Creepy Cat by Cotton Valent

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

I love cats and I like creepy (not horror) so this title was a natural for me. A young woman named Flora moves into an old mansion with a supernatural vibe.  She soon discovers it’s occupied by big white marshmallow of a cat who can shapeshift and who likes to play tricks.  That’s pretty much the setup.  There’s no real storyline to it, though other characters are introduced, such as Oscar, a former schoolmate who has a crush on Flora.  His attempts to flirt with her are constantly undermined by Creepy cat.

Each page is sort of a vignette, a joke with a visual punchline usually provided by Creepy Cat. I’ll admit there are some I don’t get.  This is a manga style graphic novel, and while I have read a few manga I’m not a regular consumer.  I tend to get a little confused: I understand about reading back to front but the dialog always throws me—I read the last part of a sentence first.  I’m also a bit hampered because I’ve found volume 2 of the series but not volume 1 so I’m a little hazy on the backstory. (There are four volumes total.)  I do understand that Flora needs to keep Creepy Cat a secret, or else an organization dedicated to investigating Mysterious Animal Sightings might take him away.

What I’m not hazy on is how much I love this little book.  For me, the art is a cross between Charles Addams and Tim Burton: Flora reminds me of Wednesday.  All the human-ish characters tend to be thin and pale while Creepy Cat and friends are pudgy round creatures with never-changing smiles.  I am besotted.  Those faces!  That maddeningly adorable way they cheerfully cause chaos! They enlarge and fly and split into numerous little cats and do all sorts of strange and enchanting things. I may not understand all that’s going on but I do know one thing:

 I want my own copies of these books. 

The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

 

Wenna left home nearly a decade ago, running away from her family’s legacy and the stifling home life ruled over by her father.  Now her youngest sister Nora has written to her, asking her to come back to the family home in West Virginia because her father is dying.  Wenna is needed for the rites which will ensure that the family and the compact will continue.

For generations, so they’ve been told, the Haddesley family has tended the bog and in return, the bog has nourished them and provided the eldest son with a wife after the patriarch dies.  There are rituals to be performed as part of the Haddesleys’ side of the bargain before the wife arrives.

But no wife comes.  The five siblings—Charlie, the eldest son and reluctant heir; Eda the eldest daughter who sees herself as the guardian of the family and its heritage ; Wenna, the middle child who once found the courage to leave; Nora, the youngest daughter who collects injured creatures and cares for them; and Percy, the youngest child who would like to be the heir— are suddenly in uncharted waters, unsure what to do. How do you fix a compact forged thousands of years ago?

Told in alternating chapters from each of the siblings’ points of view, The Bog Wife is a sort of Appalachian gothic, set in a crumbling house where time has stood still.  There’s a sense of claustrophobia, scented with decay; the hand me down clothes, decades out of fashion, old copies of the National Enquirer with lurid stories of celebrities and garish photos showing a life that might as well be taking place on another planet, the odd cans of soup and gathered food that form their meals, and above all, the family secrets.

I picked this up because the reviews all alluded to the Appalachian setting and to the folkloric elements.  I was also in the mood for an atmospheric book, and this one certainly delivered. This is one of those books that raises as many questions as it answers, but that’s part of the enjoyment for me, coming up with my own answers—or not.  The characters are all sympathetic in their own ways; I liked them all and so wanted happy endings for all of them—or at least what I would consider happy.  I’m not sure the Haddesleys would agree with my versions.  There are so many layers in this book.  I found myself re-reading sections, trying to suss out some of the meanings.

This may not be a book for everyone, but if gothic family sagas with supernatural touches and folkloric are a genre you enjoy, then give The Bog Wife a try. Better yet, find a friend to read it at the same time.  You’ll have a lot to talk about.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

 

Reviewed by Ambrea

 Alas, Ambrea has not rejoined the BPL staff but we are delighted to share one of her reviews.  Fingers crossed that she will continue to share her insights with us.

 

Yadriel has a special gift:  he can see and speak with the dead.  In his family, every son or daughter has the opportunity to join the brujx and help wayward souls cross to the other side; however, they’re also strict on tradition…and Yadriel doesn’t fit.  To prove he’s worthy of becoming a brujo, he’ll complete his quinces ceremony and help a spirt cross over.

But when his cousin Miguel is murdered and Julian, a classmate, appears as a spirit, Yadriel finds himself caught in between doing what’s right—and doing what his family says.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas is a very interesting—and, ultimately, enjoyable—book.  It’s bright and colorful and vibrant story, despite dealing with the very heavy topic of death, and it’s fascinating because it creates such a unique concept.  It draws on Latinx traditions and various Hispanic cultures, showcasing a rich and amazing family history behind Yadriel, while simultaneously crafting a detailed story that’s compelling and heart-wreching.

