isobelking's review
5.0
One of the most refreshing graphic novels that I've read recently. I liked how humane it is compared to many of the superhero graphic novels that I've read! The ending makes the rest of the the novel very poignant.
lettuceq's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
5.0
Picked this up on a whim from the library. I loved the varied art styles and how all the stories flow together. Very beautiful truly a small window into this group's friendship
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Vomit
fictionalfrances's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
I cannot rate this... While I found the book to be impactful and had some interesting concepts going in, the ethics and morals of the people and events in this book are awful.
TW for this next part of the review: dubious consent/rape
I wouldn't usually judge a book by the "characters" actions, but this is a non-fiction, and I can't help but think that the incident with a pair of 30 y.o. men drinking with a 17 year old girl (and giving her drugs?) and then proceeding to have sex with her is so extremely fucked up!!!
Yes, I understand that the whole book is ultimately about these 30 year olds who are unhappy with their lives and are behaving badly. Yes, I understand that the perpetrators are not framed as guiltless... But none of that changes the fact that they seem to have published images of this LITERAL CHILD engaging in these acts??? Nothing explicit is shown, but there is no note of any form of consent involved in the process of making this book, let alone the experience within it... Like, what the FUCK, how is it even legal to have published this?
EDIT:
So, despite the non-fiction label on here, after doing some further digging, it seems to be all written by one person and so may be fictional???? I understand the intention of making this feel more "real" and the desired impact, but holy crap, put some note somewhere!!! I was worrying about what I assumed was a real victim.
TW for this next part of the review: dubious consent/rape
I wouldn't usually judge a book by the "characters" actions, but this is a non-fiction, and I can't help but think that the incident with a pair of 30 y.o. men drinking with a 17 year old girl (and giving her drugs?) and then proceeding to have sex with her is so extremely fucked up!!!
Yes, I understand that the whole book is ultimately about these 30 year olds who are unhappy with their lives and are behaving badly. Yes, I understand that the perpetrators are not framed as guiltless... But none of that changes the fact that they seem to have published images of this LITERAL CHILD engaging in these acts??? Nothing explicit is shown, but there is no note of any form of consent involved in the process of making this book, let alone the experience within it... Like, what the FUCK, how is it even legal to have published this?
EDIT:
So, despite the non-fiction label on here, after doing some further digging, it seems to be all written by one person and so may be fictional???? I understand the intention of making this feel more "real" and the desired impact, but holy crap, put some note somewhere!!! I was worrying about what I assumed was a real victim.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Rape
shewayout_'s review
4.0
As a media student myself I found this graphic novel so refreshing. Stylistically it doesn't follow a linear structure which automatically gets the reader thinking "what exactly is a graphic novel?". It explored ideas which are advance for our time, and as far as I am aware of it is something that I've never seen done before. Personally, the photography section of the novel was my favourite as someone who can't draw very well it inspired me to consider this technique when working on content of my own. The novel is based around 5 friends who meet at University and at the time thought the world was their oyster and have now succumbed to normality, which in their world can be described as the destruction in their life story. Overall this is an extremely beautiful book with fantastic art work and thought provoking concepts which relate to artistic realism in the modern day. I would recommend this book to someone who views themselves as a creative a person as I am sure this would resonate on a deeper level with them as opposed to someone who just enjoys the convention of graphic novels.
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