Book Review: This Dark Endeavour

 

Book Review: This Dark Endevour by Kenneth Oppel 

Goodreads Description: Victor Frankenstein leads a charmed life. He and his twin brother, Konrad, and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth take lessons at home and spend their spare time fencing and horseback riding. Along with their friend Henry, they have explored all the hidden passageways and secret rooms of the palatial Frankenstein chateau. Except one.

The Dark Library contains ancient tomes written in strange languages and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to visit the library, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor knows he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life.

The elixir needs only three ingredients. But impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.

Victor knows he must not fail. Yet his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science and love—and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

My Review: Kenneth Oppel has had a special place in my heart since I was a kid, when his bat-tastic Silverwing series swooped into my life and made my oddball ass feel less alone. So, years ago, when I spotted a Frankenstein prequel by Kenneth Oppel, I was quick to snatch it up, but the book languished on my TBR shelf the last few years as more pressing titles jumped the queue. I finally found the time to pick it up, and to say I was disappointed would have been an understatement. This Dark Endevour is DULL. It's predictable. It's more than forgettable, it's why-bother-reading-able. The book's greatest weakness is that it's a Frankenstein prequel; its saving grace the target audience, who likely have not read the original Frankenstein and can't compare Oppel's changes to the original text. Yet even then, the book falls flat: the story is uninspired, the romantic and plot twists are contrived, lacking any sense of stakes, and the characters feel ripped out of the wrong time period. 

Slapping Frankenstein on this book leads to natural comparisons between the texts, but ironically, knowing the basics of Frankenstein makes the plot and twist ending of This Dark Endevour painfully obvious. Oppel introduces readers to his Frankenstein twins: Victor Frankenstein, the savant scientist that science-fiction knows all too well, and Oppel's creation, Konrad - the virtuous mirror-inversion of Victor, whose flaws have been bent backwards into much a nobler configuration. Konrad is sweet, he's compassionate, he's sensitive and gentle, but also brave, just, and level-headed - often the voice of reason, reigning Victor in when his lofty ideals pull them off the moral path. Yet this inversion of Victor's traits also reveals that Oppel either dislikes or doesn't understand the nuance within Shelley's Victor Frankenstein, as Oppel emphasizes Victor's negative traits - greed, ambition, stubbornness, solipsism - and crafts Konrad as the opposite of that, making both characters feel partly artificial and casting them in 'angel' and 'devil' roles. In the original text, Victor spent much of his time reigning himself back in, and the balance between doing wrong and trying to correct course is what made him so fascinating. Oppel's Victor feels more akin to the mad-scientist representations of Victor Frankenstein that pop-culture is more familiar with. 

Early in the book, Konrad falls deathly ill, motivating Victor and his friends Elizabeth and Henry to seek out alchemic knowledge that would lead them to the Elixir of Life to safe Konrad's life. At this point, the fact that this is a Frankenstein tale immediately gave away the ending. This is, after all, Victor Frankenstein, the man known for bringing back the dead, not for saving the living, so before I'd even opened the book (as Konrad's illness is spelled out on the back cover), it was painfully obvious that despite all efforts, Konrad wasn't going to make it. Oppel tries to combat this by drawing out the tension of Konrad's illness and faking out the reader in regards to his recovery, but the efforts fall painfully flat.  

The overall plot is organized around a three-point fetch quest that quickly became predictable and dull. Victor and his friends connect with an alchemist who tasks them with collecting the three ingredients needed to save Konrad, and holy crap was this boring. No amount of cool glow-in-the-dark moss, demon fish, or wolf's eye alchemy could distract from the terrifyingly predictable arcs of find thing - attacked by monsters - barely escape with item. This formula repeats again at the finale as trusted characters turn on each other and the actual creation of the Elixir becomes yet another fetch mission. The story could have worked if it was in a video game, where the agency of players could have mitigated some of the boredom from the plot's predictability. Instead, the reader is dragged along, beat by expected beat, without anything to change up the formula.

Finally, the characters. As I already mentioned, Victor and Konrad are two-dimensional representations of the "good" and "bad" twin, although thankfully this becomes less pronounced as Konrad becomes bedridden and less of an active character. Elizabeth was also difficult to stomach through much of the text. Many times, she asserts her equality to the boys by declaring that she's braver, stronger, and more tenacious than others (certainly Henry). The characters often have a "Don't You Know, Bob?" moment where they recount when Elizabeth bested the boys, was braver than them, or, GASP - wore trousers. These conversations feel so contrived, like Elizabeth is arguing against someone that isn't even there, asserting her autonomy and independence when no one was questioning it (other characters, narrative, even audience). I can't help but wonder why Oppel felt the need to assure audiences of Elizabeth's Girl Power! and can only assume it's because of the time period the book is set in. Finally, Oppel establishes an interesting romantic conflict between Victor, Elizabeth, and Konrad, but introduces this too late (so it feels like it comes out of nowhere, when this romantic tension could and should have been underlying their interactions from the beginning). This tension also doesn't lead to much besides some simmering resentment and moments of will-they-won't-they. I wish this romantic tension was better defined, upped the stakes, and actually lead to consequences in their relationship. It would have been nice to see that simmering resentment actually pitch up to a boil. 

