Tib’s Cranky Corner

The disappointing, over-hyped, DNF’ed, problematic, or straight-up bigoted. They all end up here, because they all made me cranky.

My own cranky monster, Tib, is the patron saint of this feature. Also known as Crambi, or Pigathy, Tib has perfected her crankitude over the course of 10 years, and she makes her screechy cry heard throughout the house whenever things aren’t going exactly her way. (Disclosure: Of my cats, Tib is most like me. Make of that what you will.)

  • Cover of "Imaginary Friend," with the title and author Stephen Chbosky's name in large spindly white script against a dark background with a child silouhetted against a tree
    Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
    Oh sweet lord jesus, WHY did I not listen to all the reviews? WHY did I not pay attention when I heard this was BAD BAD BAD? WHY am I like this? 
  • Cover of "Ask the Passengers," with the title in big white font at the bottom, over a photo of a white femme person raising their hand into a bright sky against a natural backdrop. There's a lens flare in the center of the image.
    Ask the Passengers by A. S. King
    I loved King’s ‘Dig,” but this was such an exercise in misery porn, I couldn’t get past page 30.
  • Cover of "Boy, Snow, Bird," with the title in tall black font against a green background. Interwoven through the title is an illustration of a snake and a few roses
    Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
    DON’T READ THIS BOOK. It is TRANSPHOBIC AF.
  • Cover of "Squad," with the title in ombre yellow-to pink font, slashed, at the top of an illustration of 4 girls whose backs are to the viewer except the central pale girl, who is in partial profile. In the background is a full moon with silhouettes of 3 wolves, as shadows of 3 of the girls
    Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
    I was SO excited for this book, but as you can see from its appearance here in the Cranky Corner, I was pretty damn disappointed.
  • Cover of 'House of Hollow,' with title words individually chopped up and imposed over an illustration of a white, femme-seeming face, covered in swaths of flower-vines, dripping something sap-like
    House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
    This book had me so excited. It WAS going to be an entry in Lavender’s Angry Girls/Furious Femmes series, but the way it ended and the way it undercut any initial empowering message about survivors rising up in fury sent it here instead. Sadly.
  • Cover of 'She's Too Pretty To Burn,' with title in large white font over an illustration of a white femme person, with pink longer hair, orange sunglasses, and a teal tank top. The background is pale with orange splotches, and under the word "Burn" there are fire emojis.
    She’s Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard
    Oh dear…
  • Cover of "Survive the Night," with the title and author Riley Sager's name in huge, orangeish handwritten font, against a dark night backdrop with a road and car headlights a the bottom
    Survive the Night by Riley Sager
    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. God. This was not good.
  • Cover of "Small Favors," with the title and author Erin A. Craig's name in black font, with honey spilling off some letters, against a background of close-up flowers and bees. The color palette is mainly yellows and pinks, with some white and orange.
    Small Favors by Erin A. Craig
    An interesting enough first half that spiraled out of control and ended with some squicky YA tropes. I was massively disappointed.
  • Cover of "The Hiding Place" with title and author C. J. Tudor's name in red text over an empty white room, in shadow, with an open window shutter, edge of a bedframe, and playing cards scattered across the floor.
    The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor
    Here, as with The Chalk Man, Tudor’s still ‘doing’ Stephen King in some ways, but prime King was rarely this bleak. The whole damn setting and tone were bleak as fuck, and I definitely don’t read thrillers OR horror for bleak shit.
  • Cover of "The Chalk Man" with the title and author C. J. Tudor's name over a red background, with white chalk lines in the foreground criss-crossing the title
    The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor
    Ugh, I am so damn disappointed. So, this book starts off with a split timeline and a group of childhood friends–four boys and the one, single, solitary “not like other girls” girl.Thanks, I hate it. Hello IT, my old friend…