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theplaguedoctorreads's review
emotional
lighthearted
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
3.25
unforth's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
Slow start and had me skeptical at times but overall a very good book. Glad I stuck through the middle parts that had me side eyeing it a little, wondering where it was going.
aliena_jackson's review against another edition
3.0
I kept thinking “gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay” the entire time and THERE IS BI AND TRANS REP AND I LOVE THIS DO YOU KNOW HOW RARE IT IS TO FIND SOMETHING AS PERFECT AS THIS????
syntaxx's review
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Didn’t see the family secret twist coming! I enjoyed this story: characters felt authentic and I like the art style.
lsparrow's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this queer coming of age and discovery of hidden family histories.
theofficialzhang's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 ⭐️
Liked the story and the art, but would’ve liked to see a more “wrapped-up” ending. Still, overall it’s a quick and nice read dealing with some heavier themes.
Liked the story and the art, but would’ve liked to see a more “wrapped-up” ending. Still, overall it’s a quick and nice read dealing with some heavier themes.
okollie's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
In my opinion, Ellen Crenshaw's beautiful brushwork is the piece de resistance of this book. Colleen Venable's lyrical, complex, and nuanced writing adds to it to make the story
So, let me explain the stars. And start with the caveat, of course, that I know the decisions made in a graphic novel come from more than just one author or one illustrator.
This book is DENSE. There's a lot going on, and the pages, to me, reflect that. Especially at the beginning, a lot of text is jammed into one page, and at times feels like its overtaking the art. That's not to say the text isn't necessary - it's not that it was saying too much. I would argue it's actually saying perfectly enough for the story. Moreover, I feel that the choice for this to be a graphic novel necessitated some semblance of plot trimming or further editing. Not just to take some of the burden off of Ellen Crenshaw, but also because it can just feel overwhelming to look at the page. Comics are about consuming a text and art simultaneously, as one composite reading mode. But overbearing text sometimes made it feel like I was forced to perceive the text rather than the art.
That aside, Ellen Crenshaw really is a genius with a brush! There are so many small moments drawn, like Cat rolling up her school uniform skirt, pauses and emotions drawn in such specific ways, it makes you feel so viscerally like you're in high school again. That coupled with Venable's knack for taking what is a vastly different experience for everyone, and condensing it into words, mixing in queerness, coming out, exploration, sexuality, gender, and more, is truly genius. The navigation of religious trauma, and realizing not only can your parents be wrong, but they can be hurtful, and still you can love them and have wonderful memories. That's such a confusing, hurtful, and weirdly un-nameable time that taking it on was definitely a task I applaud Venable and Crenshaw for.
In my opinion, Ellen Crenshaw's beautiful brushwork is the piece de resistance of this book. Colleen Venable's lyrical, complex, and nuanced writing adds to it to make the story
So, let me explain the stars. And start with the caveat, of course, that I know the decisions made in a graphic novel come from more than just one author or one illustrator.
This book is DENSE. There's a lot going on, and the pages, to me, reflect that. Especially at the beginning, a lot of text is jammed into one page, and at times feels like its overtaking the art. That's not to say the text isn't necessary - it's not that it was saying too much. I would argue it's actually saying perfectly enough for the story. Moreover, I feel that the choice for this to be a graphic novel necessitated some semblance of plot trimming or further editing. Not just to take some of the burden off of Ellen Crenshaw, but also because it can just feel overwhelming to look at the page. Comics are about consuming a text and art simultaneously, as one composite reading mode. But overbearing text sometimes made it feel like I was forced to perceive the text rather than the art.
That aside, Ellen Crenshaw really is a genius with a brush! There are so many small moments drawn, like Cat rolling up her school uniform skirt, pauses and emotions drawn in such specific ways, it makes you feel so viscerally like you're in high school again. That coupled with Venable's knack for taking what is a vastly different experience for everyone, and condensing it into words, mixing in queerness, coming out, exploration, sexuality, gender, and more, is truly genius. The navigation of religious trauma, and realizing not only can your parents be wrong, but they can be hurtful, and still you can love them and have wonderful memories. That's such a confusing, hurtful, and weirdly un-nameable time that taking it on was definitely a task I applaud Venable and Crenshaw for.
rapgod13's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.75
yuuto's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0