If you're unfamiliar with the premise of THE CROW, it's the story of a young man named Eric who defies the laws of death itself for the sake of his vengeance, hunting down the criminals who murdered him, and then SA'd and murdered his fiancee as well. It's pretty horrifying, and very violent, and the story is incredibly dark and bleak.
Apparently the author's own fiancee was killed by a drunk driver when he was very young (eighteen, I think), and this graphic novel was an attempt to channel his feelings into a cathartic medium. You can really feel the raw anguish and hatred seeping through the pages, and at times, that can be very hard. The criminals are also horrible people who do horrible things, and we see them do some of them, which is also hard to read. Reading THE CROW gives you the idea that the world is a rather joyless and terrible place, where happiness is only fleeting, and evil basically runs rampantly unchecked.
It's hard not to fall in love with Eric, though. Even though he's pretentious and weird and violent, he's a 6'5" undead goth who is nice to cats and children and simps hard for his wife. So what if he wears bullets in his hair and carves a crown of thorns in his own chest? The only people who fall victim to his murder-sprees are Bad People Who Are Not Good(TM). He's better than most dark romance heroes.
I think the movie was better than the comic book, but the comic book isn't bad. If you're into gritty-looking art and very dark noir with goth overtones, you'll really enjoy THE CROW.
This was purely an impulse buy but I still think it's the best Vampire Academy adaptation out there, based on the original books. They managed to cram the entire first novel into a comic book that's under 200 pages, and they honestly did a pretty decent job. I mean, it's still basically the Reader's Digest of a YA novel, but I liked it.
Also, every time Dimitri tells Rose he'd throw himself in front of her during a Strigoi attack instead of Lissa, I swoon a little.
It hits just the same in this graphic novel.
(Though gosh, I forgot how edgelord 2000s this book was-- cutting and self-harm, slut-shaming, mean girls, and everyone obsessed with who's sleeping with whom. I loved it. It was toxic BUT I LOVED IT. I was still a teenager myself when I was reading these books, okay?? Everyone needs a YA 'ho phase.)
Also this is literally the only student x teacher romance I'll allow.
Don't read this if you don't love the original series, but if you love the original series, this will basically cement your love for it even further, I think. Just, you know, don't get *too* attached. Apparently they stopped making the graphic novels after book three because they weren't selling well. I guess other people didn't find the uncanny valley manga look of these comics as charming as I did. But some people just don't have taste.
I bought this impulsively because it was on sale. MOSHI MOSHI is absolutely adorable. Winnie Liu is an illustrator who was lucky enough to have the chance to study abroad in Japan when she was in college. In this heavily illustrated travelogue and memoir(?) she details some of her adventures, gives recommendations, and spotlights a few of the many cultural differences between Japan and other parts of the world.
I was lucky enough to go to Japan a few years ago and I've been to several of the places she talked about here. It made me incredibly nostalgic for my trip. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for vacation ideas. Especially if they love cute art.
THE HILLS OF ESTRELLA ROJA is a queer college-age YA graphic novel set in Texas, with supernatural elements. Marisol is forced to return to the mysterious town she hasn't been in since she was a child after the death of her grandmother. Kat, on the other hand, is a paranormal podcaster who receives a mysterious email urging her to go to the same town to investigate something called "devil lights" and various mysterious disappearances.
Estrella Roja, which means red star in Spanish, is creepy right off the bat. They don't get a lot of outsiders, so there's a lot of ominous staring and whispered conversations that the girls clearly aren't meant to hear. Kat ends up approaching Mari because they lock eyes at a diner and she seems the friendliest out of everyone. They end up hitting it off, as two queer girls in a weird situation. When they go to the library, they find old articles hinting at murder and occult phenomena. Mari finds creepy photographs and journals in her aunt's house. Basically, SHIT GETS REALLY WEIRD.
I don't want to spoil anything, but this was a pretty cute read. Even if you don't like horror, nothing too scary happens. (I'm not a fan of horror or gore-- I will be very quick to nope out if heads start rolling.) My ARC was not full-color, but I liked the art in the few sample pages I had. It's done in that minimal, indie style, which is common in imprints like First Second. I also liked that one of the girls was Latina and a lesbian, and the other girl was bisexual and had a non-binary best friend. The diversity felt super casual, and added to the story-- especially with regard to Latinx folklore. Tonally, it reminded me a lot of the '90s Scooby Doo movies, like Zombie Island and Witch's Curse.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
SAFELY ENDANGERED is such a cute, darkly humorous graphic novel. I've never actually read the webtoon but I've seen panels of it posted on social media and it feels good to have finally purchased a copy of it to support the author.
