Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith

From the publisher: Debut author Tobly McSmith delivers a coming-of-age teen love story about a transgender boy who’s going stealth at his new Texas high school and a cisgender girl who is drawn to him, even as she’s counting down the days until graduation. Perfect for fans of David Levithan, Becky Albertalli, and Jenny Han.

Pony just wants to fly under the radar during senior year. Tired from all the attention he got at his old school after coming out as transgender, he’s looking for a fresh start at Hillcrest High. But it’s hard to live your best life when the threat of exposure lurks down every hallway and in every bathroom.

Georgia is beginning to think there’s more to life than cheerleading. She plans on keeping a low profile until graduation…which is why she promised herself that dating was officially a no-go this year.

Then, on the very first day of school, the new guy and the cheerleader lock eyes. How is Pony supposed to stay stealth when he wants to get close to a girl like Georgia? How is Georgia supposed to keep her promise when sparks start flying with a boy like Pony?

Funny and poignant, clear-eyed and hopeful, Stay Gold is a story about finding love—and finding yourself.

Please note that this review is coming from a middle aged cisgender woman. 

This is a book I'd been looking forward to for awhile now, and I was happy to see it show up in a pandemic-delayed delivery of ARCs (advanced reading copies). While the basic premise is as described in the publisher's blurb above, this is much less of a fluffy rom-com than indicated. Those aspects and tropes are definitely present, and wonderfully done, but this is an #ownvoices story, and current reality is unfortunately very present in the form of transphobia, homophobia, slurs, dead naming, dysphoria, violent bullying, suicidal thoughts, and public outing, among other content and trigger warnings. Two of the characters closest to Pony, Georgia and his friend Max, react negatively to him going stealth in different but hurtful ways. Readers should definitely be aware of what they're getting into before starting this one.

That being said, I really did enjoy this story and some of the characters. I absolutely adore Pony and was very much cheering for him. I also enjoyed the dialog between him and Georgia. Unfortunately, I just couldn't like Georgia all that much. I felt she was written rather one-dimensionally; when we do get to see more of her than the facade she's erected for herself, you see the potential for character development. Regrettably, this comes only in the latter half of the book. The ending does come together a bit too neatly, but certainly fits within the rom-com format. In fact, most of the criticisms I have with Stay Gold would be par for the course if it were more firmly rooted in that genre. Despite my critiques, this book had me turning pages to see what happened next, and I'm very glad to see more #ownvoices stories out there. I definitely recommend Stay Gold with the warnings mentioned earlier, and I look forward to reading Tobly's next book.

Galesburg Public Library will be obtaining a copy of Stay Gold in the near future.   

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco

From the publisher: 

"When a hidden prince, a girl with secrets, a ragtag group of unlikely heroes, and a legendary firebird come together…something wicked is going down.

Many years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left encased in ice when the Snow Queen waged war. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in…Arizona.

Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn’t even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them.

A new hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala must unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it."

Tala Warnock lives in a world where not only are fairy tales real, but The Wizard of Oz was based on a true story. While the kingdom of Avalon has fallen, its heir Prince Alexei lives right down the street from her and is one of her best friends. But then that's no accident:  Tala is a Makiling like her mother, a spellbreaker who has the ability to shut down magic in her immediate area... or would, if she could learn how to do it reliably. Helping to protect Alex from the Snow Queen's minions is sort of her job. 

Magic barely works in Invierno, AZ anyway though, so as long as both of them keep a low profile and she keeps Alex's secrets (he's gay, and his kiss can turn people into frogs), they shouldn't have much to worry about. But of course things don't last, and soon they're on the run from ogres, living shadows,  ICE agents, and worse. Can they make it back to Avalon, set things right, and install Alex as the king he was meant to be? Well, you'll have to read it to find out of course!

Wicked As You Wish blends together fairy tales, political intrigue, witty humor, diverse representation, and an unflinching look at modern social issues into a deep and action-packed story. The book draws inspiration not only from fairy tales and stories like Alice in Wonderland but also Filipino culture, world mythology, and important issues like immigration and prejudice. 

