Joy McCullough's latest novel--We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire--is told in both prose and verse. It's written from a teenage perspective and, honestly, I'm torn between liking the lyrical writing and finding it to veer too much into purple prose. The story does feel topical and references major current events, from Chanel Miller's victim impact statement to the Presidential elections. And feminism is a strong thread that runs throughout the excerpt; boys and men are referred to as "Eau de Boy" and "Bernie Bros," and there are explanations as to where traditionally sexist terms like "hysteria" come from.