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twicomb's reviews
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Age 16 by Rosena Fung
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
If you don't think that graphic novels can contain deeply emotional, profoundly touching, multi-layered narratives, then this book will change your mind. If you already know that graphic novels can do all that, then you are in for a treat. Age 16 tackles so many of the timeless worries and fears of being a teenage girl, and demonstrates just how timeless (and heartfelt) they are by simultaneously showing three different generations of the same family all going through them, at three different times in the past. Within each character's world, there's much to unpack in the relationship between the mother and daughter: as there often is at this age, and with some of the dynamics that exist (e.g. body beliefs passed down through generations). But this book makes this telling particularly insightful because the mother in the first chapter may be the daughter in the second chapter. The grandmother in the sixth chapter was the mother in the second chapter. And so forth. In this way, we see the reverberations of impacts and injuries across the generations. But we also see hope and internal strength. This is a beautiful book that I'm certain will find many fans.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
Let's Make Bread!: A Comic Book Cookbook by Ken Forkish, Sarah Becan
informative
lighthearted
5.0
The comic book about baking bread that you never knew you needed, and are going to love. Seriously, this is one of those ideas that turns out to be brilliant, because it's not only fun, it's actually extremely useful. I know a bit about baking breads and there will still a lot of useful stuff in here for my reference. I can only imagine how great this would be for someone who is new to bread-baking. Best of all, because it's a graphic novel, it's about as non-intimidating as you can get. And you can see exactly what is happening Every Single Step Of The Way.
Note: this book will teach you how to make yeast breads and sourdough breads, i.e. "slow breads" that take several hours (or even more). This isn't about "quick breads" like banana bread, coffee cake, beer bread, etc. Those are all delicious too, but they're significantly easier than slow breads, so if you want to make one of those, you can pretty much just google a recipe and go to town. This book will help you out with the sometimes-very-complex process of those slow-but-incredibly-delicious breads. I promise, you really can make them. And this book can help.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Note: this book will teach you how to make yeast breads and sourdough breads, i.e. "slow breads" that take several hours (or even more). This isn't about "quick breads" like banana bread, coffee cake, beer bread, etc. Those are all delicious too, but they're significantly easier than slow breads, so if you want to make one of those, you can pretty much just google a recipe and go to town. This book will help you out with the sometimes-very-complex process of those slow-but-incredibly-delicious breads. I promise, you really can make them. And this book can help.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
The Case of the Missing Men by Kris Bertin
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
With art that's Nancy Drew Mystery Series done in the style of Archer if the artist had a penchant for freehand linework, and a storyline that could believably have been intended for the Weird Mysteries vintage pulp comics but rejected because the writer had dropped too much acid, this is a strange and unique graphic novel. Alternatively, picture a Gravity Falls episode that's rated R for violence and was illustrated by Russell Tandy, and you're starting to picture what this is all about.
I love the art style. It has an unpolished, raw feel that captures a lot of the 'imperfection' that was so common in vintage pulp novel covers. You know what I'm talking about - where the artist did a great job overall, but couldn't quite render the angle of the arms correctly, or the face feels a bit flat, or the perspective is a bit off. Somehow that makes all the more engaging and enjoyable, probably because it evokes that feeling of reading an old comic that you found forgotten in a trunk of your grandparents' attic. I'd love to read more graphic novels from this artist. Based on the credits at the back of the book, I believe this is Jason Fischer-Kouhi.
The story was a bit hard for me to follow at times. I think this is because the writers (Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes) had so many different ideas/themes/characters they wanted to include, they ended up jumping around from place to place in the process of trying to get it all in there. I recognize this because I suffer from this same tendency too when I get excited about a lot of fun, crazy ideas. I wish that an editor had helped them hone in on a few specific themes, and encouraged them to save everything else for their future books. Because all the ideas/themes/characters are good ones...there's just a whole lot of them and it's hard to keep up. (At least, it was hard for me to keep up. As always, your mileage may vary!)
Heads up: It's visually very violent, with a lot of imagery of blood, bodily injury (like fingernails being pulled off), dead bodies, people getting shot with guns/crossbows, severed limbs, animal attacks, and so forth. This all actually works well within the framework of the story but I mention it here for anyone who is particularly sensitive to such things.
