Ran out of time on a library loan 

 

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher is a recent gothic horror that I like the more I think about it. So let's dig in (get it!)

Sam is a relatable fat 32 year old woman in academia summoned to her late grandmother's home at the behest of her brother with the purpose of checking on their increasingly paranoid mother. Upon arriving she's greeted by racist paintings, vivid nightmares, a handsome gardener, and a committee of vultures. The longer she stays the more questions she has. Why is her mother, Edith, behaving so erratically? How much do the neighbors know about Gran Mae and other family history? Is there any truth behind bedtime stories of the "underground children"?

Admittedly, I didn't know too much going into this book, beyond a desire to go through T. Kingfisher's catalogue after enjoying Nettle & Bone, and What Moves the Dead. I'm once again impressed by her writing, especially in that this story balances humor and horror so well. The description of Sam's nightmares were vivid and I probably should not have read them before going to bed! The scene in which Sam is trying to decipher what's real and not in photos was unnerving and reminded me of a fantastic scene in Middlegame by Seanan McGuire. The build up of increasingly unsettling hauntings is perfectly paced, making the intense last few chapters incredibly rewarding. I admittedly didn't find the jar of teeth buried in the yard too concerning, but I've known many witches in my day.

True highlights of this story were the characters and the theming surrounding generational trauma. Though I already returned my copy to the library, my favorite interaction went something like this:

Sam: "Is Hermes your familiar?"

Gail: "He's my friend."

Rating: 5/5 Stars. Vultures are good birds with important jobs, and as noted in the Acknowledgements, I always appreciate them when I see them.

I had to return this one to the library and hadn't yet felt gripped by the story. I may pick this up again in the future.

This was absolutely worth the wait and even better than Priory!

 

Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms is an LGBTQ+ coming of age romance featuring Annie, an antisocial lesbian and newly elected cheer captain trans girl Bebe. As Annie struggles to enter an already fluctuating team dynamic, Bebe learns how to navigate the spotlight and her own growing feelings for Anne. This story has a HEA and by the end of it, all members of the cheer team gain a stronger understanding of what authentic support means!

Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms is a masterclass in portraying consent, a feature which is worthy of recommendation to teen audiences without even considering the other positive elements. Anne asks if she can kiss Bebe! Bebe fights off Jonah when he repeatedly disrespects her boundaries! The icing on this cupcake of a story is that one of the other teammates comes out as nonbinary by the end, having been felt supported by Bebe, which is something that absolutely happens in LGBTQ+ friend groups. 

From a technical quality standpoint, the font size used in the lettering is large and very legible, compared to some other YA graphic novels I’ve read, which may be especially accommodating to some teen readers.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars! The panel of Annie’s homecoming Queen poster had me cackling.