issue 23// vol 46 he Rw AA CO Run away with the circus in ‘The Undoing’ » Magical novel duology comes to a close with sequel’s release Cheryl Minns Senior Columnist Coan author Jennifer Sommersby introduced Genevieve Flannery and Henry Dmitri the world with her 2018 debut young adult novel, Sleight. Two years later, she returns with the second book in the AVRAKEDAVRA duology, The Undoing. Published by HarperCollins Canada, this eBook is a thrill ride of a read. It offers non-stop action and gut-wrenching conflict from two teens with supernatural abilities who must choose between keeping their powers or saving the world. In Sleight, Genevieve has the power to heal people with a touch of her hand, a talent that comes in handy while working at the circus. But then she fails to save her mother, Delia, after an aerial performance ends in her death. The tragedy leads Genevieve to discover that her mother was the guardian of a powerful ancient text with magical properties—the AVRAKEDAVRA. The book is the source of Genevieve’s power and now it’s her job to protect it. After Delia’s death, a businessman named Lucien Dmitri offers to buy the travelling circus and make it a permanent fixture in Oregon, USA. Genevieve isn’t sure she can trust the mysterious Lucien, but she does trust his son, Henry—who can transmit memories to a person when he touches them. When Genevieve discovers her AVRAKEDAVRA is one of three, she enlists Henry’s help in stealing the second book from his father. In the end, the two of them barely escape with their lives as they board a plane to find the third book. The Undoing picks up with Genevieve and Henry in France with Henry’s grandfather, Nutesh. He gives them his AVRAKEDAVRA text and tells them about the “Undoing” ritual, which will allow them if to destroy the books for good. Unfortunately, Lucien has spread their photos and information across multiple international news outlets, claiming they are criminals. But that won't stop Genevieve and Henry, who disguise themselves and create fake identities to travel across Europe and the Middle East to get to Mesopotamia where they can A undol ng a an a Cover of The Undoing Ebook; Photo by Cheryl Minns | perform the Undoing. This book is a real change of pace from its predecessor, Sleight. The first book was a slow-burning story that dealt with grief, mystery, young love, animal rights, and so much more. The Undoing approaches Genevieve and Henry’s journey like an action film, sending them straight into the middle of danger and never letting up on the tension. The Undoing introduces readers to many new characters as the team travels across multiple countries. They encounter members of an underground organization called La Vérité (French for The Truth), who run their operations out of travelling circuses. Although Genevieve’s mother is no longer with her, the La Vérité members knew Delia and share stories about her with Genevieve, keeping her mother’s memory alive. One prominent new character is Xavier, who acts as Genevieve and Henry’s bodyguard for the journey. He has his reasons for joining the team on this mission, which is a great secret and surprise. Some of the best moments in the book occur when Genevieve uses her power to heal and then questions whether she can give that up. These tender moments add to Genevieve's depth as a character who not only focuses on the mission at hand, but who also takes time to reflect on the consequences of her future actions. Reading the details and descriptions of the different countries Genevieve and Henry visit, it’s clear Sommersby put a lot of effort into researching these places. There are so many references to each country’s geography, landscape, history, and culture that when I finished the book, I felt like ] had taken a mini vacation to these amazing destinations. These days, when travel is extremely limited, a book that can transport a reader across the world seems like a worthwhile read. The Undoing eBook releases March 31 for most major eBook retailers, including Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, and Kobo. (The book will also be released under the title Scheme by Sky Pony Press in the USA in hardcover and eBook on April 21.) College student Troy Barnes alter ego makes some weird music >» A review of Childish Gambino’s ‘3.15.20’ James Wetmore Contributor wkweK KY With the quarantine slowly driving everyone stir crazy and bored of everything in their house, Childish Gambino—or Donald Glover—has kept fans curious. On March 15, a mysterious link was shared under the name “Donald Glover Presents,” playing a collection of songs on loop. The website was taken down 24 hours later, and nothing more was heard until midnight on March 22—when the collection was released on streaming services under the title 3.15.20. The album marks another musical shift in style from Glover, going froma more R&B/Soul style on his last album “Awaken, My Love!” to a much more experimental industrial style—while still containing more radio-friendly hits such as the track “42.26”(previously released under the title “Feels Like Summer”). Tracks like “Algorhythm” and “19.10” are the best example of his new hard-hitting, metallic industrial sound. The tracks have distorted drums, vocals, and bass lines present throughout. It seems like Mr. Glover himself has gone a little stir crazy due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced everyone to spend time with their family. Glover still has the ability to make bangers. One of such is the song “35.31,” which bears a resemblance to the opening of “This Is America.” Another bop is “53.49, an aggressive song that almost sounds like early-album Kanye. It’s like Glover is showing the public that though he can make songs to get you hyped and ready to go buck wild, but he'd rather experiment, try new things, and break out of his comfort zone than be forced to make songs that are purely commercial. The album still has some problems. The aforementioned distortion was also present on some other tracks where it doesn't mesh quite as well, such as “47.48.” Some of the messages Glover discusses during the album can come off a little preachy—some definitely did not hit as hard as others. It’s certainly not his most polished or concise album, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had despite its envelope- pushing experimentation. In the midst of a very confusing and stressful time, Donald Glover releases an album to try and accompany the feelings associated with the quarantine while Screenshot of 'Donald Glover Presents - 3.15.20' on YouTube also offering songs that are able to get you up, moving, and grooving to try and replace your worried thoughts. Some songs on 3.15.20 have the potential to be classic party anthems, while others may become the songs you come back to in six months since they didn’t have a large impact upon first hearing, only to find out that they are diamonds in the rough. All in all, this album is a must-listen during the quarantine because what else are you going to do? Clean your room for the tenth time? Nuh-uh, not on my watch.