**spoiler alert** Representation: Black character Trigger warnings: Death of a child and brother in the past in a body of water, grief and loss depicti**spoiler alert** Representation: Black character Trigger warnings: Death of a child and brother in the past in a body of water, grief and loss depiction Score: Seven out of ten.
I should've read Delicates by Brenna Thummler before reading Lights. I can't believe it. Anyway. I knew Lights was the final instalment in the Sheets trilogy, which I haven't read in years. My expectations were high given the ratings and I enjoyed all its aspects.
It starts (more like continues) with characters that need no introduction, Marjorie, Eliza and Wendell, a ghost. This time the focus is on Wendell and the central storyline is why he died. I already know how, but I'll find out the reasons why. Lights assumes a non-linear structure which flows well and isn't too disjointed. I was afraid there would be confusing scene cuts but that didn't happen. The art also helped as it uses two palettes, a full colour one and a palette only using shades of pink. One palette was easier to look at but the other feels unsettling. At least they're distinguishable.
Thummler explores Wendell's character deeper here with all these flashbacks so that I could see what Wendell was like as a human. He looks young (he looks like he's six,) which makes it all the more tragic when he died. That doesn't mean Thummler leaves out the other characters like Marjorie and Eliza as I saw character dynamics which didn't detract too much from the narrative. There's no writing style as Lights is an illustrated novel but I'd say it's more appropriate for a YA than a younger audience because of the heavy themes and content, but there isn't too much dialogue overcrowding the pictures. The only characteristics Wendell had were his innocence, age and active imagination, but that changed when he assumed his ghost form as he has a more subdued personality.
Lights handles grief and paranormal aspects better than other novels I've read, which is a positive. There was a character in the flashback scenes that looked familiar, since she also appears in the present day scenes, but I couldn't guess what her name was (Jolene) until the end. She looked related to Wendell, too. If I read Delicates before I read Lights some plot points would make more sense as Lights isn't a standalone. The conclusion is satisfying, as all questions were answered but bittersweet as there was a death on page....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Racism, bullying, physical assault and injury in the past mentioned, sex**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Racism, bullying, physical assault and injury in the past mentioned, sexual harassment Score: Five out of ten.
Timid by Jonathan Todd could’ve been better. But it was disappointing. This one wasn’t it. A person aged 15 might find it hard to enjoy this one. I only heard of this illustrated novel a few days ago but it felt underwhelming when I finished it. I should’ve avoided it because of the low ratings.
It starts with Cecil Hall, a Black American boy, moving from Florida to Boston in 1988 in the opening pages, where he stays for the rest of the narrative. Other than Cecil adjusting to his new life while he draws, as it’s his passion, there isn’t much plot to Todd’s creation. I enjoyed some parts of Timid but not others.
The art was mostly pleasing to look at except for the character design for Cecil, who looks more like a man aged 30 or 40 than a boy aged 12. Cecil’s family encourage him to make friends with Black people only, else people would label him an Oreo, meaning Black on the outside but white on the inside. No one in his family wants him to befriend white people even though his school is a PWI.
Cecil ignores that advice and befriends white people anyway but predictably they are not what they seem as first glance as some scenes depict them as not having the kindest intentions. The pacing, at 260 pages, feels slow with filler content in the form of side plots. Removing those could help. There’s one scene where Ruth touches his hair, but why would she do that?
There were a lot of side characters, with Cecil and Ruth only getting minor character development. Cecil learns to stand up for himself whereas Ruth is more careful with her actions. Making character development stronger, adding new character dynamics and removing side characters could improve Timid.
There was only one Asian character but there wasn't a character dynamic involving her as there were only ones involving Black and white people and not others. The conclusion is okay.
Also, Black isn't capitalised when discussing race on the blurb and author’s note. Perhaps it was to comply with Australian English....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black character Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, blood, grief and loss depiction, World War Two, e**spoiler alert** Representation: Black character Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, blood, grief and loss depiction, World War Two, explosions, gun violence, death of a father implied in the past, antisemitism, physical injury, near-death experience Score: Seven out of ten.
Finally, a well-executed illustrated novel. A few days ago, I saw I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 by Lauren Tarshis, adapted by Georgia Ball and illustrated by Brian Churilla. Stories in this illustrated format have been a mixed bag, with some underwhelming me but others didn't disappoint. Fortunately, it was enjoyable.
