New Book Alert: Cursed Beauty: Stories of Strong Women by Valentina Tsoneva; Beautiful Deeply Personal Stories of Women Repressed By Gender Roles and Soviet Era Politics

 

New Book Alert: Cursed Beauty: Stories of Strong Women by Valentina Tsoneva; Beautiful Deeply Personal Stories of Women Repressed By Gender Roles and Soviet Era Politics

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Sometimes when writing about the past, the author doesn't have to write about the big events: the battles, the revolutionaries,  or the leaders that made sweeping changes. The authors make a stronger impact by telling about these time periods from the regular people who lived during them. Those who just simply lived their lives, had families, worked, and lived in complicated times.

Valentina Tsoneva takes that perspective by writing Cursed Beauty: Stories of Strong Women, an anthology which is set in Bulgaria, largely during the oppressive Soviet Era of the 1980's.

Tsoneva portrays the lives of women living during those times, surviving issues like infidelity, unwanted pregnancies, addiction, sexual abuse, and the limited roles relegated to women in a totalitarian regime.

Truth and reality are reflected in these stories of believable women in these conflicting situations.

The best stories in this anthology are:

"Trisome Under Socialism"

The opening paragraphs alone capture the Reader by describing a situation that many women are going through. It describes Iva, a woman suffering through an unwanted pregnancy. The opening describes her abortion in great detail then flashes back to the regulations that she has to follow (discussing it with her family, obtaining permission from the government etc.). In the United States when states have restricted abortion, this is becoming a frightful reality.

Iva is also dealing with her growing feelings for Kaloian, the boyfriend of her sister, Divina. Iva is someone who because of her past is considered a "marked" woman so she is on the outside of her sister's life looking in. Divina has a happy marriage, good career, and a child of her own. She has so much more so Iva is desperate to hold on to what she has.

This story shows the impossible standards that are set when a woman is accused of stepping out of line in a rigid dictatorial society. She can be accused for life for something that happened when she was young. If she isn't considered a part of society, sometimes she has no choice but to step outside of it and live her life the best way that she can. Sometimes, that means breaking the rules over what is considered a family.

"Woman in Love"

One of the reasons that I like this short story is because an ongoing motif in the story is Barbra Streisand's 1980 pop hit,"Woman in Love," a vastly underrated song, about a woman who demonstrates her right to announce her passions for her potential love interest instead of passively accepting his decisions.

In this case the song parallels the life of Dalia. She spent most of her life being shaped by others' opinions. She didn't study in Sofia because her parents told her that it was crime infested. She obeyed her friend Ani's insistence on what to wear and how to act on dates. It only gets worse during her marriage to the critical and demanding Kosta.

Like in the song where the woman speaks about her right to love and be loved, Dalia finally finds her voice. After years of acceptance and obedience, she declares her right to be out of love and leave a marriage that is miserable and unhappy.

"Violet"

This is a strong story about the relationship between mother and daughter and how it can be fractured until death.

Similar to Dalia, Violet has mostly lived her life based on other's standards particularly her mother's. Violet's mother controlled her life, particularly during her pregnancy when she arranged the baby's adoption without consulting Violet. Violet's mother controls and dominates her life even into adulthood to the point that she has no agency until she finds it for herself.

In this case, Violet finds her agency through a career in archaeology. Her studies and time during excavations free all of the feelings and thoughts that her mother suppressed in her. Only in finding her passion and calling can she be liberated from her mother's captivity.

"Dreams"

This is a story with a first person monologue that tells not only a lot about the character speaking but the person that they are talking to.

A mother and daughter talk to each other after the daughter's divorce. The mother mostly goes into a long spiel about her own marriage. She recalls her unhappiness and her dislike for her husband. 

It's clear that the mother has bought into the whole idea of the Soviet values of marriage and enduring tough times rather than changing them. She is angry that her daughter decides to divorce her husband. However, there is an undercurrent that she may be jealous that her daughter has opportunities that she did not.

"Cursed Beauty"

Unfortunately, beauty standards are the same all over the world. Women are expected to look a certain way to be considered beautiful. Then they are told that if they conform to those standards they will become easy prey to men.

This is the situation faced by Mary as she is obsessed with making herself up and looking beautiful despite her grandmother's warning that beauty can be a curse. Unfortunately, she attracts the wrong sort of man and ends up sacrificing everything, including her beauty for him.

Mary's appearance was something that was hers that she could count on. It gave her a sense of glamor and excitement and made her unique. Her face was practically a canvas that she could practice her art on herself.

When Mary conforms to her marriage, her looks disappear. Her individuality is crushed along with her beauty and aspirations.

"Beyond Life"

This story could serve as a prologue to many of the other stories. The Narrator is a highly intelligent well read woman who falls in love with a drummer. They are embarking on a love affair just as the Narrator is finding herself through her studies.

As we have seen in the other stories, some marriages can be messy and miserable. They especially suffer when both parties don't have their own agencies and individuality. They are in danger of living a bleak rigid existence in a system that forces them to stay together despite unhappiness. 

 The Narrator is in great danger of losing what made her unique and settling for a marriage with a narcissist who expects her to cater to his every whim. The things that she loved: her intelligence, her devotion to books, her free thinking, could disappear because of the years of regimentation that holds strident views over what a woman's role should be. In a time when she is trying to discover what it means to be a woman and how she can gain her own individuality despite an oppressive government, there is a  strong possibility that she may never find out.

Weekly Reader: Cloud Cover by Jeffrey Sotto; Deeply Realistic and Emotionally Challenging Novel of a Gay Man's Struggle with Bulimia and Search for Love

 

Weekly Reader: Cloud Cover by Jeffrey Sotto; Deeply Realistic and Emotionally Challenging Novel of a Gay Man's Struggle with Bulimia and Search for Love 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: According to the National Institute of Health, about one in three people struggling with eating disorders are male. However, there isn't as much focus on how the disorders affect men and boys. In the almost six years that I have reviewed this blog, I have only encountered two books featuring male characters with disorders. The first Lost Boy by Rawiri James featured a boy trying to overcome his mother's death by retreating into Anorexia Nervosa. However, it becomes misguidedly tied into a superhero subplot as a way to almost create a barrier between the Reader and the more serious subjects.

