May 21 2021

Bismillah Soup by Asmaa Hussein & Amina Khan

In a contemporary Somali village, young Hasan promises his mother a feast while his father is away working in the city. Trouble is, there isn’t any food in the pantry. Hasan runs to the local mosque, and with the help of the imam and various (semi-unwitting) villagers and mosque goers, puts together the promised feast along the lines of the classic Stone Soup fable.

My ten year-old loved this book, rating it a solid 5 stars, but I spent most of my time either chuckling or exclaiming over what a grifter Hasan was being. I remember the original fable involving a peddler finessing a town into sharing their individual ingredients for the common good, thereby teaching them a necessary lesson about working together (or socialism, if you will.) This book had the same basis but a narrower focus: Hasan isn’t trying to feed a village, he’s trying to impress his mom. Fortunately for him, his village is willing to go along with it, in the way of any mosque-focused community looking for an excuse to come together and have a feast.

And that, I thought, was the largest part of this book’s charm, the way it displayed the generosity and spirit of a Muslim village humoring a boy who loves his mother, while feeding the community. It showcases a trust in God’s will via the good-heartedness of one’s neighbors, all through a simple tale that riffs off of a familiar fable. Amina Khan’s expressive illustrations suit the story perfectly, evoking a Somali village and its inhabitants with joyful cartoon imagery well-suited for the book’s target audience.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2021/05/21/bismillah-soup-by-asmaa-hussein-amina-khan/

May 20 2021

Sage And King by Molly Ringle

This might be the first fantasy romance novel where not only did I not want to gouge out the eyes of the protagonists at any point in the proceedings, I was actively rooting for their happiness because I respected every single one of their decisions.

Prince Zaya, third in line to the throne of Lushrain, spends his days being the frivolous young man about town, devoted to the theater and a mainstay of the newspapers’ gossip pages. When his older sister the Queen and his older brother, her heir, are killed in a freak landslide, Zaya is suddenly thrust into power, a position that he neither welcomes nor enjoys. As part of his initiation to the throne, he’s brought to the mountainside retreat of Heartwood, where he discovers an awful secret: magic, long outlawed in his nation, has been secretly thriving, cultivated here by the sages and advisors relied on by generations of monarchs.

Col may be one of the most powerful sages Heartwood has ever trained, but his relatively sheltered upbringing amidst them does nothing to prepare him for the glamour or intensity of the young king. Tasked with gradually introducing magic to Zaya, and hopefully earning his confidence and trust, he doesn’t expect their initial attraction to grow into something more profound. But he’s keeping a terrible secret from Zaya that could not only destroy their relationship but also the very stability of their kingdom.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2021/05/20/sage-and-king-by-molly-ringle/

May 19 2021

The Album Of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory

This novella combines three of my favorite things: murder mysteries, sci-fi (and I don’t care if calling it that is “vulgar”, Matt) and boy bands! Add a police detective with a fascinating history, literary snarkiness and huge doses of humor, and you’ve got a book that hits all of my reading sweet spots.

Las Vegas Police Detective Luce Delgado is called to the scene of the Matador hotel, where music producer Dr Maury Bendix has been found clawed to death in his bed, next to the bloodied and extremely drugged up form of one of his protegees, Bobby O, “the cute one” of the world’s hottest boy band WyldBoyZ. As Bobby O is part ocelot, he’s immediately considered prime suspect, tho it soon becomes clear that all five members of the WyldBoyZ — genetically modified human-animal hybrids who fled a burning barge conducting secret scientific experiments in the middle of the ocean before achieving global superstardom — had plenty of reason to want Dr M dead. Could the murderer have actually been Devin, “the romantic one”, who was perhaps too close to Dr M’s wife? Or Matt M, “the funny one”, who was looking to leave the band to pursue academia? Surely it couldn’t have been Tusk, “the smart one”, or Tim, “the shy one”? Could the murderer really be, as Luce’s pun-loving partner Detective Banks posits, “a rabid fan”?

Complicating matters is the fact that Luce’s 9 year-old daughter, Melanie, is a megafan herself. But Melanie’s expertise may be the key to cracking the case, and to saving the lives of even more people in the WyldBoyZ’ charmed, endangered circle.

