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Book Review: Blood City Rollers by V.P. Anderson and Tatiana Hill (2024)
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(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review though Netgalley.)
-- 3.5 stars --
"Friends come and go. But teammates are forever ... Especially if most of them are undead."
Romanian tween Mina is under immense pressure from her parents to qualify for the Olympics. But, when she wipes out in a most spectacular fashion during a competition, her dreams are shattered - along with her arm. Mina's identity has been wrapped up in ice skating for as long as she can remember; who is she without it?
Mina has precious little time for self-reflection before she's kidnapped and conscripted into the Vamps - just one of many teams competing in the Blood City Paranormal Roller Derby. Each team is comprised of one human jammer, who plays alongside her extra-human teammates. Led by their hundreds-year-old captain Val, the Vamps are - you guessed it - vampires. With ghost judges looking on, they go up against all manner of supernatural foes, from witches to werewolves.
But this seemingly fun game has a much darker underbelly - the teams are literally playing for their lives, since getting dropped from the ranking makes you a nomad without union protection. Can Mina learn to trust her teammates and play nice with others, after a lifetime spent viewing other athletes as competitors?
BLOOD CITY ROLLERS is a fun middle-grade graphic novel about vampires, roller derby, self-confidence, and letting go - with a sapphic romance thrown in for good measure. (This is an all-girls' team, after all!) Think: ROLLERGIRLS meets BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER with a dash of VIKINGS. (What can I say, Val is giving strong teenage Lagertha vibes.) Overall I enjoyed it but it did start to drag a little in the middle - I feel like it could have been ~30 pages shorter. The messages sometimes feel a bit heavy-handed but are admittedly age-appropriate (at 45 years young, I'm not quite in the target audience lol).
I was surprised to find that the story ended with a cliffhanger - I'll definitely be checking out the next book in the series.
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ibtk · 6 months
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Book Review: Stephen McCranie's Space Boy Omnibus, Volume 4 (2023)
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(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss.)
The fourth volume of the SPACE BOY omnibus collects volumes ten through twelve, or episodes 144-195, the main plot line of which concerns what REALLY happened to the Arno - how a very young Oliver came to be alone, wandering Earth in a robotic body while barreling towards the Artifact in space.
As always, SPACE BOY is a sweet and wholly original science fiction comics, perfect for tween readers and up. As horrifying as this particular plot line is, McCranie balances the more tragic elements with moments of levity.
Volume 10 - 4/5 stars
Told entirely in flashbacks, Volume 10 picks up the teaser from Volume 9 and runs with it. It's six years ago, and the Arno is just days from entering the Aquarii Beta system. Oliver's dad Wyatt, an engineer, is clued in to an anomaly in the ship's readings, thanks to the family heirloom - a compass - that he gave his son. Despite a heroic effort to power down the ship so that they can run full diagnostics - a move that cost Wyatt his job - the crew can't find anything wrong with the ship. That is, until a fateful placement on the maintenance crew leads Wyatt to a long-forgotten part of the ship. But has the discovery come too late? (We already know the answer to that, sadly.)
There's also a super-cute subplot about a high stakes dodgeball game at Arno Elementary, in which Oliver channels Space Boy to bring his ragtag team to a near victory.
Volume 11 - 4/5 stars
As rolling blackouts rip through the Arno, Wyatt hides Oliver in the meridium core - the heart of the ship - for safekeeping. A blast knocks him out and, when Oliver awakens, it's to a ship that's curiously devoid of people.
Back on earth, the First Contact Project - helmed by Langley - crafts its response to the tragedy. When Oliver makes contact with them, the group of scientists and engineers begins to fissure, with concern for Oliver's well-being pitted against literal world peace.
Meanwhile, the mysterious, one-eyed alien (which Oliver christens a "warble") tries - and fails - to assume control of Oliver's body, and so goes in search of a new host on Earth. A visit with Langley in the book's final pages makes clear who's really calling the shots here. Though Langley is as nefarious as ever, we get a glimpse of a much softer and more compassionate Saito, as well as a ten-year-old Qiana and a promising scientist named Dr. Kim.
Volume 12 - 4/5 stars
With a newly orphaned Oliver committed to the mission, the FCP helps him ready one of the smaller ships to get him to the artifact, some five to six years in the future.
