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jay_bubblez's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.0
It's a cute little book about mental health and confronting your problems like monsters. I loved the art setting. As an artist, seeing the technical terms and processes being used was super cool. The pictures are in shades of navy blue with red or pink in scenes with more intense emotions. This works great as a contrast. While I do wish the story was more colourful I understand the intention behind this choice, because mental health can sometimes feel like all the colour is drained out of the world.
The characters were cute, but at times felt a little flat or overreactive. Despite this I still enjoyed the reading experience. There were some moments where I felt more 3D elements and layers of meaning showing through, and those moments were very strong.
The characters were cute, but at times felt a little flat or overreactive. Despite this I still enjoyed the reading experience. There were some moments where I felt more 3D elements and layers of meaning showing through, and those moments were very strong.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Blood, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
Minor: Bullying
nerdybookworm23's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Mental illness
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
I loved this book! Such a great story and dealt with serious topics very well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Suicide
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
Right before leaving for her summer art camp, Jade’s friend Phoebe attempts suicide. Despite not wanting to go, her mom insists it will be good for her to get away. Jade isn’t so sure. How can she focus on herself when her friend is going through such a rough time?
However, once she gets to the Art Farm, Jade realizes she has the opportunity to really focus on her art. As she gets to know her classmates, she also starts to fall for Mary, a fellow artistic. Working on her art for the summer, Jade channels her anger, frustration, and stress into her ceramic monsters. However, it’s her art that might force her to confront her real fear.
Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for an advanced copy of this to review! If you follow me on Instagram, you know that graphic novels are my jam. I was excited to receive a copy of this, especially since it’s about art! Made me want to get out supplies and paint.
Right from the beginning, I was drawn in by the art style. It’s mostly in black and white, but there are pops of a reddish/pink color when emotions get high. It’s effective for the story that’s being told, and really helps to focus on the characters and the emotions in the story. It also helped in emphasize the sort of magical realism elements of the story.
While it doesn’t necessarily feel like a heavy book, McCoola deals with some heavy emotional things. Throughout the story, Jade is struggling with the fact that her best friend attempts suicide and she doesn’t know how to help. She’s conflicted about doing well at the art farm because it feels like she’s leaving Phoebe behind. All of these emotions felt realistic and I appreciated the way the art and the writing dealt with the topic of suicide.
The only thing that didn’t really work for me was the magical realism aspects. At times, it was a little unclear what exactly was happening. And if anyone else at the art farm noticed what was happening? I think just a little more clarification regarding that would have made this book even more stellar for me.
But, there’s queer rep and great discussions about art, so of course I’m going to love it. If you’re looking for a new graphic novel to pick up this summer, I’d recommend this one!
However, once she gets to the Art Farm, Jade realizes she has the opportunity to really focus on her art. As she gets to know her classmates, she also starts to fall for Mary, a fellow artistic. Working on her art for the summer, Jade channels her anger, frustration, and stress into her ceramic monsters. However, it’s her art that might force her to confront her real fear.
Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for an advanced copy of this to review! If you follow me on Instagram, you know that graphic novels are my jam. I was excited to receive a copy of this, especially since it’s about art! Made me want to get out supplies and paint.
Right from the beginning, I was drawn in by the art style. It’s mostly in black and white, but there are pops of a reddish/pink color when emotions get high. It’s effective for the story that’s being told, and really helps to focus on the characters and the emotions in the story. It also helped in emphasize the sort of magical realism elements of the story.
While it doesn’t necessarily feel like a heavy book, McCoola deals with some heavy emotional things. Throughout the story, Jade is struggling with the fact that her best friend attempts suicide and she doesn’t know how to help. She’s conflicted about doing well at the art farm because it feels like she’s leaving Phoebe behind. All of these emotions felt realistic and I appreciated the way the art and the writing dealt with the topic of suicide.
The only thing that didn’t really work for me was the magical realism aspects. At times, it was a little unclear what exactly was happening. And if anyone else at the art farm noticed what was happening? I think just a little more clarification regarding that would have made this book even more stellar for me.
But, there’s queer rep and great discussions about art, so of course I’m going to love it. If you’re looking for a new graphic novel to pick up this summer, I’d recommend this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
Minor: Drug abuse and Grief
itsmeyseniab's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I was provided an ARC by Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review - all thoughts are my own.
I was really excited to get my hands on this one as it combines two of my favorite things (hard-hitting contemporary and graphic novels), but I'm sad to say that I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I thought I would.
I was so intrigued going into this novel because the plot sounded unique to anything I've read in the past, but ultimately it felt all over the place at times and I had to fill in a lot of blanks myself. Don't get me wrong, I completely understood the overall message and lesson, but I think it could've been fleshed out a little bit more (for example the friendship between Jade and Phoebe:we are led to believe that Jade's been "defining herself by their friendship" but those signs were never there prior to Phoebe's suicide attempts. I get that the attempts were the catalyst for the entire story/Jade's emotions she's working through, but to suggest that the entire friendship was rooted in a sort of off-balance power dynamic was jarring to me. The romance in this novel also felt very rushed - I just wish the lead up was a little more prominent!
That being said, I thought the depiction of Jade's inner turmoil was extremely realistic and well done (and I love how it was reflected in her artistry!) It was a great representation of how mental illness truly affects us all, even if an individual isn't necessarily battling with it themselves. I thought the art style was great as well, and really enjoyed the contrast between the gray and pink color palettes to denote a happy memory/moment from the more negative, mundane thoughts Jade was having. Although I was expecting to enjoy this a bit more than I did, I'm looking forward to seeing what else these two create in the future!
I was really excited to get my hands on this one as it combines two of my favorite things (hard-hitting contemporary and graphic novels), but I'm sad to say that I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I thought I would.
