Welcome to our latest column, Book Review Roundup. Every season, writer Alanna Why will share the best books she’s read in the past few months, with an emphasis on highlighting recent works, small press releases and Canadian writers. 

Personal Attention Roleplay by Helen Chau Bradley (Metonymy Press, 2021) 

Published last fall, Personal Attention Roleplay is the debut short story collection from Montreal-based writer Helen Chau Bradley. The stories are narrated almost exclusively by LGBTQ+, mixed-race protagonists, who contemplate unreciprocated crushes, political solidarity and existential dread. Set predominantly in Toronto and Montreal, readers can easily recognize the streets, buses and bike routes as they take in Chau Bradley’s urban malaise. 

While all the stories feel fresh, I was especially struck by those that played with a surreal element. The title story —featuring a narrator becoming obsessed with AMSR videos on YouTube after a falling out with their roommate— is a collection standout. Likewise, the last piece “Soft Shoulder,” about a band touring on the road who finds out unexpected information about their manager, features a plot-twist ending that made me gasp out loud. Overall, the collection is yet another strong work from Montreal-based small publisher Metonymy Press.

Made-Up: A True Story of Beauty Culture Under Late Capitalism by Daphné B., translated by Alex Manley (Coach House Books, 2021)

Originally published in 2020 as Maquillée by francophone publisher Marchand des feuilles, this slim non-fiction work was recently translated into English. Made-Up takes on the beauty industry, feminist ethics and late capitalism in a style that combines non-fiction facts with a poetic prose style similar to books by American writers Maggie Nelson and Anne Boyer. Both B. and Manley are poets, making the translation beautiful to read.

I really enjoyed the particular emphasis on B.’s analysis of YouTube beauty influencers like Jeffree Star, Shane Dawson, Tati Westbrook and Jaclyn Hill. I haven’t seen a lot of critical writing about these beauty gurus, so it was refreshing to read a young perspective that truly understands their cultural importance to an entire generation of people who grew up on the Internet. Throughout the whole book, B. grapples with what it means to desire beauty and ethics at the same time. Even though it’s a short, quick read, there’s a lot to chew on, long after you’ve finished reading.

Margaret and the Mystery of the Missing Body by Megan Milks (Feminist Press, 2021)

New York City writer Megan Milks published four (!) books last year, including Margaret and the Mystery of the Missing Body, their debut novel. The novel is set in South Chesterfield, Virginia in 1998 and narrated by Margaret, a teenager in treatment for an eating disorder. 

This hybrid work mixes and matches genre styles to experimental delight, incorporating everything from YA fiction to crime to video games into a work of literary fiction. As one can expect from that description, it’s definitely a wild ride! But the undercurrent of the importance of friendship and navigating queerness as a young person made all the genre shifts come together for what is ultimately a moving and true-to-life ending. 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (Knopf, 2014)

Although this fourth novel by Canadian writer Emily St. John Mandel was released in 2014, it’s recently gained a wider audience due to its 2021 adaptation into a miniseries for HBO. This sci-fi novel follows a group of characters in Toronto as they survive the Georgia Flu, a viral disease that kills 99% of the world’s population in a matter of days. 

Much of the book takes on the Travelling Symphony, a group of actors and musicians who tour around the GTA twenty years after the flu’s outbreak. While I can understand that many people don’t want to read about a pandemic while we’re currently still in one, I found Station Eleven to be oddly comforting, reminding me of the strength of human resilience and the power of art in difficult times. I especially love the interconnectedness of the characters, which reminded me a lot of Lost.

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi (Riverhead Books, 2020) 

Released two years ago, The Death of Vivek Oji is the third novel from Nigerian writer Akwaeke Emezi. The novel blends the genre conventions of murder mystery with the stunning prose of literary fiction to showcase a queer story filled with equal parts tragedy and beauty. The Death of Vivek Oji begins with just that: the death of Vivek, who’s body is placed on the doorsteps of their parents. 

The novel switches between perspectives of Vivek, their childhood friend and cousin Osita and various family members to explore the grief of the loss and its effect on the whole community. But greater than that is the story of LGBTQ+ desire, community and chosen family. It reminded me strongly of Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin, which is also a tragedy. It’s heartbreaking, but overall an incredible read with the final twenty pages making the entire novel soar (and sending any reader into major tears).

Alanna Why is a culture and fiction writer living in Montreal. To read more of her book reviews, subscribe to her newsletter Why’s World and follow her on Instagram.

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