All in all, this book isn't worth the read. Even as a fun, dumb pulp read, there's nothing really fun about it. With how predictable the whole plotline was, it would have been smarter to start the plot at book 2, where Konrad is already dead and build to how Victor plans to bring him back, even if that would have had its own complications. That concept at least has some creative possibilities within in, but this book left such a bad taste in my mouth that I don't care to see where Oppel takes this concept. It's dead in the water if you ask me, and not worth the lightning for its resurrection. 

TL;DR: 2/5 stars. Boring and uninspired. 

Books That Fight Hate

The world can be a scary place sometimes.

No matter how loud hate shrieks, love is louder. No matter how much evil there is in the world, there is ten times the amount of goodness behind that.

Since the American election, there has been a lot of fear and anxiety. As a Canadian, the whole situation has left me feeling heartbroken and helpless. I want to march along the streets and #resist, but I know this isn't my battle to fight. Supporting those who are hurting is my duty as a human, however, and something I will gladly do. On Twitter after the election, Justina Ireland, author of Promise of Shadows and Vengeance Bound, started a hashtag on Twitter called #BooksFightHate to promote diverse books written by marginalized authors.

People have since jumped on board to tweet out their favorite books that not only promote diversity, but that fight prejudice. I absolutely love the idea, and while there are a lot of lists out there promoting #BooksFightHate, I wanted to take it one step forward to include a short bio with each title to help people find the books they really connect with.

Most of the recs below are YA, MG, and some adult in the fantasy/sci-fi range. As publishing is constantly moving towards diversity, there will be more titles to add to this list. So if you see something I've missed, make sure to comment below and I'll add it. There has never been a more important time to support and spread the love for marginalized authors.

Books That Fight Hate 

1. Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz

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Jasmine is an overachiever with her whole future ahead of her- until she discovers her family's visas expired years ago. Now not only are her college prospects in jeopardy, but her family could be deported if they're discovered. Featuring a Filipino MC and deals with immigrant struggles. 

2. The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 

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Junior, a budding cartoonist, decides to take his destiny into his own hands as he leaves the reservation to attend school in an all-white community. Featuring a Native American MC, this book highlights the harsh reality for a lot of Natives living on reservations in North America, from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum and racism. 

3. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz 

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The story of friendship between Ari, who doesn't understand why he's so angry, and Dante, a quirky know-it-all. This is a coming of age story about friendship, family, and identity. Features a subtle, gay relationship between the two characters. 

4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 

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Starr balances life between the poor neighborhood she grew up in and the fancy prep school she attends. But when she witnesses her unarmed friend shot by police, her entire world becomes upended. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. 

5. When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds 

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Ali has never been interested in the violence and drugs in his neighborhood, but his best friend, Noodles, is a ticking time bomb. Features a black MC and dealing with life in a rough neighborhood. 

6. A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott

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Genna lives in a drug-infested world of poverty, but she's planning an escape to a different life. Until the night she makes a wish and is transported back to Civil-era Brooklyn, where she has to fight through a time still rife with slavery. Features a black MC, and her boyfriend from Jamaica takes time to make Genna appreciate her black skin and curly hair, which is really lovely to see. 

7. Time Keeper by Tara Sim

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Danny is a mechanic that fixes not only clocks, but time. After moving to a new town, he finds himself falling in love with his assigned apprentice-- who also happens to be the spirit of the tower's clock. Gay romance here. (I'm drooling over this one, not going to lie.) 

8. The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Helig 

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Nix spends her days traveling everywhere on her father's ship-- if they have a map of it, real or imagined, they can go there. But the one map her father wants more than anything-- the one that will lead him to his love and Nix's mom-- could threaten to erase her existence. Plethora of diversity here, from Nix being half-Chinese, to loads of ethnic culture, as well as LGBT characters. 

9. Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

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When Naila breaks her family's rule by falling in love with a boy, they take her back to Pakistan to reacquaint her with her roots-- as well as to introduce her to the husband they have picked out for her. Featuring a Pakistani main character, this book focuses a lot on arranged and forced marriages and Pakistani culture. 

10. Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis

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In this fantastical Indian fairy tale, Farhad, master of disguises, sets out on a journey with his talking tiger to rescue a princess from marrying a demon king. Rich with Indian culture and myths, this is a true treasure to read. 

11. Run by Kody Keplinger 

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Bo is known for being a delinquent from a delinquent family. Agnes is legally blind and has never stepped farther than the end of her parents' leash. Together, they form an unbreakable friendship. So when Bo asks her to run, Agnes doesn't even question it. Featuring a blind MC and a bisexual MC (woo disability lit!) 

12. Gabi, A Girl In Pieces by Isabel Quintero 

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Gabi's final year of high school will be epic, if she can survive her best friend coming out gay, her other best friend's pregnancy, rape, slut-shaming, and reconciling her "Mexicanness" with her "Whiteness." What can I say about this one? Mexican MC, LGBT, feminism, oh my!

13. Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho 

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In an alternate history of Britain, the sorcerer royal, Zacharias, ventures to the border of Fairyland to find out why the magic reserves are drying up. On his way he encounters a school for Gentlewitches, where young women have the magic stomped out of them, and meets Prunella, a young woman with a wealth of magical ability. In this book, Zacharias is a freed-slave turned sorcerer and faces a lot of issues with oppression and institutionalized racism. 

14. Not Your Sidekick by CB Lee

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For Jess, the best way to spite her superhero parents was to take the internship with the local super villain. As a perk, she gets to work alongside her crush, who may just be hiding secrets of her own. Featuring a MC who is half-Chinese, half-Vietnamese, and doesn't feel accepted with either. Also: BISEXUAL REP!!

15. The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera

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Margot has spent years denying her culture and her family in order to fit in at her prep school. But after stealing her father's credit card, she's forced to work in her family's deli to work off the debt. Featuring a Latina MC. 

16. We Were Here by Matt de la Pena 

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After it happened, Miguel was sent to juvi and then to a group home, which he was grateful for. It was better than living at home, where his mother couldn't even look at him. With a plan to head to Mexico, Miguel breaks out and runs for the border, hoping to start over. Featuring a Latino MC, and also deals with a lot of guilt, self-punishment, and hitting rock bottom. It's also nice to get a glimpse of the social services systems. 

17. When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore 

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Sam and Miel are best friends and as odd as they come. Roses grow from Miel's wrists while Sam paints moons in the trees. A group of witches sets their sites on the roses growing from Miel's wrist, believing their scent can make anyone fall in love, and intend to use Sam's secrets to get them. Featuring: Latina and Italian-Pakistani MCs, also, TRANS REP! 

18. The Memory of Light by Francisco X Stork

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After a suicide attempt lands her in the hospital, Vicky finds her strength through the other kids she meets in the psych ward. But when a crisis splits them up and Vicky must return back to the situation that made her suicidal, she has to find her own source of strength. This novel is all about mental health representation, and does an excellent job of shining a light down the dark hallway of depression. 

19. The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

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Two rebels become friends during the overthrowing of a tyranny. But after the dust settles, they find themselves leaders of opposite factions with very different ideals of how the world should be run. Features a lot of Asian and Middle Eastern mythologies with a culture built on Ancient China. 

20. Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera 

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After coming out to her mother, who she is sure will never talk to her again, Juliet leaves the Bronx to spend a summer in Portland interning under her favorite feminist author. Featuring a Puerto Rican lesbian MC, and lots of feminist goodness. 

21. God Help the Child by Toni Morrison

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Bride's blue-black skin was the reason her light-skinned mother denied her any love, but it doesn't stop her from finding love, success, and confidence. This novel focuses a lot on racism, but also features a survivor of child sexual abuse and shows how it affects their life. 

22. Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okaparanta
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Inspired by Nigerian folktales and war, Ijeoma, a young Nigerian child, is sent away to escape the civil war where she meets a girl from another ethnic community. The pair quickly fall in love, but must hide their relationship if they hope to survive. Features a lesbian romance, feminism, African characters, as well as looks at religion and homosexuality.

23. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
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Natasha meets Daniel the day before her family was going to be deported to Jamaica. But one day is all it takes to find love. Features a Jamaican and Asian MC, as well as tackles issues of deportation and displacement.

24. Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley 
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In 1959, Sarah is one of the first black students to attend an all-white Jefferson High. Linda is the daughter of the town's most vocal opponents to school integration. Lesbian couples! Mixed race relationship! Plus heavy on racism and segregation.

25. Fat Kid Rules the World by KL Going 
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Troy, an obese teenager, befriends Curt McCrae, local punk star and homeless drug addict. Together, their friendship ends up saving them both in ways they didn't know they needed. This book is definite on the fat acceptance.

26. Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older 

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After a zombie crashes her friend's party, Sierra learns she's part of a community of shadowshapers-- those that connect with spirits through paintings, music, and storytelling. Featuring an Afro-Latina MC with Caribbean-based folklore. Also features a very diverse cast including LGBT characters.

27. Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 
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When an email falls into the wrong hands, Simon finds himself as wingman to the class clown Martin, under threat that his secret will be exposed. Or worse, the pen name of the boy he's been flirting with over email could be compromised. Featuring a gay romance, black love interest.

28. Dumplin' by Julie Murphy 
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Self-proclaimed fat girl Willow has always been comfortable with her size, until the day she starts a relationship with a handsome jock, and she begins to doubt herself. To regain her confidence, she enters the city's beauty pageant to prove she deserves to be up there as much as any other girl. Features a lot of fat positivity.

29. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
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After his father's suicide, Aaron struggles to find happiness again with the help of his girlfriend and hard-working mom. But when a new guy enters the picture, who makes Aaron feel things he never thought possible, he considers following through with a memory-altering procedure to fix himself. Features suicide, depression, mental health, and deals with homophobia. 

30. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 
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Ifemelu and Obinze are teenagers living in Nigeria under a military dictatorship. While Ifemelu managed to immigrate to America, post 9/11 politics prevents Obinze from following. After years, they find themselves reunited in their homeland and their love, and come to face the toughest decisions of their lives. Featuring Nigerian MCs, written by a Nigerian author, and tackles a lot of race issues.

