Book report #6
I'm not like other teenagers, I'm 36
Sorry I’m late. I was tired.
I want to take a second to noodle on genre. I accidentally read a few young adult books. To be clear, I like YA, and I wasn’t trying to avoid it. What I mean is that I selected the books randomly and didn’t know they were YA until I was into it, and writing I didn’t know if I should put it in genre, because young adult fiction means a book that contains any of the following.
The age of the characters
The pacing/structure of the book. One author I interviewed in the past described YA as action-driven or plot driven. Another said she thinks of the character journey for YA as the character desires change, and an adult character fights to keep things the same.
The audience of the book
The reading difficulty - sometimes you read a book with adult content and it has the moral philosophy of a child, or it’s written as if it were for a sixth grader
Anyways, all that is to say that I don’t select books based on whether they’re YA or not, and you probably shouldn’t either.
Blood on the Tide, by Katee Robert 🎧
Genre: Paranormal Romance
What’s it about: So quick scene setting: This series is based in a universe where all types of mythical creatures are real, and there are multiple worlds in play. There’s sort of an in between dimension, which is like a vast ocean world where everyone zips around on big ships. This world is policed by a group of seafaring warriors called the Cŵn Annwn who ensure that dangerous monsters don’t escape to other worlds. Turns out that the cops are corrupt and brutalizing citizens, so there is a brewing rebellion.
*takes deep breath*
In THIS book (which is book two in this series) Maeve is a selkie, a shapeshifter who takes the form of a seal, and an informer for the aforementioned rebellion. Her seal skin, which is necessary for shapeshifting, has been stolen and she wants it back.
Lizzie is a very dangerous vampire, who followed her witch ex-girlfriend to this world after said ex stole family heirlooms and is still hunting for them while traveling with her ex (and ex’s new hulking warrior boyfriend) across the seas. Maeve and Lizzie form an uneasy partnership to help each other recover their treasures, and as they face off against dangerous enemies, they find themselves drawn to one another.
Was it any good: It was fine. I enjoyed this more than book one probably because there were lesbians in it. I also really do love monsters. Katee Robert’s books are almost always a guaranteed Good Time - plots move fast, the characters are extremely emotional and tricky, she thinks up of interesting and inclusive pairings, and I do think she writes hot scenes. This series, however, might be slightly too silly for me. I don’t fully understand the world building, and I’m not sure it’s that necessary to justify a high seas adventure.
Highlights:
Pirates!
Monsters!
Hot sapphic scenes (Idk why but these are often unsatisfying in books, which is very sad for me)
I didn’t know that much about selkies, and had a fun little research session afterwords. (Although, I was very upset to learn that Maeve is a leopard seal, a creature that the thought of literally gives me nightmares.)
I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me, by Jamison Shea 🎧
Genre: Horror, Drama
What’s it about: Laure Mesny is a teenaged black woman nearing the end of her time at an illustrious ballet academy in France. She and her classmates are in cutthroat competition with one another to be the best and gain a coveted spot competing against her privileged classmates for a coveted spot in one of the top ballet companies. Laure, driven by desire and bitterness about how she is treated, makes a Faustian deal with an ancient God (or devil!) to achieve her goals, and lands herself in a community of others who serve the being. Someone begins hunting them down one by one.
Was it any good: Yes, this was a fabulous and evocative read. Laure’s rage at the state of her world and how she’s treated as a Black woman is so powerful (and relatable), and it felt cathartic to see it so bald on the page. I enjoy reading plots that involve social machinations and gossip, and this has the added benefit of having real monsters in the fray.
Highlights:
Laure is Queer
Submissive monster boys
Found family dynamics
The descriptions of the dances and ballets are so visceral
It’s genuinely creepy and disturbing on a physical and psychological level
A Deadly Education, by Naomi Novik 📖
Genre: Fantasy, Dark Academia, Grimdark
What’s it about: In this world, anyone born with magical powers is pursued by dangerous monsters called Mals, and witches scheme and trade to join Enclaves - large communities of witches - to gain protection. Teenagers enter the Scholomance, a strange school where as they study up on their specialities, they could be picked off by Mals or other ambitious and dangerous students. Graduation is a battle royale against hoard of Mals students must pass to leave the school.
Galadriel “El” Higgins is one such student, and she is at an enormous disadvantage: Not only does she not have the backing of an Enclave, her powers are foretold to be evil and catastrophic. Even worse, she keeps getting saved from Mals by Orion Lake, the golden boy of the school. The story follows El as she schemes to survive the school without losing her life…or her temper.
Was it any good: Yes, but…this is another book that had a slog of world building exposition. There are so many rules and so many things you have to remember, and it’s all told from the sardonic, bitter tone of the teenaged El, which I found grating and occasionally confusing. The best part of the book is that it is explicitly clear about how the institutional structure is as responsible for children’s deaths as the monsters are, and El is fighting against those structures as much as she is against the Mals.
Highlights:
Found family (the power of friendship will always make me cry!)
The book is funny - I especially like the dynamic between El and Orion
It’s violent! People be dying constantly.