While the writing lacks a subtlety that would suit many of these tales, this volume’s exhaustive approach to elevating queer...
A collection of short stories examines the diversity of global LGBTQ communities and their common challenges.
Pathan’s (Classics, 2017, etc.) incredibly varied collection of 21 stories covers the gamut of LGBTQ issues and the hurdles individuals face. Spanning different generations and cultures, the book takes readers around the world to illustrate that queerness and gender fluidity are not restrained by borders. In England, principal Margery must confront her own prejudices and a growing mob mentality against a young transgender student; in 1950s India, the young Sreekanth tries to escape an arranged marriage to be with another man; and in modern-day Bangkok, Poi works tirelessly to teach safe-sex practices and distribute condoms to the Kathoeys—more commonly known as “ladyboys.” It’s a remarkably inclusive approach to an already broad subject, and Pathan highlights the somewhat lesser-known topics of asexuality and intersex identities with the tender tales “isher” and “(a)sexual story.” As a nod to those well-versed in queer literature, the author has thrown in plenty of references to her inspirations, peppering the book with Oscar Wilde quotes and having characters read Christopher Isherwood or Radclyffe Hall. Pathan also tackles one of the most volatile topics for not just LGBTQ communities, but also the entire world with the tense tale of Salam, Akram, and Nafisa—a gay couple and their Jewish female friend who are trying to hide from Islamic State group rule in Syria. That story, “people of raqqa,” is the collection’s clear standout. But in its final lines, the tale also suffers from a consistent issue—too many moments feel contrived or unnatural for the characters. Pathan often follows a pattern: introduce an LGBTQ issue, bring in some form of bigotry, and then rush to conclude with a terrible act of violence. This problem is most evident in “the books on his lap,” in which an elite NYU professor murders his own child after learning he has befriended lesbians. Although the story offers one of the compendium’s many preposterous twists, readers should still appreciate Pathan’s underlying point that intolerance and danger lurk where they are least expected.
While the writing lacks a subtlety that would suit many of these tales, this volume’s exhaustive approach to elevating queer issues remains commendable.Pub Date: Nov. 30, 2017
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 428
Publisher: Fiza Pathan Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.
Are we not men? We are—well, ask Bigfoot, as Brooks does in this delightful yarn, following on his bestseller World War Z (2006).
A zombie apocalypse is one thing. A volcanic eruption is quite another, for, as the journalist who does a framing voice-over narration for Brooks’ latest puts it, when Mount Rainier popped its cork, “it was the psychological aspect, the hyperbole-fueled hysteria that had ended up killing the most people.” Maybe, but the sasquatches whom the volcano displaced contributed to the statistics, too, if only out of self-defense. Brooks places the epicenter of the Bigfoot war in a high-tech hideaway populated by the kind of people you might find in a Jurassic Park franchise: the schmo who doesn’t know how to do much of anything but tries anyway, the well-intentioned bleeding heart, the know-it-all intellectual who turns out to know the wrong things, the immigrant with a tough backstory and an instinct for survival. Indeed, the novel does double duty as a survival manual, packed full of good advice—for instance, try not to get wounded, for “injury turns you from a giver to a taker. Taking up our resources, our time to care for you.” Brooks presents a case for making room for Bigfoot in the world while peppering his narrative with timely social criticism about bad behavior on the human side of the conflict: The explosion of Rainier might have been better forecast had the president not slashed the budget of the U.S. Geological Survey, leading to “immediate suspension of the National Volcano Early Warning System,” and there’s always someone around looking to monetize the natural disaster and the sasquatch-y onslaught that follows. Brooks is a pro at building suspense even if it plays out in some rather spectacularly yucky episodes, one involving a short spear that takes its name from “the sucking sound of pulling it out of the dead man’s heart and lungs.” Grossness aside, it puts you right there on the scene.
A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.Pub Date: June 16, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-2678-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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