Reviews

Regenbogentage by Nora Dåsnes

kendallreads's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

dembury's review against another edition

5.0

Best line in this book: “I wonder…can you be in love with a girl and still like BTS?”

goodsewp's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

maiiiphobic's review against another edition

5.0

this graphic novel made me feel so happy for queer girls that can express themselves from such a young age in such positive environments and made me hope that’s a reality for all of us soon <3 this was super cute AND THE ART STYLE SO PRETTY

heatherbermingham's review against another edition

3.75

I love the art in this book, both the style and the layouts and how much space it takes up, and I appreciate the very warm, gentle tone. "I wonder... can you be in love with a girl and still like BTS?" made me laugh out loud. At the center of the story are 3 middle school-aged girls whose interests start changing and shifting in ways that pull them apart a bit. None of the girls are presented as bad guys, it's just a reflection of what often happens at that age. I thought the ending was a little quick and neat, but hey, as someone who worked in a middle school for a few years, that happens too. 

1vyanne's review against another edition

funny lighthearted 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

4.0

saphiraas's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? No

4.75

4.75 stars!

Such a sweet coming of age graphic novel about a 12 year old girl, Tuva, growing up in Norway and dealing with the madness of growing up, growing apart from friends, and falling in love. I could totally relate to alot of Tuva's struggles in this story. 12 is such a difficult age where some of your friends are getting into "teenager-y things" and others are clinging firmly to their childhood loves and shunning all things "girly". Tuva is somewhere in the middle which is exactly where I was too. Watching her discover she liked Mariam was so sweet and I absolutely ADORED how supportive her dad was (he even made her a queer music playlist!! amazing!).

The art style in this book was perfection. Simple, yet SO expressive and fun/funny! I really could feel Tuva's emotions coming off from the page and through her doodles and handwriting I could really catch a glimpse into her mind and thought process. All her lists, doodles, and typo-scratch outs made it really felt like I was a reading a real life diary! The transitions between comic scenes and diary entries also flowed nicely as well and not once did I feel abruptly taken out of the story during one of these perspective shifts, which is hard to do!

As an avid journaler when I was Tuva's age and now, I felt so scene seeing her write about her daily struggles in her journal about crushes, family life, and friend drama. I would totally recommend this coming of age story to anyone! Especially young girls because I think this book would be super comforting and also relatable. Team Tuva!! <33

maedae4's review against another edition

funny 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

I'm very happy this was translated into English so I could enjoy it. Reading this helped me remember aspects of being a girl in middle school that I had largely forgotten... what it feels like to question, cling to, and reject the "childish" things that make you happy; feeling awkward as you try to adhere to more "mature" feminine expectations; feeling torn between the vulnerability of your desire for love and the comfort that comes with totally (and loudly) rejecting that vulnerability in favor of a cootie-free life. That last bit, in particular, is brought to life in this book as Tuva and her friends struggle with change and with various ideas and "rules" about how to be the right kind of girl.

Ultimately, and poignantly, Tuva can only feel free of those rules when she breaks out of them entirely and speaks her own mind, rather than reflecting back what others tell her. It happens for her more quickly than it happens for most women, but the book is still a meaningful look at a time in life when messages about womanhood really start to yield complicated external results.

Aside from being nuanced and sensitive, this book is beautiful to look at! Every page is thoughtfully designed and broken up nicely between image and text. Tuva's verbal and visual commentary are sweet, truthful, and funny.

emmasbookcabinet's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

carterlover's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75