Taste the Books: Review Morsels #19 Kali Wallace, A.S. King, Fox Benwell

Intro

Hello beauties!

Welcome again to my own brand of mini reviews! I never thought I'd do minis, until I recapped a few of my long reviews in some digest post in 2014, and then guest-posted some shorties for a blogging event in 2015. And Karen from For What It's Worth started praising my short recs/recaps 😊. Just to be clear,  I'm NOT taking a break from writing long reviews - no such luck LOL. But while I'm making up my mind about a new book I've read, I might as well give you the short version 😉. Just be warned - this feature will be VERY random!

Note: all the mini blurbs (in italics) are of my own creation.

Salvation Day by Kali Wallace

★★★★

A diverse band of misfits tries to claim a spaceship in order to make a home for themselves and stumbles upon an unimaginable horror.

***

Told in dual narrative by outlaw Zahra and hostage Jaswinder, who have far more in common that you would think (but thank goodness, Wallace doesn't take the banal enemies-to-lovers route), this claustrophobic space horror doubles as a social commentary about the people left behind because they're born in the wrong place, and the way desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures. But it's also a story about scarred kids turning into heroes to protect the ones they love - and ultimately, the world. Despite its premise not being terribly original (but there's a twist) and the amount of sci-fi jargon (that was needed anyway), this one cemented Wallace as one of my auto-buy authors.

Full review to come. (Goodreads pre-review)

Dig by A.S. King

★★★ 

Five troubled teens discover their (mostly) hidden connection, dig up a bunch of secrets and harsh truths, and find strength and solace in each other, while learning to play a part in a hopefully better future.

***

Rated 3.5 really.

(Note: this review was updated in 01/22, after a reread).

With King's books, discomfort is part of the the package. This is especially true about Dig, where even some of the characters we're supposed to root for seem to do their best to shock or occasionally repel us. And yes, that's intentional. And yes, it serves the plot and the general tone, and it's probably the most life-like teen representation we'll ever get, even in a surrealistic setting. But too many characters with too many quirks (some not easy to stomach) and too many apparently disjointed stories tainted my reading experience, while on the other hand I found the social commentary about racism and white privilege to be spot-on. The last 100 pages hit the mark and almost convinced me to round up to 4 stars, but I ultimately decided to keep my rating at 3.5.
I read Dig again after 20 months in order to write a full review, and I realised that my original mini review was ALMOST eloquent enough, so I just needed to expand on it a little. What you're reading is the product of those small changes.
So, basically - if you aren't intimidated by a story that unmasks everyday racism and deals with abuse, where the teens aren't your average likeable heroes (but do ultimately represent change and hope), and reality gets twisted just so like only A.S. King can do (seriously, she's probably the queen of magical realism, along with Nova Ren Suma, but with a different style and purpose), read this book. In three words: edgy, relevant, inspiring.

Note: definitive review (as I explained above, I think this mini is eloquent enough).

Kaleidoscope Song by Fox Benwell

★★★★

A South-African lesbian teen who lives and breathes music chases her radio dream despite her parents, falls in love, experiences pain and betrayal and finds her tribe.

***

Despite some editing issues and implausibilities, and its being a book about a South African lesbian written by a white trans man, this is a raw, poetic account of first loves and queer tribulations on the backdrop of a passion for music and radio. Except "backdrop" isn't the right word, because the protagonist's all-encompassing love for music and burning desire to be a radio host are as much at the core of this story as her love for another girl is. Colourful and powerful and outrageous and heartbreaking, with a final hopeful note.

Full review to come. (Goodreads pre-review)

So, have you read/are you planning to read any of the above? And if you have, what do you think of them? Do you post mini reviews? Do you like to read them?