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elenaysuslibros's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A pesar de que esta novela tiene muchos clichés, y aunque sabía que el final iba a ser trágico, me llegó mucho y me dejó sensible.
Ninguna de las dos protagonistas terminó por caerme bien, siento que no tenían una buena relación ni tenían buena comunicación. Y también siento que hubo problemas en cómo se contaba la historia, hubo saltos de tiempo importantes y se perdió la oportunidad de detallar cómo fue la relación de Emma y de Clementine.
Me encantó el uso de los colores, y también ver cómo Clementine fue descubriendo su sexualidad. Sin embargo, sí que me decepcionó un poco cómo se mostró la bisexualidad en la novela.
Ninguna de las dos protagonistas terminó por caerme bien, siento que no tenían una buena relación ni tenían buena comunicación. Y también siento que hubo problemas en cómo se contaba la historia, hubo saltos de tiempo importantes y se perdió la oportunidad de detallar cómo fue la relación de Emma y de Clementine.
Me encantó el uso de los colores, y también ver cómo Clementine fue descubriendo su sexualidad. Sin embargo, sí que me decepcionó un poco cómo se mostró la bisexualidad en la novela.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia
fratobkk's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Death
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review
emotional
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Homophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
ellislilylovestoread's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Lesbophobia, Drug use, Medical content, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
ashlislibrary's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, and Drug abuse
lilythebibliophile's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Flashback: It is 2013, and 9 year old me is browsing Netflix in England. I stumble across a picture of two people almost kissing. The picture is almost completely gray, except for the vibrant blue of one of the people's hair. Without making any other assessments, I decide this person is cute and I want to find out more about the movie. I don't understand the movie description. It says that Adèle, a girl, falls in love with Emma, a girl.
This was earth-shattering to me. I knew about gay people from Modern Family (lmao), but I didn't know girls could like girls. I didn't know that was okay. I became obsessed with this movie. I read the summary on Wikipedia over and over, but I never watched the film because I thought it was too adult for me (I was right, there are many graphic sex scenes in it that I was not ready for). I thought about it a lot. I Googled anecdotes from lesbians about their first loves. I was absolutely enamored with the concept of queer, sapphic love.
And then I buried my curiosity deep inside me and tried to forget all about the movie and all about what I had learned. After all, I liked boys well enough, so why think about anyone else? That girl who I was kind of obsessed with, I just wanted to be her friend, that's all. That's why I felt honored when she spoke to me.
I am bisexual, and I have struggled with my sexuality a lot. The first time I had undeniably romantic feelings towards a girl (a camp counselor - I really had an Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir moment) I was terrified. I thought something was wrong with me. I was not homophobic towards others, but when it came to myself, I had internalized a lot of the biases that my family members held. My relatives seemed to be homophobic to lesbians especially.
And I was left wondering, am I a lesbian? That label doesn't feel quite right, but my feelings towards women seemed more powerful, more undeniable. Maybe that's because those feelings had to be strong for me to unbury them, or maybe it's because I like women more than I like men, I don't know. I still have a lot of questions and things to deal with on that front, don't ask me to come up with an answer now.
Anyways, this is to say that the film Blue is the Warmest Color, and, by extension, the graphic novel the film is based off of, have been deeply impactful and meaningful to me. I watched the movie for the first time recently, and while it's clear it was directed by a man (the sex scenes are not 100% accurate, in my opinion, and they are gratuitous), the story ignited that same feeling in me that it was okay to like women, that love is beautiful no matter what.
I knew that I had to read this book after watching the film for a more accurate depiction of the story. And I'm a little disappointed.
I don't think it has ever taken me over two months to finish a graphic novel (especially a queer one). I find that with most graphic novels it's hard for me to pick them back up once I've set them down, but this one was especially unmemorable.
I really enjoyed the dichotomy of Emma and Adèle's experiences with their sexuality. A quote that I found to be incredibly relatable to me was, "For Emma, her sexuality is something that draws her to others, a social and political thing. For me, it's the most intimate thing there is" (131).
While I hold political beliefs that align with gay rights and abortion rights, etc, my sexuality, especially my queerness, is a very private aspect of my life. I have come out to my parents many times, and they were so cruel about it that I took it back. To this day, they still discount me and make comments about what I told them as a hopeful twelve-year-old.
