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mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
3.0
Literally every review I seem to write now starts of with 'it was nice' or 'it was fine'. I don't mind an average read, but jeez I need to break out more somehow.
This is a graphic novel which I do not generally read much any more. It's not from lack of interest, it's just how my reading habits have trended since I picked up reading regularly again.
And yeah, it was fine.
Presented as a tale of two former friends possibly reconnecting after years apart, this was actually more of a character study of a friend group. It reflected on a lot of hardships teenage girls face emotionally if not specifically. For example, a lot of people may not have relatives who are addicts however they'd still be able to connect with Ren because her expression of her feelings on the subject were universal; it's just the situation that might not be relatable.
That being said, as much as I enjoyed each girl getting their own little spotlight to reflect on an issue the book bit off more than it could chew. Outside of Ren, none of the other storylines are properly resolved.
A lot of what's going on with the girls is serious enough that it could take up a book on its own. So it's frustrating that these topics are either not revisited after being thrown out there or abruptly end after very little focus. Once it became clear the author had no intention of focusing more deeply on certain aspects it started to feel like she was just throwing things at the wall to see what stuck.
It would be different if this book was going for a more ambiguous, bittersweet 'this is how it is for some people' tone. But, it's clearly supposed to be happy go lucky by the end which just does not match the 300+ pages beforehand.
Count me as part of the flock who had trouble with the art style. I actually loved the changing color palettes. I found it an effective means of showcasing mood. However, I'd say the character designs needed to be a lot stronger because it was very difficult to tell a lot of the characters apart because of how similar they looked. I don't think people would have minded the colors as much if it was just more clear who was who.
I needed a light read after some heavy life stuff. Despite some of the material being heavier than I anticipated I found this to be exactly what I needed. I'll recommend this because it's a quick read. If it were any longer I wouldn't.
This is a graphic novel which I do not generally read much any more. It's not from lack of interest, it's just how my reading habits have trended since I picked up reading regularly again.
And yeah, it was fine.
Presented as a tale of two former friends possibly reconnecting after years apart, this was actually more of a character study of a friend group. It reflected on a lot of hardships teenage girls face emotionally if not specifically. For example, a lot of people may not have relatives who are addicts however they'd still be able to connect with Ren because her expression of her feelings on the subject were universal; it's just the situation that might not be relatable.
That being said, as much as I enjoyed each girl getting their own little spotlight to reflect on an issue the book bit off more than it could chew. Outside of Ren, none of the other storylines are properly resolved.
A lot of what's going on with the girls is serious enough that it could take up a book on its own. So it's frustrating that these topics are either not revisited after being thrown out there or abruptly end after very little focus. Once it became clear the author had no intention of focusing more deeply on certain aspects it started to feel like she was just throwing things at the wall to see what stuck.
It would be different if this book was going for a more ambiguous, bittersweet 'this is how it is for some people' tone. But, it's clearly supposed to be happy go lucky by the end which just does not match the 300+ pages beforehand.
Count me as part of the flock who had trouble with the art style. I actually loved the changing color palettes. I found it an effective means of showcasing mood. However, I'd say the character designs needed to be a lot stronger because it was very difficult to tell a lot of the characters apart because of how similar they looked. I don't think people would have minded the colors as much if it was just more clear who was who.
I needed a light read after some heavy life stuff. Despite some of the material being heavier than I anticipated I found this to be exactly what I needed. I'll recommend this because it's a quick read. If it were any longer I wouldn't.
maubryn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
alli_oopsie's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
isaachart's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
3.75
aquariusisms's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
janagaton's review against another edition
4.0
I cried. Not a huge fan of the basketball elements, but def a huge fan of the color palette & diversity & all the storylines going at once.
linnym55's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
rballenger's review against another edition
3.0
Type of read: Weekend Read.
What made me pick it up: The description and cover art caught my eye when I was browsing available books on Libby.
Overall rating: I wish I would have realized this was a graphic novel before checking it out on my phone (that's entirely on me). It’s not the style of book I typically go for, especially in a digital format (I don’t mind graph novels but they are hard to take in on such a small screen). This was a quick afternoon read. The colors are gorgeous but sometimes the text and background were competing and it was hard to read the actual text. As far as the actual content of the book….it’s so all over the place. There are no less than five different problems/tragedies in ‘A Map to the Sun.’ I wish it was just a bit more focused. Not a bad read, and honestly, I’d probably recommend it just for the artwork but overall the story was simplistic and lacked purpose.
Reader's Note: 'A Map to the Sun' includes images and depictions of self-harm, physical abuse, and violence.
What made me pick it up: The description and cover art caught my eye when I was browsing available books on Libby.
Overall rating: I wish I would have realized this was a graphic novel before checking it out on my phone (that's entirely on me). It’s not the style of book I typically go for, especially in a digital format (I don’t mind graph novels but they are hard to take in on such a small screen). This was a quick afternoon read. The colors are gorgeous but sometimes the text and background were competing and it was hard to read the actual text. As far as the actual content of the book….it’s so all over the place. There are no less than five different problems/tragedies in ‘A Map to the Sun.’ I wish it was just a bit more focused. Not a bad read, and honestly, I’d probably recommend it just for the artwork but overall the story was simplistic and lacked purpose.
Reader's Note: 'A Map to the Sun' includes images and depictions of self-harm, physical abuse, and violence.
hannahb774's review against another edition
5.0
Easily the most beautiful graphic novel I've ever read colour wise
indydanniejones's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5