I really think of it as being in the same vein as Holly Black and Anna-Marie McLemore.  It creates a unique world with wonderfully flawed characters, beautifully crafted lore, and incredibly vivid settings and stories.  I truly enjoyed every minute of Yadriel’s and Julian’s intertwining stories, and I loved the seeing the connections and relationships forming between characters. 

I also appreciated that Thomas didn’t confine their novel to one single genre.  I expected some level of gothic-horror (because ghosts) and mystery (because murder), but I don’t think I fully anticipated how diverse it would be—that is, it’s a love story and a coming-of-age story and a finding-your-family story.  It’s many different stories in one, which I truly enjoyed.

I suppose the only downside to Cemetery Boys was the fact it was predictable.  What’s the saying?  Ah, yes, according to Anton Chekov, “If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired.”  Cemetery Boys had several moments like that—moments where the pistol was obvious. 

But there’s a silver lining to predictability!  Not so many cliffhangers.

The Deep by Alma Katsu

Reviewed by Christy

It’s 1916, and Annie has just gotten a nursing job aboard the Britannic which has been refitted as a hospital ship. It’s been years since she worked on a ship but she’s thankful for the opportunity to try to start fresh. When she recognizes a wounded soldier, however, she can hardly believe her eyes. Not only has she seen him before but she’s been on a ship with him as well – when she was a servant and he a first-class passenger. But that should be impossible because she knows he couldn’t have survived the disaster that befell their previous voyage – the sinking of the Titanic.

            Katsu weaves dual timelines throughout her book – 1912 and 1916. Though Annie begins the book in 1916 in a psychiatric hospital, we have no idea why she is there though it does seem to be voluntary. Drawn out by her former roommate on the Titanic, Violet Jessop, Annie accepts a new position on the Britannic to help with the warfront. Being on a ship again, Annie is flooded with memories – obviously not all of them good. Katsu takes her time unfolding the plot and in doing so creates a wonderful sense of time and place. The novel is very atmospheric and although Katsu’s prose isn’t necessarily flowery, at times it feels a little decadent. Especially when she is describing first class accommodations. (Cream scraped across a plate after breakfast, descriptions of sparkling jewelry, etc.) I honestly would’ve welcomed more of that but I understand why she didn’t really lean into it.

            Though Annie is our protagonist, the story has a full ensemble of characters all of whom I became invested in. Some real-life names make appearances as well such as Benjamin Guggenheim and John Jacob Astor. Violet Jessop, who I had no idea was based on a real person, actually survived both the Titanic and the Britannic disasters! I particularly liked how casually Katsu dropped new information to help readers slowly piece together what was happening. This book was a solid, good old-fashioned gothic ghost story but with a unique premise. I enjoyed it very much, and yes, I had to watch 1997’s Titanic after I was done.

** I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Reviewed by Christy

            After being passed over for a promotion at the preschool where she works, Rowan Caine is ready for a change of scenery. When she sees an ad for a live-in nanny offering a sizable income, she jumps at the opportunity. The fact that this particular family has been through four nannies in a short amount of time doesn’t deter her, neither does talk of ghosts. Rowan is not the superstitious type, and once she gets a look at the beautiful Victorian home where she’ll be living there’s no turning back for her.

            But this is no ordinary Victorian house. Her employers have decked it out in all the latest technology – effectively making it a “smart” home. This includes light fixtures controlled by tablets, cameras in the children’s bedrooms, intercoms throughout the house her employers can “call” from their cell phones in order to check in while they are away. Without so much as a warning, Rowan’s boss can begin conversing with her through speakers. All this tech gives Rowan a “watched” feeling that she can’t seem to shake unless she’s alone in her bedroom – and sometimes not even then.

            The Turn of the Key is a familiar gothic-style story with a nice little modern twist. I hate the idea of virtual assistants like Alexa being used in the home at all so the idea of smart devices possibly going haywire was extra chilling to me. However, Rowan can’t figure out if it’s just faulty electronics or something supernatural. Why did all those nannies just up and leave?

            I don’t think this novel is ground-breaking or anything but it’s fun with lots of little twists, and I really enjoyed it. I don’t know that I ever fully connected with Rowan but I was fine with that. However, I did, at varying points, feel myself getting a little stressed out for her because I just do not know what I’d do in her situation.

I think Ware missed an opportunity to set this novel during autumn because it definitely has that cozy, autumn vibe –spooky, isolated setting that would best be enjoyed with a hot drink and comfy blanket. Though Ware is a popular author this is the first book I’ve read of hers, and I’m excited to browse her body of work.