Mishell Baker

Borderline

Janice Hopper

This may be a bit spoilerific. Read at your own risk. 

I seem to have become kind of a cranky reader in my old age. I increasingly have strong likes and dislikes about various things that affect my enjoyment of books that are otherwise pretty good. Plus I've read genre for 50+ years, and tend to be a bit jaded about it. There really isn't very much new under the sun.

So, this book, and the things that bothered me as An Old Fossil With Dubious Opinions:

The protagonist is competent, but unlikeable. An unlikeable character isn't necessarily a deal-breaker in a book, doG knows. I liked the way her physical disability was handled. It affected her, but didn't stop her. She got things done. But she often did it while be a vicious, manipulative bitch. I get it -- it's another kind of disability. But I didn't enjoy reading it.

Elves. I hate it when people try to re-invent elves. Like, REALLY hate it. Really, REALLY hate it. The only one who's done it right since Tolkien is Susanna Clarke. Authors, write what you want, and feel free to disagree with my narrow, opinionated view. :) But elves that come across as over-sexed drag queens or whatever that was in that book? Jeezopete, no. Just... no. 

That said, the book moved along at a good pace. The elvish-painted & enchanted interiors that acted as holodecks (see: nothing new under the sun) were a nice touch. The idea that people with mental problems and other disabilities can still be effective in society is good and laudable, even though here they're mostly sequestered into a team of misfits. O.o

So: a fast-paced story with some good bits and bad (for me) bits. Lots of folks like it, and it's a bit different from many of the current run of fantasy novels. I don't expect to read any more of these, but I might change my mind.

Didi Chanoch

It seems I forgot to review this when I read it. But that's okay, because it's still a few days from publication, and you all can still preorder it. Which you should. Now.

BORDERLINE is, simply, a terrific novel that does a whole bunch of things really well. There's a great urban fantasy premise, a swift and energetic plot, and an excellent cast of characters. 

But what makes the book a five star book, and one I've been championing to anyone who would listen, is Millie, the protagonist. Millie is a disabled women with Borderline personality disorder. This is a little understood, often misdiagnosed disorder, that is extremely hard to live with. Baker knows what she's talking about, as she has BPD. That firsthand knowledge shines through. You are not likely to read a clearer, more powerful first hand depiction of a mental disorder any time soon. 

One of the closest people to me suffers from BPD, and this book has helped me have a better understanding of this person, who has been very close to me for years. In that respect, this is an important book. 

But "important" doesn't mean "not fun", and Baker has done a tremendous juggling act here, presenting Millie in a completely honest way while making her a compelling character in an extremely absorbing novel. I am not a fast reader in English, and I devoured this book. 

BORDERLINE was originally written as a stand alone, and became the first of a trilogy because the editor wanted MORE and convinced Baker that more is needed. I am grateful for this, as I cannot wait to read the next installment of Millie's adventures in Hollywood with elves and magic. 

Oh, yeah. This is a book that takes place in Hollywood (in a movie industry Baker knows well) with elves and magic. 

So, it's awesome, and you should read it. Do it. Do it now.

jess

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It's Borderline Personality Disorder awareness month this May, and I have recently been forced to Become More Aware of BPD (long story), so Borderline showed up for me at the perfect time. It is, to my knowledge, the only novel with a character who has borderline personality disorder. Frankly, I would have picked it up even without the BPD aspect, because Borderline is also an exciting fantasy thriller about faeries and the darkness of Hollywood that drew me in and kept me going.

Our protagonist is Millie Roper, a former aspiring director who fell from grace--quite literally--after a suicide attempt in which she lost both her legs and was expelled from UCLA. I wouldn't say Millie is written to be a particularly likable character, but I personally liked her. Millie is whip-smart and determined, jealous and angry, and an extremely complex character. Despite all the things she's had to go through before and during the plot, Millie fights with tooth and claw to get through it, even after repeatedly flirting with rock bottom. It's easy to see why she got hired for the Arcadia Project, the secret organization that deals with faeries and magic.

The representation of BPD is a huge part of this novel. Borderline personality disorder is an illness that inherently pervades every aspect of one's personality (that's why it's a personality disorder), and Mishell Baker conveyed this without it seeming she was just a list of symptoms from the DSM-V. I believe Baker also has BPD, so Millie's experience seemed very authentic. I would say that this portrayal does edge towards the "typical" presentation, which totally isn't a bad thing, and Millie talks a lot about Things Borderlines Do that sometimes seemed a bit like generalization. Most importantly, though, Baker manages to show how messy BPD can get without demonizing people with it, which is big with a disorder that has so much stigma. I think people will be able to emphasize with Millie, if not understand her completely, and I hope that this book will help chip away at the massive amount of negativity around the condition. Mental illness and its ugly side effects--suicide attempts, self-harm, dissociation, and all that fun stuff aren't treated delicately, and I liked that. Maybe I'm too used to seeing people with those symptoms infantilized, but in Borderline this stuff is problematic, but normal, if that makes any sense.

There are a whole cast of side characters, all of whom are disabled or mentally ill and many of whom are people of colour. There's Teo, Millie's partner, who has bipolar disorder; Gloria, an aggressive Southern girl with dwarfism, and Tjuan, silent yet generally steady. 
  Even though all the people in the Arcadia Project live together, none of them particularly get along, and there's a lot of drama and chaos and fighting, but it's not overboard. 
  I
t makes for some interesting dynamics--no found family here, folks. My favourite of them all was definitely Caryl, the head of the Los Angeles Arcadia Project and a warlock, who wears gloves and can't stand to be touched. I will let people who know me figure out that one (*cough kaz brekker cough*). 

