Reviews tagging 'Murder'

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1 by Emil Ferris

18 reviews

buer's review against another edition

The art style is cool but way more sex than I thought I was signing up for when I read that the book was narrated by a ten year old.

I was ready for a murder mystery and a girl who loves monsters - I was not ready for all the nudity and sex scenes. Maybe if I’d had different expectations I could have made it all the way through, but it’s due back at the library anyways so I figure I’ll just quit while I’m ahead.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Murder and Racism

orlagal's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective relaxing tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Cursing, Classism, Chronic illness, Rape, Misogyny, Mental illness, Gun violence, Gore, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Hate crime, Grief, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, Genocide, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Excrement, Transphobia, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Deportation, Cultural appropriation, Alcoholism, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Torture, Stalking, Drug abuse, War, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Antisemitism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Medical content, Confinement, Colonisation, Child abuse, Body horror, Blood, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Drug use, Violence, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Xenophobia, Slavery, Racism, Physical abuse, and Murder

readingpicnic's review against another edition

5.0

The book equivalent of eating a really nice meal. It’s so full of so many concepts, characters, and interlocking stories, but the author brings everything together so well. The formatting is also so unique with it being in a lined notebook, and the artwork was truly incredible. The queer main character drawing herself as a wearwolf was also an excellent nod to how wearwolves are often a metaphor for queerness. Some parts were pretty heavy, and I cried A LOT, but it’s worth it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Antisemitism, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Child abuse, War, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual violence, Bullying, Blood, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual assault

mccleark's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Murder

thildemach's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Deportation, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence

bigmouthsass's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad medium-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

5.0

Absolutely incredible. A masterpiece. The art is stunning, and the stories are so important. It covers some heavy topics, so be sure to check content warnings as needed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Bullying, Classism, Trafficking, Racism, Homophobia, and Transphobia

Moderate: Infidelity, Murder, Mental illness, Genocide, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Terminal illness

Minor: War, Toxic friendship, and Blood

kananineko's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

Oh my god, this was amazing. I’ve had it on my shelf for like 8 or so years and I’m so glad that I finally decided to read it! The art is amazing and I love the way the story was told! I really loved how although it was definitely an adult-audience story, not children’s or YA, it was told from the perspective of a 10 year old girl. I’ve never read a book like that before and it made it all the more interesting. 

Rating it 4 stars instead of 5 just because at some points I was a little confused, but I’m sure everything will be explained and wrapped up in the second book (which I definitely want to buy when it is released). Highly recommend!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, Cancer, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, Violence, Blood, Classism, Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Bullying, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Grief

Minor: Child death, Vomit, Abandonment, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, and War

nmcannon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

 Back in…2019…I read this amazing blog post by Casey the Candian Lesbrarian about the best books she’d read that year. My Favorite Thing is Monsters was on it, and I put it on my TBR, so future!Natalie would remember. Future!Natalie came through.

Karen Reyes is a ten year old girl obsessed with horror movie monsters. With bullies, a best friend lost to homophobia (still alive, but heavily forced into the closet by parents), and the stress of working class ‘60s Chicago, she has a A Lot to process. And that’s before her upstairs neighbor Anka is murdered, her older brother becomes the prime suspect, and her mom gets a cancer diagnosis. Trusty sketchbook and fedora in tow, Reyes decides to figure out whodunit. What she doesn’t bargain for are tapes of Anka telling her life story in Nazi Germany, rife with parental abuse, rape, and pedophilia.

The entire, hefty book of My Favorite Thing is Monsters is styled as Reyes’ journal and sketchbook. The art is GORGEOUS. The book is art and art is the book. I was reminded of coffee table books, which are set out to entertain guests. Then again, the subject matter is not for the light of heart. Ferris pulls no punches, and her heroine’s lives are dark. A serious dead dove; don’t eat situation. I thought the story would focus more on the intersection of queerness and horror, and it does to a certain extent. There’s just a whole lot more. Anka’s flashbacks take up more pages, which makes sense because Reyes is ten and Anka died in her fifties. While Anka and Reyes are twin pole stars, the other characters aren’t neglected at all. The depth of character is truly incredible and incredibly colorful.

Despite the grim subject matter, there’s a thread of youthful hope throughout the story. If you can grasp it and hold tight, I highly, highly recommend Ferris’ masterwork. My Favorite Thing is Monsters is a beautiful, heart-wrenching magnum opus.

Casey’s blog post: https://caseythecanadianlesbrarian.wordpress.com/2019/01/08/my-2018-year-in-reading-favourite-books-of-the-year-most-memorable-character-best-cover-and-more/

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, Outing, Misogyny, Mental illness, Grief, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Death, Death of parent, Cursing, Child abuse, Antisemitism, Alcohol, War, Vomit, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Terminal illness, Cancer, Medical content, Dementia, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, and Classism

I'd say the majority of the CWs are period-typical considering the setting is pre-Holocaust, Holocaust, and 1960s working class Chicago. Reyes is a young, queer woman of color, and she experiences period-typical racism, lesbophobia, classism, and misogyny.

amazelan's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Genocide, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Gun violence, Violence, Cancer, Death of parent, Murder, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Deportation, Body horror, Bullying, Grief, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Death

krys_kilz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

This graphic novel is super unique and the artwork is truly NEXT LEVEL. It's crosshatched and drawn with ballpoint pen, which gives it a style and color palette unlike any graphic novel or comic I've read before. I loved that it was written as the main character's notebook and enjoyed the memorabilia and famous paintings included throughout.

The main character and narrator, Karen Reyes, warms my little queer heart. I love how unapologetically weird she is, how full of curiosity and spunk. I appreciated all the LGBTQ characters and the pro-SWer sentiment. With the body horror subplot, you could definitely read this as a trans narrative too. 

The use of horror and multiple meanings of what makes a monster was also incredibly powerful. There is some sharp social critique / political analysis woven throughout that is really striking in conversation with the artwork. I also appreciated the threads comparing trauma to being haunted.

There is a lot of heavy content and I agree that the narrative was a bit scattered at times, but overall I loved this book and am excited to read Volume II.

tw: adult/minor relationship, pedophilia, antisemitism, Holocaust, cancer, rape 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Cancer, Pedophilia, Murder, Rape, Child abuse, and Genocide

Moderate: Blood, Sexual content, and Racism

Minor: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Body horror, and Bullying