One Kid's Trash

One Kid's Trash by Jamie Sumner 231 pp. 

Hugo is a sixth grader who is very small for his age. This has been a constant problem for him at school and made him a victim of bullying. Now he is in a new town at a new school, having to start over with making new friends and settling in. The jokes and bullying begin almost immediately after arriving at school. Hugo's parents are having problems and appear to be heading toward a split. His one anchor at the new school is his cousin Vijay but they start having issues with each other. Things start to improve with his classmates when Hugo begins using his talent for Garbology - analyzing people by the trash they produce. Then it all goes wrong. This book is nominated for the 2023-2024 Missouri Mark Twain Award and is one of the selections chosen for our Treehouse Book Club. 

All Systems Red

All Systems Red, Martha Wells, 152 pages

Martha Wells All Systems Red follows Murderbot as it works to save its human charges from a group of others that seem bent upon the destruction of its clients, all while hiding that its governing module is hacked, making it a rogue agent itself. All Systems Red is a very quick read, perfect for an afternoon with a cup of tea. Of interest to me was the way in which Murderbot interacts with the world, and its reactions, as they seem similar to the memoirs and experiences of many high functioning autistic individuals. I found that highly relatable, as I am on the spectrum and deal with some similar social anxieties. All in all, I really enjoyed the novel, my only wish was that it did not end so abruptly. The story arc is nicely progressing, the plot comes to a wonderful climax, it is just that it wraps up and ends so very quickly that it feels rushed.

The Refrigerator Monologues

The Refrigerator Monologues, Catherynne M. Valente, 147 pages


What can I say that Kara K. hasn't already said? The Orcs and Aliens book club should have a lot to say about this book, and Valente's presentation style is wonderful.

The Refrigerator Monologues

The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente, 147 pages

Twenty-odd years ago, comics writer Gail Simone coined the term "women in refrigerators," referring to the women who are killed off, maimed, or otherwise destroyed in comics simply for the purpose of propelling the superhero's story (one of them actually did end up in a refrigerator, hence the terminology). The Refrigerator Monologues takes those women out of their proverbial refrigerators and lets them tell their stories, which are unsurprisingly full of intelligence, power, common sense, and an underlying current of seething rage at the men in their lives.

Valente created her own superhero world as a backdrop for these stories, though the women and their stories are obviously avatars for real arcs in superhero comics. I enjoyed Valente's creative names and sharp humor, as well as her powerfully wielded anger. This was a lot of fun, and I can't wait to read more of Valente's work. It'll be interesting to see what the Orcs & Aliens book group thinks of this one. :)