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy seeing a new modern twist on fairy tales, especially those looking for something a bit meatier than Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series. Chupeco drops readers into the thick of things and only explains a bit at a time, so it can take awhile for readers to understand what's going on. But for those who stick around through the detailed setup will find a solidly plotted, action-packed story that promises to only get better in future books.

Wicked As You Wish is available in Galesburg Public Library's Young Adult collection.

Forgotten Hills by Renee Lake

From the publisher: What do you do when you find a centuries-old dead woman in the basement? Come to Forgotten Hills Cemetery and Mortuary and find out! When Thana and her sisters reclaim their ancestral home, they have dreams of making it a thriving business. Little do they know they’ll also be dealing with a curse and a ghost and will uncover a family legend. Together they must expose the secrets buried in Forgotten Hills—without killing anyone in the process.

Things I liked:

• An Own Voices title
• Hispanic main character
• Bi and lesbian representation
• Engaging story that was easy to read
• A predictable but satisfactory HEA ending
• Deliciously creepy rather than graphically horrible

Things I didn't like as much:

• Some clichéd language (e.g., “She tasted like booze and cranberry, he tasted like…home.” p. 20 of the ARC)
• Breaking of the fourth wall (e.g, “Thana reached back out to the police and tried to pester Draven again, but both were, excuse the pun, dead ends.” p. 38 of the ARC, and “‘Earth to Thana,’ Lola said, throwing a flower, but let’s be honest, it was really a weed, at her head.” p. 112 of the ARC)
• Although it is pretty polished, there are areas that would benefit from a good editorial review

Setting aside some predictability and implausibility (really, your family has a curse and you don’t make sure to pass on all the relevant info to your descendants?), this was a fun read that was spooky without being too scary.

I read an advance reader copy of Forgotten Hills from Netgalley. It is available through the Galesburg Public Library as an ebook, and a print copy is on its way.

Pride Month: Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

From the publisher:

Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests
Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.
But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.
Nancy tumbled once, but now she's back. The things she's experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West's care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.
But Nancy's arrival marks a change at the Home. There's a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it's up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of things.
No matter the cost.

Winner: 2017 Hugo Award
Winner: 2017 Alex Award
Winner: 2017 Locus Award
Winner: 2016 Nebula Award
Nominated: 2017 World Fantasy Award
Nominated: 2017 British Fantasy Award
2016 Tiptree Honor List


Seanan's books (and those under her pen name Mira Grant) are favorites of mine, and this novella is stunning. It absolutely deserves the awards and acclaim it received. I first checked it out from Peoria Library when it was released, and have purchased the subsequent novellas in the series. Tor.com recently offered a free four-pack of LGBTQ e-novellas for Pride Month, and I was so happy to re-read this gem.

Nancy has returned from a world reminiscent of the Greek Underworld. Her hair is bleached white and she holds statue-still when unsure or scared. Her parents believe she was abducted and is delusional, so they ship her off to Eleanor West in hopes that they'll get the daughter they knew back. Nancy wants nothing more than to return to the world she knows as 'home'. Upon reaching the school, she meets her roommate from a candy world as dangerous as it is bright, twins from the Moors ruled by a vampire lord, a Goblin Prince in Waiting rejected by both his fairy world and parents, and a boy who loves a Skeleton Girl. Nancy barely has time to settle in and adapt to her new surroundings before terrible things begin to happen. As the new student from a dark world, she is immediately suspected.

Seanan's world building is always incredible, and it is on full display here, with tantalizing details offered for a number of worlds with orientations like Nonsense, Logic, Virtue, and Wickedness. With both asexual and trans characters, it is a book that resonates with many that rarely see themselves in fantasy works. It is truly a book that will stay with you.

Galesburg Public Library has two copies of Every Heart a Doorway that you can place on hold for pickup.

The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke

From the Publisher: An outcast teenage lesbian witch finds her coven hidden amongst the popular girls in her school, and performs some seriously badass magic in the process.

