Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Confetti Realms

Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Confetti Realms by Nadia Shammas

9 reviews

anxious_librarian's review

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

It’s Halloween night and teens are being teens, hanging out in the cemetery, seeking the answer to the age old question…can ghosts get trashed on forties? But investigating one of the mausoleums leads to a terrifying discovery when the group is pulled into a place known as the Confetti Realms and are given until evening to complete a task or remain in the realm forever.

Now I’ve seen some comments downvoting this book for not being the “spooky read” people were hoping for and I personally see that as reader error rather than the author. This may not be horror, but it has a distinct unsettling, autumnal tone. In fact my biggest recommendation is for fans of OVER THE GARDEN WALL to pick this up. The tone is incredibly similar, as well as the art style, color pallet, and character designs.

I loved seeing the humanoid animals and the sheer detail that went into their creation. This world had a major amount of thought put into it! And the not clear distinction between animal and human provided so many opportunities for dark humor and the unexpected.

So now that we’ve acknowledged that the tone here is less Halloween-y and more rustic / vintage fantasy, let’s discuss what the story is actually about. Our four main characters - Garrett, Ty, Marissa, and Radwa - each have something to face and will need to decide if working through it is possible or if the realm offers them a better chance.

At its heart CONFETTI REALMS is about life. The things we go through, how we respond, the ways our decisions impact others and ourselves. In this sense it was very thoughtful. I appreciated how not everyone’s private matters were repealed at once, instead it was a slow release that occurred as the stress built. The desire to learn about the tension between the characters helped keep the story moving without too many “but why??” questions for readers to get frustrated over.

Even those who seemed to be handling their unexpected situation well had something weighing them down. And as a side note, I want to add that I particularly loved Ty. I’ve been getting sick of flat, no effort nonbinary characters. Ty has character and dimension, frankly these kids would have been doomed without their cool head.

One thing I did not enjoy was the ambiguous ending. I’m reallyyy bad at interpreting endings. (To be honest I’m bad at interpretation in general; I did have some trouble figuring out exactly what some of the characters were dealing with too, although I did not discount their experiences just because I didn’t understand) I’ll say the final vibe was there, it felt like a nice conclusion, but like OVER THE GARDEN WALL I would have appreciated knowing what ultimately happened to the teens.

Overall, CONFETTI REALMS was a fantastical journey! One I'm very glad to have gone on.

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willow_the_wisp's review

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dark medium-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

3.0

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ehmannky's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

4.5

A really lovely graphic novel following four queer teens each with baggage who are pulled into a fantasy realm that helps them work through their issues. I would say it's perfect for fans of Over the Garden Wall (same vibes). I thought it was charming and tackled a lot of complex issues and repairing hurt relationships and it was just nice.

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betweentheshelves's review

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

3.0

Well...this was strange. I honestly think it suffers from being too short, because the plot was confusing and I think it needed a bit more character development. This definitely would make a much better read for Halloween time, since it is actually set during Halloween. But you know, reading it in December is fine too!

I did like the art, though. There were some really great panels in here, and the world was brought to life with the artwork. The book itself would have worked better if it was a bit longer and allowed more of the characters and the plot to breath.

All in all, a quirky book that wan't quite my cup of tea.

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tatyana_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Thank you to the Netgalley, Mad Cave Studios, Maverick, and authors Nadia Shammas, Karnessa, Hackto Oshiro, and Micah Myers for an advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own. Available as of October 17, 2023.

This graphic novel follows four teens who make a wish on Halloween and are transported to the world of Confetti Realms. Upon arrival, they are given a minor quest and learn that the entire realm is about to be transformed into a new one very soon. The idea of becoming someone else is very enticing for each teen as they struggle with their respective issues. Now, they must decide if they will stay or return to their lives.

While I enjoyed the premise, I am not sure if the storyline and conclusion did it justice. The characters move throughout the realm gaining insight from their experiences. But with four teens having different struggles, the symbolism of each experience wasn’t fully explored. On the other hand, the artwork and color palette were very suitable for this graphic novel’s fall vibes. I also appreciated that the characters actually sounded and acted like teenagers. Their understanding of identity, mental health, grief, growth, and reconciliation felt realistic.

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devynreadsnovels's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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ana_vci's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

"Confetti Realms" by Nadia Shammas is an eccentric graphic novel that takes readers on a Halloween adventure with four New Jersey teens. The story begins when they break into a cemetery and find themselves transported to a fantastical world by a mysterious automaton named Tom. The characters are complex and weird, navigating mental health, relationship issues, and friendship struggles. The moody and atmospheric artwork perfectly captures the essence of a Halloween graphic novel.

The story unfolds in a wacky backdrop, featuring murderous frogs, an insect orchestra, and a quest to collect teeth from strange creatures. Amidst the wild adventure, "Confetti Realms" also explores important themes of queer representation and stereotypes based on body types. The book seamlessly combines the bizarre with deep conversations, making it a unique and thought-provoking read.

However, one drawback is that the ending feels rushed. The conversations lack depth and there is a sense that something is missing. For this reason, I would rate it 3.5 out of 5. Nonetheless, if you enjoy Halloween books, this quirky tale set on Halloween night will captivate you with its storytelling and the intricate fusion of fantasy and real-world issues.

*"Confetti Realms" is a must-read for the upcoming Spooky season, especially for those seeking a quick but unconventional Halloween adventure.*

Thanks to NetGalley & Mad Cave Studios for the ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.

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jessicastephenson's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

Queer spooky graphic novels are always a vibe. This friend group (self described as "The Gays") represents the complexities of being a queer teen. There are a lot of heavy topics discussed in this story and all the characters seem to have complicated relationships with each other. I do wish there was a bit more of a dive into their relationships, although it leaves space for more on a second volume potentially!

I do feel like Confetti Realms underdelivered on spooky vibes sadly. The first quarter was spooky, the rest not so much.

I absolutely looooove the art style, as well as the author's sense of humor. I laughed quite a bit through this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

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nrogers_1030's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

Any book about Halloween will reel me in like a fish on the line. In Confetti Realms, a group of teens decide to conjure up some fun... and ghosts on Halloween night. Things don't go as planned (I mean.. conjuring on Halloween?! We can't be too surprised!). They end up in the Niblo mausalem which is terrifying. They picked every scary thing you could think of, mixed it all together and made one horrific masterpiece.

The teens end up making wishes that lead them on an adventure whether they "decline the call to adventure", or not. I will forever be haunted by the puppet in that crypt.

Artwork is vivid and the illustrator(s) paid attention to all of the tiny details (I really liked the "struggle" and "snuggle" jelly packages).

Promotes inclusivity with diverse LGBTQIA+ characters - personalities, ethnicities, etc. The book touches on tough topics in an positive manner. There's helpful resources in the last few pages. I really liked the the author's sense of humor that is clearly displayed throughout. The ending was a bit too open-ended for me, but we don't always get what we want.

This was a really fun read! It gives off a dark Coco (Disney) vibe. Now I just need an editor to put my review in order!

Thank you NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for providing an advanced reader copy of the book for an honest review. Any quote(s) used in my review have been uncorrected.

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