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sarahetc's review against another edition
2.0
Perhaps I expected too much going in. Or I misjudged the cover, the blurbs, either, or both concurrently. The graphic novel presents like a Chicago in the 60s buildungsroman, complete with riots, bouffants, and racial epithets of all varieties. The real story is of a tertiary character's childhood in Weimar Germany and the ongoing trauma of that hideous set of experiences. The art was interesting, but much of it seemed to be there only as alternate sets of homages to the authors favorite paintings and the unique art of monster movie magazines of the mid-20th century. A nice agglomeration of ideas, but had I to do it over, I would not have wasted my time.
alexilse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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
jjwhite33's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.75
blockbusta313's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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
5.0
catherinept's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
5.0
giugiufio's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
rebeccamorgan's review against another edition
5.0
The art blows me away. There are as many layers to the story as there are to the drawings!
thecirclek's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
The artwork is fantastic and the central mystery is compelling. There is a LOT stuffed into this story (which is the first part of a longer story), and at times it's a bit overwhelming tracking the different elements. That said, I can't wait to read the next installment!
doctorwithoutboundaries's review against another edition
4.0
• Winner of the 2017 Ignatz awards for "Outstanding Artist" and "Outstanding Graphic Novel"
• Winner of the 2018 Eisners for "Best Graphic Album–New", "Best Writer/Artist" and "Best Coloring"
• Winner of the 2019 Fauve D'Or at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
I recently watched Jeremy Allen White's The Bear and that, coupled with this book, have filled me with tremendous nostalgia for Chicago. How I miss the food, the skyline, and most especially the Art Institute. While I'm no artist like this story's protagonist, Karen Reyes, I share her love for the many iconic paintings it houses, many of which Ferris recreates here astonishingly well, despite the limitations that one would imagine using only a ballpoint pen might pose. The crosshatched ballpoint drawings, sans panels, were a first for me, so they regularly left me in awe at the level of detail, the varied styles and the overall aesthetic. So many pages capture the eye, and it's hard to believe that they are hand-drawn. That brings me to the presentation, which I also felt was unique; the book is essentially a scanned copy of the author's ruled spiral-bound notebooks. The effect was intimate and immersive, though I would've preferred if she had used a blank notebook as I often found the lines distracting.
While I have nothing but praise for the art, the story and the meandering plot were in desperate need of rescuing. It frequently vacillated between trying too hard and not trying enough. I was bored for the first hundred odd pages, but the art and the artist's story (drawing while recovering from paralysis!) kept me going, and then it picked up pace. Two parallel stories run side-by-side, one is that of twelve year-old Karen and the other of her middle-aged neighbour Anka. Without giving away too much, here are just some of the topics that the book touches: poverty, queer rights, racism, the Holocaust, sexual abuse, terminal illness, crime, alcoholism and bullying. The central conceit of the book, that Karen would rather be a monster than a girl, fascinated as she is by horror comics, falls apart when you begin to wonder, on which of these identities is the author commenting? These are rivalled only by the many caricature-ish characters, at least one of whom did not add anything to the narrative. I found it all a bit heavy-handed, and I could've definitely done without some of the gratuitous tragedy porn in Anka's story.
So, an ambitious book, no doubt, but not quite tight enough for my liking. The last hundred pages are spent teasing a reveal that is far too obvious, which put me in the curious position of wanting more of this book and wanting it to change course, at the same time. While we can grant some leeway as readers because the protagonist who's discovering this secret is a child, the tone is maddening, never settling on whether it wants to be a family drama or a mystery. And many family secrets still remain, so we thankfully have a second volume releasing soon. The book could've used some trimming, to be sure, but more than that, it needed direction. The pros largely outweigh the cons for me, the middle chunk of this book being intensely emotional, and, Ferris can still make it all work in the next volume, turning the kitchen sink into the intersection of many identities. Colour me impressed and intrigued till then... Cautiously optimistic, as they say.
8.75/10
• Winner of the 2018 Eisners for "Best Graphic Album–New", "Best Writer/Artist" and "Best Coloring"
• Winner of the 2019 Fauve D'Or at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
I recently watched Jeremy Allen White's The Bear and that, coupled with this book, have filled me with tremendous nostalgia for Chicago. How I miss the food, the skyline, and most especially the Art Institute. While I'm no artist like this story's protagonist, Karen Reyes, I share her love for the many iconic paintings it houses, many of which Ferris recreates here astonishingly well, despite the limitations that one would imagine using only a ballpoint pen might pose. The crosshatched ballpoint drawings, sans panels, were a first for me, so they regularly left me in awe at the level of detail, the varied styles and the overall aesthetic. So many pages capture the eye, and it's hard to believe that they are hand-drawn. That brings me to the presentation, which I also felt was unique; the book is essentially a scanned copy of the author's ruled spiral-bound notebooks. The effect was intimate and immersive, though I would've preferred if she had used a blank notebook as I often found the lines distracting.
While I have nothing but praise for the art, the story and the meandering plot were in desperate need of rescuing. It frequently vacillated between trying too hard and not trying enough. I was bored for the first hundred odd pages, but the art and the artist's story (drawing while recovering from paralysis!) kept me going, and then it picked up pace. Two parallel stories run side-by-side, one is that of twelve year-old Karen and the other of her middle-aged neighbour Anka. Without giving away too much, here are just some of the topics that the book touches: poverty, queer rights, racism, the Holocaust, sexual abuse, terminal illness, crime, alcoholism and bullying. The central conceit of the book, that Karen would rather be a monster than a girl, fascinated as she is by horror comics, falls apart when you begin to wonder, on which of these identities is the author commenting? These are rivalled only by the many caricature-ish characters, at least one of whom did not add anything to the narrative. I found it all a bit heavy-handed, and I could've definitely done without some of the gratuitous tragedy porn in Anka's story.
So, an ambitious book, no doubt, but not quite tight enough for my liking. The last hundred pages are spent teasing a reveal that is far too obvious, which put me in the curious position of wanting more of this book and wanting it to change course, at the same time. While we can grant some leeway as readers because the protagonist who's discovering this secret is a child, the tone is maddening, never settling on whether it wants to be a family drama or a mystery. And many family secrets still remain
Spoiler
I'm dying to know what's behind the door in the basement!8.75/10
djgoose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
5.0
I love this book. The art is so stunning and weird. I am constantly thinking about all the different layers to the story telling. It’s so good.