Before I begin, I'll refer to Tarshis' creation as The Battle of D-Day. The full title is too long. Anyway. It starts with a prologue scene with Paul Colbert in the middle of a war, then it cuts to before that in the opening pages. The action doesn't stop there though, as Paul discovers an American paratrooper stuck in a tree, who tells him about the Allies' plan to take back German occupied territory. There isn't a lot of plot when I think about it, but Tarshis did the best she could with that and delivered.
The art is the strongest aspect, with a full colour palette I didn't mind, since it looked pleasing, especially with the minimal dialogue. However, the characters could've resonated with me more. I tried to relate to Paul, given he's in a conflict, but there isn't much to his character other than that. I couldn't connect with the side characters either. Adding more depth and development could help. There isn't a writing style to speak of here. The pacing is swift at 150 pages, but it isn't too overwhelming, unlike other compositions I've read. The Battle of D-Day is an intriguing look into what D-Day was like in an illustrated format, and while the extra material helps, someone would be better off researching the topic if they want to know about it in detail.
The conclusion is engaging as Paul and the other characters execute the plan to sabotage the Germans as D-Day is ongoing, which proves successful. I'm unsure why an epilogue, with Paul being older, is there....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latino characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten.
I'm glad it's over. A few days ago, My**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latino characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten.
I'm glad it's over. A few days ago, My library purchased Together Forever, the final instalment in the Making Friends series by Kristen Gudsnuk. I wanted to read it but should've stopped continuing the series as it was disappointing. The ratings were high, but Gudsnuk underwhelmed me again when I closed the final page.
It starts with a character that needs no introduction, Dany, living a surprisingly lonely life since her friend, Madison, disappeared in the opening pages. I only discovered Madison's whereabouts when she was on a TV show, My Magical Best Friend, with a Dany doppelganger, Daphne. Dany wants Madison back, which sets up the premise, which seems intriguing, until I read how Gudsnuk executed it, and I thought it needed improvement. There are so many flaws I'm unsure where to start.
The characters are okay but don't have any depth or development. Adding more of that could help. The plot is disjointed. Together Forever is an illustrated novel, so it relies on pictures for its pacing, but sometimes I felt like I skipped a few pages until I realised I didn't. That's how frustrating it was to read that, even without any sort of writing style. Making transitions smoother can help. Prose creations, and even some other illustrated ones, handle transitions better. Mostly.
There are no chapters either, only one central storyline. I struggled to tell Dany and Daphne apart, and wondered why there were two Dany's at times. I would've appreciated it if Gudsnuk distinguished between them more. There's too much dialogue, but reducing that would rectify the issue.
Not even the art itself could save Together Forever. The cover images look pleasing, making me hope the rest is as enjoyable to look at, but it felt rushed, as if Gudsnuk had a time limit to write and draw the narrative. The colours were acceptable, but the lines felt like Gudsnuk drew them in 10 minutes. Working on the art could improve the reading experience. Some parts of the worldbuilding was confusing, like how did Daphne steal Madison? What about the magical notebook? Daphne could've done whatever she wanted but she didn't.
The story confused itself so much reality started falling apart (due to Daphne's actions) in the concluding pages, almost leading to the universe's destruction. Literally. The conclusion was bittersweet as Dany drew a new dimension for Madison to live in. Madison can still visit Dany though in the epilogue, but I'm unsure how she would do that....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, physical assault and injury, xenophobia, animal **spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, physical assault and injury, xenophobia, animal abuse Score: Seven out of ten.
This one was intriguing. I only saw The Monster and the Maze, the first instalment in an illustrated novel series, a few days ago on a library shelf and wanted to read it after picking it up. The ratings were high but it was so obscure no one I knew read it yet. However, when I closed the final page, it was enjoyable.
Maple Lam's creation starts with Sun Wukong arriving in a place with other monkeys in the opening pages. He is the Monkey King as seen in the prophecies in the narrative, and fortunately the central storyline doesn't lose steam from there. Lam executed the worldbuilding well with a scene detailing how deities, humans and beasts were at peace until a war ruined everything, which explains why they are so distant now. Wukong wants and tries to become a deity but he fails. I like the message where it says people can change, and the tone is surprisingly hilarious. Mostly. The mood can get more sombre when it talks about topics like exclusion, though.