Skulking near the bottom of West High’s social pyramid, Sideways Pike lurks under the bleachers doing magic tricks for Coke bottles. As a witch, lesbian, and lifelong outsider, she’s had a hard time making friends. But when the three most popular girls pay her $40 to cast a spell at their Halloween party, Sideways gets swept into a new clique. The unholy trinity are dangerous angels, sugar-coated rattlesnakes, and now–unbelievably–Sideways’ best friends.

Together, the four bond to form a ferocious and powerful coven. They plan parties, cast curses on dudebros, try to find Sideways a girlfriend, and elude the fundamentalist witch hunters hellbent on stealing their magic. But for Sideways, the hardest part is the whole ‘having friends’ thing. Who knew that balancing human interaction with supernatural peril could be so complicated?

Rich with the urgency of feral youth, The Scapegracers explores growing up and complex female friendship with all the rage of a teenage girl. It subverts the trope of competitive mean girls and instead portrays a mercilessly supportive clique of diverse and vivid characters. It is an atmospheric, voice-driven novel of the occult, and the first of a three-book series. 

I know The Scapegracers was suggested to me at some point on NetGalley, but the description above from the publisher just sounded too fluffy cliched high school-y to me (especially the second paragraph), despite an awesome phrase like 'sugar-coated rattlesnakes' and a gorgeous cover. Then I came across the author's article on queer visibility and coding in The Last Unicorn (my favorite movie for over 35 years) and...oh. They can write and they're making me look at a movie I can quote from memory in new ways. Yes, I will definitely request your book. I'm so very glad I did.

As described above, the book follows Sideways and her new friends as they discover their powers. It leaves out the dead deer, the mysterious auction house, and some very interesting spell books. As the first volume in a trilogy, The Scapegracers does end with some pretty big plot points unanswered, and I'm very much hoping that more focus will be on these in future books, especially the witch hunters. 

I loved this book. I devoured it in 24 hours, which has been par for the course during these Trying Times. Either all at once or abandoned half way through. No in between. This is the very best of The Craft but queer and without the betrayal (which as someone who was never popular I kept bracing myself for). It made me want to hug my female friends and braid their hair.

I'm including this quote because I think it gives a far better feel to the book than the summary that was provided. 'She and Jing and Yates were all feliform angels. They laughed and sneered and drank pink lemonade. They were vain, self-centered, overconfident. They ran riot and wrecked the world. Who was I, comparing myself to one of them? Daisy could murder someone with a glance. Holy hell, I wanted that. I wanted to be gorgeous and reckless and legendary, or at least somebody people liked. I wanted the privilege of being mistaken for someone like her. I wanted to be her.'

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for the ARC. The Scapegracers will be out on September 15, and Galesburg Public Library will have a print copy.

Stealing Thunder

From the publisher:  Protecting her identity means life or death in this immersive epic fantasy

inspired by the Mughal Empire.  

In a different life, under a different name, Razia Khan was raised to be the Crown Prince of Nizam, the most powerful kingdom in Daryastan. Born with the soul of a woman, she ran away at a young age to escape her father’s hatred and live life true to herself.

Amongst the hijras of Bikampur, Razia finds sisterhood and discovers a new purpose in life. By day she’s one of her dera’s finest dancers, and by night its most profitable thief. But when her latest target leads her to cross paths with Arjun Agnivansha, Prince of Bikampur, it is she who has something stolen. 

An immediate connection with the prince changes Razia’s life forever, and she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous political war. The stakes are greater than any heist she’s ever performed. When the battle brings her face to face with her father, Razia has the chance to reclaim everything she lost…and save her prince.

What the blurb from the publisher fails to mention is that there's also feathered zahhaks, large flying quadrupeds that breath thunder, fire, acid, or ice. So, close enough to dragons for the imagination (hopefully there will be official artwork closer to the publication date), and large enough to be ridden by royalty. While dragon riders as a trope has been around for decades, the author consulted with a USAF Lt. Colonel for the aerial battle scenes and it shows. The action scenes are engaging and unmuddled.

