Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Balada para Sophie by Filipe Melo

14 reviews

rachbreads's review against another edition

4.75

But...how can someone be happy while trying to be someone else? You end up being a secondary character of your own life. 

Love, loss, music, suffering - a beautifully human story told through gorgeous images and dialogue. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Genocide, Sexual content, Antisemitism, and War

Minor: Domestic abuse

okayletsread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Emotional damage! Ballad for Sophie broke my heart and put it back together multiple times over. 

Julien recalls his worst mistakes and unsavory decisions when telling his unfiltered story to a reporter who slowly wins his trust. His story begins as a wealthy young pianist during WWII, and through a wild series of events, he later becomes a drugged-out famous pianist wishing for a different life. He frequently calls himself the villain of the story, but you can't help but root for him—and, more importantly, feel for him.

I don't have words for how well Felipe's storytelling fits with the visually stunning illustrations from Juan. A master creative duo! Everything from the emotional reveals to the color palette to the heartwrenching relational blunders, this book will stay with me for a very long time. 

This was only on my radar because a book podcaster I listen to warned that it would "ruin all other graphic novels." While I haven't read many, she was 100% correct. It's only September, but this will likely be my favorite book of the year.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Violence and War

ararespecies's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The story is compelling and the beautiful art of Juan Cavia will get you hooked from the beginning. I could totally feel the mood, the emotions, the movement of every scene just by his drawings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction and Drug abuse

bookfilledcottage's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Una historia para amantes de la música y de la ficción histórica. Un libro trágico, pero muy original.

El arte es impresionante y los colores son preciosos. 
Una joyita, que me alegro de tener en mi biblioteca.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War

sofiacif's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I need more books as beautiful as this, both the drawings and the story completely swept me away

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Mental illness

hmetwade's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

leonormsousa's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

knkoch's review against another edition

hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

A quick graphic novel with quite expressive art but a somewhat predictable story. I like that it hinged on an early meeting between two pianists, but I guessed parts of this quite early. The character I was most interested in was the furthest removed from telling their own story, but I did enjoy some of the more fanciful elements. Overall, just ok! Though it seems like there's a playlist attached to this novel (understandably, given it's generally about musicians), so perhaps I'll seek that out and feel differently. I really like the idea of adding a playlist to the experience of reading a graphic novel, as was done with California Dreamin', but in that case, the story was so much more compelling to me personally. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Sexual content

numipig30's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Cancer

ferdie's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Ballad for Sophie was beautiful in every way! This is the type of story graphic novels are made for. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Antisemitism

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Drug use, and Suicide attempt