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geekwayne's review
3.0
“A Sister” with story and art by Bastien Vives is a graphic novel story about a young boy coming of age.
Antoine is 13 and on holiday with his family. On the trip, he learns that his parents had a miscarriage before he was born, and he missed out on having an older sister. When a friend of the family and her daughter, named Helene, show up, Antoine gets a taste of what it might be like to have an older sister. Antoine is attracted to Helene and she seems OK with that. Can Antoine survive his first crush and the feelings Helene awakens in him?
It’s a story about adolescent desire, and Summer love. I like the art style, but the subject matter may not be for everybody so please be cautious.
Antoine is 13 and on holiday with his family. On the trip, he learns that his parents had a miscarriage before he was born, and he missed out on having an older sister. When a friend of the family and her daughter, named Helene, show up, Antoine gets a taste of what it might be like to have an older sister. Antoine is attracted to Helene and she seems OK with that. Can Antoine survive his first crush and the feelings Helene awakens in him?
It’s a story about adolescent desire, and Summer love. I like the art style, but the subject matter may not be for everybody so please be cautious.
dame_samara's review
1.0
So I had to sit on this book for a little bit, just because the last half left me feeling very uncomfortable and I wanted to place where this feeling of discomfort came from.
I think that part of it is the fact this book is called "A Sister" and the first half falls into motion similarly as you find that bond growing between them but then in the second half instead of seeing a familial we move into a relationship that makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Partially because of the relationship we are lead to believe to be happening, and also the maturity difference between someone who is Sixteen and someone who is Thirteen. The power dynamic becomes incredibly gross.
It really stinks because that overshadows the well-done relationship building that is depicted and could have been interesting if Sex had not been approached like it was.
I think that part of it is the fact this book is called "A Sister" and the first half falls into motion similarly as you find that bond growing between them but then in the second half instead of seeing a familial we move into a relationship that makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Partially because of the relationship we are lead to believe to be happening, and also the maturity difference between someone who is Sixteen and someone who is Thirteen. The power dynamic becomes incredibly gross.
It really stinks because that overshadows the well-done relationship building that is depicted and could have been interesting if Sex had not been approached like it was.
belou's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Miscarriage
fireth's review
4.0
The drawings are great, full of emotions and expressive. While reading, I felt like I was watching a film, so no wonder it will be adapted. Highly recommended to read this and looking forward to the film adaptation.
uosdwisrdewoh's review
4.0
This involving, quiet tale of a young teen’s involvement with an unexpected roommate is a fascinating read, but it’s one that has its problems, perhaps inherent in the subject matter. Spoilers follow, as it's unavoidable in discussing the core strengths and flaws at its core.
Antoine is a 13-year old on vacation with his family when suddenly a family friend appears with her 16-year old daughter Hélène in tow. Hélène takes a shine to Antoine, but it’s a friendship that grows inappropriate as she draws him near. Some would say, justifiably, that she’s grooming him. Antoine seems to enjoy it, but that age difference gives the reader serious pause. Vivès never outright states and condemns what’s happening, and some readers could definitely take that to mean that he’s taking part in the old stupid trope: a boy is molested by an older woman, and the response is nothing more than, “Nice.”
Vivès is certainly dealing with provocative material, and though by all indications he’s an obnoxious ass online, in the book itself there’s just enough ambiguity and care in the storytelling to allow the reader to draw their own conclusions. I can see from the other reviews here that some find this abominable, that you can’t deal with this kind of thing without being crystal clear that what’s happening is wrong, which is a totally fair conclusion. I think Vivès art style is hazy enough to come off as a genuine attempt at understanding teenage sexuality without making it pornographic. But that could also be seen as putting a soft focus on these very same moments. Some scenes are meant to be titillating, though, as you’re put into Antoine’s frame of mind. Vivès demands that you take a step back if you want to be horrified.
Vivès is walking a tightrope here, and while I understand some people’s absolute hatred of this kind of stuff, I think this book is done with real talent, making this a worthy effort not to be condemned outright.