31. Santa Meurte by Cynthia Pelayo
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Life is quiet for Ariana until her father, a federal investigator from Mexico targeting criminal organizations, arrives on her doorstep. After he's involved in a car accident, Ariana begins seeing a veiled skeletal figure asking for her father. Featuring a Latina MC and plenty of Mexican folklore.

32. Lailah's Lunchbox by Reem Faruqi 
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The adorable story of Lailah, a 10-year-old Muslim who is very excited to join her family in her first Ramadan. She just needs to figure out how to explain it to her non-Muslim classmates. Such a cute story featuring a Muslim MC and discusses Islam and Ramadan. This is a picture book, but worth the read.

33. The Story of Maha by Sumayya Lee
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After her parents are killed during a political rally, Maha goes to live with her Indian grandparents. She learns how to wind around the strict boundaries of her Muslim community as she develops into a rebellious teenager. Book is set in a South African Indian Muslim community, and features an Indian MC.

34. Alif the Unseen by G Willow Wilson 
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In the Middle East, a young Arab-Indian hacker by the alias of Alif shields his clients from surveillance groups and tries to stay out of trouble. But when the woman he loves begins courting the head of the state's security, Alif's computer is compromised and he flees underground for his own, and his client's, safety. A POC MC and features Islam in a positive light, also showcasing some Islamic myths and folklore.

35. The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami
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An alternative history account of the Narvaez expedition which would leave only four survivors, one of which was Mustafa al-Zamori, a Moroccan slave and the first black explorer of America. POC MC and written by a Moroccan author.

36. The Unintentional Time Traveler by Everett Maroon
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Jack agrees to try an experimental clinical trial to cure his epilepsy, but instead finds himself in the body of a girl--Jacqueline-- from 1920s era. Disability rep, as well as tackles identity and how much our gender affects who we are.

37. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi 
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Effia and Esi, sisters born in separate villages, end up leading very different lives. While Effia is married to a slaver and lives in luxury, Esi works as a slave in the palace dungeon beneath her, before being shipped off as a slave to America. This novel follows the sisters' descendants 300 years and illustrates how slavery and colonialism shaped America and Ghana. The author was born in Ghana as well.

38. Does My Head Look Big in This by Randa Abdel-Fattah
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Everyone has a reaction when Amal decides to wear the hijab full-time. Dodging prejudice and fending questions from her friends and teachers, she still intends to attract the cutest boy at school. Islam rep! Also, love how it tackles stereotypes and misconceptions.

39. Girl Mans Up by M-e Girard 

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All Pen wants is to be the kind of girl she wants to be, but for some reason everyone thinks the way she looks and acts means she wants to be a boy. Portuguese MC, lesbian MC, and tackles a lot about gender identity. I can't wait to read this one!

40. If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo 
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Amanda transferred schools to get a new life, but when she begins to fall for Grant, she fears how he'll react when he learns of her past... and that her name used to be Andrew. Trans rep!! Also, #ownvoices

41. Songs that Sound Like Blood by Jared Thomas 
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Roxy heads to the big city for a new start and to study music. Singing for her dinner is soul crushing, but her newfound crush on Ana might make it worth it. Indigenous and Maori MCs, as well as a lesbian romance.

42. On The Edge of Gone by Corrine Duyvis 
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Denise, her mother, and her sister are supposed to head for a shelter to wait out an incoming comet blast. On the way they encounter a generation ship leaving to colonize new worlds, but all passengers must have a skill to contribute, and Denise fears her autism may hold them back. Very diverse cast with half-black autistic MC, lesbian, Muslim, bisexual trans, and Jewish characters, to name a few.

43. Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson 
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Conjoined twins Abby and Makeda were separated by surgery that left Abby with a limp and Makeda cut off from the magic her sister possesses. Makeda moves on to start a new life of her own, but she must reconcile with her sister after her father disappears in order to save him. Urban fantasy with Caribbean mythology written by a Caribbean author.

44. All We Have Left by Wendy Mills
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Jesse finds herself caught up in the wrong crowd after her brother passes away in the September 11 attacks, and one momentary hate-filled decision turns her life upside down. Alia is a proud Muslim who finds herself in the Two Towers when the plane hits. Trapped inside the burning building, Alia meets a boy who changes her life. An authentic Muslim character, and presents the hatred and prejudice that Muslims have faced since 9/11.

45. Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed 
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In the midst of a brewing rebellion, supernatural murders cause unrest through the Crescent Moon Kingdoms. Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, “the last real ghul hunter in the great city of Dhamsawaat,” his young assistant, and a woman with the power of the lion-shape set out to learn the truth behind the killings.  Set in the Middle East during the Islamic Golden Age.

46. George by Alex Gino  
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When people look at George, they see a boy, but she knows she's a girl. She just has to find a way to show everyone else that, too. Middle grade book featuring a trans MC! A must have!

47. Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova 
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Alex is a bruja, one of the most powerful witches in her generation, and hates it. While attempting a spell to rid herself of her powers, it backfires and her family vanishes, and she must travel to Los Lagos, an in-between land, to save them. Latinx culture and folklore, cast of POC characters, and an #ownvoices book featuring a writer born in Ecuador.