The Album Of Dr Moreau packs a lot of terrific cultural commentary into less then 200 pages, celebrating and critiquing its subjects in witty ways that lean into both thoughtfulness and humor. Matt really is the funny one — I loled at at least two of his wisecracks, needing to put the book down as I just lost it laughing. The novella’s length, however, is also its main drawback. This is such a smart story that deserves to be drawn out into a full-length novel, with a little more reflection and slightly less pressured pacing. I felt like the murder mystery went by too quickly, juddering forward in transitions that could have used a little more story padding to smooth it all out. The sci-fi aspects could also have been given a bit more meat: I’d still like to know the whole deal with Jorge, for example. Like, I get who he is but I’d like to know a bit more of how he became who he did. That said, I really appreciated all the writing on music and pop culture, which was treated here with both the reverence and ribaldry it deserved. I’ll definitely be looking out for more of Daryl Gregory’s work from here on in.

The Album Of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory was published May 18 2021 by Tordotcom and is available from all good booksellers, including

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2021/05/19/the-album-of-dr-moreau-by-daryl-gregory/

May 18 2021

Punch Me Up To The Gods: A Memoir by Brian Broome

Structured around Gwendolyn Brooks’ seminal poem We Real Cool and a bus ride where Brian Broome observed a young Black boy named Tuan interacting with his father, this autobiography in essays is a profound, powerful examination of the life of a gay black man growing up in late 20th century America.

Born and raised in 1970s northeastern Ohio, Brian knew he was different from other boys at an early age, and not in a way that his parents or society approved of. His father, especially, thought that constantly, viciously beating him would instill the desired manliness that he seemed to lack. As soon as Brian was able, he left small town life for the lure of a big city, where he thought he might finally find his people and a life of liberation and love. Things don’t go as planned, and the shy young man discovers drink and drugs before finally being able to discover himself.

Standard memoir stuff, but Mr Broome pulls even fewer metaphorical punches than his father did in actuality, tho the younger man directs his ruthlessness in a more deserved direction, interrogating the issues of race, sexuality and masculinity that made him the person he is today. Punch Me Up To The Gods is an unflinchingly honest examination of all the terrible things that shaped him, whether done to or by him, as well as a stunningly generous expression of love and compassion for all the hurting, hurtful people just struggling to survive in a world that too often encourages fear of and cruelty to the “other”. The memoir is beautifully shaped, using Ms Brooks’ poem as a narrative scaffolding while also providing another throughline in the form of Mr Broome’s meditations on Tuan’s life as they both journey on the bus. The writing is astounding throughout this brilliantly crafted, searingly intelligent critique of a culture that could have very easily destroyed Mr Broome. That he could come through decades of pain to write this masterpiece of empathy and honesty is a testament both to his own character and will, and to the threads of kindness and hope that we need to keep displaying in our everyday lives. Books like this encourage us all to work to be less racist, to be less colorist, to not judge people based on gender or sexuality. It’s an important, vital, absorbing read.

I did not, however, care for Yona Harvey’s introduction. On the plus side, it didn’t spoil Mr Broome’s narrative. On the minus, it talked mostly about James Baldwin (to which, awesome but irrelevant — Mr Broome discusses Mr Baldwin in the text and it doesn’t need embroidering upon) and also about Ms Harvey’s own attitude to the book, which quite frankly set my teeth on edge. Maybe it’s because I’ve never had patience for those kids who revel in shaming and narcing, the way that entire “you’re gonna get in trouble” singsong passage she includes so vividly evokes. I’d honestly recommend skipping the introduction entirely so you can better enjoy this excellent memoir without the intrusive shadow of judgey assholes looming larger than they need to.

Punch Me Up To The Gods: A Memoir by Brian Broome was published today May 18 2021 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and is available from all good booksellers, including

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2021/05/18/punch-me-up-to-the-gods-a-memoir-by-brian-broome/

May 17 2021

A Master Of Djinn (Dead Djinn Universe #1) by P. Djèlí Clark

P Djèlí Clark wrote two novellas set in this universe before A Master Of Djinn, and I think that if you preferred A Dead Djinn In Cairo to The Haunting Of Tram Car 015 then you’ll definitely enjoy this one too. Like the prior novellas, his first full-length book is about mystical goings-on in an alternate history, steampunk Egypt that shook off the colonizing yoke when Al-Jahiz, a Soudanese mystic, pierced the veil between worlds and allowed djinn and other creatures of legend to freely walk our mortal plane. Now Egypt is a burgeoning world power due to its enhanced citizenry. With any new source of industry, however, must come the requisite government oversight.