After his takeoff, we zip forward in time, to the day after the prom. The media is abuzz with news of Amy's kidnapping, while Tammie remains missing, Cassie is in the hospital with a head injury, and the Kokomo PD is in possession of one of the robots that chased down Amy and her classmates. Cut to the FCP, where Langley persuades Amy to join the team, at least for the next six weeks - which is how far out Oliver is from the artifact.
Amy knows not to trust Langley; not just because he's a government spook, but because he has the same copper and iodine taste that's seemed to have infected so many of the agents at the FCP. A smell that reminds Amy of ... her nightmares?
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he's coping. (x)
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Book Review: Stephen McCranie's Space Boy, Volume 16 (2023)
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(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss.)
As in many of the previous volumes, the story lines in SPACE BOY, VOLUME 16 unfold at a leisurely snail's pace. On the surface, nothing much happens, and yet McCranie manages to elicit ALL THE FEELINGS.
In South Pines High, the students are left reeling by the altercation at prom - particularly Amy's disappearance/presumed death. The newly "rescued" Tamara has become a bit of celebrity, as has Cassie - who believes Tammie when she insists that Amy isn't dead. Along with a reluctant Schaffer and Meisha, the group continues to investigate Amy's disappearance, while another group of students lean into the conspiracy theories and form Truth Seekers Anonymous.
Meanwhile, Amy and Qiana take a deeper dive into the murder of Aleksander Lesnik. A cryptic dedication in his homemade book leads them to Sophi Brix. THE Sophi Brix, wife of and heir to the founder of Net Gear. (This results in one of my favorite exchanges in the book, i.e., Qiana and Amy arguing about whether Lesnik was a gold digger.)
And, struggling with his feelings for Amy, Oliver goes to Dr. Kim for advice - who helps him solve his love life with calculus. (Another favorite panel.)
The only thing I didn't much care for? The return of the Animal Agriculture Club. You're telling me we have 3D printers to make clothing on a whim, but not lab-grown or plant-based meat? Maybe even spit out by said printer? C'mon now.
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ibtk · 7 months
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Book Review: Stephen McCranie's Space Boy, Volume 15 (2023)
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(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss.)
In Volume 15 of SPACE BOY, the covert ops really start to heat up: Cassie and Schafer visit the newly "rescued" Tamara, who insists that her memories were stolen by a bright light. A light against which she struggled, valiantly, and managed to guard two convictions - that Amy is still alive (despite news reports to the contrary!!!), and that James Silber is absolutely not to be trusted. Meanwhile, Amy finds a new sense of purpose at the First Contact Project: helping Qiana uncover the truth behind Aleksander Lesnik's murder - and the seemingly mundane archaeological work preceding his entanglement with the FCP. Meanwhile, Oliver comes to his own (in some ways tragic) realization, which sends him to Dr. Kim for advice.
Finally, for a touch of levity, the volume ends with a super-cute Lil' Amy strip wherein she and Jemmah attempt to ... make a baby (it's all about the jeans).
As always, SPACE BOY is a sweet and gentle - yet utterly compelling - scifi read.
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ibtk · 7 months
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Book Review: Stephen McCranie's Space Boy Omnibus, Volume 3 (2022)
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(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss. Minor/vague spoilers ahead.)
I've been an on-and-off reader of Stephen McCranie's Space Boy for a few years now. Though the single episodes are available for free on Webtoon, I tend to wait for the collected editions. Never mind that these are a few years behind the strip and contravene my impatience when it comes to waiting for new installments of my favorite media. Idk, blame the poor wifi in my house (Webtoon is slow af on my iPad).
The third SPACE BOY omnibus - which collects Volumes 7 though 9 of the trade paperbacks - finally reveals Oliver's BIG SECRET, which I won't divulge here. Suffice to say, Amy's suspicions and persistence finally pay off in a reveal of epic proportions. So many mysterious threads come together to form a narrative that's both satisfying and compelling.
Volume 7 - 3.5/5 stars
When Amy discovers that Dr. Kim and Oliver are moving out of Kokomo - hastily, with little warning, and seemingly with a military escort - she borrows Tammie's drone to spy on them. The drone is shot down, but not before Amy spots a cybernetic man in Dr. Kim's dungeon basement. (The plot thickens!) Weirder still, that night she dreams of an alien being with a purported connection to Oliver.
