BOOK REVIEW: I Am the Night

 

I AM THE NIGHT: THE ULTIMATE UNAUTHORIZED HISTORY OF BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
by Daniel Dockery
Available September 1

I've known Daniel Dockery for quite a while through our mutual work for Crunchyroll, and one thing that's always impressed me about him is his ability to write deep dives that never once stop being meaningful, relevant, or interesting. Reading his work feels like chatting with a well-versed friend: casual but informative. Monster Kids put that strong narrative voice in book form, and I knew before reading I Am the Night that he'd bring that same care to his treatment of Batman: The Animated Series.

If you, like me, were raised in this animation renaissance, this book is as informative as it is nostalgic. For every old memory it brought to the surface, I Am the Night offers twice as many new tidbits of information. Interviews with the many people involved with this seminal series (many of which are new and conducted by Dockery himself) shine a new light on a series that has already been interrogated through numerous articles and podcasts.

The strength of both I Am the Night and Dockery's previous deep-dive, the aforementioned Monster Kids, is that these aren't just about the shows themselves. Any piece of art or media both inspires and is inspired by its contemporaries, and understanding the landscape in which a title was born increases our understanding of the title itself. Thus, I Am the Night is also about the Batman feature films and their connected marketing, the broader state of superhero comic adaptations, Steven Spielberg's foray into TV animation, the rise of other series like Animaniacs and Gargoyles, and so much more. Because BTAS challenged what animated TV series even are, it brings so much in its wake, often from unexpected corners. (Expect little jumpscares from Ralph Bakshi at extremely unexpected times.) You come away with an understanding of the making and influence of the series, yes, but also why it mattered and how its influence echoes to this day.

I Am the Night is, additionally, the exception that proves one of my own rules: repeated presence of opinion in an analytical work. In my time working on Obverse Books' Black Archive line, I've fallen prey to this while also calling out other writers on it. Sidelining a work meant to be as academic or factual as possible with comments that something is or isn't "good" is tricky, because even the most astute fan can struggle with the difference between "structurally unsound" and "not for me." But Dockery interweaves his own assessments (which are admittedly few and far between) with broad fan sentiment and the thoughts of the people who made the series, creating a tapestry of opinion that informs the work more than taking away from it. And even in the moments when something is assessed from what is clearly the author's point of view, it feels less like a proclamation and more like a casual assertion between friends.

This is a must-have for fans of BTAS, of Batman in general, and of animation of any era.

DRINK PAIRING: Elixir of Inner Light
Okay, this is largely because of the color: the sparkling orange reminds me both of the gold in the iconic Batman logo and the very cool cover of this book. But I also use this as part of my morning reading ritual, which included I Am the Night for several days. I love it because it's full of Vitamin B and D, as well as other things my work-from-home brain needs. Check out my link to try out this and other elixirs from Velvet Hammer!

NOW AVAILABLE: Doctor Who 70-79

 

So, you know. It's downtime for Doctor Who. Maybe it'll be back soon, maybe it won't. We simply do not know at this point. But, fortunately, there are plenty of other things coming out in the interim: reference books, charity anthologies, official fiction, and the like. I'm embedded in some of this stuff, some of which is still in the chute waiting to come out. But one thing is currently ready, and it's very pretty.

Doctor Who 70-79 is a publication by the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, covering an entire decade of the series during the tenures of Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. The volume includes interviews with Caroline John and Mary Tamm, reminiscences about specific serials and major events of the era, and much more. Like the other special publications (including DWAS annuals), this is a gorgeous full-color hardcover, as nice to look at as it is to read.

As for my part, I cover two fourth Doctor stories: Genesis of the Daleks and The Deadly Assassin. And just from that selection, you may have an idea of what topic I discuss.

My major fascination in this space is how fans and surrounding media interact with the show, and how that in turn affects the story and evolution of the series. In this case, I'm zooming in on two of Mary Whitehouse's major complaints as regards violence. Granted, I do bring an American viewpoint to this (as I state early on), but my focus is more on how this shock value serves the narrative than on if it's "okay" for young viewers. Having lived through the congressional hearings on violence in video games at an age when I would have been the demographic "at risk," I'm always fascinated by this sort of topic.

