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Reviews tagging 'Medical content'
Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables by Ivy Noelle Weir
4 reviews
thetomatowriter's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
I'm giving this a 5 star not based on my personal experience (although I did enjoy it) but based on the experience I think I would have had if I was the intended age range for this graphic novel. Occasionally the dialogue felt a little stiff and preachy, but to be fair so did the original. And it was the sort of thing where I think, as a kid, I wouldn't have noticed or cared. I might have even been excited about being introduced to experiences and concepts I hadn't considered before!
If you want an Anne of Green Gables retelling that does everything exactly the same as the story set in Victorian Canada did, this isn't the one for you. Anne isn't necessarily a writer, Matthew isn't a farmer, and certain relationships and plot points go differently than they would have been able to at the time the original books came out. But if you want a retelling that follows the spirit of Anne of Green Gables and truly takes into account how that might resonate in a modern setting for a modern audience, I'd highly recommend Anne of West Philly. If you have kids that you want to love Anne as much as you did growing up, I'd recommend this graphic novel.
Everything that was changed made sense to me, while still holding true to the things I loved about the characters and the original story. And the art was just beautiful throughout. I've seen a few different modern attempts at Anne of Green Gables (especially back in the "classics as vlogs" days) and this one is definitely my favorite.
If you want an Anne of Green Gables retelling that does everything exactly the same as the story set in Victorian Canada did, this isn't the one for you. Anne isn't necessarily a writer, Matthew isn't a farmer, and certain relationships and plot points go differently than they would have been able to at the time the original books came out. But if you want a retelling that follows the spirit of Anne of Green Gables and truly takes into account how that might resonate in a modern setting for a modern audience, I'd highly recommend Anne of West Philly. If you have kids that you want to love Anne as much as you did growing up, I'd recommend this graphic novel.
Everything that was changed made sense to me, while still holding true to the things I loved about the characters and the original story. And the art was just beautiful throughout. I've seen a few different modern attempts at Anne of Green Gables (especially back in the "classics as vlogs" days) and this one is definitely my favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
peachani's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content and Grief
Minor: Bullying, Vomit, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
cassielaj's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
As an Anne of Green Gables lover, I love to see a new adaptation, and this one is wonderful!! It really maintains the heart of the story while presenting it in a current setting and with more modern interpretations of the themes 💚💚💚
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical content
emily_mh's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
3.75
I think my issue with this book is that the things I liked always had a "but" attached to them. For example...
I love the story of Anne no matter what format it comes in. It's such a gentle, wholesome coming-of-age tale. I thought the authors did a fab job of adapting it to a modern-day context, because nothing felt out of place or dated. BUT this graphic novel tried to cover too much of Anne's story. A graphic novel needs more space than prose to cover the same events, but also is limited in most cases to a few hundred pages, meaning trying to adapt a full prose book in detail just doesn't work. This is the case here. The narrative just ends up rushing through a cameo of events with no time to let them breathe and properly explore the themes and character development they bring.
Another example is that I liked how Anne was into coding. BUT this came at the expense of Anne being into writing. I think that writing is so core to Anne and how she expresses herself, so having this gone meant that she didn't totally feel like Anne. Which leads me to the fact that while the story encapsulates Anne's passion and brashness and boldness perfectly, it failed to capture her whimsy, which I blame partly on the lack of Anne being a writer.
One thing I did love about this book with no "buts" was that Anne was queer and interested in Diana, not Gilbert. I by no means hate Shirbert, but I really love Anne and Diana as a ship too!
I love the story of Anne no matter what format it comes in. It's such a gentle, wholesome coming-of-age tale. I thought the authors did a fab job of adapting it to a modern-day context, because nothing felt out of place or dated. BUT this graphic novel tried to cover too much of Anne's story. A graphic novel needs more space than prose to cover the same events, but also is limited in most cases to a few hundred pages, meaning trying to adapt a full prose book in detail just doesn't work. This is the case here. The narrative just ends up rushing through a cameo of events with no time to let them breathe and properly explore the themes and character development they bring.
Another example is that I liked how Anne was into coding. BUT this came at the expense of Anne being into writing. I think that writing is so core to Anne and how she expresses herself, so having this gone meant that she didn't totally feel like Anne. Which leads me to the fact that while the story encapsulates Anne's passion and brashness and boldness perfectly, it failed to capture her whimsy, which I blame partly on the lack of Anne being a writer.
One thing I did love about this book with no "buts" was that Anne was queer and interested in Diana, not Gilbert. I by no means hate Shirbert, but I really love Anne and Diana as a ship too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Major: foster child experience Moderate: adoption, sick parent Minor: internalised misogyny
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