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Book Review: How to Succeed in Witchcraft by Aislinn Brophy

 

How to Succeed in Witchcraft by Aislinn Brophy

G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readees, 2022

ISBN-13: 978-0593354520

Available: Hadcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

Buy:  Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

Shay is one of the few students of color at T.K. Anderson Prep. In a world where only licensed magic users can get top jobs, she is a striver. She has a higher level of magical strength than anyone else in her class,  and the second highest GPA. Her rival, with a slightly higher GPA and slightly lower magic level, is Ana.

 

At a meeting about the application process for a scholarship the school offers for a student to attend the University of Wilmington, which offers magic licensing, theater teacher Mr. B, who heads the scholarship committee, suggests to Shay that if she wants the scholarship she should participate in the school play, which is intentionally “diverse”. Shay is a terrible actor, but discovers she has been assigned the lead role of Valeria. Ana, also a student of color, is cast as her sister, Gabriela.

 

As the year goes by, Shay stumbles into friendship with Ana, and then into a (closeted) romance. Mr. B. continues to single Shay out for special attention and private rehearsals, violating her physical space (she does not like to be touched: based on this and other behaviors I think she is coded as autistic). She is uncomfortable, but none of the other kids seem to be bothered by Mr. B. When Shay is accidentally outed, he is cold to her, turning his attention to Ana, until Shay convinces him she isn’t a lesbian, so she can keep his attention and win the scholarship.

 

One night Shay’s dad’s car dies while he is on his way to pick her up from school, leaving her on campus alone. While she is walking the school grounds, she sees Mr. B. and student choreographer Brittany kissing. Brittany is sharing her magic with him, which makes him stronger, but leaves her open to manipulation. Shay decides she has to tell, even if it means losing the scholarship, and does so in such a public way that the administration is forced to act.

 

There’s a lot of subtext on privilege, systemic racism and classism, college admissions, the impossibility of the American dream, and the way sexual and emotional abusers take advantage and get away with it. Mr. B is a truly predatory character and Shay’s eventual confrontation with him is terrifying, At the same time, this is a really sweet rivals to lovers sapphic romance with some great world-building. It’s not truly horror, but it is a wonderful, witchy read that should be relatable to teens.

 

 

Posted on November 15, 2023 by , Reply

Book Review: Influence by Lucy Leitner

Influence by Lucy Leitner

Blood Bound Books, 2023

ISBN: 9781940250571

Availabilite: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Amazon.com

 

Influence is a 120 page book containing six of the author’s short stories, some were published previously in other analogies.  The stories are all good to excellent, and Leitner makes good use of her scathing wit to destroy many of the habits of millenialls and Gen Z that people find annoying.  People that enjoy stories about self-obsessed people getting their comeuppance will love this book, as will most horror/suspense fans.

 

There’s a nice bit of variety in Leitner’s style.  One story is written wholly as a series of Instagram posts, another is the script of a podcast.  The longest story, “Karen”,  is also the best.  Karen exemplifies all the bad traits of the younger generation that people love to hate: social media obsession, complete self absorption, superiority complex, etc.  She also loves to run over obese people with her car, since (according to Karen) they are pathetic excuses of humanity.  Her life changes when everyone around her is able to know what Karen really thinks about them, but would never say out loud.  Naturally, the results aren’t pretty, but they are bloody, and readers will be cheering as Karen’s life becomes a living hell.

 

The other stories are also good fun, with the same traits that make “Karen” so enjoyable.  “Get Me Out Of This Shimmering Oasis”, is an Instagram-styled story,   Using ridiculous health trends as a jumping-off point, it succeeds in creating an intriguing tale of taking self-obsession too far, and also points out the silliness of people blaming health woes on obscure ailments that don’t exist.  “Xorcize.me” has a wellness twist to it also, but in this, all problems are due to obscure demons.  Those demons, of course, can be evicted from a person through a home exorcism kit, available for purchase online. This story wins the award for ‘most entertaining dialogue’ due to the snappy patter and sarcasm of the podcast host in the story.  “The Shoe Box Challenge” is a nutty tale twined around the outrageous things people will do for their 15 seconds of YouTube fame. The other two tales are somewhat more straightforward, but no less entertaining.

 

Bottom line: if you like Lucy Leitner’s style before (one of her books, Bad Vibrations, was previously reviewed on this site) then this will certainly tide you over until she gets another full length one completed.  The book would have been worth it for “Karen” alone, so getting the other stories is a nice bonus.  The author has a knack for stories that mix originality with the ability to poke fun at modern conventions: this book should help to expand her fanbase.  Recommended.

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

Posted on November 13, 2023 by , Reply

Book Review: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

 

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Tor, 2023

ISBN-13 ‎978-125024404

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook.

Buy: Bookshop.org  | Amazon.com

 

There is a thin line between fantasy and horror, and between YA and adult fiction. Nettle and Bone dances on that line in this dark fairytale by T. Kingfisher, closer in tone to The Seventh Bride than The Hollow Places.

 

Marra is the youngest of three sisters, princesses of the Harbor Kingdom, which is surrounded on both sides by more powerful kingdoms. Her oldest sister Damia died after a suspiciously short marriage to the cruel Prince Vorling, and now her middle sister, Kania, must marry him and bear him an heir. Vorling’s heir will receive a blessing from the royal family’s fairy godmother that no foreign enemy can harm them with magic, but their lives are bound to the godmother’s just as she is bound to their family.

 

Marra is hidden away at a convent where she stays for ten years, until a visit to her sister convinces her that Kania must be freed from her abusive husband. She goes to the dust-wife, a witch skilled in necromancy, who owns a demon chicken, to ask for help, and accomplishes three impossible tasks the dust-wife sets her, including spinning, weaving, and sewing a cloak of nettle wool and bringing a dog made of bones to life. In completing the tasks. the dust-wife’s promise forces her to help Marra on her quest. They visit a goblin market to find what they need to succeed, which turns out to be a disgraced warrior, Fenris, who was trapped in a fairy fort. They then find Marra’s own fairy godmother, who turns out to be better at cursing than blessing, to her shame. They all must go into the catacombs under Vorling’s castle, where old kings are laid to rest, so the dust-wife can raise the king who bound the royal family’s godmother(essentially a prisoner) and force him to release her, Marra’s fairy godmother can take her place, and Fenris can kill the king.

 

I appreciated the imperfections in the characters and in the relationship between Kania and Marra that made them interesting and unique. Fairytale characters are usually flat and the storylines formulaic, but Kingfisher subverts expectations with fleshed-out characters and  plot elements that bring the unpredictable into play using familiar structures. As it just won the Hugo and Nebula Awards for best novel, I am clearly not the only one to recognize that this book is really something special. Highly recommended.

 

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

Posted on October 30, 2023 by , Reply
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