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emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5⭐
Forest of Reading 2/5
Content Warnings: Adult/minor relationship, pedophilia
What I Liked
First and foremost, since this is a graphic novel… I LOVED the art. I liked the simplistic cartoon style that was used and I liked that the colour scheme was desaturated to convey a “nostalgic” and “gothic” 2000s vibe. Finally, I enjoyed the little details that the author added to each frame. For example, the screensaver on Liv’s computer and Liv’s pins.
Second, I liked that this book portrayed some important issues. I thought that the representation of bisexuality was thoughtful and important. Kate Leth presented bisexuality in a natural way while still writing about biphobia, because hey, it exists. Now, I can’t speak about how being bisexual in the 2000s was, but I can say that it’s important to have these representations, no matter the period. Another issue that was presented was that of inappropriate adult-minor relationships. Leth said at the beginning of their book that this was based on their experiences, so I appreciate them for speaking up about it. I think it’s an important issue to talk about and I liked how Leth portrayed Liv’s emotions towards it, never romanticizing it, but carefully depicting a warning story.
Finally, I liked Liv as a character. I liked how Liv was herself. I liked how she was passionate about things she was interested in and how she was friendly to her parents and her friends. I thought that the author did a good job representing the lifestyle of a teenager, the problems that she faced, as well as her interests considering that it was a short graphic novel.
What I Disliked
However, given that it was a short graphic novel, I thought some things weren’t as fleshed out. I personally felt like there was too much going on that might have worked better if this graphic novel was longer or if it was a full-length novel instead. There were times when a specific issue in Liv’s life was briefly brought up, and it didn’t have too much impact on the story, it was quickly resolved, and there was not much context. Just my opinion.
I also felt that because it was short, certain characters weren’t as fleshed out as I would’ve liked. Which makes sense since there were only so many page numbers. Although I liked the side characters, I wished there would’ve been a bit more focus on them or a bit more about their backstories. One of the ones I would’ve liked a bit more of was the “mall girl” or maybe Liv’s parents. Though, overall, I liked (most of) the characters….
Resources
RAINN (from the book): https://rainn.org/
Forest of Reading 2/5
Content Warnings: Adult/minor relationship, pedophilia
What I Liked
First and foremost, since this is a graphic novel… I LOVED the art. I liked the simplistic cartoon style that was used and I liked that the colour scheme was desaturated to convey a “nostalgic” and “gothic” 2000s vibe. Finally, I enjoyed the little details that the author added to each frame. For example, the screensaver on Liv’s computer and Liv’s pins.
Second, I liked that this book portrayed some important issues. I thought that the representation of bisexuality was thoughtful and important. Kate Leth presented bisexuality in a natural way while still writing about biphobia, because hey, it exists. Now, I can’t speak about how being bisexual in the 2000s was, but I can say that it’s important to have these representations, no matter the period. Another issue that was presented was that of inappropriate adult-minor relationships. Leth said at the beginning of their book that this was based on their experiences, so I appreciate them for speaking up about it. I think it’s an important issue to talk about and I liked how Leth portrayed Liv’s emotions towards it, never romanticizing it, but carefully depicting a warning story.
Finally, I liked Liv as a character. I liked how Liv was herself. I liked how she was passionate about things she was interested in and how she was friendly to her parents and her friends. I thought that the author did a good job representing the lifestyle of a teenager, the problems that she faced, as well as her interests considering that it was a short graphic novel.
What I Disliked
However, given that it was a short graphic novel, I thought some things weren’t as fleshed out. I personally felt like there was too much going on that might have worked better if this graphic novel was longer or if it was a full-length novel instead. There were times when a specific issue in Liv’s life was briefly brought up, and it didn’t have too much impact on the story, it was quickly resolved, and there was not much context. Just my opinion.
I also felt that because it was short, certain characters weren’t as fleshed out as I would’ve liked. Which makes sense since there were only so many page numbers. Although I liked the side characters, I wished there would’ve been a bit more focus on them or a bit more about their backstories. One of the ones I would’ve liked a bit more of was the “mall girl” or maybe Liv’s parents. Though, overall, I liked (most of) the characters….
Resources
RAINN (from the book): https://rainn.org/
Lovely, but lacking in some aspects that are elemental to the issues this story tackles. Great art.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
I wish there was more to the story honestly. I loved the mc and some of the side characters and I felt like I wanted to just know more about them.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book just wasn't for me. It felt like it could have had a lot of strong character development but in the end I didn't really enjoy how things played out.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-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
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Pedophilia, Toxic friendship
There is a teacher that attempts to groom a teenager. It doesn't get physical, but does impact the teenager emotionally.