4 Stars

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein tells the story of the original novel from the perspective of Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s future wife, the morally ambiguous Elizabeth Lavenza. Born into a life of poverty and misery, the Frankenstein family – especially lonely, odd Victor – is Elizabeth’s only hope at a secure future. Taken in by them as a young child, Elizabeth spends over a decade ensuring she is indispensable to Victor and shaping a future where she lives comfortably as his wife. But as she follows him on his studies, Elizabeth realizes she may not know Victor at all – and it may be too late to escape the life she’s created.

This gothic horror novel is unapologetically feminist; the terror stems not from Victor’s objectives but from the helplessness of being a woman in the late 18th century. With a slow burn to an explosive final act, both fans of the original and those unfamiliar with Shelley’s story will find something to appreciate in White’s retelling.

-Amity
Posted 10/16/2020

4 Stars

A poignant tale of a teen navigating the loss of his parents, while also dealing with gang wars, peer pressure, and trying to find his own identity in the midst of it all. Torn constantly between his love for his brothers, but also feeling as though his older brother doesn’t love him, that he’s not good enough in his eyes, he is also experiencing concern for friends and trying to reconcile his high intelligence and academic acumen with the expectation to be a street gang tough. A real coming of age story, I would have loved a follow up book.

-Katie
Posted 5/22/2020

5 Stars

Hutchinson, a noted YA fiction author, shares his experiences growing up with ADHD, depression, and homophobia in the American South.

There wasn’t much support or direction for young gay men in the early 1990’s. Queerbashing was common and even recreational, and AIDS was tearing through the communities of those who could have been his mentors. The world was telling him he had no future and no hope of loving or belonging; his depression told him he was not worthy of success or love.

This is an “it gets better” story but getting to better is a long process. Hutchinson is okay with himself and where he is now; still, be aware this book contains suicidal ideation and a suicide attempt. Notably, the author includes trigger warnings at the start of his memoir and just before the suicide attempt.

-John
Posted 5/8/2020

4 Stars

After Anna Craft was kidnapped and murdered, her younger sister Alex took justice into her own hands. Knowing that she has to curb her violent tendencies, Alex decides to get through life with as little attention as possible. This all changes her senior year of high school when she befriends girl-next-door Peekay and catches the eye of Jack, the most popular guy in school. After a party they attend gets out of hand, the three find themselves dealing with the fallout in different ways. Readers will find they can’t put down this harsh, violent look at a character that doesn’t accept the phrase “boys will be boys.”

-Amity
Posted 4/2/2020

3 Stars

In this satirical look at the concept of femininity, 13 survivors of a plane crash must learn how to live together on a remote, deserted island. The catch? They are all contestants in the annual Miss Teen Dream competition, and are armed with little food and water, but plenty of mascara and hairspray. As the girls struggle to survive, they also learn what it really means to be a girl in today’s society – with plenty of snark and black comedy along the way.

-Amity
Posted 4/2/20202