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3.02 AVERAGE
3.02 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
He's right, even if he was completely heartbroken (and a little embarrassed) in the process, he won't ever have to regret not being brave enough and wonder "what if...".
The drawing style completely takes you to the intricate reality of places like Oakland. The big parking lots, the street full of electric cables creating mazes in the air as far as your eyes can see, the ads bigger that some houses. I understand why you would want to run far away and not wanting to leave at the same time.
The drawing style completely takes you to the intricate reality of places like Oakland. The big parking lots, the street full of electric cables creating mazes in the air as far as your eyes can see, the ads bigger that some houses. I understand why you would want to run far away and not wanting to leave at the same time.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
dark
funny
medium-paced
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Picked this up on a whim from the library. I love love stories and stories set in NYC, so figured it would be a good fit. Reality is that it takes place more in Cali and the story felt quite underdeveloped. The nature of graphic novels is that they take a ton of effort to create and therefore often feel as though they run short - that is the case for this one as well. There just wasn't time to get connected to the characters at all. It was a fine story, but don't see myself ever having the desire to revisit it.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
sad
slow-paced
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Empire State: A Love Story (or Not) by Jason Shiga is a graphic novel about first love and first heart break and growing up. Jimmy, who looks like an older version of Jimmy from Meanwhile also by Jason Shiga, now works at a library and decides to follow his heart and go to Manhattan. I can only presume that Empire State exists in the vanilla timeline where Jimmy doesn't get sick and doesn't get a chance to destroy the world.
Like Meanwhile though, Shiga uses color codes to keep two plot threads separate as they intertwine. Blue is present day and red is flashback. The flashbacks show the friendship between Jimmy and Sara developing. She teaches him about coffee and literature. They share walks around Lake Merritt.
But she's a free spirit and in the present day she has realized her dream of working for a publisher. She's in Manhattan and Jimmy is still living at home with his over protective mother. He works at a library in Oakland. He's shown putting protective covers on books and shelving books but it's never stated outright if he's a clerk or a librarian. She has also found a boyfriend and made a life for herself that doesn't include Jimmy in the way he hopes.
While I liked the time travel aspects of Meanwhile, I connected better with Empire State.
Like Meanwhile though, Shiga uses color codes to keep two plot threads separate as they intertwine. Blue is present day and red is flashback. The flashbacks show the friendship between Jimmy and Sara developing. She teaches him about coffee and literature. They share walks around Lake Merritt.
But she's a free spirit and in the present day she has realized her dream of working for a publisher. She's in Manhattan and Jimmy is still living at home with his over protective mother. He works at a library in Oakland. He's shown putting protective covers on books and shelving books but it's never stated outright if he's a clerk or a librarian. She has also found a boyfriend and made a life for herself that doesn't include Jimmy in the way he hopes.
While I liked the time travel aspects of Meanwhile, I connected better with Empire State.
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated