Reviews

Always Human by Ari North

genderqueer_hiker's review

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emotional lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

sailorkchick's review

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3.0

Very fluff but also good viewpoint of how humans may behave in the future with technology that allows rapid changes to your appearance and mental state.

Full disclosure, I had never heard of this web comic before picking up the graphic novel so I understand that how I read it does affect my experience.
It felt slow to me, but again, I think that's because I was reading it all at once.

While the romance is sweet and good (I wouldn't change anything), the real interesting part to me was the main character's (Sunati's) struggle with being honest in her relationship. She often changes her appearance but her partner (Austen) can't. I like that the author made it a point to show how we might stop doing something we love because we THINK our partner or friends won't approve.

booklover160's review

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4.0

Picked this up from my home library on a whim! It’s so cute! The art style is so pretty and lends itself to a easy-to-follow comic style. This was originally a Webtoon and it’s apparent in the short ‘chapters’.

I loooved the premise of the world. A future where humans can get all kinds of modifications to their appearance and otherwise! And two lovely girls who find love together and need to figure out how to navigate their new lives. I’d read another 10 volumes of their story.

homebodynate's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

megpancoast's review

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hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

marley's review

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5.0

If you're looking for a soft graphic novel with a cute romance and gorgeous art, Always Human is definitely it. It's the perfect blend of adorable but not unrealistic, and though it's a fairly short read, every moment of it is wonderful and soft.

The art and the way the colours are used is just incredible. It's soft at the edges but still very vibrant and present, practically popping off the page, and the little details add so much to the story. Because of the way the story is character based, the use of blues and pinks to represent Sunati and Austen and how they interact with each other works so well. The use of space and frames was also done very well, adding texture to the art and the story.

The thing that I loved most about this graphic novel was how Sunati and Austen communicate! Their relationship felt really natural and the development was very well done, and when they encountered issues, they talked through it and that was so nice to see. They were both interesting characters, especially Austen living in a world where mods are the standard and not being able to use them. The show-not-tell that comes with a graphic novel did a very good job of introducing the characters to the reader as they were being introduced to each other, and that combined with the art made it a very immersive read.

I really enjoy slice-of-life stories, because I find them very easy to get wrapped up in, like a warm blanket. Always Human flows really nicely from one scene to the other, and read very smoothly because of how the story was told. The science fiction setting paired really nicely with this, it meshed well with the concept and with the storyline without overwhelming them both.

Always Human is an excellent example of a soft, sapphic graphic novel that's perfect for when you want a lovely story to get lost in, although it should only be read if you're ready to have your heart grow three sizes from the cuteness!

Thank you to the publisher and to HOV Book Tours for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

daenknight's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

spookster_sarah's review

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5.0

literally one of my fav webtoons of all time. whenever someone asks for a romance rec, i JUMP to recommend this. walkingnorth's other webtoon is also brilliant.

sarah_shelf's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-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

4.0

smittenforfiction's review

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3.0


I read Always Human for the Dragons & Tea Book Club in April. This was originally published on Webtoon from 2015 to 2017 with 76,000 subscribers. It's available for free on webtoons.com and will be available in graphic novel format in June. Featuring a female/female relationship, Always Human is a soft-romantic sci-fi with a beautiful colour palette.


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