nonbinary writers | Musings of the Monster Librarian

Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi.

Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2022

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593309032

Available:: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

Bitter is a prequel to Pet. In Pet, Jam accidentally brings a monstrous angel created by her artist mother through a gate to our world, opened by her bleeding on the image. In Bitter, we learn that it isn’t the first time Jam’s mother brought an angel through.

The city of Lucille is filled with protests turned violent. Bitter, who grew up in foster homes where she felt unsafe, has found refuge in Eucalyptus, a residential school for artistic teens run by Miss Virtue . She avoids the protests, focusing on her art, believing there’s no hope for change. She meets Aloe, a sound artist training to be a street medic to help the Assatta, grassroots revolutionaries, and he starts giving her hope. I liked the idea that everyone can contribute in their own way, even if they aren’t on the front lines.

After a particularly violent protest, Bitter, who can make her art come to life briefly with blood, creates a monstrous creature and brings it to life in hopes of ending the violence. Unfortunately, the intention he sensed in her was anger, so instead of helping her stop it, he becomes an angel of Vengeance, a hunter of monsters (in this case billionaires and politicians) who wants to kill or burn away evil. When Bitter refuses to help, he convinces members of Assata to hunt with him, but despite their anger, none of them are ready for the brutal, impersonal violence of the angel.

Bitter realizes she can force him back through the gate, but the damage is done, with both innocent and not-so-innocent people dead. Bitter and the Assatta cover up the angel involvement and are able to use the incident to gain concessions and change the system to make it more equitable, the beginnings of the mostly utopian world that exists at the beginning of Pet.

Emezi wrote Bitter during the pandemic and watched their fiction come far too close to reality. They were becoming progressively more disabled while it was written: they dictated it to a friend over Zoom.

Bitter is an angrier book than Pet, and the characters are older teens: while Pet works as a middle grade book and almost a fairytale, Bitter is definitely YA. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

Book Review: Hear Us Scream: The Voices of Horror edited by Catherine Benstead, S.C. Parris, and Violet Burns

Hear Us Scream: The Voices of Horror edited by Catherine Benstead, S.C. Parris, and Violet Burns

Hear Us Scream, 2021

ISBN: 9780645235500

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

Vivid and intimate, these nonfiction reflections examine how and why folks find homes in the horror genre.

The women and nonbinary contributors’ offer personal horror journeys that blend and balance scholarly insights with intensely personal revelations for a unique and powerful reading experience. Despite considerable diversity in contributors’ backgrounds, some common threads emerge in the essays. Authors address themes like life lessons from horror’s surviving characters; horror as a place of self- recognition, community, and discovery; first experiences with horror; the connection between histories of trauma and horror enthusiasm; and the (mis)representations of marginalized identities. The result of the converging themes from distinct perspectives delivers a smart celebration that find pleasure and critical engagement with the genre. The inclusive potential of horror is centered, while raising incisive questions about future directions, and the pathways presented reflect the dynamic value of horror’s diverse voices. Horror lovers will find an enthusiastic appreciation of horror’s many worlds, interesting entry points, and room for emerging conversations. Much like the genre itself, I suspect this book will feel like home to many readers, who recognize and revere similar moments and remembrances.

Hear Us Scream is a welcome addition that will find enthusiastic readers across the community of horror lovers. Both horror content creators and fans will find much to enjoy and relate to in this empowering set of reflections about all types of horror, from B-movies to mainstream features, and more. Some individual essays include trigger warnings for a range of topics, and complex topics are handled with candor and care. Libraries with strong horror collections and pop culture sections will benefit from adding this title. Recommended.

Reviewed by E.F. Schraeder