Scan barcode
readsforlove's review
3.0
Well, that was depressing. Story wise, this was heavy and sad and hard to get through. I'm not sure if the story was based on the real lives of the author's family, but it felt that way. I didn't like any of the characters, and while I was sad for how circumstances shaped them, everyone was so selfish and cruel to each other that I left the story feeling sick to my stomach and all around depresso-espresso.
The stars come for the art style, though. I was surprised by a few nude images, so just a heads up for readers. But this was styled so beautifully, and the colors and creativity that went into it took my breath away. I love it when graphic novels really play into their medium. This story wouldn't have worked the same if told in any other format, which is important, in my opinion, to having a great graphic novel. I enjoyed just gazing at the art work, even while the story ripped my heart out and stomped on it.
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc.
The stars come for the art style, though. I was surprised by a few nude images, so just a heads up for readers. But this was styled so beautifully, and the colors and creativity that went into it took my breath away. I love it when graphic novels really play into their medium. This story wouldn't have worked the same if told in any other format, which is important, in my opinion, to having a great graphic novel. I enjoyed just gazing at the art work, even while the story ripped my heart out and stomped on it.
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Physical abuse
cadence99's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the journey we took with Ro, who is processing her grief through reflections on her grandmothers life. her attempt to understand her grandmothers actions and attitudes is deeply relatable to anyone who has ever experienced a complex relationship with a family member. My one detractor here is that a big portion of the text is written in a font that was very difficult to read (at least on my iPad, not certain if this would be improved in print). The font is aesthetically pleasing, but very small, smushed together, and cursive, which had me zooming in to the point of pixelation, even as someone with relatively good eyesight. I would still recommend this read (at least the portion I was given, it seems maybe netgalley didn’t provide the whole book from looking at other reviews?) despite this issue but would be amiss if I didn’t point out the accessibility issue there.
Thank you to Netgalley and Fantagraphics for this ARC
Thank you to Netgalley and Fantagraphics for this ARC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Rape
Moderate: Transphobia, Death, Miscarriage, Sexism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Outing, War, Domestic abuse, and Deadnaming
More...