mschlat's review against another edition
3.0
I loved Robinson's [b:Box Office Poison|106837|Box Office Poison|Alex Robinson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327892079s/106837.jpg|102976] and thought his graphic novel [b:Tricked|106843|Tricked|Alex Robinson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347400465s/106843.jpg|102982] was excellent. However, I found his more recent work [b:Too Cool to Be Forgotten|2396554|Too Cool to Be Forgotten|Alex Robinson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347454313s/2396554.jpg|2403572] to be pretty meh. This work is somewhere in the middle. It's got a great ensemble cast like Box Office Poison and an interesting cosmic montage near the end like Tricked, but with a focus on families and the choice of whether or not to have kids. We follow three male friends --- one with a kid and another on the way, one trying to have a kid but somewhat ambivalent about it, and one single guy who's frustrated that his friends are disappearing into families. True to Robinson's earlier works, you see everything from a ton of perspectives, and I love his cartoony art style matched to realistic dialogue. I found it a fun read, but I wasn't sure what to make of our main protagonist (the soon-to-be father) or his naiveté. There's not really a sense of closure (which may be the point), and a day after finishing the book I needed to check it again to see what the ending was.
stefanvalenti's review against another edition
4.5
Ideally I would have rated this a 4.5, but I figured Id round up because I did really enjoy this book. I really enjoy slice of life stories like these, plus Alex Robinson’s page layouts are incredible. They’re super inventive and engaging, incredibly creative. The characters felt really fleshed out and real, and I felt invested in their problems. It felt bittersweet and melancholic at a lot of points, which usually reflects life. Idk, I’m starting to rant. Who cares, nobody reads these anyways. Point is: I enjoyed this book! I’m excited to see what Alex Robinson does next.
urban_mermaid's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I love how complete Alex Robinson's characters are and how very real the lives they inhabit present themselves on the pages. It's also been a treat through the years to grow up along various life stages of his stories. The story here was a little thinner but I still devoured this and will continue to read everything he writes.
buzzlightqueer's review against another edition
2.0
I found myself rolling my eyes every few pages at the general misogyny, objectification, and general stupidity of the men in this book. I suppose it was an accurate portrayal of these characters, but it still fell short of anything great.
glitterandtwang's review against another edition
4.0
I really like Alex Robinson. I have fond memories of discovering Box Office Poison for the first time after graduating college, so I was excited to see a new (to me, at least) title from Robinson. It's just as rich and complex as BOP, if a little more melancholy.
I didn't like it as much as BOP, though, but I think that's more to do with me than with the writing or art. It's a very realistic portrayal of the growing pains in adult friendships and relationships, and I think that I was looking for more of an escape than this particular volume offered. It's definitely worth reading once.
I didn't like it as much as BOP, though, but I think that's more to do with me than with the writing or art. It's a very realistic portrayal of the growing pains in adult friendships and relationships, and I think that I was looking for more of an escape than this particular volume offered. It's definitely worth reading once.
urban_mermaid's review
3.0
3.5 stars. I love how complete Alex Robinson's characters are and how very real the lives they inhabit present themselves on the pages. It's also been a treat through the years to grow up along various life stages of his stories. The story here was a little thinner but I still devoured this and will continue to read everything he writes.
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