To wind up the month, let’s share some more awesome books! They all come out on March 28th, so go get ’em!

Chlorine by Jade Song
A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan
A Brief History of Living Forever by Jaroslav Kalfar
Rubicon by J.S. Dewes

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Chlorine by Jade Song
Published by William Morrow & Company on March 28, 2023
Pages: 256
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

In the vein of The Pisces and The Vegetarian, Chlorine is a debut novel that blurs the line between a literary coming-of-age narrative and a dark unsettling horror tale, told from an adult perspective on the trials and tribulations of growing up in a society that puts pressure on young women and their bodies... a powerful, relevant novel of immigration, sapphic longing, and fierce, defiant becoming.

Ren Yu is a swimmer. Her daily life starts and ends with the pool. Her teammates are her only friends. Her coach, her guiding light. If she swims well enough, she will be scouted, get a scholarship, go to a good school. Her parents will love her. Her coach will be kind to her. She will have a good life.

But these are human concerns. These are the concerns of those confined to land, those with legs. Ren grew up on stories of creatures of the deep, of the oceans and the rivers. Ones that called sailors to their doom. Ones that dragged them down and drowned them. Ones that feasted on their flesh. Ones of the creature that she's always longed to become: mermaid.

Ren aches to be in the water. She dreams of the scent of chlorine--the feel of it on her skin. And she will do anything she can to make a life for herself where she can be free. No matter the pain. No matter what anyone else thinks. No matter how much blood she has to spill.

TW via author’s note: “Please note these pages contain discussion and instances of racism, misogyny, self-harm, eating disorders, homophobia, depression, and sexual violence.”

I have been waiting my whole reading life for a swimming book that understood the feelings and emotions I felt with swimming. And friends, I have finally, finally found it. I don’t think I can even put into words properly what this book meant to me, how deeply in love with it I am. When something has become your whole life, how do you exist without it? This is something it has taken my whole adult life to come to terms with, and frankly, I still haven’t fully. This book made me feel so seen in that feeling, that love.

“I’m a permanent swimmer yet an ex-swimmer, and because the circles of these two categories never overlap, I tread aimlessly in between.”

Here’s the thing: Ren’s story obviously isn’t the same as my story, not even close. But I just understood her, from start to finish, even if I couldn’t commiserate with every single detail. I felt for her, I hurt for her, I celebrated her, every step of the way. Her story has plenty of triumphs and trials, and through it all, being in the water is the thing that grounds her. But she wants only the water, not the tribulations that come with being a young human woman. That in itself is relatable. And look, if you were a swimmer, especially a serious one, this is so beyond accurate, from the feelings to the terminology to the mores, and you’ll appreciate the absolute hell out of that.

This story, at some points, takes quite a turn. I have never, ever in my life had such a physical, visceral response as I did to this book. I had to put it down for a minute, because I felt the words so deeply, that at points I thought I might be ill. Truly, physically ill. I think because I felt so completely immersed in Ren’s story, it was hard to see some of the turns she took. The writing and character development were truly that engaging.

I will say, I didn’t feel wholly satisfied from the ending, though it also seemed fitting? So I suppose I can’t be angry with it. And regardless, the story touched me so deeply that it doesn’t even matter. Reading through the notes I made and writing this review are even bringing up Big Emotions™, so I am going to leave you with that and beg you to go read this book the second you can.

Bottom Line: From the huge, life changing moments, to the quieter yet still important ones, this book brings so much emotion and loving attention to detail to Ren and her story. I am wholly in love.

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A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
Published by Tor Nightfire on March 28, 2023
Pages: 256
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

A haunting Southern Gothic from an award-winning master of suspense, A House With Good Bones explores the dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family.

"Mom seems off."

Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.

She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.

But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.

So, I had a feeling that this book would be very atmospheric and eerie, and it was. But you know what I didn’t know I was getting? A book that was so very fun and entertaining, too! Like yes, it was creepy, but that is not what endeared me to this story. That would be Sam, and her wonderful sense of humor, and the author’s amazingly witty and entertaining style of writing.

I fell in love from the start, when we meet Sam and you just know you are in for a treat with her at the helm. She could, quite literally, make bugs interesting. I also loved that from the start, Sam is skeptical of the shenanigans happening in the house, and to her mom. Like- her skepticism made the whole story feel more plausible, basically, because I too am a skeptic and would have had a really hard time believing it. She of course assumes that her mother is showing early signs of some kind of dementia, as opposed to something paranormal.