That said, it’s telling and damning of the society that we live in that if the genders in this story were reversed, it would almost immediately seem horrific. In that way this is a very skilled and well-told reflection of the fucked-up male-dominated world we live in.
Antoine is a 13-year old on vacation with his family when suddenly a family friend appears with her 16-year old daughter Hélène in tow. Hélène takes a shine to Antoine, but it’s a friendship that grows inappropriate as she draws him near. Some would say, justifiably, that she’s grooming him. Antoine seems to enjoy it, but that age difference gives the reader serious pause. Vivès never outright states and condemns what’s happening, and some readers could definitely take that to mean that he’s taking part in the old stupid trope: a boy is molested by an older woman, and the response is nothing more than, “Nice.”
Vivès is certainly dealing with provocative material, and though by all indications he’s an obnoxious ass online, in the book itself there’s just enough ambiguity and care in the storytelling to allow the reader to draw their own conclusions. I can see from the other reviews here that some find this abominable, that you can’t deal with this kind of thing without being crystal clear that what’s happening is wrong, which is a totally fair conclusion. I think Vivès art style is hazy enough to come off as a genuine attempt at understanding teenage sexuality without making it pornographic. But that could also be seen as putting a soft focus on these very same moments. Some scenes are meant to be titillating, though, as you’re put into Antoine’s frame of mind. Vivès demands that you take a step back if you want to be horrified.
Vivès is walking a tightrope here, and while I understand some people’s absolute hatred of this kind of stuff, I think this book is done with real talent, making this a worthy effort not to be condemned outright.
That said, it’s telling and damning of the society that we live in that if the genders in this story were reversed, it would almost immediately seem horrific. In that way this is a very skilled and well-told reflection of the fucked-up male-dominated world we live in.
overlap's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
0.75
I think if I was unaware of the author's other history, I would be able to say that this is a semi-interesting book with a compelling art style, even if literally half the book is porn of a 13-year-old and a 16-year-old having sex, while the 16-year-old keeps trying to get the 13-year-old to drink and do all sorts of other nonsense.
However, if you look into the author's other stuff just a tad, this is not the first book he's written with sexual relationships between adults and minors. If it's a pattern and it's not really transformative in any way, I do become a little suspicious.
The book feels very dreamy and surreal. I think there are elements of the story that are compelling to me but knowing about this guy's history just makes me feel even more skeeved out.
However, if you look into the author's other stuff just a tad, this is not the first book he's written with sexual relationships between adults and minors. If it's a pattern and it's not really transformative in any way, I do become a little suspicious.
The book feels very dreamy and surreal. I think there are elements of the story that are compelling to me but knowing about this guy's history just makes me feel even more skeeved out.
ljrinaldi's review
2.0
Ah the French and sex. Perhaps to the French is perfectly natural to have a 16 year old girl seduce a 13 year old boy. Some have called this a coming of age story, but to me it feels more like she is a sexual preditor, forcing herself on him.
The story is about a young boy and his brother, who are spending the summer at the beach, when their mother invites a friend and her daughter to spend some time there. The daughter, being older, wants to hang out with the older kids, which is a bit too much for Antoine. She gets him drunk, gets him to smoke, gets him to do things he is not really comfortable doing, including having him fondle her, as well as she give him blow jobs.
But, perhaps there are people out there who find this perfectly normal and I am an old prude.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The story is about a young boy and his brother, who are spending the summer at the beach, when their mother invites a friend and her daughter to spend some time there. The daughter, being older, wants to hang out with the older kids, which is a bit too much for Antoine. She gets him drunk, gets him to smoke, gets him to do things he is not really comfortable doing, including having him fondle her, as well as she give him blow jobs.
But, perhaps there are people out there who find this perfectly normal and I am an old prude.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
miss_tsundoku's review
1.0
Nope. Nope. Nope.
After reading this graphic novel and Googling a bit, I think this author/artist has a penchant for pedopornography (please refer to Petit Paul).
After reading this graphic novel and Googling a bit, I think this author/artist has a penchant for pedopornography (please refer to Petit Paul).