Cloud Cover by Jeffrey Sotto is the second book. It's a very realistic and deeply thought and felt novel about a gay man's struggles with bulimia as he pursues love for others and his own self-worth.

Tony is a 29 year old office worker/creative writing teacher who just broke up with his boyfriend. While giving writing advice to his students at a community college, listening to his favorite classical music pieces, trying to interpret his boss' "business"-ese, and clubbing with his friends, Tony is becoming dangerously concerned about his appearance and weight. 

He constantly counts calories on every bite. He runs straight to the bathroom after eating. He is obsessed with how he looks to other men and is afraid of being judged.

However, despite his insecurity, he actually does find a potential partner. Antonio is a painting instructor and drag performer. He astounds Tony with his charisma, charm, and outgoing fearless personality. But the more Tony starts to get to know Antonio, the more he continues to question his self-image and heads down destructive patterns. 

There is a lot of humor throughout but it is rooted in sarcasm and bitterness from Tony about his situation. While looking at potential dates, he sees an overwhelming amount of "guppies" gay yuppies who wear "suits like spandex." "They look like Ken dolls," Tony says warily, amazed that many of them are younger than him.

He also has a seriocomic conversation with his therapist in which he weighs the different types of men who turn off other men. Tony mentions that many of his acquaintances don't like other men who are too effeminate, overweight, or "too Asian" which Tony feels particularly singled out thinking that he checks all of those boxes.

One of the funniest running gags involves Tony and his boss, Jell-O. Jell-O is a veritable cornucopia of office cliches like "synergy," "outside the box thinking," and his favorite "quantify and cut." Tony's job appears to be translating Jell-O's requests and turning them into something useful. While these moments are hilarious, they also show that Tony is concerned about his employment situation and tries to be a good worker to make his life meaningful and useful.

He has stronger exchanges with his students showing that he has a skill for education but does not have the financial opportunity to do something that he is good at. He has to settle for an office job which does not make use of his best talents.

Like many do, Tony tries to overcome his loneliness with self-deprecating humor but the humor reveals more about his insecurities and inner thoughts than if he said them out loud. In taking a funny approach to sizing up himself to other gay men and revealing his disenchantment with his job, he reveals how harsh that he can be with his own self-criticism.

These insecurities of comparing himself to other men and discontent with work are part of what compels him to become bulimic. He can't always control what his boss tells him or how others feel about him, but he can control his weight. 

Tony's bulimia is he believes hidden from others but it is a central point in his life. Many nights out are filled with anguish as he debates how much he can eat before he rushes to a toilet. It's wrenching to read about his conflicting emotions between sitting and eating something without worrying how many calories it is and counting the seconds until he can go home to purge. The conflict between obsession and self-love is very real.

Tony and Antonio embark on a loving relationship which could be a healing factor and it is for a time. Tony is drawn to and maybe somewhat envious of Antonio's self confidence and daring. Antonio can wear drag and turn life into a performance. He can even participate in a pageant and put himself forward. Tony loves that about him, but is also wary of it too. 

Antonio is a supportive boyfriend. When he discovers Tony's illness, he tries to get him help. But the kinder Antonio is, the more self-conscious Tony feels. He feels that someone like him doesn't deserve love.

Even the end is painted with reality. It's not a complete downer but it suggests that more work needs to be done. As much as Tony grows to love Antonio, this relationship is not the cure. Antonio is not the cure for ending Tony's bulimia. Tony is the cure for ending Tony's bulimia. To do that, he needs to look at, accept, and love himself first.

New Book Alert: Wicked Bleu (Simone Doucet Series Book 2) by E. Denise Billups; New Orleans Setting and Haunting Backstory Captivate Supernatural Mystery

New Book Alert: Wicked Bleu (Simone Doucet Series Book 2) by E. Denise Billups; New Orleans Setting and Haunting Backstory Captivate Supernatural Mystery

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: If you are going to write a supernatural mystery in which a ghost of a murdered woman haunts her descendant and helpa her solve family mysteries, it might as well be set in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

Yes, it's cliche but it is a setting that lends itself to such magic and mystery by its very nature. It is one of the best locations for this type of genre and is one of my favorite places to read about. In good books, New Orleans becomes a character that thrives on this supernatural energy and respect and reverence for all things macabre.

In this case New Orleans is not the only star of E. Denise Billups' Wicked Bleu, the second volume of Billups' Simone Doucet. The other is the title character, Bleu, the ghost of a woman who lived a life of abuse, racism, and sexual assault and makes her voice heard finally. 

First, Bleu invades psychic and magazine writer Simone Doucet's dreams and gives her visual and audio impressions of her presence. Simone had long communicated with her ancestor and spiritual advisor, Delphine so communicating with ghosts is nothing new to her. But, Bleu's presence is more threatening. 

Simone had visions of violence and drowning. Worst of all, her friend, Stacy, seems to be acting strangely like she's possessed. The answers appear to be found in New Orleans so Simone, Stacy, and their friends Mitchell and Jude go to the Big Easy during Mardi Gras to do some super sleuthing and ghost hunting.

The New Orleans setting is very prominent and is filled with spooky elements. There are many passages where Simone and her friends have to face New Orleans' undead residents.

It's an all too easy location to imagine ghosts around every corner from Jackson Square to the Garden District. 

The book also reveals the less savory aspects of New Orleans' past, particularly the Storyville section, a notorious haven for prostitution. When a location has a depraved history of racism and misogyny, there are bound to be spirits trapped because of a society that profited off another's suffering.