I was so intrigued going into this novel because the plot sounded unique to anything I've read in the past, but ultimately it felt all over the place at times and I had to fill in a lot of blanks myself. Don't get me wrong, I completely understood the overall message and lesson, but I think it could've been fleshed out a little bit more (for example the friendship between Jade and Phoebe:
That being said, I thought the depiction of Jade's inner turmoil was extremely realistic and well done (and I love how it was reflected in her artistry!) It was a great representation of how mental illness truly affects us all, even if an individual isn't necessarily battling with it themselves. I thought the art style was great as well, and really enjoyed the contrast between the gray and pink color palettes to denote a happy memory/moment from the more negative, mundane thoughts Jade was having. Although I was expecting to enjoy this a bit more than I did, I'm looking forward to seeing what else these two create in the future!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Drug abuse
unheardmelokate's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Self harm
howlinglibraries's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Slip follows Jade's summer at an art camp immediately following her best friend's attempted suicide, and Jade must try to juggle her goal of winning a college scholarship alongside realizing her best friend is in terrible pain. Through all of this, there's an unexpected romance with another girl at camp, and Jade finds herself understandably overwhelmed with the variety of feelings happening at once.
Unfortunately, while this graphic novel sounded great in theory, almost nothing about it worked for me. The art is beautiful, but primarily in black-and-white, and I agree with a lot of other reviewers that it would have been improved tremendously by being a full-color graphic novel. It's an entire story revolving around art and taking place at an art camp, so choosing not to colorize the book feels like a massive missed opportunity!
While I loved the queer rep, Jade and Mary (and all of the other characters, too) are so flat that I could not possibly bring myself to feel invested in the romance forming between them. There's a bit of back-and-forth "will they, won't they", but it doesn't carry any weight, and when the two of them get into a tiff over miscommunication, it doesn't cast Mary in a good light (multiple panels of her throwing items in Jade's direction out of anger — something we don't need to normalize in arguments, even among teens).
And finally, as far as the representation of Phoebe's suicide attempts and how it affects Jade, I was uncomfortable with a lot of the commentary. Phoebe's suicide attempts only served as a prop for Jade's own pain, and I kept feeling like Jade cared less about how her best friend was doing and more about how it affected her, or how she had "missed the signs". There are a few moments where it felt that Jade was vilifying Phoebe and blaming her, and while there is a side character who makes great points about mental illness, I don't think we ever got to see Jade fully actualize those realizations for herself. Obviously, she's a teenager and I'm not expecting her to be the most emotionally mature character I've ever read, but it's hard to root for her.
All in all, Slip is a classic case of great theory, poor execution. I would have loved to have given this a higher rating, but I was disappointed and uncomfortable with too many elements to justify it.
✨ Representation: Jade and Mary are queer; multiple characters are BIPOC (no specific representation is mentioned for any of them)
Unfortunately, while this graphic novel sounded great in theory, almost nothing about it worked for me. The art is beautiful, but primarily in black-and-white, and I agree with a lot of other reviewers that it would have been improved tremendously by being a full-color graphic novel. It's an entire story revolving around art and taking place at an art camp, so choosing not to colorize the book feels like a massive missed opportunity!
While I loved the queer rep, Jade and Mary (and all of the other characters, too) are so flat that I could not possibly bring myself to feel invested in the romance forming between them. There's a bit of back-and-forth "will they, won't they", but it doesn't carry any weight, and when the two of them get into a tiff over miscommunication, it doesn't cast Mary in a good light (multiple panels of her throwing items in Jade's direction out of anger — something we don't need to normalize in arguments, even among teens).
And finally, as far as the representation of Phoebe's suicide attempts and how it affects Jade, I was uncomfortable with a lot of the commentary. Phoebe's suicide attempts only served as a prop for Jade's own pain, and I kept feeling like Jade cared less about how her best friend was doing and more about how it affected her, or how she had "missed the signs". There are a few moments where it felt that Jade was vilifying Phoebe and blaming her, and while there is a side character who makes great points about mental illness, I don't think we ever got to see Jade fully actualize those realizations for herself. Obviously, she's a teenager and I'm not expecting her to be the most emotionally mature character I've ever read, but it's hard to root for her.
All in all, Slip is a classic case of great theory, poor execution. I would have loved to have given this a higher rating, but I was disappointed and uncomfortable with too many elements to justify it.
✨ Representation: Jade and Mary are queer; multiple characters are BIPOC (no specific representation is mentioned for any of them)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm and Suicide attempt
ivylee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I read the galley, so it’s possible there’ll be changes before the final version comes out. A very sweet exploration of how art can help us process emotion and trauma. The art, by Aatmaja Pandya, is my favorite part, it’s beautiful. My biggest complaint is that the end feels rushed, especially after how lovely the rest of the book flowed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Self harm
ablaine's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
2.0
As someone who did summer art programs as a teen, I thought this book would resonate more, but it just fell flat for me. I think the illustrations by Aatmaja Pandya are dynamic and expressive. I particularly enjoyed how the book included descriptions of ceramicist tools and processes. Sadly, the storyline and writing in this advanced reader copy was uneven in its development and pacing. I also did not find the way that the author dealt with the topic of self harm and suicide to be particularly up-to-date. Many people are choosing not to use terms like "commit suicide" because it frames suicide as a sin or crime. Perhaps this language will change by the publication date. Overall, the book focuses on a main character whose friend attempted suicide, but it seemed like it teetered on the edge of perpetuating some misconceptions about suicide in the process as the main character tries to confront her own emotions around it. The ending is nice and empowering in many ways, but it doesn't resolve all the other issues I have with the book.
I voluntarily obtained a digital version of this book free from Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
I voluntarily obtained a digital version of this book free from Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm and Suicide attempt
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