I liked the flow of the comic and I felt like everything felt very cohesive. As a little sampling of the author's humor, it can be either dark or wholesome. Dark: a man saying he named a comet after his wife before cutting to a panel that says "Cheating Slut comet discovered!" Wholesome: A line being cleared in a game of Tetris, only for new pieces to fall and a caption that says: Sometimes friends disappear but then new ones will take their place.
McCoy's drawing style is minimal and very cute. This is perfect for people who aren't afraid to "go there" with their sense of humor.
The best retellings renew your appreciation of the original work while also making you fall in love with the story all over again with brand new eyes. ANNE, for me, was exactly that. It's a modernized version of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, where Anne is interested in art and zines (instead of reading) and falls in love with her best friend, Diana.
I thought the author did a great job maintaining the core of who Anne was as a person. Matthew and Marilla were wonderful and I thought it was very clever to turn Avonlea into an apartment complex in Canada called Avon-Lea. Also, in keeping with modern perceptions about bullying, there are now discussions about why Gilbert's behavior isn't okay and how it isn't fine to harass someone even if you're doing it because you like them.
This is just such a wonderful adaption. I actually teared up a little while reading it because it was so good and so cute.
Not me picking up a Five Nights at Freddy's novel even though I KNOW that I can't do robots, dolls, or horror. Man, I am so dumb about this kind of stuff. Why do I do this? WHY? Even though I know that FNaF is well out of my wheelhouse, I am fascinated by the lore and the franchise. It's a video game series filled with jump scares and the evil secrets that can be buried by a small town and quaint Americana.
THE SILVER EYES is about a girl named Charlie, who is the daughter of the inventor of the animatronics. Struck by nostalgia and the need for answers, she and her friends go to the abandoned mall that was build as a shell around the pizzeria that closed after the infamous murders. And it's creepy and it's weird, and there's a security guard who seems to know too much. Also, did those animatronics move? I'm pretty sure they did. OH MY GOD DID THOSE ANIMATRONICS MOVE? IS IT BEYOND ME? IS? IT? BEHIND? MEEEEEEEEEE? OH GOD I HEAR A MUSIC BOX.
I don't want to say too much because spoilers and all, but this was really creepy and ended up being the perfect blend of a survival horror story, a small town thriller, and, like, an 80s horror throwback. I feel like Stephen King could have written something like this, as it definitely has IT vibes. A lot of people on Amazon didn't like the art but I actually thought it was fine. I guess if you're used to the polished Marvel/DC look, you might be disappointed, but I like the indie look that some of these smaller publishers, as they remind me of the webcomics I read in my teens (specifically Questionable Content, which I LOVED). I do think the story felt a little bare bones and I would have liked more closure, but since this is book one in a three book series, I guess they have to hold out some stuff for the sequels, so I'm tentatively suspending judgement.
AQUICORN COVE is so precious. The environmental message is a little heavy-handed but that's okay since it's for kids. Beautiful message about doing what you can, even if you feel like your efforts towards change are like small drops in a massive bucket. Also explains climate change and coral reef damage in a way that's easy for kids to understand. Not gonna lie, I teared up. The art is gorgeous.
A couple years ago, I read this author's other book, INTROVERT DOODLES. It kind of rubbed me the wrong way because the author did what a lot of introvert writers do: they conflate introversion with social anxiety and social phobia. While the two do and can coexist, they are not necessarily mutually inclusive. People can be introverted without being anxious, and this conflation can lead to people thinking that introversion is a mental health disorder, something that needs to be treated.
I imagine I must not be the only person who made those criticisms because in this book the author walks that back and talks about how for her, the two exist in tandem, and how it's hard to parse out which of her behaviors are introverted and which are anxiety, and how much anxiety exacerbates her existing traits, making them pathological. The end result is that this book comes across as much more introspective and honest than INTROVERT DOODLES, and I really respected her for that. Part of the fun of reading an author is seeing them grow as they learn more about themselves, as well as their craft.
Her humor is still a little too twee for my liking but I enjoyed KIND OF COPING a lot more than her other book. I've suffered from anxiety my whole life, and I used to be social phobic (I still am a little, but not nearly as much as I was when I was younger). I've suffered panic attacks and unwanted compulsive thoughts, so a lot of the things that this author talks about resonated really strongly with me. I think if you enjoy Sarah's Scribbles, you'll probably like this book too.