But there is something amiss around here, no question. Her mom is acting very out of character, to start. And while Sam was thrilled to be able to stay with her mom for a bit, she is soon far more concerned about her wellbeing than anything else. I really enjoyed their relationship, too. Sam and her mom were great, and I loved their bond. Sam’s mom clearly had to put up with a lot from Sam’s late grandmother, and she did it for her kids first and foremost.

Sam is on a mission to figure out what exactly is going on, and I won’t tell you any more than that. Sam is awesome, her mom is awesome, and I loved going sleuthing with her. The ending of the story was… well look, it took a very different turn, and it wasn’t my favorite part? But I didn’t totally hate it either, and it did end in a satisfying way, and anyway it was all worth it just to hang out with Sam for a few hours, right?

Bottom Line: So fun and quirky and charming while still being incredibly atmospheric and eerie. Kingfisher nailed it, as usual.

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The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan
Published by Solaris on March 28, 2023
Pages: 368
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

A bold, bitingly satirical near-future mosaic novel about a city run along 'meritocratic' lines, the injustice it creates, and the revolution that will destroy it.

We are the future of the human race.

Welcome to Apex City, formerly Bangalore. Here, technology is the key to survival, productivity is power, and even the self must be engineered, for the only noble goal in life: success.

Everything is decided by the mathematically perfect Bell Curve. With the right image, values and opinions, you can ascend to the glittering heights of the Ten Percent – the Virtual elite – and have the world at your feet. The less-fortunate struggle among the workaday Seventy Percent, or fall to the precarious Twenty Percent; and below that lies deportation to the ranks of the Analogs, with no access to electricity, running water or even humanity.

The system has no flaws, and cannot be questioned. Until a single daring theft sets events in motion that will change the city forever...

Previously published in South Asia only as Analog/Virtual, The Ten-Percent Thief is a striking debut by a ferocious new talent.

Imagine society is divided into people who use tech and people who don’t. And the people who don’t are considered the lowest possible class of society. Sounds pretty messed up, right? But yet… you can picture it, can’t you? That is the very short gist of this story, but the world and society has so much more to offer!

What I Loved:

• Legit, this is so thought provoking. I mean… we are absolutely headed down this road where every interaction happens online, right? Where you never ever leave your house again? It’s terrifying. And so completely plausible.
• Great twists! Yeah the twists were fabulous, I was constantly surprised by the turns the story took.
• The world building was amazing and so creative. I mean, it is clear that the author put a lot into coming up with the nuances of this world. I adored the Bangalore setting, and the attention to detail in terms of the rules of the society was great.
• I enjoyed many of the characters and their stories. My one qualm below is that we didn’t get to spend enough time with the ones I did love, and I would have liked more of their stories, but that is because I liked them and wanted more. I thought the author did a great job of showcasing characters from all walks of society, so that part was fabulous.

What I Didn’t:

• I wish we had followed the same characters more. Kind of when we were done with a character, we were done with a character and that gave me the sads. I wanted to know what happened more on a personal level, which I didn’t really get. I suppose that was intentional, and this is clearly a personal preference.
• I was definitely a little lost at first. Some of the technical stuff went way over my head at first. I still got the general idea, but I kind of would have liked some more description of the technology, so I could have been more immersed into the world.

Bottom Line: All too plausible and definitely thought provoking, The Ten Percent Thief left me with a lot to ponder, in a really good way.

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A Brief History of Living Forever by Jaroslav Kalfar
on March 28, 2023
Pages: 320
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

In a nativist near-future America obsessed with eternal life and under the increasing threat of technological surveillance, a long-lost brother and sister risk everything to reclaim their mother from oblivion.

When Adéla contracts a terminal illness, her thoughts turn to Tereza, the daughter she gave up at birth, forty years earlier. Leaving behind her moody, grown son, Roman, in their rural Czech village, she tracks down her daughter in New York City. But the America of 2029, with its authoritarian government and closed borders, is a different place from the country she experienced as a young woman, when she eloped with a filmmaker and starred in his cult sci-fi movie.

Tereza, the star researcher for a secretive biotech company hellbent on discovering the key to immortality, is overjoyed to reunite with her mother. But before she can find a cure, her mother dies mysteriously and is whisked away to a mass grave for undocumented immigrants in the swampy Florida wastelands. Distraught, Tereza travels to the Czech Republic to convince Roman, the brother she’s never met, to defy the law and the odds and return their mother’s remains to Czech soil.