Enter the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, responsible for overseeing and regulating any legal issues involving same. Fatma el-Sha’arawi was once notorious for being its youngest female agent — and for a style of dress that screams young Western dandy — but has plenty of experience in solving supernatural crimes and saving the world. She prefers to work solo, but is often aided by her girlfriend, Siti, the Nubian worshiper of Sekhmet whose temple status seems to have lent her preternatural powers of her own. The last thing Fatma needs or wants is a rookie partner, in the form of fresh academy graduate Hadia, whose sky blue hijab hints at her less than conservative approach to a society where women traditionally wear more somber-colored head coverings.

Despite Fatma’s reluctance, their first official case together is the slaughter of an entire Brotherhood devoted to Al-Jahiz. Headed by Alistair Worthington, one of the richest men in Cairo as well as a prominent English citizen, the secretive Brotherhood collected items said to have belonged to the long-disappeared mystic. When Al-Jahiz himself reportedly turns up to one of their meetings to violently display his displeasure, the entire city looks poised to riot, as the same mystical figure is also making appearances in the streets, preaching against foreign interference and decadence. With an international peace summit scheduled just days away, Fatma and Hadia must get to the bottom of this before the impostor brings more bloodshed to the streets of their beloved country.

So here’s the deal: Mr Clark tries. I’m really glad that he’s writing Afrocentric, Islamophilic fantasy featuring strong female leads, with a rich and textured world-building that emphasizes harmony and compassion, while denouncing warmongering and slavery. Which, I think, is why the feminism often feels a bit college-level in comparison. This is an Egypt where almost all the women wear head coverings but are also totally encouraging of a woman who dresses in suits carrying on a lesbian romance with a worshiper of the old gods? While I personally think this is pretty awesome, I don’t understand why a fantasy environment like this one would also feature a heroine who flinches every time someone seemingly heteronormative comes into her daily orbit. Fatma has a lot of assumptions about Hadia that make it look like she has a lot of experience with asshole hijabi women judging her or worse for being who she is, but absolutely nothing about the setting as written lends itself to this tension. I was also not impressed with Hadia, at least not in the way I enjoyed how her counterpart, Onsi, proved himself to his superior, Hamed, in THoTC015. Hadia’s a bit of a complainer, and I wish Fatma too was as bold on the inside as she goes to such pains to appear. I totally understand putting up a brave front, but finely tailored Western suits in multiple color combinations are A Choice in the Egyptian heat, you know?

Also, I was extremely unimpressed by their detective skills. It was glaringly obvious as soon as they had the ledger entries who the bad guy was, so I spent most of the back half of the book waiting with varying degrees of patience for them to figure it out too. I did really enjoy how the world-building was extended to the European powers tho, which are learning how to harness their own native spirits, and I’m looking forward to reading more of this universe in future. I’m rather hoping the next book will feature Agents Hamed and Onsi, who seem less like awkward character ideas and more like actual people, both in their novella and in this book where they appear as supporting cast members.

A Master Of Djinn (Dead Djinn Universe #1) by P. Djèlí Clark was published May 11 2021 by Tordotcom and is available from all good booksellers, including

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2021/05/17/a-master-of-djinn-dead-djinn-universe-1-by-p-djeli-clark/

May 14 2021

Cool For The Summer by Dahlia Adler

On the one hand, this is a thoroughly lived-in YA romance with two bisexual leads, at least one of whom is struggling with her identity as someone who isn’t strictly heterosexual. Lara Bogdan was your typical mousy high schooler, with a clique of awesome friends and a raging crush on handsome, sweet Chase Harding, football quarterback and all-around American dream. But he’s never looked at her as anything but a friendly acquaintance till the start of senior year, when she’s returned to her New York suburb from a summer in the Outer Banks, looking and feeling like a new and improved version of herself.

First, there’s her tan, then there’s her awesome new haircut. More importantly, she carries herself with a newfound sense of confidence, born of a summer spent in the company of Jasmine Killary, her mom’s boss’ daughter. When Lara’s mom had told her that they’d be spending the summer in North Carolina, Lara had been pretty bummed. She had a sweet bookstore job lined up, as well as several lucrative babysitting gigs, all in service of filling up her car fund. But Lara’s mom hadn’t felt comfortable leaving her daughter alone for the summer while she went south to accompany her high-flying executive boss, and so Lara had to tag along.

Luckily, the Outer Banks were a lot more fun than she expected. Having a housemate her own age certainly helped, especially since Jasmine was both exceedingly cool and surprisingly considerate, bringing Lara to parties and introducing her to all her own summer friends and activities. And that was even before they kissed…

Back in Stratford in the fall, Lara is ready to resume life as usual. It’s a surprise when Chase suddenly starts paying attention to her, the culmination of nearly her entire life’s dreams. It’s an even bigger surprise when Jasmine walks through the doors of her high school, a senior year transfer who’d given Lara absolutely no warning of her arrival, and whose attitude towards Lara now seems to be that of an aloof stranger.

