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Hungry Ghost

Hungry Ghost is a moving story about a young woman struggling with an eating disorder and learning to love herself for who she is, not because of how her mother or societal expectations dictate how she should look.

Valerie is a senior in high school who is being crushed under her mother’s toxic restrictions on what she is allowed to eat and how thin she needs to stay. Val has turned those expectations inward and has developed an eating disorder of counting calories, denying herself food and then throwing up the little she actually does eat. On the other hand, her full-figured best friend Jordan lives live exuberantly, embracing new foods and experiences, which Val envies. A school trip overseas to Paris with Jordan and her crush Allan brings everything into focus, as she briefly lets loose while away from her mother until a family tragedy brings her home early. She later lashes out at her friend when she discovers Allan likes Jordan instead, as being thin didn’t win her his heart. She has a hard-won redemption at the end, making amends with Jordan, and seeking professional help. Sadly, her mother plays down the eating disorder issue but Val perseveres, knowing she needs to find self-love.

The illustrations were lovely, depicting the Chinese-American family authentically. A minimalist color palette was used, with blues and pinks being the only colors used. Depending on the scene, the expressive art could be whimsical or very serious and the panels flowed easily across the page. An afterward shared that the author and illustrator Victoria Ying based this story on her own life, which made the already poignant narrative more genuine.

Although this graphic novel is intended for a YA audience, it really ended up speaking to me. That Val’s body image was tied to her self-worth, is something that many many women contend with themselves. My mother was a thin woman who took great pride in her slimness and was disappointed that me and my sister were not as slim as she was. There were many times over the years, she cautioned me about my weight, but the real culprit was actually my father. He would shame me, and even in his last week of life, he told me I needed to lose weight. I envy thinner women and feel self-conscious if I am the biggest woman in a group, wondering if I am being judged. Now I have a daughter myself, and I have really tried hard not to pass along the toxicity to her, although I know I have failed at times. To this day, I struggle with my own self-worth, feeling I need to earn other people’s acceptance or friendship, so this book has really made me evaluate those feelings and try to overcome them. It’s not too late to learn to love yourself!

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The Man in the Black Suit: Four Dark Tales

My husband and I wanted an audiobook for a road trip we were taking, and Stephen King’s short stories are always a good bet. Although I had already read all four of the stories in Everything’s Eventual, it had been years plus listening to them on audio is a different experience. All the stories were voiced well.

The Man in the Black Suit

An old man recounts when he met Satan as a young child in 1914 Maine. Evocative and the best of the four stories.

All That You Love Will Be Carried Away

A traveling salesman contemplates suicide in a motel. Ambiguous ending- I choose to believe he lives.

The Death of Jack Hamilton

Historical fiction story about the Dillinger gang and the death of one of the gangsters- which eventually led to Dillinger’s death soon afterward. No supernatural elements to this story at all.

That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French

A woman on the way to a second honeymoon with her rich but philandering husband has a feeling of déjà vu over and over again. The sad ending points to her being caught in a time loop in purgatory. This story grew on me from reading it the first time, to the second audio edition.

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The Silver Coin

This is the first of a new horror anthology of short stories that centers around a cursed silver coin, and came recommended to me by staff at my favorite comic book store. Each story is written by a different author, although all the art was drawn by Michael Walsh and he also penned the last story.

The Ticket by Chip Zdarsky

In 1978 a rock band of three seems to catch a break when the guitarist discovers the coin and uses it as a guitar pick, making their music powerful. But at a concert, he is unable to stop playing and soon the bar with everyone inside goes up in flames. This was the best story of the five.

Girls of Summer by Kelly Thompson

A teen goes on a killing spree against the cruel girls in her summer camp cabin with an ax that has the coin embedded in it.

Death Rattle by Ed Brisson

Three delinquents in 1986 accidentally kill a retired fireman when they are robbing his cabin, and burn down his cabin afterward to hide the murder. But of course, things go wrong and the police are soon on their trail. The woman in the group suddenly has the coin, although I have no clue how she obtained it (perhaps during the robbery)and chaos ensues. Weird ending in a cabin.

