Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Blue Is the Warmest Color

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.

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robinks's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

I enjoyed the graphic novel more than the movie.

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starshine1's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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royalmilktea's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

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

2.5

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nickoliver's review against another edition

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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.

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taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

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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

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ashurah's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

This book destroyed me ~~in a good way~~. I initially thought I wouldn't like the characters, but as I continued reading Clementine grew on me as a protagonist. No one in this book is a good person, but you can somewhat sympathize with the choices they make and understand why they believe what they believe. I loved seeing Clementine's character arc of coming to accept her sexuality, and the overall melancholy tone of the book really added to my reading experience. One thing that I liked in particular was the usage of color, with

scenes in the past being colored in black and white with the exception of Emma's blue hair, while scenes in the present are in color. The choice to use these really muted colors and a mixture of mediums to illustrate the book was breathtaking.

I found the art style a bit too cartoony and rough-around-the-edges, but that's a personal preference that other people may not necessarily agree with. I also thought that the last part of the book

(starting from when Clementine is kicked out and disowned by her parents)

was rushed, and thus I didn't experience as much of an emotional impact as I could have potentially (though I was and still am really emotional about the book).

The drug aspect of the plot wasn't expanded upon as much as I would have liked and the time skip in general was too rushed; I didn't realize that almost ten years had passed until I reread it a second time.

Nevertheless, Maroh does an excellent job of portraying these two women and their relationship. I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, but it's a very worthwhile read if you're looking for a tragic LGBT character-driven story.

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gayelfboi's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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