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andyblv's review
5.0
Winner of the 2023 National Book Award for Young Adult Literature, Dan Santat’s graphic memoir is touching, endearing and brilliantly illustrated. He captures a mood and era so well, recreating a fully formed portrait of awkward teens learning to discover themselves and the wider world. The use of A.A. Milne and Fanta are recurring themes that root the memoir in a specific time and place. A remarkable book. It deserves every plaudit and honor it receives.
gentlegiant303's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
brenda8's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
How I envied people who had opportunities like this as teenagers or young adults—to see and learn about how big the world is, meet people outside of their immediate group, and feel how they could grow into a better version of themselves. And yeah... the things people could get away with just a couple of decades ago are mind-blowing.
panda_incognito's review against another edition
4.0
This graphic novel about a school trip to Europe explores universal themes related to overcoming social isolation, discovering yourself, experiencing the mind-broadening effects of travel, and falling in love for the first time. This memoir includes flashbacks that enrich the story, and it is a very vulnerable, honest take on the author's middle school years. I would recommend this to teens and adults.
It is truly unbelievable what Santat and his peers got up to on this trip, considering that middle schoolers in my era were barely allowed to go to the bathroom by themselves, let alone cavort around Paris with no adult supervision. Santat mentions in the author's note how different things were in 1989, and he also says that he would not recommend or encourage some of the things he and others got up to, such as stealing a bike, smoking, etc. Santat includes pictures and images of other ephemera here at the end of the book, and I really enjoyed getting glimpses of the real-life things he based this story on.
I really enjoyed this story. The illustrations are great and express emotion well, and the story is a fascinating glimpse into a lost era. I also appreciated the different elements related to European history and culture, and I enjoyed my ability to read all of the German dialogue or guess it from context, even though I had no idea what was going on when people were talking in French. This book will appeal to teens and adults, and I fully expect it to win awards in the next award cycle.
It is truly unbelievable what Santat and his peers got up to on this trip, considering that middle schoolers in my era were barely allowed to go to the bathroom by themselves, let alone cavort around Paris with no adult supervision. Santat mentions in the author's note how different things were in 1989, and he also says that he would not recommend or encourage some of the things he and others got up to, such as stealing a bike, smoking, etc. Santat includes pictures and images of other ephemera here at the end of the book, and I really enjoyed getting glimpses of the real-life things he based this story on.
I really enjoyed this story. The illustrations are great and express emotion well, and the story is a fascinating glimpse into a lost era. I also appreciated the different elements related to European history and culture, and I enjoyed my ability to read all of the German dialogue or guess it from context, even though I had no idea what was going on when people were talking in French. This book will appeal to teens and adults, and I fully expect it to win awards in the next award cycle.
a_oriend's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
sabesaw's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
politebotanist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5