Oh, and she finally shoots down poor Zeph. And it's still Spirit Week!
Volume 8 - 4/5 stars
The military, led by the increasingly erratic Commander Saito, puts a hit out on Amy, who they've mistakenly identified as a spy. We learn that Oliver is their connection to the Artifact and thus instrumental to the First Contact Project.
Volume 9 - 4/5 stars
Saito's story line wraps up, and then we're treated to a flashback of the Arno six years ago, not long before its fateful accident in the Aquarii Beta system. The volume ends with a few super-cute Little Amy strips, for both balance and levity.
As always, the art in SPACE BOY is lovely, with an almost disconcerting juxtaposition of adorable (the people and nonhuman animals; the many Jetson-esque space gadgets) and bleak (the cold Nothing of space). The narrative is still moving at the speed of molasses (did I mention that it's still Spirit Week!?), though the story gets super interesting in Volume 8, once Oliver's past/present/future is finally revealed. (If you're sticking with SPACE BOY for the scifi elements, you will LOVE Volumes 8-9.)
Continuing with my habit of critiquing the speciesism in this series - Amy enjoys a lobster dinner with nary a mention of her so-called vegetarianism, so I guess the Agricultural Club hasn't started raising baby lobsters yet, either.
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ibtk · 7 months
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Book Review: Witches of Brooklyn #4: Spell of a Time by Sophie Escabasse (2023)
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4/5 stars
(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)
The summer has sadly come to an end, and Effie and her friends are about to start middle school (junior high?): Berrit is studying drama, while Oliver is enrolled in school that offers robotics classes. Effie and Garance are off to the same school, one that emphasizes sustainability (and magic?). For these two undercover witches-in-training, their twelfth year is especially significant: this is when young witches consult a seer to evaluate their potential for developing dangerous magic. It's witch law, after all.
Effie's evaluation goes sideways pretty quickly. Her seer, Becky, is a mermaid - which catches Effie off guard, especially so since she just heard the seagulls at the beach gossiping about a mermaid's return. (Ever since she accidentally awakened a dragon in S'MORE MAGIC, Effie can understand some animal species. Nbd.) As it happens, Becky's sister Iruna went missing a month ago, not long after the Mermaid Parade at Coney Island. Becky implores Effie, Selimene, and Carlota to investigate - and lends Effie the talents of her turtle friend, Professor Sir, to aid in her communication with the gulls. The path to Iruna is paved with heartbroken illusionists, combat magic, and time travel (!).
I've been devouring the WITCHES OF MERMAIDS series, and SPELL OF A TIME might be my favorite one yet. (Although, how do you compare dragons to mermaids? It's a toss up ... until you throw in time travel, that is.) Escabasse manages to introduce one new mythical creature in each installment, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. (Sasquatch, maybe?)
I don't love that the kids are mostly scattered this year, but hopefully Escabasse will devise plenty of hijinks to throw the Scooby gang back together. As always, Effie, Selimene, Carolta, Garance, Francis, and Lion are an engaging, eclectic group, and Escabasse expands the 'verse with the addition of Becky, Iruna, Walter and - of course! - the very boopable Professor Sir.
She also introduces a darker, more worrying element in the form of Effie's evaluation, which should be an interesting avenue to explore in future volumes.
I especially love the environmental bent this series has taken; the caper kicks off when Effie and her classmates are cleaning up the beach, which leads her and Garance to wonder about using their magic to rid the ocean of microplastics. And Effie's ability to communicate with animals is especially promising, doubly so in light of Carlota and Selimene's vegetarianism.
https://www.librarything.com/work/30508434/reviews/236360918
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ibtk · 7 months
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Book Review: Witches of Brooklyn #3: S'More Magic by Sophie Escabasse (2022)
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4/5 stars
Summer has come to Brooklyn, and eleven-year-old witch-in-training Effie Huchbolt-Walloo is absolutely distraught to be separated from her best friends for the next month. Oliver is attending a robotics day camp; Berrit is off to a sleepaway camp in upstate New York; Garance is visiting her grandmother in France; and Selimene and Carlota are sending Effie to Raccoon Camp, designed to help young witches foster a connection with nature (though of course she can't tell Berrit and Oliver as much!).
As if this isn't bad enough, on her first day of summer vacation, Effie awakens to find a panda named Henry in her bed! (Being a witch is nothing if not exciting.)