I remember one day when my best friend and I accidentally came out to each other at the same time. It is one of my most treasured memories, because it's one of the only happy coming out stories I have.
My main issue with this book, however, is that it sends the subliminal message that bisexual people are promiscuous and will cheat on their partners. The relationship between Emma and Adèle starts with Emma (a lesbian) cheating on her girlfriend with Adèle (a bisexual), and ends with Adèle cheating on Emma with a man. This event also occurs in the film.
In the graphic novel, Adèle even references that "something [she] can't control in [her] keeps creating a bigger and bigger distance between [her and Emma]" (130). As if a bisexual person will constantly be craving to be with someone who is the opposite sex of their partner throughout their whole relationship. As if no bisexual people will ever feel complete unless they are cheating or sleeping around. As if it's all about sex for us, and not just love, like how it is for everyone else.
That was deeply hurtful to me, as someone who experiences bi erasure quite a bit and has language like that targeted at me even though I've been shoved back in the closet. I was feeling accepted by this novel, just to be stabbed in the heart by that implication.
I also did not like the ending of this book, not because it's tragic, but because it follows the "bury your gays" trope like almost every other queer story written before 2018. This "trope" was originated by the Hays Code in 1930, which stated that all people committing "immoral" acts on screen must be punished. This led to gay characters being killed off in films, and it has translated over to books and other media. The trope is tired and rooted in homophobia. Why couldn't the characters in this graphic novel split apart for another reason, i.e. the cheating? The tragedy would still ring the same; the movie, where the characters simply break up, was more heartbreaking to me.
This was earth-shattering to me. I knew about gay people from Modern Family (lmao), but I didn't know girls could like girls. I didn't know that was okay. I became obsessed with this movie. I read the summary on Wikipedia over and over, but I never watched the film because I thought it was too adult for me (I was right, there are many graphic sex scenes in it that I was not ready for). I thought about it a lot. I Googled anecdotes from lesbians about their first loves. I was absolutely enamored with the concept of queer, sapphic love.
And then I buried my curiosity deep inside me and tried to forget all about the movie and all about what I had learned. After all, I liked boys well enough, so why think about anyone else? That girl who I was kind of obsessed with, I just wanted to be her friend, that's all. That's why I felt honored when she spoke to me.
I am bisexual, and I have struggled with my sexuality a lot. The first time I had undeniably romantic feelings towards a girl (a camp counselor - I really had an Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir moment) I was terrified. I thought something was wrong with me. I was not homophobic towards others, but when it came to myself, I had internalized a lot of the biases that my family members held. My relatives seemed to be homophobic to lesbians especially.
And I was left wondering, am I a lesbian? That label doesn't feel quite right, but my feelings towards women seemed more powerful, more undeniable. Maybe that's because those feelings had to be strong for me to unbury them, or maybe it's because I like women more than I like men, I don't know. I still have a lot of questions and things to deal with on that front, don't ask me to come up with an answer now.
Anyways, this is to say that the film Blue is the Warmest Color, and, by extension, the graphic novel the film is based off of, have been deeply impactful and meaningful to me. I watched the movie for the first time recently, and while it's clear it was directed by a man (the sex scenes are not 100% accurate, in my opinion, and they are gratuitous), the story ignited that same feeling in me that it was okay to like women, that love is beautiful no matter what.
I knew that I had to read this book after watching the film for a more accurate depiction of the story. And I'm a little disappointed.
I don't think it has ever taken me over two months to finish a graphic novel (especially a queer one). I find that with most graphic novels it's hard for me to pick them back up once I've set them down, but this one was especially unmemorable.
I really enjoyed the dichotomy of Emma and Adèle's experiences with their sexuality. A quote that I found to be incredibly relatable to me was, "For Emma, her sexuality is something that draws her to others, a social and political thing. For me, it's the most intimate thing there is" (131).
While I hold political beliefs that align with gay rights and abortion rights, etc, my sexuality, especially my queerness, is a very private aspect of my life. I have come out to my parents many times, and they were so cruel about it that I took it back. To this day, they still discount me and make comments about what I told them as a hopeful twelve-year-old.
