Book #224 of 2019: Supernova by Marissa Meyer (Renegades #3) This is overall a competent conclusion to a decent YA trilogy, but I’m still pretty flummoxed that author Marissa Meyer never delves deeper into the issue of what makes someone a hero or a villain. If anything, a late reveal cements the villainous side as …
Author Archives: Joe Kessler
Book Review: Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron
Book #223 of 2019: Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron (Kingdom of Souls #1) The fantasy worldbuilding in this YA debut gets a bit off the rails in the end, but as a cliffhanger setup for the next book in the trilogy, it just about works. And the whole novel beforehand is definitely strong enough …
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Book Review: It’s a Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes, and Other Jewish Stories edited by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman
Book #222 of 2019: It’s a Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes, and Other Jewish Stories edited by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman This 2019 YA volume presents over a dozen brand-new short stories from Jewish writers about contemporary Jewish teens. The characters vary in their specific denominations and levels of religiosity, with some of the plots …
Book Review: Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
Book #221 of 2019: Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly This is a really lovely middle-grade novel about a twelve-year-old deaf girl trying to help a lonely whale — ostracized for singing at an unusual frequency — and I think a younger audience would enjoy it even more than I have. Author Lynne Kelly’s …
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Book Review: The Whisper Man by Alex North
Book #220 of 2019: The Whisper Man by Alex North There’s a definite Stephen King / Joe Hill vibe to this 2019 British thriller about a serial child murderer and a boy who talks to people that others can’t see. It’s creepy verging on terrifying throughout, even though the expected abduction doesn’t happen until fairly …
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Book Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
Book #219 of 2019: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig I was initially on board for this Poe-inflected retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but the middle is a bit of a generic YA slog and the ending really goes off the rails with unearned revelations about the setting’s mythology. (It’s fine …
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Book Review: The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes
Book #218 of 2019: The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes There’s a lot going on with this novella, and although I think its ambition surpasses its short length, it contains a worthwhile consideration of generational trauma as a source of both suffering and strength. Author Rivers Solomon has …
Book Review: A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth
Book #217 of 2019: A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth I love the magic in this standalone regency fantasy novel, which concerns a temperamental living house that grows flowering vines to caress its caretaker, yet floods her veins with deadly mortar when she channels its power to protect the local countryside. It’s simultaneously …
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Movie Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
Movie #12 of 2019: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) Thanks to Disney+, I’m finally diving into this branch of the Star Wars franchise that spans the gap between the prequel films Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I’ve heard the ensuing TV series gets better, but this …
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Book Review: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Book #216 of 2019: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia (Tristan Strong #1) Middle-grade fiction is very hit-or-miss for me, but I loved this series debut right from the start. #OwnVoices stories rooted in the perspective of their authors’ cultural heritage have become increasingly popular, and this latest novel from …
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The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more 