Author: Jamie

I’m a Filipino American blogger, historian, and lazy writer. I enjoy books, video games, anime/manga, and smoking hookah.
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Hush Collection

Synopsis

A web of lies
Where do you go for truth in an age of social media illusions and deep divisions? How do you trust what you think you know about your friends and family? In stories featuring conspirators, psychics, deceptive lovers, and desperate killers, some of today’s most popular and award-winning crime writers explore the very nature of truth and the risks in uncovering the lies.

Book Ratings

My Thoughts

The Hush Collection is the first of Amazon’s Original Stories that I completed the entire collection and I had very mixed feelings. I am a huge fan of short literature and so I always love picking up these stories before I go to sleep or when I’m out traveling. I really wanted to like this collection more than I did, as the concept sounded great. The genres in this collection are all over the place, from dark satire to dystopia, so the collection feels a little disjointed from one story to the next. Crime is perhaps the only connecting genre, but even then it is a weak connection.

If anything I would sooner place these stories under the contemporary genre tag, as each one dealt in modern-day social issues, most notably the #MeToo movement which is at least mentioned in most stories. Let Her Be and Treasure also cast a spotlight on social media and influencers as central plot points.

Overall most of the stories I found to be merely okay, not because of poor writing but instead poor plotting and predictability. I outright hated The Gift but I seem to be in the minority on that one. It could be because these stories are shorts and they are not well suited to the short form. Actually, I was in the minority for a lot of my ratings, as Treasure ended up with the lowest average, but that was one of the ones I liked the most.

Buried is easily the strongest story in this series, and it helps that it is also the longest. This seems to be the consensus based on Goodreads as well, as it is the only story to maintain a rating over 4. If there was one story in the series that I would say was worth reading, it would definitely be this one.

Overall this collection was okay and would only recommend it for readers that really enjoy stories with some aspect of mystery with a lot of commentary about current social issues in America. At the very least, it is a decent introduction to a lot of authors and is a good way to see if that author’s work is for you. As a collection overall, I personally found it to be pretty weak and can easily be skipped if you are not interested in mystery/thriller authors.

In Summary

  • Pros: Decent mystery stories in different genres that are relevant to the modern age.
  • Cons: Many of the stories were only okay and had some issues, only one story that I would view as worth reading. I also didn’t care for the vague political commentary in most of the stories.
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Killing Stalking

My Thoughts

This manhwa was like a car that was driving wildly out of control toward tragedy and I felt like a bystander that couldn’t look away. Killing Stalking is perhaps one of the best psychological horror-thriller series I have ever read that is really plotted well. The plot moves at a startling pace, like an engine on full throttle up to the very end and it is an incredibly thrilling ride.

The main trio of characters⁠—Yoon Bum, Oh Sangwoo, and Yang Seungbae⁠—are all complex characters with strong moral grey areas in their personalities. I really enjoyed seeing each of these characters clash and unravel as the story goes deeper and deeper into their pasts and the way that their paths intersect.

“Do you know…? How to kill someone without killing them…?”

From the first chapter, I was hooked and I binge read this series, I was in so deep during the latter two volumes that I read each one in a single sitting, I just could not get enough of this series. The series is gruesome and tackles some very taboo subjects displayed in graphic detail due to Koogi’s phenomenal art, so I would not recommend it for the faint of heart. I felt genuine unease whenever Oh Sangwoo was in the scene, especially during the cat and mouse games that he and Yang Seungbae play. Sangwoo was genuinely a memorable and charismatic serial killer that reminded me of some of my favorite literary killers—Patrick Bateman from American Psycho or Harper Curtis from The Shining Girls. Charming devils that are almost pitiful in their relentless quest for power.

Mild spoilers ahead, but I feel that the romantic aspects of the story need to be addressed. There is debate as to whether this series constitutes as a boy’s love series due to the content and the nature of Sangwoo and Yoon Bum’s relationship. I’m personally in the camp that feels that it does not qualify as a boy’s love although there is a lot of romantic and sexual aspects to the story. Sangwoo states point blank that he is not homosexual, and his attraction to Bum is complicated and it is not just because of the abuse. I can’t delve deeper without going into major spoilers, but I caution anyone going in to not set up any expectations of a healthy romance in any capacity.

Warnings: explicit sex, sexual assault, rape, gaslighting, graphic violence, verbal abuse, physical abuse, child abuse, gore, death

five-stars
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News of Transformations

Also by this author: There’s Nothing Wrong With Me, Prologue-Gymnopedies-

My Thoughts

Henshin no News is a collection of one-shot stories that explore human relationships and loneliness. It is an extremely experimental slice of life manga that comes to life due to Miyazaki’s unusual art style and expert storytelling in a relatively small package.

“It’s only when it’s time for goodbyes that I finally come to like everyone.”

Like most manga in the slice of life genre, many of the situations that the characters deal with are relatively mundane, but what sets this manga apart is that there is this element of the fantastical that removes the stories and the characters from reality. At times bordering on being absurd, Miyazaki weaves magical realism into her narrative smoothly and doesn’t compromise the central theme of relationships.

