“Brutes” by Dizz Tate
If you like Jeffrey Eugenides’ use of first-person plural in his book “The Virgin Suicides” or the swampy setting of Sean Baker’s film “The Florida Project,” odds are you’ll resonate with Dizz Tate’s 2023 debut novel “Brutes.” The story follows a group of young girls in suburban Florida obsessed with the town preacher’s daughter, Sammy, who goes missing. Tate’s usage of the “we” pronoun heightens the girls’ bond and adds a sinister effect as they creep on Sammy, closely following her relationship with an older boy before her disappearance. In the second half of the novel, Tate allots each girl her own chapter, simultaneously clearing up and complicating the air of confusion in the first half. The reader barely knows what information is reliable, but the suspenseful atmosphere and captivating mystery encourage them to keep turning the page.
— Skylar Boilard, Arts Editor
“Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism” by Amanda Montell
At some point in your life, it’s certainly possible you will be susceptible to joining a cult. Whether it’s the boot camp fitness studio you can’t quit — guilty — or the multi-level marketing scheme someone tried to rope you into, Amanda Montell’s “Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism” provides deeper insight into why groups like these are so enticing. The book avoids merely sensationalizing the failures of movements like Jonestown and Heaven’s Gate. Instead, Montell humanizes the concept by sharing her own anecdotes from escaping cult-like scenarios, explaining how the manipulation of language creates intrigue. To anyone who’s also spent way too long going down conspiracy theory rabbit holes or binging dramatic documentaries, “Cultish” brings a refreshing sense of rationale and education to the phenomenon.
— Amelia Knust, Music Editor
“The Husbands” by Holly Gramazio
What if instead of a closet that leads to Narnia, you were stuck with an attic that spawns infinite husbands? In Holly Gramazio’s novel “The Husbands,” that’s exactly what happens to Lauren after she returns home from a night out to an unfamiliar man in her home claiming to be her husband. When he ascends into the attic to change a lightbulb, he is replaced by yet another husband — Lauren’s relationships and apartment are reset according to every new reality. Despite her endless dating pool, the over 200 husbands she encounters all leave Lauren dissatisfied, as the illusion of choice raises her standards impossibly high. Gramazio’s witty commentary on dating in the digital age makes this fast-paced comedy difficult to put down, and each husband presents his own quirks that leave readers rooting for Lauren to finally find the one — if he even exists.
— Chantal Mann, Performing Arts Editor
“War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America’s Colony” by Nelson Antonio Denis
To many Americans, Puerto Rico is little more than a cushy vacation spot they can head to without a passport. What they often fail to realize or acknowledge is the island’s colonial history and the iron rule of the United States that impacts its people to this day. In “War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America’s Colony,” Nelson Antonio Denis tells the powerful story of the 1950 San Juan Nationalist revolt and its lasting ripple effects, taking readers along the journey of nationalist party president Pedro Albizu Campos up to his death. As the party staged an armed insurrection against the United States, violence broke out island-wide — and, for the first time in its history, the United States bombed its own citizens. Denis weaves the narrative together by tracing the roots and development of this turning point in Puerto Rico’s history, illustrating to readers the echoes of revolution still present on the island today. ¡Viva Puerto Rico libre!
— Joe Paladino, Staff Writer
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