A Cure for Darkness by Alex Riley is sort of the wildcard of the month considering I’ve been reading mostly spooky novels. This was such an interesting read though!
Alex Riley takes us through the history of depression – when it started being diagnosed and all the different treatments we have tried throughout the years. It was a bit cathartic to read about the thing I’ve been struggling with most of my life; journey through its medical evolution; learn how it is dealt with in other parts of the world; undo misconceptions about past treatments; and open up to new ways of thinking about it.
I really think everyone could benefit from reading this book, especially if you deal with depression or know someone who does. Even if you miraculously have no connection at all to depression, I’d still highly suggest reading this book because depression should be normalized and understood more by us all, not just those of us who carry it with us.
The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson centers around the summer our narrator, Jake Baker, turned twelve. Written as a recollection by an older Jake, it is a mixture of childhood magic and naivety along with adult hindsight and nostalgia.
Solely from its description, I wasn’t totally sure what to expect from this book. I wasn’t sure if it would turn out to be an actual ghost story about a haunted town or perhaps a mystery with teen sleuths cracking the case. I wasn’t expecting it to be as achingly sad and sweet as it turned out to be. This is one of the best coming of age book I’ve ever read. The balance of childhood levity and the later seriousness of adulthood and the way they slowly merge together is conveyed so beautifully. It reminded me of that saying that your first memory is always a bad one. We will always remember the moments in our lives that reminded us that life isn’t always rainbows and sunshine. We remember the moments we were knocked off our cloud in the sky because we can see and feel the bruises those falls left behind. But that doesn’t have to take away from the beautiful moments when we feel weightless and free.
Mister Magic by Kiersten White follows the last group of kids to be on the long-running show Mister Magic now all grown up and coming together for a reunion podcast. A show that has a cultish following yet suspiciously has zero presence online and ended abruptly. Fans are hoping for explanations and a reboot while the grown-up cast are drawn back by nostalgia and a hope for some closure – and for one member, answers. Val is very surprised when her old friends find her considering she has no memory of them or anything of her life before living on the ranch her father hid her away at. With her dad recently deceased and these people from her past arriving and bringing with them familiar feelings and vague memories, she is desperate for answers. No longer content hiding away and accepting the ever present current of guilt and fear she has lived with for as long as she can remember with no idea why, she sets off with them in the search for her past. But sometimes, doors we deliberately shut are better left tightly locked.
This book really surprised me with its deeply personal message about breaking free of toxic beliefs, how difficult and painful that can be, but also how much hope can be found there too. I really shouldn’t have been surprised considering it’s written by Kiersten White. I’ve also read her book Hide which impacted me as well with its message about breaking toxic generational cycles. I made a blog post on that book as well if you’d like to read a bit more about that one.
Mister Magic is captivating, engaging, beautifully written, and a perfect creepy mystery to get lost in. Kiersten White’s words are pure magic.
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor is an intriguing alien arrival story. I’ve only recently been getting more into Sci-Fi novels. This one caught my eye, and it did not disappoint.
Set in Nigeria, in the city of Lagos, aliens land in the waters. A ragtag group of three people – a marine biologist, a rogue soldier, and a rapper – strangely brought together on the beach when the ship first ship arrives. These three are chosen, swept away in a massive wave to speak to the alien ambassador. When they are washed back ashore, the alien follows in the form of a regular Nigerian woman. The three shelter her and help her get her message out to the people of Lagos. Of course, it is not received well, and things get chaotic very quickly.
I think it’s interesting how the Sci-Fi genre is often a means of scrutinizing our societies. We cast ourselves as the villains in a lot of these stories, especially alien “invasion” ones, knowing ourselves to be paranoid and suspicious as opposed to welcoming and open. We are reactive, acting before thinking or even listening fully to what is being said or proposed to us. H.G. Wells used Sci-Fi in this way, trying to show people what could be if we worked together instead of closing ourselves off to any point of view that we don’t hold as truth. In this way, I think there will always be a place in literary history for Science Fiction.
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury was a fantastic trip to end the month on. Not only is this a beautiful coming of age story, but it’s also very informative about the origins of Halloween. How this time of the year has always been a reminder of death but also of rebirth. This time of the year can be viewed as grim as much of nature wilts around us and the air grows colder and the sky more gray, or we can appreciate each day the sun rises again and remember that nature always blooms again.
For All Story Lovers! 