Much of the setting adds to Bleu's character revealing why she is a frightening and sympathetic character at the same time. Many of the chapters where she possesses Stacy add to the overall eeriness. Stacy acts contrary to her usual behavior so Simone and the others are concerned for the changes in her friend. 

 Bleu flirts with total strangers and jeopardizes Stacy's health in her pursuit of the pleasures that she had in life. She also cuts Stacy off from her friends by creating dissension and discomfort among them. In her anger over the injustices that she suffered in life, Bleu makes an effort to put the living, especially the woman whom she possesses in an emotional hostage situation. 

We also spend the last third learning about Bleu's history. Simone reads her diary and recounts an abusive lonely life with an immature prostitute mother and being subjected to abuse and degradation in her youth. 

Bleu's diary is heartbreaking as she is buried with secrets that destroyed not only her life but those of the people close to her. The racism and sexism surrounds her as she strives to make a better life for herself but ends up in a far worse situation than she imagined. This guilt and anger compel to seek revenge from beyond the grave and puts innocent modern lives at risk.

Wicked Bleu is an effective supernatural horror novel because it reminds us that some monsters are born and some are made by society.

 

New Book Alert: Mandate: Thirteen by Joseph J. Dowling; Dystopian Science Fiction Focuses On Father-Daughter Road Trip to Escape

 

New Book Alert: Mandate: Thirteen by Joseph J. Dowling; Dystopian Science Fiction Focuses On Father-Daughter Road Trip to Escape

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: The second Dystopian Science Fiction novel that I am reading this month is a different style than What Branches Grow.

Instead of focusing on the somber dark world in which the characters live, instead it focuses on the relationship between a father and daughter who try to escape it.

In the near future London is practically run by religious fanatics who force a strict rule over the population. Among the laws are that when a girl turns 13, she is to be tested for her fertility. If she is able to give birth, then she will be sent to a birthing center where she will remain until she delivers the allotted amount of children. 

Michael and his wife, Allison are at a crossroads in their relationship. Their daughter, Hope, has reached that fateful age and is shown to be fertile. Allison, being the "good and loyal citizen" that she is, betrays her husband and daughter and turns Hope in. Rather than acquiesce to the law, Michael runs away with Hope to Wales to stay with an old friend of Michael's.

Mandate: Thirteen presents a terrifying possibility that could be believable. It doesn't help that similar to What Branches Grow it is shown to be a few years into the future. Michael's nostalgic popular culture memories suggest that he was a Millennial, even a Zoomer.

 This futuristic world is one which religious fanatics have taken power and control every aspect in society. Do I need to explain any further about the likelihood of that scenario? The only thing that is surprising is that the setting is Great Britain and not the United States. Of course, that may be because I am more familiar with the controversies concerning the American Evangelical movement, the scare tactics that they pull, threats against people who aren't like them, their political overreach with endorsing certain causes and candidates, and their violations of separation of church and state (and the ways that they try to sidestep that amendment clause).

I sort of wish that we could peer inside the inner workings of this futuristic London. We see the laws and how they affect most people through Michael and his family, but we don't see it on a wider scale. It would be interesting for example to look into one of the Birthing Center and what goes on in there. If Dowling ever writes a sequel, it would be an interesting approach to get a more inside look at this dystopian society. Perhaps he could tell it from the point of view of a woman who escaped the Birthing Center.

What does hold up is the father-daughter relationship between Michael and Hope. The moment that Michael processes that his daughter is going to be taken away, he does not hesitate. He takes her away to be safe. He is clearly a loving and selfless parent who would put his life on the line for his daughter.

It's normal to read a mother to take that role as nurturer caregiver while the father is the status quo conformist. But the fact that the roles are intentionally reversed in this case shows that regardless of gender, there are some who will join the system and reject their humanity and those who retain their humanity by fighting the system. A father caring for a child in a science fiction landscape is becoming more prevalent in works like this, The Last of Us, and The Mandalorian showing that love and true devotion between a parent and child knows no gender or setting.

Michael and Hope have some warm moments demonstrating their close loving bond. Despite running for their lives, they share some humorous jibes about Michael's age or Hope's interests. 

There are times where they defend each other using violence if necessary. 

So, there is a real sense of affection and devotion that are found in these characters that is illustrated on this journey of survival, courage, and striving for freedom.

Michael and Hope have plenty of typical moments where they hide out with rural families that live just outside of the dystopian society's rules and regulations but present problems of their own. There are the false safe spots where their end goals are not met. There are also the government types who follow them and want to catch them dead or alive. Then there is the secret about why these particular fugitives are important. Some of it is typical for the genre but there are enough twists that keep them from being too cliche.

Mandate: Thirteen is a strong father-daughter story that just so happens to be set in a dystopian future.

New Book Alert: The White Pavilion by Ruth Fox; World Building and Protagonist Elevate This Science Fiction Novel to Brilliance

 

New Book Alert: The White Pavilion by Ruth Fox; World Building and Protagonist Elevate This Science Fiction Novel to Brilliance 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: When I read a Science Fiction novel, especially one set on another planet, I look for how it approaches world building. How different this new world is from Earth. Whether the characters are unique in appearance, personalities, society, culture or whether they are just Earthlings on another planet. Science Fiction is large in technology and science, as compared to Fantasy. But there must also be a strong sense of creativity and imagination from the authors as much as (and I would argue more) than from Fantasy.

