Review: Lumberjanes #01

Lumberjanes #01 by Noelle Stevenson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I picked up Lumberjanes because of a tumblr recommendation. I'm so glad I did! A great romp with best friends at the heart of it. This comic gives "girl power" a whole new meaning.



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Review: Shoot Me

Shoot Me by Lesley Crewe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



When I began reading Shoot Me, I didn't actually expect to finish it. Crewe's brash and conversational style took a few chapters for me to get into, but perhaps I've been spoiled by de Lint. However, I'm glad I stuck it out, because I did end up enjoying the book.

The characters are all a little bourgeois, which is a little more than annoying, but Elsie is likeable, if spoiled by privilege - not her fault, truly. Her sisters are little more than leeches, but her daughters are likeable and her estranged husband redeemable. And Aunt Hildy is a gem.

The story takes some time to get going, but this is not - despite what the back cover blurb implies - a murder mystery; this is a people and relationships story. And really, aside from the deranged murder of a senior citizen, it really does work out as a happy (albeit terribly contrived) ending.

There are many things that could have been done differently with this book, but for what it's worth, this was a fun read and worth the time spent reading it.

However, I now keep thinking I'd heard of a new restaurant opening near the waterfront, before remembering that was in a book, and not real life.



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Review: HELP! A Bear is Eating Me!

HELP! A Bear is Eating Me! by Mykle Hansen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



If you've ever read the Knitter's Circle Rapist Annihilation Squad, this book is a lot like that: hyperbolic stream-of-consciousness-ranting, for the most part. However, unlike the Knitter's Circle Rapist Annihilation Squad, this book is a lot more concerning in that it strikes a lot closer to home.

Marv, our narrator and primary character, is a terrible human being and doesn't even realize it. He is the epitome of deranged male aggression and misogyny. He honestly believes that his actions are reasonable. He's a sociopath.

While intentionally hyperbolic, the thing I found most uncomfortable about this book, is that it doesn't seem too far off from what men, and some women, could actually be thinking. Everything Marv says explicitly is being said implicitly - and sometimes explicitly as well - by our media and society at large. The rub being we're in Marv's head in this book. The things he says out loud to his wife and colleagues could be said by anyone, and it concerns me that the thoughts he's having in this book are more common than we want to admit among men.

As a feminist, I think this book does a service by highlighting the ludicrous male aggression and alpha requirements we have in place for success in our society that breed unnecessarily sociopathic behaviours in men. The satire is on point - it's hyperbolic enough to make its point, but close enough to truth to make you a little uncomfortable.



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Review: Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I quite enjoyed Divergent. The story was interesting and I never found it to drag or be bogged down in unnecessary description or exposition. Roth tells you what you need to know to move the story forward and build her characters.

It's always heartening to see a popular franchise with a girl lead, and I was impressed to see consent and agency in full force in Tris. I think she's an excellent blend of strength and vulnerability - something that the "strong female character" trope often fails.

I would happily recommend this to a preteen or teen girl, which is more than I can say for certain other popular YA franchises-turned-movies.



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Review: Muse and Reverie

Muse and Reverie by Charles de Lint

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Every time I find a collection of Newford stories that I haven't yet read, it's like a bit like my birthday. Charles de Lint is one of my writing idols, and I love his take on urban fantasy.

Every story in this collection is interesting and different from the next. New characters and old staples of Newford work their way through the stories, and everything is entrancing as always.

It's hard to talk about short stories without giving away the entire story, so instead of reviewing each individual short, I'll just say that the collection is wonderful. If you prefer the recurring characters, you might be disappointed in this collection, as there were many stories with characters I hadn't seen in Newford before. If you just love Newford and seeing its world expand, then you'll likely love this collection.



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