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Roger Hyttinen

Review of Call Me Methuselah by R.G. Hendrickson

July 4, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Call Me Methuselah coverBlurb

Since humanity’s first steps in the Stone Age, Methuselah has harbored an ancient secret. Cursed by the shaman to witness the end of days, he searches in vain for a home, place to place, clan to clan, yearning to belong. First in prehistoric Africa and lately disillusioned with love for a hundred years in the New World, he learns all too well to guard his heart and hide his story. That changes when a car crash lands him in the hospital with a fractured skull. Doctors discover strange stem cells in his blood, promising cures and a fountain of youth. Methuselah faces choices of life and death.

Forced on the run again, he comforts himself by reliving a happier time, when he and Arrow, his first love, raft across the paleo-lake Makgadikgadi, which rested in those days on the vast Kalahari. In their age-old journey, the cavemen lovers find a place to call home and learn what it means to belong.

While Arrow’s enlightened sensibilities get the two of them in trouble and challenge Methuselah’s judgment, their adventures in an untamed world bring them together. When Methuselah’s enduring youth reveals itself through the passing seasons, he and Arrow bravely face a dire reality.

From the distant past that lives inside Methuselah, Arrow’s spirit reaches out, providing guidance for our threatened times. He gives Methuselah the strength to do the right thing and the courage to live his true self in the modern world. Arrow’s memory opens Methuselah’s heart and renews for him a hope of redemption in the arms of a caring man today. If only Methuselah permits himself to love once more.

Review

I tend to love stories featuring immortal main characters, and this one about a young man called Diver who is cursed by a shaman to “see the end of days” was exceptionally enjoyable. The author does an excellent job at illustrating the difficulties of being immortal: having to move every couple of decades because you never age, having to end relationships before they find out the truth, unscrupulous doctors/clinics who would be eager to experiment on you, finding someone trustworthy to obtain fake identification documents and the difficulty in obtaining such documents in these modern, digital times where cameras are everywhere.

After a car accident jarred his brain, memories that our main character has kept buried for years (millennia even?) are now clamoring for his attention as he has an insatiable urge to write down his life story. So he does and gives us this book — a complete account of how he met the love of his life, how he became immortal, and how he survived the stone age as a “man who loves men.”

I loved how the author expertly combined the distant past with the present to tell a cohesive story of Diver’s life and love for Arrow. Through it, we see Diver’s failings and imperfections, as well as his deep love for the boy he once saved from drowning. In fact, during their scenes together, the sexual tension and energy between these two vibrates the pages. It warmed my heart to see their love thrive even when Arrow’s hair turned gray, and Diver’s did not. Their love remained firm despite the ‘age difference’ and living in a world where they often had to hide their love.

It was heartbreaking at times to journey with Diver, and he tried to find his place in the world, especially in the early years when it was nearly impossible to move to an island or community that was already inhabited without marrying one of the women. This theme of “trying to find one’s place in the world” still continues in the present day as he is constantly on the move because of his inability to age and his need to stay in the shadows. In this way, the novel asks many complex questions about death, trust, and loneliness and provides plenty to ruminate about after the story ends.

This book took my breath away. What gorgeous writing, and what a lovely story! I loved both Diver and Arrow. The emotional depth of Diver’s story drew me deeply into his spirit, to the point that his pain was my pain, his isolation, my isolation, and his joy was my joy. Perhaps the reason this book works so well, the writing, the characters, and the plot, is because it engages readers so quickly, and the story engaged me right away.

I absolutely adored this little gem of a novel that totally stole my heart, and I would definitely read more by this author.

Purchase Call Me Methuselah from Amazon.

Filed Under: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

Review of Look Closer by David Ellis

July 3, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Look Closer book coverBlurb

Simon and Vicky couldn’t seem more normal: a wealthy Chicago couple, he a respected law professor, she an advocate for domestic violence victims. A stable, if unexciting marriage. But one thing’s for sure … absolutely nothing is what it seems. The pair are far from normal, and one of them just may be a killer.

