The Deep & Dark Blue
This is a middle grade graphic novel with a lovely trans-affirming message. Hawke and Grayson are twin grandchildren of the head of a noble house. After a coup that kills the grandfather and the presumptive heir, the twins run to the Communion of Blue, a group of women spinners and weavers who help spin the world. They disguise themselves as girls—Hanna and Grayce—and take the role of initiates. While Hawke chafes under these new restrictions, Grayce begins to accept that this is who she is.
I loved the storyline and the strong bond between Hawke and Grayce. There are moments of action and moments of deep emotion. The art is lightly manga-inspired with a beautiful color palette, though I occasionally found some of the panels—particularly the spinning-related ones—a bit confusing. I would have loved to have learned even more about how the Communion of Blue works. This was a solid introduction to Niki Smith. 4 stars.
Pet
I loved this book. Loved. It. It’s a YA fantasy in the seemingly utopian town of Lucille. This town got rid of monsters years before, eliminating a lot of systemic injustices and allowing trans people like teenage main character Jam to live their authentic lives.
But are all the monsters actually gone? Jam finds out when she accidentally brings one of her mother’s paintings to life. The creature who emerges, named Pet, insists that there is a monster in Lucille, but the adults are resistant to hearing this. Jam asks the excellent question, “Could you really make something stop existing just by shoving it away somewhere else?” That was my question, too, and we don’t get a satisfying answer for why the adults in the book don’t have that insight, but it ultimately didn’t detract from my reading experience.
There’s a lot to love about the story. The writing itself is excellent: “Jam always felt lucky when she stood in the path of her father’s joy” and “. . . leaving a distinct residue of disappointment on her fingers,” for example. What really stood out and made this a 5-star read was the love that filled the book. Jam has such a loving, supportive relationship with her parents and her best friend, and I particularly liked her relationship with her mother. This book definitely made me want to explore more works by Akwaeke Emezi.
