hflh's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
No One Else follows a family after the death of a grandfather/father. It creates an outside-looking-in experience, focusing on short moments and interactions within the family rather than deeper explorations of each person's feelings (each person's differing response is highlighted, but it's more surface level through their actions and a few flashbacks).
This is a heavy but quick read, touching on the complexity of loving an abusive parent, the toll of caring for an elderly family member, and the unfair pressure and stress that gets put on kids within a family. The narrative is more surface level, focusing on creating an overall mood while characters and conflicts are relatively basic. It definitely feels like a story meant to make you reflect on your experience vs. sitting with a character in their experience. The art complements this well, focusing more on mood with simple drawings and monochrome colouring.
I absolutely loved the art. Both the simple drawings and colouring did a good job of making this family's experience of grief feel muted. Panels also emphasized distinct actions within moments rather than a cohesive narrative which I thought did a good job of captured the feeling of running-through-the-motions after a traumatic family event.
I really liked the simplicity and detached, outside-looking-in reading experience. But, the simplicity did happen at the cost of nuance. The characters and conflicts felt stereotypical and, at times, exaggerated. It worked, but I do wish the novel had been a longer so it could have included a little more nuance.
NOTE: The death of the grandfather/father is pretty intense (not graphic, just cause of death) and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It definitely adds a layer of weight, but I'm not sure if it adds value to the reading experience or was just a way to add additional drama/conflict.
This is a heavy but quick read, touching on the complexity of loving an abusive parent, the toll of caring for an elderly family member, and the unfair pressure and stress that gets put on kids within a family. The narrative is more surface level, focusing on creating an overall mood while characters and conflicts are relatively basic. It definitely feels like a story meant to make you reflect on your experience vs. sitting with a character in their experience. The art complements this well, focusing more on mood with simple drawings and monochrome colouring.
I absolutely loved the art. Both the simple drawings and colouring did a good job of making this family's experience of grief feel muted. Panels also emphasized distinct actions within moments rather than a cohesive narrative which I thought did a good job of captured the feeling of running-through-the-motions after a traumatic family event.
I really liked the simplicity and detached, outside-looking-in reading experience. But, the simplicity did happen at the cost of nuance. The characters and conflicts felt stereotypical and, at times, exaggerated. It worked, but I do wish the novel had been a longer so it could have included a little more nuance.
NOTE: The death of the grandfather/father is pretty intense (not graphic, just cause of death) and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It definitely adds a layer of weight, but I'm not sure if it adds value to the reading experience or was just a way to add additional drama/conflict.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
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