If that sounds like your jam, I hope you'll pick it up. And if not, there are so many other articles to choose from, including look-ins from Dale Smith, Simon Guerrier, Don Klees, and many others I'm very fond of. Bruce Nicholson and Paul Smith did an amazing job bringing this together, and I look forward to working with the DWAS more on similar projects in future.

Grab your copy of Doctor Who 70-79 here, and be sure to let me know what you think!

BOOK REVIEW: Little Monsters

LITTLE MONSTERS
by Máire Roche
Available now

It's Halloween in Salem, and the March sisters and their foster mother Marmee are scraping by as best they can. Meg is working hard to ensure she and her sisters can afford the Halloween costumes of their dreams, but there's a more pressing issue on the horizon: the neighborhood is being terrorized by a monster. And given the gaps in her memory and the dirt on her feet in the morning, Meg is very worried that that monster is her.

You see, the March sisters have a secret: each has a unique monstrous form they are working to hide, and even Marmee doesn't know. But the attack on the Laurences' chicken coop has many of Meg's classmates curious, and some appear to know more about her than they should. While Meg would prefer to spend her time with cute tutor John Brooke, she feels she has to solve this problem on her own, before the whole neighborhood finds out her family's dark secret. But it seems like the neighborhood at large may have secrets of their own, too.

As a middle-grade book, Little Monsters is a great read, with an important lesson threaded throughout. As Meg learns, no one can be expected to handle everyone's problems on their own. And similarly, we can't know what others are going through. The girls' monstrous forms could easily be a metaphor for any number of unique issues, including and especially neurodivergence.

That said, I have one major quibble with this book, which is that I'm not sure what makes it a Little Women retelling beyond extremely surface-level similarities. There are four girls who share names with the March sisters, and there are surrounding characters who fill similar roles to their namesakes, but it feels too much like its own thing - possibly it's both present-day and paranormal, and thus most of the trappings of the original are left far behind. It doesn't seem to be saying or doing much that ties it to Little Women meaningfully. Perhaps it's because this year also brought us the exceptional Beth Is Dead, a modern retelling whose differences from the original were the entire point of the story. But Little Monsters feels more like a fanfiction that's strayed so far from the source that it might as well file the serial numbers off and be its own story.

This doesn't mean that this book "shouldn't exist" - as I said before, it's a good story with good lessons and interesting worldbuilding. But cramming it into the Little Women box rather than letting it exist on its own distracts from the story and leaves it feeling like it's missing something. Since so many elements of the original are absent or glossed over, Little Monsters ends up feeling incomplete. Amy and Beth are barely there, to the point that I can't remember who had the mermaid traits and who had the bat traits. Jo is something of a caricature of what a modern Jo March might be, right down to dressing up as Louisa May Alcott for Halloween. It feels like the Little Women ties exist solely to get eyes on the book; and, ironically, I believe it would be a far better and stronger book if it embraced its worldbuilding and presented itself as fully original.

TEA PAIRING: March Home in Bloom
A really nice white tea that much more forgiving than other white teas if you steep it a bit too long. I enjoy the light floral blend and, while white tea absolutely has caffeine in it, it's still nice for a lighter brew later in the day. Use my code KARA15 for this and other bookish teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

FEATURED CANDLE: March Family Pudding
Another Little Women-inspired find, this candle is a bit more Christmas than Halloween: a super-cozy blend of fig, almond, and brown sugar. Use my referral link for a discount on other book-inspired candles from Frostbeard!

BOOK REVIEW: My Killer Family Reunion

 

MY KILLER FAMILY REUNION
by Dinesh Thiru
Available now

Everyone in Jayshree's family has plotted out how they'd kill Grand Mom. It's been a running joke for years. But at the most recent family reunion, Grand Mom declares that she's changing the will so only three people will receive a share of her massive fortune in the form of valuable properties. So it's a nasty coincidence when Grand Mom is nearly hit by a car in the parking lot right after dinner, leaving her in a coma.

