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New Speculative Fiction: Sea of Charms and The Felicity Complex

28 Jul

Sea of Charms
by Sarah Beth Durst
Reading of Sea of Charms made me regret waiting so long to check out Sarah Beth Durst work. The book is thoroughly charming. Marine is a supply runner who journeys to bring supplies between islands. After a stunning romantic betrayal, she prefers to travel alone trying to pay back the debt her parent’s incurred purchasing her boat. But a handsome musician, a talking plant with a passion for the sea, and a playful sea serpent may be just the crew and found family that she needs. Cozy fiction can sometimes feel derivative, but this story keeps its cozy vibe while still having imaginative details like a harvest celebration involving flying cats and good character development. I liked that we repeatedly see the main character struggle with what is morally right in relatable way despite the fantasy setting. If you love this one as much as me, you will also want to check out her two previous novels: The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse.

The Felicity Complex
by August Clarke
The Felicity Complex by August Clarke is a quick and fast paced read that will appeal to those looking for a quirky post apocalyptic tale. The story follows a group of lab created women who are being trained to provide the staffing for a luxury shelter in times of nuclear threat. The story is part post apocalyptic science fiction and part satirical critique on society. Those who are sensitive to violence against women should be aware that there are a few scenes of brutality that are integral to events in the story. Hallelujah, the main character is complex with emotional resonance though Clarke does a good job of giving her an alien otherness in the way she responds to the world around her.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Award Winning Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction: The Last Cuentista, Night Owls, and The Darkness Outside Us

18 Jun

The Last Cuentista
by Donna Barba Higuera
The Last Cuentista won the prestigious Newbery Medal and Pura Belpré Award in 2022. This post apocalyptic Middle Grade Novel starts just as comet is scheduled to hit and cause catastrophic damage to the earth. Petra’s parents want her to follow in their footsteps and study science, but she longs to be a storyteller, like her abuelita (grandmother). Her family are part of the few picked to travel to a new world to start over. Petra is supposed to sleep through the transit to a new world, but when she wakes up she discovers that the other sleeping passengers who have survived have had their mind’s erased by a genetically modified collective who seeks peace through wiping out all memories of Earth and its culture. This story is definitely a bit dark and could be triggering for those who have recently lost family members themselves, but it also brings with it a sense of hope that we can each do our parts to create a better world. I also think its message of the importance of remembering our traditions and stories and how they can be an uplifting source of good is an important one that will resonate with many.

Night Owls
by A.R. Vishny
Night Owls is a winner of a National Jewish Book Award Winner and Sydney Taylor Book Award. This paranormal fantasy for teens set in New York, focuses on two “sisters” who are estries (female vampires who shape shift into owls and feed on men, as depicted in Jewish folklore). Molly is in love with a human girl who goes missing and will need her sister, Clara’s help to find her, despite Clara’s rules that neither of them should ever fall in love. Boaz, the young Jewish man who works at their theater, may also be of help or a hindrance as Clara tries to stop her own romantic feelings towards him from taking flight. I found this to be an engaging story and I enjoyed the exploration of family relationships as well as romantic and friendship bonds that the story explores.

The Darkness Outside Us
by Eliot Schrefer
The Darkness Outside Us was one of the Stonewall Honor books chosen by the ALA, for LGBTQIA+ Young Adult Literature in 2022. The story focuses on two 17 year-olds who are sent into space for a rescue mission of the one’s sister. The story is told from the perspective of the child of wealthy industrialist from a liberal country and the other teen is from the only other country left on earth, which is more conservative and communist. Despite their differences, they are drawn to each other. This novel will appeal to to older teens who enjoy their Science Fiction with a bit of romance. I enjoyed the epistemological exploration throughout the story. Also refreshing is that the story feels truly humanity against their environment and circumstances with the two main characters having different perspectives, but neither being portrayed as “right.”

These books are so well crafted that they also have appeal to adults as well as teens. We read The Last Cuentista for our Science Fiction and Fantasy discussion in March and Night Owls in April. The Darkness Outside Us is scheduled for the July discussion.

Sincerely,
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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