Description: Jessie Archer is a member of the Athena Protocol, an elite organization of female spies who enact vigilante justice around the world. Athena operatives are never supposed to shoot to kill—so when Jessie can’t stop herself from pulling the trigger, she gets kicked out of the organization, right before a huge mission to take down a human trafficker in Belgrade. Jessie needs to right her wrong and prove herself, so she starts her own investigation into the trafficking. But going rogue means she has no one to watch her back as she delves into the horrors she uncovers. Meanwhile, her former teammates have been ordered to bring her down. Jessie must face danger from all sides if she’s to complete her mission—and survive. Review: I have always been frustrated with the James Bond and Mission Impossible movie franchises especially with their reductive treatment of women who are either the femme fatale caricuture or an "agent" who is suppose to be capable an...
There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with this lesson all their life. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws, who emerges from one of her mother's paintings and a drop of Jam's blood, she must reconsider what she's been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption's house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth, and the answer to the question--How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?
Review: Pet is a slim novel that does not have much of a plot but it is packed with representation and big questions regarding justice, truth, and remembering. Jam is our protagonist, a transgender hearing person who communicates selectively, using both sign language and vocal speech. She was born after a revolution in which human (and some supernatural) "angels" rid her now-utopian town of monsters. The author defines monsters as anyone who oppresses and manifests evil.
When Jam trips over a painting made by her artist mother, she is cut with blades embedded in the work. Jam's blood hits the canvas, and the grotesque figure her mother created comes to life. The creature has goat legs, a twisted torso, feathers, horns, and human hands and has been named Pet has returned to Jam's world in order to hunt a monster. Worse yet, this monster is said to live in the house of Jam's best friend, Redemption.
We follow Jam as she investigates Pet's claims and the monster that haunts Redemption's family is slowly revealed. The story moves along, however, I wished the plot had been more complex and fleshed out. I wanted to explore the concept of angels and monsters a bit more. We are told of monstrosities, but I would have much rather seem them come to light. The book waffles between being metaphorical and heavy handedness as the author strives to create a world that is universal and not specific to a certain place or time.
For me the Pet shines in its inclusive and diverse representation. Jam's announcement of being transgendered is taken seriously by her parents and the teen has the autonomy to take control of her body and transition without her parents permission. I also appreciated that Jam's parents are from the African diaspora and does not have a one-story background. There is also a well loved librarian who is in a wheel chair, but this does not define him. Redemption is also from a loving three parent household. The themes and close examination of self-proclaimed bias- or harm-free spaces gives the reader a lot to think about. Pet is an unusual book and it would be greatly appreciated by close reading and those who like to ask big questions.
Rating: 3 stars
Words of Caution: There are allusions to child abuse and disturbing images. Recommended for Grades 8 and up.
If you like this book try: Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen
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