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JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

September 22, 2022

The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings

September 22, 2022

Josephine Thomas has heard every conceivable theory about her mother’s disappearance. That she was kidnapped. Murdered. That she took on a new identity to start a new family. That she was a witch. This is the most worrying charge, because in a world where witches are real, peculiar behaviour raises suspicions and a woman – especially a Black woman – can find herself on trial for witchcraft.

But fourteen years have passed since her mother’s disappearance, and now Jo is finally ready to let go of the past. Yet her future is in doubt. The State mandates that all women marry by the age of thirty – or enrol in a registry that allows them to be monitored, effectively forfeiting their autonomy. At twenty-eight, Jo is ambivalent about marriage. With her ability to control her life on the line, she feels as if she has her never understood her mother more. When she’s offered the opportunity to honour one last request from her mother’s will, Jo leaves her regular life to feel connected to her one last time.

Megan Giddings’ The Women Could Fly follows twenty-seven-year-old Josephine Thomas, whose mother disappeared fourteen years earlier. Under suspicion of witchcraft, her disappearance caused irreparable damage for Josephine and her father. Naturally, people suspect Jo of being a witch too.

Jo and her father, after fourteen years, decide to accept that Jo’s mother is dead. They mourn her, grieve her. Jo reflects over her mother’s belongings in an attempt to gain closure for her mother’s decision to disappear. Her mother’s will, updated and read, stipulates that if Jo travels to an island in Lake Superior, on a specific day, she would receive a substantial inheritance. Jo decides to honour her mother’s wish and what she finds on that island challenges everything she thought she knew about her family.

“After my mother’s disappearance, the usual protocols happened. While the police quietly investigated my dad, I was taken away by the Bureau of Witchcraft to be questioned. A woman who can vanish might not be in danger, instead, she might be a danger to everyone. And if you’re the daughter of a witch?”

If magic were real and available largely to only women, of course men would try to control it – control those with the power to wield the magic. Once a woman turns 28, she must register with the state and be subjected to regular tests designed to uncover witches. Marriage with a man ensures protection, and thus is Jo’s best chance at remaining undetected.

The Women Could Fly explores magic and family, but also patriarchy and power – control over those we do not understand, and unwillingness to try and understand them. This is a multi-layered novel, and Jo’s POV allows for a nuanced, deep understanding of the world around her and how unsafe she feels as a black woman with a witch for a mother.

“I was so tired of people suspecting me, so tired of always having to follow arbitrary rules. How could I live the rest of my life like this? I was almost twenty-eight and exhausted already. I reminded myself that throughout history women had endured far worse things.”

Megan’s writing is raw, sleek and observant. She captures so much with such few words, and set within a world where women must marry by 30, The Women Could Fly feels like a modern-day The Handmaid’s Tale. What she encapsulates within 270 pages allows for a reflective reading experience that sits with the reader.

“He shared food the way I liked to share food, by gingerly cutting off a piece for the other person and putting it on a appetizer plate. He asked me questions. We held hands under the table. I realized we had never done that before.”

Recommended for literary readers, and those interested in books tackling social commentary and power. Readership skews 30+

Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Women Could Fly
Megan Giddings
August 2022
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Leave a Comment · Labels: Adult Fiction, Book Reviews, Speculative Fiction Tagged: adult fiction, book review, fiction, literary, literary fiction, review

September 18, 2022

Electric and Mad and Brave by Tom Pitts

September 18, 2022

Matt Lacey is in a mental health facility recovering from a breakdown.

In an attempt to work through a mess of conflicting thoughts and feelings, he writes, unwinding the story of his adolescence with the beautiful, impassive, fierce Christina.

As Matt delves into the more agonising moments of his past, he has to learn to look directly at the pain and love that have made him who he is now.

Brazenly wearing its heart on its sleeve, Electric and Mad and Brave is a heightened and technicolour story about the soaring joy and numbing nightmare of being young and hopelessly in love.