Turns out that Henry is Carlota's nephew - and the previous resident of Effie's room - who had been living in the Bronx Zoo for the past year, ever since heartbreak transmogrified him into a panda. Now he's the newest camp counselor at Camp Raccoon (and Effie's de facto safety blanket).
Unsurprisingly, Camp Raccoon is every bit as awesome as Selimene and Carlota promised, with two glaring exceptions: the lake (Effie can't swim!), and resident mean girl, Sonia. Though - spoiler alert! - Effie conquers the former, will the latter prove to be her undoing when a game of truth or dare goes awry?
The WITCHES OF BROOKLYN series is absolutely charming, and S'MORE MAGIC is no exception. Escabasse introduces us to a plethora of new characters (Henry the panda, and his crush/fellow camp counselor, Moji; Effie's new witch friends, Cora and Ivan; Gertrude the oak; and Fiona and Beecher, the camp's "eco-militant" founders), while still giving us cameos from those we've come to know and love (Lion, Carlota, and an impossibly fierce Selimene).
The concept of a "green thumb" and expanding one's power by tapping into the flow of shared energy is pretty great too; right now, I'm halfway through Season 3 of HARLEY QUINN, and it's giving vibes of Ivy trying to access the shared consciousness of the plant world ("the green") in order to save Frank (though in a much more PG rated way, obvs). And the denouement - which, spoiler alert!, involves a dragon - is *chef's kiss* perfect.
I didn't totally love the resolution with Sonia - but, then again, if Effie had managed to befriend yet another enemy, I'd probably just complain that it was unrealistic (*shrug*).
https://www.librarything.com/work/30508424/reviews/247560786
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ibtk · 7 months
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Book Review: Witches of Brooklyn #2: What the Hex?! by Sophie Escabasse (2021)
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4/5 stars
Winter break is wrapping up, and Effie Huchbolt-Walloo is officially a witch-in-training. As such, Selimene and Carlota are excited for their new apprentice-slash-family member to meet their equally magical friends: Sissi, Jezebel, Nattie, Sharpy, Tam, and the rest of the gang that makes up the NYC neighborhood witch watch.
Effie is shocked to learn that witches aren't the only supernatural beings who call NYC home: ghosts and dragons are real too! But the group's most pressing concern is a series of unfortunate "accidents" that have taken place on an intersection of Sixth Avenue. Cue: "The Case of the Stormy Corner."
At the same time Effie's magical life is heating up, her friendship with Berrit seems to be cooling down. Berrit ignored Effie's calls all winter break and, now that school's back in session, she knows why: it seems that new girl Garance has usurped her role as Berrit's BFF. Will jealousy get the better of Effie, or can she learn to like - and maybe even work with - Garance?
As far as sequels go, WHAT THE HEX is a pretty formidable one - I might even like it a wee bit more than WITCHES OF BROOKLYN. We finally discover the secret behind Lion, the tiny pink pup, and the introduction of other otherworldly creatures is aces. I love that Selimene and Carlota are vegetarians, although vegetarians that are not romantically involved. (I would say "just" BFFs, but there's nothing "just" about having a ride or die friend who shares your home, business, and assorted hijinks. Although the Avengers they are not, as Selimene is quick to point out.)
The other NYC witches run the gamut, from pink-haired, tulle-wearing Jezebel to the bearded and tattooed Nattie. Their collective concern over the influx of hobbyist witches - "[R]eally nice girls! Most of them are very eco-friendly ... they're respectful - and feminist obviously. That's good." - with their plethora of candles is charming AF. I'd love to see the other witches play a larger role in future volumes (and Escabasse sets Sissi up for exactly that). Especially Aunt Ma, in all her glorious foliage.
I also greatly enjoyed how Escabasse juxtaposed Effie's relationship troubles with the mystery of the week, imparting a really lovely lesson about friendship and cooperation.
https://www.librarything.com/work/26710588/reviews/247560766
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ibtk · 7 months
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Book Review: Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse (2020)
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4/5 stars
After the sudden death of her mother, eleven-year-old Effie is sent to live with her Aunt Selimene in Brooklyn. Older than her sister by a generation, Selimene and Emily (and, by extension, Selimene and Effie) were near-strangers, and Selimene is none too happy with this unexpected arrangement.