Each story has a character facing some form of a crisis and meditates on humanity’s propensity for loneliness and isolation. What is truly magnificent about this manga however is the way that humor is used to cut the tension, giving the collection a pure and dreamy feel. The last story in particular was fantastic for referencing manga legend Osamu Tezuka and it had me smiling from ear to ear.

While a little offbeat, Henshin no News is a hidden gem and I’ve never read anything quite like it. It subverted my expectations with every story and managed to make me feel extremely sad for each character while also making me laugh. It is a breath of fresh air and managed to be both serious and lighthearted at the same time.

four-stars
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Makeshift Miracle

Makeshift MiracleTitle: Makeshift Miracle
Author: Jim Zub, Shun Hong Chan
Series: Makeshift Miracle #1
Publisher: Udon Entertainment
First Published: June 5, 2012
Pages: 120
Genres: Coming of Age, Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
Rating: ★★

Synopsis:

A young boy named Colby Reynolds searches for meaning in the world around him and discovers a place where dreams can come true ― if he's willing to pay the price! Along the way he'll see sights he's never fathomed and encounter hidden truths about himself he'll wish he never knew.

The hit online comic is now a beautiful, high-quality hardcover graphic novel, perfect for teen readers and manga fans with a durable, library-quality binding.

Rating Breakdown:
Volume 1: ★★☆☆☆
Volume 2: ★★☆☆☆

My Review:

This comic was a little bit difficult for me to decide what I thought about it. I was really digging the first few chapters and the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. I loved how the main characters were the only colored parts of the panel, it made for really striking visuals. As the first volume wore on, however, I started to wonder where the plot was going. There were characters introduced and a few events, but nothing of substance was really happening.

There was a convenient amnesia plot which is a trope that I really dislike because the entire plot is withheld intentionally. I hoped for more answers from the second plot and it quickly became a bore waiting for some answers to finally be given to the reader. There are chases and a little bit of action but everything felt rushed. Characters are taken out just as quickly as they are introduced, somehow an important piece of the plot but readers are never given any real time to care about them or their fates. There is little to no development of the plot or its characters at all.

Things pick up at the end when the antagonist basically tells the main characters the big secret around the amnesia plot, which again, goes back to why I don’t like these sorts of stories to begin with. Nothing makes sense until the big reveal which means that the plot will be weak without it. While I liked the revelations at the end, it was so out of left field it didn’t have a strong impact. I just wish that the plot could have been fleshed out better and more attention could have been paid to the characters to make me care about them more. There’s a romance but it makes no sense and I couldn’t really feel it.

The quality and detail in the art also went down in the second volume as compared to the first which just added to the feeling that this series was a little rushed. I did like the central message about dreams, desires, and aspirations, even if it wasn’t developed well. It’s a very good message about how dreams can be both good and bad and how easy it is to hold yourself back with fear. I just wish this story could have been executed better because it had a lot of potential.

“I won’t say I’m not nervous… Because I am. Nervous about growing up and taking hold of the things I want out of life.”

Trigger Warning: Nudity

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The Way of the Househusband

My Thoughts

I didn’t know I needed this manga until I chanced upon it. The Way of the Househusband is a laugh out loud funny manga about a former Yakuza legend adjusting to his new life as a dedicated house husband. The manga follows Tatsu as he tackles every day tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and shopping. He faces judgment from other gang members that run into him but doesn’t let things phase him.

The relationship between Tatsu and his wife Miku is also adorable. He is completely devoted to her and they make such a silly and sweet pair. There is no swoon worthy romance, just the every day antics of a married couple. Right at the start I was giggling and had to send this manga to my husband, we read the manga together and had a great time. Tatsu and Miku reminded me a lot of my husband and I in terms of our personalities, so it made me extra happy.

“You think bargain hunting’s some kiddy shit? This is a war-zone for a house husband.”

This manga was just great and I’m honestly waiting for more, I read all the available chapters that I could and it is still being serialized. I would love to see an anime adaptation of this manga, I think that it would translate well and be an enjoyable series for many. This is a great manga with commentary not just on the role of women as homemakers, but also how a former delinquent can reintegrate into regular society.

five-stars
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The Girl from Class

My Thoughts

I didn’t expect to get dragged so deep into this story. The Girl from Class caught my eye with its simple line art and minimal use of color. It’s a slice of life drama manhwa about a guy that gets a crush on a girl from his class. I wasn’t sure what kind of love story this would be when I started, but it was one that explores themes about the relationships that happen so naturally with life, we don’t even notice.

“Don’t do this… to someone that you aren’t serious about.”

The comic draws comparisons to the Greek tragedy of Orpheus, a brilliant musician that was loved by many who falls from grace after being heartbroken with the loss of his love. The comparisons aren’t immediately clear until further along, and the beauty of the story and its real-world repercussions becomes clear. Despite the simple art style, there is a lot of emotion that can be felt even with such a minimalist style. The characters are nameless and faceless, intentional as they are all true to life stand-in’s and many people can probably find themselves in the place of one of the characters.

This story was also a cautionary tale not only to be more sensitive to other people’s feelings, to not take love advice from other people, and for goodness sake treat the person that you’re interested in kindly. Your feelings will be obscured to the object of your affection if you’re rude. I really enjoyed this little comic, it surprised me how much depth and consideration was put into the development of the story, and despite it all, I felt satisfied when it was finished.

four-half-stars