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livlamentloathe's review
3.0
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy!
Annoyingly, my digital copy only included the first 200 pages so I only know the first half of the book. From what I read, I think I liked the book! It was confusing the way it narrated using "you" while speaking of the past. I couldn't always tell who it referred to. I think it would've cleared up more by the end, but I can't speak to that yet.
I liked the coloring and style. And the way the panels tracked the various rooms and character motion throughout.
Annoyingly, my digital copy only included the first 200 pages so I only know the first half of the book. From what I read, I think I liked the book! It was confusing the way it narrated using "you" while speaking of the past. I couldn't always tell who it referred to. I think it would've cleared up more by the end, but I can't speak to that yet.
I liked the coloring and style. And the way the panels tracked the various rooms and character motion throughout.
anisyrah's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
Mothballs is revolutionary in its artistic exploration of the family saga and the ways in which generational trauma and choices impact future ones.
Otero's art style is absolutely stunning, and the way in which her designs change, both big and small, to tell a story—especially its most haunting and heart-wrenching beats—is a feat. Otero's voice and art is welcomed warmly to the canon of generational family sagas and seeks to answer in Mothballs a life-long question: how do the choices of those who came before us impact our existence?
Thank you to Fantagraphics Books and NetGalley for the partial ARC! All opinions are my own.
Otero's art style is absolutely stunning, and the way in which her designs change, both big and small, to tell a story—especially its most haunting and heart-wrenching beats—is a feat. Otero's voice and art is welcomed warmly to the canon of generational family sagas and seeks to answer in Mothballs a life-long question: how do the choices of those who came before us impact our existence?
Thank you to Fantagraphics Books and NetGalley for the partial ARC! All opinions are my own.
taketwolu's review against another edition
A family saga about a teenager (Buenos Aires, 2001) uncovering her grandma’s past and truth about her family history (Italy 20 C, Argentina 21 C) following her grandma’s passing. We explore misogyny, s3xual vi0lence, generational trauma, h0mophobia, alc0holism, fleeing a country, and other family tragedies. The artwork is colorful and draws parallels between the granddaughter and grandmother as it captures the complexities of family dynamics and history.
Thanks NetGalley and Fantagraphics for my copy!
neatens's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
3.0
✨ARC Review✨
📚Mothballs by Sole Otero📚
Publication Date: August 13, 2024
In life, we are so easy to judge everyone without even knowing the true character of a person. This story follows a girl named, Ro, as she slowly opens a story about her grandmother — who recently passed away. It was captivating and heartwarming. This is such a wonderful story that captivated my heart. The illustrations were not the same as the modern mangas I read but it took me back to the earlier years. It was nostalgic and the story is contemporary that many of us can relate to.
Why did I rate it that way? Because this one isn’t finish which I hope it is. Anyway, it was a good and quick read!
📚Mothballs by Sole Otero📚
Publication Date: August 13, 2024
In life, we are so easy to judge everyone without even knowing the true character of a person. This story follows a girl named, Ro, as she slowly opens a story about her grandmother — who recently passed away. It was captivating and heartwarming. This is such a wonderful story that captivated my heart. The illustrations were not the same as the modern mangas I read but it took me back to the earlier years. It was nostalgic and the story is contemporary that many of us can relate to.
Why did I rate it that way? Because this one isn’t finish which I hope it is. Anyway, it was a good and quick read!
brice_mo's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphics for the ARC!
I loved this! It’s been years since I’ve read a graphic novel, and this reminded me why I used to enjoy them so much.
The book has an absolutely gorgeous art style and color palette, and I appreciated how it situated such a “small” story within a very particular historical context. More than that, though, I was amazed at how effectively the complex nuances of family relationships were depicted in such a limited space, both literally within terms of the book’s length and figuratively within Otero’s decision to contain the 2001 storyline in a single house.
It looks like the galley might be missing the last third of the book, probably to build hype, and if that's the case, it worked—I look forward to reading a print version of this later.
I loved this! It’s been years since I’ve read a graphic novel, and this reminded me why I used to enjoy them so much.
The book has an absolutely gorgeous art style and color palette, and I appreciated how it situated such a “small” story within a very particular historical context. More than that, though, I was amazed at how effectively the complex nuances of family relationships were depicted in such a limited space, both literally within terms of the book’s length and figuratively within Otero’s decision to contain the 2001 storyline in a single house.
