Combining science fiction and literary fiction, Bacon's novel Claiming T-Mo meanders through the lives of several generations of the titular character's family. It's like an orchestral arrangement where several instruments riff on the same notes but with staggered entrances - certain themes and experiences reappear in the lives of each of the characters but resolve when all the characters gather at the end. This is a world of magic and alien life where neither is explained in any depth. The story focuses on the characters' relationships and experiences. There's a funny scene where T-Mo brings his wife Salem alien produce, and she cooks it L'Alchemista style.

I was confused about the division between T-Mo and Odysseyus. Bacon provides a magical explanation for the personality change, but it seemed more likely to me that it was a response to the abusive household he was raised in. Novic is the closest thing this story has to a villain, and the effects of his parenting are felt in every corner of the book, even though he's never confronted about it. T-Mo's mother Silhouette was a child bride, married to Novic at 11, and Novic was physically abusive. I didn't think it was a stretch that Novic would abuse T-Mo too and that would account for T-Mo's mood swings.

The elements that reverberate through the lives of each of the cast are the prison planet Shiva, absentee parents, murder, and disability. I'm still parsing out why Bacon chose those elements.

I discussed this with Kenya of Reviews May Vary here: https://youtu.be/Ma0lAq3NL4A.

Basically, this is a book that relies on emotions to carry it. It's got the cheese-y feel-good quirkiness that reminds me of coming-of-age films. The romance and the found family dynamics are its strongest points. I really had to suspend my disbelief at how the characters overcame certain obstacles or reacted to certain situations, and that made it hard for it to feel like the story had any stakes. The romance happens towards the final 2/3 of the book, and I would've liked it earlier.

Video review here: https://youtu.be/rwf7zK9bl1c
I got an ARC in exchange for a review. Opinions are my own. Drayden has created an imaginative playground of a world that allows her to showcase her strengths: her creativity and her humor. I was fascinated by the social orders and mechanics of the beast described within the book. The chemistry between Seske/ Adalla and their rival love interests was believable, and I became heavily invested in certain relationships working out. While the narrators Seske and Adalla felt like fully fleshed out, distinct human beings, some of the side characters felt flat or trope-y. There was one antagonist and a side character in particular who I felt like could have easily been given more depth, and I wanted to know more about but didn't. Book includes some social commentary, and while the basics of this alternate society (polyamorous, matriarchal, utilitarian) were believable to me, some of the commentary felt forced or heavy handed because it seemed too based in our world and not the one Drayden had created. The ending felt a bit muddled and rushed to me, but on the whole, an immersing, highly enjoyable read.

Based on 1st read
I came into this novel thinking that it would be horror and hearing it compared to Interview with the Vampire. There are supernatural elements. It isn't Stephen King type horror. I think the premise and pacing was very similar to Interview with the Vampire (which I also struggled to read); It was a well-done book, but it wasn't really for me. While reading, I got bored with it and took frequent breaks. I think the pacing felt slow because I had an idea for where the story was going. I was intrigued by the order of immortals and their schools and origins. My interest was really piqued by the ending though, and I think I would continue with this series.

Based on 2nd read
Before I was of the opinion that you could just read a Wiki summary of the 1st book and skip to the 2nd, and I don't know what shifted between my 1st read and this read because my opinion drastically changed. Don't skip this book if you're going to read the series. The main horror elements of the book are the emotionally abusive relationship Jessica is in, the psyche of her abuser, and the amount of danger she endures to maintain a facade of normalcy.

The book is beautiful, sometimes disturbing, and was difficult for me to understand. I'm only passingly familiar with Igbo culture, but I think the novel is supposed to feel too big to comprehend. It was definitely a worthwhile read.

Enjoyed this middle grade debut from Smith. The atmosphere and creepy imagery were wonderful. The antagonistic Stranger, in all his incarnations, was threatening. Hoodoo is an endearing protagonist. He's perpetually the odd one out - his mother's dead and his father lives in a disgraceful exile, he's the only one in his family without an affinity for hoodoo, and he's often bullied by his peers. I liked his relationship with his crush Bunny. Bunny's not quite a tomboy, but she's athletic, good at whittling, and can generally handle herself. Even though she doesn't need Hoodoo to look out for her, he tries to defend her, and when he isn't able to protect her, Hoodoo doesn't twist his embarrassment into a resentment of Bunny.

This had all the ingredients to be a 5-star read for me, but I had some issues with the story. I was unclear on who the target audience was for the book. It seemed like Smith assumed that readers knew next to nothing since he had Hoodoo consistently explaining terms to the reader (which I didn't like because I thought it disrupted the flow of the story without adding much), but if that were the case, I would have expected more context clues about other aspects of the story. The ending felt a bit rushed. Hoodoo learns some very impactful information that I thought would take him some more time to synthesize. The world felt a little flat because it felt like all the side character's lives revolved around Hoodoo, whether it was helping or hindering him. If I were reading this as a preteen, I doubt I would've noticed the critiques I described above.

Full review here: https://youtu.be/uQq_G5mMeF4

Based on the synopsis, I wouldn't have picked it up (I'm not big on romances), but I really enjoyed it. It's very well-written. I remember Wilson describing a clap as "a crack of handmade thunder" and just sitting and thinking about what a good description that was. Aqib's family dynamics seemed very real, as did Aqib and Fastymede's relationship, as complicated and messy as they were. The world building was good, and I was intrigued by the setting. It's nonlinear so you pick up bits and pieces as the story goes. I appreciated the final twist. Overall a very engaging story.

Prose was beautiful. Although generally a serious book, Wilson occasionally contrasts the narrator's flowery speech with the more blunt colloquialisms used by most of the characters. I liked the chemistry between Demane and Captain. I read this thinking it was part of the story of A Taste of Honey and that it would explain the world more, but these novellas are very tangentially related. A lot of gore and action.