alandd's reviews
1397 reviews

Forest of Noise: Poems by Mosab Abu Toha

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

This is a beautiful book full of raw honesty and emotional imagery. I couldn't stop until I finished. Although brief, it's powerful and effective in its celebration of Palestinian culture, heritage, and resilience. I can't wait to read another book from the author!

My Noisy Roommate: The Roof Over My Head Comes With Monsters and a Hottie 1 by Kaho Ozaki

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was such a fun manga! The writing and the art are both gorgeous. It took me in for a ride full of ghosts, entities, and a lot of tension between the two main characters. Osuke is definitely my favorite for being more human, whereas Nijio is more of a slightly worked cliché. I admit it didn't impress me, or surprise me, but I was still expecting something different.

What I liked the most was that there were still some original elements for me along with the dynamic between these two. The story is quite simple, yet catches your attention from the beginning, mostly because of the art. However, the script becomes much more solid after a few pages, shining on its own. Maybe not spectacular, but a good start for what could be a great story!

There were times when I felt everything was very idealized and unreal. This is obviously a fantasy story, but one of the most important aspects for me is that the characters are believable, that they seem real even though they're just in the paper. Osuke's choices and behaviors took me out of the reading because of this. He kept doing things that the creator wanted him to do, not because he had to do them.

In short, a funny, cute reading about two opposites with the potential for more. It didn't have a strong start, but it was solid enough to hook me up and charm me with the development. I'm eager to learn more about their world, their magic, and what happens with Osuke!

Full review on September 17: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/09/manga-review-my-noisy-roommate-1.html

Suitor Armor, Volume 1 by Purpah

adventurous funny reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

With a gorgeous style and attractive premise, but with a boring instalove and linear characters full of cliches, I finished it somewhat enthusiastic, but wasn't that memorable for me. There wasn't enough development or originality to make me want to know more.

The Brujos of Borderland High by Gume Laurel III

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

4.0

¡Qué historia de fantasía tan tierna! Todavía me estoy acostumbrando al formato de las novelas en verso, pero esta es tan fácil de leer como de disfrutar. Los diálogos y la narración son tan fluidos como se podría esperar de un poema, pero tan profundos como una novela para adultos (¡aunque esto no es solo para adultos!). Hay varias escenas que insinúan algo más complejo de lo que parece a simple vista, secreto hasta que te das cuenta de lo que está pasando.

Reseña completa: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/08/manga-brujos-of-borderland-high.html

This is such a cute fantasy story! I'm still getting used to the format of novels in verse, but this one is so easy to read as it is to enjoy. The dialogues and narration are as fluent as you might expect from a poem but as deep as an adult novel (this is not only for adults, though!) There are several scenes that hint at something more complex than it meets the eye, secret until you realize what's going on.

Full review: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/08/manga-brujos-of-borderland-high.html

Turns Out My Online Friend Is My Real-Life Boss! 1 by Nmura

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

¡Esta historia es más adorable de lo que pensé que sería! Hay mucho drama, humor y situaciones hilarantes. No es tan directa como otros mangas que he leído, pero funciona con facilidad. El guión es sólido y ambos personajes son muy humanos, lo que hace que sea aún más fácil sumergirse en el mundo de Hashimoto y Uma.
Reseña completa (A publicarse el 12 de agosto): https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/08/manga-turns-out-my-online-friend-is-my.html

This story is more adorable than I thought it would be! There's a lot of drama, humor, and hilarious situations. It doesn't go as straight-forward as other mangas that I've read, but it makes it work with ease. The script is solid and both characters are very human, which makes it even easier to get immersed in the world of Hashimoto and Uma.
Full review (To be published on August 12): https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/08/manga-turns-out-my-online-friend-is-my.html

Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World by Rachel Quinney

adventurous funny informative lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

4.0

Soy un fanático nato de la fantasía. Si llevan esa misma fantasía, cosas que deberían ser imposibles, a la vida real, caigo enamorado. Tengo esta fascinación por las criaturas imposibles. Algunos los llaman críptidos, otros monstruos, otros simplemente figuras y personajes del folclore y la mitología. Yo los llamo cultura. Por eso decidí darle una oportunidad a echarle el guante a Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World, por Rachel Quinney.
Reseña completa: https://wildhunt.org/2024/07/resena-de-libro-cryptids-creatures-critters-by-rachel-quinney.html

I’m a natural-born sucker for fantasy. Bring that same fantasy, things that should be impossible, to real life, and I am all yours. I have this fascination for impossible creatures. Some call them cryptids, some monsters, others just figures and characters from folklore and mythology. I call them culture. That’s why I decided to get my hands on Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World, by Rachel Quinney.
Full review: https://wildhunt.org/2024/07/review-cryptids-creatures-critters.html

Invasive by Cullen Bunn

dark 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? No

0.0

Too rushed, graphic for the sake of being graphic, and with no actual answers. It's usually a good thing for me lose track of time when reading, but this time it wasn't the case: the script was too busy trying to be shocking and mysterious at the same time, and I realize it is because of Cullen's style. It doesn't work for me, to the point that I didn't underdstand the ending or even part of the development.

The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn, Volume 1 by Tri Vuong

adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved this book! It has the charm of the old, dark fantasy cartoons I used to watch when I was a kid with the maturity of the adult I am right now. It’s full of surprises, adventures, charming characters, and stories that immerse you into a new world of ghosts, magic, and murderous robots.
Full review (July 18th):  https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/07/comic-strange-tales-of-oscar-zahn.html

Lavender Clouds: Comics about Neurodivergence and Mental Health by Bex Ollerton

emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

4.0

This is such an easy book to read! Just one sitting, quite literally, is all it took me to finish it, but that doesn’t mean it compromises quality. At all. The vignettes are sincere, direct, rawly human, to the point where you can relate to a level you wouldn’t think was possible.

Full review (July 15th): https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/07/comic-lavender-clouds.html

The Devil That Wears My Face by David Pepose

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 

I absolutely devoured this book! The story gripped me from the beginning and I was able to simpathize with Vieri because of the eternal questions regarding the human condition: Who am I? Where do I come from? What am I doing here? I’ve struggled with the same issues at different points in my life, especially regarding my spirituality, so this makes it an even more interesting story for me.

Full review (July 9):  https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/07/comic-devil-that-wears-my-face.html

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and War