When the body of a beautiful socialite is found hanging in a mansion in a nearby suburb, Simon and Vicky’s secrets begin to unravel. A secret whirlwind affair. A twenty-million-dollar trust fund about to come due. A decades-long grudge and obsession with revenge. These are just a few of the lies that make up the complex web…and they will have devastating consequences. And while both Vicky and Simon are liars, just who exactly is conning who?

Part Gone Girl, part Strangers on a Train, Look Closer is a wild rollercoaster of a read that will have you questioning everything you think you know.

Review

This was probably one of the twistiest books I’ve ever read, and because of that, I really can’t say too much about the plot without delving into spoiler territory.

So many times, I thought I figured it all out, only to discover that I was utterly wrong once again. This is one of those stories where nothing is as it seems, nobody is who they seem….hell, nobody even is who they claim to be. I learned pretty quickly that I couldn’t trust anyone in the story as every character was manipulative, devious, and conniving, which made the novel devilishly delightful. So many secrets….so many lies. After a while, I wasn’t quite sure who I should be rooting for.

The suspense in the story is unrelenting. This is one of those edge-of-your-seat thrillers that keeps your heart pounding as you turn the page. There is so much going on here with murder, infidelity, thievery, huge lies, betrayal, enormous secrets, hidden identities, and more — an intricately plotted web of misdirection and secrets. The author is a master of meticulous plotting, that’s for sure.

This book restored my faith in domestic thrillers. I’d stopped reading them for a while because so many of them were predictable and underwhelming. Not this one! It is one of the least predictable thrillers I’ve ever read. Told from multiple perspectives and multiple timelines, the relationship dynamics between the characters are incredibly complex. It is one of those books where you must pay careful attention as you read, as there are so many moving parts. But the payoff is definitely worth it. It is so deliciously sinister!

Look Closer is a thrilling, topsy-turvy mind-blowing ride from start to finish, with intersecting plot lines from both timelines, phenomenal characters, and so much suspense that you’ll be flying through the pages. It’s an utterly satisfying read — the kind where I had to lean back and attempt to catch my breath after I turned the last page. It’s so addicting that you need to finish almost as soon as you begin. David Ellis is a new author for me (how did I not know about him????), and I now plan on reading all his work. It’s been a while since I’ve given a thriller five stars, but this one gets all of them!

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book.

Filed Under: Suspense/Thriller

Review of Taproot by Keezy Young

June 29, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Taproot CoverBlurb:

Blue is having a hard time moving on. He’s in love with his best friend. He’s also dead. Luckily, Hamal can see ghosts, leaving Blue free to haunt him to his heart’s content. But something eerie is happening in town, leaving the local afterlife unsettled, and when Blue realizes Hamal’s strange ability may be putting him in danger, Blue has to find a way to protect him, even if it means… leaving him.

Review

What a fun, sweet little paranormal romance this was! The story follows Hamal, a young gardener who sees ghosts, and one of the ghosts who has attached himself to Hamal is a young man named Blue. It doesn’t take long for Blue to start falling for Hamal. But things turn a bit dangerous when Hamal’s ability catches the attention of an otherworldly being.

Though there was a tinge of horror to the story, it was mostly a sweet queer love story that I ended up loving. The art is quite stunning, and I loved how the author seamlessly combined words and pictures into such a delightful yet layered narrative that ended up being surprisingly profound. Young is a skillful artist, and the way in which they manage to show, capture and evoke emotions via their panels is impressive. I also thought the whimsical art did a lovely job of being appropriately atmospheric and expressive through the green and blue color palette (and the grey and brown color palette when the story becomes a bit scarier). The diverse characters were an added plus.

All in all, this was an incredibly moving, meaningful, and beautiful story with an ultra-sweet narrative that I loved. I hope the author creates other stories set in this world.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.

Filed Under: Graphic Novels, YA Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

Review of Upgrade by Blake Crouch

June 21, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Upgrade Book CoverBlurb

“You are the next step in human evolution.”

At first, Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different. He just feels a little . . . sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep.

But before long, he can’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain. To his body. He’s starting to see the world, and those around him—even those he loves most—in whole new ways.

