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vaguely_pink's review
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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Transphobia, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Outing, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Child death, Death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Car accident