This book gets an entire full additional star for the absolutely amazing map at the front. It's rendered in the style of an old map you might get when visiting a small town, complete with advertisements for local retailers around the edges. I love maps in books, and this one is one of the most creatively and enjoyably executed that I've seen in a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
I love the art style. It has an unpolished, raw feel that captures a lot of the 'imperfection' that was so common in vintage pulp novel covers. You know what I'm talking about - where the artist did a great job overall, but couldn't quite render the angle of the arms correctly, or the face feels a bit flat, or the perspective is a bit off. Somehow that makes all the more engaging and enjoyable, probably because it evokes that feeling of reading an old comic that you found forgotten in a trunk of your grandparents' attic. I'd love to read more graphic novels from this artist. Based on the credits at the back of the book, I believe this is Jason Fischer-Kouhi.
The story was a bit hard for me to follow at times. I think this is because the writers (Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes) had so many different ideas/themes/characters they wanted to include, they ended up jumping around from place to place in the process of trying to get it all in there. I recognize this because I suffer from this same tendency too when I get excited about a lot of fun, crazy ideas. I wish that an editor had helped them hone in on a few specific themes, and encouraged them to save everything else for their future books. Because all the ideas/themes/characters are good ones...there's just a whole lot of them and it's hard to keep up. (At least, it was hard for me to keep up. As always, your mileage may vary!)
Heads up: It's visually very violent, with a lot of imagery of blood, bodily injury (like fingernails being pulled off), dead bodies, people getting shot with guns/crossbows, severed limbs, animal attacks, and so forth. This all actually works well within the framework of the story but I mention it here for anyone who is particularly sensitive to such things.
This book gets an entire full additional star for the absolutely amazing map at the front. It's rendered in the style of an old map you might get when visiting a small town, complete with advertisements for local retailers around the edges. I love maps in books, and this one is one of the most creatively and enjoyably executed that I've seen in a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gun violence, and Violence
The Spell of a Story by Mariajo Ilustrajo
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
The wonderful, whimsical tale of a child who discovers just how magical it can be to get lost in a book (metaphorically, of course...or is it? Because part of the charm is how she finds herself fully inside that world, on the quest alongside curious creatures, facing off against a dragon). The illustrations are nicely rendered first in a washed-out monochromatic palette that sets the stage for vivid colors once she enters the world of the book. I laughed a few times in sympathy for the dialogue of the child - petulant, irritated, and frustrated and being told to do something that she just KNOWS she will not enjoy. Until, of course, she discovers that perhaps her mother had steered her right after all...and straight into a fairy tale that the mother herself had loved as a child.
There was just one thing that felt very off. I didn't love the font chosen for the text of the book; it's a small quibble, but the font used in the "real world" felt unusual and weird, which was especially strange once the book creature started to talk, and it used a "regular" font that didn't feel unusual at all. Why didn't they use the "boring" regular font for the real world, and the weird, unusual font for the dialogue inside the book world, to help underscore how strange and wonderful the book world is?? Such an odd choice. But all the other choices made here are lovely, especially the subplot that we see of the mother's loving guidance for the daughter, and how the story ends with them united in their love for reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
There was just one thing that felt very off. I didn't love the font chosen for the text of the book; it's a small quibble, but the font used in the "real world" felt unusual and weird, which was especially strange once the book creature started to talk, and it used a "regular" font that didn't feel unusual at all. Why didn't they use the "boring" regular font for the real world, and the weird, unusual font for the dialogue inside the book world, to help underscore how strange and wonderful the book world is?? Such an odd choice. But all the other choices made here are lovely, especially the subplot that we see of the mother's loving guidance for the daughter, and how the story ends with them united in their love for reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Start Here: Draw 50 Ways To Be an Artist Without Trying by Moira Clinch
informative
inspiring
relaxing
5.0
TLDR: this is a great book if you want to learn how to draw but it seems scary. Check it out!
Light-hearted, helpful, and non-threatening: this is the trifecta you want if you're looking for a book to help ease you into the waters of sketching and drawing, especially if you want to do it intuitively and from your heart. This book delivers on all three. I've read/owned a lot of (too many? never!) similar books about "how to draw" from many different perspectives. This one is charming and will stick around on my shelf.
The author starts off slow, helping us see that just a few lines can make a drawing. There's a clever exercise involving graph paper that helps the aspiring artist think about animals (and objects) as pixel blocks, which is nowadays a very accessible idea for nearly everyone. But the book doesn't stop at basic concepts. It keeps going into sketching from real life, shading, perspective, and a lot of other meaty topics that will be interesting for people who have gone beyond the 101 basics. The author even gets into things like texture and patterns. In fact, the author is bubbling over with creative ideas - near the end, there's suggestions for doing art on shoes, on pebbles, on recipe cards. I love this energy!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Light-hearted, helpful, and non-threatening: this is the trifecta you want if you're looking for a book to help ease you into the waters of sketching and drawing, especially if you want to do it intuitively and from your heart. This book delivers on all three. I've read/owned a lot of (too many? never!) similar books about "how to draw" from many different perspectives. This one is charming and will stick around on my shelf.