The truth is, Logan’s genome has been hacked. And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy.

Worse still, what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost.

Because of his new abilities, Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion. But to have a chance at winning this war, he’ll have to become something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human.

And even as he’s fighting, he can’t help wondering: what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution?

Intimate in scale yet epic in scope, Upgrade is an intricately plotted, lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity—and our boundless potential.

Review

“We don’t have an intelligence problem. We have a compassion problem. That, more than any other single factor, is what’s driving us toward extinction.”

I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Blake Crouch (especially Dark Matter and Recursion), and this novel was no exception. This bold and imaginative science fiction/speculative fiction story takes place in the not-so-distant future after a human-made pandemic caused by a failed experiment that wiped about a good portion of the earth’s population. The story follows Logan Ramsay, an agent with the Gene Protection Agency who, after being exposed to a strange chemical tied to genetic engineering, begins to change….to evolve both physically and mentally. Books that were once out of his level of comprehension are now accessible. He knows what people are going to do and say before it happens. His bone density level increases, as does his muscle mass, pain tolerance, memorization ability, and concentration. But though he gained a lot in the “upgrade,” he also lost pretty much everything in the process.

What I enjoyed about this scientifically-fascinating book is that it reads like a thriller with plenty of heart-in-your-throat, non-stop action. It’s an adrenaline-filled tale that certainly kept my eyes glued to the book’s pages. I eagerly kept turning the page in order to find out what was happening to Logan and why.

The author has an incredible ability to put the reader firmly in the mind of the main character so that Logan’s thoughts became my thoughts—Logan’s actions became my actions. In this way, the book is exceptionally immersive. Additionally, the complicated plot has a plethora of layers to it, and trying to figure it out was like putting the pieces of a puzzle in place.

As Logan continues to evolve, he begins to wonder how much of his humanity is even left—that is to say, at what point does a human cease being a human? I also enjoyed the conversation around DNA research and science, human evolution, and the survival of the human species. The story also raised some interesting questions about how far we should go to save humanity and whether there is a point where we have to draw the line. And though the author does introduce somewhat complicated scientific topics, they in no way take away from the thrilling narrative.

All in all, this was an intense, wild, adrenaline-filled ride with relentless pacing about a hero who’s trying to save the world from the villain who’s trying to destroy it. I adored all the twists, turns, and surprises, as well as the complex questions that the novel caused me to ponder. A volatile, mesmerizing, and unpredictable story that I loved!

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book.

Purchase Upgrade from Amazon

Filed Under: Science Fiction

Review of Like Silk Breathing by Camille Duplessis

June 15, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Like Silk Breathing CoverBlurb

When Tom Apollyon returns to Cromer to help oversee his uncle’s pub, it’s a difficult adjustment. Overwhelmed by his born ability to sense auras, Tom relies on constant drinking and drifting to function normally. Coming back is too much to handle and one night, he decides to end it all. He just doesn’t expect to encounter a bewitching stranger when he tries.

While on an annual seaside holiday with his lover, Theo Harper takes a solitary evening stroll near the water. He thinks it’s just the thing a landlocked selkie needs, yet instead of being soothed, he stops a troubled man from drowning. The earnest good deed sparks a romance that makes Tom and Theo hope for a happier, gentler life together.

While both need to decide to trust themselves and each other, they’re not daunted until an alarming problem presents itself. Theo’s skin — which can definitely be used to capture or kill him, to Tom’s horror — has gone missing.

To build the future they want, they have to get the skin back…

Review

The gay fantasy novel was right up my alley. I loved the relationship between Theo, a Selkie, and Tom, who has a touch of witchiness inside of him in that he can see people’s auras. I enjoyed how they brought out the best in each other, and I loved journeying with them as they got to know each other and understand each other. The supernatural elements in the story were a lot of fun, and just about everyone in the story had a touch of the supernatural to them, whether they knew it or not.

