frank_atlas's reviews
127 reviews
Bliss Montage by Ling Ma
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
3.75
One thing that is for sure is that Ling Ma knows how to write. This book read like poetry, it read like a fever dream, a memory. After finishing it I feel like it’s a book that everyone who reads it will take something different out of it.
Throughout the book I just got this sense of loneliness and even as the characters interacted with each other there was this air of loneliness and isolation throughout. Characters come off as selfish and detached, but if there is one thing I have to say I got from this book is that it encapsulates the feeling of existence for anyone who is in that millennial age range/slightly older. While I may not have personally connected directly with the characters I very much connected with the feeling those characters seemed to bring about.
Throughout the book I just got this sense of loneliness and even as the characters interacted with each other there was this air of loneliness and isolation throughout. Characters come off as selfish and detached, but if there is one thing I have to say I got from this book is that it encapsulates the feeling of existence for anyone who is in that millennial age range/slightly older. While I may not have personally connected directly with the characters I very much connected with the feeling those characters seemed to bring about.
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis
fast-paced
5.0
The Roots Grow Into the Earth: A Collection of Short Horror Stories by Bert S. Lechner, Bert S. Lechner
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
ARC review. Thank you Bert for sending me an ARC!
This book had me feeling unsettled from the very beginning. “The Roots Grow Into The Earth” is so nicely written, descriptive, creepy, unsettling. A fantastic collection of short stories, but all connected. I cannot wait for more from Bert, he truly has the craft of writing down and is a fantastic story teller!! Disturbing body horror(without being too over the top for those who are not a fan of graphic content) and such chilling cosmic horror. Definitely pick this one up if you have a chance!
This book had me feeling unsettled from the very beginning. “The Roots Grow Into The Earth” is so nicely written, descriptive, creepy, unsettling. A fantastic collection of short stories, but all connected. I cannot wait for more from Bert, he truly has the craft of writing down and is a fantastic story teller!! Disturbing body horror(without being too over the top for those who are not a fan of graphic content) and such chilling cosmic horror. Definitely pick this one up if you have a chance!
Dear God. Dear Bones. Dear Yellow. by Noor Hindi
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
I don’t think I’ve ever read a poetry collection where every single poem hits perfectly like these do. This collection is a warm bath, a touch of a hot stove, a restless nights sleep, a memory you want to put in your pocket, a dream you float through.
Something Like Possible by Miel Moreland
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Haven’t read a YA book in a while and this was such a wonderful book to jump back into the genre! It feels like those teen rom-com Netflix movies and I mean that as the highest of compliments! Every character in this book reads like their ages(no euphoria syndrome here!) but it doesn’t read too young. Wonderful queer representation and being able to touch on more serious topics throughout, but in a way that can be digested by younger readers. The romance was so fun and cute and really encapsulates the teenage butterfly in stomach, innocent, crushes touching knees while watching a movie type of romance. A book that will for sure have younger LGBTQ+ readers feeling represented in literature. The setting of school politics is one that all may not be able to connect to but it’s a fresh setting and nice to be so pro-getting kids to think politically. This book will have you cheesing, smiling, and cheering for Madison and Victoria on their way down the campaign trail.
Something Like Possible feels like the book a lot of older queer adults probably wished they had growing up. A story of community, young love, how to show up for friends in need, queer solidarity, and standing up in the face adversity.
Something Like Possible feels like the book a lot of older queer adults probably wished they had growing up. A story of community, young love, how to show up for friends in need, queer solidarity, and standing up in the face adversity.
Dérive by Jessica Lange
fast-paced
3.5
“Dérive” by Jessica Lange.
Published by PowerHouse Books, Distributed by Simon and Schuster
The 3rd photography book by Lange, this collection of black and white photographs by Jessica Lange from November 2020-May 2021 documented New York City during the early part of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Dérive is the French word for “Drift”: The title is taken from Guy Debord’s Theory of the Dérive (1956): “an unplanned journey through a landscape, usually urban, in which participants drop their everyday relations and ‘let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there.’” This collection encompassed many aspects of the pandemic, touching on the isolation during this time, small businesses suffering from being closed, those who were unable to leave the city, and stuck in a setting straight out of a science fiction movie. There are a few stand-out photographs that really demonstrate the lonely and isolating feeling that frequently arose during the height of the pandemic, people unable to leave the city to escape metropolitan congestion, small businesses expressing dissatisfaction with Gover Cuomo’s response to the pandemic, as well as photographs that just breathe the essence of New York, graffitied walls of old buildings, a couple dressed in vintage garb sitting on a park bench. While these photographs take place during the pandemic this is not a “pandemic book”, this is an expression of the concept of Dérive. The wandering around and documenting whatever Lange came across, to integrate amongst those in New York, regardless of social status. A solid collection of photographs that were fascinating to look through showing Lange’s understanding of the craft and appreciation for the world around her. Showcasing the atmosphere of New York CIty that the average person would experience, a perspective that was kept despite the class difference of the photographer with many of the subjects in this collection. While I did enjoy this collection there was a bit of repetition amongst some of the photographs that left me wanting a little more diversity amongst them with some of the image selections possibly not being the best of the frames taken. Overall a nice photography book that will give a peak into the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City and the individuality that New York holds as an iconic city.