2467 by Jeff Lemire

The coin is still around in the far dystopian future and is discovered by a scavenger outside the city limits. There is a virus and non-corporeal beings- I’m confused.

Covenant by Michael Walsh

This last story-that should have been the first- was about the coin’s origin. Set in the Pilgrim/Salem Witch Trial era, a healer is accused of witchcraft by a zealot. Angry at him and the friend who didn’t help her, she curses them both, and the coin begins its journey.

I liked that the artwork by Walsh was consistent, for he gave it a subdued and melancholy look that matched the tone of the stories. However, l feel like this collection was a fail. I believe it should have moved forward chronologically and a few of the stories made no sense. I question if I will look for volume two.

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Mid Year Freakout #7

I’m freaking out for the seventh time! I like this post idea, as it forces me to reflect on my reading halfway through the year instead of just at the end with the Best Of list. I had fun going through my Goodreads data, and bonus, it highlights the other genres I read since I read way more than just graphic novels.

Best book you read in 2023 so far

I adored author Angeline Boulley’s debut novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter, so her newest book Warrior Girl Unearthed which was part mystery and part activism call was an immediate read for me. In this novel, ten years have passed since Daunis’s story, but this second novel concentrates on her twin nieces, who are the next generation of girls in the Firekeeper family.

Best sequel you’ve read so far 

I waited for the concluding eighth volume of Manifest Destiny forever! The reimaging of the Lewis and Clark expedition draws to a close as history, colonization and government conspiracies are shaken up together into a unique tale about the Corps of Discovery- taking ten years from the first issue to the last, despite the real expedition only taking two and a half years! The Lovecraftian art was outstanding and was worth the wait.

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

I have a few YA books on my radar since I’m a teen librarian, and I like to read some of the books I order for my library teens. The Davenports by Krystal Marquis and Throwback by Maurene Goo both look appealing.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

2017 was the 40-year anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope, so a collection of 40 short stories was written by different authors that reimagines a moment from the film through the eyes of a supporting character. I loved it and the next book in 2020 that did the same for The Empire Strikes Back. Later this year, From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi will be released and I can’t wait to read the 40 new stories!

Biggest disappointment

The supernatural trilogy Baslisk reunited the team of Cullen Bunn, Jonas Scharf and Alex Guimarães from the Bone Parish series that I had loved, but this newest series fell flat, despite great art and coloring by Scharf and Guimarães.

Biggest surprise

The short story collection Gleanings from the Arc of a Scythe series was better than I expected. I enjoyed the trilogy by Neal Shusterman, but at times it was uneven and was better suited for a YA audience vs an adult reader like myself. But these dystopian stories (some of which were co-authored) were a great reintroduction to the Scythe universe.

Newest fictional crush

No one this year.

Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year

Nimona just came out on Netflix! This animated movie is adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by Noelle Stevenson and is filled with adventure, humor, pathos, and love! Sure to be a hit with its visual gags and the message about friendship. My daughter and I watched it the first day it was out.

Newest favorite character

Perry Firekeeper from Warrior Girl Unearthed (mentioned above).

Favorite new author (Debut or new to you)

CJ Tudor is my new favorite horror writer! I discovered her early this year in the short story collection A Sliver of Darkness and then two creepy novels The Chalk Man and The Hiding Place. She has a few others that I plan to read in the future.

Favorite review you have written this year 

Dana Scully of The X-Files fame was my choice for my fifth entry in Fiction’s Fearless Females which I have participated in with a few other blogging friends.  She portrayed the character of Scully with so much passion that the STEM fields have better female representation because of her. Her fearless representation of showing a competent and professional woman, equal to any man, still reverberates today!

Book(s) that made you happy

Onward to Good Things is the fourth volume in the delightful Heart & Brain series by Nick Seluk. His cartoons really capture the pull between our hearts and brains in real life with some very poignant observations.

