We’ve made it to another Monday! It is now April 21 and we’ve finished the third week of this month. This week, I finally got to start an advance reader copy (ARC) of a book that I’ve been extremely excited for since the author’s last book, followed by a small but mighty title that’s been waiting on my shelf for a couple months. Here’s the full recap.

1. Hazelthorn – CG Drews

CW: Forced Captivity, Medical Abuse, Self Injury, Body Horror, Death of Parent, Graphic Depictions of Violence & Injuries, Graphic Depictions of Medical Procedures, Isolation, Child Abuse, Neglect, Ableism, Vomit, Drugging, Toxic Relationship Dynamics

I have hungrily been awaiting this title for months now. Back in January, I fell head over heels in love with Don’t Let the Forest In, which was the last release from this same author. I actually squealed with joy to find out I would get to read this ahead of its scheduled release on October 28th. (You can preorder it now!)

Summary:

For as long as he can remember, Evander has lived at the Hazelthorn estate. He cannot leave, or even go so far as to explore the gardens. It’s not safe. Nor can he be left alone with his guardian’s grandson Laurie, who once tried to kill him. However, when his guardian dies suddenly, the entirety of the place is left to him. When the remaining relatives arrive, Laurie starts to seem like the least threatening of Evander’s problems. Even Hazelthorn itself begins to prove more dangerous than he’d dreamed in the worst of his nightmares.

My Thoughts:

This was an absolutely phenomenal follow-up to Don’t Let the Forest In. It has very much the same aura to it, and it’s clear that Drews is establishing a distinct genre of forest rot horror. I am fully here for it. It also shares the same poetic writing style as the author’s last book with the same masterful use of metaphor and visceral imagery. Once again, I was in awe of the use of nonstandard text formatting to showcase a character’s disorientation.

At this point, anything CG Drews writes will be immediately added to my TBR. The synopsis won’t even matter. What was most stunning about this one in particular was the representation. There’s one character with an injury-induced limb difference who is beautifully handled. An even greater focus is given to the protagonist’s autism. We get to see stimming, sensory issues, pica, panic attacks, selective mutism… the list goes on. Some I’ve never seen handled realistically in fiction at all, let alone to this degree. It strikes very close to home for me. While I have hyperlexia, my daughter’s autism has led to some major linguistic struggles for her. I see both of us in here.

There were a few moments where I had to pause reading to emotionally process. This book flawlessly captures the difficult feelings that result from some experiences that are far too common for autistic people. There’s the feeling of having your personal agency revoked “for your own good” while knowing that means “someone else’s convenience.” There’s the feeling of becoming so frustrated and overwhelmed you just have to bite something.

Most pervasively, there’s the feeling of being not quite human the way that everyone else is. When everyone else seems to intrinsically understand how to act and you don’t, it feels like pretending to be one of them. Evander wonders if he’s a monster. I couldn’t help but recall Frankenstein and its questioning of what constitutes “a monster.” None of them are ever born that way.

I loved this book. I want it at the top of every bestseller list.

2. On Disinformation – Lee McIntyre

CW: Racism, Sexism, Ableism, Nazis, Cult Behavior, Gaslighting

Summary:

In this title, McIntyre gives the reader an overview of the history of strategic denialism. He explains how governments, businesses, and other entities have made conscious use of disinformation to further their own ends and how that’s directly led to modern crises. He discusses how it works and – perhaps even more importantly – how to fight back.

My Thoughts:

This book is a very quick read, and an extremely worthy one. In truth, it’s closer in length to a long essay or an in-depth article. The paperback consists of 133 small pages with big margins and standard sized text. It’s possible to read it straight through in a single sitting. When you’re through, you’ll have a much better understanding why so many people (even clearly intelligent ones) fall for propaganda that seems obvious from the outside. You won’t have any warm fuzzy feelings, but you’ll feel better equipped and you will be.

Perhaps it’s the short length that intensifies the directness of the text. McIntyre pulls no punches at all in this examination. He calls out specific examples of lies and misdirection while attributing the quotes, and doesn’t shy away from referencing cult psychology where it’s relevant. He’s also very clear-cut about what needs to happen to stop the progression of the fascist agenda. Unfortunately, many of the steps he outlined did not happen at the points in time when they likely would have proved most effective. This doesn’t make the situation entirely hopeless, but it is a stark reminder that there is already much in need of rebuilding and that it may well get worse before it gets better. It will only get better if we all take the steps that we can now.

I picked this up at the same time as I grabbed On Tyranny, which I read through a few weeks ago. It’s not a surprise to learn it was an inspiration for this text. Both books are ones I would recommend to anyone looking to further their understanding of how the politics of the US reached this point and how to help stop it from moving further in a catastrophic direction. They’re quick, and very much worth it.

April 21 is Now in the Books

April 21 will also be over all too soon. I’ve just started the ARC for The Enchanted Isles by Alycia E. Anderson to go over next week and I have a whole bunch more books queued up. I have several more ARCs waiting to be read, and I have an ever-growing physical TBR pile. It’ll be growing even more after celebrating Indie Bookstore Day this Saturday! After all, I’ve been on a mission already to visit all the independent bookstores in Massachusetts! You can join in along with my partner and I in our explorations – we have a whole playlist of bookstore videos for you to check out!

Keep an eye out on my YouTube channel or the main updates page here to follow along on all our bookish adventures. My reading recaps go out on Mondays and our bookstore adventures go out on Thursdays. As always, I want to hear from you! What have you been reading lately? Are you having fun with it? Have you read any of these titles, and if so, what did you think of them? Tell me everything, and follow along for more!