Lara has no idea what to do. She’s always loved Chase, but she can’t get Jasmine out of her head, even if Jasmine keeps sending her mixed signals. Should Lara just pursue the happily ever after with Chase that she’s been dreaming about for years, or should she try to figure out what’s going on with her and Jasmine?

I loved how Cool For The Summer, which Dahlia Adler freely admits refers to Demi Lovato’s hit song, really examined the thoughts of a confused teenager as she tries to make sense of her love life. Tough enough being in a love triangle without also questioning your own identity and fearing the reactions of your loved ones should they discover your same-sex attraction. What I didn’t love (and this is my on the other hand bookend to this review’s opener) was the frustrating use of the non-communication trope. There would have been a lot less silly angst if Lara had just texted Jasmine a “hey, can we talk?” after Jasmine shows up in New York. There was certainly enough angst going on even without avoiding the “do you still like me and want to be together?” talk. The only reason I could forgive the use of the trope was the fact that these are teenagers we’re talking about, and if ever there was an age for jumping to conclusions and assuming the dramatic worst, it’s definitely adolescence.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed this tale of exploring your sexuality and learning who you are and who you really want to be. It was really great that everyone was basically a decent human being, and I loved all the diverse representation as well. Was also pleased that the ending bucked the trend of recent bi/questioning books I’ve been reading — all said endings have been equally valid and delightful, but it’s nice to bring balance to the force.

Cool For The Summer by Dahlia Adler was published May 11 2021 by Wednesday Books and is available from all good booksellers, including

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2021/05/14/cool-for-the-summer-by-dahlia-adler/

May 11 2021

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

It’s weird feeling like I’m perfectly suited to review this book as a diaspora Malaysian but also feeling inadequate to review this book for that very same reason. The experience of reading Black Water Sister was like stepping back into old, comfy clothes and wandering around my hometown, but a small part of me was squinting at my own familiarity from the outside, wondering if my history was doing too much work filling in the gaps in this gripping urban fantasy/horror novel. “What gaps?” the happy part of me argues, to which the critical part responds, “Exactly!” Can I even find any flaws — any incongruencies, anything an intelligent person might not be able to reasonably infer — when my own background autofills any missing details before I can even register them?

So I’m going to lean into my Malaysian heritage instead when reviewing this book, with apologies to anyone who might find the culture or language difficult to relate to or comprehend. I want to believe that this is an accessible book to all readers, but the fact that I’m even having this internal argument gives me pause. What I can confirm is that this book is 100% authentic Malaysian, from the Manglish to the weather to the mores, good and bad. The cadences of the language are both correct and, when translated to English in the text from the original languages, elegant. The attitudes towards race and religion and sexuality map perfectly with Malaysia in the 21st century, showing off my mother country respectfully but honestly. Zen Cho does a brilliant job of presenting Malaysia as it is, a country of many influences jostling together in search of harmony, an imperfect union that keeps striving towards respect and coexistence.

Which also makes it the perfect setting for this tale of a young woman trying to find herself while beset by supernatural forces. Jessamyn Teoh grew up in America but moved back to Penang as an adult with her aging parents. Closeted and unemployed, she’s still trying to find her footing in an unfamiliar country where the weather alone can drain the unaccustomed into lassitude. Her girlfriend wants her to get a job in and move to Singapore where they can be together, but Jess is worried that her parents are too fragile for her to move that far away. The last thing Jess expects or needs is to suddenly start hearing a voice that claims to be the spirit of her recently deceased, estranged grandmother.

Ah Ma is not the kindly sort of grandma. Jess’ mom had discouraged any sort of relationship between Jess and her own mother, which is why it comes as a surprise to Jess to learn that Ah Ma was a spirit medium in life, and kind of an awful person. Worse, Ah Ma expects Jess to follow in her footsteps, with regard to religion at least. While Jess has been feeling pretty rudderless since moving to Malaysia, she’s pretty sure that that’s not the life she wants, especially when Ah Ma’s post-mortal machinations involve seeking revenge against a local tycoon and invoking the considerable power of the malevolent Black Water Sister. Jess’ life is complicated enough without becoming the vessel for vengeful spirits, with the constant threat of losing her own life in the process.

