arlingtonchamberofgay's review
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
marshiereads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is stunning in its beauty. With that said, it is telling a difficult story. You’ll find yourself frequently frustrated with the characters and the choices they’re making. There’s heartbreak and hope and deep tragedy all in a relatively short book. The format of the graphic novel does well to add to the tension of the tense moments and add silence to the quiet ones. Very effective. Even the ending had mixed emotions which felt in line with the rest of the story. It left a weight in my heart but I don’t mind it sitting with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Animal death
Moderate: Vomit and Death of parent
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
netthauser's review
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
marywahlmeierbracciano's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
R. Kikuo Johnson's clean style and brilliant storytelling follow single mom Charlene, her son Brandon, and her brother Robbie at their home on Maui. After single-handedly caring for her aging father during his final years, Charlene quits her nursing job and decides to apply to medical school upon his death. Brandon, whose cat, Batman, had recently run off, splits his time between searching for his friend and cleaning up after his mom. Robbie, a traveling musician, returns home to find his sister in the throes of grief and struggles to process his own relationship with his dad. A masterful, timeless, touching story of an ordinary family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Drug use and Violence
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