Boy did I come into this book with high hopes. It's got everything I usually love: werewolves, monster families, morally gray characters, a genuinely eerie atmosphere at times. But, unfortunately, a good chunk of the book felt hollow. While some of the characters are interesting and receive a passable bit of characterization, some are left as thin cutouts, Luma and Rhys in particular. It's not until the end that we see more characters somewhat fleshed out other than Eleanor, so it leaves a healthy middle of the book where it just seems like we're just waiting for the next interesting thing to happen. Then, by the end, we're bombarded with so much information. There's one particular chapter where there's two big character introspections/reveals back to back and it was so difficult to absorb it all at once.

And Eleanor, I don't think I've come across a more oblivious character. There's stretching out the mystery of your book for narrative or atmospheric reasons, and then there's making the character not question anything around her just to pad out the page length. I think if Eleanor took the time to actually see what's happening around her and what she's capable of, this book probably would've been much shorter, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Now I didn't entirely despise the character. I empathized with her trauma and feeling out of place within her own family. I even recognize how those things could contribute to her being in denial about the things going on in her house. It just gets very frustrating when you figure out the obvious answer to a mystery that the character doesn't get around to realizing for another 5 chapters.

To be a little bit more positive about the book, I did like how certain things are left ambiguous, whether that's character histories or what kind of monsters they actually are. It reminded me a bit of how Neil Gaiman develops his more monstrous, ethereal characters, though Szabo's monsters come off as way less cryptic. They just sort of resonate on a similar vibe.

While I think I went into this book with maybe too many expectations, it was worth at least the one read. 

The atmosphere of this book is everything I could every want out of this kind of story. I loved the spooky dorm vibes, reads very much as a Shirley Jackson for young adults, complete with a haunted, paranoid main character and some very tense moments. Writing wise, the overall tone really heightened the feelings of dread and mystery surrounding the characters, though that ending went by way too fast. There was so much buildup for certain reveals and what they would all lead up to, only to wrap up everything within thirty or twenty pages or so. It didn't really match the attention of everything leading up to that point, so it would have been nice if it evened out some.

While it's pretty much a checklist for that dark academia aesthetic, a school setting, obsessive tea drinkers, snooty, analytical literature enthusiasts, and a general lugubriousness, there's nothing wrong with enjoying something that encapsulates that mood. I really dug it at least, since I haven't really read that many books with that kind of element to it.

Also, hooray for the added queerness in this book. It's just like a little bonus treat.

As for those twists and turns, there's some I saw coming from a mile away, and some that surprised me.

The moment Ellis mentioned that she was a "method writer," I knew in that instant she was shady as hell. Never trust anyone going method, they'll only use it as an excuse.

All in all, I liked how dark and messy this book turned out to be, where no one got out of it unscathed  and we're left with a sort of "What now?" ending.

It's been a good while since I've thrust myself into the dark abyss that is young adult vampire fiction. Going into this book, I felt that vampires had been very played out and held very little intrigue, but man, reading this really made me do a 180.  It's not that the vampires in this book are totally original. In fact, you really don't see much of their inhuman sides until the climax, except for a few incidental chapters here and there. It's more that this secret society of vampires actually stays, you know, a secret, to our main character. Sure, Celine susses out pretty quickly that they're definitely not human, but the murderer stalking her takes precedence over digging any deeper into it. I do love a girl with priorities. While I know a vampire light vampire book may be a disappointment to some, I think it adds a little bit more mystery, as well as keeps us as in the dark as Celine. I'm willing to wait on a bit of lore as long as this first book sets a good foundation.

Speaking of our main character, I absolutely loved her. I loved that her desire for power was in no way demonized or seen as shallow. She just wanted the respect as any man would get, and never wanted to thrown into a victim's position every again. Her banter with Sebastien is the highlight of their dynamic and, while it does start as a little insta-lovely, it develops into a very satisfying chemistry. 

Also, Odette is my favorite side character. I will forever fall at the feet of women who defy gender norms and are also very gay. It's my kryptonite.

I will agree with other reviews saying that the book does have a pacing problem. The first hundred pages or so are a slog to get through, but it really does pick up around the halfway mark if you're willing to commit. The atmospheric writing does help in getting through to the real action, painting New Orleans as the magical, but subtlety foreboding, place that it is. The climax is definitely worth getting to and really goes its hardest to make you want to read the next installment as soon as possible.

A very informational book that is sure to interest any lover of the corvid family tree. I appreciated the inclusion of biological details of crows, as well as cultural, though the book is more focused on the later. It was interesting to see the role the crow had in the cultural consciousness of many societies and to see where they overlapped. It's very handy to have all those viewpoints together in a neat, easily digestible volume that isn't too much bogged down by facts and data that could very well be outdated in due time. This book is more concerned with telling crows' history and the impact they have made on our perceptions of them. Their relation to myths and culture have evolved so much over time, and it was neat to see that process laid out so neatly and understandably. It's not a groundbreaking read, you could probably breeze past it in a sitting or two, but I very much enjoyed learning about the fascination and intrigue we invest into these birds.

Finally, an Ursula Le Guin book I can say that I've enjoyed. I've dabbled in her work before, but the writing style was a major hurdle for me. Her writing focuses more on setting up a scene and introspection, with little dialogue to break these moments up, leading to several instances where my eyes tend to glaze over. This happened to me with Left Hand of Darkness and Voices.

And, to be honest, it happened here and there in this book as well, but Ged's characterization, arc, and ultimate confrontation with the Shadow at the end more than made it worthwhile. I loved the emphasis of an emotional catharsis and self acceptance over a drawn-out physical conflict that pits the typical good vs. evil. Le Guin makes the tale more nuanced, opting for an ending that, while anticlimactic to some, perfectly delivers the overall theme and beliefs that make up the heart of Earthsea. 

