ree87's review against another edition
I was reading it for a challenge, missed the challenge deadline, didn't finish the book. Will finish someday, I'm sure.
wanderaven's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure whether Knisley intended a trilogy with An Age of License, Displacement, and Something New but I cannot help but see it that way.
In License she's still a wanderer, missing her ex and vainly hoping that a handsome Swede and a journey through Europe will help her find her way. In Displacement, she is immersed in the overwhelming and startling world of her grandparents' decay. In Something New she enters something old by way of reuniting with her ex and something new by way of being dropped, mostly against her will, into the world of wedding planning and being a bride.
If you're not already familiar with Knisley or I otherwise haven't made it clear, these books are graphic memoirs - representations of the real events in Knisley's life. When I finished Displacement, though, it felt like a cliffhanger in a novel - I was so anxious to find out what happened with her romantic life. And yet at the same time, I didn't want to follow her on social media and have the next book spoiled! (I did, of course, so no surprises with Something but I still had a lot of fun reading about the reunion.)
Knisley chronicles her hesitations, frustrations, and inspirations during the decision-making process. Each chapter ends with a larger-world story explaining things like the history of marriage, different bridal hairstyles, varying wedding superstitions.
As always, Knisley's illustrations are some of my favourites and her storytelling reflect that high quality.
In License she's still a wanderer, missing her ex and vainly hoping that a handsome Swede and a journey through Europe will help her find her way. In Displacement, she is immersed in the overwhelming and startling world of her grandparents' decay. In Something New she enters something old by way of reuniting with her ex and something new by way of being dropped, mostly against her will, into the world of wedding planning and being a bride.
If you're not already familiar with Knisley or I otherwise haven't made it clear, these books are graphic memoirs - representations of the real events in Knisley's life. When I finished Displacement, though, it felt like a cliffhanger in a novel - I was so anxious to find out what happened with her romantic life. And yet at the same time, I didn't want to follow her on social media and have the next book spoiled! (I did, of course, so no surprises with Something but I still had a lot of fun reading about the reunion.)
Knisley chronicles her hesitations, frustrations, and inspirations during the decision-making process. Each chapter ends with a larger-world story explaining things like the history of marriage, different bridal hairstyles, varying wedding superstitions.
As always, Knisley's illustrations are some of my favourites and her storytelling reflect that high quality.
yokorie's review against another edition
4.0
Despite not being very interested in cooking, I picked up Knisleys' "Relish" a few months ago and loved it; her drawings are colorful and delightful, and often very informative, and she perfectly mixed her current love of cooking with her past memories.
Knisley returns with the same style for "Something New": analyzing not only her own current (as of the writing of the book) feelings on her impending marriage, but also looking at the outside influences on those feelings. This makes her book not only an autobiography, but made the reading experience introspective as well.
Overall, I'm eager to keep picking up Knisley's books and highly recommend both "Something New" and "Relish."
Knisley returns with the same style for "Something New": analyzing not only her own current (as of the writing of the book) feelings on her impending marriage, but also looking at the outside influences on those feelings. This makes her book not only an autobiography, but made the reading experience introspective as well.
Overall, I'm eager to keep picking up Knisley's books and highly recommend both "Something New" and "Relish."
readily_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Great read especially if you are in the midst of wedding planning!
nakedsushi's review against another edition
3.0
Some parts were quite funny, but I thought the end dragged on a bit and got a little repetitive.
My main issue about the book is that Knisley raises some really good points about the whole wedding industrial complex, how it enforces patriarchy, and so on, but then she goes ahead and gives in and has a perfect Pinterest wedding. Sure, her wedding is not without hiccups, but everyone pulled through in the end and it was fine.
My main issue about the book is that Knisley raises some really good points about the whole wedding industrial complex, how it enforces patriarchy, and so on, but then she goes ahead and gives in and has a perfect Pinterest wedding. Sure, her wedding is not without hiccups, but everyone pulled through in the end and it was fine.
theinkwyrm's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
As always, I enjoyed Knisley’s approach to writing and illustration and the balance between them. Getting to read about her and her husband’s love story was lovely and I enjoyed reading about her approach to and critique of some wedding traditions (and even the institution of marriage) and how she found what fit best for her and her partner.
jemmania's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
I was semi-charmed by this. The art is beautiful, the structure is fun. I know that the story of how these two finally get together is supposed to enchant me with its romance, but I felt very negatively about it. The child issue was never actually resolved.
Spoiler
It seems like he spent a year looking for someone better while keeping Lucy hanging on by a thread. When he couldn't find anyone better to be with, he decided to settle for Lucy and settle for life as a father. It felt highly manipulative and scummy. Every time that baby screams and wakes him up in the night, or he reads some scare piece about how the world is ending because of selfish breeders he's going to feel pangs of resentment towards his family and towards Lucy. Every time Lucy senses that resentment, she is going to feel guilty that she was selfish enough to want to reproduce in the first place. That's a recipe for divorce.eamily's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Pregnancy
Minor: Murder, Alcohol, Animal death, and Homophobia