(This is a companion novel to the trilogy, set during the first book and featuring a different cast, but it does contain spoilers for the later two books.)

I think what I liked most about this book is also what bothered me most about this book: it covers the same time period (and some of the same events) as Feed, but from the perspective of new characters who are less privileged than the Masons in a lot of ways.

Some scenes are similar to ones we've already seen, but play out significantly or slightly differently because the characters are different: they make different choices and/or are treated differently than the Masons were. On an academic/educational level it's interesting, but it did make me a little less invested in the outcome. That said, this effect is partially offset by how much I was delighted by the namedropping of major and minor characters from the trilogy.

And this set of reporters are just as smart and resilient; I particularly liked that their perspective is more intersectional, plus they're less insular than the Masons. They have some really exciting adventures of their own and make some alarming discoveries.

Honestly, this might be my favorite of the Newsflesh books. It stands alone, but also ties in strongly to the trilogy.

content warnings: 

blood, gore, violence, major character death(s), suicide (by stepping off balcony), survivor's guilt & grief, misgendering (challenged in-text), implied past attempted suicide, sexual harassment, ableist language, fictional mention of human trafficking (story within story), precanon loss of parent

rep: 

Irish immigrant lesbian MC, Chinese-American bisexual MC with PTSD, Black MC, genderfluid MC [they/them pronouns], F/F major relationship (established), past F/F relationships

-----------
CONVERSION: 12.6 / 15 = 4.5 stars

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

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

Had me at childhood best friends/neighbors; that's one of my favorite kinds of relationships to read about! I think my biggest complaint might be that it took a little too long for Janie Vivian to start feeling like a dynamic character instead of just this girl Micah totally idolized. (Not quite at the level of manic pixie dream girl, I don't think — and it definitely got better as the story developed and we got more of her POV — but it was maybe a little questionable at the start.)

This really is one of those stories that reminds you everyone's fighting their own battles, and it's not always obvious what drives them. I definitely predicted what happened to Janie — called it from the start — but it felt like that was the only possibility that really made sense, so. And I didn't see the arsonist reveal coming, but once it made sense the truth was so, so satisfying.

the feels, they hurt so good

Holy ⬛ this was good. I adore these new characters, and loved getting to check in with the ones we already met — 

wait shit Ezra is still alive right? We didn't hear from him in the last third or so

. It's consistent with the previous book without being the same, by which I mean that it shares main character archetypes (snarky, badass teenagers), multiple POVs/"sources", converging storylines, and more! Unique to this installment and a personal favorite of mine, the 

space-time ⬛ry

  was a particular highlight.

Funnily enough I had the opposite problem as I had with Illuminae: the beginning sucked me right in, but the climax and resolution were less compelling because 

apparently, this series is a No Main Character Death Zone. We already knew Kady survives and is part of the Illuminae Group, but all the fakeouts for Hanna and Nik and Ella quickly lose effectiveness — of course I wanted them to make it, but I stopped doubting they would

. Some of it works out a little too conveniently for me to totally smother my disbelief, though it makes for exciting reading. And I'll be blunt, it's pretty awkward to have to hold your laptop at an angle, or even upside down, to read some of the pages. It looks really cool and serves a legitimate narrative purpose, but yeah. Not perfect.

By the way, I think my favorite character is still 

AIDAN

, and I feel like maybe I should worry about what that says about me.

I had major Ark AU vibes (The 100, fanon 'verse) throughout, from Hanna & Nik's relationship and positions on Heimdall to certain quotes (

I AM BECOME DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS

) to little coincidences (

minor characters named Sinclair and Morley

). Totally not relevant and probably not interesting to anyone except me, just a sign of how much I love space dramas.

content warnings: 

suicidal ideation, self-sacrifice, graphic depiction of lab animals (breeding parasites), self-mutilation (removing implanted tracker), blood + minor gore, mercy killing of pet, loss of loved one, past off-page suicide

 
rep: 

physically disabled major character (plague survivor)

-----------
CONVERSION: 13.4 / 15 = 4.5 stars

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

Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5

I stand by my opinion that audiobooks, especially autobiographical/memoir types, should be read by the authors whenever possible — I'm sure the print book is fun too, but I just can't imagine how it could possibly compare to this glorious audio version. 

Sure, you get to actually see the pictures, but we get to listen to the hilarity of Dan and Phil trying to describe them in words. And bickering over sound effects. Did I mention it's hilarious?

Not having been super engaged in the Phandom, a handful of references and inside jokes flew over my head (though they do explain the majority, which could make this book enjoyable even for non-fans). And I imagine that's something hardcore Phans will enjoy, knowing the whole background story/context without having to have it explained, so it's not objectively a bad thing.

