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magsreadingjourney's review
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.0
rae_shutupandbookup's review
5.0
"The past is the past, that cannot be changed. . . . Do not let it dictate the future." - Abuela
Althalia's learning about her powers and how she can utilize them. But being young and a little naive she doesn't fully understand the extent of her abilities or what the price for using them is. She wishes to control the things she can since there are larger things out of her control. . . Namely the prejudices people have against her people and her ancestors.
Things change drastically and our young bruja's about to begin her coming of age journey when a priest approaches her and her grandmother. A situation occurs leaving 'Lia with so many unanswered questions and a mission that she will not detour from! But our little witch is about to learn some lessons the hard way. Will her spirit be broken? Or will she come out stronger?
First of all, the art in this comic is utterly beautiful! I got feelings of "Coco" and "Encanto" as I read through the book and loved everything I saw. The vibrancy of colors and the depictions of everything was just utterly phenomenal! The illustrator did such an amazing job and there were a few panels that gave me chills because of the beauty and the impact of the work.
'Lia's being a little carless with her gift and being the overly confident teenager that most of us can relate to. She knows she's strong and doesn't hold back when others are trying to warn her to be careful. I loved her attitude and her personality when we are first introduced to her in the beginning of the story. I chuckled several times with just how she handled the "bad" they were up against. She's already a very strong young woman!
'Lia's surrounded by people with abilities even if they don't all have the gifts her and her Abuela do. She works for a shop focused on oddities and helping others with supernatural problems. Because we humans are curious creatures and sometimes meddle in things we shouldn't or things we should do more research about! Luckily the team is able to help when situations arise, even if 'Lia tries to pull a one-woman-show.
This read does touch on the underbelly of prejudices against Latinxs' and their culture. History is very much interpreted by the "victors". . . I believe all cultures and races have dark histories and I appreciate that the author mentioned this through some of the dialogue. When you get away from the "approved" history books that schools issue you will be amazed by what you find.
The more I learn about Hispanic cultures, their beliefs, history, and holidays the more I am in love honestly. There's so much beauty in the world and within other cultures that are not your own and it is very sad that some still choose to be closed minded and ignorant. I really love the Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, and just all the decorations, symbolisms, and everything about the holiday. Was excited when I recognized some of the elements within this book because of "The Book of Life".
There are also depictions of how religion can be very toxic and manipulative. Controlling the masses and doing things in the name of a god. . . Religion can be a good thing, but it can also be a very harmful thing. Wiping out whole civilizations of people or enslaving thousands all for the name of religion is very wrong on so many levels!
'Lia's Abuela helps to balance her and help to teach 'Lia that there are two sides to every story. I loved Abuela in this book and her familiar! The familiars of the two bruja's were perfect and I enjoyed the comedy they helped to provide for the read. This is a YA comic series and things are kept lighthearted for the most part. But there's grief in the read, loss and some wonderful action sequences!
I do wish some of the Spanish was translated down in the footnote or maybe have an asterisk to direct you to the glossary. A glossary would be very nice as well to help teach others about words used with the read and how to properly say them. There were a couple of moments where I was little lost on what was specifically said but could tell from body language and things revolving around the panel what was being conveyed.
The language is clean except for a curse word in Spanish here and there. Some violence and a scene of someone getting body modification done but it's cut off. Things are implied but you don't see the full process. The volume does end on a cliffhanger, but it is a gentler one. I also really enjoyed that there was a recipe in the back of the book along with notes from the author and the illustrator! The team did a great job with this installment, and I cannot wait for more!
Enjoy the read with so much beauty, action, wonderful characters, and some angst! Don't forget to give the author some stars!
shutupandbookup.blogspot.com
Althalia's learning about her powers and how she can utilize them. But being young and a little naive she doesn't fully understand the extent of her abilities or what the price for using them is. She wishes to control the things she can since there are larger things out of her control. . . Namely the prejudices people have against her people and her ancestors.
Things change drastically and our young bruja's about to begin her coming of age journey when a priest approaches her and her grandmother. A situation occurs leaving 'Lia with so many unanswered questions and a mission that she will not detour from! But our little witch is about to learn some lessons the hard way. Will her spirit be broken? Or will she come out stronger?