The humour sometimes involves subversion of expectations and dialogue, which I enjoyed as much as reading most of the characters. I liked Wukong the most since he experienced character development, but I hope Lam doesn't erase that and force him to start again in the following instalment, unlike some authors. The art is okay, with a full colour palette and the eyes being simplistic, with them either being lines or dots. I didn't think the combination of Chinese and Greek mythology would work, but it did. The time Wukong escaped death seems believable when I think about it.
It's an intriguing take to turn the Minotaur into a false antagonist. Lam uses this opportunity to have a conversation between him and Wukong about how he was only a neglected child and not a monster as people say. Not even the supposed Greek villain was the antagonist, no, an evil spirit controlled him. Everything is unexpected here. Did I mention that spirit started the war? The concluding pages were fast-paced with action scenes, the protagonist's victory and a heartstopping finish....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten.
What in the world was this? I only got the illustrated adaptation of **spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten.
What in the world was this? I only got the illustrated adaptation of Alice in Wonderland a few days ago and picked it up, hoping it would be enjoyable. The blurb looked intriguing and I headed in with high expectations until I checked the low ratings. When I closed the final page, I found it only okay and not like the original version.
Russell Punter's adaptation, illustrated by Simona Bursi, starts with Alice (whose last name remains undisclosed) sitting in a park reading a book in the opening pages, when she sees a rabbit wearing a watch and chases it. She soon falls down a rabbit hole and ends up in a room she wants to escape from, but first she has to deal with enlarging and shrinking foods. Let's dissect each aspect of the illustrated adaptation. First, the art. The illustrations are okay, with a pastel full colour palette, but it doesn't push the envelope. There's already a lot of illustrated novels with the same design language. I want something different for once. Perhaps more striking colour choices would do.
The characters aren't that easy to connect or relate to, but adding more depth could make me empathise with them more. Some of the pages are full of words. You heard that right. Words. I remember reading one page that has a poem only using words. That defeats the entire purpose of an illustrated novel, since 90% of it is illustrations, but there are some pages where there is only prose. What's the point of that? Using more pictures than words could resolve that problem. The pacing is enough to keep the central storyline going, as it barely lasts over 100 pages. The plot itself is absurd and barely believable, but I can understand why it is that way, as I saw characters from the original like the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter. Perhaps Punter wanted to stay close and not change anything too much, which explains that. The concluding pages are only okay, but at least they are faithful as Alice realises it was all a dream and I leave Wonderland....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Near-death experience in a body of water, racism, internalised racism, b**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Near-death experience in a body of water, racism, internalised racism, bullying, physical injury Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Mabuhay by Zachary Sterling is like what happens when a novel combines two entirely different concepts barely linked and fails. I only saw it a few days ago on a library display shelf and I wanted to read it since I remember the algorithm recommending it. However, when I closed the final page, it could've been better.
It starts with JJ and Althea Bulan who have to work for their family's food truck, The Beautiful Pig, while also dealing with school, which is harder for them given they are both Filipino American in the opening pages. The institution is privileged, even though it's majority POC, since it has a gym and a pool (a rare sight.) Why did a literal pool monster try to kill Althea though? If it weren't for JJ, she would've been done for.
Other than that, not much happens in the first half except for nightmares about mythical creatures, which soon play a critical role later. JJ and Althea have a lot to deal with, like racist bullying, family expectations and, most prominently, victim blaming from the school. I felt sympathetic for them as they had to take it all in, but it gets worse when I saw a scene where the characters want to assimilate into American culture and forget Filipino culture, a sign of internalised racism.
Instead of getting help, they resolved their issues themselves and a minor antagonist, a white girl, redeemed herself, which I found unrealistic as she didn't receive any consequences. Sterling could've made Mabuhay either a realistic narrative about Filipinos or an epic based on Filipino mythology. What I got was elements of both, putting Mabuhay in the magical realism category, but I would've preferred if it stuck to one genre. The characters are likable and I know some people can relate to them and they developed when they appreciated their heritage and got magical abilities. I would've liked them more if Sterling focused less on fantasy and more on their roots, as I only got a brief glimpse.
The second half picks up the pace as the tension builds, with JJ and Althea's parents turn out to be magical beings who can summon figures from mythology, but how do the non-magic humans not notice this, I have no idea. Sterling based this world on mythology, and answers why some people have magic, since the world was full of magic people but eventually society moved on and forgot about them. That is until a serpent arrives and only the magic people can stop it, which they do, creating a heartwarming conclusion.