This is adorable! I love the vibrant colors, the sweet characters, and of course the gorgeous gowns; there's way more plot than I expected, but I'm totally here for it.

I would've liked to have more time given to 

clarifying whether Sebastian is genderqueer, as he says in one scene, or a boy who likes wearing dresses, as he seems to be painted by the narrative and the other characters; nothing is wrong with either, but they're distinct identities

. Otherwise, though, my only complaint is the pacing, which in graphic novels is almost always more condensed than I would like.

"Heartbreak is a loss. Divorce is a piece of paper."

I somehow managed to avoid enough of the hype to know only that this book was well-received, but none of the specifics. Which definitely helped me to just enjoy the story for what it was, rather than what I hoped or anticipated it would be.

Of course relationships are a huge part — one might even say the heart — of the story. Not just the marriages, but secret romances, friendships, family ties, even working partnerships play a pivotal role in shaping the narrative. (Seven degrees of Evelyn Hugo?) I always love when characters come to life in their interactions with each other, and we certainly get that with this book. At the same time, there's enough suspense and even some intrigue to balance it out.

I adored the titular protagonist, Evelyn Hugo: her unapologetic ambition, her fierce loyalty, her insights on society and Hollywood. She made choices that hurt people (though per her own explanation, they weren't mistakes — she knew exactly what she was doing, and she would do it again); she also owned up to them and did what she could to make amends. She took advantage of her privileges while remaining conscious of their existence, and even leveraged them to help others. Although her part of the narrative is historical fiction, she's a fantastic role model for the present day.

To be quite honest, though, I wasn't quite as invested in Monique or the contemporary narrative. I sympathized with her struggles — building a career as a biracial woman, dealing with the end of her marriage, etc — and she was overall probably a more relatable character than Evelyn. But it all just couldn't compare to the glamor and excitement of the other storyline.

And the ending kind of fizzled, weak in comparison to the beginning and middle. Possibly it's just that the destination is always a letdown when the journey was such an adventure, but it bothers me that we don't get a more vibrant final image of Evelyn Hugo. Though I guess that could be the point: she's only human, despite her fortune and fame.

content warnings: 

loss of loved ones (adult daughter, parents, best friend, father, partner), slut-shaming, pedophilia, power-imbalanced relationships, domestic abuse, homophobic slurs, bi erasure (challenged in-text), abortion, infidelity, grief, alcohol as coping mechanism, chronic/terminal illness (breast cancer, COPD), car crash, major character deaths, implied suicide

rep: 

Cuban-American bi MC, biracial (Black/Caucasian) MC, Black minor character, Asian-American minor character, gay secondary & minor characters, lesbian secondary character/love interest, Salvadorean minor character, secondary & minor M/M relationships

-----------
CONVERSION: 12.7 / 15 = 4.5 stars

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

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

content warnings: 

racism (incl. Orientalism & anti-Semitism), queerphobia (especially homophobia and transphobia), misgendering & dead-naming, bi/pan erasure, racist & queerphobic slurs, mention of being outed, mention of conversion therapy, infidelity, emotional & physical domestic abuse, alcoholism, mention of past child abuse, on-page vehicular manslaughter, minor character death, suicide by OD, terminal illness, sexual harassment, blood magic

rep: 

third generation Japanese-American WLW MC [Helen], Jewish bi/pan MC with likely PTSD [Haskel], lesbian MC/LI [Emily], F/F main relationship, F/F secondary relationship, M/(bi/pan) F relationship, queer main cast, diverse minor characters incl. Asian, Asian-American & trans

I think going in with no idea of what this would be about (I got it as part of the [b:In Our Own Worlds: Four LGBTQ+ Tor.com Novellas|39724296|In Our Own Worlds Four LGBTQ+ Tor.com Novellas|Margaret Killjoy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522942282l/39724296._SY75_.jpg|61405231] collection) worked out for the better, since I had to just take things as they came rather than having any preconceptions or expectations to affect the reading experience.

What stands out most is probably the general atmosphere: a sort of bubble of happiness snatched in a historical, conservative SF. There's a lot of fear and hate and intolerance that the characters have to deal with from outsiders, but there are also moments of joy and laughter and love. While the characters aren't super fleshed-out they do have distinct personalities, and their relationships (romantic & friendly alike) are vibrant.

The plot is engaging without being overly dramatic or overwhelming, allowing readers to focus on the themes and concepts being illustrated; this balance won't be for everyone, of course, but I quite liked that it's straightforward without being simple.

-----------
CONVERSION: 12.2 / 15 = 4.5 stars

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

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