I can’t explain how wonderful it was to read this book, a contemporary, polished repackaging of the Malaysian horror pulps I read as a teenager eager for everything supernatural. It is, quite frankly, a perfect framing. Jess has always felt like an immigrant, whether in the US or Malaysia, and her “outsider” point of view lends itself well to a story of alienation and rage, as she grapples with Ah Ma and Black Water Sister breaching the bonds of mortality itself to make sure they are remembered, and if not understood then at least respected or feared. Jess’ POV is also great for subtly critiquing the worst of Malaysian excesses, whether it be corruption or exploitation, while also appreciating the unique spirit of multiculturalism that has Bangladeshi Muslim construction workers praying to a Malay spirit in a Chinese cosmology for protection. BWS is a perfectly Malaysian book, portraying the eternal tension between then and now, between development and superstition, between being your own person and caring for your family, and I felt so at home reading it. But also, it is a universal book about growing up and finding out what’s important to you and learning and modeling empathy and kindness, while overcoming your fears and learning how to use your righteous anger to stand up for yourself. Frankly, I loved it, and I hope you will too.

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho was published today May 11 2021 by Ace Books and is available from all good booksellers, including

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2021/05/11/black-water-sister-by-zen-cho/

May 10 2021

Fearless World Traveler: Adventures Of Marianne North, Botanical Artist by Laurie Lawlor & Becca Stadtlander

I thought I had a fairly good knowledge of obscure Victorian women who became explorers against the odds, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn of yet another one via this beautiful picture book for children (tho I continue to be chagrined by eras and societies that deny people opportunities on the basis of sex alone.) Marianne North was a self-taught naturalist and painter whose vivid oil studies, often completed in situ while racing against light and weather, not only made waves in her own day but continue to impress in one of the longest continuing solo exhibitions by a woman, in a gallery dedicated to her works at Kew Gardens.

Ofc, it helps that she came from money and basically funded renovations to the Kew that allowed for same, but her works do stand on their own merit. Several are included in the gorgeous endpapers for this already sumptuous volume, and it’s hard not to be entranced by her artistry and especially her use of color. I can only imagine how Victorians trapped in smog and greyness must have felt when confronted with such riotous, lush beauty, tho the anecdote about witchcraft at the end gives me a fairly good idea.

Laurie Lawlor does an excellent job of telling Ms North’s story simply and without bias, acknowledging the aspects problematic to modern readers while still conveying how groundbreaking and impactful Ms North’s actions were and continue to be. Becca Stadtlander’s illustrations are for the most part perfectly suited to the text. Her depictions of tall, shy Marianne and her family are lovely, and while her depictions of wildlife pale in comparison with her subject’s, who can cast aspersions on anyone following in those illustrious footsteps? Ms Stadtlander wisely uses a different art style entirely, so it all balances out. I did, however, think it an odd misstep that the pictures of Marianne traveling through territories alien to Victorian society were entirely devoid of any local guides or bearers. I can see where she might be riding solo with only a pack horse for company, but have a hard time believing she’d pole her way through crocodile infested waters alone, much less ride a laden elephant by herself. It’s weird to see the pictures ignore the help the text acknowledges. Please don’t erase indigenous peoples. Visibility matters.

That said, this was a beautifully put-together, highly informative — though light, given its intended audience — biography of a botanical artist whose name and contributions deserve to be better known. I also enjoyed the extra material at the end that encourages readers to find out more about this remarkable woman. I got my ten year-old to buddy read this with me, and we both liked it, with him noting that the art was really good (and inspiring!) throughout.

Fearless World Traveler: Adventures Of Marianne North, Botanical Artist by Laurie Lawlor & Becca Stadtlander will be published tomorrow May 11 2021 by Holiday House and is available from all good booksellers, including

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2021/05/10/fearless-world-traveler-adventures-of-marianne-north-botanical-artist-by-laurie-lawlor-becca-stadtlander/

May 07 2021

Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace

This book reads like a corporate war manga as told from the perspective of the plucky ace/aro civilian sidekick who’s the bridge between the corporate super soldiers/heroes and the public kept in the dark about what the evil megacorps are doing, both to the super soldiers (called SpecOps here and given only numbers as identifiers) and to the general populace. Mal is your typical 22nd century 20 year-old, long orphaned in a corporate war, juggling several gig jobs to survive while sharing what was once a hotel room with at least five other people. One of her jobs is live streaming play in BestLife, the massively multiplayer online game where she struggles to make a dent in the leaderboards while playing the War version (as opposed to the Fantasy or Sci-fi settings.) The War version is mapped to the real world where she lives, with the main draw of the setting — besides providing an outlet for people jonesing for realistic violence — being the occasional sightings of the dozen SpecOps NPCs, based on the corporate androids developed by Stellaxis, the corporation that controls water, to combat the mechas of Greenleaf, the rival corporation that controls food.