First of all, the art in this comic is utterly beautiful! I got feelings of "Coco" and "Encanto" as I read through the book and loved everything I saw. The vibrancy of colors and the depictions of everything was just utterly phenomenal! The illustrator did such an amazing job and there were a few panels that gave me chills because of the beauty and the impact of the work.
'Lia's being a little carless with her gift and being the overly confident teenager that most of us can relate to. She knows she's strong and doesn't hold back when others are trying to warn her to be careful. I loved her attitude and her personality when we are first introduced to her in the beginning of the story. I chuckled several times with just how she handled the "bad" they were up against. She's already a very strong young woman!
'Lia's surrounded by people with abilities even if they don't all have the gifts her and her Abuela do. She works for a shop focused on oddities and helping others with supernatural problems. Because we humans are curious creatures and sometimes meddle in things we shouldn't or things we should do more research about! Luckily the team is able to help when situations arise, even if 'Lia tries to pull a one-woman-show.
This read does touch on the underbelly of prejudices against Latinxs' and their culture. History is very much interpreted by the "victors". . . I believe all cultures and races have dark histories and I appreciate that the author mentioned this through some of the dialogue. When you get away from the "approved" history books that schools issue you will be amazed by what you find.
The more I learn about Hispanic cultures, their beliefs, history, and holidays the more I am in love honestly. There's so much beauty in the world and within other cultures that are not your own and it is very sad that some still choose to be closed minded and ignorant. I really love the Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, and just all the decorations, symbolisms, and everything about the holiday. Was excited when I recognized some of the elements within this book because of "The Book of Life".
There are also depictions of how religion can be very toxic and manipulative. Controlling the masses and doing things in the name of a god. . . Religion can be a good thing, but it can also be a very harmful thing. Wiping out whole civilizations of people or enslaving thousands all for the name of religion is very wrong on so many levels!
'Lia's Abuela helps to balance her and help to teach 'Lia that there are two sides to every story. I loved Abuela in this book and her familiar! The familiars of the two bruja's were perfect and I enjoyed the comedy they helped to provide for the read. This is a YA comic series and things are kept lighthearted for the most part. But there's grief in the read, loss and some wonderful action sequences!
I do wish some of the Spanish was translated down in the footnote or maybe have an asterisk to direct you to the glossary. A glossary would be very nice as well to help teach others about words used with the read and how to properly say them. There were a couple of moments where I was little lost on what was specifically said but could tell from body language and things revolving around the panel what was being conveyed.
The language is clean except for a curse word in Spanish here and there. Some violence and a scene of someone getting body modification done but it's cut off. Things are implied but you don't see the full process. The volume does end on a cliffhanger, but it is a gentler one. I also really enjoyed that there was a recipe in the back of the book along with notes from the author and the illustrator! The team did a great job with this installment, and I cannot wait for more!
Enjoy the read with so much beauty, action, wonderful characters, and some angst! Don't forget to give the author some stars!
shutupandbookup.blogspot.com
kera88's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
parsbooks's review
2.5
Great art but none of this made sense. You are dropped in the middle of story without any context or world building, and the story still felt rushed till the end. There are some really interesting concepts and storylines in the book but they are just not explored well.
lacewing's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
raethereviewer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
I loved every minute of this graphic novel! The illustrations were amazing and the storyline was beautiful. It touches on heritage, the struggles of being a child of diaspora, and grief. It’s definitely one I would recommend for middle school and high school classrooms.
zinzee's review
3.0
A fantastic graphic book, Season of the Bruja. Very high quality artwork.
Magic and adventure abound in this book. The tale jumps right in without any kind of setup, but fortunately things get more evident as they go.
Althalia, our heroine, is training to become a Buja with the help of her grandmother's powers.
I thought the usage of Spanish and the emphasis on Hispanic and Aztec mythology added a fascinating layer of complexity to the story.
Magic and adventure abound in this book. The tale jumps right in without any kind of setup, but fortunately things get more evident as they go.
Althalia, our heroine, is training to become a Buja with the help of her grandmother's powers.
I thought the usage of Spanish and the emphasis on Hispanic and Aztec mythology added a fascinating layer of complexity to the story.
dingokitty14's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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? No
3.0
laranda's review
adventurous
fast-paced
4.0
Great story and great artwork, I liked this glimpse into a culture I don't know much about. Can't wait to see more seasons.
jmbz38's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25