Addendum: What does it mean by first generation? Does it mean JJ and Althea were born in the Philippines and not America? The font is hard to read....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Well t**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Well that was absurd. I didn't have much choice except to read Your Pal Fred by Michael Rex, an illustrated novel no one I knew has read yet. The premise based on the blurb information seemed intriguing, but the ratings were low, so I lowered my expectations. When I closed the final page, it could've been improved.
It starts with a prologue where I see the world far in the future, and what happened to it? It looks like a post-apocalyptic dystopia where the surviving people still fight in the opening pages. Two minor characters accidentally turn on a robot called Fred, and his sole attribute is his unrelenting kindness. Other than that though, there's not much to him. It's difficult to tell who is a human and who is a robot at times, since they look so similar. Is Fred a powerful AI? Perhaps that's the reason he can act like a human (and he can already pass as one.) It also appears robots and people can coexist. Well that's a relief.
The worldbuilding leaves some questions, like where am I? Am I in America, and is the rest of the world this messed up or is it only that country? There could be other remnants of humanity or robot communities that survived since they didn't battle each other at every opportunity. How was Fred made and why? Fred was off for a while, so how could he store power for so long someone could turn him on? How long can he live? Unfortunately, aspects like those remain unexplored. Fred can take a lot of punishment, like when lightning struck him and then a giant mechanical boot kicked him, and he survived.
The focus here is not on the world, but on Fred, meaning it's character driven. All I got to see was Fred creating character dynamics, most prominently, an unnamed worker robot (whom he names Yummy) and even the two antagonists, Papa Mayhem and Lord Bonkers, but I disconnected from that. Adding depth and expanding the world could improve the reading experience, though. At least the art was pleasing to look at. The conclusion feels more sappy than heartwarming as after Fred's speech, the war is over and the two faction leaders (who are brothers) reunite, but it's too sweet for my liking....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Biracial (half Black and half Asian,) Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Fire Score: Five out of ten. Find th**spoiler alert** Representation: Biracial (half Black and half Asian,) Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Fire Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I didn't have much choice except to read Lost Time by Tas Mukanik. This novel was so obscure I didn't hear of it, but the fact it was an illustrated novel was all I knew about it. The ratings were low so I lowered my expectations, and even though it still looked promising, it was rife with issues when I closed the final page.
It starts with Evie (whose last name remains undisclosed) somehow arriving on a version of Earth set 65 million years ago. How does this happen, I have no idea. The world may seem all natural in the opening pages, with some dinosaurs interspersed here and there, except for a few human-made buildings scattered across the planet which didn't add to the immersion. The only enjoyable aspect is the art, which seems to have come from the author and illustrator herself.
There aren't many human characters as I only saw four, and the most frustrating aspect is the worldbuilding, as I got no answers. Zero. From what I've learned, Evie got into a time machine that sent her 65 million years into the past, but the time machine has so much potential Mukanik missed. What is its limits? If it can send someone 65 million years in the past, can they get sent to the formation of the Earth, or even the Big Bang? What about the future? If a meteor were to strike Earth, would it kill everything and everyone, including the human characters like Evie? What time did they come from? The early 2020s or sometime in the near or far future where time travelling is possible?
Those questions remain unanswered. The characters are likable but difficult to relate with, but expanding on them and the narrative itself would improve the reading experience. The only dynamic I got is with Evie and her parents and Evie and her companion, Ada (not a human, a pterosaur.) If Lost Time is a standalone, it would be disheartening to leave the storyline like this, but if this turns into a series, then I would raise my hopes. I hope the latter happens. At least the conclusion is heartwarming with Evie finding other humans, but I lost time reading Lost Time....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
This one wa**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
This one wasn't any better.
It's been a few months since I last read from this series, but I picked up another instalment, Teacher's Pet, written by Francine Pascal, adapted by Nicole Andelfinger and illustrated by Claudia Aguirre. That's a lot of authors. I headed in with low expectations, but it felt underwhelming when I closed the final page.
It starts (more like continues) with Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, this time focusing on their ballet class, which turns out to be a dominant theme throughout the novel. Other than that there's not much plot or literary value to this creation. The pacing is enough to keep the plot going, with a length of exactly 200 pages, and the art stayed the same with no improvements or downgrades. The character development from Best Friends seems to have disappeared, as Jessica must develop her character (again) from a sister distancing herself from Elizabeth to a more caring person.
