CW//: blood, murder, shooting, nudity, body disfigurement
The Apocalypse Suite is the first installment of the Umbrella Academy series. It follows the story of a group of seven kids who were born with powers under mysterious circumstances and adopted by a millionaire. At this point, they have all grown up and gone their separate ways, but are reunited after the death of their "father"/mentor. Also, the end of the world is swiftly approaching.
I first heard of The Umbrella Academy because of the Netflix adaptation, only to realize it was written by Gerard Way. I ended up watching a few episodes and never finished, so I figured I would try reading the comics.
I really enjoyed the first volume. I think Way did a really good job with the pacing of the story. Sometimes, it's easy to just throw everything out at once to set the atmosphere of the story, but I didn't get that from this comic. I think there was just enough information given to be caught up with the series of events and still leave room for questions. It didn't feel overwhelming and was a fairly quick read. I also really enjoyed the storyline and the overall concept. I think it's such a fresh or as fresh as 2008 can be take on saving everyone from the end of the world. I mean, there's something for everyone: murder, familial fallouts/strain, destruction, time travel, aliens. There are some graphic images so if you don't like seeing blood or murder, then this comic may not be for you.
As for the characters, they were okay. To be honest, I didn't really care for them as much. I think I just need to see more of them. The only memorable character for me was number 5. I mean if he decided to stab me, I wouldn't question it. He has his reasons. As for the others, I only remember Vanya, mainly because of Ellen Page and because she's kind of a badass...even though she has murderous tendencies, but then again, the way she grew up, it kinda makes sense. The others were kinda just there. Maybe later on in the comics they'll grow on me.
Also, the artwork is absolutely amazing! I really loved this style. I think it fit so well with the story and I can't wait to see more.
Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Title: Red, White & Royal Blue
Author: Casey McQuiston
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4/5
CW//: sex, intentional outing, mention of drug abuse/addiction, loss of parent/spouse, grief, homophobia, mention of sexual abuse/harassment of minor
Red, White & Royal Blue follows the story of Alex Claremont-Diaz, the first Mexican-American FSOTUS, who has to fake a friendship with Prince Henry of Wales after confronting him at a British Royal event and causing what appears to be a rift between the British Crown and the US. But when Alex and Henry actually enjoy each other's company and dive head first into a relationship, they must keep their relationship a secret so as not to deviate from President Ellen Claremont's 2020 reelection bid and the public images they're both required to maintain.
This book made me feel SO many things, although some areas seemed to drag on. Going in to this story, I didn't realize it was New Adult, which was a pleasant surprise. The main characters are in their early to mid-twenties. Think fresh out of college age. There is some adult content, like explicit sex scenes, so if that's something you're not comfortable with, this book may not be for you. But other than that, this is a contemporary romance with pining, subtle flirtations, romantic messages, and secret romantic encounters. AND THIS STORY IS GAY.
Beware, spoilers ahead!
I loved almost every interaction between Alex and Henry from the bickering to the confessions of love for each other. This is where we get these gems of dialogue like,
"I'd rather be waterboarded," Henry says, smiling back. The camera snaps nearby. His eyes are big and soft and blue, and he desperately needs to be punched in one of them. "Your country could probably arrange that." Ch. 2
and
"One day if there's any legacy for me on this bloody earth, I want it to be true. So I can offer you all of me, in whatever way you'll have me, and I can offer you the chance of a life. If you can wait, I want you to help me try." Ch. 10
Alex is the epitome of a disaster bisexual. Chaos incarnate, if you will. He's very driven, charismatic, and head-strong and this shows in basically everything he does. I really liked Alex's character and some of his development throughout the story. Part of the story revolves around Alex coming to terms with his sexuality and coming out to the people closest to him, but the majority of the story focuses on the relationship between Alex and Henry and how they compliment each other. Henry's the opposite of Alex. He's calmer and more contained. Part of this is due to his upbringing as a prince and as a result of his grief over losing his father at such a young age. Somehow Alex and Henry manage to balance each other out and it works. The characters were probably my favorite part of this book. I loved Bea, Nora, June, and Pez as well. TBH, I wish there was more of this squad.
As for the storyline, I enjoyed the sneaking around and stealing moments to be together. It's the gay yearning for me. I couldn't help but root for them, but some areas seemed to drag on. I'm a pretty quick reader for the most part, but I just could not get through this book and I think part of it had to do with the fact that there were just so many sex scenes. I honestly could care less for them.
There was also a lot of focus on the presidential campaign and the impact of the character's actions. While I did enjoy seeing the first female president with Mexican-American kids in the White House and openly gay and trans characters in positions of power, the rest of the focus just didn't do it for me. I wasn't invested enough in this part of the story, although I do appreciate the representation and the push for change.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. I loved the dialogue and the interactions between characters, but some of the story did drag on for me. Though, I do look forward to reading more from this author.
