I will admit that i do not remember many details from the first book which I read a couple years ago. Instead of a re-read, I gave myself a refresher by reading the synopsis and my own review of the first book. Shortly after starting this read, I found myself hooked and thoroughly engaged. I love how Jae-Jones wove in the different representations so thoroughly it felt completely natural. I also found myself fascinated by the magic and the
undead infection caused by the primary demon in this installment. This book read quickly and hyped up my anticipation for book three which I picked up shortly after finishing this one.
Beautiful.
I have a second success with the second book I picked up from Marillier. I loved how Marillier slowly unfurled the layers of this fairytale myth retelling steeped in Celtic folklore. I also appreciated being able to contrast this version of the retelling to that of Six Crimson Cranes, each highly unique yet both holding true to the core aspects of the tale. This book almost reached five star status,
held back only by Marillier’s tendency to imply long swaths of time passing while the opposite was true. I will definitely pick up more Marillier books in the future.
This book had a fascinating premise and intriguing opening. Yet, even with both of those, the book did not end up working for me. As the pieces, split point of view mainly, came together, they did not really fit. Then, the explanation for how the male main character could interact with Graciela made no sense. Ultimately, I mildly enjoyed the novel but it left me with a slight distaste in my mouth.
It’s a minor note but it intrigues me in a slightly annoying way that this author has more than one book to her name with titles of “Lifeboat + #”. This particular book read incredibly quickly, naturally since its told in verse. This short length to the narrative made it difficult to connect with the main character and believe the near instant friendship she developed with another survivor. The length also prevents any exploration of the historical
events surrounding the story either. Unfortunately, it was another disappointing read.
After a couple lackluster reads in a row, I finally got a winner. Alexander never misses. Although this book is technically second in a series with one of the secondary characters in this book being the primary in the first – The Door of No Return – they can be read separately. (I highly recommend reading both.) In this book Alexander explores the reality of life for a Black girl in the post-Reconstruction years and how the harsh
realities of racism stripped away her innocence, completely changing her life. The book also has beautiful, heartwarming moments of joy shown primarily through the strong familial and platonic bonds. I hope that Alexander continues in this series.
This book probably should have been read physically. Even so, I could see the profound insights Shanté wove together int his collection of autobiographical poetry. This book is beautiful, just not the book for me as I tend to not read many, if any, poetry collections.
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