Some recent examples of Science Fiction that I read with brilliant world building include: What Branches Grow by T.S. Beier, Merchants of Knowledge and Magic by Erika McCorkle, Moon Deeds by Palmer Pickering, The Descendants by Destiny Hawkins, The Angela Hardwicke Science Fiction Mysteries by Russ Colchamiro, Cooper's Ridge by Ian Conner, Dusk Upon Elysium by Tamel Wino, Fancy Fanciful Fantasticality by Francessca Bella, Fearghus Academy by I.O. Scheffer, The Love of the Tayanmi by T.A. McLaughlin, Hades Forest by Simon Elson, Salvage Trouble Black Ocean Galaxy Outlaws Mission by J.D. Morin, The Sun Casts No Shadow by Mark Richardson, Pride of Ashna by Emmanuel W. Arriaga, One If: A Virago Fantasy by Carol R. Allan, Suzy Spitfire and the Snake Eyes of Venus by Joe Canzano, Demons of Time by Varun Sayal, Canvas of Time by Amelie Pimont, Bound by P.L. Sullivan, Centricity by Nathaniel Henderson, Orange City by Lee Matthew Goldberg, VanWest by Kenneth Thomas, Behind Blue Eyes by Anna Mocikat, Life is Big by Kiki Denis, Star Wolf by L.A. Frederick, Star Wars: Tales From the Mos Eisley Cantina Edited by Kevin J. Anderson, The Girl Who Found The Sun by Matthew S. Cox, Multiverse Investigations Unit by R.E. McLean, Joshua N'Gon: Last Prince of Alkebulahn by Anthony Hewitt, Dragon's Destiny by Carl Cota-Robles, Zodiac States by William Stalker, Sapphire and Planet Zero by Christina Blake, The Thursday Next Series by Jasper Fforde, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Agents of the Nevermind by Tantra Besko, World Shaken: Guardians of the Zodiac by J.J. Excelsior, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, Imajica by Clive Barker, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, and The Martian Chronicles and other works by Ray Bradbury.

To that illustrious list, I include The White Pavilion by Ruth Fox. This is a top notch Science Fiction novel which captures a planet whose people pay homage to Earth cultures but make their own. This book also has well thought characters, particularly the protagonist to dwell in it.

Imre is a dancer from the highly regarded White Pavilion in Tierra Major. Tierra Mejor is a planet that is populated by people whose ancestors fled what is now called Old Earth. That was many centuries ago so the Tierrans are far removed from their former lives on Earth and have their own way of thinking and doing things.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Tierra Mejor is how its residents capture the Earthling culture but up to a point. Imre lives in a society that seems to be based on Medieval and Renaissance Italy and Spain. There is a monarchy that has the main power like La Reina, the ill queen whose son, Thaniel, is the Principe Regente in all but name. They speak Spanish and English in tribute to their Earthling ancestry. There is a strong appreciation and acceptance for art and music to the point that dancers like Imre are highly revered and invited to perform certain dances representing different stages in life and the planet's history. There are some people who live a monastic lifestyle in which they transcribe history, pray to their religion, and have tremendous hold over the royal family.

Besides Medieval and Renaissance eras, we find that Tierra Mejor also captures the Victorian Era, specifically Steampunk. There are automatons but aren't very sophisticated like many robots and AIs found in most Science Fiction works. Instead they are more like clunky clockwork mechanicals that serve as drivers, clerks, and servants.

Speaking of clockwork, the whole planet runs on clockwork, literally. Instead of being a naturally made planet, it is operated by a giant wheel built inside the core. So Tierra Mejor is a human made mechanical planet from creation. People help run the wheel and work in an assembly run manner reminiscent of steelworkers, sweatshop workers, and coal miners during the Industrial Era.

Fascinatingly enough, Tierra history doesn't go further than Victorian in appearance. Perhaps, they realized the toll Progress took on Old Earth that they don't want to go any farther involved in science and technology. They want to choose a stopping point and try not to destroy this world as the old one was.

If the White Pavilion ever becomes a movie, it would be fascinating to see how the Production Design team would capture this society that is sort of like Earth but not quite. The architecture, costumes, and lighting would be a challenge to mesh these time periods together at once. Imre for example, at first could dress in flowing elegant feminine Renaissance era gowns at first then slowly as her situation changes, she wears more strident industrial androgynous Steampunk style trousers and shirtwaists. It would be a fascinating thought about how this world could be visualized.

The Tierrans have a unique sense of religion. Because the planet is run by a clockwork wheel, everyone tries to keep their world going in a strict formation called the Pattern. They worship the Pattern. Everyone works in a timely manner and knows their place in society. Everything has to run smoothly and the Pattern cannot be disrupted in any way.

If it is, then disaster could erupt.

Imre learns this during what should be the most important moment of her life. She and her fellow dancers perform the Dance of a Thousand Steps, a heavily mythologized and idealized version of how people traveled from Old Earth to Tierra Mejor. Imre has the coveted role of the Crane which took the people from the old world to the new (more than likely a starship). Unfortunately, during her performance Imre stumbles, falls, and hurts her ankle.

The fall is not her fault (in fact we later find out it was deliberate on someone else's part), but that doesn't matter. As far as everyone around her is concerned, she broke the Pattern. Subsequent earthquakes and a pandemic is enough evidence for them. Imre then finds herself a pariah and then just as quickly taken to the palace to be a dancer/courtesan for the Principe Regente.

The world of Tierra Mejor is a fascinating creation and what makes it even stronger is the characterization. Imre in particular is a standout. When she is first introduced, she is happily situated in her role as a lead dancer. She was sent to the Pavilion at a young age leaving behind a drug addicted prostitute mother. During her time at the Pavilion, she finds her talent. She works hard at her dancing and understands that the dances that she and her colleagues perform symbolize important life events like birth, life, love, and death. It's a form of entertainment for the audience and also an artistic way of revealing their society's culture. 

Imre also finds a surrogate family. She refers to her instructor in maternal terms and her fellow dancers as sisters. 

That makes her rejection after her fall all that more upsetting. Instead of supporting her, assuring her that we all make mistakes, or encouraging her to try again, they turn their backs on her. They don't visit her as she is recovering. Her instructor is satisfied to get rid of her.