The author starts off slow, helping us see that just a few lines can make a drawing. There's a clever exercise involving graph paper that helps the aspiring artist think about animals (and objects) as pixel blocks, which is nowadays a very accessible idea for nearly everyone. But the book doesn't stop at basic concepts. It keeps going into sketching from real life, shading, perspective, and a lot of other meaty topics that will be interesting for people who have gone beyond the 101 basics. The author even gets into things like texture and patterns. In fact, the author is bubbling over with creative ideas - near the end, there's suggestions for doing art on shoes, on pebbles, on recipe cards. I love this energy!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Nour's Secret Library by Wafa' Tarnowska, Vali Mintzi
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
With this touching story, Wafa' Tarnowska takes us inside the experience of living as a child in a city being torn apart by war. But she also shows the resilience and hope that persists. It's a simple, beautiful tale that is based in true events, which makes it even more touching. This story contains a line that may be one of my new favorites: "Every book was like a person wanting to be loved."
Vali Mintzi's soft, painterly illustrations remind me very much of the Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelmens (the first won Caldecott Honor). There is an absolutely gorgeous image of a ship riding on waves made up of books' pages. The ship contains the buildings and the people of the town. I interpret that as symbolizing how the books are keeping them safe and giving them hope that they're continuing to move forward.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Vali Mintzi's soft, painterly illustrations remind me very much of the Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelmens (the first won Caldecott Honor). There is an absolutely gorgeous image of a ship riding on waves made up of books' pages. The ship contains the buildings and the people of the town. I interpret that as symbolizing how the books are keeping them safe and giving them hope that they're continuing to move forward.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
When The Night Agrees To Speak To Me by Ananda Devi
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
This slim book of poetry was my introduction to Ananda Devi, an introduction that is apparently long overdue given that it turns out she is "considered one of the major French language writers of Mauritius and the Indian Ocean" and "one of the most important Francophone writers in the world." I've added some of her other books to my TBR list.
Let's talk first about how beautifully this book is laid out. On the left page is Devi's original poem (in French), and on the right page is Kazim Ali's English translation. I wish more translated-poetry books were laid out like this, so that you can appreciate the poem in its original language, whether or not you speak that language. There's still something powerful about seeing the author's original words, and how she laid them out on the page.
The poems themselves are delicate, often dark, multilayered constructions that promise more meaning with each successive reading. The book's afterword is a treat in and of itself. There's a note from the translator, an interview with Ananda Devi, and an essay titled "Reading Devi's Poetry" by assistant professor Mohit Chandna. Lots of meaty stuff here to dig into; I wish all poetry books contained such additional materials. They connected me more deeply to Devi's poetry, and helped me understand some of the more complex elements.
In her interview, she says "When you are young, you think that everything can change. When you grow older, you realize that you yourself have to change, to understand that all of it is part of life's experience, that life is not about pursuing happiness but about coming to terms: with who you are, with what's you've done, with what was not possible, with what is still possible." A good quote to remember.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Let's talk first about how beautifully this book is laid out. On the left page is Devi's original poem (in French), and on the right page is Kazim Ali's English translation. I wish more translated-poetry books were laid out like this, so that you can appreciate the poem in its original language, whether or not you speak that language. There's still something powerful about seeing the author's original words, and how she laid them out on the page.
The poems themselves are delicate, often dark, multilayered constructions that promise more meaning with each successive reading. The book's afterword is a treat in and of itself. There's a note from the translator, an interview with Ananda Devi, and an essay titled "Reading Devi's Poetry" by assistant professor Mohit Chandna. Lots of meaty stuff here to dig into; I wish all poetry books contained such additional materials. They connected me more deeply to Devi's poetry, and helped me understand some of the more complex elements.
In her interview, she says "When you are young, you think that everything can change. When you grow older, you realize that you yourself have to change, to understand that all of it is part of life's experience, that life is not about pursuing happiness but about coming to terms: with who you are, with what's you've done, with what was not possible, with what is still possible." A good quote to remember.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Mozzarella by Jenna James
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.0
A picture book that's clearly borne from the author/illustrator's love of Italy and the Italian countryside. The story follows a family of mice, all named after various cheeses, as the brother and sister learn how to overcome disagreements. It's a simple story but unfortunately much of the action happens off the page (eg the finding of the urn, the making of the cheesecake). It's also somewhat disjointed. It begins with the discovery of a stolen treasure, which seems like it would be a key story point, but it's forgotten and never mentioned again.
