secondary to the male heroes of the tale:

Spoiler

Moon Child/the Childlike Empress is a neutral "higher power" who disappears from the narrative after Bastian meets her; Urgl is a healer and a nag; Princess Oglamar is carried off by a dragon so that her suitor can impress her with his hero-ness; Xayide is an evil seductress (though a PG version) who never gets an independent arc or backstory; Dame Eyola is a nurturing mother figure; Kris Ta is only mentioned in passing as someone Bastian tells his stories to

. (I know that this is a relatively old book, but that doesn't erase the fact.)

I have only vague memories of the movie, so I'd figured now was as good a time as any to finally read this book. And now I'm thinking I'll rewatch the movie to see how it holds up!

content warnings:

Spoiler

precanon parent death, neglectful grieving parent, [allegory for] depression & suicidal ideation, animal deaths (horse, werewolf), internalized fatphobia

-----------
CONVERSION: 12.0 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 10 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5

content warnings:

Spoiler

major char death(s), grief & guilt, violence, consensual marital infidelity/open (formality-only) marriage, waterboarding, trauma (incl. flashbacks), ableism, implied sexual content

rep:

Spoiler

bi/pan MC [Maven], lesbian MC [Evangeline], MLM POC-coded secondary char [Davidson], bi/pan secondary char [Gisa], established F/F relationship, established M/M relationship, mentioned past M/M relationships, diverse minor char's

★ 3.5 stars ★

"History favors the underfoot and the oppressed, Your Majesty."

While I'm not entirely convinced that this book needs to be as long as it is, on the whole I found it a satisfying conclusion to the series. It skirts the balance between grimness and unrealistically-neat resolutions; each POV character is portrayed with nuance and consistency; the plot goes kind of Game of Thrones but with less gory murder.

This series has really developed since the first book: from "just another YA dystopia with superpowers" to a fairly thoughtful commentary on systemic oppression, revolution, trauma, faith, redemption, and more. Rather than fighting over the princes (whether for personal or political motives), the young female leads —

Spoiler

Mare, Evangeline, Iris

— are Queens in their own right, figuring out how to wield great power and great responsibility.

[I have a lot more notes and comments so I may come back to this review, but I think the above sums up my feelings well enough.]

>> Series buddy read with Amanda!

-----------
CONVERSION: 9.73 / 15 = 3.5 stars

Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 5 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Memorability: 3 / 5

content warnings:

Spoiler

past major character death, grief & guilt, drugs & alcohol & sex as coping mechanisms, non-graphic sexual content, voyeurism, sexual harassment, marital infidelity (minor char's), queerphobia, racism & xenophobia, dub-con sex (initiated by a prisoner when other party is drunk), violence, physical & psychological torture, blood, being drugged, bad drug trip, eugenics, epidemic, biological warfare, transmissible cancer, mention of scalping, mentioned genocide, mentioned infanticide, mentioned stillbirth, mentioned sex conversion therapy & rape, death of butterfly, mention of dead dog, facetious suicidal ideation, prostitution

rep:

Spoiler

POC-coded WLW MC [Baru], POC-coded nonbinary MC [Tau-indi], Q/PoC secondray & minor characters

There are several interesting tropes and mini-arcs and revelations, social commentary, etc., but it often gets lost in the muddled bigger picture. Maybe the problem is that I absolutely lack Baru's savantry so I can't always follow her reasoning or scheming.

In general I felt like there was just too much going on, especially with the frequent POV/timeline switches (and the fact that each is differentiated by style instead of a label, e.g.

Spoiler

Baru is third-person limited past tense, Xate Yawa is first person present, etc.

) — honestly I had some difficulty keeping up with which characters were where, which characters knew what, which characters thought what ... and that made it difficult to really get invested in the characters.

So while the expansion makes perfect sense within the context of the series, and juggling so many perspectives sets up dramatic irony and humor, it just doesn't work for me. I do still care about Baru so I'll give the third book a chance, but if it's more of the same I may have to abandon the series.

-----------
CONVERSION: 8.2 / 15 = 3 stars

Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact: 4 / 10
Development / Flow: 3 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 2 / 5