Imre goes through so much suffering and maturity that later when she is later given the opportunity to return to the Pavilion, she sees her former sisters as silly, uninformed, and thoughtless and knows that she would never fit in with them.

Imre's time away from the White Pavilion, particularly at the Palace and even more so at the Wheel enlightens her and opens her eyes to how this world is really run. She finds love and lust with a few characters that arouse her sexually or reaches her emotionally. She goes to the library and studies the history of Old Earth and the creation of Tierra Mejor. 

She comes in close contact with the interior workings of Tierra Mejor and what really goes on inside the world that thought she knew. 

Most importantly, Imre gets to know Thaniel, the Regent. She sees him as a young man trapped by his role of being a figurehead but not being able to do anything proactive to help anyone. He is sheltered and protected by relatives and advisors which act like they have his best interest in mind, but really are looking out for themselves. 

Imre sees Thaniel not as a symbol or a figurehead but a human being, a friend, and later a love interest. 

Imre's relationship with Thaniel and the knowledge that she obtains outside of the White Pavilion causes her to see Tierra Mejor as it really is and realize that there are people who will manipulate the Pattern for their own desires.

The White Pavilion is elevated into sheer brilliance because of its memorable protagonist and world building.

Weekly Reader: What Branches Grow by T.S. Beier; Dystopian Science Fiction Pulls All The Stops in Despair and Angst

 

Weekly Reader: What Branches Grow by T.S. Beier; Dystopian Science Fiction Pulls All The Stops in Despair and Angst

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

 Spoilers: Yes because in the joy of the holiday season when gifts are exchanged, family and friends are together, people open their hearts to give to the less fortunate, it's the time to curl up with a good book of barren wasteland and dictatorships of small pockets of survivalist civilizations. What better time than the cheerful holiday season to read a depressing angst ridden dystopian Science Fiction novel?

It's not like I'm a stranger to reading dark themed books in December. In years past, I read supernatural horror, mysteries, and psychological thrillers. I have also read plenty of dystopian Science Fiction over the past few years to the point that I thought that I was immune to the somber depressed feeling of this subgenre. However, T.S. Beier's What Branches Grow proves that there is some life in this subgenre to move and depress the Reader and to hope that the world does not end up like this.

What Branches Grow pulls out all the stops describing a world destroyed by war, illness, and environmental disaster and the desperate tactics that people have to do to survive. 

Gennero is a guard in the settlement of Churchill. He was once close to the despot, Church, but the loss of some people close to Gennero and Church's increased paranoia and tyrannical behavior have put the guard at odds with his one time leader/friend. 

The final straw occurs when Delia, an outsider from the wastelands, comes to Churchill to get supplies on her way north. Church wants to recruit her for the local brothel, but Delia is not at all willing. In fact, she escapes with Gennero following close behind.

What is particularly unforgettable is the lengths that Beier goes through to describe the Post-Apocalyptic world. In the Acknowledgements, she wrote that she was inspired by such works as Cormac McCarthy's The Road, Stephen King's The Stand, and the Mad Max movies to prepare for her work. Aside from probably giving her nightmares and anxiety, they also combined to give her a book that is a tribute to the subgenre but she also works to make it her own.

Some of most evocative passages involve the descriptions of the Wastelands that Gennero, Delia, and their new friends Perth and his dog, Mort travel through. Beier goes all out describing a world that is devoid of blue skies, no vegetation, and dust, dirt, and grit everywhere. If you are one of those types of Readers with heightened senses, especially tactile, you may feel the dirt and grit all around you and your throat might be parched because of the dryness. Afterwards, you may need to shower to remove the imaginary grit and chug a water bottle to quench your thirst. And of course be grateful that you don't live in that world.

Besides the full on sensory description, Beier does a great job of fleshing out her main characters. Delia and Gennero are part of the generation that was born after the end and this is the only life that they know. True, they heard about life before from the elders, but they have no personal experience with them. 

An apartment in which you could come inside after work, turn on the lights, and sink into a comfortable couch and just relax is as unreal to them as a cavern full of dragons hoarding treasure to us. 

Gennero and Delia were exposed to sexual assault, diminished rations, and fighting for survival since they were children. It's safe to say that they were never children. Their innocence was lost because of decisions that were made long before they were born.

Actually not too long before they were born. In fact, in What Branches Grow we find out through Perth that this world is set only a few decades away from ours. In fact even though Perth is in his 60's or 70's, he is revealed to have been a Millennial. (Feeling old yet?) In fact his memories of the past such as working on computers, watching the Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, and going to Starbucks are our memories. Typically, Gennero and Delia roll their eyes when he goes on about his past. But it's heart tugging all the same. These are the little things that we would cherish and long for when the world ends and all that's left is a land of dust.

Gennero, Delia, and Perth go through many changes and development during their travels. They don't trust each other but have suffered tremendous loss. Eventually, they bond after saving each other's lives and scavenging for food and warmth inside abandoned houses. The hardness of the times have not made them completely cold and unfeeling. They show affection towards each other and other good people who help them and vice versa. 

They also have a goal in mind to reach: The City, a place that is still like it was. Another trope of Dystopian Science Fiction is a new better place that the characters long for, their version of Heaven. The City definitely invokes images of Tomorrow Morrow Land in Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome (actually Sydney).

The three main characters and many of the others wonder about The City. Does it exist? Is it as beautiful as they say? Is it ruined like the rest of the world? Is it worth going to when they are surrounded by feral animals, cannibals, fanatic survivalists, and an uncertain environment? The idea of The City being this imagined Paradise gives the characters hope and something to aspire towards in such a dark world.

What Branches Grow is a dark disturbing book, no question. But it still carries themes of perseverance and hope.

