Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

10 reviews

qteabeans's review

adventurous 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? No

4.0

This is a second read through. Still such a sweet queer read.

I think Ell's storyline feels a bit unresolved and messy. I also don't love a non-speaking character revealed as speaking later. It gives a small whiff of abelism.

Still an excellent read and I'm excited to discuss it in book club. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Violence

Moderate: Bullying and Ableism

michaelion's review

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious 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

4.25

Feels like a movie. Extra points for no men. Negative points for the art not being clear. It's very beautiful, but it should've had more color. Maybe that's the artist's style but many moments were hard to differentiate between things like characters and lighting because the color scheme kinda melds together.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Bullying

Moderate: Blood, Deadnaming, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Confinement, and Grief

Minor: Violence, Ableism, Trafficking, War, and Colonisation

lynxpardinus's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Transphobia, and Death of parent

Minor: Blood, Deadnaming, Animal death, Ableism, and Colonisation

spooderman's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Deadnaming, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Cursing, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, and Confinement

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Murder, and Vomit

Minor: Lesbophobia, War, Toxic friendship, and Ableism

seethinglloron's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful tense 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? No

4.75

A beautiful story told through color, time, community, and space.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Ableism

d12inspiration's review

emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying

Moderate: Transphobia

Minor: Vomit and Ableism

The transphobia is only verbal, and it happens when

Jo repeatedly uses the wrong pronouns for Elliot and tries to defend herself and justify doing so.

tiredcreature's review

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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? No

5.0

Light, airy, dreamlike, and so alive;
Traditional art with digital clean-up; monochrome base with limited colour palette for details and mood; especially loved the landscapes;
The space fish space ship is everything

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Transphobia and Ableism

One of the supporting characters, Elliot, is non-binary and selectively mute - there is one brief instance of a minor background character misgendering them, and complaining about their "refusal" to speak

teddyotso's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious relaxing 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? It's complicated

5.0

i usually prefer traditionally written books to graphic novels but this story was perfectly suited to its medium. It was beautiful to look at and beautiful to read. Complex characters, fascinating world building, absolutely stunning <3

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Transphobia, and Violence

vanessa_reads_a_lot's review

adventurous emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism and Transphobia

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"You're just as much a part of this family as Jules is. As any of us are."
"I really love you guys."
"I don't think we'd be doing this if we didn't love you just as much."

With fantastic writing and art alike, On A Sunbeam has been one of my favorite comics of all time since the first time I read it a year or two ago, and that's held true through my reread. Though the comic is of course visually stunning, with sprawling illustrations of space and a limited color palette that makes the mood of each scene almost palpable, art can't stand on its own in this sort of media -- but luckily, it doesn't here. On A Sunbeam is largely character-driven, with the bulk of its focus on the dynamics between its main cast (probably in part due to Tillie Walden describing herself as knowing nothing about science fiction), but the main characters are so charming and lively that that's a positive in my book. Even beyond the two main romantic relationships, the found family dynamic that develops between the main cast is so sweet and so wonderfully written.

Still, it's not lacking in plot or worldbuilding, and each new detail about the world is revealed with care and intrigue. The art of telling versus showing is certainly on display, with few exposition dumps and information more so trickled in over time, which is suited well by the nonlinear style in which On A Sunbeam is told. This does lead to confusion at times, with some scenes feeling spliced together, but personally, I really enjoy the fluid transitions and feel that the nonlinearity fits the narrative well.

Overall, I can't say anything more but that I wholeheartedly recommend On A Sunbeam for its wonderful character work, gorgeous visuals, powerful themes, and lively world. For some extra motivation, it's available to read online in its entirety for free (onasunbeam.com)!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, and Violence

Minor: Ableism, Death, and Transphobia

Transphobia tag is for brief misgendering of a nonbinary character from a minor character, which is quickly shut down by all other characters. There are also brief threats of knife violence, a couple vehicular crashes/near-crashes, and mentions of colonization.