katiemack's reviews
1406 reviews

4.5, rounded up. Biographies of famous folks in American history aren't usually my thing, but I follow Alexis Coe on Twitter and felt compelled to check out her book. Luckily, it's well-written, funny, and a refreshing take on Washington that dispells some of the idolatry of male academics (aka "Thigh Men").

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those most horrifying books I've read in a long time.

Yes, this book would be categorized as traditional horror--a Southern housewife pursues a vampire, after all, and--and the suspense and gore certainly fit within those parameters. But Hendrix also introduces domestic, social horror as well. The men are all (yes, ALL) irredeemably terrible and stupid, including the husbands and the villain himself, and the titular vampire preys on poor, Black neighborhoods because he knows he'll get away with it. I had to put this eARC down several times not because I was tired of it but because I wanted to scream at these men.

CW: rape, child abuse, domestic abuse, general gore

There's some petty miscommunication to fuel the plot and a dash of white-savior in there, but overall it's a sweet story that's diverse and relevant to our current political climate.

3.5. I didn't like this as much as I thought I would (I loved Smile and think Telgemeier excels in the graphic memoir subgenre). The romantic subplots got a little tiresome, making the story less focused, but it was still a cute read.

The story is a little less developed than I thought it would be (and Claudette was sort of irritating), but I loved the art and coloration.

What could I possibly say about this book that hasn't already been said?

I picked this up because I loved the idea of introducing some badass female scientist to teen/YA readers in an easily digestible format. I did learn a lot; however, the format was confusing (lots of shifts in POV with little explanation), and there's a caveat at the end that some of this book is "fiction" (but...why?)

4.5. This was so sweet! It has a great message about how important it is to be open to the viewpoints of others, and Jaime and Peppi are both so relatable (and adorable).

My favorite part, though, is Chmakova's art; the manga-esque style works well in creating moments of comic relief, and I really appreciated the diverse group of characters represented.