48. Radio Silence by Alice Oseman 
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Frances has always been a study machine with one goal-- elite university. But when she meets Aled, the shy boy behind her favourite podcast, he reveals a side to Frances that she thought she'd locked away. Bisexual and biracial MC!

49. Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
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Jende has come to America to provide a better life for his family, and can't believe his luck ending up as a chauffeur for the Lehman Brothers. But the cracks in the American dream begin to show when the company goes under. Featuring the Jonga family, who are West African, and features the immigrant struggle as they struggle to become citizens.

50. It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas
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Zomorod is the new kid on the block, for the fourth time. With a new school, she plans to change her name to Cindy to fit in. But it's the mid-70s, and Iran is making headlines with protests, revolution, and hostage takings, and the anti-Iran sentiments are making it difficult to feel at home in her own country. Featuring an Iranian MC and examines prejudice through a middle grade lens.

Blocked By VOYA Magazine

When I was younger, my mom taught me that when someone was bothering you, it was important to make it clear that you'd like that behaviour to stop. If it didn't, then it was best to disengage and interact with that person as little as possible. Starting fights doesn't often solve anything.

I've followed that ideal for most of my life. So when the initial mess with VOYA came up, I, like others, made my displeasure clear, offered criticism, and then watched as they stubbornly refused to change or take responsibility for wrongdoings. VOYA Magazine stooped so low as to block and gaslight those offering criticism, respond to industry professionals with sarcasm and rudeness, as well as respond to attempts to help them with insults.

Normally, I'd follow my mother's advice and walk away, but I can't this time. Not when a magazine that claims to be the "Voice of Youth Advocates" turns around and spits on not only their audience, but those they claim to "advocate" for.

If you haven't heard of the madness, it all began when VOYA Magazine published a review of Kody Keplinger's RUN (which they've since deleted), in which they claim the book should be for mature junior and high school readers due to a bisexual main character and swearing. The main issue, of course, being the implication that the mere existence of a bisexual character warrants a "warning." The real problem is best outlined by the author herself:

Nowhere in the review does it mention the straight sex. What makes the book mature was the mere fact that Bo expressed that she liked girls as well as boys. 

Tristina Wright (@TristinaWright) sent an email to VOYA after reading the review, and the following response from VOYA staff sent the internet into a frenzy.

The whole exchange makes me cringe hard. Of course, people make mistakes, right? Nothing a simple apology wouldn't fix. But the event only spiraled from there. 

Emails and tweets piled up from various writers, bloggers, publicists, publishers, agents, editors, basically everyone and their grandmother, expressing that this was not okay. The biphobic comment was awful, but VOYA's blatant disrespect towards one of their readers was inexcusable. Naturally, people wanted an apology. Instead of giving one, VOYA Magazine decided it was better to just block people and try to sweep the matter under the rug. 

An email response from VOYA. Deflect, deflect, deflect. 

The rage flames grew higher, and rightly so. Among other offenses, VOYA misgendered someone and continued to do so after being told to stop. 

They responded to valid concerns and criticisms, and offers of help with sarcasm and rudeness. 

Lied about apologizing to Tristina for insulting her and her child. 

They claimed that genderqueer is simply "twitter lingo." 

Naturally, this PR catastrophe bothered a lot of people in the community and there was a lot of blowback. After all, this kind of ignorance and bigotry is not accepted and cannot be allowed to run unchecked. So, VOYA released first a half-assed, victim-blaming apology: 

"The LGBTQ Community has taken offense" is the polite way of saying "The LGBTQ Community is forcing us to say this but frankly we've done nothing wrong." Surprisingly, this didn't go over well with the community (it's like they think we're stupid or something), and so VOYA released a longer, more eloquent, victim blaming apology: 

You'll notice VOYA now blames the community for not stepping forward sooner. The biphobic comment was noticed, by many, including the author herself and her publisher. But for them to speak out on the issue would have been seen as a major taboo (as the golden rule for authors involves never responding to a review). The fact that all this came out during BiWeek had less to do with us "searching to destroy our enemies in a public forum" (as VOYA has accused), and more to do with the fact that people were actively seeking out reviews about books with bisexual characters. An advocate looking to celebrate BiWeek came across the problematic review, and it was the magazine's horrible behaviour that blew the backlash to epic proportions. 

After all, this could have all been avoided if VOYA Magazine had acted like a professional, thanked Tristina for her feedback in the original email, and then edited the problematic line. Instead, they've proven that they don't care and they won't change. For all their apologies, they just don't care what the LGBTQ community has to say. 

As of Sunday night, days after all this hit the fan at high velocity, VOYA is still attempting to cover themselves with lies while censoring and blocking those raising issues. Hannah Moskowitz, a prominent member of the YA and LGBTQ communities, just this morning was blocked from VOYA's Facebook page with all her comments deleted. For all their apologies, they continue to dig themselves deeper and deeper into a hole. 

Like my mother always taught me, I'll be walking away from VOYA and making sure I never associate with them. But that's not enough. It's not enough for one major reason. 

