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gabbyreadswithtea's review against another edition
2.0
Rating: 2.5
I really, really, really wish I loved this. A bunch of awesome women talking about geeky/nerdy goodness and relationships?! Totally up my alley.
It may have been the format that stumped me. After reading the amazing women-created graphic novel anthology Chainmail Bikini (and absolutely loving it!) I was surprised to find this was filled with a mix of different mediums. I don’t know if it was this that halted my enjoyment of the overall collection, but it did take me a lot longer than I had hoped to complete this.
I also found so many of the stories incredibly repetitive. It seriously pains me to say this but I would really struggle to differentiate many of the stories in this collection.
I did have a few that stood out to me, however, including: Four Fictional Happy Endings by Diana McCallum, Ménage Á 3/Sticky Dilly Buns by Gisèle Lagacé, David Lumsdon & Shouri and Ghost by Marjorie Liu
I really, really, really wish I loved this. A bunch of awesome women talking about geeky/nerdy goodness and relationships?! Totally up my alley.
It may have been the format that stumped me. After reading the amazing women-created graphic novel anthology Chainmail Bikini (and absolutely loving it!) I was surprised to find this was filled with a mix of different mediums. I don’t know if it was this that halted my enjoyment of the overall collection, but it did take me a lot longer than I had hoped to complete this.
I also found so many of the stories incredibly repetitive. It seriously pains me to say this but I would really struggle to differentiate many of the stories in this collection.
I did have a few that stood out to me, however, including: Four Fictional Happy Endings by Diana McCallum, Ménage Á 3/Sticky Dilly Buns by Gisèle Lagacé, David Lumsdon & Shouri and Ghost by Marjorie Liu
postmodernblues's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
I'll say one thing for this book: it sure made me want to move to Canada and experience its comic book/music scenes.
elenival's review against another edition
4.5
Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by this. It felt really light and I really enjoyed hearing all the stories in it. I found it to a bit inspirational too in the "Oh, I can kinda recognize a bit of myself in these people and it looks like they succeed in life, so I’m sure I can too" kinda way. I don’t even know, but a lot of the stories were cute, some went a bit deeper but all of them were entertaining in their own way and I think I even learned a bit from some of them. I also fell in love with the small comics and illustrations that were scattered through the book and I just really really really liked this book?
solitarysoul's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 I enjoyed it despite not being a geek girl myself. I even learned a couple things.
ericawrites's review
4.0
This book had some highlights that were fabulous. I love how diverse the different types of relationships were, and how not every story was just a happily ever after. It told some wonderful stories. But like any anthology, the quality was mixed. I'd still recommend picking it up and giving it a read. Well worth it.
pickett22's review against another edition
4.0
This book was surprisingly dense. There were a lot of feelings and experiences wrapped up here, some that felt very vulnerable.
The Marguerite Bennet one was incredible, as was the Marjorie Liu one. Others were also excellent, like Sam Maggs' and Brandy Dawley's, but Bennet and Liu, man. Whooooooooooo boy.
The Marguerite Bennet one was incredible, as was the Marjorie Liu one. Others were also excellent, like Sam Maggs' and Brandy Dawley's, but Bennet and Liu, man. Whooooooooooo boy.
humgruffin's review against another edition
I don't think I can fairly give this a rating because a) half of the pictures in my digital library edition wouldn't load, so I couldn't read the book in its entirety, and b) my expectations were way, way off.
Like Kelly Sue Deconnick, the comic book writer that did the foreword, I thought "secret loves" meant "unexpected passions", as in weird hobbies and interests. It's nothing like that. It's mostly about romance and sexuality. I also thought the whole thing would be a graphic novel. And fiction. So I was super setting myself up for a disappointing time.
On the plus side, I did rediscover a couple comic book writers that I used to follow over a decade ago.
Like Kelly Sue Deconnick, the comic book writer that did the foreword, I thought "secret loves" meant "unexpected passions", as in weird hobbies and interests. It's nothing like that. It's mostly about romance and sexuality. I also thought the whole thing would be a graphic novel. And fiction. So I was super setting myself up for a disappointing time.
On the plus side, I did rediscover a couple comic book writers that I used to follow over a decade ago.
cassiefleurs's review against another edition
3.0
Love the premise . But it took me forever to finish this. Although the topic is the same , it’s interpretations are way too broad . The style and format varies along the way and so does the quality.
Despite a few comics this is NOT a graphic novel as advertising may make you believe.
Some stories were heartwarming , geeky and sweet . Some others bored me or weren’t for me. So it was very hard to keep at it not knowing if the next one would be good or not
Despite a few comics this is NOT a graphic novel as advertising may make you believe.
Some stories were heartwarming , geeky and sweet . Some others bored me or weren’t for me. So it was very hard to keep at it not knowing if the next one would be good or not
bluenicorn's review against another edition
4.0
Like any anthology, there are stories in here that didn't do anything for me, and others that did. There were big names that contributed very little (just... just skip the Atwood part- for everyone's sake...), and some contributions that felt a bit like filler. But like many works that try to fill a niche that no one else has before, I just felt an overwhelming gratefulness for it existing. There are works in here from all kinds of geeky girls- young, old, queer, trans; gamers, cosplayers, fanfic writers and artists. Some of them find love in romantic partnerships, while some are still looking; some find it in friends, and most end up finding a degree of it with themselves and their geeky passions.
My favorites really run the gamut- there's a beautiful and bittersweet story called "Minas Tirth" by Marguerite Bennett; "A Divorcee's Guide to the Apocalypse," by Katie West, that really hit home ("If the end of my marriage was like any particular kind of apocalyptic event, it would have been a slow flood... p 63; "I wanted to understand, after over five years of marriage, who I was when I was alone." p 67) And most of the comics included were really great- hard to single one out. Worth skimming through.
My favorites really run the gamut- there's a beautiful and bittersweet story called "Minas Tirth" by Marguerite Bennett; "A Divorcee's Guide to the Apocalypse," by Katie West, that really hit home ("If the end of my marriage was like any particular kind of apocalyptic event, it would have been a slow flood... p 63; "I wanted to understand, after over five years of marriage, who I was when I was alone." p 67) And most of the comics included were really great- hard to single one out. Worth skimming through.