Book that made you sad

The House is a graphic novel by Paco Roca that heartbreakingly captures the grief that many adult children go through after their parents die, which especially hit hard as I have lost both my parents. This portrait of a family’s intimate domestic tragedies will make readers reflect on their own families, as sadly, we all lose our parents eventually.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

The photography book Our America: A Photographic History by Ken Burns is a gem. The black and white pictures document America from the birth of the photograph to our modern day (1839-2019) and were beautifully evocative.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year? 

As a librarian, I’m a sucker for being on book committees. I finished my year commitment to the 2022 Best Graphic Novels for Adults committee, and I was recently asked to be on the Lincoln Awards committee that chooses YA books that are vetted by librarians (me!) and also includes voting by high school students. So, I look forward to immersing myself in excellent YA books at the end of the year!

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Sunshine

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, the author of the popular middle-school graphic novel series Lunch Lady, wrote a moving memoir Hey, Kiddo a few years ago, and in this follow-up delves into a pivotal summer of his life when he was sixteen.

Krosoczka volunteered to be a camp counselor, along with five other classmates, at Camp Sunshine which was a family sleep-away camp for terminally ill youth and their families. While his job was a challenging endeavor both physically and mentally, he said, “Somehow the math didn’t add up. No matter how much we had put into that week of camp, we all got so much more out of it”. He made connections with children and their families that have endured to this day, although several of the children sadly passed away in the years after camp.

Despite the title and the fact that much of the action was outdoors, the coloring was surprisingly subdued. I had speculated that the grey color palette in Hey, Kiddo was because of the gloom he lived under, plus his grandparent’s incessant smoking, but he seems to continue with the same color scheme although a soft yellow is added throughout. During chapter breaks the author includes photographs and sketches of his from that era, which adds to the authenticity of the narrative. A concluding author’s note shares that while as a whole this memoir is correct, he did combine a few situations and people he met to protect privacy and move the story forward.

I loved the message of volunteering, and that in doing so, you are not only helping others but yourself too. This was another well-done memoir and I hope for future graphic novels by Krosoczka for YA and adult readers!

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Hey, Kiddo

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, an author known for his middle school Lunch Lady series and children’s books, writes a moving and poignant graphic novel memoir about his difficult childhood. Jarrett, also known as Ja, is born to a young unwed heroin addict. Although she truly loves him, her demons get the best of her, and his maternal grandparents adopt him when he is a toddler. Ja’s grandparents, Shirley and Joe, are hard-drinking chain smokers who thought they were done child-rearing after raising five children. Despite their rough ways, they love Ja dearly and do their best by him, and pick up that he has artistic talent. Realizing that art sustains him, they enroll Ja in art classes and eventually help pay for his college classes at the Rhode Island School of Design. All throughout his growing up years Ja’s mother is in and out of his life, as sometimes she was in jail, and is never there during key moments such as birthdays or graduations. Ja eventually establishes contact with his father at seventeen and discovers a brother and sister.

The artwork has a distinct look, that readers of his previous books will recognize. The color palette is very grey- perhaps to show the cloud he was under much of his early life, and also to the smoky environment he lived in. This lovely memoir is perfect for a YA audience, for it has the possibility of showing youth in challenging circumstances, that they too can persevere in the face of difficulty. Teens can see that different family configurations can be honored and worthy; and that art, imagination and creativity can be building blocks for a better future. (Also check out my former writing partner Kathleen’s review of the same book)

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The Hiding Place

CJ Tudor has quickly become one of my favorite horror writers, and in this supernatural tale, she takes inspiration from one of Stephen King’s early classic novels.

We meet Joe, who is a high school teacher, who goes back to his hometown to hide from some gambling debts but also to settle some old scores with his former childhood friends. These friends are not happy to see him, as they wish to continue hiding a terrible mistake they made when they were teens. This non-linear narrative will take you back in time to discover the secret cave they were drawn into, and how several terrible mistakes changed Joe’s life forever. A new generation of teens, which includes the son of one of the original members, has discovered the sealed-off location, and death plagues the small British village once again. Joe’s motives are not entirely pure, with additional suspects from his adult life getting mixed into this psychological thriller that includes some surprising double crosses.

