Review: Poster Girl

Poster Girl by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Veronica Roth returns with not a sequel to Chosen Ones - though, as she admits, that one ends on a pretty good standalone note as it is. No, here she brings us another adult sci-fi piece with its roots in a world not out of place in YA, and especially not for one of the biggest riders of the early 2010s post-Hunger Games dystopian wave.

Review: Foul Lady Fortune

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one goes out to all the people hopping on a ton of Chloe Gong hate bandwagons these last two years: 

Sit there in your wrongness and be wrong and get used to it.

"without the monster, there is no madness. without the madness, he goes out of business."
These Violent Delights

"nothing was ever as simple as 'my people' or 'your people...'"
Our Violent Ends

"don’t upset me in the future and it will be swell, i suppose'"
Foul Lady Fortune

I wonder if Chloe Gong is going to take the years-long YA duology trend to its logical inception with a duology of duologies. If so, she’s got her next series set in early 20th century Shanghai off to a strong start.

Review: Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting

Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Roseanne A. Brown has already proven herself as one of the best and brightest new arrivals on the YA scene in the last couple of years, and now that Rick Riordan’s selected her for his imprint, she’s gotten to prove her MG bona fides too. Serwa Boateng’s first adventure of many (as well it should be, after that cliffhanger!) is deeply rooted in the legends of Brown’s homeland of Ghana, and while the title specifically mentions vampires, these are pretty scary demonic creatures which elicit even more Halloween-appropriate chills and fears than any Dracula or knockoff thereof. Naturally, there’s also the real world specter of racism to cause Serwa some problems, especially in a new school where there’s got to be that ONE teacher targeting her specifically, but with the new friends she makes (themselves from a pretty diverse set of backgrounds too), she’s got a crew on her side worthy of any story in the Rick Riordan Presents pantheon. At least one book that I know of will follow this one, so hopefully by this time next year - just in time for another witchy Halloween!

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Review: The First to Die at the End

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s been a while since I’ve read an Adam Silvera book, and even longer since I read one that reminded me of why he was such a huge fave of mine for so many years, especially in my book selling days. I would’ve benefited so much from how beautifully Silvera writes his many glorious geekboys in love if I’d had these positive portrayals when I was a teenage bisexual stuck in the closet even to myself…but I digress.

For the first time, Silvera gives us a prequel - a prequel to what has to be his best known book of all, aided no doubt by the ever increasing word of mouth, and proof that the scourge of BookTok may in fact be the broken clock that’s right twice a day. By the time They Both Die at the End takes place, though, DeathCast has been a thing for quite some time, so it’s a major cultural touchstone in universe. And it’s never wrong.

But what about when it all started?

Review: Mickey7

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book up after hearing that it was the source material for Bong Joon-Ho’s next movie, starring Robert Pattinson - a pretty quick turnaround, given that the book just came out this year, started filming this summer, and is expected in theaters next year. Assuming, of course, the current bloody bellend regime at WB don’t screw over the auteurs. The premise sounded like a pretty nice update to Duncan Jones’s amazing minimalist movie Moon - you know, the one where Sam Rockwell meets his recycled self. And it promises a pretty similar style to the works of Andy Weir, sci fi with a snarky twist.

Review: A People's History of the Vampire Uprising

A People's History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well it probably won’t be a bloody movie yet for a while because it’d likely come off as way too on the nose in this era of Covid. But as a four star read, it earns its place on that particular list of mine all the same. I’m honestly amazed the ratings for this book are so low here on GR, but maybe that’s because people got tired of the World War Z style after a while? That said, though, the book has some terrific world building (a special favorite of mine being the brief interlude detailing different religions’ reactions to the vampiric Gloaming phenomenon) and the incisive satire of politics and pandemics keeps the pages turning - all the way to the end, even though that end is pretty sudden and wide open and honestly leaves a lot of unanswered questions. But you know what? It’s a fun, and funny, ride to that ending, so I’m gonna give this book a good rating like it deserves.

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