i was given this audiobook for free from netgalley for my honest review. This was a very different type of historical fiction and i was shocked (pleasantly) by the characters! i loved how diverse and inclusive the authors was when creating the characters as well!

I really enjoyed this audio even as an advanced copy. I think this book is an easy sell to YA fans. I love the relationship dynamic between the two leads.

Before We Disappear tells the story of magician assistants Jack and Laszlo. Overall, I thought the story was delightful! It read like a lighthearted young adult novel where the power of friendship and love trumps all in the face of evil. All this, while also touching on some darker topics of Laszlo's past.

Personally, I had a bit of a hard time really getting into the story. Especially since I consumed this story by audiobook, I think I had a hard time differentiating Jack and Laszlo's POVs. Though, this might be because the audiobook was through a synthesized voice, I have no doubt that if the story was narrated with more personality (or even having two people narrate the different POVs) that it would be even more enjoyable! About halfway through, I really started getting a better grasp at the story and would sneak as much listening time as possible until the end!

I definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to feel like they are reading about a movie with a happy resolve: an escape to a new place, meeting new people who change your life, and fighting the bad in order to be happy with the new (and old) friends you made along the way.

PSA -I won't be reviewing this on other platforms until I get the physical or digital copy because the audiobook, aka the automated voice, REALLY hindered my views. It caused confusion and my dislike for a few things; because of this, my real review of the work won't be until I can read it or hear the proper audiobook.

Trigger warning: child abuse, guardian/parental abuse, sexual harassment, sexism, racism, homophobia, kidnapping & ableism.

I have to say that this showed two different abuse that parental figures inflict: emotional & physical. I thought that this was done very well; I feel myself shrink into myself when I read what each of them went through because of their guardian. George’s harassment towards Ruth also made me so uncomfortable because I could relate and same so many similarities from today. This book took so many incidents from the present day that were just as relevant (sometimes worse in cases) as back in the novels time period 1909.

The magic was also fascinating, and I was actually pleased not to question why Wilheim had powers. What I did question, however, is why the story decided to talk about a lot of things but never act on it, aka escaping Teddy. It was talked about a lot, but nothing was done when it got extremely repetitive when there were so many opportunities. I feel like if this had been shorter, then I could have dealt with it, but the story was too long, and halfway through the book, I knew how it would end and just needed it to ... happen.

A few of the fascinating characters who were diverse and were great representation were just plot points, and there was barely anything or as many interactions that I wanted. Because the main characters had good qualities are were interesting, but while the love was building (which was lacking ), they could have given more side character interactions and story.

dnf

the arc audiobook was provided via netgalley, so I was super excited because I had read we are the ants. the cover was intriguing, along with the title. c'mon, "before we disappear" is probably the best title I've seen over the course of 2021's new releases. however, I physically can't tell if siri is doing a voice over or if its an actual person. its so monotone, and the emphasis' are all over the place so its impossible to understand the sentences. maybe it would have been a better book if I had read it instead, but this was pretty painful to listen to.

I dont want to give it a rating because it feels unfair of me, but up to the point I stopped at I would give it a 1.5

I absolutely HAD to read this when I saw the cover. It's beyond gorgeous and might be the prettiest cover of 2021! Unfortunately the book itself didn't quite live up to the cover, but it certainly wasn't terrible!. This was my first Shaun David Hutchinson book, but I had heard of several of his other titles before.

Set at the 1909 Alaska–Yukon–Pacific World’s Fair Exposition in Seattle made for a really unique setting that I had definitely never seen before! World's Fairs exhibits have always been a mild interest of mine, and there were a few different interesting descriptions of the exhibits that definitely showed research. Overall though, the characters didn't really feel like they were a part of that time period, obviously this was somewhat of a fantasy and the author notes that he wanted to make a diverse group of characters have more tolerance in this time period which I thought was a really nice idea. The cast was indeed pretty diverse, which is always nice to see! However, most of the time this felt like it could be set in a contemporary time period without much revision.