The setting was really cool too; most of the characters are mixed up with Hollywood, movie stars and scriptwriters and directors, and it's also a method faeries use to meld seamlessly into the human world. Most of the faerie lore is nothing new--there's the Seelie, the Unseelie; courts of faeries and Queens and ungodly beauty and the fact that faeries can't lie. But the world of faeries--Arcadia--is treated like an entirely separate world that mirrors Earth, and everyone has an Echo on the other side: a human-faerie connection, love at first sight. (Which is, funnily enough, a symptom of BPD. Go figure.)

The plot goes quickly; it starts as a simple case and then snowballs its way out of proportion and Millie at the center of it is both utterly chaotic yet the only person who's just unhinged enough to break the rules and work to solve it. It's a book that's hard to put down, even if it does get heavy at times. This is a book about being on the borders between worlds, between minds, between places, and I really enjoyed it.

If you're looking for an exciting, gritty, urban fantasy thriller and fascinating worldbuilding of faeries, this is definitely the book for you. And if you want to read a book about an under-represented and highly stigmatized disorder, I think that this is probably your best (and only) bet.

content warnings | suicide attempt & discussion of suicide, discussion of mental illness, self-harm, torture,

representation | protagonist is disabled (amputee who uses a wheelchair, cane, and prosthetics), bisexual, & has borderline personality disorder; most side characters are disabled/mentally ill including dwarfism, bipolar disorder, ptsd, and psychotic disorders; latino, black, asian side characters

Maggie Gordon

Star rating: 4.5

Seanan McGuire praised Borderline recently, so I figured it must be worth a read. Wow, was she right to gush! Baker manages to take a fairly typical urban fantasy world and craft a story that I could not put down. What makes the book so compelling is its protagonist. Millie has borderline personality disorder and is a double amputee. Now, some people are probably rolling their eyes and thinking that this means the book must feel like an after school special. Nope. Not even close! Millie is a full actualised character. She has a serious mental illness and it affects every aspect of her life, but she's never meant to be pitied, exoticized, or miraculously cured. She's just a person who is learning to cope with her particular issues, and also dealing with with treacherous fairies at the same time. Baker obviously knows what BDP is as her representation of it is quite realistic, and she also is careful to show what life with two leg prosthetics is like as well. Having such a unique protagonist breathes new life into the whole "parallel fairy world" idea, giving readers new ways to view this narrative set-up. While it's not a perfect book, it's so unique and different that it really is a must-read for urban fantasy fans, and I absolutely cannot wait until the second volume comes out next year!

A cynical, disabled film director with borderline personality disorder gets recruited to join a secret organization that oversees relations between Hollywood and Fairyland in this Nebula Award–nominated and Tiptree Award Honor Book that’s the first novel in a new urban fantasy series from debut author Mishell Baker. A year ago, Millie lost her legs and her filmmaking career in a failed suicide attempt. Just when she’s sure the credits have rolled on her life story, she gets a second chance with the Arcadia Project: a secret organization that polices the traffic to and from a parallel reality filled with creatures straight out of myth and fairy tales. For her first assignment, Millie is tasked with tracking down a missing movie star who also happens to be a nobleman of the Seelie Court. To find him, she’ll have to smooth-talk Hollywood power players and uncover the surreal and sometimes terrifying truth behind the glamour of Tinseltown. But stronger forces than just her inner demons are sabotaging her progress, and if she fails to unravel the conspiracy behind the noble’s disappearance, not only will she be out on the streets, but the shattering of a centuries-old peace could spark an all-out war between worlds. No pressure.

Sheila

Okay this book is the BEST book with fairies I have EVER read! You were all right, this book is fan-fucking-tastic & I inhaled it like a family size bag of Munchies snack mix. Millie is such a great MC, & the assorted cast were all unique & so much fun.

On the surface, Millie's character comes across as troubled and unlovable (and it is very hard to be in love with a person with BPD), but I adored her matter-of-factness towards everything from judgments of the people around her, her mental health, her horrifically botched attempted suicide, and coming face-to-face with the fact that fairies are frickin real. She pushes through everything (and everyone), accepting all the facts and assembling all of the details to get to the bottom of it all with a steely determination I don't think even she knew she possessed until the end.

I am pumped this isn't going to be a standalone book, but with the next book coming out next spring, I'm going to be pining for it for months!

Scott Vandehey

I love this series so much. Millie, the main character, is a disabled woman with borderline personality disorder. She’s cynical (justifiably so) and has been through some shit. So she’s as surprised as anyone to be recruited into the Arcadia Project, a secret group that manages diplomatic relations with the fairy realm, regulating contact between humans and their fey muses. The other members of the Arcadia Project are equally broken humans, and when things inevitably go wrong, Millie finds herself wrapped up in the worst of it. Loads of fun, and a quick read. Highly recommended.

brynn

could NOT put this book down omg. it was such a fun read and i enjoyed all the characters so much

Aubrey Hicks

Scott Robertson

Laura

Arden Kowalski

Jason Becker

Luke Kanies

Arcadia Project: a secret organization that polices the traffic to and from a parallel reality filled with creatures straight out of myth and fairy tales. Millie is a cynical, disabled film director with borderline personality disorder who gets a second chance at life when she is assigned to the Project. Her first assignment: tracking down a missing movie star who also happens to be a nobleman of the Seelie Court. But stronger forces than her own inner demons are sabotaging her progress. If she fails to unravel the conspiracy not only will she be out on the streets, but the shattering of a centuries-old peace could spark an all-out war between worlds.

Borderline

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