I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was a couple of weeks ago. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about The Dark Becomes Her by Judy I. Lin. Thank you to Samuel Bonner at Penguin Random House International for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ruby Chen has always played the part of the dutiful eldest daughter: excelling in school; excelling in piano lessons; excelling at keeping her younger sister, Tina, focused on extracurriculars meant to impress college admissions officers.
But when a ghost from the spirit world attacks the sisters in the middle of Vancouver’s Chinatown neighborhood, Ruby’s life is plunged into a darkness that no amount of duty can free her from. Overnight, Ruby’s sister seems to change. There are strange noises coming from her bedroom at all hours; and the once sweet, funny Tina has been replaced by something dark and unnatural.
As Ruby races to save her sister from demonic possession, she is thrown into an ancient battle over the gateway to the underworld. On one side, an evil traveling temple known for making dark wishes come true has returned to Chinatown after many years—intent on breaking down the gateway and unleashing the evil within. On the other side, the guardians who must stop them.
And in order to survive, Ruby must not only face the horror taking over her community, but must also confront the horror within herself.
Publication Date: 1st October
CW: blood, murder, death, cults, possession, grief, parental death
My Thoughts:
The Dark Becomes Her is a wonderful exhibition of Lin’s writing as she turns her hand to horror.
I have previously enjoyed the writing style of Lin, particularly the lush world-building and the layered characterisation. Both are on full display here with a book that ramps up the tension and keeps that creeping dread building. It is a excellent first outing for horror with that vivid imagination running wild. Lin expertly uses atmosphere to create that pit in your stomach. You know something awful is happening but not quite what. I liked the way the plot blended horror, mystery and fantasy elements with a touch of romance. It felt like a cult classic horror film that leans a little on the lighter side at times, but also has plenty of darkness. The horror is very believable and weighs heavily into familial expectations and the weight of this on your shoulders. There is a strong sense of duty and needing to uphold the dreams of others, no matter the cost. Of course there are supernatural components that are horrifying in an otherworldly way but the core theme is strikingly human and embedded in many of us.
At its core this is a book about family in all its shapes and the love that can grow there. There is born family and found family, both of which are important sources of support and strength at times, though sometimes in unexpected ways. Ruby ultimately would do anything to protect Tina. I loved seeing their dynamic shift from the bickering sisters at the start to something much darker and unnerving. Some of these scenes are just so well executed in the dread that it leaves with you, like an aftertaste. They linger in your mind long after you have turned the page. I also like the throughline about Ruby reconnecting with her passions, primarily in the form of her music and performance. She is a driven and lovable character, plagued by self doubt and the endless expectations she feels she is always failing to live up to. Her journey of self-acceptance and finding a purpose is brilliant & nuanced. Lin allows plenty of time for her development through this supernatural sleuthing.
The Dark Becomes Her is a solid and enjoyable YA horror that focuses on family above all else.
Next up, I’d like to talk about A Language of Dragons by S. F. Williamson. Thank you to HarperFire for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.
With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.
At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must decide: What war is she really fighting?
Publication Date: 2nd January 2025
TW: genocide, war, death, grief, child abuse, classism, sexism, assault, injury, sexual harassment, sexual assault, torture, fire, violence, suicidal ideation
My Thoughts:
A Language of Dragons was a thought-provoking and terrific debut that is sure to take the YA community by storm.
This was just such a great read. I mean Bletchley Park with dragons? Sign me up!
I initially read the first chapter in a sampler I picked up at BookFest this summer and was hooked. There was so much rich and imaginative world-building in the first few pages, as well as betrayal and tension. From there it becomes an even wilder ride. I absolutely adore the world Williamson has crafted here. The focus on linguistics and the ethics of translation is fascinating. Williamson includes these wonderful scenes where Vivien unpicks language and weaves this tapestry of meaning. It is beautiful but it is also sinister. The story is a strong reminder that translation can be a tool of empowerment or erasure in the wrong hands. Within this, I can certainly see the parallels drawn to Babel over the similar subject matter, though delivered in a different format. It is timely and impactful. Through Vivien’s journey, Williamson is delivering a message loud and clear. She is forced to make some impossible decisions as she is pulled further and further into this political game of chess. There are so many layers to this plot with real world inferences and implications that ring through to today.
Vivien herself is incredibly smart and determined, placing her loved ones above everything else. Over the course of the story, she begins to question her faith in what she has been taught and that prioritisation from an ethical perspective. Events around her becomes more dubious and certain dynamics change, planting seeds in her mindset that may yet bear fruit. That kind of character development is interesting to watch unfold. There is a danger in blind faith and naivety that Williamson is spotlighting here. It can easily allow you to convince yourself that you are a neutral cog in a machine, an innocent bystander. This conviction may have shifted by the final page. Without spoilers, I am very much looking forward to where Williamson moves the story next.
A Language of Dragons is a layered and wonderfully imagined story that combines politics, power and reconsidering your position in the world.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Bat Eater by Kylie Lee Baker. Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner. But the bloody messes don’t bother her, not when she’s already witnessed the most horrific thing possible: her sister being pushed in front of a train.
But the killer was never caught, and Cora is still haunted by his last words: bat eater.
These days, nobody can reach Cora: not her aunt who wants her to prepare for the Hungry Ghost Festival, not her weird colleagues, and especially not the slack-jawed shadow lurking around her doorframe. After all, it can’t be real – can it?
After a series of unexplained killings in Chinatown, Cora believes that someone might be targeting East Asian women, and something might be targeting Cora herself.
Soon, she will learn . . . you can’t just ignore hungry ghosts.
Publication Date: 7th January 2025
TW: murder, death, racism, sexism, gore, Sinophobia, white supremacy
My Thoughts:
Bat Eater was an inventive and discombobulating story that burrows under your skin.
This is a book that you will not forget for a long time. It is arresting and completely draws you into Cora’s fractured world. Her life has been shattered by COVID and the murder of her sister – a hate crime that speaks to the rise of Sinophobia seen throughout the pandemic. It is a truly detestable and ugly horror that is grounded in the monsters of our reality. That opening scene is a real gut punch and sets the tone appropriately. Baker spends a lot of time ruminating on grief and the way you never really ‘get over it’, you just learn to live with its weight on your shoulders. The particular trauma around Cora’s grief is amplified by the sickening circumstances. In this book the horror is both human and not. It holds up a dark mirror to the realities of our society that are often brushed aside. There is a particular scene that reverberates in my mind over and over again. It is the big revelation scene that the book builds towards, but it is cleverly done to undercut your expectations in a way that is even more terrifying. No spoilers here, but it is masterfully done.
The book pivots between a murder mystery style investigation that dominates Cora’s life and the more supernatural elements at play. Both are haunting and well paced, building up suspense and tension with each page. You get a deeper sense of just how miserable Cora is, how isolated and unseen. Then these extra visions and the unsettling spat of crimes she works at come in, twisting the knife further. Baker also explores the police incompetence necessary for this cyclical violence to keep going. It is a power system holding the expected power structures up and anything that challenges this is squashed. Sadly it rings true to life.
Bat Eater uses the lens of horror to reflect on the monstrosity of humanity with wonderfully written sequences that will haunt your nightmares.
A Short Book Lover 
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