A very cute middle grade. The illustrations by Geneva B are fantastic. Jaxon is a great protagonist. He's considerate, good at trivia, and determined. I think young readers will really enjoy his character. The contrast between the mundane world of New York City and the hidden pockets of magic were cool. The descriptions of the magical realm were vibrant and inviting.

I enjoyed this more than its predecessor. I think the plot and the intrigue have more of the Jemisin luster. We get to learn more about the Banbara who were mentioned in The Killing Sun. Hanani is a compelling protagonist. She's religious and devoted to the Hetawa, but her male peer's rebuff make her question if she should find a more fulfilling path. Jemisin creates side characters who are very intriguing in their own right. The sex scenes are more muted compared to her other books (fitting, given the emphasis Hananja's emphasis on pleasure as peace) but still well written. The brutal customs of the various groups beg a deeper reading and lend themselves to themes of redemption, necessity, and order.

Really liked Abby's and Makeda's characters and how they interacted. Cool world. Took a bit to explain the haint.

There are a few storylines going on here - Calamity's finding ability, her relationship with her daughter Ife, the mystery of Calamity's parents, the sea people, pollution and imperialism. I tore through this book, and I know I missed some things. I anticipate rereading when I have a little more time on my hands. Calamity is a single woman in her 50s, proud, raunchy, and adventurous. After her father's recent death, she wrestles with feelings of loneliness/ undesirability and Ife's dissatisfaction with how she was raised. A combination of mistreatment and Calamity's stubbornness/penchant for insults have led to her current isolation. She's pretty homophobic (uses slurs during an argument, keeps children away from gay men because she thinks they're pedophiles or a bad influence, thinks gay/bi men carry disease, etc.), which becomes a prominent part of the story around the 2nd half of the book. The gay/bi men in her life set boundaries around what they're willing to do for her and how they're willing to be treated while also giving her a lot of grace (imo). A lot of this book is about Calamity reckoning with her decades of entrenched behaviors and seeing the necessity of change and possibility for improvement. In terms of the fantasy, I'd say the focus is on Calamity's finding ability. Due to language and habitat constraints, the sea people storyline mostly happens in the background, although they are important to the story.

Loved the story and the prose/ orator chosen to be narrator. Compelling story and characters

This was a cute, coming-of-age story of Blerd Juniper Bray. Juniper's very self-conscious, and sometimes she gets in her own way. The story's a bit light on the fantasy elements. They're introduced later in the story, and Juniper and Bree have to shuttle back and forth between Earth and Cantantis, so we don't get to understand the full breadth of the other world. Juniper has a crush on another girl, and it was sweet to watch her navigate that. She learns about being confident and staying true to herself and working through differences.

While the plot is fairly straightforward, this was a very complex and moving book. I guessed the monster's identity early on, but that didn't impede my enjoyment. I really enjoy Emezi's writing style, and it was nice to have the beautiful prose I was introduced to in Freshwater captured for a younger audience. There's a lot of discussion of feelings and processing complex emotions. This book holds comforting visions for the future, questions about justice, and strong supernatural elements. I loved it, and this was one of my favorite reads of 2019.

You can watch my full review here: https://youtu.be/wXfeK6AkgHM

This is a story about demons, high stakes battles, and camaraderie with commentary on white supremacy in the US.