It looks like the galley might be missing the last third of the book, probably to build hype, and if that's the case, it worked—I look forward to reading a print version of this later.
angeldevoursliterature's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Mothballs begins with 19-year old Rocio inheriting her grandmother Vilma's house after she passed away. Struck by the low turn-out at the funeral, Ro uncovers a hidden family history of hardships and resilience. The story weaves between Italy at the beginning of the 20th century and Argentina in the 21st, drawing paralells between Vilma and Ro's lives. Despite being pressured to meet familly and societal expectations, both women remain strong-willed and yearn for independence. Ro embarks on a journey of self-discover whilst honoring her grandmother's memory.
This was a worthwhile read :D .
I couldn't put it down since page one. It was well-written. I liked how the flashbacks were weaved thoroughly in the narrative without making it confusing to read.
The illustrations are lovely and vibrant. Personally, I think it would be better if the cursive font used for the dialogues are changed. Would love to read the rest of the story.
This is a review of the first 200 pages of Mothballs provided by Fantagraphics Books on Netgalley. Thank you for the copy!
This was a worthwhile read :D .
I couldn't put it down since page one. It was well-written. I liked how the flashbacks were weaved thoroughly in the narrative without making it confusing to read.
The illustrations are lovely and vibrant. Personally, I think it would be better if the cursive font used for the dialogues are changed. Would love to read the rest of the story.
This is a review of the first 200 pages of Mothballs provided by Fantagraphics Books on Netgalley. Thank you for the copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Cursing, Deadnaming, and Domestic abuse
bookslut89's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.75
foursythia's review
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was an eARC provided by NetGalley and publisher, and I just found out we didn't actually get a full version of the book to review, so.. I'm confused? The ending seems like it hangs rather than answers everything that was laid out so far. There were side characters & smaller conflicts that I thought would be explored more, but it just hangs midway. So, that's probably why: the different version we receive.
Anyway, this review will be based on the 205 pages we get to read. First, the choice of cursive handwriting-like font was quiteeee a headache. Although the art style & color palette works well, maybe not the typography. So hard to read I had to keep pinching my screen in & out to zoom. Story wise, this book explores a lot of family conflict but everything feels... unresolved. These are not lovable characters, mind you, all of them are. And it explores topic like rape, sexual assault, family trauma and poor bond, trans life. So.. lots to unpack yet many left unexplained. Overall.. I would love to know more, but it was kinda frustrating to follow through? The ending doesn't satisfy the despair that the book has cost me :(
Anyway, this review will be based on the 205 pages we get to read. First, the choice of cursive handwriting-like font was quiteeee a headache. Although the art style & color palette works well, maybe not the typography. So hard to read I had to keep pinching my screen in & out to zoom. Story wise, this book explores a lot of family conflict but everything feels... unresolved. These are not lovable characters, mind you, all of them are. And it explores topic like rape, sexual assault, family trauma and poor bond, trans life. So.. lots to unpack yet many left unexplained. Overall.. I would love to know more, but it was kinda frustrating to follow through? The ending doesn't satisfy the despair that the book has cost me :(
ksbhorsegal's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
jsandy's review
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed the visual style of this graphic novel: the vibrant colors, the details in the background of the panels. The beginning setup of the story is compelling as I was immediately curious about the relationship between Rocio and her grandmother, who has recently passed away. I anticipated following Rocio's journey as she uncovered family secrets, establishing her own identity in the process. However, the narrative is much looser than this, giving much less of a firm narrative than I would like. The characters remained frustratingly lacking in self-awareness, making it difficult to sympathize even when we learned some of the reasons for their behavior--in particular Vilma, Rocio's grandmother.
I most wanted to know about Rocio's great-uncle Antonio and her best friend, though these characters appear relatively briefly in the story. I was intrigued enough to keep reading, but felt the narrative left open more questions than it answered, sort of trailing off rather than bringing things to a conclusion.
I most wanted to know about Rocio's great-uncle Antonio and her best friend, though these characters appear relatively briefly in the story. I was intrigued enough to keep reading, but felt the narrative left open more questions than it answered, sort of trailing off rather than bringing things to a conclusion.