CW//: homophobia, transphobia, blood, death, misgendering, dead naming (implied), mention of physical abuse, abandonment, loss of parent
Cemetery Boys is an Own Voices story about Yadriel, a young trans teenager, who wants to become a brujo. Because his family and the other brujx firmly hold on to their traditions, Yadriel is denied as a brujo and thus takes it upon himself to prove them wrong, but when he accidentally summons the ghost of Julian Diaz and not his cousin, proving himself becomes far more difficult than he originally thought.
This book and these characters tore my soul apart and stitched it back together. I absolutely loved this story and not just because this is a Latinx book filled with Latinx characters and traditions, but because it shows just how difficult it can be to want to be seen and accepted for who you are.
The main character, Yadriel, is trans and gay and his family doesn't fully accept him. As much as I hate to say it, homophobia and transphobia are hugely embedded in the Latinx community. It's something that the older generations, and some of the newer, have a difficult time wanting to understand and that's something that we see with Yadriel and his family. They're so set on the old ways that they don't even consider the possibility that he can exist as himself. Later on in the story, we get to see his family realize how much they've hurt Yadriel and we even see his father outwardly and vocally support him, which is such an important moment for so many reasons. I think Thomas does a wonderful job showing that it's possible to appreciate tradition and still allow room for change and differing experiences.
Not only do we see this development with Yadriel's family, but we also see it with Yadriel. A lot of the story really delves into his own inner turmoil with accepting himself and wanting the people he cares for to accept him as well, but that's not something that's explicitly clear at first. It's explored the deeper we dive into the story.
I absolutely loved all the characters. Maritza is by far my favorite. She's witty and funny and super supportive of Yadriel. She's the type of person I would have wanted to be friends with in high school. Also her comebacks had me ROLLING. Her relationship with Yadriel is absolutely top tier. Not only do we get los primos who always get in trouble together, we also get a super loving and supportive relationship. I would die for these two.
AND DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON JULIAN DIAZ. This boy, I freakin' swear. He's a soccer dude. That's all you need to know and you'll know. This boy constantly gets into trouble and has anger problems, but he's funny, supportive, and protective. He acts like he doesn't give a shit about anything, but he's definitely ride-or-die for those he cares about and we get to see all these pieces of him throughout the story. Not only is this boy a joker, but he's smooth af. I mean...
"¿Me dejas robarte un beso?" he said softly, in the most agonizingly beautiful Colombian accent Yadriel had ever heard. It was pure and melodic, like a song.
Ch. 20, p. 274
This boy had me rooting for him. I just wanted a HEA for him and Yadriel, spoiler, they get one. You'll just have to read to find out how.
Another thing I really liked about this book is that each character introduced also has something they're dealing with, be it an abusive household, the loss of a parent, homelessness, differing values and morals, the need to be accepted, etc., and I think Thomas does a really good job showing that what we see and think we know isn't always the truth. I also think recognizing that these issues exist is important, especially for young readers who may be experiencing similar situations. Representation will always matter.
In terms of representation, Latinx culture was heavily embedded in everything, which I absolutely LOVED. It felt like being with my own friends and family and I love that people who are unfamiliar with these traditions get to see a piece of it. I also loved that Spanish was incorporated into the dialogue. For people who are unfamiliar with the language, I could see how not having the english translations could make things a little difficult to understand since some meanings could be lost in translation, but that's what Google is for. I think this was a really great example that shows what being bilingual is like and how much our language means to us.
I also appreciate that there were a lot of LGBTQ+ Latinx characters. In the words of Julian, "Queer folks are like wolves...we travel in packs." I loved that Thomas showed there's no one way to be gay, everyone has their own experience, and there will always be people in your corner who will love you, support you, and appreciate you despite.
In terms of the writing and the plot, this book was fairly fast-paced. It took place over the course of a few days approaching Dia de Muertos. I don't think there were any areas that dragged on. If anything, I wanted more interactions between characters, especially Julian and his friends and then Julian and Yadriel. I really hope Thomas continues with this world and these characters because I NEED MORE. As for the storyline, I absolutely LOVED it. Those twists were so good and basically the worst thing you could think that could happen happened, which made me feel so many things all at once. I was relieved but angry and ngl, I cried a few tears, but in my opinion, what happened needed to happen. I ended up guessing part of the major twist toward the end, which just goes to show how great Thomas's foreshadowing was throughout the book. Major plot points were only predictable if you knew what you were looking for. I, for one, really enjoy guessing what's going to happen next so I really enjoyed this aspect. All the major events in the story also made sense and were pretty much resolved. There wasn't anything that stuck out too much.
Overall, I really enjoyed everything about this book, especially the characters. I would 100% die for them and I will definitely be reading everything Aiden Thomas publishes ever. Read this book.
