SJ approaches conversations around sexual identity and gender identity in a way that feels close to home. “It is the heart of a hero and a warrior.” It’s hard to tell someone who is asking you about a book you’re reading that a talking sword is what’s making you laugh. You get connected to the inanimate, now-animate, objects that Dylan works with, and want the best for them. I rarely feel emotionally attached to fictional characters in this way, and so when it happened I had to put the book down and breathe. And when our first character death happened, my heart broke.
My heart sat in my throat, waiting to find out what happened to these characters I had fallen in love with. Each one I finished in about a day, desperate to know what happened next. While these books sit at around the 400-page mark, I couldn’t put them down. These are still teenagers who, at the end of the day, have been tasked with saving the world. This is written in such a way that it feels tangible and relatable. Dylan is constantly needing reassurance that just because they disagree with their partner, that it doesn’t mean things are ending or that their partner hates them. There is also the insecurity that Dylan feels in their own romantic relationship, and how this affects the actions that they take. Characters like Alyse drag you into their friendship anyway and make you recognize that you are loved, and valued, and important.
It feels tricky to become friends with others, to be open and vulnerable with them. I am destroyed and terrified.”ĭylan’s relationships with others is something that I resonated with highly. “She smiles at me and I am far beyond smitten. The way Dylan gently learns how to have friends felt familiar, and the way the Cute Mutants are regularly assisting one another with their insecurities was fantastic to read. As the series continues, things get darker but you’re already too attached to everyone to quit. The humor and the references in the first book hook you and make you assume you’re starting safely with a light-hearted set of books. “…this is me, Dylan Taylor, human incarnation of the burning dumpster gif, and this is my life. These books start with Dylan realizing they can talk to inanimate objects, and that after years of fantasizing about becoming a mutant like the x-men, it’s happening. From the main three books that are currently out, to the fluffy spin-offs we got at Christmas time, SJ has created a world I can disappear in. The Cute Mutants series by SJ Whitby has become one of my favorite series of all time.
0 kommentar(er)