Add this to her short story collection A Sliver of Darkness and the disturbing The Chalk Man, and I will definitely be checking out more of Tudor’s work in the future!

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Basilisk: Volumes Two & Three

The supernatural Basilisk comes to a close in these two volumes. Set in Appalachia, a group of five killers with a hive mind emerge from the secluded mountains and go on a killing spree. A mother, who saw her husband and young daughter killed, is bent on revenge against this group called the Chimera.

Volume Two:

This second volume opens with Hannah reminiscing about the last days she spent with her family as she headed off to a work conference, and missed the carnage the Chimera inflicted upon her hometown, killing her loved ones. Grief-stricken and guilty, she continues her quest for revenge. Will Manny dead, and Regan on her side, she seems to be making progress as the leader Vanessa is gravely hurt. But just as you think Hannah might succeed, the last page throws readers for a loop.

There was a major inconsistency in the narrative when Regan tells Hannah that the five Chimera members cannot hurt one another and that is proven false quickly. I’d like some more world-building from Cullen Bunn at this point, as I’m still in the dark as to how the Chimera came to be. Were they created with these powers, or are they regular people who were transformed by some evil magic?

But as always, the art by Jonas Scharf is superb. The illustrations flow well, with some cool splash pages. Alex Guimarães’s colors are deep and rich, with colors keeping to a palette for a few pages, before shifting to a new one.

Volume Three:

The trilogy comes to a close in this volume and features Hannah, Regan and Vanessa coming together for a final showdown. The other Chimera are thrown to the side and although we see them, they play no part in the narrative whatsoever. When we finally learn why the Chimera exists it MADE NO SENSE! This big (absolutely ridiculous) reveal gave readers more questions than answers. My earlier questions remained plus how was the cult connected to it all, and how long had it been going on, with the government not knowing about the carnage happening. Using the excuse of it being in an isolated region, doesn’t explain it- thus the entire premise of this story proves to be very weak.

The only saving grace of this trilogy is the art and coloring by Scharf and Guimarães. Scharf is excellent at creating characters that are realistic, diverse and world-weary. Guimarães chooses rich purples, blues and greens in much of the story with dull browns to signify a flashback. The cover features a kaleidoscope of swirling colors that gives you a hint of the reveal late in the story.

I was sorely disappointed in this series. I kept waiting for an explanation, and then when one arrived, it only confused and frustrated me. I am still a fan of Bunn’s work, as Bone Parish and Harrow County are excellent, but this series didn’t stick the landing.

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Warrior Girl Unearthed

I adored author Angeline Boulley’s debut novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter, so this book which was part mystery and part activism call was an immediate read for me. In this novel, ten years have passed since Daunis’s story, but this second novel concentrates on her twin nieces, who are the next generation of girls in the Firekeeper family. Perry is the laid-back twin compared to her high-achieving twin Pauline who has an internship already lined up for the summer. But a car accident forces Perry to also work as an intern to pay back her Aunt Daunis, and Perry’s first assignment is to work with the Sugar Island Cultural Learning Centre which is trying to gain back the Ojibwe tribe’s ancestral remains, regalia and sacred remains that is held by a nearby university and private collectors. Perry and some of the other interns get sucked into a heist to bring back human remains when traditional routes of retrieval prove to be too slow for the headstrong Perry. All the while, a mystery is swirling around the Michigan UP as Native women are regularly disappearing, and this braids into the concluding pages during the chaotic heist.

Boullley once again showcases love for her heritage as she shares IRL issues that plague many tribes- the cultural appropriation of those who claim to honor Indigenous people but prove to be disrespectful in how they hoard items or remains that they have no business in having. Plus, the harrowing fact that tribal women are being hurt or killed in high numbers because of conflicting jurisdictions between reservations and outside communities, causing loopholes that predators use to their advantage. I felt the conclusion was too busy and unrealistic, but I still loved revisiting Sugar Island and getting windows into the Firekeeper clan and surrounding community. 

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