When we decided on this month’s topic for our TBR book club, I knew this would be the book I would read. I felt a bit ashamed that I hadn’t read any of Octavia Butler’s work before. This one seems the most relevant because so much of fiction is just pattern recognition and Ms. Butler was very good at that. I didn’t mean to read the graphic novel, but I wasn’t really paying attention to the version I was checking out from the library, and I had already been on the waiting list for a month when it came available, so it had to be. I wasn’t mad at the idea and i think it did see it illustrated only magnified the story. I do want to eventually read the original novel because I feel this book needs it to be read in it’s original prose.
Lauren is an hyperempathy so not only can she feel everything around her but she also very observant. She sees clearly what so many do not or do not want to. Her narration brings the people and her neighborhood to life. I felt just as devastated for her when her family was taken as she was. I wanted to shield her from all the pain and tragedy around her but knew that I couldn’t. It’s not that she needed because Lauren is probably the most resilient, strong character I have ever read. It’s not that the events of her life did not affect her. They did and more, but she persevered and kept moving and inspired others to join her. The illustrations also brought the story alive. It was muted and sharp and gave a true atmosphere to the reading experience. This is not a feel good book. It wasn’t meant to be. It was supposed to be a warning that we ignored. We can only hope that we have learned enough to avoid the tragedies Lauren and her family endured. Time will only tell if this work of fiction will become our reality.
In July, one of favorite authors, Rainbow Rowell announced her next project would be writing a new series of Marvel’s Runaways, we were intrigued. True I was hoping she would be releasing a new novel. It’s been over a year since Carry On came out. I wasn’t all that familiar with Runaways. I knew of them from all the years shelving graphic novels while working at Barnes and Noble but never really paid much attention. Well, the Runaways are having a moment. Not only are they being revived by Rowell but next year Hulu is premiering a TV show based on them. I’m a big fan of Rowell’s. I enjoy her writing so for the first time I’m going to read issue by issue instead of waiting for Trades to come out because let’s be honest, even with a star writer and an only cult following there is no guarantee that they will come out in trade. I didn’t even know you could pre-order comic books like you can book books! It’s a whole new world for me people. I’ve decided that even though Rowell’s Runaways is a reboot so I don’t need to be a fan to runaway, I would go ahead and read the previous stories. So far, I’ve made it through the original series by Brian K. Vaughn and artist Adrian Alphona (2003-2004) and they are delightful. I can see why so many people latched on to them. It follows a group of teenagers with seemingly nothing in common except for once a year they are forced together as their parents get together to catch up and fund raise for charities. Alex, Nico, Karolina, Gert, Chase and Molly discover that their parents are not who they think they are. They are in fact super-villains and they call themselves the Pride. They runaway as they try to figure out what to do next. They also discover that some of them have powers of their own. Molly is mutant with super strength. Karolina is actually from another planet and has the ability to fly and glow. Nico is a kind of a sorceress who can cast spells. Gert has a psychic connection to a dinosaur. That’s right a dinosaur! Being a teenager is hard enough but being a teenager on the run from your evil parents while trying to figure out how to use your powers is down right stressful! It’s a full cast of diverse characters with different backgrounds and different personalities. I’m quite enjoying them. Now on to the next series.
2 Women, So Many Books 