Narrated from the beyond by Adéla, A Brief History of Living Forever is a high-wire act of storytelling that demonstrates once more Jaroslav Kalfař's endless powers of invention. By turns insightful, moving, and funny, the novel blends an immigrant mother's heartbreaking journey through the American dream with her children's quest to reclaim her from a country that would erase any record of her existence. Above all, it is a reminder that neither space nor time can sever our connection to the ones we love.

“My name is Adéla Slavíková. Join me, on this usual path to work, during the final winter of my mortal toil!”

Is that not a perfect intro? We meet, as you can see, Adéla, at the start of the story. She’s an older lady, living with her mom and son in the Czech Republic, in 2029. We meet her on one of the worst days of her life- she has just been given about a year left to live with a terminal illness. She decides she is going to go see the daughter she gave up for adoption many moons ago. Her daughter happens to live in the US (unsurprisingly, we are a hot mess and have destroyed the country), and it isn’t easy to travel there. But she is determined to see Tereza before she dies.

Tereza has made quite a name for herself in the US, and one of her biggest projects is finding the key to immortality. Her company is willing to do just about anything to crack the code, and she hopes to be able to save her mom. But alas, Adéla dies just as they meet. But something… interesting has happened, and Adéla still has some sort of consciousness remaining. We switch between past and present, as Adéla shares details of her life leading up to finding Tereza, and what is happening with Tereza and her company now.

I absolutely loved the familial aspect of this story. Not only is Adéla worrying about her kids, she is worrying about how her aging mother (she’s 109, how cool is that?) is coping. And, through the past snippets, we see how her relationship with her parents evolved over time. There are a ton of beautiful and heartwrenching moments throughout the story, and that has to be my favorite aspect. There are also a lot of great, thought provoking questions of morality and mortality. What makes us us? What makes us “alive”? And should we really ever play god?

There were some moments were I thought perhaps we had a bit too much detail about Adéla’s past, especially the movie she made with her ex, that dragged for me a bit. But overall, I loved taking this beautiful, yet often bleak, journey with Adéla and her family.

Bottom Line: This book is a very heartfelt journey, but it also asks some really thought provoking and important questions.

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Rubicon by J.S. Dewes
Published by Tor Books on March 28, 2023
Pages: 480
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Sergeant Adrienne Valero wants to die. She can't.

After enduring a traumatic resurrection for the ninety-sixth time, Valero is reassigned to a special forces unit and outfitted with a cutting-edge virtual intelligence aid. They could turn the tide in the war against intelligent machines dedicated to the assimilation, or destruction, of humanity.

When her VI suddenly achieves sentience, Valero is drawn into the machinations of an enigmatic major who’s hell-bent on ending the war—by any means necessary.

Ah, here we have story dealing with immortality! In Rubicon, we meet Adrienne, who has died a lot– but never permanently. She and her squad have been brought back a lot– 97 times, in Adrienne’s case. After her most recent “death”, she’s shipped off to a new squad, where people seem to die less, and they’re kind of in awe of Adrienne’s many reincarnations. You know who isn’t super keen on them? Adrienne. It isn’t pleasant, dying over and over, first of all. Not just the death, but the rezoning, as it’s called, is painful and scary.

But as Adrienne meets her new crew, she can’t really be sure if this will be any better. Or, more importantly, who can be trusted. The story starts out slower, which was my only minor qualm. It takes a minute to get into the real action. But there is a lot at stake in this world, in that basically all of humankind could be taken out very soon. While all of Adrienne’s squadmates have a Rubicon, Adrienne’s seems… better, for lack of a better word. And Adrienne needs to figure out what the heck is going on, before it is too late.

I can’t say much about the actual story, because there are so many secrets to uncover, and that is the fun! Adrienne is a great character, she’s a bit grumpy, but lovable, and you can certainly empathize with what she’s gone through. I also really enjoyed getting to meet her crewmates, even though much like Adrienne herself, I was suspicious of nearly everyone at one point or another. As the book goes on, the action ramps up more and more, and so does the tension. By the end I was absolutely flying through the pages, eager to read what comes next. It seems like it will be a series, and I certainly hope so, as I will be here for it!

Bottom Line: Loved the high stakes excitement, loved Adrienne and her crew, and can’t wait for more!

Have you read any of these books? Plan to? Let us chat about them!