This Is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller REVIEW

Summary:

Gay single mom Brigid always thought that cutting ties with her extremist Catholic family was the best thing she could have done for her daughter, Dylan - and for herself. But when Dylan starts having terrifying fits of unnatural violence, Brigid can't shake her memories of a girl from her childhood who behaved the same way . . . until Brigid's uncle, Father Angus, performed an exorcism.

Convinced that Dylan is suffering from demonic possession, Brigid does the thing she told herself she'd never do: she goes home. Father Angus is the worst person she knows, but he's also the only person who can help her daughter.

But as Brigid starts to uncover secrets about Father Angus, that long-ago exorcism, and her family's past, she realizes that she and Dylan have never been in more danger.

My Thoughts:

This is by far the best exorcism book that I have read so far. When Brigid grew up, she cut all ties to her family and moved to the mountains to escape her trauma. Now a single mother, she runs a witchy store that she doesn't believe in either. When her daughter gets suspended from school for violence, Brigid is not sure what to do or believe. But when the demon reveals itself to be the same one she encountered as a child, she rushes Dylan to her uncle's house to get the demon exorcized. But secrets and truths from long ago start to surface, and Brigid doesn't know who or what to trust.

I do really like the author's writing style. It's part comedic, but also very real. Brigid is a character that a lot of people with religious trauma can relate to, especially those who are gay. I enjoyed the twists toward the end, but I do feel like everything could have been explained more and the book could have been longer. That being said, out of the two exorcism books I have read, this is the best by far and I would recommend it.

My Rating: 3 stars 

The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller REVIEW

Summary:

Chaotic bisexual Wendy is trying to find her place in the queer community of San Lazaro, Arizona, after a bad breakup - which is particularly difficult because her ex is hooking up with some of her friends. And when the people around them start turning into violent, terrifying mindless husks, well, that makes things harder. Especially since the infection seems to be spreading.

Now, Wendy and her friends and frenemies - drag queen Logan, silver fox Beau, sword lesbian Aurelia and her wife Sam, mysterious pizza delivery stoner Sunshine, and, oh yeah, Wendy's ex girlfriend Leah - have to team up to stay alive, save Pride, and track the zombie outbreak to its shocking source. Hopefully without killing each other first.

My Thoughts:

This was a really fun, unserious book. It takes place during Pride Month. Wendy and her group of LGBT friends and acquaintances aren't super thrilled about alcohol company Seabrook sponsoring a new health center - they feel as if they are selling out to a huge corporation that wants to look like a savior to the community. At a gay club the night before Pride, people start turning into zombie-like creatures and violence breaks out. Some were lucky enough to get away unscathed - others not so much. Wendy and the group of survivors head to Beau's house to regroup and plan on how they could save Pride, and a trip to Leah's house for supplies uncovers a lead into what caused the violent outbreaks. 

The book is very easy and fun to read, almost like the author put something in it so that it made it hard for me to put down. The characters were pretty well-developed and likeable despite the short length of the novel. However, Wendy and Logan's relationship didn't really develop at all. They had chemistry at the beginning, but it did not last throughout the book, almost as if it was an afterthought. I would have also liked if the author explored more of the concept of how the outbreak was spread. There's only a simple explanation, and it's barely expanded on.

My Rating: 3 stars