Tom Pitt’s literary debut Electric and Mad and Brave centres around twenty-eight-year-old Matt Lacey, living in a mental health facility in Melbourne and struggling to confront and reconcile with events from his past. When Matt’s therapist suggest he keep a journal to reflect on his childhood and the events that led to his admission into the facility, we are immersed in a compelling and tender history.

Narrated in first person, the book’s stylistic devices allow for an immediate sense of Matt’s mind frame and his willingness (or rather, unwillingness) to confront the truth about his past. We come to realise early on that Matt is an incredibly unreliable narrator – at first, his journal entries are clear and concise. Over time, they become chaotic, they double-back, they re-write events we thought we’d already learned. Matt is being untruthful with the reader and it isn’t until the final chapters that we find out how certain events actually unfolded in Matt’s childhood.

“No – that can’t have been what she’d meant to say. There’d been something else on her lips. Hadn’t there? Yes. In that pause, she’d almost said it: something mad and terrifying. Although maybe she couldn’t say. Maybe to say meant stepping off a ledge into…”

Moving between past and present quite frequently, Matt meets Christina when he is 11 and she is 12. We follow them over the course of their adolescence as their connection grows and attraction develops. Both Matt and Christina’s families are unhealthy and dysfunctional, but in rather different ways. These two kids coming together forces these two families to intersect which sets into motion a string of avoidable events leading to Matt’s breakdown and admission into the mental health facility.

Tom Pitts builds tension and pacing throughout the book, but it’s most notable in the final chapters as the truth about Christina and Matt’s relationship is revealed. Their love is a destructive one, and so we can feel the tension build between them as we move closer and closer to the reveal. Stylistically, there’s a quicker nature to the writing. Shorter chapters, more abrupt observations and descriptions. We’re suddenly moving through at a much faster pace to build and maintain momentum.

“In the days after, I began to view things differently, my memories becoming distorted. I would think of Alek at the dining table with his shiny head, only to suddenly recall that his eyebrows had been skin too – that he’d sat upright in hospital only because he was too weak to stand…”

Electric and Mad and Brave sensitively portrays mental health and trauma, and the process of confronting traumatic events from one’s past.

The book moves between past and present so frequently, sometimes in the middle of a chapter, and I’ll admit I sometimes struggled to follow the flow of events. It was often hard to immediately determine what was past vs. present, what was a memory and what wasn’t. I often found myself having to flick back and re-read certain sections.

“Now I was in the back seat, having still not replied, and my hands were sweating. I looked outside and the landscape was enchanting and warped. Somehow this morning dusk was causing the landmarks to become strange imitations of themselves.”

Poignant, moving and observant, Tom Pitts’ Electric and Mad and Brave is recommended for literary readers. Readership skews 30+

Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Electric and Mad and Brave
Tom Pitts
August 2022
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Leave a Comment · Labels: 8/10, Adult Fiction, Book Reviews Tagged: adult fiction, book review, fiction, literary, literary fiction, review

September 4, 2022

Cobalt Blue by Matthew Reilly

September 4, 2022

For 35 years, the United States and Russia each had their own superhero.

Three days ago, America’s hero died.

Today will be bad.

In the face of an overwhelming attack, one young woman – unassuming and anonymous – might be America’s only hope.

Her codename … COBALT BLUE

Matthew Reilly returns with another action-packed thriller in his latest novella, Cobalt Blue. Filled with trademark Matthew Reilly action and conflict, Cobalt Blue is another ‘save the world’ story after America comes under attack following the death of their key superhero.

Rather quickly, we see America and Russia at war with each other. Each of them had their own superhero to defend the country, but when America’s superhero passes way, suddenly there’s nothing stopping Russia from taking advantage of an undefended America.

“Cobalt couldn’t have been more different. For one thing, Dr Chris Cobalt had been 44 at the time of their infection, twenty years older than Furin, and a highly respected astrophysicist. Where the Fury was all strength and rage, Cobalt was thoughtful and reserved.”

