I'm going to be honest and say that I didn't know the author was the same guy who does the Charlie Hebdo comics. I thought the style was clear and cute, the pov interesting and the depiction of Western and Arabic culture appropriate for a western born Arabic persona, akin to Persopolis or Fun Home. However, now that I do know the identity of the author, it does throw into question the whole comic series.

At times, this book of poems is interesting, like when Shraya describes the dialougue during a pride parade when an indigenous protestor interrupts the celebration to discuss the issue of trans folk in detention centers being abused. At the same time, other poems seem almost glib and aloof, like the one directed toward Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj.

In this short diatrine to depression, Bhatt outlines her experiences with the diagnosis, detailing the many ways it makes it difficult to maintain interpersonal relations, career or self care. It is honest, realistic and often times almost too upsetting.
The one thing that threw me off was her use of seemingly random quotes. Like she would be in the middle of a really good thought on the impact of social fame and then suddenly have a quote from Fight Club. It was jarring and not in a good way.
Otherwise, this book will resonate with you if you have depression or care for someone with depression.

Thank you to University of Toronto and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available August 18th 2020

Based in the sultry city of Natal, Brazil, Marie-Eve Carrier-Moisan's ethnographic story "Gringo Love" poses questions about power dynamics in policing sex work. Why is it that women from favelas are labelled as criminals for doing exactly what college women in upper middle class neighborhoods do? How does sex work provide a means of upward mobility? Who is "protected" when sex workers rights are violated?

Through simple yet illustrative dialogue, Carrier-Moisan brings to life the story of Carol and her friends, women who make their living by providing services for the wealthy foreigners. It's particularly interesting to juxtapose the women's view of themselves as workers who are aiming for a better future for themselves and their children & their client's view of the women as sexy, submissive ladies they are supporting and keeping safe from "brutal" native men. In a way, the foreigners are coming to Natal to fulfill colonial fantasies.

There are moments in this book that will make you flinch, moments that will make you disgusted and moments that will leave you indescribably sad. There are also moments of levity, of sisterly compassion, of clarity. The graphic form was engaging and enjoyable & the essays in the appendix help contextualize and tie the story together. I would highly recommend!!

Thank you to University of Toronto Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available August 18th 2020

Once again, this is a hard book to review. I wanted to enjoy it, I wanted to expand my knowledge of an area that I had some knowledge about in the US. Perhaps, it is a book best enjoyed in a classroom with a knowledgeable professor to guide the conversation and discussion. Alone, it felt like an almost impossible book to parse out. If you want more information on this topic, perhaps Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talga will be a more accessible book.

Thank you to University of Nevada and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available Aug 11 2020

Without a doubt, Yxta Maya Murray is one of the most creative writers I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time. In "The World Doesn't Work That Way, But it Could," Murray creates a parallel to our world, drawing on recent political events like the Miss USA Pageant 2015, ICE family separation and the school to prison pipeline. Reminiscent of George Saunders and Kevin Wilson, Murray expands on the bizarre, hilarious and somber to showcase the cognitive dissonance in our modern political climate. Yet there is something very tender at the heart of the stories, of humanizing those who we often think of as the "enemy"; the single mother who is forced to become an ICE worker, the harried father who advocates for family separation while trying to hold together his own, the mother who hides her government work with schoolchildren to protect her own autistic son. I loved spending time with Murray in this twisted world and highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Verso Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available Aug 18 2020

Unsettling and fast paced, Fatima Bhutto's The Runaways attempts to peel back the layers on modern day Karachi. When Anita accidentally runs into Monty at her new, private school in Karachi she can hardly predict the changes that are about to come her way. Addressing everything from the vacuity of modern, upper class living to the personal conflict homosexuality in Islam to a young girl's yearning for freedom, Bhutto's novel feels like it pulls the reader in many directions at once. It's often muddy grounds both philosophically and ideologically, and gets even more confusing when the characters start to adopt secondary names. The final scene is chilling and tense and I wish more of that dramatic writing was carried throughout the rest of the book.

Thank you to Books Go Social and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Straightforward yet descriptive, Noel Nadesan's King Asoka's Veterinary Hospital focuses on the story of Siva Sundram Pillai, a young Sri Lankan veterinarian, as he navigates work, life and friendship in rural Melbourne Australia. Along the way, Siva meets entertaining coworkers like the sexist and charming Carlos and faces challenging cases. While I learned a great deal about animal anatomy and the history of veterinary science, it felt like the protagonist of Siva was eclipsed by his other coworkers. It is a mindless read that I had a difficult time continuing to stay engaged with.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Indie Bookstore.

Faces with a hostile world full of TSA agents, ICE officials, and xenophobic general population, it's easy to see why the first and second generation teenagers in Adi Al Said's new collection "Come On In" feel overwhelmed. As a first generation immigrant myself, I related so closely to the narratives provided within these stories - tales of children growing up faster than they should, maturing to take care of elderly family members and community. At the same time, I can't help but be struck by the incredible strength of these fierce protagonists. My favorite was Isabel Quintero's piece. Without a guide, without much help, they were making it happen by the sheer force of their will. That, to me, is the ultimate beauty of the immigrant America - by the crook of sheer desire, all things become slowly possible. A deeply moving collection!