May 6, 2021

April Reading Recap

I did a lot of fun, exciting reading last month:

THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV by Dawnie Walton: In 1971, a barely known musical duo shot to fame in the wake of a racist riot that left their drummer dead. Opal Jewel, a flamboyant Black singer from Detroit, and Nev Charles, a quirky white songwriter from Birmingham, England, had started collaborating the previous year. These mismatched misfits only released two albums together before going their separate ways, Nev to massive solo fame and Opal to a patchier career. Forty-five years later, a reunion concert is in the works, and perhaps a tour. Music journalist Sunny Curtis has risen to the top of her field, a rarity for a Black woman, while taking care never to reveal her connection to Opal & Nev as the daughter of the murdered drummer. In this oral history, Sunny charts the origins and rise of the duo, investigates the circumstances of that fateful night, and plays a role in the long aftermath.

This outstanding novel joined my list of favorites before I even reached the powerful, satisfying end. I love fiction that makes good use of unusual forms, and here Walton creates complete believability as well as a compelling story in the oral history format of transcribed interview excerpts with judiciously placed editor's notes. Every character's voice is unique and real (the full cast audiobook production gets great reviews). Bad behavior and decisions are rampant in the story, but they always make sense for the person and situation. Despite the many developments explained at the outset, the plot builds and twists in surprising ways as the book goes on. Music is at the heart of this novel, but it covers so much more about race, gender, family, time, and loyalty. I've been recommending it to everyone!

MACHINEHOOD by S.B. Divya: Welga appreciates the reliable pay of her job protecting high-profile clients, and she enjoys the physicality of fighting off attackers. The pills she uses to enhance her job performance are standard for people in any field who want to keep up with bots and AIs that are faster and stronger but lack the nuanced abilities of humans. Lately, though, Welga's pills seem to be the cause of symptoms that are getting scarier, and she turns to her biogeneticist sister-in-law Nithya for help. Nithya is coping with bodily concerns of her own: an unexpected, unwanted pregnancy. Both women's problems become smaller and yet more urgent with the emergence of a terrorist group called the Machinehood, which demands all pill production cease. The global crisis caused by the Machinehood could be the work of the first truly sentient AI, or it might be a cover for the continued warfare of a secretive empire, but either way, Welga is determined to take the Machinehood down.

I was quickly caught up in the thrilling plot, the well-developed characters, and the fascinating world. The future Divya imagines is innovative but also follows logically from our present, and the developments are a complicated mix of positive and negative. The novel is heavy on ideas about topics like progress, religion, and right and wrong, and these interested me but occasionally bogged down the story. Divya skillfully manages many different story threads and characters in this exciting sci-fi debut.

LOCAL STAR by Aimee Ogden: Triz is content with her quiet life repairing starships on a station, and she has no desire to travel through space like her more adventurous partners. It's just as well her relationship with Kalo is over, because his death-defying fighter piloting puts him in more danger than Triz can stand. But she worries that her partner Casne, and her wife, only want Triz to join their marriage if Kalo is part of the package. With Casne and Kalo both back on the station after a military victory, it might be time to address some of these relationship questions. Before that can happen, though, Casne is arrested on unbelievable charges, and Triz finds herself in the middle of a mystery, then a dangerous adventure to save the station.

This novella is a fun romp that delivers both exciting action and romantic drama. It was satisfying to watch Triz reckon with her self-doubt and gain confidence in her abilities and her place in Casne's family. I enjoyed the loving portrayal of polyamory in a world where this is the norm, though I was sorry the short length meant the relationships weren't developed as fully as I wanted. In general, the characters and their dynamics could have used more nuance, but there's an entertaining story here for those seeking a quick sci-fi read.

Good Stuff Out There:

→ Laura Miller at Slate suggests what writers can learn from The Phantom Tollbooth: "Procrastination isn't always your enemy. Juster wrote The Phantom Tollbooth when he was supposed to be writing a book about cities for children, a project for which he had received a grant. As a rule, the thing that you write for fun will always be better than whatever you think is more important, serious, or expected of you."