As if being foisted off on a prickly, unwilling relative isn't bad enough, Selimene and her roommate [insert a hundred question marks here] are capital-w Weird. As in, Selimene's outrageous(ly fabulous) fashion brings to mind Iris Apfel; they have a pink "dog" named Lion; and strangers pass through their home on the daily to be treated by the duo, who are acupuncturists and herbalists. Or at least that's their cover story.
When a bout of anger accidentally causes her to breath life into snakes otherwise safely contained in a painting in her classroom, Effie discovers that she's a witch - just like Selimine and Carlota! Newly in training, Effies's idol - the singer Tily Shoo - shows up on their doorstep late one night in need of help. But she's ... kind of a terrible person? Can Effie put her feelings aside and help Selimene and Carlota help Tily? Or will Effie's anger get the best of them all?
WITCHES OF BROOKLYN feels like a warm, spooky hug (picture: fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate fudge brownies topped with pumpkin spice whipped cream). Selimene, Carlota, and Effie are quite the trio, and I loved watching them all warm up to each other. Their Brooklyn brownstone (?) is as charming as it is seemingly endless - I so want to visit their underground witch's laboratory (it has a library! curated by a talking suit of armor named Francis!). And how can you beat a magical dog? (you can't!)
I especially enjoyed how Escabasse manages to work in a message about separating art from the artist - it seems like a pretty mature argument for the age group, but Escabasse addresses it in a deft, age-appropriate way. (Which also leads me to wonder if Tily's red-slash-orange face was a deliberate choice, ahem.)
I can't wait to see what these witchy ladies get up to next!
https://www.librarything.com/work/24569850/reviews/247539563
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ibtk · 7 months
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Book Review: Stephen McCranie's Space Boy, Volume 14 (2022)
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(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss. Content warning for PTSD.)
The latest volume of SPACE BOY is a strange beast; it feels like nothing much happens, plot-wise, and yet it's still pretty compelling. If I had to pick a central theme of this collection, it would be "forgiveness."
Amy tries her best to settle in to her new life at the First Contact Project. Though she now wears a uniform, nothing much is required of her, which gives her lots of time to fill. In an especially relatable scene, she 'wastes' an entire day binge-watches a kids' show (Puffy Pets: Love Is Magic) with Oliver; they both agree that it's "comfort food" for the soul. She pays a visit to Dr. Kim's lab, where he shows her his latest project - an honest-to-goodness body for Oliver (enter: robot puppy!). And she befriends a very angry Qiana - yes, the same Qiana who attacked Cassie and kidnapped Tamara. Meanwhile, reeling over the 'termination' of her mentor Saito, Qiana opens her own covert investigation into the FCP.
Back in Kokomo, Tamara is 'rescued' from her kidnappers - in a National Security operation that is totally, 100% not sketchy. The take-no-BS Cassie - who is looking into the South Pines incident with an equally concerned and almost charmingly naive Schafer - is immediately suspicious of the new lead on the case, James Silbert. I can't wait to see what she does with Amy's newly discovered glasses.
Also, as alluded to in this review's content warning, Amy struggles with PTSD, including anxiety attacks and nightmares, stemming from her near-death experience. And the otherworldly alien creature invading Amy's thoughts is building a matchstick bridge to space - what's up with that?
As always, the art is super-adorable and makes sometimes-difficult concepts go down a little easier. And there's a baby Amy strip to lighten things up at the end!
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ibtk · 7 months
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Book Review: Northranger by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo (2023)
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(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss. Content warning for depictions of homophobia, sexism, racism, and animal cruelty.)
Sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz loves horror movies. Not only are they a connection to a father who is no longer around, but they're an escape for a closeted queer kid growing up in rural Texas: a "safe space" wherein the entire audience shares the same sense of terror, if only for ninety minutes. All Cade wants to do with his summer vacation is retreat into the darkness of the theater and binge-watch his favorite movies from the comfort of his own home.
But finances are tight, and when his stepdad Dale lands a job working at his former General's ranch for the summer, Cade is recruited to help. In between hauling hay and shoveling horse poop, Cade gets to know the Tyler kids: eighteen-year-old twins, Henry and Henrietta (Henri for short). Cade and Henry quickly bond over their affinity for horror films and, before long, Cade finds himself falling for this seemingly straight, white, rich, cis boy. But Henry is harboring a secret of his own - and possibly more than one.
