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jonknightknighthunterbooks's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It's a rare graphic novel that makes me cry, which this did.
While the art is gorgeous, the narrative structure is probqboy the most innovative thing about this work - though perhaps with 2023 being the year of multiverse films that is less true than it once was.
Brás, our protagonist, probably thinks of themselves as an everyman, despite being from a well off family, and getting a job almost certainly based on his connections. He is honestly generally pretty pathetic - but in a fairly normal way; unsure what he wants to do with his life, chasing after women he thinks will make him complete (and when he gets one, leaving all the childcare to her).
A recurring theme, is the chasing of dreams, and contrasting that with living a safe life. A willingness to explore his dreams generally works out well for Bràs, which makes it a little jarring that in one story strand, a black character who has the temerity to chase their dreams becomes a penniless killer. And as others have noted (here: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/ead0e25b-856f-45be-ab9d-a9884f2f7c94) the only other Black Brazilian is portrayed as wildly emotional and volatile.
Art and structure make this worth a read - but it's worth bearing in mind going in that Black Brazilian characters are treated poorly, both by the writers and the world they've created.
While the art is gorgeous, the narrative structure is probqboy the most innovative thing about this work - though perhaps with 2023 being the year of multiverse films that is less true than it once was.
Brás, our protagonist, probably thinks of themselves as an everyman, despite being from a well off family, and getting a job almost certainly based on his connections. He is honestly generally pretty pathetic - but in a fairly normal way; unsure what he wants to do with his life, chasing after women he thinks will make him complete (and when he gets one, leaving all the childcare to her).
A recurring theme, is the chasing of dreams, and contrasting that with living a safe life. A willingness to explore his dreams generally works out well for Bràs, which makes it a little jarring that in one story strand, a black character who has the temerity to chase their dreams becomes a penniless killer. And as others have noted (here: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/ead0e25b-856f-45be-ab9d-a9884f2f7c94) the only other Black Brazilian is portrayed as wildly emotional and volatile.
Art and structure make this worth a read - but it's worth bearing in mind going in that Black Brazilian characters are treated poorly, both by the writers and the world they've created.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Cancer, Suicide, and Death of parent
books_jamie_reads's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Sexism
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