The publisher's blurb, also, in my opinion, focuses a little too much on the romance aspect of the book. While the relationship between Razia and Arjun is a major plot point, there is also such a focus on being true to oneself and dreaming of reclaiming what has been lost, while struggling with surviving day to day and daring to plan for the future. Romance as a genre isn't my cup of tea, but this book is epic fantasy, just with a romance subplot.
 
I enjoyed this book immensely, and am very much looking forward to the sequel. It's nice to get away from a generic European setting for epic fantasy, and I look forward to reading more books like Stealing Thunder and Hunted by the Sky. Throughout the book, I was able to parse most of the unfamiliar terms through context, and there was a glossary in the back. At times, Razia's internal monologue could be a bit repetitious, and overall the story could do with a bit of tightening. There may be some times when things may work out a bit too simply or neatly for some readers, but I personally prefer my recreational reading to fall more on the happy ending side than gritty realism. 
 
The author's note states: 'Now, I'm proud to say that Stealing Thunder will be the first adult fantasy novel with a trans woman main character, written by a trans woman, ever to be published by a mainstream press in the United States'. Author and trans activist Alina Boyden wrote Stealing Thunder while working on her PhD in cultural anthropology, focusing working with the hijra communities of India and Pakistan. Representation matters, and I hope Stealing Thunder will encourage publishers to bring us more voices to listen to.

I read an uncorrected proof of Stealing Thunder. It is scheduled to be published in May of 2020 and will be available in print at the Galesburg Public Library.

Bloodlust & Bonnets by Emily McGovern

From the creator of the hit webcomic My Life As a Background Slytherin comes a hilarious graphic novel pastiche of classic Romantic literature led by a trio of

queer misfits—and several angry vampires.
Set in early nineteenth-century Britain, Bloodlust & Bonnets follows Lucy, an unworldly debutante who desires a life of passion and intrigue—qualities which earn her the attention of Lady Violet Travesty, the leader of a local vampire cult.
 But before Lucy can embark on her new life of vampiric debauchery, she finds herself unexpectedly thrown together with the flamboyant poet Lord Byron (“from books!”) and a mysterious bounty-hunter named Sham. The unlikely trio lie, flirt, fight, and manipulate each other as they make their way across Britain, disrupting society balls, slaying vampires, and making every effort not to betray their feelings to each other as their personal and romantic lives become increasingly entangled.

I spied this graphic novel whilst walking through the library and was immediately drawn to it. In the initial flip-through, the third page opens with the heroine Lucy declaring to the group of men approaching her ‘Gentlemen, I do hope you like honey, for I have a bee in my bonnet’ while removing said chapeau and charging towards them with upraised sword.

I was hooked. 

The book follows Lucy’s battlefield meeting of Lord Byron, their journey to his magical castle (in Scotland), and encountering the bounty-hunter Sham (who perhaps has a secret agenda). The trio travels through woods, ballrooms, baths, Bath, wine cellars, and gentlemen’s clubs as they pursue the vampiric Lady Violet Travesty.

With a distinctive art style and biting (ha) wit, B&B is a both a love letter to and parody of the Romantic literature genre. I absolutely adored this book. At the moment I’m trying to minimize physical books coming into my possession, due to a lack of shelf space. Upon finishing it, I immediately put B&B on my wish list and strongly hinted to my husband that he should purchase it for my upcoming birthday. 

Also, in the course of researching this review, I discovered that the real Lord Byron really did use curling papers in his hair at night. 

You can find Bloodlust & Bonnets in the graphic novel section under the author's last name McGovern

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

From the publisher: Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims. 

“Any given innovation that empowers the individual will inevitably come to empower the powerful much, much more.” (p. 493)

Foundryside is engrossing, inventive, and fun. The characters have depth and much room to be explored in later books, and the plot caught me by surprise a number of times. Not everyone is what they seem, and there are many gray areas to their personalities.

