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duparker's review
4.0
Great stories, with engaging art and connections with themselves and other criminal stories.
mikeylificent's review against another edition
3.0
A short, bittersweet read during some downtime today. I picked it randomly off of the shelf, intrigued by the title... after finishing it though, it was good but nothing essential.
The story, about a girl romanticizing drug use in a rehab center, is absorbing. The artwork is cute too. I do think it could have been a lot more than what it ended up being, which is a shame... especially after that really enticing opening sequence on the beach.
The story, about a girl romanticizing drug use in a rehab center, is absorbing. The artwork is cute too. I do think it could have been a lot more than what it ended up being, which is a shame... especially after that really enticing opening sequence on the beach.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, what a shocking twist this book had! When Ellie has an all-expenses-paid trip to a high end rehab center, she begrudgingly attends all the support groups and meetings she's supposed to have. Though, of course, she sees no reason to quit doing drugs, and doesn't even want to pretend she wants to. After all, so many Greats have done incredible things while under the influence--why not her, too?
This was a truly interesting graphic novel, especially at its premise, ending, and messages. I haven't read that many novels in which the main character is a drug addict, nor did I expect the ending--which I won't spoil, of course. But dang, money and love will make you do some really really suspect things. But the message was hugely interesting, too. On the one hand, it asks if doing drugs is worth it--you make bad decisions, you have to go to some places you may not want to, and it gives you a bad, unreliable rep. But at the same time it questions why not everybody does drugs if there are so many people, like David Bowie and other rock artists, who have profited from it. Certainly, this was an interesting read that I've heard ties in with the author and illustrator's Criminal series (which I haven't read).
Overall, I think that tied together with its wonderful artwork and compelling narrative, this makes for a good--if not sometimes questionable--read.
Review cross-listed here!
This was a truly interesting graphic novel, especially at its premise, ending, and messages. I haven't read that many novels in which the main character is a drug addict, nor did I expect the ending--which I won't spoil, of course. But dang, money and love will make you do some really really suspect things. But the message was hugely interesting, too. On the one hand, it asks if doing drugs is worth it--you make bad decisions, you have to go to some places you may not want to, and it gives you a bad, unreliable rep. But at the same time it questions why not everybody does drugs if there are so many people, like David Bowie and other rock artists, who have profited from it. Certainly, this was an interesting read that I've heard ties in with the author and illustrator's Criminal series (which I haven't read).
Overall, I think that tied together with its wonderful artwork and compelling narrative, this makes for a good--if not sometimes questionable--read.
Review cross-listed here!
smeixkye92's review against another edition
2.0
Beautiful pictures, tragic figures, reductive storytelling
librarimans's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not typically a big Brubaker fan, but this was really good.
olicooper's review against another edition
1.0
This brief graphic novel is about some teens that are in rehab. The young woman idolizes addicts and it seems like this book does the same. The story line is flat and the characters are not believable. I don't believe them as teenagers. Nor do i beleive them as drug addicts. Nor do i believe them as kids who have ever done any drugs with any amount of frequency.
Early on, you meet a guy in group who is lying about his addiction. And the main character knows he is lying. That’s how I feel about reading this book, like I know the author is lying.
It very much reads like a middle aged dude's idea of what the life of a young woman, who gets tangled up with drugs, would be like. And what do you know-- that seems to be exactly what happened.
The art is mostly fine, save for the main characters who are supposed to be teenagers, though they don’t look it. So it was hard to buy into that. Also, sometimes the proportions were so off it was distracting… like her head being almost as wide as her shoulders.
Early on, you meet a guy in group who is lying about his addiction. And the main character knows he is lying. That’s how I feel about reading this book, like I know the author is lying.
It very much reads like a middle aged dude's idea of what the life of a young woman, who gets tangled up with drugs, would be like. And what do you know-- that seems to be exactly what happened.
The art is mostly fine, save for the main characters who are supposed to be teenagers, though they don’t look it. So it was hard to buy into that. Also, sometimes the proportions were so off it was distracting… like her head being almost as wide as her shoulders.
brocksager's review against another edition
3.0
Having dealt with someone who is addicted to meth I was very hesitant to read this when it came out based on the title. That is yes, judging a book by its cover, but I didn't feel up to dealing with the topic of drug addiction. When I finally picked this up I didn't really know what to expect. Despite it being a sensitive subject for me (which is why it is rated 3 stars instead of 4) I did enjoy the story, and would recommend it to anyone who likes Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, stories about addiction, or just an emotional story about always searching for the thing you cannot have.
Brubaker uses music in this original graphic very well, and it inspired me to create a playlist of all the music mentioned in the story. Here is the link for the Spotify playlist I created:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7ps6i9i1MBjh7phgKb1V7O?si=1f198632840a4383
Music can transport you to another world, and I would go as far as to say it is a much better drug than anything out there. The right song or the wrong song can change your perspective in an instant. It can move you to the dance floor. It can make you cry or smile or laugh. Music can be something that soothes or something that causes anxiety, but despite what it does to you it has a power that is unlike anything else. Ed Brubaker definitely knows this, and you can see it in the way the story unfolds, pulls you in, and just runs you through an emotional gauntlet. Check out the graphic novel, and my playlist to see for yourself.
Brubaker uses music in this original graphic very well, and it inspired me to create a playlist of all the music mentioned in the story. Here is the link for the Spotify playlist I created:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7ps6i9i1MBjh7phgKb1V7O?si=1f198632840a4383
Music can transport you to another world, and I would go as far as to say it is a much better drug than anything out there. The right song or the wrong song can change your perspective in an instant. It can move you to the dance floor. It can make you cry or smile or laugh. Music can be something that soothes or something that causes anxiety, but despite what it does to you it has a power that is unlike anything else. Ed Brubaker definitely knows this, and you can see it in the way the story unfolds, pulls you in, and just runs you through an emotional gauntlet. Check out the graphic novel, and my playlist to see for yourself.