LRRC Week 5
Whoa!! We're (I'm) up to book #10 already! And we're doing some fun genre hopping today, so that, I'm sure, will be good.
A brief note on book selection: there is no theme. I mostly read according to what has come due at the library, and fill in with books that I've had on my shelf for months (if not years). There is no rhyme or reason here, there is only chaos. Whee!
#9: THE TYRANT'S TOMB by Rick Riordan
So, this is book #4 in Riordan's Trials of Apollo series, and I have no idea if any of you have read any of the previous books (or even any of the general Percy Jackson series), which makes it an odd challenge for review, but here goes.
I've liked all of the Percy Jackson series, read it through more than once, and I think it's been really great to watch it evolve over time. Like, I know these books are now more YA than children's books, but it's really cool to see the amount of queer rep in books that are kind of directed towards kids (if nothing else, books that kids will probably pick up after reading the original series).
The Trials of Apollo are, on the surface, very strange books. They star Apollo, as in the Greco-Roman god, as he works to try and stop an apocalypse as a mere mortal. What's maybe stranger is that Riordan has basically written a five-book long redemption arc for the god Apollo, and that it's touching and compelling in all the right ways.
Labelling an ancient god as "problematic" is a bit humorous to me, but I think it's fascinating that Riordan has chosen, in his book for kids/young teens, to address all the terrible things that gods do in myths. This has always been a bit of a factor in his books (ie the gods are never portrayed as "good people"), but it's interesting to see it from the flip side - Apollo has memories of his past, but he has the mortal capacity for guilt and regret.
What ends up happening is this really fascinating story about atonement and forgiveness - whether or not it's ever really possible to make up for past actions, and the fact that we all have to keep trying to do good anyway. It's a theme that makes me think a lot about The Good Place, of all things.
I feel like we're all a little bit sick of the discourse around redemption arcs, but this is genuinely one that I feel is being done right. Plus I'm always a bit of a sucker for "immortal learns how to be mortal" stories.
Also, even though after three five-book series (plus more about non-Greco-Roman gods) it's starting to feel a little ridiculous that there's yet another apocalypse on the verge of happening, I have to hand it to Riordan for keeping things fresh. He brings back old characters but gives them new arcs and new developments so that it feels familiar, but not stale, which is a hard thing to maintain.
#10: MARRIAGE OF UNCONVENIENCE by Chelsea M. Cameron
I feel like, for many people (myself included!) the words "lesbian fake marriage" will be enough to have them fully on board with this book. And, you know what, if you want a fluffy, fun little friends-to-lovers romance, this is a cute story. Rom-com but with more queerness is something I'm always going to enjoy to some extent.
There were some things that stretched my suspension of disbelief a little too thin. A weird grandmother leaving a fortune but ONLY if the MC gets married? Sure, that's par for the course. Said modern queer MC lying to all her friends about fake-marrying her best friend for a reason that's never adequately explained? Less willing to give a pass for. Also, there's a few bizarre continuity errors: for example, the most prominent secondary character is introduced as a gay man, but later on is as hetero as they come.
But, putting that aside, this story is fun, even though the romance isn't quite my cup of tea. Plus, it's always really nice to read queer characters written by queer authors; the way Cameron writes about queerness feels deeply authentic and I could resonate with the experiences of the characters. That still feels rare, and I liked it.
NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA:
#11: The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
#12: A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz