Maelstrom is just the chaotic MC that I love to see. I loved the inclusion of fluidity in this graphic novel, whether that relates to gender expression/physical appearance. Maelstrom seems so certain in himself, at least in that regard, that he's never afraid to be that aspect of himself. Shapeshifters are great allegories.

There were some great emotional stakes here, with Maelstrom conflicted between what he was born to be and what he could become with his friends. The third act really heightens this in a tense, climactic way that perfectly builds throughout the book. 

Other than some slower moments, the pace is engaging enough and let's us truly get to know these characters and what they are fighting for.

Also I'm glad that Maelstrom's mother wasn't completely forgiven at the end. Though possessed by a great evil, she still made the choice to seek it out and remained distant to her son afterwards. It gives the story a realistic bent and let's Maelstrom put more stock in his chosen family.

Such an exciting, loving, and heartwarming send off to the DeadEndia trilogy. I will forever curse Netflix for not allowing such a wonderful wrap up to make its way to the screen, but them's the brakes.

I gotta say this was pretty disappointing.

The first book became a landmark when it came to showcasing LGBTQ relationships in a way that meant something, that resonated with so many people in its honesty. It laid itself bare with its characters that felt so lost and yet so easily found themselves in each other.

This, well...about this.

Saenz took the philosophical aspect of the first and flanderized it until it felt like every character had a moment to stand on their own individual soapbox. There are so many topics discussed throughout the novel: the AIDS pandemic, racism, gender equality, sexism, homophobia, but none of them actually managed to land because none of them felt authentic. It felt so scattered in its messages that I felt like I was being told seven different messages at once. Of course, they're good messages, I agree with them, but they aren't presented in a way that provokes thought. It felt like a lecture, one that was being told over and over again but without anything new to say. 

There were new characters that would show up for maybe a chapter or two and then disappear entirely.

I'm not sure if he was in the first book, but Rico threw me for a loop. He appeared in one chapter and then the next time he's mentioned Ari's at his funeral? It's hinted that it was a suicide but I was so confused why the book was trying to make me care about a character we hadn't even really met. You really could have edited that part out and really nothing would have been lost.

The new characters seem so hollow that they dont' even feel like real people. 

I did like Ari's journey throughout the book. It felt like a natural extension of what he faced in the first book and the relationship between him and his father had a great emphasis placed on it. I'm sad that Dante never really broke out of being "the emotional one" in this book but I'm glad at least Ari had some growth.

Honestly, I don't think we needed a sequel, at least not done like this. The plot is messy and slow, the characters feel like faded versions of themselves, and it's trying to be everything at once, but ultimately achieves very little. The first books will always have a place in my heart and this one I'm just going to nudge to this side a bit.

The plot that was teased in the previous volume goes absolutely full steam ahead here. I liked that there is now some focus to a story as it starts to become more dramatic and a heavy toll starts to weigh on our leads. I think what really makes Deadendia a standout series is the amount of emotion Hamish puts into their interactions. Friendships have become frayed, partners or potential partners are facing some serious miscommunication, things are getting messy and it becomes easy to be a little shortsighted. They act so human and maybe that's what is going to save them in the end.

I didn't even know that a follow up to Welcome to St. Hell had dropped until I found it gracing the shelves of my library. Here Lewis goes into the next step into his trans journey: finding out the perfect way to be a "man," navigating relationships, and starting college. It's great to see a trans memoir that goes beyond the coming out experience, especially when told in a humorous, down to earth way. 

A really ambitious indigenous horror anthology that I think hits the mark for the most part. There were some strong contenders, such as An Old Fashioned Girl, Deer Women, American Predators, and Lens, while others seem a little weak in comparison. The focus on a single family was an interesting direction, but I had to refer a lot to the family tree to see how certain characters were related/if their relation had impact on a certain story beyond their own. I think Ama's presence did well to connect certain stories, but I would have liked to see her a bit more throughout the years. 

It was interesting to see horror derive not only from creatures, but also systemic threats that have endangered indigenous people for ages: cultural genocide, colonialism, medical experimentation, the targeted preying of and violence against indigenous women, etc. It really leans into the MAN Made Monsters angle that's apparent in the collection.

A very sweet love story about Ana, a teen trying to find her place in America after moving to New Jersey from Argentina. I'm normally not a fan of love triangles, but I didn't find this one to be too insufferable as the two love interests are likeable in their own ways.

I really liked that it focused so much on language, on how many nuances there are and how there are so many different ways to express a feeling. The Glossary of Happiness is such a wonderful idea, a book full of words in various languages that don't have easy translations in others. Such a cute thing to bond over.

I think this is a very original immigrant story, particularly because of its focus on language and

the fact that Neo ultimately goes back to Greece, realizing that what America is giving him isn't what he needs now.

Queer people and monsters have always had a natural solidarity, being deemed as "others" or threats to the status quo. There is some comfort in monstrosity, as it comes with a sort of power and identity that queer folk can resonate with. I've always loved the meeting of these two worlds, of queerness and horror and beings that somewhat defy conventional explanation, so this anthology was a great fit for me.

Some highlights of the collection include:

How To Summon Me by Val Howlett
Be Not Afraid by Michael Thomas Ford
The Freedom of Feather and Fur by David Bowles
The House of Needs and Wants by Kalynn Bayron
World-Weariness by Naomi Kanakia

Each story is so special in it's own way that any of them are worthwhile reads, but these are the ones that stood out the most to me. There were maybe one or two stories where the allegory seemed a little too on the nose, but they were still enjoyable.

Way too slow going for me and felt like we were being thrown into the middle of a book 2 rather than introduced to a new world. Almost 100 pages in and we still didn't really get to the meat of the book or even close.

On the whole, I think this is a pretty strong anthology and caters well to those that enjoy historical fiction across a range of time periods. While I think it started off a bit weak, I didn't really connect to the first two stories despite their appeal, there are some really memorable tales in this collection. My favorites include:

The Magician by Erin Bowman
Lady Firebrand by Meagan Shepherd 
Step Right Up by Jessica Spotswood
Glamour by Anna Marie McLemore
The Belle of the Ball by  Sarvenaz Tash 
Take Me With U by Sara Farizan

One constant I found throughout the stories is that I wish they had been just a little longer. Some stop before they get a good sense of closure and we're left wondering what the resolution to the story is. Personally, I find open endings can be a bit unsatisfying, and, while they did end dramatically and purposefully, I still would loved more rounded out conclusions.