Alexis J. Hall

"Sapphic Moby Dick in Space." How in Jove's name do you go wrong with that? A book about lesbians hunting giant space whales should be amazing.

And yet, despite the novel premise, despite the awe-inspiring descriptions of Jovian geography and leviathan monstrosities, despite the charming characters (yes, even Q, who speaks almost entirely in untranslated Latin), I could not bring myself to keep reading Hell's Heart after about page 130. The prose is beautiful (most of the time), the world is show more well-drawn, and the plot itself is good, so here I sit, utterly baffled as to why this did not "click" for me.

Maybe it's the tone, which seems like it can't decide between whimsy and gravitas. Maybe it's the pacing, which is either fast or languid with no in-between, and often brought to a standstill via chapters symptomatic of worldbuilder's disease. Maybe it is the untranslated Latin.

It's no small feat to rewrite Moby Dick, but I'm not convinced a contemporary retelling, with a lower word/page count, needs to feel just as long as the original. I hope to come back to Hell's Heart sometime and finish it, but that time is not now. show less

A fake dating romcom, Boyfriend Material ranges from gently amusing to laugh-out-loud funny, and the characters are a delight. I loved every second I spent with this book, and even as a major fan of Hall's work, I was surprised and impressed by how well he tenderly subverted several romance tropes while still somehow letting the reader enjoy the tropes anyway. Recommended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
No 🌶 (all fade to black)

This is mostly what you’d expect from a cartoon cover rom-com: a lovely story about two guys who are just a bit broken finding out that they can help fix each other.
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What I did NOT expect was how bloody hilarious this book would be. From the sarcasm and dry wit to the ridiculous side characters to somehow finding brevity in mental health struggles and trauma, what a wild ride. I was between crying laughing and show more wheezing laughing throughout the whole book.
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If you want a jolly good time paired with some actually very deep dives into the complexity of anxiety and self-doubt, this is the book for you. Highly recommend, especially if you have a weakness for British sarcasm and humor! show less

Looking for Group by Alexis Hall is the first of his books I didn’t finish in print—but absolutely loved in audio. Will Watt’s narration, along with a talented supporting cast, brought the story vividly to life. I was especially curious how Hall would turn an MMORPG setting into a romantic arc, and he nailed it: the most tender, emotionally resonant scenes happen inside the game.

Though I’m not familiar with MMORPGs and found the gameplay scenes confusing in the ebook, the audiobook show more made them accessible and immersive. I even found myself looking up game terms and character names just to stay in the world longer. Bjorn’s voice was a standout, and I’m still wondering if Solace was voiced by someone other than Will Watt, who clearly played Kit IRL.

Normally, I find music and multiple narrators distracting, but here they were used sparingly and effectively—enhancing the in-game atmosphere without pulling me out of the story.

This was also my first YA read by Alexis Hall, and I highly recommend it, especially for younger LGBTQIA listeners. It’s a thoughtful, funny, and surprisingly romantic exploration of identity, connection, and growing up online.

Check out the slideshow I made on IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/DNNLBW0RaL1/ show less