Matthew Reilly certainly seems to have a formula he follows, and he brings quite an interesting premise to this new release and positions it firmly within the superhero genre. There are some flashbacks in the story to add depth to some of the characters and provide context to the present-day storyline.

Fast-paced and a compact, easy read at 200 pages, Cobalt Blue will find its audience in Matthew Reilly fans and young, male readers. It’s an accessible read for reluctant readers as well – short chapters and paragraph, with brief, stripped back prose. The pacing accelerates at a quick rate, engaging readers with each passing chapter.

“When he arrived there, he decapitated the Statue of Liberty – flew right through her neck – and impaled her head on top of the One World Trade Center. New Yorkers screamed in terror and fled the streets.”

There is quite a high production value to this one – hardback, jacketed, coloured font. It certainly stands out on a bookshelf, and I like the clean, suave cover.

Admittedly, if you’ve read quite a few Matthew Reilly books in the past, then you’ll find this latest one a bit predictable. He does follow a similar kind of structure with his books, so you’ll know what to expect as you progress through the story. At times a little silly and over-the-top, readers will need to lean into the fun of the story and cast any doubts aside.

“As the superfast rolling fight moved along the length of Fifth Avenue to the airspace in front of the New York Public Library, White even managed to dent the Fury’s facemask and he sprang back in surprise.”

Punchy and pacey, Matthew Reilly’s Cobalt Blue is recommended for thriller and action readers, and fans of Reilly’s previous works. Readership skews male, 15+

Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cobalt Blue
Matthew Reilly
August 2022
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Leave a Comment · Labels: 8/10, Adult Fiction, Book Reviews Tagged: adult fiction, book review, fiction, review, superhero, thriller

August 28, 2022

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore by J.K Rowling and Steve Kloves

August 28, 2022

Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches, and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?

From J.K Rowling and Steve Kloves, The Secrets of Dumbledore is the official screenplay to the third film in the franchise, and the ultimate companion to the movie. The screenplay invites readers to explore behind the scenes of the script, with insights and commentary from David Yates, David Heyman, Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne and Colleen Atwood, among others.

“Dumbledore has always been an enigma. He’s got this spark, this kind of playful quality to him whilst dealing with ridiculously high stakes. But there’s also a kind of slightly father-son, master-apprentice connection between Dumbledore and Newt.
-EDDIE REDMAYNE, Newt Scamander”

The Secrets of Dumbledore allows for considerable character growth for some of the more secondary characters in the previous films – in particularly, Queenie. After betraying those close to her, she has an opportunity to redeem herself in this one, and we clearly see the depths of guilt she feels over her own actions. We also come to understand more about Newt’s brother Theseus – initially he seemed rigid, inflexible and harder to love. But his journey in the story allows for a more tender and approachable representation of him and I think audiences will like his development.

One of the core unveils in this story is the backstory of Dumbledore and Grindelwald, more specifically, their romantic history. It’s a noticeable lens on their rumoured romance, which I’m sure many fans will be pleased to see.

“One opportunity to really engage with the Art Deco style was the magical train that transports our heroes from London to Berlin. The sculpted panels of the fireplaces are based on some very Art Deco wall decorations. We then took elements of those panels and created the logo for the wizarding train company.
-MIRAPHORA MINA, Graphic Designer”

I still can’t help but feel this series suffers from inconsistent pacing and a revolving door of characters moving in and out of the play – it feels chaotic to read this, like we don’t have enough time with each character and nothing anchoring us to the book. I never felt strongly about Newt as a protagonist, and so I don’t possess much of a vested interest in his storyline. I’m glad that Dumbledore has a greater presence in this book, but we move through scenes so quickly it feels a little messy.

