The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
maseface's review against another edition
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.75
This book filled me with rage and bile. I personally don't like to DNF books because I feel like I waste all the time I spent reading them if I don't finish them. So I had to put up with this terrible book.
I'd heard several criticism's of the movie adapted from this book and I found out one of the issues is present in the source material. This book presents a glamorized relationship between a minor and an adult. When Emma and Clementine's relationship starts Emma is in her senior year of art school and Clementine is 16. As someone's who's a junior in college the idea of dating a 16 year old grosses me out. I don't know much about France and I'm sorry if this is a generalization but I know this is an issue in France not just in queer relationships but also straight ones. My evidence to back up that assertion is the current first lady Brigitte Macron who's married to her former high school student. But I'm not excusing it as it's very irresponsible for Maroh to do this and I really think Emma could've been aged down.
Also Emma is just the worst aside from dating a minor. She's cheating on her girlfriend with a minor and is worried that Clementine is going to leave for a man. Emma feels kinda biphobic and I think the author might be a little do as Clementine does cheat on Emma with a man despite showing no previous interest in men (I'm spoiling this because I really hate this book and don't think you should read it).
But the think that I hate most about this book was how melodramatic and sappy it was. I'm not against Graphic Novels being serious or even sad. The last two graphic novels I read were Fun Home and Persepolis which were autobiographies also dealing with serious subjects and they can be quite sad at points. I gave both of them 5 stars. But the drama in this was hiked up to an unrealistic degree. And the romance was unbearably sappy. At first I thought maybe I was too cynical to enjoy romance but that isn't the case as out of the 5 romance books I've read since starting this account 3 of them I gave 5 stars. This just takes the sappiness up to a frankly nauseous level.
Also Emma and Clementine's relationship is the definition of co-dependent.
I honestly hate this book so much. The only nice things I can say about it was the art was sometimes nice and it was interesting to get a non-American LGBT perspective. But there are so many better books to get either of those things. Please don't read this book.
I'd heard several criticism's of the movie adapted from this book and I found out one of the issues is present in the source material. This book presents a glamorized relationship between a minor and an adult. When Emma and Clementine's relationship starts Emma is in her senior year of art school and Clementine is 16. As someone's who's a junior in college the idea of dating a 16 year old grosses me out. I don't know much about France and I'm sorry if this is a generalization but I know this is an issue in France not just in queer relationships but also straight ones. My evidence to back up that assertion is the current first lady Brigitte Macron who's married to her former high school student. But I'm not excusing it as it's very irresponsible for Maroh to do this and I really think Emma could've been aged down.
Also Emma is just the worst aside from dating a minor. She's cheating on her girlfriend with a minor and is worried that Clementine is going to leave for a man. Emma feels kinda biphobic and I think the author might be a little do as Clementine does cheat on Emma with a man despite showing no previous interest in men (I'm spoiling this because I really hate this book and don't think you should read it).
But the think that I hate most about this book was how melodramatic and sappy it was. I'm not against Graphic Novels being serious or even sad. The last two graphic novels I read were Fun Home and Persepolis which were autobiographies also dealing with serious subjects and they can be quite sad at points. I gave both of them 5 stars. But the drama in this was hiked up to an unrealistic degree. And the romance was unbearably sappy. At first I thought maybe I was too cynical to enjoy romance but that isn't the case as out of the 5 romance books I've read since starting this account 3 of them I gave 5 stars. This just takes the sappiness up to a frankly nauseous level.
Also Emma and Clementine's relationship is the definition of co-dependent.
I honestly hate this book so much. The only nice things I can say about it was the art was sometimes nice and it was interesting to get a non-American LGBT perspective. But there are so many better books to get either of those things. Please don't read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Outing, and Homophobia
Codependent Relationshipcarleesi's review against another edition
1.0
Super icked out by the adult/child “relationship” and how sexually it was depicted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Drug abuse
proceduralbob's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Infidelity
Moderate: Abandonment, Outing, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Minor: Addiction
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Homophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
nisha_nee's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
I'm on the binge with queer graphic novels this month and by far this was my favorite. I was gripped from the start and even with knowing that this would be a sad, emotional story, I still did not expect to tear up at some of the panels.
