Sponsored by Algonquin Books.
Honest, warm, and witty, N. West Moss’s memoir, Flesh & Blood, reads like a chat with a dear friend sharing her insight and her vulnerabilities and taking us along as she heals. Complete with family stories over cocktails and a new pal named Claude, who happens to be a praying mantis. You’ll want to tuck this little gem of a book—beautifully written and funny—into your bag, carry it with you, read it again, and talk about it. As author Jackie Polzin put it, “This book became a friend to me.”
Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!
This week I am back with another pick perfect for this October season, although it’s also a strong, empowering graphic novel for any time of the year! I read it in a single sitting because it’s just that good, and I know I’ll be revisiting it in the future.
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle
Becca is new to Piedmont, and being the new girl is never easy. But when she has a chance encounter with a popular girl named Marley in the bathroom, it leads to friendship with the Squad—Marley, Arianna, and Amanda, three popular and beautiful girls who inspire equal amounts of terror and awe in their school. Becca likes the attention of the Squad but doesn’t truly feel like she’s one of them…until one night at a party it’s revealed that the Squad is actually a pack of werewolves, and once a month they must kill in order to sate their hunger. They turn Becca and things are going fine for a few months, only preying on guys who don’t understand the concept of consent, until they take things just a bit too far.
First off, I love the premise of this book a lot, and the art is very striking. It’s a perfect balance of dark and sometimes a bit pulpy, with vibrant and contemporary colors. Becca is a very relatable protagonist, wanting to be a part of a group and worrying about whether or not she’s normal, and it’s really easy to see how she can be sucked into the Squad. I also really enjoyed how on the surface, the Squad is a group we might want to cheer on. They’re using their powers to take out moral reprehensible guys who literally prey on girls…but when vigilante justice is involved there are some morally gray areas and lots of big questions about what is actually right. The girls don’t question this too much, until suddenly they’re forced to confront it head on. I loved what this graphic novel had to say about power, rape culture, and group dynamics. It’s definitely an upper YA graphic novel because of the blood and gore and nudity (although it’s strategically drawn so no worries about too much exposure), but this is one that balances a lot of complex topics really well.
Bonus: Squad has already been optioned to become a film, so grab a copy sooner rather than later!
Happy reading!
Tirzah
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