Why is this? I'm unsure. There are only a few pages dedicated to the side characters, like the twins' mother. Adding more pages showing them would've improved the reading experience. The plot here is during a ballet class, there is an upcoming play called Coppélia, and of course both protagonists would do anything to become the lead actor. The author fumbled the diversity since there was only one Asian character and two Black characters (all of whom are girls) in a PWI, and I would've liked to see more, but they are mostly out of the spotlight. It feels tokenistic. It was easier to find women characters than those of other genders. A person in the target audience (meaning younger readers,) wouldn't mind, and perhaps I'm not the type of person who would enjoy Teacher's Pet. The concluding pages are heartwarming as I see one of the sisters perform well in the play.
At this rate, it would take a few more months for the continuation of the series, Choosing Sides, to arrive, which isn't anytime soon, but I'll stop reading this series for now if the quality doesn't increase....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
At least I**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
At least I didn't take a few years to get around to reading Sunny Rolls the Dice by Jennifer L. Holm. After reading Swing it, Sunny, I hoped this one would be as good if not better, but let me get this straight: I wasn't disappointed. I only found the other three instalments slightly more enjoyable, but at least it wasn't an underwhelming reading experience.
It starts (more like continues) with Sunny opening a 1970s magazine and completing a quiz on how 'groovy' she is (according to late 1970s standards,) only to discover she is 'not groovy.' The theme of this collection of illustrations seems to be self-worth and how judging yourself could lead to negative consequences, and that is a discussion topic that is still relevant. The central problem is Sunny continues to judge herself harshly and changes her attributes to make herself more 'groovy' for most of the narrative, and she only stopped that in the concluding pages.
Let's move on to some other aspects, the pictures were engaging and so were some of the characters, with the spotlight being on Sunny this time as she keeps developing and changing as a character. The side characters are sometimes on the page, like Arun (an Asian,) but not as often as Sunny. Dedicating more page time to them would help though. It appears Sunny stopped judging herself mostly by herself, with help from other people, but there wasn't a support network. Perhaps people didn't understand problems like this back then in the late 1970s? (If so, then there's one downside to living in that decade.) The lighter scenes like when Sunny plays Dungeons and Dragons (a contemporary game at that period) with her friends is a jarring juxtaposition compared to the heavier subjects. At least the finish is heartwarming as I see Sunny's arc come to a close. There is one more book in the Sunny series to read, Sunny Makes Her Case, but no library has it, so I'll write my thoughts on it once I obtain it. It sounds intriguing, though....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Loss of limb (arm,) drug use, abuse and addiction mentioned in**spoiler alert** Representation: Character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Loss of limb (arm,) drug use, abuse and addiction mentioned in the past Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
It looks like I finally read this one. I haven't read from Jennifer L. Holm in almost two years, but I needed to complete the Sunny series (which I read out of order, since I read the first and then the fourth instalments) so I picked Swing it, Sunny, up. I headed in with high expectations and found it enjoyable.
Did I mention this one is one of the few illustrated novels I haven't read yet until now? It starts (more like continues) with Sunny Lewin moving away from Florida after the events of the first novel and now enters her first year of middle school. I initially thought it would only be another story in the list of school narratives, but it goes deeper than that. The only intriguing subplot is one involving her brother, Dale, who had to attend boarding school because of his drug abuse issues. I appreciated the pictures, which looked engaging and the likable characters, though I couldn't relate to the dysfunctional family, with Dale distancing himself from his siblings and parents, but I'm sure others can relate.
The pacing is enough to keep the book going, with its length barely over 200 pages, so I didn't find it too slow, overwhelming or filled with filler pages that add nothing. Even when Dale briefly visits Sunny during Thanksgiving, an American holiday, she thinks he changes, but he eventually warms up to her, showing intriguing character dynamics and development. I don't see settings like the one in Swing it, Sunny, that often, as Holm set this one in the late 1970s, allowing for a fascinating look into what happened at that time. Some readers may feel young in a way, but I didn't mind that much. Not all side characters are the same, with some being memorable, and others, not quite as such. Developing more characters beside Dale would improve the reading experience, though. At least the conclusion is heartwarming. I'll write my thoughts on Sunny Rolls the Dice after reviewing this one....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latino characters, character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Sexism Score: Six and a hal**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latino characters, character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Sexism Score: Six and a half out of ten.