<spoilers> By giving the Shadow his name, Ged brings the culmination of all his mistakes, his pride, his selfishness, his yearning to be known and have power, into himself and makes them a part of who he is. In Earthsea, the most treasured belief is that of Equilibrium, total balance. As Ged accepts and becomes aware of the misdeeds of his past, he becomes a more knowledgeable and capable wizard. He is both light and dark, and it will be interesting to see if that is explored in future installments in the series. </spoilers>

There are some things that I think could have been shown a little more effectively: his rivalry with his schoolmate Jasper, his friendship with Vetch, basically just his relationships to the other characters, as we see so much of him alone that it's hard to become attached to the others. But really I don't think there's anything else to improve upon, other than yeah, Le Guin really struggled with writing women in this series didn't she? Seeing how progressive her works are, I was surprised that there weren't any capable female wizards and the ones that we saw were either evil or using a weaker kind of magic. Researching it, it seems that came more out of a need to write more from the male gaze, as that's what publishers wanted in the 60s, which is a darn shame. Still, it's understandable why this book is seen as foundational in children's fantasy and the genre as a whole. It knocks down so many typical fantasy conventions, while also taking inspiration from fairy tales and legends of old, culminating in a story that's sure to last in the hearts and minds of readers young and old.

I think it's pretty obvious that each installment into this series is getting an automatic five stars from me, no questions asked. While a lot of great bits fall on the chopping block during the translation from podcast to comic, it's still a great adaptation that'll appease both old and new fans. Honestly, it's probably a good thing not everything is crammed into a single volume, as it would give new fans who come in through the comic something new as they check out the source material. 

Kravitz's design is on point, Killian and Carey's relationship remains adorably wonderful, and I'm glad certain aspects of the story are a little bit more polished now that there's the advantage of having the whole story to work with. The ending hits different once you've already seen all the pieces.

And lastly

if we don't get to see Taako and Kravitz's date at the Chug N' Squeeze at the end of the next volume or at the beginning of The Suffering Game volume, I'm going to riot.

I was so ready to love this book. A murder mystery set in Victorian London featuring a transmasc lead that the author claims isn't centered around his transness? Amazing. But that's the issue: almost every single issue Leo goes through all somehow links back to the anguish he feels as a transman. 

I don't really want to go into spoilers but Leo faces almost every humiliation and aggression a trans person could through: constant misgendering and deadnaming, forced outings, forced to pass as female in one scene, etc. He even gets raped in one scene, outing himself to an aggressor so that he could spare a woman from it. I'm sorry, but constantly degrading your trans character in these ways in a book that "isn't supposed to be about his transness," makes it clear it's a pretty integral plot point. I'm just so tired of trans pain, especially one in stories they ordinarily aren't a part of, due to the misconception of "Oh they didn't exist back then." I get the historical accuracy, but then it still fiction, you can do anything you can rightfully pull off. The rape scene did nothing to further any plot point or character progression and everything would have advanced just fine without it. 

I understand the intention of the author and I'm sure he didn't mean the book to come off this way, but at a certain point intention counts for very little. 

Now I didn't hate every aspect of this book. I thought Leo was a fine character and I did appreciate that he was able to make a good life for himself. His character was understandably naive, though occasionally misguided. I would have loved to see the progression of his character but, looking at the synopsis of the next book, where his former identity is used as blackmail, I feel it's just going to be more the same.

This volume mostly felt like a lot of build-up, but given that it's the first six issues, I'll try not to be too nit picky.

I do love mysterious, creepy house books. Each of them have a great sense of atmosphere and foreboding and Locke & Key is no different. This one is charming with its own rustic old world look, but one can't deny the menace that oozes from the grounds. 

The art style is one that feels familiar, but I don't think I've read anything illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez before. It reminds me of a few issues of Fables, but that may be because of the defined chins and eyes. On the other hand, I am familiar with Joe Hill's work, having read Horns a few years back, and I'm definitely interested in where the mystery goes. The content didn't scream horror, although the actions of a few characters are definitely horrific and some panels are meant to be unsettling, but I've got a weird sense of what horror is and I'm sure there'll be more nightmare fuel down the road.

Will definitely be picking up the next volume at some point!

I think, like so many people, I leapt at this book for its promise of quality asexual representation, and, for the most part, it definitely lives up to that reputation. I like that it included the fact that this sexuality is indeed a wide spectrum and is different for each person. Being ace myself, I definitely related to Alice in that a lot of a person's appeal to her lies in their overall aesthetic. It may not resonate with every asexual person, but I was glad to see a character that I was able to connect with in terms of where we both lie on the spectrum.

It's definitely great to see the lead also be a biromantic Black woman, as there is the misconception that asexuality is sort of a "white-people only" sexuality, which is plain ridiculous and there needs to be more of an effort to show more diversity when including this rep. I'm glad that this book is a result of such an effort.

Unfortunately, I think every other aspect of the book felt very middle of the road to me. I didn't really get attached to many of the characters. I think Alice's interest in interior design should have been a more prevalent part in her characterization, as it first shows up more than half way through the book and then

she ends up realizing that's what she wants to do with her life, even though we mostly just see her eating and talking about shows/movies.

And even some more insight into her interest in media analysis would have been interesting, but overall even that is given only surface level attention.

And oh man, I could not stand her best friend, Feenie. She's controlling, possessive, and just really hostile in a way that made me want to shout at Alice to get away while she still can. Feenie carries out so many double standards it's ridiculous and, though there was an attempt to patch up their relationship and have some communication, it still didn't really feel like anything was made better by it. 

The romance was cute, though nothing to write home about. Overall, it's a decent enough read and one of the better asexual representations I've seen that actually goes into some of the finer aspects of that identity, but that's really the only major plus I can give it.