The subject of magicians was nicely done though, and I loved reading about the different performances that were put together! I loved the concept of rival magicians, and there were some fun albeit somewhat predictable twists throughout that made it interesting to see what would happen next. For some reason, I expected more real magic or something a little more fantastical overall, so don't go into the book thinking its all magic. I would say this is more of a historical fiction with some magic touches. Wilhelm can essentially teleport himself short distances. We don't get much explanation for why he can do it or if he's the only person that can do real magic.

The relationship between Wilhelm and Jack was cute, and its always nice to see a M/M romance written by a male author. Wilhelm was very soft and sweet, while Jack was definitely more adventurous! I ended up feeling like the relationship wasn't very well-developed though, and often it just felt a little too dramatic. Jack's reluctance to save Wilhelm from his captor because he worried he would leave him was kind of weird though.

For most of the book, Wilhelm is being held against his will by Theodore to do his bidding to steal as well as do his magic shows. I thought the concept of an evil character stealing a magical boy to raise and do his evil bidding was pretty cool, it felt like something that would definitely happen. Theodore often came off as a cartoonish villain though, and it felt fairly unrealistic that he had held Theodore captive for such a long time because he honestly didn't come off as devious as he was described to be. Supposedly he had done all kinds of horrible things to Wilhelm and anybody Wilhelm told his secrets to, but he just didn't come across as evil/cruel enough for me in the present timeline of the book.

Overall, I'd say this was an interesting and pretty unique historical speculative fiction book, and if you're looking for a cute gay romance with some pretty quotes and a little bit of magic, this might hit the spot for you! I might listen to the real audiobook when it releases, since the galley was a synthetic voice, and I wonder if that might have affected my enjoyment.

I DNFed this book…

The narrator was bad, I couldn’t listen to this book for 10 hours, I would want to rip out my hair.

Jack and Wilhelm are the sweetest, and their relationship feels genuine. The pacing flowed well, and the action progressed quickly. The book wraps up really well, but also leaves room for a sequel of their future adventures.

I ultimately DNF'd this because I just couldn't stand the robotic voice... it was the first ARC I requested from Netgalley and I think it is for this reason I couldn't enjoy it. I'm sure the book overall is very good and I'd love to read the e-copy or physical book, but this version of the audiobook did not allow me to enjoy it at all.

I read this as an audio ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I rather enjoyed the book. The characters are engaging, there is diverse representation, and while the story is set in 1909, the author very intentionally disregarded the blatant homophobia of the era so that the book's queer characters could fully embrace their happiness, rather than focusing on their pain. Also, I enjoyed the swapping perspectives between our main characters, Jack and Will, each narrating alternating chapters. While period-typical homophobia seems mostly absent, racism is shown through the actions of some of the rather toxic characters. As with homophobia, racism and sexism were approached with a largely modern lens. It works for the narrative but does lend the story a bit of an alternate-reality feeling at times. Also there's magic.

That being said, the book starts rather dark and continues in that vein for about the first half of the narrative, especially with Will's narration. Things get better, but there is discussion of abuse, neglect, and poisoning or drugging, depending on how you look at it.

Content Warnings:
Manipulation and abuse by a "parental" figure, past kidnapping, discussions of racism
Note: All of the above are addressed directly in the text.

Overall, I rather enjoyed the story and look forward to reading other books by this author.

A very cute and whimsical read. I loved being swept away to the 1909 Seattle Alaska-Yukon world fair, and really felt the wonder of this scale of exhibition through one of the narrators, Jack.
Aside from the horrible situation one of the narrators has been living in for most of his life, the story was rather ladi-daaa, fairy-tale, for my usual tastes, but it wouldn't stop me from recommending it to others as a fun book to loose yourself into for a few days.

Free audio narration was a bit hard to follow at times, but I am sure the story will be much more colourful and come to life even more with a proper narrator, as the story deserves!

I have received this ARC from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. Jack and Laszlo were wonderful characters even though the the plot was predictable at times.

Hutchinson is one of my absolute favorite authors of all time. This book did not disappoint, it met all of my very high expectations.