I have reduced expectations from Kayla Miller following my less than stellar reading experience from Break, written by the same author. That being said, I liked act, but it too wasn't as strong as Click. I wanted to read this one to finish off the Click series I read out of order, but when I closed the final page, it was okay.
At least I know what happened to some of the characters. It starts (more like continues) with Olive Branche recounting her life in the 6th grade, including the scenes where she goes on a school trip, only to discover those who can't afford it can't go. Thus, Olive runs for student council, competing against other peers like Trent and Sawyer to try to do something about this issue. Other than that and one other subplot about someone violating the dress code, there wasn't much to Act. Trent and Sawyer's gimmick is to hand out free pudding to every student, which I found unrealistic, but okay. Sure.
I liked the characters, but I couldn't connect or relate to them, which is either a problem on my end because of the age gap or because of the characters and the writing themselves. Based on information I found when I read through a few pages I finally discovered what happened to Bree: she moved back to New Zealand from Camp, where she stayed there ever since. Anyway.
The part about movements that happened (not only ones that happened in America) was fascinating as it inspired Olive to protest against this injustice. I appreciated the art and the pacing is enough to keep Act going because it barely lasts over 200 pages without wasting any, but I can't say anything about the writing style though, as it uses more pictures than words. However, the concluding pages were contrived as initially, Trent and Sawyer looked like they won, but then there was a three way tie where Olive claimed the victory, and the finish proved more abrupt than heartwarming. The bonus content was intriguing, too....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death in the past Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGra**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Death in the past Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
What a massive disappointment.
I hoped I would enjoy Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky and find it an improvement over Witchlight, but she underwhelmed me again. I haven't read from Zabarsky in almost three years, but so far her books don't deliver. I shouldn't have even picked this one up, since the low ratings warned me to avoid it.
It starts with Preet and Valissa living typical lives in a magical all woman society (what happened to the other genders, though?) The only catch is Preet has magical abilities and Valissa doesn't, rendering her as a human, but I'm tired of books that have two types of people like this. Soon enough, their lives separate, with Preet going off exploring a new realm outside the human one, while Valissa is left behind to continue her life without her. Let's start with the positive aspects, I mostly liked the art, even with a limited colour palette of white, black, brown, coral, and sometimes blue and orange, except the faces put me off, as the eyes are only dots. Why is the font rounded? I'm unsure. Unfortunately, that is where the likable aspects conclude.
The characters don't have any depth or development, making me disengage from the creation, but writing the characters better would help. There are some intriguing worldbuilding aspects of the setting, but some aspects are vaguer, much to my confusion, as it leaves behind unanswered questions, like where did the Shifter and Shaper come from? Were they always there? Are they the creators of everyone and everything here? These two all powerful beings birthed humans, both magical and non-magical, into existence, but what about the other magical beings Preet meets, like the race of cloud people? How did she meet these deities? Preet literally grew a child, Lue, who grew quickly in a few pages, and then she turns from a human to a humanoid hedgehog, making me wonder what happened to her (so that's why other genders are unnecessary.) In the concluding pages, Valissa had had enough, so she searches and finds Preet, bringing her back into the village. That finish is heartwarming, but not enough to redeem the rest of the novel....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Disappearance of a child Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The S**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: Disappearance of a child Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Unfortunately, Break wasn't as strong as Kayla Miller's other instalments in the Click series, like Click. I wanted to read this one for a while and I only picked it up a few days ago. I glanced at the intriguing blurb and headed in with high expectations considering the high ratings, but when I closed the final page, it was okay.
Did I mention the edition I read is a special Australian English edition?
It starts (more like continues) with Olive thinking of plans of what to do during the spring break when she and her brother, Simon, have to go to New Zealand for one week to visit her father who recently moved there. Once there, Olive met some side characters that happened to be there when she arrived, like Bree (this is the second time I've heard of this name) and Natasha, but that begs a few questions. What are they doing here in New Zealand? I thought they were Americans. Have they always been there or did they briefly move to America in previous books like Camp and Clash before moving back? I'm unsure. These minor characters only use a few pages worth of time, with Olive, her brother and father taking most of it. The pacing is enough to keep the storyline going, but I can't say Break has a writing style as it is an illustrated novel, but I can say I appreciated the art.