VOYA Magazine is the Voice of the Youth Advocate. They claim to advocate for youth, all youth, and yet they've shown the exact opposite. They've shown to all those who look to them for advice, such as librarians, educators, bloggers, reviewers, etc., that bisexuals are something to be warned against. That bisexuals are the other, that though they are allowed to exist, they are "mature content." 

How many queer teen lives has VOYA affected in their screenings of f/f YA novels? How many innocent books were marked as "too mature" simply because there was a mention of LGBTQ? In comparison, why was Kody Keplinger's first book, The DUFF, not rated mature by VOYA despite the rampant (straight) sex all throughout the novel? 

VOYA cannot be allowed to be "an advocate for youth" if their advocating is selective. Bisexual, lesbian, and genderqueer youth deserve to be advocated for just as much as straight youth. I work in child welfare, and I've seen first hand all kinds of "youth advocates." I've seen those who would throw themselves on a grenade if it would give one vulnerable youth a better life, and I've seen "advocates" who would gladly throw children on grenades if it helped them get a better salary. 

VOYA Magazine is the latter. They are an advocate that only wants to exploit youth, young adult fiction, and what it may see as an "easy cash cow." 

Teens don't need fake advocates. They need people who care. Not people who brush off the realities of issues facing a large portion of their audience, of those they "advocate for." 

After all, would you want your youth advocate posting things like this in a public Facebook account? 

Lisa is the co-owner and review editor at VOYA. Definitely seems like she cares about youth and their rights. 

I refuse to stand by and allow VOYA to continue like this. I won't be able to sit comfortably wondering how many more queer youth are hurt by their unchecked abusive behaviour. 

I'm here to ask you, all of you, to make them accountable for this. It's time to boycott VOYA. I ask not only that you sign the petition to boycott, but to actually stand by it as well. 

Queer youth need to know that they have those that stand with them. That they don't need a content warning. That they don't need to be silent. 

BOYCOTT VOYA. 

What's in a Number?

Just an average day at work

I work in a mental health office for kids and their families, but my immediate surroundings are filled with people at least twice my age, and most of my correspondence is with people who could probably be my grandparents, let alone my parents.

I'm 23 and work as the file manager in an institution filled with kids with severe mental health issues, Talk about inspiration for writing, am I right? I've been in this position a few years and worked very hard to get where I am, and in the last year or so I've encountered some prejudice from some of the people I work with. These are some of the most caring people in the world, those who devote themselves to trying to help people, who work non-profit, and yet I still encounter what you would call "micro aggressions" from them. All because of my age.

It's nothing rude, mind you. Just talking over me, talking to my boss or coworkers on issues and departments that I not only approach them on, but that I am the sole person working on. It's frustrating to be treated in a way that undermines all the work I do, simply because of my age. It reminds me of my teenage years, fists clenched, eyes blazing, demanding to be treated like an equal and not an idiot.

Back in those days, I wrote furiously. Every free moment (and during the classes I skipped), were filled with furious typing. Even back then I was obsessed with having an authentic voice. I was determined that as I grew older, I would never allow myself to resent kids and look down on them. But more so, I never wanted to forget what it felt like to be a teenager. I didn't want to turn into an adult that didn't think teenagers had opinions or issues or dreams.

I never wanted to become what I hated.

As I grew into a young adult, graduated high school, dabbled around in university, it all seemed too easy. It felt like growing up was impossible, but even then I knew my voice had shifted. What I wrote was and is so affected by my life because those issues and ideas are what's writing from my heart. I let my voice shift and experimented with new things, But I also kept writing YA, right up to when I got my job at the mental health agency and began a shift of focus in my life.

I began volunteering with the kids at the agency, those who lived on the campus where I worked, some who had undergone unspeakable tragedies, abuse, had lost their parents, were parents themselves, and on and on. Yet at the heart of it these were still just kids, and I saw a lot of myself from just a few years ago in them. I'm close enough in age to some of them that a kid will play a song that's on my iPod and I can't help but bust out a jam. Yet despite how close in age I am, there is a world of difference between me and them, between who I was and who I am. And it made me realize something.

Adults cannot write young adult fiction without having some contact with kids and teens. Whether you're a parent, a teacher, work in child care, have friends who have kids, volunteer with kids-- you cannot create an authentic voice and story for kids and teenagers without actually talking to some.

Yes, yes, we were all kids once. And that experience is vital to creating fiction for teens. But you also have to accept that you're looking at it all through the lens of an adult. Your experiences since you were 16 have vastly changed you and how you view the world. There is plenty of adult fiction out there starring teenagers-- it's not considered YA because it is written with an adult audience in mind and so touches on thoughts and experiences that teenagers won't relate to as much.

What makes YA, YA? The target audience.

A "positive thought" left in my Positive Thoughts Bowl at work, written by a teenage client. Sorry it's crappy quality.

It's great that so many adults read young adult fiction these days. Hell, I'm an adult that reads YA. But I'm not who it's written for. The voices and experiences it needs to reflect are for those teenagers out there looking for something to relate to. They want a reading experience that speaks to them, and that is the entire point of young adult. It's to give a voice to teenagers and children. And the only way to successfully do that is to talk to teenagers, interact with them in some way or another. Consider it research, a very important kind.

