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snowwhitehatesapples's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A graphic novel with pretty art, lovely typography and sapphic rep which I completely adore, Squad is exactly as pitched: Pretty Little Liars meets Teen Wolf.
That said, it's expected that the plot's predictable and the characters are stereotypical. The stance the girls of the Squad have on patriarchy is an understandable one. Although their method of bringing the patriarchy down isn't commendable, it can't be denied that sometimes, we just want the other to feel as much or more pain than what we've been subjected to. Of course, that can't happen in real life so here we have girls going wild in a fictional world doing so. Nevertheless, I have to agree that smashing patriarchy via murder doesn't give a great message. Additionally, there comes to a point in the story where the main focus of taking action against toxic masculinity goes off elsewhere when the sisterhood gets challenged.
Other than that, there are tropes and prejudice (microaggressions) in this graphic novel that remains unchallenged or not subverted. I would've loved to see them being challenged or subverted but again, that's not unexpected—particularly when you keep how it's pitched as in mind.
Anyway, the main problem I had with Squad is how there are moments between panels that have been skipped. Maybe I'm too used to reading manga where a lot of details and actions are included to create a very cohesive story, but yeah, the story got confusing for me at certain parts and they took a few rereads for me to connect the dots.
Everything considered, there is so much potential in this graphic novel. I think Squad would've been better as a series with multiple volumes so that more aspects could be expanded on and better fleshed out. Still, it's a fun and quick read as it is!
That said, it's expected that the plot's predictable and the characters are stereotypical. The stance the girls of the Squad have on patriarchy is an understandable one. Although their method of bringing the patriarchy down isn't commendable, it can't be denied that sometimes, we just want the other to feel as much or more pain than what we've been subjected to. Of course, that can't happen in real life so here we have girls going wild in a fictional world doing so. Nevertheless, I have to agree that smashing patriarchy via murder doesn't give a great message. Additionally, there comes to a point in the story where the main focus of taking action against toxic masculinity goes off elsewhere when the sisterhood gets challenged.
Other than that, there are tropes and prejudice (microaggressions) in this graphic novel that remains unchallenged or not subverted. I would've loved to see them being challenged or subverted but again, that's not unexpected—particularly when you keep how it's pitched as in mind.
Anyway, the main problem I had with Squad is how there are moments between panels that have been skipped. Maybe I'm too used to reading manga where a lot of details and actions are included to create a very cohesive story, but yeah, the story got confusing for me at certain parts and they took a few rereads for me to connect the dots.
Everything considered, there is so much potential in this graphic novel. I think Squad would've been better as a series with multiple volumes so that more aspects could be expanded on and better fleshed out. Still, it's a fun and quick read as it is!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Death, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Fatphobia
Minor: Racism and Lesbophobia
zombiezami's review
dark
emotional
funny
tense
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
4.0
I describe this book as Mean Girls meets Jennifer's Body. I thought the art was great, and I enjoyed the characters. I didn't like that the protagonist's love interest ended up being someone who kept making racist microaggressions towards her. Still, the narrative was fun, and I liked the designs and the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, Body horror, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Bullying
Minor: Lesbophobia, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Racism
Microaggressionsjerusha's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
seawarrior's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
This was an interesting and exciting story that was reminiscent of Heathers, The Craft, and Jennifer's Body. Becca's newfound friendship with the Squad gives her the sense of belonging she's always craved, but at a price. Before long her hunger and her power begins to spin out of control, leading her to question how far she's willing to go to sate it, and if her Alpha really possesses the judgement necessary to protect the group.
The plot went off into directions I didn't see coming and ended with a darker twist than what I had expected from a young adult book. Becca's world is definitely grisly, she and her friends spend one night a month baiting themselves for predators, and tackling their cognitive dissonance when they consume someone they're not certain was deserving of a death sentence. Additionally, Becca is dealing with internalized shame from being sapphic and having been humiliatingly rejected in the past. Varied experiences of victimization, victimhood, vengeance and how to go on living with them are displayed throughout the narrative, with each girl having their own perspective on their bloodthirsty secret, which begin to splinter into disillusionment.
I really enjoyed the art for this book too, it was dynamic and full of expression, supplying additional meaning in some scenes where words weren't used. For the most part I felt the panels were paced well, giving the story almost a cinematic effect, though they were some instances where I couldn't follow what was meant to be happening on the page. Overall I would recommend this story to others who feel they can handle the subject matter. I was pleasantly surprised by its fresh depiction of werewolf lore and plot that continued to complicate itself.