Huda Fahmy is one of those comic book memoirists with the childish cartoony illustrations that are so popular, but hers has an unusual spin. In her books, she writes about being a Muslim Egyptian-American living in the United states, whether it's the good (pretty scarves, lovable husband, people who "get it") or the bad (microaggressions, racists, sneaky pork).
I liked this book a lot. She has a fun sense of humor and she talks about her religion and culture in a way that could be either informative or relatable, depending on where you're coming from. Books like these really underscore the need for diverse rep, which she even talks a little about in the book. It isn't enough to have a laundry list of generalizations you know about a group of people. You need to sit down and listen to them, consume their media, and, you know, treat them as ordinary people with agency and worth.
YES, I'M HOT IN THIS is a cute, wholesome read that would be as fun for teens as it would be for adults. It talks about feminism, religion, identity, and all of these other important topics in a light-hearted and accessible way. Definitely recommend.
The concept behind this publishing imprint is pretty neat. They take manga-inspired comics from diverse sources. The author of this one is Nigerian, the other of one of my other titles from this imprint is Italian. So the end result is that you, the reader, end up with all of these pretty cool manga-like stories that come from places other than Japan or, more recently, the United States. And I really liked that.
Apple Black is a fantasy series that revolves around the magical school trope. Some people will probably compare it to Harry Potter, but it actually reminded me more of AKATA WITCH (which was also penned by a Nigerian author), especially with the chaotic magic school, the "world is your classroom" vibes, and the way that "wands" manifest. But it has a shounen manga bent, and really reminds me of some of the manga and anime I read and watched in the 90s. There's a really nostalgic vibe.
The story and world-building were a little more confusing. Magic was originally sourced from fruit called "black," which gave people powers that were later diluted over time. The hero, Sano, is the chosen one and was trained by an Yzma-like sorcerer and her Kronk-like pretty boy subordinate, but now they are offloading him to a magic school to further develop his powers. His father was also killed over his research into magic, but rather than seeking revenge over it, Sano is hoping to bring about peace.
I liked all the different characters in this book. I think people who like manga with assembled casts, like My Hero Academia and One Piece, will probably enjoy this a lot. That's not particularly a go-to of mine, personally. When I read manga, I tend to read slice-of-life josei or older shoujo dramas that go heavy on the crazysauce, or dark fantasy manga like Red River and Inuyasha and Black Bird. I was confused about the relationship to gods with the black, and I would have liked a little more backstory on the students in the school and where they were coming from. The author did his best to introduce them one at a time, but I'm still not really sure what the school is for, or how the magic system works.
This is a manga that will appeal to middle grade and up. It's pretty text-heavy so it might be too much for younger audiences, but I could definitely see die-hard stans of MHA and OP really going for this one to get their fix. Not sure I'd read further in the series but I really appreciated the art, the diversity of the characters, the strong women characters (Naomi was hilarious and Opal was so sweet), and the fact that the author wrote a male lead who is peace-loving, naive, and emotionally available and open about his failures with the opposite sex. He was a refreshing change from the brash pervy creeps of this genre.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
So it's Pride Month and even though you should read diversely year-round, I don't think there's anything wrong in taking particular pride (DID YOU SEE, DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE) in celebrating LGBT+ authors during Pride Month. I try to read diversely year-round BUT I CAN'T GET TO EVERYTHING, so every June, I try to shine a spotlight on what I couldn't get to during the rest of the year.
NIMONA has been on my radar for a while-- especially since buzz went around that it was picked up as an animated series for Netflix (UM, YES). And as a fan of graphic-novels who LOVES fantasy, it seemed like exactly my cup of tea. The style is pretty minimal but it works for the story, which manages to be both wholesome, touching, and intense. Reading this book was like going on a rollercoaster of feels and my body was NOT prepared.
Basically, Nimona is a shapeshifter who is obsessed with the main character, Ballister Blackheart, a villain who used to be a knight until his arm was blown off by his love interest/archnemesis. Now he lives to thwart the ableist Institution who was like "we don't hire people with disabilities," which is way lame. Who's the villain here? Obviously not Blackheart, despite his unfortunate name. At first Blackheart is like, ugh, a CHILD get it away, but when he sees what she can do, he immediately understands the potential.