Yeah, I hear you. Sometimes teenagers suck, Especially the ones that roll their eyes at you, or call you a little c**t, or get charged with assault. But just reading other YA novels as research into the "current" teenage experience isn't enough. That's a dangerous way to create a circle-jerk of outdated or false information. If you don't actually take the time to relate to those you're actually trying to market to, you run the risk of talking over your audience instead of giving them a voice.

What does that look like? It looks like creating a 'moral' for your readers to take away. It's purposefully forging characters to be perfect role models instead of creating true to life people. It's minimizing what might be 'offensive' or 'inappropriate' or  what you 'don't think kids/teens can handle.' It's assuming you know what's best for them and undermining their intelligence. It's inauthentic and kids can always tell.

If you really want to inspire a lifelong love of reading and literature in kids and teenagers, you have to create authentic experiences they can relate to, and touch on ideas and emotions that will leave lasting impressions on them. If you only focus on imposing a moral or lesson on them, on speaking over them, then it feels too much like work or school or the rules they're used to at home. If they sense the catch, they will drop your book in a heartbeat and probably drop reading not long after, if every other book they read is the same experience.

When you start to think you know what's best for young readers, you take away their autonomy, which is so vital in a world where young people seem to have so little of it. It's such an easy thing to do, and I'm certain I'm guilty of looking down my nose at those younger than me at times. In order for me to keep my promise to my younger self, to keep my voice authentic and true to the teenage experience, I will get to know my target audience and do my best to always be the conduit to their voice, and not its silencer.

I hop you will too.

Book Review: The Bodies We Wear

Book Review: The Bodies We Wear by Jeyn Roberts

Goodreads Description: People say when you take Heam, your body momentarily dies and you catch a glimpse of heaven. Faye was only eleven when dealers forced Heam on her and her best friend, Christian. But Faye didn’t glimpse heaven—she saw hell. And Christian died.

Now Faye spends her days hiding her secret from the kids at school, and her nights training to take revenge on the men who destroyed her life and murdered her best friend. But life never goes the way we think it will. When a mysterious young man named Chael appears, Faye's plan suddenly gets a lot more complicated. Chael seems to know everything about her, including her past. But too many secrets start tearing her world apart: trouble at school, with the police, and with the people she thought might be her friends. Even Gazer, her guardian, fears she's become too obsessed with vengeance. Love and death. Will Faye overcome her desires, or will her quest for revenge consume her?

 

My Review:  A lot of my experience with this book could be summed up with simply: Ugh.

I was drawn to THE BODIES WE WEAR by its beautiful cover and interesting title. The hook didn't grab me much-- the tale of a streetwise punk hunting down dealers to get revenge for her best friend's murder. The idea was okay, but nothing about it made me shout 'ooh!' It was rather I wanted to see what the author did when dealing with teen drug use/abuse, the stigma associated, and how revenge and the street life affect someone as a person.

The beginning stood out strong, and by this I really mean only the opening scene with Faye standing in the rain with the preacher who calls her out. Some of these ideas brought up I really liked-- the conflict between religion and addicts, which was well done in the opening scene, as well as the question of the afterlife and what living really meant. It almost felt like the beginnings of some really awesome ideas that didn't get the attention they really deserved.

Instead, we are stuck with a a dull main character who tries to convince us she's a rough and tumble street punk. Really, what has she done in her life? She's a good student, helps the poor and downtrodden, stands up for girls being beaten up in the bathroom, and yet she presents with the attitude of "this isn't normal for me. I'm one of the cool kids just HAPPENING to do the right thing." It was a serious case of an author leading their audience, attempting to tell them what to think of their character instead of showing it. Not to mention our love interest, Chael, is about as transparent as glass and about as interesting. His story was horribly predictable (from the first moment he entered it was obvious as to what's really going on with him, though the story never explains the HOW or reasons behind what happens to him). He came in to be the mysterious protector who would "save Faye from herself." I couldn't find anything likeable about him, especially once he begins to do the mysterious "I know things but you need to figure it out for yourself." Barf. I'll tell you, if the guy I was dating constantly lorded information over me in such an arrogant way (especially coupled with his stalker tendencies) I'd clock him one. Which feels like something Faye should have done, but somehow six years of street life are completely forgotten when cute boys enter the picture.

The characters felt like they didn't make a lot of sense. Mostly, the construct of the society made no sense to me. Here we have a drug that is outright killing people from the first dose and anybody who has so much touched the stuff is instantly ostracized. I can... sort of understand this, but it didn't make much sense to me. People are afraid of drug use in real life because it changes their loved one. Makes them more aggressive, brings out odd behaviour, it causes them to lie and cheat those they love to put the drug first. Yet we didn't see any transformation from the use of Heam. Its users saw Heaven, and if they overdosed and got scars, (evidence of their use) they were essentially tossed aside. The author pushed this addict stigma to the point where it was horribly unbelievable. I can't believe a mother could one day go from "My baby girl" to "You're a horrible monster get out of my face," by the presence of a few marks. Therefore, the whole stigma of Heam use mostly made me roll my eyes.

