Kirkus-Style Review

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Title: Bttm Fdrs
Authors: Ezra Claytan Daniels and Ben Passmore

An alternate reality Chicago creature feature with the social commentary of Us, this carnival-colored graphic novel finds symbiosis in a fresh, new genre: Gentrification Horror.

When Darla moves into her first apartment—an old animal testing lab cum industrial artist’s loft in the Bottomyards, she thinks she’s found a cheap place to live while she works on her clothing line. The Bottomyards are so far south Darla can’t trust the CTA, her scheming landlord Gene, the creepy ComEd guy who seems to be stalking her, or her best friend Cynthia, an oblivious white woman who is only interested in coming over to Darla’s place when she learns local ironic DJ Plymouth Rock lives in the building, too. On her first night in the building, she meets original tenant Katherine and her traumatized adult son Chucky, who laments the building’s rising rent as she packs for a move to the suburbs. “Everything is a pattern in history,” she tells Darla, “and it’s played out more times than we could ever count. No matter what you have, no matter how little it is, they’re gonna take it from you eventually.” The next day, after a failed attempt at selling her designs, Darla accuses Cynthia of pretending to live in her new neighborhood to look cool. She consoles herself with a night out at the neighborhood bar that brings her closer to Julio, aka Plymouth Rock. The romance is short-lived—the two return home to find that Cynthia is missing. Soon, Darla confirms her worst fears: there’s something in the walls…and it’s alive. Claytan Daniels and Passmore explore racial tension, authenticity, and body horror in this colorful twist on the classic haunted house story set against a backdrop of urban blight. With a wry sense of humor and plenty of bumps in the night, Bttm Fdrs posits a world in which the monster in your closet might belong there more than you do.

Pub Date: 2019
Page Count: 295
ISBN: 978-1-68396-206-9
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books Inc.

Comments

  1. Emily February 12, 2020 at 9:39 PM

    What an awesome opening summary of this book! I was intrigued right away and excited to read the more in-depth review. I personally found the first summary to be the most difficult part of this assignment. I have always struggled to be succinct so the word limit was a real challenge for me haha. Thank you for sharing, great job!

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    1. LibrarishannFebruary 13, 2020 at 9:19 AM

      Thanks Emily! That snappy first sentence always takes the longest in my experience--I had to write a lot of those for a previous job so I got a lot of reps in.

      Delete
  2. Julie DannisFebruary 13, 2020 at 7:05 AM

    I agree with Emily--your description makes me want to read this book! I had not heard the term, gentrification horror," before; I will keep my eye out for it.

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    1. LibrarishannFebruary 13, 2020 at 9:20 AM

      Thanks Julie! I think we'll be seeing a lot more media that fits into that category. I found it to be a quick fun read, I hope you like it!

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  3. SusanFebruary 15, 2020 at 7:03 PM

    Not gonna lie- I paused mid-review to check if my library had it. "Gentrification horror" sounds too good to pass up. This sounds like such a fascinating blend of genres, and I especially like that you selected a graphic novel to review. And the way you reviewed it! I mean- "the monster in your closet might belong there more than you do" is such an incredible line. You should do this professionally. Thanks for letting us know about this book- I just placed a hold on it!

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    1. LibrarishannFebruary 19, 2020 at 1:04 PM

      Thanks Susan! Besides this book and "Get Out," I can't think of anything else that fits in the genre yet, but I think there's a lot of ground to cover there. I sort of did do this professionally...and it took some of the fun out of it, to be honest. But maybe I'll try again now that it's not tied to my livelihood. I hope you like the book!

      Delete
  4. Jake the LibrarianFebruary 16, 2020 at 7:03 PM

    The last sentence, the way you sum the review up is amazing. I'm echoing Susan; I'm going to see if my library has this and I can reserve it. If not, hello ILL! Way to convince me to add more to my list!

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    1. LibrarishannFebruary 19, 2020 at 1:05 PM

      Thanks Jake! I hope you like it as much as I did!

      Delete
  5. Sara P.February 16, 2020 at 8:46 PM

    What a review! I don't often geek out about verbiage, but you really nailed this review on the head. Who knew gentrification horror was a thing? (Other than my HOA, breathing down my neck?) I love a good spooky book, and the thrill and mystery of something lurking, unseen, in the walls? That's what gets the geese bumping.

    Great work!
    Sara

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    1. LibrarishannFebruary 19, 2020 at 1:05 PM

      Thanks Sara! The note about your HOA made me laugh!

      Delete
  6. Erin CataldiFebruary 18, 2020 at 10:14 AM

    Wow! You blew me out of the water with this review! The first and the last sentences sound like blurbs you would see on book jackets! Like all your classmates I am totally intrigued by this book and the new genre. Excellent job and full points!!

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