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jackelz's review against another edition
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
I loved all of the themes that this book touched on: self-discovery, friendship, healing from tragedy, queer first love. The art is absolutely gorgeous and you will fall in love with the adorable baby cow named Daisy! Aside from the cute animals, the supportive best friends were my favorite. The way the art depicted his separation from reality was so well done and I loved how we got to see his photographs by way of Instagram posts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Mental illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
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
Where do I begin with this graphic novel? I loved almost everything about it. Following the story of Manuel, who has witnessed a tragedy at his school and uses photography to cope with it. He makes friends through the assignment of an art project, and they help him heal, too. From the relationships, art, writing, and just general format, there's nothing I didn't like about this book.
The way that PTSD and panic attacks are portrayed in this book are some of the best I've seen done in graphic novel format. For Manuel, all of the color disappears, and you almost feel the panic with him. His relationship with Sebastian was perhaps one of my favorite things in the book because Sebastian really wants to be there for him. There are subtle hints throughout that their friendship is more than a friendship, and if you're not paying close attention, you might miss them. When it's a first relationship like this, in a middle grade novel, I feel like this formatting works so well for the story.
The art! How have I gotten this far and not talked about the art yet? Formatted around the idea of the golden hour for photography, there are just some goregous shots in here. Absolutely gorgeous. I only know Niki Smith from The Deep and Dark Blue, but I feel like this book has built on what I loved about that book.
All in all, this fits the middle grade genre so well. It's one I will keep thinking about and will definitely keep an eye on what Niki Smith does next.
The way that PTSD and panic attacks are portrayed in this book are some of the best I've seen done in graphic novel format. For Manuel, all of the color disappears, and you almost feel the panic with him. His relationship with Sebastian was perhaps one of my favorite things in the book because Sebastian really wants to be there for him. There are subtle hints throughout that their friendship is more than a friendship, and if you're not paying close attention, you might miss them. When it's a first relationship like this, in a middle grade novel, I feel like this formatting works so well for the story.
The art! How have I gotten this far and not talked about the art yet? Formatted around the idea of the golden hour for photography, there are just some goregous shots in here. Absolutely gorgeous. I only know Niki Smith from The Deep and Dark Blue, but I feel like this book has built on what I loved about that book.
All in all, this fits the middle grade genre so well. It's one I will keep thinking about and will definitely keep an eye on what Niki Smith does next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
marywahlmeierbracciano's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Traumatized after witnessing an instance of gun violence, Manuel returns to school feeling anxious and withdrawn, but when he’s paired with Sebastian and Caysha for a group art project, the three become fast friends. They bond over school bus rides to Sebastian’s house in the country outside of their Kansas town, where he’s raising a bucket calf for 4-H. Manuel anchors himself in moments of panic by taking pictures with his phone, and his eye for photography leads him to the county fair as well. The Golden Hour is a sweet story of smalltown friends, with gorgeous art and coloring and important messages about trauma and mental health. They’re even a hint of baby queer love.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Mental illness
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