What I didn't appreciate though, is Olive. Initially, Olive preferred to interact with her friends over her family, going so far as to shout at them, which I found irritating, but she eventually develops her character and grows closer to her family. None of the other characters, like Simon, Bree and Natasha are easy to connect or relate with as their traits do not go beyond the fact they have platonic relationships with Olive. If Break is the final instalment, then the series did not go out well, but if there are future creations in the works, maybe I can like the series more, but for now, I can't recommend Break in its present state. The concluding pages are heartwarming as Olive and Simon return to America where their mother lives, but you can go read any other story instead of this one....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Animal death, murder, blood, grief and loss depiction, physical assault and injury, sword viole**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Animal death, murder, blood, grief and loss depiction, physical assault and injury, sword violence Score: Four out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
What a disappointing reading experience.
Yvain, an illustrated retelling of an Arthurian myth by M.T. Anderson, with by Andrea Offermann, could've been much better. I wanted to read it after seeing another person I knew read it, so I picked it up from a library shelf. I glanced at the intriguing blurb, but the low ratings warned me to avoid it, and when I closed the final page, I was underwhelmed.
It starts with Yvain, a knight, wanting glory for himself, so he sets out to fight and eventually defeat a lord, leaving behind his partner, Laudine, and her servant, Lunette. Gawain, however, wants Yvain to go on an adventure across the land, and so he goes off to fight dragons, mythical beasts and who knows what else. Other than that though, there isn't any other plot to Yvain, but there are a lot of problems I want to discuss about Yvain, I'm unsure where to start, but I'll try.
First, the characters. Yvain the knight and other side characters like Laudine and Lunette lack depth or character development, making it difficult to connect or relate with them, but adding more depth and expanding the arcs would've been an improvement. The pacing is enough to keep Yvain going, with a length of slightly over 100 pages, but I would've liked to see more of the worldbuilding, which felt underexplored, but adding more pages dedicated to answering questions I had would make Yvain better. Now that I think of it, I don't think there were enough pages to tell the story. At least the art is engaging, especially during the few battle scenes I got to see, with Yvain easily slaying any beast in his path, and the pictures can sometimes speak for themselves, except for some parts with fog covering the pictures. How am I supposed to read the text through that? The conclusion is heartwarming as Yvain returns to his land after so long, but M.T. Anderson's debut in the illustrated novel genre (as he wrote prose until this came out) didn't resonate, so perhaps his traditional creations could be more enjoyable....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, animal death, death of a relative, blood, grief and loss depi**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, animal death, death of a relative, blood, grief and loss depiction, World War One, gun violence, physical assault and injury, conscription, racism, racist slur Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
An ANZAC Tale was better than Noodle Pie, that's for sure. I wanted to read this book to coincide with ANZAC Day, and I did, but it could've been so much better. I saw it on a library display shelf, so I picked it up, hoping for an intriguing read based on the blurb. However, when I closed the final page, it was okay.
It starts with Wally, Roy and Tom volunteering to fight for Australia during World War One in the opening pages. They soon land on ANZAC cove in what is now Turkey, but the battle doesn't go to plan. Instead of the adventure Wally and the others expected to have, they faced the reality of war, reminding me of a certain anti-war poem. Even though this one was better than Starke's previous work, it still could've been so much better if she made some improvements to it. I'm unsure where to begin, but I'll try.
I like that An ANZAC Tale is there to teach people about ANZAC Day, but it is under 100 pages, making it more like a picture book than an illustrated novel, but it's not quite the former, because of the words. The art was okay, but the characters were hard to connect or relate with, making me disengage from An ANZAC Tale. Why was there white space in some pages? That space could've been used, but Starke left it empty. Exploring the efforts from POC during World War One would've added to the length and substance to An ANZAC Tale, like the Indigenous Australian efforts in the Australian Imperial Forces or the Vietnamese soldiers that served for France. Because the entire narrative doesn't last 100 pages, the pacing would have to be swift, and it was, but it was also disjointed, as one page I saw Gallipoli and then a dawn service on the concluding pages many years afterward. How does this make sense? Adding more pages could reduce the disjointedness. The finish is bittersweet....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Racism, death of a father from a terminal illness, blood, grief and loss depiction**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Racism, death of a father from a terminal illness, blood, grief and loss depiction, physical assault and injury, bullying, military violence and war themes, displacement, refugee experiences Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Okay. This one was brutal. I liked this illustrated adaptation of The Kite Runner, but I don't want to reread this one. I only saw it on a library display shelf a few days ago and decided to pick it up. I glanced at the intriguing blurb, and when I closed the final page, I enjoyed it, but it was heartrending.
