Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a much needed respite after having to read multiple boring nonfiction texts. I haven’t read a page-turner like this in awhile and it was completely different than anything I’ve ever read. The pace was absolutely perfect, each chapter ending with the push to read more. The honest feelings felt by each character were a refreshing change of pace, having dealt with my fair share of grief, the guilt and coping mechanisms described were very relatable. Surprising twists and turns kept me theorizing about the outcome until the very end, and amidst a trend of unresolved finales, I was pleasantly surprised. As a relatively new reader to Wendy Walker, I have been more than pleased with what I’ve read and she has found a fan in me.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for allowing me to read an advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

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The Cipher by Kathe Koja
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Cipher sucks you in like the Funhole its story is set around, and when you resurface, you’re definitely not the same. It will put you in a dark place in the past, back to a time where you had to rewind videotapes . . . Having been written in the 90s, it already has the natural grunge element, but the added underground art scene really rounds out the entire vibe. Its grotesque imagery is as fascinating as it is repulsive. Koja’s writing style is unique, the pace pulls you through the entire book, kicking and screaming, like a haunted house you want to escape but you’re too afraid to turn the corner. Real writing talent causes your mood to be affected by the story, and The Cipher can definitely put you in a funk. A wet chill, the smell of body odor and stale beer, the musty hallway of a cheap apartment, all conjured within your imagination with every page turned. Every sad character and their pathetic existence just adds to the overall dankness, barely living, working and doing the bare minimum to survive, no real pleasure in life, throwing what little they had away for an oddity in a storage closet. I could neither understand their life and yet I felt as if I had been there myself, had sat on that couch bed, had watched that old CRT television. Somehow, all of this is morphed into a horrific tale of metamorphosis, both figurative and literal, a human deconstruction, a destruction of humanity, a breakdown of ethics, a story with several morals.

Horror comes in all forms, an amalgamation of what is frightening. The Cipher brings an innovative card to the genre’s table and introduces the mind to something else it should fear.

Thank you, Meerkat Press, for the copy of this book. The opinions are my own.

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A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son by Michael Ian Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reading a book written by a comedian, you really don’t know what to expect. Is it going to be funny, intelligent, worthwhile? Or will it be just like how a comedian makes a name for themselves, a joke? I was happy to find out that Michael Ian Black is not only a funny man, but an insightful and talented writer.

Written as a letter to his eldest son, now college age, you not only get an abridged memoir from Black, but an eloquent prose of the dos and don’ts of being “a man” in today’s society. I enjoyed seeing his tenderness and sincerity as he shared about his own parents and upbringing, to his first moments as a father and how he has applied what he has learned, and continues to learn, to his own parenting style. As a woman, I appreciate what he is teaching his son in regards to women and girls, how to clearly establish boundaries and then respect those boundaries. How it isn’t sacrificing your “man card” by doing those things, or showing vulnerability, or anything not normally equated with traditional masculinity, but necessary for someone to be a well-rounded and caring individual.

Books written in this style often have a tendency to ramble or rabbit trail, but the vision and path of this story is well laid out and easy to follow. Examples are carefully considered and relevant. Chapters are the perfect length to be engaging, not drawn out and stagnant. The advice given is sound and this is one of those books that you want to stock up on and give to every new parent, or parent of a teen, or really anybody, because I learned a lot from what he had to say, from racism, feminism, toxic masculinity, love, and so on.

Finishing this book I came away with a renewed sense of hope for the coming generation, if only they can be taught what can be found within the pages of this book.

Thank you, Algonquin Books, for the copy of this book. The opinions are my own.

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Dead Meat: Day 1 by Nick Clausen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ll be honest, I was a bit hesitant going into this book, I don’t usually handpick a book that I believe will have a lot of gore, and choosing to read a zombie book is an almost absolute guarantee that there is going to be a significant amount of blood and guts. This assumption was correct, but Nick’s writing had me hooked from the first page, so I was here for the show and enjoyed every word.

Do not pick up this book thinking it will be a short read, because the minute you finish this novella, you’re going to want to read the next one. Which is exactly what I did, and is why two nights later I’m now on Dead Meat: Day 4 and anticipating the release of Day 5. These book “snacks” are addictive and “once you pop, you can’t stop”.

Most zombie stories, specifically movies and television, follow a very predictable script, and once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. While you can appreciate them all with their slight variations, there’s very little surprise in the arc and finale. Clausen threw this playbook out the window and crafted an unparalleled drama that ties the supernatural into what is a traditionally clinical origin story.

Everything about Dead Meat is so well executed. Each zombie attack is a shocking surprise despite having read several. Every character is well fleshed out (pun slightly intended) so that every loss is mourned. I can guarantee that you won’t know where the story is going or how it will end. Regardless of the apocalyptic trajectory, you won’t want it to end.

This book 100% surprised me and I will read this series through Day 100.


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