A 50-something queer Buddist geek in London, as addicted to comics now as I was half a century ago.
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A rich, emotional and intriguing start. Steven’s uneven memory of the night of his father’s undoing could lead to a series of clichés but I have faith Porter has a lot more to say about him, his father and America that defies pigeonholing. There’s certainly good initial momentum!
Two time-traveling agents from warring futures, working their way through the past, begin to exchange …
The use of language is an absolute delight, although the plot frequently borders on baffling. I did enjoy Red and Blue’s inner voices although they were both hard to get that invested in. That said their love story is pretty adventurous in its unconventional delivery and it’s certainly a likeable book.
Two time-traveling agents from warring futures, working their way through the past, begin to exchange …
Not unrewarding and certainly intriguing but also baffling and hard to get invested in.
It's an ever more queer story of London, but with unusual wit, charm and insight. The humour is absolutely a selling point - McKenna slowly builds a richly developed cast, which he's quick to send up and it often comes across more like a script for a comedy serial than a book, but the energy is infectious and McKenna walks an ever harder line between happy/sad, humour/tragedy. It's a story of queer London set across generations and both England and Ireland, shown very much through a quintessentially English prism, but the traditions, and the unwritten taboos which feed that prism are pretty strongly challenged by the author, and Audible narrator Isobel Adomakoh-Young is remarkable, moving the tone on a dime from sympathy to incisive mockery. The book is a love letter to London after all, and to love, with its inconsistencies and messiness. It could be utterly cliché-ridden but not …
It's an ever more queer story of London, but with unusual wit, charm and insight. The humour is absolutely a selling point - McKenna slowly builds a richly developed cast, which he's quick to send up and it often comes across more like a script for a comedy serial than a book, but the energy is infectious and McKenna walks an ever harder line between happy/sad, humour/tragedy. It's a story of queer London set across generations and both England and Ireland, shown very much through a quintessentially English prism, but the traditions, and the unwritten taboos which feed that prism are pretty strongly challenged by the author, and Audible narrator Isobel Adomakoh-Young is remarkable, moving the tone on a dime from sympathy to incisive mockery. The book is a love letter to London after all, and to love, with its inconsistencies and messiness. It could be utterly cliché-ridden but not with the interwoven characters' inner worlds this well developed and utterly relatable - I miss it already.
A delight of a book with delightful and disarmingly quirky yet really believable characters. McKenna's narrative voice and Isabel Adomakoh Young's Audible narration make for a compelling experience. Every character is interesting, lovely and awful in equal measure, shared with insight, wit and confidence, but it's not just about the characters. It's about London, it's about the stories we experience but rarely share with others, it's the lies we tell ourselves, it's about the messiness of love. I miss the characters already and can't recommend this highly enough.
A delight of a book with delightful and disarmingly quirky yet really believable characters. McKenna's narrative voice and Isabel Adomakoh Young's Audible narration make for a compelling experience. Every character is interesting, lovely and awful in equal measure, shared with insight, wit and confidence, but it's not just about the characters. It's about London, it's about the stories we experience but rarely share with others, it's the lies we tell ourselves, it's about the messiness of love. I miss the characters already and can't recommend this highly enough.
A languid look at love, longing and loneliness in teenage James' Middle English world in late adolescence. Using adult James as Hewitt's narrator is a masterstroke, fleshing out his younger self's inner world - his desperation for love (of sorts), to be touched, to connect, whilst not understanding anyone around him, let alone Luke, the boy he remains obsessed with. Coming of age stories often offer simplistic answers to younger people's (especially queer people) competing needs for love and connection, but Hewitt doesn't resort to cliché in the closing act. It's a lovely, compelling story, despite sometimes drifting into excess lyricism, and I saw a lot of myself in James, well into gay adulthood.
A languid look at love, longing and loneliness in teenage James' Middle English world in late adolescence. Using adult James as Hewitt's narrator is a masterstroke, fleshing out his younger self's inner world - his desperation for love (of sorts), to be touched, to connect, whilst not understanding anyone around him, let alone Luke, the boy he remains obsessed with. Coming of age stories often offer simplistic answers to younger people's (especially queer people) competing needs for love and connection, but Hewitt doesn't resort to cliché in the closing act. It's a lovely, compelling story, despite sometimes drifting into excess lyricism, and I saw a lot of myself in James, well into gay adulthood.
It’s impressively enough written and the look at queer Americana is both valuable and interesting. The look at how awkward questions of identity beyond LGBTQ damage and break relationships is pretty compelling although I wouldn’t ever say Theron or Jake is ever painted as likeable. The pace of the book also regularly nosedives although that languid feel is a stylistic choice.
I'm really looking forward to this, even more because Sebastian Croft is narrating the audiobook.
I'm really looking forward to this, even more because Sebastian Croft is narrating the audiobook.
In Neo-Tokyo, built on the former site of Tokyo after World War III, two teenagers …
It's a fast read, and it's fun. The artwork is insanely detailed and I'm completely hooked, although I'm not fully engaged with the characters yet. Did Byrne rip this off with The Pitt?
It's a fast read, and it's fun. The artwork is insanely detailed and I'm completely hooked, although I'm not fully engaged with the characters yet. Did Byrne rip this off with The Pitt?
In Neo-Tokyo, built on the former site of Tokyo after World War III, two teenagers …
Heading to Japan in a month, it's finally time to get into Manga and see what all the fuss is about.
Heading to Japan in a month, it's finally time to get into Manga and see what all the fuss is about.
It's engaging enough so far - Theron/David is certainly interesting and likeable at this stage, although the density of some of the early exchanges with Jake feels like it stifles the intensity of what's developing. I'm enjoying it but I'm not hooked yet.
It's engaging enough so far - Theron/David is certainly interesting and likeable at this stage, although the density of some of the early exchanges with Jake feels like it stifles the intensity of what's developing. I'm enjoying it but I'm not hooked yet.