This specific version of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (with artwork from Fabio Celoni and Mirka Andolfo) starts with Amir in the 1970s living his life in Afghanistan, but most prominently, he spends some of his time flying and fighting other kites. That is until the Soviets invade Afghanistan, forcing him to flee to America, but that is only one part of the narrative. The first half or so focuses on Amir's life in Afghanistan, which can be difficult for him sometimes, because of expectations from his father rooted in toxic masculinity, like having to physically fight off people, when Amir would rather read and even write a book. Scratch that. It was a lot more than difficult. The second half, lasting only a few pages, revolves around Amir living in America in the 1980s, then going back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in the early 2000s in the bittersweet final pages, which looks entirely different to the Afghanistan he knew.
I don't know where to begin with The Kite Runner, but I'll try: I mostly liked the art, except the intense and graphic scenes that appeared sometimes, which were harder to read. I liked the characters, especially Amir, as he developed his character, and showed traits I appreciated. I know this edition of The Kite Runner is less than 150 pages, making it short, it still uses every page and nothing goes to waste. The only white space are the margins. The pacing is swift, too. I liked this one, and wonder what the original is like....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Physical assault and injury, loss of vision, animal death, blood depiction, implied death of pe**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Physical assault and injury, loss of vision, animal death, blood depiction, implied death of people in the past Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Short review: This adaptation of Coraline wasn't it.
Long review: I wanted to read this one after seeing it as a new arrival at a library. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem intriguing, but I headed in with low expectations after discovering it was an illustrated adaptation, and the ones I've read disappointed me. When I closed the final page, it was okay.
It starts with Coraline moving to a new house in an undisclosed location in the opening pages. Everything looks typical until she stumbles across a way to go to another house like the one she lives in, save for a few changes. The toys are better there, but most prominently, there are people who look like her parents, except they had black buttons for eyes. I'm unsure where to begin, but I'll try, the characters are not that easy to connect or relate with, even though I liked them. They lack depth. The worldbuilding is underexplored as there's no reason for some people having black buttons for eyes, or why there's another dimension full of ghosts. The author tried to combine aspects of horror and fantasy in the form of magical realism, but I wasn't that frightened. At least the climax was dramatic and the conclusion finished Coraline on a high note, with Coraline beating the antagonists and escaping from their house....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black characters Trigger warnings: Physical injury, hospitalisation of a child and death of another person in a fire **spoiler alert** Representation: Black characters Trigger warnings: Physical injury, hospitalisation of a child and death of another person in a fire in the past, car crash, drugging, bullying Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I loved the original version of Keeper of the Lost Cities so I when I saw an illustrated adaptation of it in a library I expected it to be as enjoyable as the first edition. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem similar to the prose edition of Keeper of the Lost Cities, but when I closed the final page, it was not the reading experience I thought I would get.
It starts with Sophie Foster living her typical life or so it seems in the opening pages until I saw Sophie having telepathic and telekinetic abilities but she's not sure why she has that and it's a secret she kept to herself. That is until she stumbles across a character named Fitz who also has magic abilities and takes her to the Lost Cities, a realm full of elves with all sorts of powers. This adaptation shines since it remains faithful to the source material, but I've seen every scene before so it feels more like a recap of what happened, and I didn't feel too engaged to it.
At least the characters are likable, but they're not that relatable, and by itself the adaptation's worldbuilding is lacking (but I can understand why as it's only the beginning and I can read other KOTLC books to answer worldbuilding questions.) Like the original, the pacing is fast for a book over 300 pages and the plot is decent but it ends abruptly, so I have to wait for the second part to release. The illustrations are a new perspective on the same narrative but I think prose does the better job since I can picture everything more clearly when it's in that writing style. Sophie has to leave her human world behind as she more fully integrates into her new life by meeting her new parents and going to a new school, but it feels rushed like the author wanted to get it over with swiftly. If you liked Keeper of the Lost Cities but want to look at it in a different way, then get this one, but I'd prefer reading the original prose creations....more
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