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sineadz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
nannahnannah's review against another edition
5.0
I picked this up by chance at my library's new release stand. It's probably the best graphic novel I've ever read. (And I'm disabled myself, so my review counts as double. Don't worry about the math; just accept it.)
Isaac Hammoudeh is an Arab-American college student whose epilepsy has him leading a very different life from his peers. Instead of staying up late to binge-watch shows, he's the kid ""nagging"" his roommates to keep it quiet so he can make sure to get his eight hours of sleep. He's the dude shouting at the parties outside to shut up, the skipping all his classes and failing all his tests. All this just to avoid extra triggers.
Isaac takes his medication, but nothing works. Work, tests, missed assignments, and even calls from home pile up until everything become to much for him to handle. He has to eventually decide if fighting his own body is worth it.
So, firstly, I'm gonna talk about disability. Because, yeah, I'm disabled. And this graphic novel spoke to me in a HUGE way.
I also have illnesses that -- for lack of a better phrase -- want to kill me, the way epilepsy is described by Isaac in Mis(h)adra. For people like me, this book ... gets really personal in a lot of ways. Firstly, those doctor visits are not exaggerated. Doctors really do treat chronic illness patients like shit. They will dismiss you to the moon and back and will think you're mistreating your drugs pretty much no matter what (ESPECIALLY if you're on an opioid).
Secondly, Isaac's many inner monologues are so relatable it's painful. Jo's no-nonsense attitude and speech near the end can be Really helpful to many disabled people like us. We often feel distanced from everyone, including our loved ones and friends. Hearing that speech in words from one friend to another in this context ... it really helped. Even in fiction. Especially written by a disabled author.
Okay, I'm done with that. Speaking about the actual graphic novel itself...
The composition of this thing is breathtaking. The way panels and colors and characters are laid out on pages are so damn creative. It uses probably the most original way of framing and composition I've ever seen (not that I'm the most Widely-Read person when it comes to graphic novels, but still).
Style falls pretty similar to anime and characters are similarly drawn, but even then there's tons of diversity when it comes to characters and characterization. I looove the way characters are designed. Really, there's lots of diversity here, with Muslim characters and lots of different races depicted (even if there are very few Actual characters). The main two characters are even very different and recognizable from each other--Isaac: thin, hairy, brown; Jo: pudgy, very dark-skinned, two-toned hair.
The story is beautiful and moving. It's a story of strength and self-acceptance. For once, not a story about abled people accepting disabled people. It's about disabled people accepting themselves.
Which is why this novel is so needed right now. Why #ownvoices are so important.
I know this review is really messy, but it's hard to sort out my feelings about it when it made me so emotional. Basically: read it. Just ... read it.
Isaac Hammoudeh is an Arab-American college student whose epilepsy has him leading a very different life from his peers. Instead of staying up late to binge-watch shows, he's the kid ""nagging"" his roommates to keep it quiet so he can make sure to get his eight hours of sleep. He's the dude shouting at the parties outside to shut up, the skipping all his classes and failing all his tests. All this just to avoid extra triggers.
Isaac takes his medication, but nothing works. Work, tests, missed assignments, and even calls from home pile up until everything become to much for him to handle. He has to eventually decide if fighting his own body is worth it.
So, firstly, I'm gonna talk about disability. Because, yeah, I'm disabled. And this graphic novel spoke to me in a HUGE way.
I also have illnesses that -- for lack of a better phrase -- want to kill me, the way epilepsy is described by Isaac in Mis(h)adra. For people like me, this book ... gets really personal in a lot of ways. Firstly, those doctor visits are not exaggerated. Doctors really do treat chronic illness patients like shit. They will dismiss you to the moon and back and will think you're mistreating your drugs pretty much no matter what (ESPECIALLY if you're on an opioid).
Secondly, Isaac's many inner monologues are so relatable it's painful. Jo's no-nonsense attitude and speech near the end can be Really helpful to many disabled people like us. We often feel distanced from everyone, including our loved ones and friends. Hearing that speech in words from one friend to another in this context ... it really helped. Even in fiction. Especially written by a disabled author.
Okay, I'm done with that. Speaking about the actual graphic novel itself...
The composition of this thing is breathtaking. The way panels and colors and characters are laid out on pages are so damn creative. It uses probably the most original way of framing and composition I've ever seen (not that I'm the most Widely-Read person when it comes to graphic novels, but still).
Style falls pretty similar to anime and characters are similarly drawn, but even then there's tons of diversity when it comes to characters and characterization. I looove the way characters are designed. Really, there's lots of diversity here, with Muslim characters and lots of different races depicted (even if there are very few Actual characters). The main two characters are even very different and recognizable from each other--Isaac: thin, hairy, brown; Jo: pudgy, very dark-skinned, two-toned hair.
The story is beautiful and moving. It's a story of strength and self-acceptance. For once, not a story about abled people accepting disabled people. It's about disabled people accepting themselves.
Which is why this novel is so needed right now. Why #ownvoices are so important.
I know this review is really messy, but it's hard to sort out my feelings about it when it made me so emotional. Basically: read it. Just ... read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Ableism
also: extreme eye strain, eye horrorkrys_kilz's review
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
The artwork in this book is INCREDIBLE!!! I am literally in awe. As a chronically ill person, I also really appreciated the story even though it was hard at times.
A lot of the story is told through the visuals and use of color, so it's important to pay attention to the images and not just the text with this book.
A lot of the story is told through the visuals and use of color, so it's important to pay attention to the images and not just the text with this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Gore
windspice's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Addiction
fungivibes's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism and Medical content