jazzypizzaz's review against another edition
3.0
A bit slow in pace, and more mundane (based firmly in reality) than I expected. Still a good read and towards the end there were moments that had me choked up with emotion, plus a few insightful bits about the role of stories in helping to interpret our own lives.
good_winter's review against another edition
4.0
Like many debuts, Proehl attempts to sardine too many ideas into one small space, and the result is a crowded exposition. This one really redeems itself with an engaging climax, and while it's a story I wouldn't recommend to a non-comic book reading friend (double negatives for dayz), it made for a fantastic book club discussion.
thisotherbookaccount's review against another edition
2.0
It is a peeve of mine when a child character does not sound like a child. Instead, he sounds like an adult pretending to be one. Now, I understanding that writing is sometimes about making things up, and playing the role of someone else is a big part of that. However, when a child sounds like an adult, the illusion breaks down very quickly. Alex is supposed to be a nine-year-old in this book, but he sounds nothing like a nine-year-old, and it rubs me the wrong way.
All of that aside, the synopsis is an interesting one. Our protagonist is Valerie, an actress of a science fiction television show, going on a road trip with her son while dropping by comic conventions along the way — if only the book stayed on course. Author Bob Proehl's debut is mostly competent, but competence does not make for a great book with a great story. There are too many characters Valerie and Alex meet along the way that feel shoehorned into the book for no apparent reasons. Brett, a comic book artist, feels like he is there to fulfil the role of a makeshift therapist for the young Alex. After introducing him, however, perhaps Proehl feels like he cannot leave Brett hanging. So he introduces us to a host of other characters that really do not add much of anything to the main story thread. It feels tacked on, if you will, and really unfocused — and the same goes with Gail's storyline. I mean, how did those stories add to the main narrative? Or were they just opportunities to address very real issues in the comic book industry?
There is a gem in this book, and there are charms to be found. But when the story has so much fat around it, it suffers.
All of that aside, the synopsis is an interesting one. Our protagonist is Valerie, an actress of a science fiction television show, going on a road trip with her son while dropping by comic conventions along the way — if only the book stayed on course. Author Bob Proehl's debut is mostly competent, but competence does not make for a great book with a great story. There are too many characters Valerie and Alex meet along the way that feel shoehorned into the book for no apparent reasons. Brett, a comic book artist, feels like he is there to fulfil the role of a makeshift therapist for the young Alex. After introducing him, however, perhaps Proehl feels like he cannot leave Brett hanging. So he introduces us to a host of other characters that really do not add much of anything to the main story thread. It feels tacked on, if you will, and really unfocused — and the same goes with Gail's storyline. I mean, how did those stories add to the main narrative? Or were they just opportunities to address very real issues in the comic book industry?
There is a gem in this book, and there are charms to be found. But when the story has so much fat around it, it suffers.
littlefoot10's review against another edition
4.0
I was sent this book by Penguin Random House for an honest review. This is not normally a book that I would pick up in a book store, because it lives in the world of comic books. Comic books are complex and have multiple story lines that intersect and weave, with a rich history. To see a book based in this world seemed daunting for someone (me); that doesn't watch super hero movies, or has ever read a comic other than Archie and Jug-Head. But this book was just what I needed. At its core it's about a mother and sons relationship and how your decisions in life affect your future. This book was very well written, and very just heart warming and breaking at the same time. I really enjoyed the voice of Alex, he was naive and so child-like it was nice to see this refreshing perspective. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in a family relationship and the complications of life, enjoys comics, the quest for knowledge, and enjoys multiple points of view!
storytimed's review against another edition
3.0
In this book, a former TV sci-fi actress and a bunch of comic book writers make a marvelous journey across the con scene from NYC to LA!
The mundane elements were fairly prosaic (the comic book writers include Fake Alan Moore and Lesbian Fake Gail Simone), and I really didn't find the ending to the custody battle at all believable. Alex also does not come off as a realistic kid (more of an adult's idea of what a shy, sensitive child Should be like) and is altogether too self-possessed
What I did like were the occasional interstitial backstories for Proehl's fake comic book heroes, most of whom are thinly-veiled expies of actual Marvel and DC characters. He's clearly done a lot of thinking about comics and portrays the emotionally resonant elements of being a stranger in a land where no one knows you or being a man out of time very well!
And I like the Greek chorus of cosplay girls
I would read Bob Proehl's fanfiction.............
The mundane elements were fairly prosaic (the comic book writers include Fake Alan Moore and Lesbian Fake Gail Simone), and I really didn't find the ending to the custody battle at all believable. Alex also does not come off as a realistic kid (more of an adult's idea of what a shy, sensitive child Should be like) and is altogether too self-possessed
What I did like were the occasional interstitial backstories for Proehl's fake comic book heroes, most of whom are thinly-veiled expies of actual Marvel and DC characters. He's clearly done a lot of thinking about comics and portrays the emotionally resonant elements of being a stranger in a land where no one knows you or being a man out of time very well!
And I like the Greek chorus of cosplay girls
I would read Bob Proehl's fanfiction.............
theohume's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Gun violence, Classism, Toxic relationship, and Stalking
cjdawn236's review against another edition
3.0
I have to be honest and say I’m not really sure how I feel about this book. I was so excited to read it because it sounded like exactly my kind of book, but then I never really got into it. There were some great things about it that I liked, but I just couldn’t identify with the characters as much as I thought I would and just wasn’t as enthusiastic about it by the end.
I think one of my problems with the book was that most of the novel was building towards this potentially dramatic climax, that just ended up falling flat – at least for me. I also felt the novel was lacking the excitement and humor that I had expected of it – this was much more of a drama set in the world of comics and fan conventions than I was expecting. My favorite part was by far the veiled references to our own Pop Culture icons, which you had to be paying attention to pick up, as all the names and places are changed.
Overall, this book just wasn’t at all what I was expecting it to be. Perhaps if I had gone into it with fewer expectations, or had been in a different mood while reading it, I would have been able to enjoy it more.
I think one of my problems with the book was that most of the novel was building towards this potentially dramatic climax, that just ended up falling flat – at least for me. I also felt the novel was lacking the excitement and humor that I had expected of it – this was much more of a drama set in the world of comics and fan conventions than I was expecting. My favorite part was by far the veiled references to our own Pop Culture icons, which you had to be paying attention to pick up, as all the names and places are changed.
Overall, this book just wasn’t at all what I was expecting it to be. Perhaps if I had gone into it with fewer expectations, or had been in a different mood while reading it, I would have been able to enjoy it more.
iggyebab's review against another edition
2.0
Good concept. I wanted to like this story but there was something missing.
claireadtea's review
adventurous
emotional
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
4.5
davidscrimshaw's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books where I must have read a review and thought I should reserve it. Then it came in and I had no memory of why I reserved it.
The book is set at a series of comic conventions and follows a group of people who come together from going to the conventions. I thought it was going to be a fantasy or sci-fi story, but it isn't.
It's mostly about a mother and her son, and a bit about how it's tough to be a comic book writer.
I liked the story and liked the characters, but didn't love it. I think if you're interested in comic books or fantasy and sci-fi television, you might want to read this.
The book is set at a series of comic conventions and follows a group of people who come together from going to the conventions. I thought it was going to be a fantasy or sci-fi story, but it isn't.
It's mostly about a mother and her son, and a bit about how it's tough to be a comic book writer.
I liked the story and liked the characters, but didn't love it. I think if you're interested in comic books or fantasy and sci-fi television, you might want to read this.