Weekly Reader: Rose: Future Heart by Jazalyn; Jazalyn's Best Poetry Book Takes a Floral Analogy Towards Introversion, Solitude, Loneliness, Pain, and Search for Love

 

Weekly Reader: Rose: Future Heart by Jazalyn; Jazalyn's Best Poetry Book Takes a Floral Analogy Towards Introversion, Solitude, Loneliness, Pain, and Search for Love

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Well we had a Science Fiction book of poetry that was heavy on plot. Then it was followed by a poetic ghost story that was rich in character. How does Jazalyn choose to end this trilogy and save the best for last? By giving us an allegory that is the strongest on an emotional lyrical level of course.

Rose: Future Heart is an evocative and lyrical story of a rose who is trying to survive in a world of physical and emotional abuse. While VVIIRRUUSS had the strongest plot and Hollow the strongest characterization, Rose has the most poetic sense of lyric, metaphor, and allegory.

In "Rise Rose Risen," the Rose recalls the many forms in which it took in the past,"Past rose/In bad memories/Hate rose/In bad feelings/Future rose/From good moments/Love rose/From good emotions/Evil has risen/And will do it again/Good has risen/And will do it again."

This poem uses the word "rose" as a double meaning. Rose as in the flower but also as the verb. The poem talks about the rise in the past and future and so on. How these important times leave their marks, both good and bad.

The Rose describes itself as someone who had always been a bud. It became moral and closed its heart to become divine. In "Rose: Future Heart," it says "I passed through evil waves/The contamination/Of the field/Was so intense/That brought eternal darkness/Still the rose/Stood strong/And retained the youth/And as a result/For a future collision." The physical hardships have transformed the Rose though it remains strong through the trouble.

The physical hardships that the Rose ensures give it a defense against those who hurt it. In almost mythological overtones, the poem "Oxygen Thorns" reveals the literal and figurative thorns that develops on the Rose as a defense against the struggles. Jazalyn writes, "The thorns conspired/And tried to ruin the beauty/The rose had in plentifulness/Pushed away/Whoever tried to reach." 

However, the thorns also provided something else: oxygen. It not only gave the Rose the ability to defend itself but to survive. The poem continues, "Then the rose raged/Took the thorns/And transformed them/Into leaves/Then spread oxygen." Ironically, that which makes the rose hard to touch also allows it to breathe and live.

The Rose is in search of love, real love not necessarily erotic love, but one of selflessness and spirituality. The repetitive poem, "I Was Crying (For) Love Until I Became a Whisper," is similar to the myth of Echo and Narcissus, in which Echo the nymph was cursed to only repeat the words another said. She could not declare her love for the handsome Narcissus as he stared at his own reflection, thinking that it was an unrequited love. Echo's form faded away until it became nothing more than a voice.

Likewise, the Rose cries out for love in a sad and lonely world until no one hears it. The repetition of the poem in which the Rose laments "I cried  love…/I cried pain…/I cried life…/Until I became a whisper" suggests that it is tired of crying out and wants to be heard.

 However, at the end there is a peculiar break where the final two lines say "Until I became a whisper/Until…." And it just stopped. Possibly, the Rose is no longer heard but it is also just as possible that someone had heard it. Maybe finally, someone understood the cries and now their crying can temporarily cease.

It becomes apparent that the Rose stands as a metaphor for the lonely, the loveless, those that seem to be surrounded by love but feel none for themselves. Beautiful souls that built thorns of defense but still cry out to be heard. The book Rose: Future Heart is an allegory about the search for love in a sometimes uncaring and love obsessed world.

When we are surrounded by scenes of love, we become confused by the view of love bestowed by others particularly through popular culture.

"Entertainment Made Me Love Like That," shows the Rose (I will continue to refer to the speaker as the Rose) recounted the constant repetition of love in songs and movies and how they obtained and unreasonable assumptions of love. The poem says, "I would probably never have developed emotions/If I wasn't exposed to music's lyrics/To cinema's romantic scenes." The Rose is surrounded by fictional images of love and believes that is how life should be in real life.

Along with the worries of love, the Rose wonders about insanity, whether the signs of loneliness are also signs of depression and mental illness. "The Signs (Earlization)" portrays that worry, if someone recognizes the signs of mental illness and wonders if that's why they prefer to be alone. 

The poem says "I'm trying to see/And connect/The correct/Thoughts/And I succeed/But still/I'm afraid I'll do/A wrong move/I'm confused/Inside my mind/I need an information input/Through natural sound/I need to hear/The right words/In the right order/I need eaRlization." The Rose is confused and needs to know whether its thoughts are normal or lead to other problems. If it is unwell, could that be why love is hard to reach?

The Rose has to face the deepest emotions, love and hate. Sometimes those emotions are so intense that they work together. In, "Love Took Me to Hate" it thinks, "Love took me to hate/And I gained much/But I also lost touch/With myself/Love took me to hate/And I started living/Then I realized/It was a temporary path/That I should pass by."

In being introduced to love, the Rose was also introduced to hate. However, it also realizes that hate could be a temporary step towards understanding love.

Sometimes there are benefits to living a solitary life. Many are content to be alone with their thoughts. Though Rose still wants to experience love, it also sees some advantages to being alone. 

In "This Silence, The Rose describes themselves as "I'm good, kind, and nice/With everyone/But I stay away/From friendships/And relationships/Because I don't have time/To lose/With people who won't appreciate it."

The silence allows the Rose to think and reflect, to stay away from the faithless and decide what they really want in love.

Searching for love sometimes involves plenty of bad dates, going through those who are not always worth going out with. In "Self-Partnered," the Rose goes out with someone who identifies as "self-

partnered," (single). Unfortunately, self-partnering does not mean that they aren't with others. After the lover is caught cheating, the Rose admonishes "But it seems/You're a lie/And you broke our secret oath/Cause you have changed/So many lovers all this time/Or not?/What are all these things/Perhaps they are fake scenes/Like many other things/But don't at least don't say/'I'm self-partnered/When you intend to have partners/Damaged your image/At least in my eyes." Ironically, the Rose isn't as upset about the lover's mistreatment as it is angry that the lover can't be honest with themselves.

