I've been a fan of @LaurenMcWoof's writing since her outstanding debut novel, Cycler, an allegorical YA sf novel about a young woman who turns into a boy for 5 days out of 28:
boingboing.net/2008/08/26/cyc…
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boingboing.net/2008/08/26/cyc…
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McLaughlin has written in so many modes since, and done so well with each. She reminds me of @KatheKoja or @neilhimself, a writer of incredible versatility who writes for kids and adults with equal facility, crossing back and forth from sf to mimetic fiction to fantasy.
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Her new novel is superb: SEND PICS is a cyber-heist book whose mechanics turn on the same kind of taut smart-versus-outsmart that made @jonrog1's Leverage such a treat.
boingboing.net/2020/04/21/mer…
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boingboing.net/2020/04/21/mer…
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But what makes SEND PICS really incredible is how it marries that heist-novel tension with deadly serious subject matter: it's a book about a young woman who is drugged, sexually assaulted, and then extorted by her abuser.
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McLaughlin's balancing act between these two modes shows off that rare, writerly versatility: this is a book that's on the one hand deadly serious, and on the other hand, a plot-driven romp, and it manages this feat without trivializing its subject or sacrificing its gusto.
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On the way, SEND PICS connect patriarchy with inequality, white supremacy, and allyship. It's a gorgeous story of beautiful friendships, a tight tale of justice and comeuppance, and a technothriller of great drive.
dottirpress.com/send-pics
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dottirpress.com/send-pics
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