As the Muñoz-Jordan family is welcomed into the Tyler fold, Cade begins to suspect that something sinister lurks below the Tylers' picture-perfect surface - and that Henry might be at the center of a string of murders. Why else wouldn't the General want him creeping around the west wing of Northranger, the family's second home on the lake?
Based on Jane Austen's NORTHANGER ABBEY, NORTHRANGER is a gothic-flavored mystery wherein the protagonist's (overactive and reasonably anxious) imagination quickly spirals out of control, revealing danger and conspiracy around every corner. Of course, as a gay kid growing up in a red state ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre country"), Cade's suspicion isn't entirely unfounded - simply existing during a time of anti-LGBTQ fervor is in fact both dangerous and terrifying. Austen's fictional story and current political realities dovetail in a rather unsettling way.
NORTHRANGER is an engaging, compelling graphic novel; I highly enjoyed the storytelling and artwork. The mystery is creepy enough, and I loved spending time with Cade, Henry, and Henri; they're all really complex and interesting characters. There's also some great representation to be found here.
I'm writing this review on 2/14 (Valentines Day ugh), and I'm pretty confident in saying that NORTHRANGER will go down as one of my favorite reads of the year.
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ibtk · 7 months
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Book Review: Stephen McCranie's Space Boy, Volume 6 (2020)
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The one where we finally discover Oliver’s flavor!
— 3.5 stars —
A long-running weekly comic on WEBTOON, Stephen McCranie’s SPACE BOY is teased as “A sci-fi drama of a high school aged girl who belongs in a different time, a boy possessed by emptiness as deep as space, an alien artifact, mysterious murder, and a love that crosses light years.”
The MC is Amy, a sixteen-year-old girl who’s pretty normal except for the fact that she’s an unwitting time traveler. Born on a mining colony, her family was forced to return to earth when her father lost his job. Since it’s a thirty-year journey, Amy and the ‘rents were cryogenically frozen for the trip: hence the “girl out of time.”
The family settles in Kokomo City, where Amy enrolls in South Pines Academy. Though she misses her BFF Jemmah (now old enough to be Amy’s mom; could this be the “love that crosses light years”?), she soon finds her own new social circles: football star David, his girlfriend Cassie, and their friends Zeph, Meisha, Maki, Logan, and Howard; and the school’s agriculture club, which includes fellow crossover Meisha, and Tamara and Shafer.
And then there is Oliver, the mysterious, silver-haired boy who does not seem to have a flavor. (Amy has synesthesia and “tastes” peoples’ personalities.) Though her friends think he’s trouble with a capital T, Amy gravitates to Oliver, and vice versa. But for reasons not yet revealed, Oliver’s very existence is classified – and their continued friendship endangers Amy’s life. Enter: the alien artifact and mysterious murder.
Volume 6 collects episodes 76 through 92 of the WEBTOON comic, originally published between 8/24/16 and 12/15/16 (yes, the trade paperbacks are very far behind! Do yourself a favor and create a WEBTOON account so you can stay up to date.)
One thing I don’t love about the trade paperbacks is that the plot seems to progress at a snail’s pace, and Volume 6 is no exception; 256 pages and we’re still not done with Spirit Week! Still, this is an enjoyable and bittersweet collection.
Volume 6 sees Oliver continue to distance himself from Amy, while fissures deepen among some of Amy’s friends. Amy gets to experience her first snowfall – and snow day! – for which mom thankfully yet temporarily lifts her grounding (that’s a whole ‘nother story). Amy finally discovers Oliver’s flavor (orange with hints of cinnamon, brimming with passion and vibrancy and life – the complete opposite of Nothing) – revealed, oddly enough, as he’s beating the piss out of a bully. Before she can even begin to process, Oliver and his foster dad Dr. Kim vanish, just as mysteriously as they arrived.
The agriculture club’s baby chicks make a quick cameo, as part of Tamara’s efforts to lift the spirits of a mopey Amy. My feelings about the ag club are something of a roller coaster: initially I was overjoyed that Amy made the connection between the soft, floofy, sentient creatures she was loving on and the chicken salad sammie on her plate, and vowed to go vegetarian. This quickly crumbled when she got an accidental mouthful of bacon on Oliver’s sandwich and decreed that it was fine, so long as the agriculture club doesn’t start raising baby piggies. Speciesist much?