In the poem, "Im-Possible Dream", the Rose acknowledges that it lives in a hard world of sadness, want, faithlessness, anger, and rage but it isn't going to stop dreaming of a better world. With a gift for changing words, Jazalyn rewrites impossible into something else. One remembering its dreams, the Rose says "Others may call it crazy/And I thought I was a megalomaniac/But deep down inside/I know that I belonged/In this impossible dream/And now I shout out loud/"I'm possible dream." Changing the words from impossible to I'm possible changes Rose's thought patterns. Its dreams are no longer far away and remote. Instead, they are approachable.

Because of the search for love, the Rose has changed. Its appearance brings it beauty, but the thorns are painful, almost beastly. So naturally, Jazalyn would create a mythological allegory between the protagonist and the fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. However, this variation is different. While the plot of the fairy tale hinges on the Beast changing their form, the Rose accepts both aspects of itself.

In "Beauty in the Beast," the Rose says "I had the beauty/Of being normal/But then I encountered/Society's injustices/And I went out of my head/I'm not a beast/I'm more moral than anyone/And if I had the right conditions in my life/I could find myself again." The injustices that the Rose encountered has forced it to bring forward a side to itself that it didn't want, a tougher stronger side that is still moral but sees the world and love as it really is: painful, beautiful, hard, warm, both good and bad.

After all the searching, the Rose does find love. It had to go through the hurt and pain before it could experience and feel love. It discovers that real love is something that makes you look at the world and yourself differently.

In "Love Does That," the Rose reflects "Feelings make you feel beautifully/And they make you feel like you're beautiful/No matter how you look to others/You believe you are likable/….You see the world brighter/You are happier/You want to be better/To gain mutuality." The Rose now understands that loving others is also the key to loving oneself. 

The extended metaphors and deep emotion provide allegory to the fantasy of a rose learning to recognize her inner beauty and character. Anyone can understand this journey, because we have all been there.

New Book Alert: Eliana Who Sees Us by Amani Jesu; Creepy Demonic Religious Horror

 

New Book Alert: Eliana Who Sees Us by Amani Jesu; Creepy But Spiritual Demonic Religious Horror

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: It would make sense that I would review yet another religious themed book around Christmas. Eliana Who Sees Us by Amani Jesu is a religious horror, which has a bit more emphasis on the horror but also focuses on the spiritual aspects as well.

Eliana is a photographer who just had an awful Thanksgiving in which she broke up with her boyfriend and had a severe argument with her mother. She is about to endure her job on Black Friday of taking pictures of kids with Santa and the occasional family portrait when she sees something unusual. She sees demons clinging to people's bodies. One dangles on a woman's throat. Another holds a man's hand. One man is eerily covered with demons that hang off his back and torso. Even her best friend and roommate, Mariah has one that hangs on her breasts.

There are some very creepy eerie moments that occur because of Eliana's newly discovered second sight. No one else can see the demons, so Eliana explores the possibility that it is a hallucination, possibly a sign of a mental illness. The other terrifying aspect is that she just develops the sight during a regular day at work. Nothing foretells it, no Divine light, no voice from beyond. Not even any earthly signs of a migraine or seizure. (Though a seizure occurs after she sees them). They just are there.

The premise is one of those plots that border on whether what they are experiencing is real or a product of insanity. The book straddles that line between what is real and what isn't. After all, if you can't trust what you see and hear, what or who can you trust?

This confusion and lack of trust can be found in the people that do believe her: her friend, Mariah, a young man, Shay and his close friends, and an author and religious scholar, Jon Addison. When something incredible happens, a person could have loyal friends and supporters, but they could just as easily have people that want to exploit and use them for their own personal gain. Eliana's new abilities give her enormous power to see what troubles others but it also leaves her vulnerable to other's greed and religious myopia.

There is a strong religious undercurrent of relying on faith and that perhaps Eliana's abilities are a gift to help others. Jesu shows this in some of the scariest passages when Eliana is confronted with demonic possession and human avarice in one fateful confrontation. 

Weekly Reader: Hollow: A Love Like a Life by Jazalyn; Haunting Lyrical Poetry of Love and Separation By Distance, Time, and Death

 

Weekly Reader: Hollow: A Love Like a Life by Jazalyn; Haunting Lyrical Poetry of Love and Separation By Distance, Time, and Death

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: We come to the second of Jazalyn's book of poetry. Its predecessor, VVIIRRUUSS was a science fiction themed story that really spoke of the importance of memories, emotion, and aspects of the human experience.

The second book, Hollow: A Love Like Life is a ghost story disguised as a meditation on love and separation. 

We aren't told about the ghosts themselves, who they were in life, where they are from, their names, or even if they are male and female. 

We are however told in the poem, "Qualms," that they are "A ghost spirit in the dark/Is dreaming of the light/Of a ghost of the light/Traveling in dangerous skies."

Despite  living in different phases of light and darkness, the two ghosts fall in love.

In "I Love In You," one of the ghosts contemplates their infatuation with the other ghost. They say, "What I love in you/And that I am half/Without you;/You are my soul's start/My heart's end/But who I really am?" 

The ghost questions why they are in love and how they aren't sure that they know themselves what the emotions mean. They also question the practicality of loving someone that exists in a different plane of existence and can barely communicate with each other.

The ghost realizes that this love is "haunted" and unwise, but love is rarely practical or concrete. Jazalyn's poems show how strong the emotion of love can be and how it sometimes counters reason.

The ghosts find a secret language to share where they are able to send visual impressions and emotions.

 In "Enlightened Soul," they realize that in finding each other, they found that light that they need. One lover tells the other, "I fell in love with you/And I saw the light;/You liked me/And light found me."

The poems are filled with metaphors of light and darkness, polar opposites but that exist together. The ghosts are like that, opposites but able to exist together.

