by Sarah Burton They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera follows two teenage boys, Rufus and Mateo, on the day they know they’ll die. And it’s brilliant. I didn’t want to read this book. I like happy endings, and the title suggests tears. It delivers, but it’s worth the pain. They Both Die at the End captures that “keenness of feeling” that burns through our teenage years. Teens hover on the moment’s edge, Read more
by Shannon Stockdale-Elftman In the interest of honesty, I have a contrary streak—a large one. Sometimes, I don’t like things simply because too many people do. It’s committed me to a lifetime of missing out on stuff like Breaking Bad, Sarah J. Maas, and Takis. Due to my contrary nature, I generally do not make resolutions. If I aim for life-altering change, I will wait until I hit rock bottom in the time-honored traditions of Read more
by Rhiannon Guzelian That November night fell swiftly but gracefully, draping the dense New Hampshire woods in impenetrable darkness. Elias panicked. He should have made camp nearly two hours ago. As the wind whipped harder and ushered in an icy cold, he cursed himself for allowing the evening to creep up on him. Though, to be fair, it had an advantage. Elias was moving slowly. Buried deep within his left leg was a constellation of Read more
by Jacquelyn Agliata His face was abnormal. Crooked isn’t quite the right word to describe the sinister smile he wore as I rolled over in our moonlit room. Perhaps devious? Monstrous? That’s not quite right either. Off. Off is the word I’m hunting for. His face was off. Where his warm, wholesome, loving eyes used to be instead protruded frightening pits. His pupils were beyond dilated, as if ink had fallen into the whites of Read more
by Shannon Stockdale-Elftman. Do you read speculative fiction as a form of escapism or as a way to better understand our world? Halfway through my reading of Alix E. Harrow’s newest novel, Starling House, I found myself wondering if speculative fiction is primarily a means of escape for most, or a way to view our world through that delightfully warped mirror of fiction. Starling House is set in Kentucky, and the edges of this gothic Read more