The art style is not something I usually read becausr I prefer manga/manhwa-esque style but I think the art in here has greatly contributed to the atmosphere a d vibes it was trying to execute---melancholic. As for the story, I could totally see this as a film. It was atmospheric, gripping, and just so sad. I felt a little bit icky with the adult/minor relationship though but I guess it's more on personal preference and maybe this should be a topic that should be broached more on. I also really liked Valentine, one of the side characters, and Clementine's friend. The only thing I did not like very much was the pacing of the ending. It felt rushed and could use more time in fleshing out the transition of the narrtive to the present day.
The art style is not something I usually read becausr I prefer manga/manhwa-esque style but I think the art in here has greatly contributed to the atmosphere a d vibes it was trying to execute---melancholic. As for the story, I could totally see this as a film. It was atmospheric, gripping, and just so sad. I felt a little bit icky with the adult/minor relationship though but I guess it's more on personal preference and maybe this should be a topic that should be broached more on. I also really liked Valentine, one of the side characters, and Clementine's friend. The only thing I did not like very much was the pacing of the ending. It felt rushed and could use more time in fleshing out the transition of the narrtive to the present day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, and Infidelity
royalmilktea's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Homophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
nickoliver's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-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
4.0
I used to love the movie of this, back when I had barely watched any queer movies and didn't know how problematic it was (you know, with the actresses being treated horrendously and the movie being very male gaze-y with no idea how lesbian sex actually works), so I knew the story going into it. I was also aware that it had a different ending and wasn't caught off-guard by it. I actually liked this a lot! It showed the struggle of accepting yourself when you're surrounded by homophobic people everywhere, which I found to be pretty realistic. I also liked the art style a lot; the way there was barely any colour but all the blue colour stood out was a nice detail.
Honestly, the one thing I didn't like, apart from how anxious it made me, was that it featured a relationship between a teenager and a woman who most certainly was several years too old to still be attracted to a 16-year-old. That could've been done better or at least been acknowledged.
Honestly, the one thing I didn't like, apart from how anxious it made me, was that it featured a relationship between a teenager and a woman who most certainly was several years too old to still be attracted to a 16-year-old. That could've been done better or at least been acknowledged.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Homophobia, and Death
Minor: Vomit and Alcohol
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Sexual content, Death, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Grief, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Cursing and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, Addiction, and Violence
ashurah's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book destroyed me in a good way. I initially thought I wouldn't like the characters, but as I continued reading Clementine grew on me as a protagonist. No one in this book is a good person, but you can somewhat sympathize with the choices they make and understand why they believe what they believe. I loved seeing Clementine's character arc of coming to accept her sexuality, and the overall melancholy tone of the book really added to my reading experience. One thing that I liked in particular was the usage of color, with scenes in the past being colored in black and white with the exception of Emma's blue hair, while scenes in the present are in color. The choice to use these really muted colors and a mixture of mediums to illustrate the book was breathtaking.
I found the art style a bit too cartoony and rough-around-the-edges, but that's a personal preference that other people may not necessarily agree with. I also thought that the last part of the book(starting from when Clementine is kicked out and disowned by her parents) was rushed, and thus I didn't experience as much of an emotional impact as I could have potentially (though I was and still am really emotional about the book). The drug aspect of the plot wasn't expanded upon as much as I would have liked and the time skip in general was too rushed; I didn't realize that almost ten years had passed until I reread it a second time.
Nevertheless, Maroh does an excellent job of portraying these two women and their relationship. I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, but it's a very worthwhile read if you're looking for a tragic LGBT character-driven story.
I found the art style a bit too cartoony and rough-around-the-edges, but that's a personal preference that other people may not necessarily agree with. I also thought that the last part of the book
Nevertheless, Maroh does an excellent job of portraying these two women and their relationship. I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, but it's a very worthwhile read if you're looking for a tragic LGBT character-driven story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Medical content, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Stalking, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts
mirireads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Medical content, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, and Infidelity