Aside from the characters, the thing that really bothered me was how this book presented drug use/abuse. The environment was very black and white-- bad guys and victims. The villains in this book were not people-- they were drug dealers, pedophiles, murderers. It felt like the author compiled everything evil into a person and then set them up as pins to be knocked down by our main character. There was no way we could sympathize with them, which took out a huge point of conflict. They're still human, someone out there must have loved them. Instead of drawing up the dilemma of "these are humans too, no matter what they've done, and I'm going to kill them." Instead, we get, "He deserved it, but killing him didn't make me happy," which felt incredibly selfish and short sighted, not so much on the character's side but the author's. Emotions run much deeper than that. On the other hand, we had the victims-- little kids who are doing this drug, who had it forced upon them, who are poor little sufferers in this cruel society. It made me scoff. Yes, there are always those sob stories, but drug use is filled with people who seek out the drug, who go to it to escape pain in their real lives. The book completely neglected those people. Characters were either the devil or the poor, trapped and helpless. It would have been much more fulfilling to see the addicts who use it to escape, but also enjoy it. They do this for a reason. Let's get into their heads. See what they're really running from. Often drug addicts seem like evil, but the real evil is often lurking behind them, from something done to them that they're only trying to cope with.

I wanted this book to look at the complexities of addiction and street life, and instead got a Disney-esque, black vs. white story of people who are given drugs, rather than people who take drugs.

All in all, there were some poignant moments and a few really interesting thoughts that kept me interested, but sadly, it was too far and between.

TL;DR: 1.5/5 stars. Just.... just skip it. For your own sanity...

Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll: Why Edgy Gets Me Excited

So, currently I'm reading Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver, and boy, am I smitten. The characters, story, and tension are all wonderful, but what really gets me are the parts most people may consider "edgy." I love the language-- the swearing is few and far between, but it feels accurate. The mentions of sex and sexuality, as well as what goes along with it-- sexual assault and porn to start. Then there's the drug mentions. One main character may only do a little pot or smoke cigarettes, but the harder stuff exists on the fringes-- it's there, mentioned in passing, just another part of the atmosphere.

But why do I love that this book touches on all of that? It's by no means an edgy story-- not about drug addicts or the like-- it's a story of sisters and their relationship. Truthfully, I may be a bit of an angst bunny. I love it when things get a little dark, but really, these things make books more real (when done well) because they were a part of my teenage experience. As a teenager, these things weren't the forefront of my life. I wasn't a druggie or had a lot of sex. In fact, aside from a little underage drinking I was a fairly straight laced kid. But I knew these things existed. I knew kids in my grade who would experiment with drugs, who were caught having sex in school (and thus, suspended). The gritty realities of life were in my line of sight, even if I didn't participate in them.

Perhaps that's why I'm so attached to VG. Most of the plot does not involve those things, but they do have an effect on their lives of the characters. As teenagers, sex, drugs and the like are relatively new experiences, and they don't always know how to react or how to stay away from them. After all, it can be hard to look away from a car crash. Even if you consciously know it is bad, you don't always have the willpower needed to turn away from it.

Yes, a lot of parents and publishers would like to keep YA fiction clean, hence why most of these subjects are referred to as "edgy." They tone down real life in the hopes of keeping teenagers naive for just a little longer. It's something that I'd consider "edgywashing," an attempt to focus in on things that won't be offensive. I have nothing wrong with a G rated story, but it often feels unreal, like the author has stuck blinders up on readers to only focus on certain areas of life. Sure, there's a time and place for it, but much like Hollywood's whitewashing, it feels as something's missing. When we get whitewashing, we ignore the diversity in our world and suddenly, a whole bunch of people don't have anything to relate to. Often, that is how I feel in an edgywashed story. Sure, I can enjoy the ride, but it's hard for me to relate to a lot of these characters. They feel unreal, because my experience as a teenager wasn't nearly as sheltered as some others'.

I know I'm not the only one who feels that way. I work in a residential treatment facility for traumatized children, who have come from horrible backgrounds. Some have been abandoned by their parents, abused in innumerable ways, others have serious addiction problems, whatever. These kids are definitely the exception to the rule, but they often relay a similar issue as many POC-- they don't feel like they can relate to characters in most fiction. They don't know what it's like to live in a normal house with normally functioning parents, something that can be found in many YA novels. Because they have a hard time relating, they don't pick up a book as often. It doesn't feel "real" to them. They want to read about characters who have similar experiences as they do, and they want to learn from how the character deals with that situation.

I'm not saying every book should have sex and drugs and rock and roll. There's a time and place for it, and there's a right way to do it. Some books definitely don't need it. But, there's a plethora of conflict within those subjects, innumerable things to be done with it and kids out there who need those stories-- not because they want things that are "cool" and "edgy," but because that is their lives, and they're trying to figure out how to deal with those struggles. They need to know they're not the only ones dealing with those issues, and that there is a way out. Because like POC, like LGBT, like children with disabilities, they just want to see someone like themselves in fiction. They want to know they're not alone.