Although set in a fantasy world, Foundryside has things to say about life in our world. I particularly liked this quote:

You have to understand, kid, that you’re wading into the depths of a war that has raged for time beyond memory – a war between those who make and that which is made, between those who own and those who are owned. (p. 484)

One of the things I liked is that the author has more original ways than using and overusing the F word to show that his characters often swear and can be coarse. I also liked that when he sets up a surprise twist, he doesn’t hide that something is happening. Although I didn’t guess what was coming the author made it possible for me to do so. (I hate it when authors keep knowledge from the reader just so they can create a surprise twist.) Also, at least so far, there aren’t any ancient texts or prophecies proclaiming Sancia to be a chosen one.

There is a bit of insta-love – meh – but at least there is no love triangle. Although the ending is wide open for sequels, this particular book also wraps up neatly. I’ll be looking forward to book 2.

Foundryside reminded me a little of the Abhorsen series by Garth Nix, although I found it easier to follow. If you enjoy thought-provoking fantasy with a lot of action and interesting characters, you might want to read Foundryside. I read an advance reader copy of Foundryside; it is due out on August 21 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library as a book and an ebook.

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Hundreds of years in the future, Earth is run by an artificial intelligence. Originally human, turned into an AI in a quest for immortality, Talis took advantage of access given to him by people at the UN and forced the people of Earth to stop fighting wars. First, he blew up cities to get their attention. Then he took the children of all the leaders – the Children of Peace – to hold hostage against their good behavior. If there is war, the children of the leaders die.

Greta, the narrator of Erin Bow’s book The Scorpion Rules, is one of those children. Canada is now the Pan Polar Confederacy, and she is the daughter of their Queen. If the Children make it to the age of 18, they are sent home and new hostages are taken. If their countries go to war, the Children disappear to some unspeakable end.

We see Greta and the other Children her age studying in their classroom and doing chores on the farm. The characters are not particularly well drawn or memorable. Greta takes great pride in maintaining calm and control. The new boy, Elian, does not. He takes pride in defiance and anger, no matter how he is punished. There is much punishment in this book, and torture. The torture is not graphic but it is extremely evocative, and I found it hard to read.

For the most part, the narrative engaged me. Despite my intense dislike of torture scenes, I did feel compelled to keep reading. I often enjoyed the author’s way with words, like in this passage: “Elian reached up and took one of my wrists, stopping the motion, looking me up and down. I’m sure he was trying for as a man looks at a woman, but it came off rather more as an engineer looks at a bridge pylon.” (p. 63 of the advance reader copy). At other times, the language was a bit overwrought ("I closed my fingers around the gun, and rose to my feet like the Lady of the Lake." (p. 173))

The ending of The Scorpion Rules surprised me, and the plot took a few turns I did not expect. There is a love triangle of sorts. Granted, it is an unusual triangle – a girl with feelings for a boy and a girl – but still, can’t we be done with love triangles? That aspect of the plot was so, so tired. Greta also develops strong feelings of some sort for Elian almost immediately – not quite insta-love, but insta-something.

Some cultural references fell flat, like a bad football joke and mentions of the Road Runner.  In his Utterances, Talis actually says, “Resistance is futile.” (p. 26). Also, some scenes were a little too reminiscent of The Hunger Games series. For example, Greta is to be tortured, with coverage sent to her mother by video. The producer, Burr, paces about checking camera angles and noting things on a clipboard. He wants the other Children nearby for reaction shots. This scene reminded me very strongly of The Hunger Games (as did the repeated use of the words “Tick Tock Clock Drop”). But I guess it is hard to write a dystopian teen novel and not be compared to The Hunger Games.

The Scorpion Rules is a first book in a series. It does not stand alone. This is a good thing if you really enjoy it and want more. The ending really left a lot of room for exploration in the next book. I would recommend The Scorpion Rules for readers of young adult literature who aren’t yet tired of dystopian works and also for questioning teens, as Greta is also questioning.

I read an advance reader copy of The Scorpion Rules. It is scheduled to be published on September 22 and will be available in the Young Adult section of the Galesburg Public Library.