“Hollow City” is the second book in the “Peculiar Children” series, picking up immediately where the first book left off without much catch-up exposition. As I continued reading the series, my feelings got darker and more desperate, in line with the experience of the characters. There is very little hope or joy in Jacob Portman’s journey. He is a young man who answers the call, and then just plugs away at all the minutiae of being a hero. It’s not that it’s a chore to […]
Males lack the seriousness of temperament required of persons with such grave responsibilities.
I swore that I would read this book well in advance of the film release this fall, and then I did not do it in time, and still have not yet seen the film, despite it being way up my alley. But I have finally read the book series, and so I have fulfilled half of this pop culture obligation, and I’m now… conflicted. I was prepared to adore the series. And, if I’m being honest, I couldn’t stop reading it. It had a lot […]
Being in one’s body
Dust Bath Revival is a book in which magic and history and Florida and science all get scrunched up and then smoothed out again into a shape neither the reader nor Hank can anticipate. It’s a dark and fascinating ride. Henrietta Goodness — but for the love of little green apples call her Hank — is not your average heroine. But then, Dust Bath Revival is not your average book; sure, there are zombies but these aren’t your grandfather’s zombies and they aren’t necessarily the […]
“And they burned waxily ever after…”
Save Wax is about a town called Paraffin, Vermont, and how some of its residents were murdered and replaced with wax figures. It’s also really, really funny. One of the residents, Poppy, was disgraced on a nationally televised talent show. She throws herself into serving as president of the drama club, the Giddy Committee. After her biggest bully pulls yet another prank on her, Poppy visits the local candle factory to get to the bottom of things. She ends up meeting a mysterious old woman […]