Melanie Gillman

a quick, queer delight of a thing!! I woulld have loved if the story was longer and more built out, it really was 0 to 100 insta-love, which I am ususally dead against, but the book was so full of joy that I didn't mind

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley.)

"We all know (for we are told it so often) that girls who linger in the woods meet terrible fates. They are devoured by beasts. They lose the path. They succumb to temptation. They do not marry; they do not rule. What truly goes hungry when it is denied girls to devour - is the castle. May we live to see it starve."

See that, on my arm? Goose pimples.

In OTHER EVER AFTERS: QUEER FAIRY TALES, Melanie Gillman spins new fairy show more tales, many starring characters who had previously been relegated to background roles, from some lovely rainbow-colored yarn. There's a peasant girl who leverages the Queen's fascination with her to achieve equity in the kingdom ("The Goose Girl"). In "The King's Forest," one of the king's rangers discovers that the ruler she serves is the real monster of the forest, for denying life-saving care to others. And in "Hsthete," a young maiden betrothed to a man she does not love prays to Hsthete, the goddess of misshaps, to tank her wedding. (These are my favorites.)

I wish I had a better working knowledge of classic fairy tales; it wasn't entirely clear to me whether these were reimagined, or just borrowed characters and elements from the originals. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the collection; it's a solid 3.5/5 stars. The stories are absorbing, if not always extra-memorable, and the artwork has a charming quality that suits them nicely.

TOC:
The King's Forest
The Goose Girl
New Name
Sweet Rock
Hsthete
The Fish Wife
The People's Forest show less

Featuring two queer heroines forging their own paths in the Old West, this graphic novel is a fun and thoughtful adventure romance. Grace is a trans Georgian belle (sans money) escaping service in the Confederate army when she meets Flor, a queer Latinx lady bandit. It's a meet-disaster that turns into a working relationship when Flor realizes that she can't ransom Grace. Then as the two of them work together to uncover a Confederate plot, their relationship turns into something more show more romantic. The whole thing is adorable.

Gillman's signature colored pencil artwork is perfect for the setting, rich in dusty desert hues and bright pops of color on clothing and blushing cheeks. The characters themselves are rendered with honesty and care, with Grace's soft, sweet face sometimes sporting a bit of a 5 o'clock shadow and Flor's propensity for wearing men's clothing matching her prominent nose and devilish grin. Annotations at the back of the book provide historical details and context, as well as insight into why Gillman made certain narrative choices.

What makes this book an absolute keeper, however, is the way that queerness both drives and doesn't drive the story. Grace's flight is why the two women meet and comes into play when she's seen by her father at the Confederate gala, but her gender is accepted by everyone as fact, especially by Flor. There's no lengthy angst-filled coming out, but we do get a gentle and funny scene in which both women are being fitted for formal gowns. (Flor tries to keep her falconry glove on while wearing a fancy dress.)

Overall, this is a fun, action-filled western adventure with a strong romantic plot and a big middle finger to the Confederate cause.


Suzanne received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

Camp Three Peaks is a rustic, Christian summer retreat for teenage girls. It offers them a week of hiking, adventure, and communing with the God of its 19th-century founders . . . a God that doesn't traditionally number people like 13-year-old Charlie Lamonte among His (Her? Their? Its?) flock.
The only black camper in the group—and queer besides—she struggles to reconcile the innocent intent of the trip with the blinkered obliviousness of those determined to keep the Three Peaks show more tradition going. As the journey wears on and the rhetoric wears thin, Charlie can't help but poke holes in the pious disregard this storied sanctuary has for outsiders like herself—and her fellow camper, Sydney.
As the Crow Flies is a Stonewall Honor Book, and is the first volume in a series!

-Amazon Description show less