As the story goes on, we meet the arm-blowing-off-archnemsis, Ambrosious Goldenloin (LMAO) and the rather sinister organization he works for. It ends up having buddy cop vibes (if the cops were evil) with a classic hero's journey arc, and I love how the story kind of picks apart the threads of traditional fantasy roles, questioning what is good and what is evil. Everyone in this book is some shade of morally grey and I kind of loved that. This is what I was hoping Matt Groening's Disenchanted would be like, so it was an unexpected surprise to find that here.
It's AAPI month and I've been trying to read as many Asian-authored books on my Kindle as possible. THE MAGIC FISH was a book I was really excited about because it's a graphic-novel that interweaves fantasy with the story of a boy's coming of age.
Tien is the son of Vietnamese immigrants. His parents are loving, but they had to struggle for and give up a lot to become U.S. citizens, and their English isn't very good. Sometimes, it feels like there is an emotional barrier between him and them, because Tien feels like his struggles are nothing compared to theirs. He also knows he's gay and he's afraid of coming out to his parents and having him reject that or not accept him.
In between all of this, we see Tien and his parents and friends interact on a day to day basis, interwoven with all of these beautiful fairytales, like Cinderella or the Little Mermaid, but with a little twist. It's fascinating how the stories parallel the events going on in the main timeline and I just loved how intricate that was.
This is such a beautifully emotional book. It made me tear up several times. Sometimes the fairytales could be a little horrific-- especially the Cinderella one towards the end-- but I think a lot of fairytales are pretty morbid. Tien was a very likable character and so were his mom and dad. I really liked when we started getting these little snippets that showed them as people, outside of being parents.
It's AAPI month and one of my goals was to try and get to some of the Asian-authored books on my Kindle that I haven't read yet. THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER has been on my radar for a while because I heard it was a super adorable graphic novel that addresses a non-binary identity in an accessible and fun way. And all those people who said that were totally right, because it DOES.
Frances is a seamstress. When she makes a risque dress for a girl who despises convention, she is fired from her job, only to be hired by a mysterious person claiming to represent a wealthy patron. It turns out the patron is the Belgian prince, Sebastian, who secretly likes going out and wearing dresses. In a touching moment, he tells Frances that sometimes he likes being a prince, but lately he's felt more like a princess and he wants her to make dresses for him.
At the same time, Sebastian's parents are putting pressure on him to get married and secure the throne. He's meeting princesses by day and going out on the town by night. When an opportunity arises for Frances to meet the designer of her dreams, it might risk Sebastian's big secret kidding out. And it tests the limits of Frances's and Sebastian's relationship: are they patron and creator? Are they friends? Or are they something more?
Obviously this is literally and figuratively costume fiction. There's a bit of wish fulfillment fantasy in it, too. But I don't mind that when it's done well. The themes of embracing your inner-self and accepting others for who they are is really beautiful, and there were at least three times that my eyeballs came pretty close to parting with some of their precious tears. The fashion show at the end was high key the best part. If you're looking for a feel-good book, this is it.
Welcome to Hype Week, where I review all of the books that people in my feed won't shut up about for one week only. LAURA DEAN has been popping up in my feed for a while. Even though it keeps obnoxiously saying, in text, that it's like an indie rom-com, that's exactly what it feels like. The kind of movie that Michael Cera and Kat Dennings would be in. THAT type of indie movie.
Freddy is a seventeen year old Asian girl living in Berkeley, CA. She's also dating a girl named Laura Dean, who's kind of like a frick-boy in girl form. Laura uses her when she wants something and then drops her like she's hot, stringing her along, shoving her other hook-ups in Freddy's face, and basically forcing her constantly to choose between her and her friends, her and her own mental health, her and basically anything else that isn't Laura Dean.
I've actually been in an emotionally toxic relationship like this when I was young so it makes me sad to see so many people hating on Freddy for not seeing the light. When you're depressed and have low self-esteem, it can feel like you're lucky to have anyone give you the time of day, even if that person is a total jerk. I felt like Tamaki did a really good job showing how hard it can be to leave that sort of relationship, and how much personal development it takes to do so.
Some other critics have said that this feels too woke, but the California I know really is like this. People are out and proud, and they talk about their personal identities just like this. It's one of the things I love about San Francisco: the celebration of diversity. A lot of authors who don't live in California but write books here anyway make everyone white and straight and that simply isn't realistic-- of anywhere, but especially the Bay Area. So seeing that kind of rep was exceptionally lovely.
LAURA DEAN KEEPS BREAKING UP WITH ME is a surprisingly emotionally intense graphic novel. I'm pretty picky when it comes to YA but I think this book is really, really good.
Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨
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