thetomatowriter's reviews
462 reviews

Maniac: The Bath School Disaster and the Birth of the Modern Mass Killer by Harold Schechter

challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced

2.5

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

dark funny reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables by Ivy Noelle Weir

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.25

I think the book moved a little fast for me at points given the way it was more of a character study, but the characters were so lovable and I grew really attached to Island Books. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Miscarriage, and Suicide

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective relaxing sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Sexual harassment

Impavidus by

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

3.0

An excellent introduction to the character of Sherlock Holmes, and to his partner in crime-solving and the narrator of the series, John Watson. You're charmed, aggravated, and impressed by Holmes's quirks, his brilliance and even, as Watson points out, his ignorance in certain things. In the beginning, you worry "Oh, no, what have they gotten themselves into?" by moving in together when they barely know each other and Holmes is SUCH a character; but by the end, Watson already refers to him, very naturally as "my friend." The Scotland Yard characters are laughably in the wrong most of the time without being ENTIRELY useless. They're all entertaining, and it's a good indication of what to expect through the rest of it.

*SPOILERS BEYOND*

Additionally, as a story, it's interesting and well thought out. It's sad to read about the fate of John and Lucy Ferriers, and you find yourself sympathizing more with Hope than his victims. The two settings (London, England and Salt Lake City, Utah during the settlement of the Mormons) are so vastly different, but both well-written.

As a mystery though...this one fell a little flat for me. The set up was GREAT. Clearly a violent murder but with no apparent cause and very few clues. As Holmes says towards the end, "Most people, if you describe a train of events to them, will tell you what the result would be. They can put those events together in their minds, and argue from them that somjething will come to pass. There are few people, however, who, if you told them a result, would be able to evolve from their own inner consciousness what the steps were which led up to that result." That's basically what this case was. You had to work backwards, which was fun. But I love to try to figure it out WITH the detective, to try to guess who did it based on what I've read, and that's difficult to do when the killer is basically pulled out of thin air. It was a well-written mystery, I guess, but doesn't really appeal if you get really invested in the who-done-it aspect, which I do.

The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

5.0

Probably my favorite of the Sherlock Holmes novels, not least of all because I LOVE Mary Morstan (later Watson). Mind you, in a series that's so thoroughly a boy's club, I tend to get excited about any ladies that appear, but Mary would be a fantastic character in anything. Holmes himself even admits: "I think she is one of the most charming young ladies I have ever met and might have been most useful in such work as we have been doing. She had a decided genius that way; witness the way in which she preserved the Agra plan from all the other papers of her father." (In fact the one thing I wish SOME Sherlock Holmes adaptation would do would be to get Mary involved in some of the crime-solving, but anyway.) But even without Mary, the whole atmosphere of this book is exactly what you picture going into a Sherlock Holmes story. It's grim and dreary, with an odd yellow fog all over England. There's murder, hidden treasure that comes with an elaborate backstory, intense boat chases, near brushes with death. And even romance, though Sherlock turns his nose up at anything emotional as the "enemy of logic." Also, while you miss the comical failures of Gregson and Lestrade, this story features Athelney Jones, a Scotland Yard detective that Sherlock actually respects, even (GASP) likes. For me, and I know everyone has a different experience, but just for ME, The Sign of Four is sort of the epitome of Sherlock Holmes novels, if not Sherlock Holmes as a whole.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

5.0

This may be my favorite book that I've read all year. And I've read some good books, but this was like an experience. It's the kind of book that reminds you what falling in love with reading feels like. For me, it was a liiiittle difficult to follow along with in the beginning, but you quickly get the hang of it. Only you never notice when you do, you just suddenly find yourself halfway through the book and you're so invested in everything that's happening and you're so desperate to know the answers that it's like you're actually there. When I wasn't reading this book, I was THINKING about this book. I was longing for it, and I know how melodramatic that sounds, but I actually felt so impatient with whatever else I was doing besides reading this book. I worry about being THIS overly enthusiastic because I don't want to be the reason someone else reads it and it doesn't live up to their expectations, but for me personally, five stars doesn't even cover it. I'm genuinely sad about not having any more of it to read.

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

3.0

It took a couple hundred pages before I felt really invested in the story. The last few books I've read had been such easy reads, and it had been over a year since I'd read A Clash of Kings, so for a while it seemed really daunting and kind of dragged. The other thing is that while I love GRRM's characters and his plot development and world-building, his actual writing style feels very plain and boring to me. But once the story really started to move, it didn't stop, and it was almost hard to keep up with but definitely thrilling to put all the pieces together and watch these big parts play out. I had already been told about the Red Wedding so much and in so much detail (plus I saw the show's version), that it didn't really elicit the response from me that I think it does most readers, but that's more the internet's fault and my own fault than the book's. The Mountain v. The Viper really upset me, though, because there's so much buildup, and then it just crushes you (...sorry, no pun intended). The women really grabbed me the most in this book: Danaerys, Brienne, all the Star ladies POVs were gripping. I know a lot of people talk about how Jaime was probably the most standout character in this book, or Tyrion, and they were great and I understand that, but this was probably the deciding factor for me that made Brienne my favorite character in the series. Great arc on Tyrion's part, though, great cliff-hangers, all around pretty exciting. I will say that for the first half of the book, basically until the attack, the stuff on the Wall or Beyond the Wall just moved so. slowly. It was kind of like whiplash to read a really exciting chapter and then go straight back to the wall where the cold and starved atmosphere and the length of the chapters really just slows you down. But that does get better as the story goes on, as well.