Rachel Manija Brown

Teen fiction (sci-fi/fantasy-action/adventure. "Norms" and mutated humans trying to work together in a post-apocalyptic world with vicious predator plants and feuding territorial lords; everyday diversity; series fiction). The diversity of characters here is striking in that it's so rare to see so many mixed ethnicities and LGBTQ people casually thrown into a story (yay, #weneeddiversebooks). For the most part the action and plot move along pretty briskly, and by the end (when you've sorted out who the many characters are and how they relate to each other), you're invested enough to want to continue reading the series. Thumbs up.… (meer)

At best, this collection could be said to be patchy. Even Yoon Ha Lee, whose Ninefox Gambit I devoured last year, felt a little shackled by the "magical pet" theme. That said, two or three of the stories alone are worth the price. Rachel Manija Brown's Watercat Café had a beautifully realised world and thoroughly drew me in. I was very disappointed when it ended. Marie Cardno's How to Get a Girlfriend (When You're a Terrifying Monster) was an entirely delightful curveball. I also enjoyed Beach Dirt on Bare Feet (possibly in part because of the British setting?) and The Mating Call of the Teleporting Warbler, with all the snarky humour and long history of a well-established couple was a sweet ending to the collection.… (meer)

Well, I really liked this one. Except, I think it was a bit too short. I hate insta-love, and this wasn't that, there was actually a history between the characters, but we just got in at the end of the story. So, I wish the book had started earlier. Because now it felt like an insta-love thing. I also wished there was more world-building. Now the whole shifter part was thrown at you, which worked, but after the revelation, there could've been more about the world of shifters. This was a short book though (not even 100 pages) so I will check out some other books from the same writer to see how I like them.… (meer)