I remember one day when my best friend and I accidentally came out to each other at the same time. It is one of my most treasured memories, because it's one of the only happy coming out stories I have.
My main issue with this book, however, is that it sends the subliminal message that bisexual people are promiscuous and will cheat on their partners. The relationship between Emma and Adèle starts with Emma (a lesbian) cheating on her girlfriend with Adèle (a bisexual), and ends with Adèle cheating on Emma with a man. This event also occurs in the film.
In the graphic novel, Adèle even references that "something [she] can't control in [her] keeps creating a bigger and bigger distance between [her and Emma]" (130). As if a bisexual person will constantly be craving to be with someone who is the opposite sex of their partner throughout their whole relationship. As if no bisexual people will ever feel complete unless they are cheating or sleeping around. As if it's all about sex for us, and not just love, like how it is for everyone else.
That was deeply hurtful to me, as someone who experiences bi erasure quite a bit and has language like that targeted at me even though I've been shoved back in the closet. I was feeling accepted by this novel, just to be stabbed in the heart by that implication.
I also did not like the ending of this book, not because it's tragic, but because it follows the "bury your gays" trope like almost every other queer story written before 2018. This "trope" was originated by the Hays Code in 1930, which stated that all people committing "immoral" acts on screen must be punished. This led to gay characters being killed off in films, and it has translated over to books and other media. The trope is tired and rooted in homophobia. Why couldn't the characters in this graphic novel split apart for another reason, i.e. the cheating? The tragedy would still ring the same; the movie, where the characters simply break up, was more heartbreaking to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Homophobia
nisha_nee's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.25
I'm on the binge with queer graphic novels this month and by far this was my favorite. I was gripped from the start and even with knowing that this would be a sad, emotional story, I still did not expect to tear up at some of the panels.
The art style is not something I usually read becausr I prefer manga/manhwa-esque style but I think the art in here has greatly contributed to the atmosphere a d vibes it was trying to execute---melancholic. As for the story, I could totally see this as a film. It was atmospheric, gripping, and just so sad. I felt a little bit icky with the adult/minor relationship though but I guess it's more on personal preference and maybe this should be a topic that should be broached more on. I also really liked Valentine, one of the side characters, and Clementine's friend. The only thing I did not like very much was the pacing of the ending. It felt rushed and could use more time in fleshing out the transition of the narrtive to the present day.
The art style is not something I usually read becausr I prefer manga/manhwa-esque style but I think the art in here has greatly contributed to the atmosphere a d vibes it was trying to execute---melancholic. As for the story, I could totally see this as a film. It was atmospheric, gripping, and just so sad. I felt a little bit icky with the adult/minor relationship though but I guess it's more on personal preference and maybe this should be a topic that should be broached more on. I also really liked Valentine, one of the side characters, and Clementine's friend. The only thing I did not like very much was the pacing of the ending. It felt rushed and could use more time in fleshing out the transition of the narrtive to the present day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, and Infidelity
starshine1's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Homophobia
Moderate: Suicide, Death, Infidelity, and Medical content
Minor: Outing
nickoliver's review against another edition
emotional
sad
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
4.0
I used to love the movie of this, back when I had barely watched any queer movies and didn't know how problematic it was (you know, with the actresses being treated horrendously and the movie being very male gaze-y with no idea how lesbian sex actually works), so I knew the story going into it. I was also aware that it had a different ending and wasn't caught off-guard by it. I actually liked this a lot! It showed the struggle of accepting yourself when you're surrounded by homophobic people everywhere, which I found to be pretty realistic. I also liked the art style a lot; the way there was barely any colour but all the blue colour stood out was a nice detail.
Honestly, the one thing I didn't like, apart from how anxious it made me, was that it featured a relationship between a teenager and a woman who most certainly was several years too old to still be attracted to a 16-year-old. That could've been done better or at least been acknowledged.
Honestly, the one thing I didn't like, apart from how anxious it made me, was that it featured a relationship between a teenager and a woman who most certainly was several years too old to still be attracted to a 16-year-old. That could've been done better or at least been acknowledged.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Homophobia, and Death
Minor: Vomit and Alcohol
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Sexual content, Death, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Grief, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Cursing and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, Addiction, and Violence