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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Really beautiful, really powerful. Win’s highschool experience was miles from my own but she’s captured all the emotional flavours to catapult me back in time (chronology be damned).
Graphic novels are not my strength, but I found this captivating and clear with lovely nuance while easy to follow.
Being a teenager is hard. Being different is hard. Finding friends is difficult but can be incredibly rewarding and this encapsulated that beautifully.
Plus, I really loved the style, message and openness of the ending.
Graphic novels are not my strength, but I found this captivating and clear with lovely nuance while easy to follow.
Being a teenager is hard. Being different is hard. Finding friends is difficult but can be incredibly rewarding and this encapsulated that beautifully.
Plus, I really loved the style, message and openness of the ending.
Thoughtful look at adolescence and all it entails...new friendships, family difficulties (and, sometimes, families that are not difficult), a bit of romance, body image and eating disorders, new skills, sexuality, self-expression, and on it goes.
I appreciate the gentleness of this graphic novel—a lot happens, some of it quite serious, but there's less of the dramaramarama that sometimes accompanies those themes. The ending does feel a bit quick to me (and the friendships that have been so carefully developed throughout the book lose out to the secondary-plot romance), but I may have to see if I can find more of Searle's work.
I appreciate the gentleness of this graphic novel—a lot happens, some of it quite serious, but there's less of the dramaramarama that sometimes accompanies those themes. The ending does feel a bit quick to me (and the friendships that have been so carefully developed throughout the book lose out to the secondary-plot romance), but I may have to see if I can find more of Searle's work.
Skimmed to the end. Its a solid read. Just not in the headspace for it.
fast-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
I am so happy. First Second Books allowed me to get a copy of this graphic novel.
Semi-memoir, and semi-made up, this story is based on Sarah’s struggle to get through high school, and the friends she made along the way. As she said in the afterward, she combined a lot of people together to tell the story, but the basic story is about her.
And, the basic story is about a girl who struggles to get through high school and arranges to have an independent study to produce a graphic novel, but ends up doing zine issues, instead, that she gives and sells to friends.
There are other things going on, other than that, of course. There are friends who are in love, and friends who are also struggling with their lives. The second picture is from a page of the graphic novel, where they all write down a dark secret that no one knows, and as you can see, it says “I hate myself”.
One of her friends is bi, and is still trying to get over his last relationship. The other friend is non-binary, but isn't sure if that is even quite the right definition.
Strong stuff. But, I love everything Searle has put out, the way I love First Second books for publishing authors I love.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Semi-memoir, and semi-made up, this story is based on Sarah’s struggle to get through high school, and the friends she made along the way. As she said in the afterward, she combined a lot of people together to tell the story, but the basic story is about her.
And, the basic story is about a girl who struggles to get through high school and arranges to have an independent study to produce a graphic novel, but ends up doing zine issues, instead, that she gives and sells to friends.
There are other things going on, other than that, of course. There are friends who are in love, and friends who are also struggling with their lives. The second picture is from a page of the graphic novel, where they all write down a dark secret that no one knows, and as you can see, it says “I hate myself”.
One of her friends is bi, and is still trying to get over his last relationship. The other friend is non-binary, but isn't sure if that is even quite the right definition.
Strong stuff. But, I love everything Searle has put out, the way I love First Second books for publishing authors I love.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
15 year old Winifred is entering high school this year without her best friends. Wanting to start fresh she navigates through her sophomore year alone until she meets Oscar and April in Photography class. They are creative, rebellious, non-typical high schoolers that try to help Win feel comfortable in her own skin, and collaborate on a Zine. Dealing with an eating disorder and depression, Winifred won’t admit she needs help, or admit to who she really loves.
Based on the author's own experiences this graphic novel is an honest, raw look at being a teenager today and the complexity of friendships and identity. A beautifully drawn story that could easily have a sequel as reader’s will be left wondering about characters that didn’t get the conclusions they deserve.
Based on the author's own experiences this graphic novel is an honest, raw look at being a teenager today and the complexity of friendships and identity. A beautifully drawn story that could easily have a sequel as reader’s will be left wondering about characters that didn’t get the conclusions they deserve.