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betweentheshelves's review
funny
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
This was an absolutely adorable graphic novel. There's a lot of great representation in this: disability, chronic pain, queer rep (bisexul and nonbinary). Plus, it's a YA that has younger teen characters (14 & 15) which seems to be pretty rare as of late. So yay for that!
This graphic novel is chuck full of fandom references, all slightly tweaked to reflect different fandoms in our own world. Those felt really clever to me! It is a bit insta-love, but that's partly to be expected when they're teenagers. It felt real and authentic to me, even if it's not my favorite thing in a story.
The art was also great! I liked the way the characters were drawn, and all the different comic con constumes included throughout. Just an overall really lovely graphic novel!
This graphic novel is chuck full of fandom references, all slightly tweaked to reflect different fandoms in our own world. Those felt really clever to me! It is a bit insta-love, but that's partly to be expected when they're teenagers. It felt real and authentic to me, even if it's not my favorite thing in a story.
The art was also great! I liked the way the characters were drawn, and all the different comic con constumes included throughout. Just an overall really lovely graphic novel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Cancer, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Chronic illness and Outing
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, and Medical content
emily_mh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I love love love when I find a book by an Aussie author that I adore!! What a fab read. My love for this book is because of four things:
1) The art style! It was cartoony which was fun, but the thing that really shone was the creative and original panel arrangement.
2) The depiction of fandom culture. There were all kinds of parody pop culture references which were amusing. The actual con itself made me want to go to one really bad. Also, I loved how the author made up two TV shows - Twisted Beasts and Midnight Girls - and created parallels between the shows and the lives of Maisie and Ollie. I ended up really wanting to watch the shows even though they obviously don't exist.
3) The relationships! Definitely the star element of the story. The one between Maisie and her mum was fantastic. It was very realistic and filled with so much fondness. I loved that Jo showed so much understanding and support for Maisie and that this was shown as completely normal. And of course, I especially enjoyed Maisie and Ollie's relationship. It was such a sweet, shy, exploratory bond that was kind of insta-lovey BUT done the right way. I actually found their connection believable because its development was given so much space to breathe - they had proper and conversations as well as many shared interests.
4) The queer and disabled joy! While there were discussions of exclusion, this story wasn't about ableism and queerphobia. It was about a queer, disabled teen who gets to go to a fancon and explore her passions, and finds an HFN at the same time. It has a hopeful, happy ending. I just ADORE this kind of rep!! My favourite quote in regards to the disabled rep was: "Accessibility isn't a perk." I need to remind myself (and others) of this.
In terms of negatives, I wasn't expecting this to be in black-and-white. While I actually think it didn't hinder my enjoyment too much, I'm still of the opinion that black-and-white only really works if it's an intentional stylistic choice. I also think that there were some bloated parts in the beginning that could have been cut down or eliminated to give more space showcasing the relationships. Obviously these criticisms didn't weigh too much in my rating, as this book is still definitely worth 4.5 stars!
1) The art style! It was cartoony which was fun, but the thing that really shone was the creative and original panel arrangement.
2) The depiction of fandom culture. There were all kinds of parody pop culture references which were amusing. The actual con itself made me want to go to one really bad. Also, I loved how the author made up two TV shows - Twisted Beasts and Midnight Girls - and created parallels between the shows and the lives of Maisie and Ollie. I ended up really wanting to watch the shows even though they obviously don't exist.
3) The relationships! Definitely the star element of the story. The one between Maisie and her mum was fantastic. It was very realistic and filled with so much fondness. I loved that Jo showed so much understanding and support for Maisie and that this was shown as completely normal. And of course, I especially enjoyed Maisie and Ollie's relationship. It was such a sweet, shy, exploratory bond that was kind of insta-lovey BUT done the right way. I actually found their connection believable because its development was given so much space to breathe - they had proper and conversations as well as many shared interests.
4) The queer and disabled joy! While there were discussions of exclusion, this story wasn't about ableism and queerphobia. It was about a queer, disabled teen who gets to go to a fancon and explore her passions, and finds an HFN at the same time. It has a hopeful, happy ending. I just ADORE this kind of rep!! My favourite quote in regards to the disabled rep was: "Accessibility isn't a perk." I need to remind myself (and others) of this.
In terms of negatives, I wasn't expecting this to be in black-and-white. While I actually think it didn't hinder my enjoyment too much, I'm still of the opinion that black-and-white only really works if it's an intentional stylistic choice. I also think that there were some bloated parts in the beginning that could have been cut down or eliminated to give more space showcasing the relationships. Obviously these criticisms didn't weigh too much in my rating, as this book is still definitely worth 4.5 stars!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Outing
Moderate: chronic pain Minor: child birth, divorce