That is, of course, assuming it was a coincidence.

Jayshree may be all but invisible to most people, but Grand Mom knew she had a keen eye for mysteries. While the family waits for their matriarch to wake up, Jay and her cousins put their deductive skills to the test (and their lives on the line) to figure out who's behind the attempted murder. But it's not all dire: her family has done a bit of playful matchmaking between Jay and Hernando, a very handsome friend of one of her cousins. Working out her feelings for him provides a fun distraction... assuming, of course, he's not involved somehow.

Mysteries for teen readers are hit and miss; they're either overly patronizing or so dense that they don't stick the landing. My Killer Family Reunion threads that needle, while also ensuring that any red herrings lead to equally valuable secondary discoveries.  Jay's family is both loving and broken in equal measure, with some members doing their best while others are outright abusive. But both are depicted well, and the latter pulls no punches (sometimes literally).

Jay is also allowed to be as smart as the reader, which can be a difficult thing in mysteries for readers of any age. Oftentimes the detective is a step behind (to give the reader the thrill of discovery) or much too far ahead (to stake their claim as a brilliant detective). Jay moves at about the same pace as the reader, and it's a believable pace for someone of her age and intelligence: analytical enough, but still prone to the worries and hesitations that we all feel as teens.

The introduction of Hernando, while he does eventually play a role in the plot, felt a little odd, though. Perhaps it's because I'm not from the demographic depicted in the novel, but his introduction via a fake wedding "prank" (meant as part of Jay's cousins' attempts to get her a "coat closet hook-up," which... fair enough) felt odd. But just because a Lebanese girl doesn't get it doesn't mean it's unrealistic. I'm perfectly willing to assume I'm missing something. That said, Hernando's early appearances do still have that sort of shoehorned-in romance feel to it, and I'm not sure if that detracts from or offsets the mystery at the book's core.

All that aside, My Killer Family Reunion is a fun summer read with a lot of interesting and unique characters, including and especially the highly-targeted Grand Mom. All else being equal, that woman is truly aspirational.

TEA PAIRING: Sunrise Breakfast
While a lot of chai is drunk in this book, it's also used as a way to get women out of the room when men are talking, so we're not doing that. Instead, we're going with Sunrise Breakfast: a bold English breakfast that's caffeinated enough to get the grey cells working. It's also blended with bright yellow marigold petals. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other bookish teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

FEATURED CANDLE: Fictional Crush
With the pretend romance between Jay and Hernando underscoring much of the book, it felt like a good time to highlight one of my favorite limited scents from Frostbeard. This blend of sandalwood, dark musk and resin is legitimately one of the best they've ever put out. Use my affiliate link for a discount on other book-inspired candles from Frostbeard!

BOOK REVIEW: Survival Show

 

SURVIVAL SHOW
by Juno Dawson
Available now

Scottish refugee Taryn Beck loves to sing, but there's only so far that will take her in the post-War world. With her father approaching the maximum life expectancy of refugees and her brother in desperate need of expensive medical care, a solution occurs to her: audition for Starmaker, an international talent competition. It's an all-or-nothing solution. Winners get everything they ever dreamed of, but each week's loser is executed live on air, sacrificed as part of series sponsor Project Population.

Against all odds, Taryn is one of the final ten. Even better news? This season of Starmaker is forming a five-girl group to be named DOLLHOU5E, so her chances have shot up considerably. But meeting her heroes and working toward her dreams brings with it bloodthirsty jealousy, uncomfortable truths, and a look behind the curtain at a corporation that's even more corrupt than it appears on the surface. Even if she escapes being gassed in the Pyramid, a "win" might not be an escape.

In her afterword, Juno Dawson describes her ultimate YA novel as "The Hunger Games meets Spice Girls," and that's absolutely Survival Show. There's clearly a lot of love for girl groups, especially British and Korean, with a heavy lean into music stan culture. While it's clearly an affectionate lean, it doesn't avoid looking at the toxic side of both the fandom and the industry. Some chapters are bookended by trashy tabloid articles and toxic social media feeds: a reminder that even the most conscientious celeb can only escape public opinion for so long.