 The ghost's love for each other and desperate attempts to form an emotional connection make this the strongest of Jazalyn's poetry books in terms of character.

In the poem, "Dark & Light," the ghost lovers realize that they need each other, that they complete each other. They fill voids in one another's afterlives. The ghost from the darkness says "Maybe, I need your light/Maybe you need my dark/Because secretly/In our deepest quests/I might see more light/And you might see more dark."

Not only are the ghosts physically attracted to each other, or each one possess something that the other needs, but they are mentally connected. It's a meeting of minds in which they could learn from each other as in"After Loving You" , "I want you as my mentor/As my guide;/You could transform my life/Learning besides you/And it's not about/The material goods/But the intellectual values/I never learned."

The ghosts are able to capture flickers of each other and to communicate verbally so they share consciousness. It should be wonderful, but it still leads to questions, confusion, and dilemmas over what the nature of love actually is and whether it's permanent or temporary. One ghost ruminates about their partner in "Bipolar," "You are attractive/But my love for you/Is bipolar;/Sometimes I feel for you/Sometimes I crucify you/I don't know if you really love me/And these signs/I think you're sending me/Might be for another one." Love can seem like a form of insanity when the one in love is filled with suspicion and doubt whether it's real, whether the other lover is thinking about someone else, or whether their feelings are permanent.

The ghosts understand that they can be their best and worst selves in front of each other and they won't be judged. That's the essence of happiness with an emotional connection, being comfortable. One says in "Who I Really Am", "Right from the start/I expose/All my flaws/And I tell you/This is me/If you don't like me/Don't love me/I don't need a love/That is based on lies…."

They both have changed because of their love. One dressed all in black, gray, and neutrals. Then they dressed in bright colors. "I might be wrong," they say in "I Changed After Loving You," "But you must have a spark for me/Even temporarily/I hope it won't be lost/And I know it won't/Because I changed after loving you." The difference in the poems is that the right one will accept one for who they really are but they can also help them experience new things and change for the better.

The two realize that their love is a spiritual one that makes them feel enlightened. "We meet in the spiritual-/I admire your enlightened state-/That's why I love you/And want to be close to you," the ghosts say in "Enlightened Love." They are physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually connected. They discovered that the true source of light is to be enlightened. 

Hollow is not hollow or empty. Instead, it is filled with poems about connections, spirituality, and above all love.

New Book Alert: A Kelly Society Christmas (The Kelly Society Book 2) by S.K. Andrews; Frightening Darkly Funny Horror Adventure for the Holidays

 

New Book Alert: A Kelly Society Christmas (The Kelly Society Book 2) by S.K. Andrews; Frightening Darkly Funny Horror Adventure for the Holidays

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: S.K. Andrews' A Kelly Society Christmas is the type of holidays book for that person who foregoes Hallmark Rom Coms and classics like It's A Wonderful Life and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and goes straight for the Serial Killer Santa films (and might watch Die Hard or Gremlins but that's as far as Christmas cheer goes). Come on, you know who you are. It's just not the holiday season unless some supernatural demon from the pits of Hell terrorizes bad kids on Christmas Eve or an escaped convict dressed in a moth eaten Santa suit and carrying an ax threatens a family in a far off cabin. Weird but some people like that, I guess.

Anyway, A Kelly Society Christmas puts in the spotlight that cuddly adorable creature of Christmas tradition: Krampus.

Psychic and Paranormal Investigator, Vivien Kelly and her boyfriend, Neal, are resting from the  events from the previous novel where Vivien defeated Dagda. They also discovered that they were Boudicca, the British Queen of the Iceni and the Roman general, Gaius Marcus Antonius, enemies turned lovers, in a shared former life. They are trying to celebrate Christmas and getting used to their reincarnated past when they are put into another supernatural mystery.

Their friends, young surfer dudes, Josh and Brian are pursued by Krampus from Central and Eastern Alpine folklore. Krampus is a horned dark spirit who accompanies Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas on December 5. While St. Nick delivers presents to good children, Krampus punishes bad children by putting them in a bag, beating them, and dragging them off to Hell.

In A Kelly Society Christmas, Krampus is present beyond his assigned day of December 5 and taking the concept of "bad children" a bit too far. So, Vivien and Neal are called to face another demon before they can actually have a good holiday.

A Kelly Society Christmas is a frightening book but at times there is a dark comic tone that keeps it from being too horrifying or graphic. Krampus' first arrival when he bursts through a cliff and scares the daylights out of Josh, Brian, and other beach goers is a bit of a shock. Also, the moments when the creepy Christmas demon possesses a usually good natured friend of Vivien and Neal's also carries a lot of subtle disturbing moments.

Unfortunately, Krampus wears out his welcome and becomes too much to take seriously. He is like a cartoon character and less of an actual threat especially when Vivien uses not magic, but a logical loophole to defeat him.

Much more intimidating is Krampus' mother Hel, the Teutonic goddess of the underworld. She is a much more intelligent presence who manipulates those around her. She claims that she is misunderstood and is actually a nice goddess. She even takes control over Krampus. Still she seems to have some dark undercurrents to her personality and her interactions with Vivien suggest more than she is saying.

There are some humorous moments that keep this from being too dark. Josh and Brian act like a comedy team even when they are chased by the Christmas heart of darkness. Many times, Vivien and her friends have to fight Krampus in public. Their claims that the fights are part of a show make for some humorous moments such as when gullible witnesses line up to watch "this dope" show and record it on their smartphones. While Krampus' defeat is kind of hokey, it is rather humorous to see this demonic figure getting dressed down by his irritated mother.

Vivien and Neal are the typical heroes that you find in these types of books, strong in magical powers, an ancient history, and plenty of chemistry. They have some cute moments especially when trying to maintain a sweet romantic Christmas together between end of the world threats.

A Kelly Society Christmas is a fun holiday novel if you want a good scary laugh.