booksmellers's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book contains
- deadpan adolescent humor, akin to Daria
- the classic Funnies feel
- a focus on individuals, their relationships, and themes of everyday life rather than an overarching plot
- artwork that perfectly captures the tone and humor of the SuperMutant Magic Academy
- magic/superpowers à la X-Men, often used as a vehicle to engage with a concept, a joke, or just simply a "wouldn't that be messed up?" situation.
- interesting, complex characters whose relationships with one another encapsulte the high school experience
- Charlie Brownesque philosophical musings about the meaning of life and the fears & struggles of adolescence
What's maybe most impressive about all of this is that Tamaki accomplishes all of this with brevity, each piece of the story in its own 1-2 page comic strip. I felt more emotion reading just a few of the individual comic strips than some of the full-length novels I've read. Several of the pages were laugh-out-loud funny to me. This probably won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it certainly was mine, and (it may be too early to tell) this could end up being my favorite graphic novel of 2023.
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Death, Sexual content, Drug use, Misogyny, Alcohol, Cursing, and Bullying
chris_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Drug use and Dysphoria
Minor: Alcohol, Gore, and Suicidal thoughts
prufrockpreptooth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Et en même temps, on sent la capsule d'adolescence, la vie lycéenne (plutôt à l'américaine) , les influences potteresques, le désir caricatural, les critiques sociales acerbes... Il y a réellement quelque chose, entièrement enrobé d'absurde - et forcément, j'ai aimé
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death
spooderman's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Alcohol, Animal death, Gore, Blood, and Cursing
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, Sexism, Body shaming, and Drug use
Minor: Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Violence
betweentheshelves's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
There is a sort of subtle world building that happens in this book as well. You get it in bits and pieces as you read these mini storylines about each of the main characters. There's some additional stuff thrown in there, too, and it just makes for a really interesting reading experience overall.
While this was not what I was expecting and not necessarily what I was in the mood for, it's still an entertaining, engaging book that will probably make you think "Wait, what?"
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Gore and Animal death
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, and Death
readandfindout's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
Themes: 3.5 stars
Characters: 3.5 stars
Plot: 2 stars
Worldbuilding: 1 star
Art: 3.5 stars
Minor: Alcohol
blackmetalblackheart's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
1.0
Minor: Alcohol and Death