The illustrations were not to my personal taste; they felt computerized, and homogenous from page to page (facial expressions, color palette, etc). But again, this is my personal opinion and art preferences vary widely so you may find the art very much to your liking. And there are several illustrations that are quite nice, like the town map.
My final thoughts: creating picture books is extremely difficult, much more so than most people realize. The simpler the story and illustrations, the more work it takes to bring them to perfection. I commend this author for taking the leap, and I hope she will continue to remain dedicated to her craft. She clearly has the passion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
The illustrations were not to my personal taste; they felt computerized, and homogenous from page to page (facial expressions, color palette, etc). But again, this is my personal opinion and art preferences vary widely so you may find the art very much to your liking. And there are several illustrations that are quite nice, like the town map.
My final thoughts: creating picture books is extremely difficult, much more so than most people realize. The simpler the story and illustrations, the more work it takes to bring them to perfection. I commend this author for taking the leap, and I hope she will continue to remain dedicated to her craft. She clearly has the passion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Kingdom Riders by Shannon Eric Denton
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
How do I explain how much I love this book and this world? I NEED A SEQUEL IMMEDIATELY.
Ok, ok, listen up. Grok the mud toad is the cutest thing to come along since I don't-even-know-what. The bond between Kayla (the main character) and Grok is enviable. And wouldn't you rather ride an awesome, leaping, tongue-slurping MUD TOAD than some old dragon?? I know I sure would. Although to be fair, all the other riders' animals are super-cool too. Plus all the non-rider animals that inhabit the world and just amble around the pages, nonchalantly showing up to add even more magical verisimilitude to this already whimsically wonderful world. It makes me think of the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender (the original animated show).
The art is also top-notch. It's got enough detail that it doesn't feel like a lot of the bare-background comics being churned out now due to shortening timelines, but the linework and detailing is all well-chosen so it never feels busy or messy. And the lettering is spot-on throughout.
Characters - oh, the characters! Even the minor characters have personality quirks and unexpected moments. Kayla is endearing without being obnoxiously perfect (or obnoxiously imperfect in that sort of perfect way...you know what I'm talking about). She's hot-headed and a little full of herself, which is just what she needs to be in order to be able to pull this off.
Pull what off, you ask? GO READ THE BOOK. You can thank me afterward.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Ok, ok, listen up. Grok the mud toad is the cutest thing to come along since I don't-even-know-what. The bond between Kayla (the main character) and Grok is enviable. And wouldn't you rather ride an awesome, leaping, tongue-slurping MUD TOAD than some old dragon?? I know I sure would. Although to be fair, all the other riders' animals are super-cool too. Plus all the non-rider animals that inhabit the world and just amble around the pages, nonchalantly showing up to add even more magical verisimilitude to this already whimsically wonderful world. It makes me think of the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender (the original animated show).
The art is also top-notch. It's got enough detail that it doesn't feel like a lot of the bare-background comics being churned out now due to shortening timelines, but the linework and detailing is all well-chosen so it never feels busy or messy. And the lettering is spot-on throughout.
Characters - oh, the characters! Even the minor characters have personality quirks and unexpected moments. Kayla is endearing without being obnoxiously perfect (or obnoxiously imperfect in that sort of perfect way...you know what I'm talking about). She's hot-headed and a little full of herself, which is just what she needs to be in order to be able to pull this off.
Pull what off, you ask? GO READ THE BOOK. You can thank me afterward.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Meditations at Midnight by Gary Jansen
dark
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
Some eloquent phrases, including these two (from different poems) that seem to bookend a single day quite nicely:
"In the distance, the crowing of early dawn."
"This desert sunset turns the sea to wine."
This book contains poetry, but also a section of short stories seemingly intended as parables, and another section of autobiographical anecdotes. I didn't see much connection between the sections, so they ended up feeling disjointed. I feel the author would have been better served by turning these into three separate books, and then expanding on each. The poetry resonated the most with me. There is a strong religious thread through much of the book, particularly in the poetry segment. I found this interesting to watch for and consider as I read through the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
"In the distance, the crowing of early dawn."
"This desert sunset turns the sea to wine."
This book contains poetry, but also a section of short stories seemingly intended as parables, and another section of autobiographical anecdotes. I didn't see much connection between the sections, so they ended up feeling disjointed. I feel the author would have been better served by turning these into three separate books, and then expanding on each. The poetry resonated the most with me. There is a strong religious thread through much of the book, particularly in the poetry segment. I found this interesting to watch for and consider as I read through the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.