And the very existence of animal agriculture so far in the future feels like a disappointing lack of imagination of the artist’s part. When I first started reading SPACE BOY, I thought it had to be at least 30 years in the future, to allow for Amy’s travel. Probably more like 100+ given all the new tech. But when Amy starts researching the Arno and its mission to reach the alien artifact, we learn that the year is actually 3355: The Arno launched in 3051, and was supposed to reach the artifact in 300 years – which, for Amy, was 4 years ago. 3051 + 300 + 4 = 3355.
So you’re telling me that it’s more than a thousand years in the future and we don’t have synthetic or lab-grown meat yet? That we’re still breeding and raising sentient creatures to be slaughtered for food? That our morals have evolved so little? Gross, dude. If this is the future, I hope humanity burns itself out well before 3355.
But yeah, baby chicks are hecka cute.
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Book Review: Be That Way by Hope Larson (2023)
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(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley.)
It's the first day of 1996 and, after a false start with journaling in her freshman year of high school, sixteen-year-old Christine is ready to put pen to paper - all part of her resolution to be a newer, SHINIER version of herself this year. (Kind of like her bestie Landry.) Over the next twelve months, we follow Christine as she makes new friends, and says goodbye to old ones; tries to find love, but mostly just ends up kissing a few losers; applies to college and worries over her lack of a LIFE PLAN; copes with grief after the loss of her father; and realizes that she is in love - and has been all along.
BE THAT WAY is a bit of a time capsule, and the nostalgia factor definitely soothed my GenX heart. However, I was hoping for more: more depth, more pathos, but mostly just more illustrations. I love Larson's style, and was disappointed to find that BE THAT WAY is a little prose-heavy. Alas, Christine doesn't get into graphic novels until the very end of the story, so there's that.
BE THAT WAY felt a bit like reading my own diary from that time period, for better or worse.
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ibtk · 7 months
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Book Review: Layers: A Memoir by Pénélope Bagieu (2023)
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(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley. Content warning for sexual assault, sexual harassment, child abuse, grief/loss, and the death of a companion animal.)
-- 3.5 stars --
Best know for her webcomics "My Quite Fascinating Life" and "Les Culottées" (published in the US as BRAZEN: REBEL LADIES WHO ROCKED THE WORLD), French author/illustrator Pénélope Bagieu dove into her diaries to create the fifteen autobiographical comics that make up LAYERS: A MEMOIR. The result is mostly entertaining, occasionally horrifying, and sometimes downright heartbreaking.
To borrow a phrase from Michael Scott, Bagieu absolutely walloped me in the grief bone with her very first story, "Why Don't You Have a Cat? You Love Cats!" Once upon a time, Bagieu did have a cat; her name was Smokey, and they were inseparable for nineteen years. After Smokey passed, and in an all-too-relatable turn of events, Bagieu found herself unable to open her heart and home to another feline, and the almost-certain woe that would eventually entail. (It's been 794 days since my last dog died peacefully at home, and still I remain timidly and tragically dog-less. Dogsitting helps, a little.)
Some of the most moving comics concern sexual assault, sexual harassment, and child abuse. Clocking in at one page, "Florence" is as simple as it is abhorrent. (Oh, the hindsight that comes with adulthood.) "Validation" recounts the blessing - and curse - of developing boobs in adolescence, and "A Story About a Wishbone" is a rather arresting retrospection about street harassment. Perhaps most chilling is "Déjà vu," wherein Bagieu juxtaposes two instances of sexual assault that took place years apart.
Bagieu closes LAYERS with "The Comfort Blanket," which offers a nice counterpoint to "Why Don't You Have a Cat?" It's about the death of her grandmother (mother? aunt?), and how she'll always be with Bagieu - in her heart, her memories, the air around her. It's such a kind and gentle end to a book that can sometimes be jarring and macabre. I love that all of the other stories are bookended (hugged?) by these two pieces.
Overall, the collection is a bit of a mixed bag; some of the stories had already escaped my brain sieve by the time I sat down to write this review. But the comics I enjoyed are shiny little gems that I'll be carrying with me for some time. If you're an animal person, I'd recommend LAYERS for "Why Don't You Have a Cat? You Love Cats!" alone.
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