I tend to enjoy stories involving mythical creatures and felt the Selkie aspect of this was exceptionally well done, especially once Theo’s skin goes missing and the two of them together take on the quest to find it. Of course, as the reader, we know what happened to the skin, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

Initially, I wasn’t quite sure of the time period where the narrative takes place as the prose felt like a book written in Victorian times. However, at one point, a character mentions it’s the 20th century and that being gay is still considered a crime, so I’m guessing it took place at the beginning of the century (if the time period was ever mentioned, I missed it).

Like Silk Breathing was a subtle blow-me-away kind of book that got its hooks in me quite quickly and even moved me to tears in a couple of places. This was a lovely and eye-opening story about letting go of one’s prejudices and seeing beyond what is there. I found it to be as thought-provoking as it is emotional. Furthermore, it is utterly enchanting and a hell of a treat for anyone who enjoys good yarns with believable characters and a healthy dose of the supernatural. Though there are only a handful of people in the story that really matters, their characterization is really well done. As a reader, it’s easy to identify with almost all the characters in the story.

This beautifully written tale, with its lush prose, takes the reader into a delightful new fantasy world, and I adored the time I spent there with these characters. It’s an engaging, quiet, and gentle story, yet it pulled me through the narrative wonderfully.

Note that though this is a romance, you won’t find any steamy erotic scenes. Instead, this is a tender love story about two men from completely different worlds who discover that they have more in common than they thought — a story about love in its purest form. Definitely worth the read!

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Filed Under: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

Review of Epically Earnest by Molly Horan

June 8, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Epically Earnest book coverBlurb:

In this delightfully romantic LGBTQ+ comedy-of-errors inspired by Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, a high school senior works up the courage to ask her long-time crush to prom all while deciding if she should look for her bio family.

Jane Grady’s claim to fame is that she was one first viral internet sensations, dubbed #bagbaby—discovered as a one-year-old in an oversized Gucci bag by her adopted father in a Poughkeepsie train station. Now in her senior year of high school, Jane is questioning whether she wants to look for her bio family due to a loving, but deeply misguided push from her best friend Algie, while also navigating an all-consuming crush on his cousin, the beautiful, way-out-of-her-league Gwen Fairfax.

And while Janey’s never thought of herself as the earnest type, she needs to be honest with her parents, Algie, Gwen, but mostly herself if she wants to make her life truly epic. With a wink toward Oscar Wilde’s beloved play, Epically Earnest explores the complexity of identity, the many forms family can take, and the importance of being . . . yourself.

Review

This endearing queer slice-of-life romcom was so much fun! I love this loose retelling of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and the Oscar Wilde quotes at the beginning of each chapter were a delightful, extra touch. I especially enjoyed the overarching theme of family in the story – family found and family born into. But the sweet blossoming romances between Janey and Gwen, and Cecil and Algie (short for Algernon, a character from The Importance of Being Earnest) were at the heart of this novel. In addition, I loved the tender portrayal of the uncertainty of young love in the story — and first love for some of the main characters. So in this way, the idea of relationships played a huge role in the story — relationships between friends, between lovers, and between family, all of which really resonated with me.

Being adopted myself, I could relate very well to Janey’s inner turmoil about meeting her birth family and how to tell her adoptive parents that she was considering a meetup with her blood relatives. I liked the way the author handled the adoption issue and felt it was well done and respectful.

There was also plenty of humor — fun, witty banter that caused me to chuckle out loud on more than one occasion. Overall, the story was light and enjoyable — with no significant angst or heaviness. That being said, I found the conflict in the story minimal, with no real obstacles to the characters finding their HEA. So for those who like their stories a little more on the angsty side, you won’t find that here.

All in all, I loved this little story about a teen girl trying to find the inner bravery to ask her crush to the prom, while also discovering her biological family. We end up seeing quite a bit of character development from both Janey and her friend Algie (who was, in the past, kind of a ‘playboy.’). A quick and easy read with nice LGBTQIA+ and adoption representation and plenty of humor that put a smile on my face.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Clarion Books for providing a review copy of this book.

Purchase Epically Earnest on Amazon

Filed Under: LGBT Romance, YA LGBT

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