“Usually if we smash up a city, we then have to fix it. But here Dumbledore and Credence are in a mirror world, and that gives us the chance to really show off Credence’s unique skills as a wizard and come up with new ways to visualise spells…
-CHRISTIAN MANZ, Visual Effects”

Given this is the third screenplay in the series, the readership is pretty sold at this point. Recommended for fans of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts, and suggested for people up-to-date with the Fantastic Beasts series. Hardback and jacketed, the package is once again a beautiful addition to a bookshelf.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – The Complete Screenplay
J.K Rowling & Steve Kloves
July 2022
Hachette Book Publishers

Leave a Comment · Labels: 7/10, Adult Fiction, Book Reviews, Fantasy Tagged: adult fiction, book review, fiction, harry potter, review

August 22, 2022

Everything Feels Like the End of the World by Else Fitzgerald

August 22, 2022

Each story is anchored, at its heart, in what it means to be human: grief, loss, pain and love. A young woman is faced with a difficult choice about her pregnancy in a community ravaged by doubt. An engineer working on a solar shield protecting the Earth shares memories of their lover with an AI companion. Two archivists must decide what is worth saving when the world is flooded by rising sea levels. In a heavily policed state that preferences the human and punishes the different, a mother gives herself up to save her transgenic child.

These transformative stories are both epic and granular, and forever astonishing in their imaginative detail, sense of revelation and emotional connection. They herald the arrival of a stunning new voice.

Else Fitzgerald’s short story collection Everything Feels Like the End of the World is a series of compact speculative fiction tales exploring possible futures in Australia – some settings don’t seem too far removed from our present life, but others are vastly different and set thousands of years into an unrecognisable future.

God, I really appreciated the brevity of some of these stories – at just 250 pages, this book has thirty-seven stories and they’re all just as rich and engrossing as each other. Jumping through different stories at quite a fast pace is actually a really refreshing read, so many short story collections have substantial (and therefore few in number) stories, and as a result, the pacing can lull a little in the middle. I loved the structure of this book and the order of the stories, which worked together cohesively across the course of the book.

“Out over the edge of the rooftop the reddish sun is sinking, its brightness so reduced from the smoke that you can stare right at it without hurting your eyes. At the far end of the roof garden shared by all the residents of the building, white sheets on the clotheslines flap in the smoky breeze – surrender of defiance, you’re not sure.”

Else’s specificity, particularly her observations of people and places – of interactions, feelings, and memories – are gems in the story, and one of the strengths of the collection. Her stories show you don’t need to use a lot of words to convey something beautiful or poignant. There is a strong personal undertone to the book, like we’re getting a strong sense of Else not just as a writer but as a person.

Each story explores elements of humanity and what it means to be alive, even when the world is ending – ie. even during times of disaster, we can still feel love and connection, nurture, all the while experiencing heightened levels of grief, heartache, and loss.

I also freakin’ love the cover of this book – the colours and the tone, as well as the title, make for a really beautiful addition to the bookshelf.

“His voice is tender but careful. Before the phone call to tell him what had happened, and to ask if we could come, we hadn’t spoken in a long while. My body trembles, the horror of the past few weeks seeping over the walls I’ve built inside me.”

With each story moving forward in time, we experience the haunting progression of climate degradation and the ramifications of a changing world, sometimes through the smallest of lenses. It’s a clever stylistic technique to keep the reader feeling both unprepared and alarmed as we progress through the future to alternate worlds not overly different to our own.

“The walk down to the town centre only takes ten minutes. It’s midwinter and tourism still hasn’t recovered from the pandemic years, so the place is empty. The pub is closed, but looking over the fence from the street they glimpse a view of the water through the vast beer garden.”

Else’s short story collection is an accessible read for reluctant readers, and perfect for those with only short spans of time to read. With vivid characters and engaging settings, readers will love this book. Readership skews 20+

Thank you to the publishing company for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Everything Feels Like the End of the World
Else Fitzgerald
August 2022
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

Leave a Comment · Labels: 10/10, Adult Fiction, Book Reviews, Speculative Fiction Tagged: adult fiction, book review, fiction, review, short fiction, short story

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