The SpecOps are both elusive and wildly popular, with fanbases and lines of merchandise both in-game and in the real world. After Mal streams a sighting of 28, she and her best friend and teammate Jessa are summoned by an unknown sponsor to get more up-close footage of the SpecOps. Thing is, their new sponsor B is convinced that the SpecOps aren’t highly realistic androids at all but are actually kids Stellaxis got away with kidnapping and experimenting on because everyone who knew them had died in one of the many devastating attacks on Stellaxis land.

At first, Mal and Jessa refuse to believe B, but take the job because she’s paying in water rations, probably the most valuable currency in New Liberty City. But when B disappears, and Mal runs into the real-life versions of 06 and 22 while looking for her, the two friends realize that maybe Stellaxis hasn’t been telling the entire truth after all, and that there’s far more to B’s story than they’d previously acknowledged.

Mal makes for an unusual heroine: kind but antisocial, determined but not the smartest. Her crush on 22 is never really explained, but she has a hard time explaining herself generally. And honestly sometimes who can explain a crush! Her strongest trait is the fact that she’ll push herself past the point of exhaustion in order to do what’s right, even in the face of overwhelming odds (with my one quibble being that anyone who regularly hikes up and down 6 flights of stairs on the daily has no business calling themselves out of shape, not unless it’s a struggle every time.) Fortunately, Mal is surrounded and supported by some real badasses, including the irrepressible Jessa, as she sets about fomenting a revolution and getting to the bottom of what Stellaxis is doing both to New Liberty City and to her beloved 22.

The social commentary was easily my favorite part of this book, as Nicole Kornher-Stace criticizes the idea of corporate-owned nation-states and the ways in which capitalism and fascism intersect. I also loved that she emphasizes a lesson I’ve only learned in the last year or so, that the adage “a poor craftsman blames his tools” is as much smug bullshit as “money can’t buy happiness.” Bad tools are a handicap in the same way that modern poverty is: not only do they make you think you’re a bad craftsman/undeserving person, they also actively discourage you from trying harder and discovering your true potential. Good tools can be life-changing, and anyone who pretends otherwise is protecting entrenched interests at the expense of everyone else.

That said, Firebreak does suffer from the fact that Mal often feels more like a supporting character than a main. I loved the #OwnVoices representation but found Mal’s awkward, antisocial personality difficult to mesh with. And that’s fine! She’ll definitely connect with lots of people who aren’t me, and the ideas and plot of the book otherwise are both thought-provoking and entertaining, tho it certainly helped to keep in mind the manga concept as I read.

Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace was published May 4 2021 by Saga Press and is available from all good booksellers, including

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2021/05/07/firebreak-by-nicole-kornher-stace/

May 06 2021

Toasty by Sarah Hwang

So pleased to begin celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Month here at The Frumious Consortium with this surrealist delight of a children’s book! Toasty is a piece of toast who loves dogs and really, really wants to be one himself. He has a collar and a sparkly ball, but his first actual foray from home to make doggy friends at the park does not go as planned. Spoiler alert: all’s well that ends well, tho certainly not in the way Toasty expected.

My kids are OBSESSED with object animation shows, so I knew this book was going to be right up their alleys (even tho the twins have a perpetual antipathy to dogs due to their love-hate relationship with our aging bichonpoo.) My ten year-old, especially, giggled his way through reading the entire book. “The plot was random but I loved it,” was his final verdict.

The plot was, indeed, fairly random (but adorable!) as it centers Toasty’s desire to belong and to be loved. Sarah Hwang’s debut as an author presents universal themes in a manner light enough for young children to grasp. Her art looks deceptively simple, with broad, visible strokes that evoke the drawings of her young readers, but is crammed with expressiveness and lacks any of the murkiness that is the occasional drawback of the quasi-fauvist art style.

A delightful debut, with silliness balancing out the heavier themes of belonging and love. I’m really looking forward to reading and sharing more of Ms Hwang’s work with my kids in future.

Toasty by Sarah Hwang was published May 4 2021 by Holiday House and is available from all good booksellers, including

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2021/05/06/toasty-by-sarah-hwang/