Review: Chef’s Kiss by Jarett Melendez

Queer graphic novels can be a perfect warm hug - and this was no exception, but with food!

Review: The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

This book was shockingly good. Emezi has written a story that is not only about the shocking, senseless death of an individual, but they have pulled together secrets, issues of being 'other' in a society and culture that does not welcome it, and the life that has led to this point.

Advertisement

Review: The Seep by Chana Porter

You know when a book is quite odd, but all the better for it? That's something that I love about a good short novel too - the ability to get across a lot of strange information in a few hundred pages. And it's exactly what I got from The Seep, which not only deals with science fiction but also grief and identity.

The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley

So, a fun story - theatre kids put on performance in the face of their 'cursed' theatre, where one of the curses prevents a character from dating. But the characters weren't that likeable, and were so incredibly intense and uptight as to be almost unpleasant ...

Review: How it All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi

This book does that YA thing where it tries to tie together a lot of important and concerning themes - being gay, being Muslim, being Iranian, coming out, knowing your parents won't accept you, finding 'your people', being targeted by flight marshalls because of race - but doesn't quite spend enough time on any of those things to make them significant. That may be because these are some of the author's exaggerated memories, or the POV writing of a teenager. But a short novel gives an impression without giving much depth.

Review: Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier

This book was hard and difficult to read, which is exactly as it should be when dealing with this kind of material: a young, pregnant, first generation Korean girl in the US experiencing a complete sense of dissociation from herself, her life and her family.

Review: Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

First off, amazing, striking cover (both of them). Fantastic, attention-grabbing title. And I loved the overarching story. But just because a tale is more diverse and queer doesn't mean I can forgive it when the execution isn't quite right ...

Review: Camp by L. C. Rosen

This was a really cute 'coming of age' style story, that doesn't hold anything back regarding sexuality, attraction, or gender. This is a heartfelt and poignant gay rom com about being who we are.