We're in a flood of dystopian literature at the moment, and being awash with any genre makes me more critical of it. (See recent reviews of mine for more of that.) It's as un-nuanced as dystopian fiction tends to be, with each week's bottom contestant executed in a glass pyramid flooded with Barbie-pink gas. Where Survival Show stands apart from so much recent dystopian fiction is that the in-between world — the space between now and the story — feels fleshed out and lived in. The worldbuilding is not lazy. The entire political landscape of the globe is reinvented, and that space between is packed with fictional entertainment spoken about with the same casual tone as real-world pop stars. It makes everything feel lived-in and believable. Plus, it has the side effect of making the reader pause and consider the real-world brands that survived into the book's corporate dystopia. Whole nations have fallen, but Hello Kitty remains.

Survival Show pulls no punches. Characters really do die, and "don't worry, she survived actually" fake-outs are few and far between. There are stakes, and even the "unlikable" characters among the Starmaker participants have some mitigating factor about their story. It's complicated and difficult, and that's a very good thing.

DRINK PAIRING: Elixir of Hydration
While Survival Show is extremely gruesome, it also adheres to its aesthetic. Velvet Hammer's Elixir of Hydration is pink and sparkly, and it's definitely much better for your health than everything the Starmaker cast put the girls of DOLLHOU5E through. Use my affiliate link for a discount on this and other sparkly book-inspired elixirs from Velvet Hammer!

FEATURED CANDLE: Spice Factor
This citrus and ginger candle is meant to evoke slow-burn romance, but the name is reminiscent of a certain girl group that inspired much of Survival Show. (And the bright color reminds me of Taryn's mid-season rebranding, complete with hair extensions.) Use my affiliate link to save on this and other bookish candles from Frostbeard!

BOOK REVIEW: Local Gods

 

LOCAL GODS
by Melinda Salisbury
Available now

Folk horror is seeing something of a resurgence in recent years, both on the screen and on the page. While not every offering digs fully into the genre, the new novel Local Gods goes surprisingly deep into those classic vibes. Starting as a typical coming-of-age story with a little bit of oddness (and perhaps romance) around the edges, it slowly unravels into a tale of otherness, ancient curses, and human hubris.

Sylvie Singer has become public enemy #1 in her hometown since returning, thanks to her father swindling the locals and disappearing with the money. Her only hope is to earn her high school diploma (and thus a small trust fund from her grandmother) and disappear. As the entire town turns their back on her, she scrapes by in an unfinished railway station in the cursed West Woods, surrounded by stark-white carnivorous animals. Other than local goth girl Chantry and occult shop owner Zelda, Sylvie's only constant companion is Illican: a horned man who leaves her gifts and to whom she feels herself inexplicably drawn.

As the town sinks further into ruin, Sylvie begins searching for ways to save both it and Illican. But the deeper she digs into the history of the town, the more mysteries she encounters, and the more aggressive the locals get. As animals disappear and businesses are shut down, Sylvie resorts to desperate measures to save her home. Unfortunately, the locals are about to resort to desperate measures of their own.

At the outset, Local Gods (while well-written and interesting from the first page) feels like a YA romance with the vague trappings of folk horror. But the further down the rabbit hole you follow Sylvie, the more the truth starts to unfold. Fans of The Wicker Man, Midsomar, Starve Acre and other full-on examples of the genre will see familiar beats start to emerge slowly, culminating in a dramatic, fiery finish.

The only reason I would tell you not to read Local Gods immediately is because it feels like such a fall book. Should you read it? Absolutely. But it begs for a read (or re-read) during the darkest, coldest months.

TEA PAIRING: Letters of Lavender
Flowers are a big part of the communication between Sylvie and Illican, and the dark floral Letters of Lavender feels like a perfect fit for this setting. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other book-inspired teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!

FEATURED CANDLE: Baba Yaga's Hut
This limited-edition candle's notes of wood and ember are absolutely the vibe of this book... especially the final chapter or two. Use my affiliate link for a discount and check out more bookish candles from Frostbeard!