The plot went off into directions I didn't see coming and ended with a darker twist than what I had expected from a young adult book. Becca's world is definitely grisly, she and her friends spend one night a month baiting themselves for predators, and tackling their cognitive dissonance when they consume someone they're not certain was deserving of a death sentence. Additionally, Becca is dealing with internalized shame from being sapphic and having been humiliatingly rejected in the past. Varied experiences of victimization, victimhood, vengeance and how to go on living with them are displayed throughout the narrative, with each girl having their own perspective on their bloodthirsty secret, which begin to splinter into disillusionment.
I really enjoyed the art for this book too, it was dynamic and full of expression, supplying additional meaning in some scenes where words weren't used. For the most part I felt the panels were paced well, giving the story almost a cinematic effect, though they were some instances where I couldn't follow what was meant to be happening on the page. Overall I would recommend this story to others who feel they can handle the subject matter. I was pleasantly surprised by its fresh depiction of werewolf lore and plot that continued to complicate itself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
stormywolf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
When this one popped up for me on my Facebook newsfeed, I immediately knew I had to grab it. Between the enticing cover, the premise of hunting skeevy guys, and the fact that it featured werewolves—my absolute favorite of all supernatural creatures—it seemed the perfect fit to fill a slot in my spooky month! You know what they say about too much hype, though...
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was a good story with interesting artwork, it just lacked the time and space to fully tackle all the points it raised. I'd still recommend it as a quick and interesting read, especially for those interested in werewolves, YA, vigilantism, or exploring societal issues, but it probably won't be all that memorable in the long run. So if you find the premise interesting and are looking for a bite-sized horror read, then give Squad a try.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was a good story with interesting artwork, it just lacked the time and space to fully tackle all the points it raised. I'd still recommend it as a quick and interesting read, especially for those interested in werewolves, YA, vigilantism, or exploring societal issues, but it probably won't be all that memorable in the long run. So if you find the premise interesting and are looking for a bite-sized horror read, then give Squad a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood, Death, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Body shaming, Misogyny, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Cursing, and Infidelity
Minor: Lesbophobia and Rape
beforeviolets's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Think Heathers or Mean Girls but make it sapphic and make the mean girls werewolves! Delightfully cheesy and monstrous in the way every werewolf story should be. It wonderfully embodied the hunger for justice we all crave in this shitty patriarchal society in a fantastically literal way. The illustrative style - done by the wonderful artist Lisa Sterle - reminded me of Archie comics, leaning into classic and familiar high school vibes and tropes that this book established just to break them down. It allowed the darker moments of this story to stand out even further, contrasting against a world we think we understand. It also made the story feel somewhat timeless, mixing retro styles with a modern setting.
I felt that it lacked depth in approaching some of the more important real-world topics the book brought up (fatphobia, diet culture, misogyny, r*pe culture, etc.) by just kind of dropping the themes in there without really exploring them or providing much commentary on them. (Especially with the fatphobia, there were lines from "you could stand to go on a diet" to a skinny character calling themselves "overweight" that were implied to be bad but otherwise went unchecked.)
But for the purpose of an exciting, fun read for all the "weird girls" out there, it most definitely delivered. I would highly recommend if you like monster girls (a trope that i REALLY love), morally grey characters, cheesy horror/fantasy, and revenge plots.
I felt that it lacked depth in approaching some of the more important real-world topics the book brought up (fatphobia, diet culture, misogyny, r*pe culture, etc.) by just kind of dropping the themes in there without really exploring them or providing much commentary on them. (Especially with the fatphobia, there were lines from "you could stand to go on a diet" to a skinny character calling themselves "overweight" that were implied to be bad but otherwise went unchecked.)
But for the purpose of an exciting, fun read for all the "weird girls" out there, it most definitely delivered. I would highly recommend if you like monster girls (a trope that i REALLY love), morally grey characters, cheesy horror/fantasy, and revenge plots.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Violence, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Murder, Gore, Fatphobia, Death, and Bullying
Moderate: Alcohol, Body horror, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder
Minor: Rape and Racism
make_believer's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
An interesting mix of Heathers and Teen Wolf, but something was missing for me. I don't think that any of the three mean girls were charismatic or satirical enough to make up for how genuinely mean they were. I read it twice and just couldn't bring myself to like any of them, despite how much I wanted to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Eating disorder
babayagaofficial's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
WOW I loved this. I’ve been looking forward to SQUAD for ages, and it lived up to expectations and then some. Gorgeous, evocative art and a tight plot with rich themes. Not a false note in the whole book. I can’t wait to share this with everyone.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for letting me read an ARC of this title. #Squad #NetGalley
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for letting me read an ARC of this title. #Squad #NetGalley
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Cannibalism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Lesbophobia and Sexual content
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