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The Legendary Mo Seto is a fun middle grade novel by debut author A.Y. Chan. Mo Seto is twelve and she dreams of being a taekwondo champion, but her small size puts her at a disadvantage when competing against other kids. Mo’s upset after losing her last competition, and feels like her once supportive dad is now disappointed in her. When Mo finds out about an audition for a new movie starring her favourite martial artist and actor, Mo jumps at the chance to redeem herself and show everyone, including her dad, that she’s capable of competing against anyone regardless of her size. 

 

Mo is an endearing character and I loved following her journey! She’s determined, brave and fierce. Mo shows herself and everyone else that it’s okay to be short, and being small doesn’t make her any less of a taekwondo star. I love her supportive best friend and his lovable grandpa, and the new friends she makes while she auditions. While Mo’s dad distances himself, Mo’s relationship with her mom strengthens and it was wonderful to see them grow closer. 

 

There’s a big mystery surrounding Mo’s dad and his family which adds a lot of intriguing back story to the plot. This mystery is compelling, and it helps Mo learn about herself and her ancestors. If you’re interested in picking this up I suggest you avoid reading the publisher’s synopsis because it gives too much away. 

 

I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending—as an adult reader, I was left with some questions and concerns about the implications of the ending. It felt heavy to me and I think that’s because it felt too real, or maybe because the ending took such a serious turn. There are some minor fantasy elements in this book but it’s mostly an adventurous contemporary story where the villains are real people, not fantasy monsters. That said, I’m sure kids will love Mo and her action-packed story. This is an enjoyable and refreshing debut and I look forward to reading more from A.Y. Chan. 

 

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada & NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review. 

 

Linzey Corridon’s debut poetry collection West of West Indian is a unique and insightful exploration of queer Caribbean life. The author explores his queer, mixed race identity alongside poems about home and diaspora, and the themes of grief, legacy, and belonging are at the heart of this book. 

There are a lot things we don’t talk about in West Indian culture, and queerness is one of them. It’s rarely accepted or celebrated, and it carries a lot of shame. West of West Indian exposes this shame and addresses some of the harm within our culture. This feels so radical and necessary. With every page, Corridon embraces his history and identity to address and break the cycles of trauma that exist within West Indian culture. The poet shares his sorrow and grief about the struggles of queer Caribbeans, but assures readers that these cycles can and will be broken. This book is an act of defiance and offers a path forward, one of healing and acceptance. 

There is power in remembering where we’ve come from and those who came before us, and this book seeks to remember in order to reclaim queerness and fight back against the erasure of queer identities in the Caribbean. The beauty of this collection is that Corridon is simply sharing his daily life and personal experiences in an effort to normalize queer Caribbean life. By openly sharing his queerness, he paves the way for others to do the same. In poems that feel almost like prayers, Corridon seeks to affirm queer Caribbean life in the past, present, and future. His poems honour the queer ancestors that came before him, and they also reach out to the ancestors for connection and kinship. In West of West Indian, Corridon crafts a new legacy of compassion and care, and makes space for all queer Caribbeans to feel like they belong. 

Thank you Mawenzi House for the gifted copy!

Premee Mohamed’s We Speak Through the Mountain is out today! This sequel to The Annual Migration of Clouds begins with Reid traveling through Alberta’s Rocky Mountains to reach Howse University—supposedly one of the last remaining locations where life carries on as it did before society collapsed. Reid is excited by the opportunity to attend Howse, and all she thinks about is how she’ll be able to help rebuild the world after she graduates. But life at Howse is different from what she expected. Driven by her curiosity and love, Reid questions her new circumstances and the people around her. In Reid’s quest for answers, Mohamed explores power and morality in a society that refuses to change. 

 

Much like the first book, WSTTM grapples with the theme of duty. But instead of discussing what we owe our loved ones, this book tackles what we owe to each other as humans sharing a planet. Every action is a choice, and not helping others when you have the power and resources to do so is also a choice. Similar to how most of us are baffled by the inaction of our peers who aren’t standing in solidarity with oppressed peoples, and the continued complicity in the suffering of people across the world by those in power, Reid struggles to understand the choices of the university when she has experienced the suffering of life beyond Howse’s walls firsthand. 

 

My favourite thing about Reid in this book is her strong moral compass and her desire to create a better world. Reid’s values ground the story and lead the way for thought-provoking discussions about morality and ethics. It’s interesting to watch her adapt to a new environment and come to terms with life at Howse. She’s surrounded by people who do not value community as much as she does and this is a constant challenge for her throughout the book. These challenges drive the plot alongside Reid’s quest for answers. 

 

Most excitingly, readers get to learn more about Cad, the mysterious mind-altering parasitic fungi from the first book. This sequel answered a lot of my questions about Cad but also sparked some new ones. I’m glad it was explored more and it was one of the reasons that compelled me to keep reading. 

 

The more I think about these novellas the more I love them. It’s been a month since I read TAMOC and it has stayed with me. TAMOC is striking in its exploration of anger, guilt, grief and love, and WSTTM expands on those feelings and this world while exploring different themes that complement the first book well. I love this series and I hope you check it out. I’m excited to find out what happens in the next book 👀 

 

Thank you ECW Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review. 

CW: mentions of breast cancer 

 

Just Playing House by Farah Heron is a companion novel to Accidentally Engaged. It follows Marley Kamal, a luxury fashion sales associate, who is offered the opportunity to style Hollywood’s newest heartthrob. The only problem is the timing—Marley’s about to have major surgery. And the heartthrob in question is none other than her high school friend and prom date Nikhil Shamdasani. They haven’t spoken since high school but they make a deal: Marley will style Nikhil for his events, and Nikhil will help care for her after her surgery. This is a sweet, funny and emotional romance about two people finding their way back to each other. 

 

Marley and Nikhil’s individual circumstances allow for several important discussions to be had in this book. Marley’s story features conversations about health and caregiving. She’s a carrier of the BRCA gene mutation, which puts her at higher risk of developing breast cancer. Marley is scheduled for a mastectomy to reduce her breast cancer risk. Heron herself is a carrier of this gene mutation, and it’s clear that a lot of care and thought went into writing about this topic. Marley’s struggles and emotions feel real. Marley is also sorting out her career and love life alongside navigating her health, which is a lot. While I love the focus on her health, I wish Marley’s character development was stronger for other aspects of her story. 

 

Nikhil’s journey highlights the racism of Hollywood with his experiences of being mistreated by industry professionals and being accused of being a “diversity hire.” I appreciate all of the conversations about the challenges of being a person of colour in a predominately white industry, and it’s refreshing to see these discussions written with clarity and nuance. 

 

My favourite aspect of this book is the focus on friendship. It was beautiful to read about two people who are incredibly supportive of each other’s needs and dreams outside of a romantic relationship. Reconnecting as friends forms the basis of their romance, and it’s stronger because of it. I enjoyed their chemistry and loved witnessing them learn how to grow together and lean on each other. I wish their backstory was further explored, but I also recognize that this book is about who the characters are now and not who they were in high school. I was also bothered by Nikhil constantly putting Marley on a pedestal, but there are other moments that clearly show how much he loves and admires her. Nikhil takes his caregiving responsibilities seriously and his devotion to Marley is sweet. 

 

I love Farah Heron’s stories and despite my criticisms, this one is no different. Just Playing House is an enjoyable, funny and emotional book that tackles serious topics with care. Thank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review.