3 1/2 out of 5 stars.
Thank you PowerHouse Books for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
- F.A.
Published by PowerHouse Books, Distributed by Simon and Schuster
The 3rd photography book by Lange, this collection of black and white photographs by Jessica Lange from November 2020-May 2021 documented New York City during the early part of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Dérive is the French word for “Drift”: The title is taken from Guy Debord’s Theory of the Dérive (1956): “an unplanned journey through a landscape, usually urban, in which participants drop their everyday relations and ‘let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there.’” This collection encompassed many aspects of the pandemic, touching on the isolation during this time, small businesses suffering from being closed, those who were unable to leave the city, and stuck in a setting straight out of a science fiction movie. There are a few stand-out photographs that really demonstrate the lonely and isolating feeling that frequently arose during the height of the pandemic, people unable to leave the city to escape metropolitan congestion, small businesses expressing dissatisfaction with Gover Cuomo’s response to the pandemic, as well as photographs that just breathe the essence of New York, graffitied walls of old buildings, a couple dressed in vintage garb sitting on a park bench. While these photographs take place during the pandemic this is not a “pandemic book”, this is an expression of the concept of Dérive. The wandering around and documenting whatever Lange came across, to integrate amongst those in New York, regardless of social status. A solid collection of photographs that were fascinating to look through showing Lange’s understanding of the craft and appreciation for the world around her. Showcasing the atmosphere of New York CIty that the average person would experience, a perspective that was kept despite the class difference of the photographer with many of the subjects in this collection. While I did enjoy this collection there was a bit of repetition amongst some of the photographs that left me wanting a little more diversity amongst them with some of the image selections possibly not being the best of the frames taken. Overall a nice photography book that will give a peak into the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City and the individuality that New York holds as an iconic city.
3 1/2 out of 5 stars.
Thank you PowerHouse Books for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
- F.A.
Playground by Aron Beauregard
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Another solid one from Aron Beauregard.
*not spoilers exactly but I do mention aspect of character development*
I really liked how it really dove into themes of childhood trauma, Stockholm Syndrome, and familial relationships. The characters did fall into stereotype/trope territory, but despite that they still felt really fleshed out. They could have easily been forgettable and only there to meet a gruesome demise, but each of them felt well developed. The book does jump back and forth between the kids and parents which did make the pacing feel a bit clunky at times and kind of curbed some momentum after a few scenes, but overall still a pretty well paced book. I was surprised at how emotional this book was too, it is much more than just gratuitous violence, but a well structured storyline. The character development in this was fascinating as well, the way the kids begins with such a childlike demeanor and as the “playground” progresses they almost adopt a more adult approach to their situation. I honestly didn’t feel that it was as gruesome as people were making it out to be, and while it still is a very graphic and disturbing book, I believe it’s still a pretty accessible book and wouldn’t be a bad start if someone wants to get into splatter-punk.
Pro: Good exploration of themes, interesting characters, surprisingly emotionally charged storyline, fascinating character development
Cons: Pacing was off at times and there’s a few aspects of the story I wish it would have expanded on.
*not spoilers exactly but I do mention aspect of character development*
I really liked how it really dove into themes of childhood trauma, Stockholm Syndrome, and familial relationships. The characters did fall into stereotype/trope territory, but despite that they still felt really fleshed out. They could have easily been forgettable and only there to meet a gruesome demise, but each of them felt well developed. The book does jump back and forth between the kids and parents which did make the pacing feel a bit clunky at times and kind of curbed some momentum after a few scenes, but overall still a pretty well paced book. I was surprised at how emotional this book was too, it is much more than just gratuitous violence, but a well structured storyline. The character development in this was fascinating as well, the way the kids begins with such a childlike demeanor and as the “playground” progresses they almost adopt a more adult approach to their situation. I honestly didn’t feel that it was as gruesome as people were making it out to be, and while it still is a very graphic and disturbing book, I believe it’s still a pretty accessible book and wouldn’t be a bad start if someone wants to get into splatter-punk.
Pro: Good exploration of themes, interesting characters, surprisingly emotionally charged storyline, fascinating character development
Cons: Pacing was off at times and there’s a few aspects of the story I wish it would have expanded on.