John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A unique and visually engaging journey through many of the pressing concerns of the younger generation, Black & Brown Gen Z by Edwina Louise Dorch is a lesson-heavy burst of self-help written as a vivid graphic novel. From discussing the importance of living sustainably and practicing self-care to protecting yourself against bullying or bigotry, each animated chapter brings a critical issue to light, leaving the interconnected characters to navigate the challenges and grow from their experiences. The comic book style doesn’t always lend itself to diving deeply into each issue, but the underlying messages are critical, and the creative layout […]

A warning for our age of digitally addicted consumers looking for the newest life hack, Synthetica: The Dystopian Future of Digital Existence by Sophia M. is a prescient work of sci-fi, with a shrewd take on the current moment. A few decades in the future, free will has been seized by the titular megacorporation and its domineering Algorithm, allowing them to restructure society and mind control the vast majority of the population. However, there are those who resist the oppressive reign of these digital overlords, and seek to free society from this collective nightmare. Heavy on dystopian exposition, but comparatively […]

Challenging readers to take a more active role in changing their lives, Don’t Settle, Choose to Feel Good: 20 Keys to Achieve It by Pablo Tricci is a creative guide for taking control of your free time and unlocking your potential. An allegorical and philosophical journey that treads familiar themes like gratitude, healthy lifestyles, and goal-setting, the book also delves into less common fare, such as the inherent reward of effort, the power of expressed thought, and the pursuit of meaning in our relationships. The book methodically introduces complex ideas and builds to an inspiring thesis: by cultivating awareness and […]

A newly crowned empress must balance the responsibilities of her reign with a devastating loss of love in Hachi + Araine: Falling by Michael G. Hurston. Reshaping a diverse and divided solar system to uphold justice, peace, and cooperation is a daunting task for Hachi, but achieving domestic bliss and a stable family with her remaining partners may pose an even greater challenge. Fortunately, she won’t be alone in navigating these emotional tangles and complex commitments, even as the immensely powerful First Children threaten to disrupt her hard-won peace in their obsessive pursuit of new life. Combining reality-shaking future-tech and […]

Tasked with recovering their surviving kin still scattered across the solar system, two eternally bound heroes are back in the midst of cosmic chaos in Hachi + Araine: Nightmares by Michael G. Hurston. With a pregnant lover on the edge of death awaiting their return, Hachi and her golem partner must find their unawakened brethren in a breakneck race against time. From facing down corporate overlords on Jupiter to pulling off Trojan horse heists on a Martian moon, their solar system-spanning hunt for the remaining Tau-born warriors could be the difference between utter destruction and the salvation of two universes. […]

Thousands of years in the future, a legendary warrior named Hachi and her symbiotic-linked golem awaken from cryo-sleep into a darker age in Hachi + Araine: Awake by Michael G. Hurston, the first book in The Dream Series. After returning to Earth, she discovers the shocking legacy of her universe-jumping ancestors and a treasure map through space that leads her and a resourceful companion into a blistering adventure across the stars. Dodging cosmic slavers, exploring taboo desires, and overcoming the guilt of her own past, Hachi must find a way to forgive herself and fulfill her original mission, even […]