It is not historically accurate at all, but I didn't mind. The cast is really diverse and there's a ton of poc and queer characters. The author doesn't really acknowledge that this is not historically accurate, which I loved because it's a book full of magic so there's no need to draw the arbitrary line in the sand of what has to be exact to the real world. I liked that in the author's note Hutchinson said he realizes that in reality in 1909, his characters' relationships would have been hated but that he wanted to write about queer joy instead of bigotry.

Wil is like the sweetest guy and he and Jack are perfect together. Wil deserves the world and Jack wants to give it to him which is the best dynamic. The narrator of the audiobook is really a good fit for this story, I really enjoyed having this in audio format and I would definitely recommend it.

My only criticism is how long the book was, there are 72 chapters and the audiobook is over 9 hours and it took a long time for me to get through it even though I was enjoying it. If you enjoy long dark queer fantasy with a happy ending, you should absolutely read this.

I received a copy of this novel in the form of an audiobook from Netgallery for my honest review.

I read Hutchinson's "At the edge of the Universe" because it was free and had an interesting premise and it was very good. So combined with that and the gorgeous cover I rushed to request a copy!

The story was pretty predictable, but still was fun and I finished it pretty quick because I had to know what would happen. Jack and Wil were very sweet and I especially loved Wil's character. I'm a sucker for sweet sunshine characters that have been put through hell but still have hope and are kind. I enjoyed the mixing of reality and magic, though I do wish we found out more regarding Wil's abilities and if he was an outlier or there where others but maybe Hutchinson will explore that in the future. Overall a very fun and cute story that had me smiling once it finished and helped me feel better after a bad day. Would recommend for sure!

I got this through #netgalley. I really liked this book but I don’t know if I can pin point why exactly. I think a lot of it had to do with it being different then a lot of the LGBTQ+ books I normally read! Plus I’ve always been fascinated by the world of illusionary magic so it was interesting to read about characters involved in that! Plus Jack and Wilhelm are bother really likable characters! Also I love that this book has a great supporting cast I loved almost all of the characters in Jack and Wilhelm’s lives. I even liked Evangeline, she was one of those love to hate characters for me! It was also interesting to read about a different time in the worlds history, I’m not usually big on those but this book really created a picture for me! And I liked how Shaun David Hutchison had a spin that made it so being LGBTQ+ during that time was not really seen as a big deal! It was kind of refreshing! I’m really excited for this one to come out!

Good story, it is very captivating. The setting was fantastic and very interesting! The characters are all really good, and I love the diversity.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

I gave Before We Disappear 3.5/5 stars.

A NOTE ON TRIGGER WARNINGS
I would just like to note that this book starts in an extremely dark place. There are themes of abuse and captivity by authoritative/parental figures. There are themes of peril, manipulation, and physical violence. Please note that these themes are very well handled by the author.

WHAT I LOVED

- The Characters
Every character has a thought-out personality that is unique. No one blends into someone else. All the voices are separate and everyone has their own unique problems or quirks. For example, Jack's abandonment issues are prevalent and he hides his emotions through his wit and swagger. Will is endearingly naive and wants to see the best in everyone despite his negative experiences. Both the main characters (and the side characters) were relatable. It was enjoyable going on an adventure with them.

- LGBTQIA+ & BIPOC Rep
Seeing the diversity within this novel was so wonderful. But Hutchinson didn't simply include diversity to be diverse. He challenges stereotypes and comments on the anti-Black and anti-LGBTQIA ideals of the early 1900s (that are extremely relatable and similar to present-day racism and homophobia).

- The Plot & Romance
I adore magic and magicians, so I had a feeling that this would be a book that I'd enjoy. The story begins quickly with a lot of information. It moves fast and new problems weave their way into the main plot that was overall very interesting. I also thought the romance was realistic and relatable. It wasn't rushed, nor was it instant. It had time to grow and flourish.

WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE

- The Repetition
Thoughts, dialogue, and plot points began to feel a tad repetitive as the story went on. It made me feel like the novel could have been shortened a tad, as some chapters felt like their only job was to fill space. I would find Will thinking similar thoughts to those he'd had several chapters back or a conversation that already happened would happen again. I found that I had to sit through the same scenes again and again. For example, Jack often discusses freeing Will from his captor, yet never makes the move to plan or try. He spends 90% of the book trying to convince Will that it will work instead of coming up with a plan. Even Teddy/Lazlo's villain monologues were getting tiring. While yes every great villain has a monologue, Teddy had several and they got tiring really fast. We know you're evil. We know you're no good. Let's move on. I just found there were parts that I wanted to skip or skim, to get back to the plot.

OVERALL RECOMMEND?
Yes, especially if you're interested in magic and are looking for a good LGBTQIA+ read!

I'm confused as to how to review an audiobook that was just a computer voice? I enjoyed listening to it, but obviously since it was a computer its tone and inflection was very constant, and it wasn't super entertaining.

When I was in middle school, I picked up We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson. I didn't know it was queer, and I was dealing with my own little sexuality crisis. I didn't even know queer books existed. And not only was We Are the Ants queer, but it was also super good. When I read that book for the first time, I felt alive. I've spent all my years since reading that book chasing that feeling. I keep coming back to Shaun David Hutchinson looking to feel that again from his books, but I've never once felt it from his books again. This book was no exception.

I think this book was definitely one of Hutchinson's better books, but that honestly doesn't say much.

Things I liked: the plot was interesting, the romance had chemistry, I think the different authority figure abuse narratives were very well handled.

Things I didn't like: the writing was very amateur, Hutchinson does a lot of "telling, not showing," the constant current American political references were cringy and just didn't fit in the writing.

The constant liberal political references in this book were very irksome. I fully believe that authors can grow from past problematic representation of minorities, but I think much of what Hutchinson is doing in this book is grossly overcompensating for the mess that was The State of Us. This is a magical historical fiction set in America in the early 1900's. These constant allusions to modern politics really take the reader out of the story, and really detracts from the overall quality. (btw I'm a leftist pls don't take this bitching as me being a republican Goodreads mutuals lolz)

Overall... another very unremarkable book that had potential for more. I would love to see this concept with better writing. 2.5 stars rounded up.

Jack is a thief and assistant to the renowned enchantress Evangeline Dubois. Will is a thief and assistant to the infamous magician Lazlo. When Jack discovers Will chained to a bed, it's inevitable that a rescue and romance are about to ensue.
There are honestly a lot of things I love about this book. The writing was clever, the romance adorable, the thrills suitably heart-pounding. I really struggled with this one though. I have never read a book set in the 1800s that is so obviously written by someone in the 2000s. And I'm not saying it's factually inaccurate--the cited novels existed then, the World Fair definitely had exhibits, and many of the events are reflective of common events of the period. What continues to disconcert me is the mindset. I couldn't have been more disappointed if there had been a "corsets are instruments of oppression" scene (which, in case you didn't know, is completely false). It's subtly woven throughout the book to the extent that I can neither pinpoint it nor ignore it. It's not even the blatant historical inaccuracy of the many lovely homosexual relationships in the story (which the author is not sorry for nor should be, as this is fiction, and I"m satisfied with that explanation). It's just the way the characters talk and the way they think. I'd like to like this book for what it is, but as a teacher, I know that some ignorant child is going to not have read "Lies my Teacher Told Me" and believe so much of this, and that frustrates me.
It's also fair to say that this is not a good book to start if you're in a low of depression. It starts out pretty dark and doesn't become sweet and adorable until over halfway through. There is blood, manipulation, abuse, and peril, and I would have liked to know that before I started.
I was truly enchanted by the plot, and the characters were really charming, so I feel a bit guilty giving this one such a low rating, but there are so many other books that do historical fiction better.

This is a YA, queer fantasy about magicians and their apprentices. I enjoyed the setting, 1909 Seattle Alaska-Yukon world fair. This made me want to learn more about that era.
The characters were relatable and my heart ached for them as they endured many hardships. The ending was satisfying and this could very well be a stand-alone or part of a series.
The only negative is I had a bit of a hard time following along because of the narration. I would have enjoyed this more if I read a physical copy.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.