"There's truth behind all fiction, whether you want to see it or not. And fear.. is all the proof we need."

A blend of romance, mystery, and horror, Let the Woods Keep Our Bodies is a decent book revolving around young couple Tate and Leo, and Tate's eventual disappearance. Upon the first chapter the book immediately hooked me, I thought that the main characters were well-written and not too archetypal considering they're still eccentric high school kids with a penchant for 'weird stuff.' I liked that the author uses a detective type narrative to uncover the horrors, dividing the chapters using "before" and "after" the incident.

What kind of lost me at times were the clues behind the incidents at the town in the past and how they all tie in together, that last part almost felt a little too crammed in. But the conclusion and overall atmosphere had a satisfactory pay-off, and while this seems like it's targeted toward a younger audience I think that it's overall a fun read for anyone who likes horror.

"She never wanted to be that - a colony. She wanted a family, sure, but not whatever this was. Rooted and bound to your species. Repeating and repeating an ideal body. An ideal mind. Not allowed to have your own thoughts."

[2.5 stars] 'Afterglow' is an anthology that promises hopeful & decolonized themes through its diverse stories, and as interesting as some of the stories are, their cohesiveness as a whole falls short for the most part. Every time I start being somewhat sucked in a story, it just abruptly ends. It doesn't really feel as hopeful either, which would have been fine if the foreword had kind of emphasized acceptance/realism instead of ideating positive change. I did appreciate the Indonesian story by Savitri Putu Harrigan that touched on Balinese culture/heritage because I rarely come across English fiction that explores it (but I wish the story continued a little further).

My favorite stories are The Cloud Weaver's Song by Saul Tanpepper, The Tree in the Back Yard by Michelle Yoon, and The Secrets of the Last Greenland Shark by Mike Clelland.

Aboard the formidable Amazon Princess traverses Kittiwake Stormhaven, who brings along her pet monkey “Boo,” and stowaway pirate Scally. She has a caring yet quirky and rebellious streak, engaging in comical thievery for Scally, making sure Boo is safe, while also trying to save the ship. I’ve previously read Victoria Williamson’s other books that are part of the gothic horror genre (Red Runs the Witches’ Thread and The Haunting Scent of Poppies), so I was curious how this middle-grade book would handle potentially dark and adventurous topics.

And I was not disappointed by it; this is a fun blend of high stakes and genuinely fascinating trivia about various ships, fantastical creatures like Grampus and the history of the dark waters that the Amazon Princess is exposed to — essentially the pirate’s portolano. It gives us context of the perils and makes us anticipate and understand them. The characters also provide further depth to Kittiwake’s, seeing as she struggles with her family’s dynamics. Some of them naturally feel a little cartoonish or archetypal, albeit not in a way that feels overbearing or ruins the pacing. I also love the exploration of the concept of a pirate and what it means. It’s an identity that the characters internalize, rather than an objective descriptor used to demonize people like the Authorities perhaps do.

Coupled with the beautiful illustrations by James Brown, Victoria Williamson’s prose shines beautifully and still has that descriptive, immersive style that I’m familiar with, this time in an apt register for the young ones. It’s a gripping book about the meaning of friendship and how it extends beyond blood (and even species), and I can imagine that it would be an awesome gift for kids with Christmas coming up!

Quote: “The Amazon Princess shuddered once more, then shutters flew up, hatches burst open, and out of every hole rolled the barrel of a massive cannon. In a few brief moments the ship’s smooth sides had become a porcupine’s back, guns sprouting out like angry spines.”

Disclaimer: Thank you to TheWriteReads, Tiny Tree Books, and Victoria Williamson for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.