mello_cra02's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
3.25
Thank you, NetGalley and Holiday House Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
This is a truly heartbreaking story that covers multiple meaningful topics such as substance abuse, gender identity, dealing with trauma, and the perks of being a teenager. I didn't relate to the story because I haven't gone through anything similar before but that didn't stop me from relishing the experience of reading about Claire's journey.
I must warn you that this is not a happy book, and that's probably the best part. It doesn't have a HEA at the end, but it still gives you an optimistic feeling that things can be alright in the future.
I enjoyed this (painfully) real book and would like to recommend this read to everyone who needs it. Regardless, there were a few details that made it hard for me to rate it higher. For example, the inner monologues were too poetic for my taste. It didn't match the realistic setting. The pacing of the story bothered me a little bit too. There's also the art. It was beautiful yet, I found it chaotic at times. It was difficult for me to understand what was going on in some scenes.
Nonetheless, I believe this book will be of great help to young people struggling with their identity or fighting an addiction.
This is a truly heartbreaking story that covers multiple meaningful topics such as substance abuse, gender identity, dealing with trauma, and the perks of being a teenager. I didn't relate to the story because I haven't gone through anything similar before but that didn't stop me from relishing the experience of reading about Claire's journey.
I must warn you that this is not a happy book, and that's probably the best part. It doesn't have a HEA at the end, but it still gives you an optimistic feeling that things can be alright in the future.
I enjoyed this (painfully) real book and would like to recommend this read to everyone who needs it. Regardless, there were a few details that made it hard for me to rate it higher. For example, the inner monologues were too poetic for my taste. It didn't match the realistic setting. The pacing of the story bothered me a little bit too. There's also the art. It was beautiful yet, I found it chaotic at times. It was difficult for me to understand what was going on in some scenes.
Nonetheless, I believe this book will be of great help to young people struggling with their identity or fighting an addiction.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
vaguely_pink's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Constellations covers a lot of important topics and is clearly a labor of love from the author. The main character Claire, a GNC teen growing up in 80s New York, turns to alcohol when their traumas catch up with them and finds themself in rehab. Filled with unique art, Glasheen crafts a semi-autobiographical narrative about found family and finding yourself.
As a fellow product of adolescent IOP programs (albeit for depression, not addiction), the found family story was familiar to me and I felt that the author did justice in their portrayal of how complicated it can feel to forge friendships at the worst time in your life. However, it was at times hard to understand due to the strange narrative flow of the book. It was also not helped by the art style. Although very cool with its watercolor palette and doodle overlays, the art didn't serve a graphic novel particularly well in my opinion. It was often visually cluttered and the facial expressions mismatched the dialogue making for a difficult reading experience. I also found the middle section to be overly preachy at times. Maybe it's because I've been through similar kinds of therapy and have heard the broken records Charlie imbues in his clients many times before, but it often times felt like the main narrative of Claire's story was being overshadowed by detailed lectures from Charlie that didn't seem to progress the narrative at all. As a reader, I'm far more interested in Claire's journey learning those lessons than actually (re)learning them myself.
Constellations' story is important, and maybe I'm not precisely the right audience for it. If you resonate at all with Claire's story, you may find some comfort and validation here. Definitely check trigger warnings beforehand!
**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review eARC**
As a fellow product of adolescent IOP programs (albeit for depression, not addiction), the found family story was familiar to me and I felt that the author did justice in their portrayal of how complicated it can feel to forge friendships at the worst time in your life. However, it was at times hard to understand due to the strange narrative flow of the book. It was also not helped by the art style. Although very cool with its watercolor palette and doodle overlays, the art didn't serve a graphic novel particularly well in my opinion. It was often visually cluttered and the facial expressions mismatched the dialogue making for a difficult reading experience. I also found the middle section to be overly preachy at times. Maybe it's because I've been through similar kinds of therapy and have heard the broken records Charlie imbues in his clients many times before, but it often times felt like the main narrative of Claire's story was being overshadowed by detailed lectures from Charlie that didn't seem to progress the narrative at all. As a reader, I'm far more interested in Claire's journey learning those lessons than actually (re)learning them myself.
Constellations' story is important, and maybe I'm not precisely the right audience for it. If you resonate at all with Claire's story, you may find some comfort and validation here. Definitely check trigger warnings beforehand!
**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review eARC**
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Transphobia
Moderate: Drug abuse, Outing, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Minor: Death, Sexual assault, Child death, Car accident, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
More...