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bujo_bellel's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
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
4.0
This is a really cute cozy read and I think I finished it in less than 20 minutes. The art is soo pretty and I quite enjoyed the plot. I think the lesson we learned is quite valuable and I think it was a really great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
serendipity421's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying
qrschulte's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book! It was so cute and emotional. The emphasis on generational trauma and apologizing for hurting people really resonated. And the art was adorable!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying
ezwolf's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
5.0
This was so lovely and soft! Sophie was a fun and relatable character to read about, she wanted to impress her friends and make her family proud.
Unfortunately she also has so much anxiety about doing the best and being the best and wondering if she’s hindering more than helping (that was very relatable for me).
This has the same kind of cozy witch/fantasy feeling that I get from The Tea Dragon Society series (and Xu’s other book Mooncakes) and it’s one of my favorite genres now I think.
Unfortunately she also has so much anxiety about doing the best and being the best and wondering if she’s hindering more than helping (that was very relatable for me).
This has the same kind of cozy witch/fantasy feeling that I get from The Tea Dragon Society series (and Xu’s other book Mooncakes) and it’s one of my favorite genres now I think.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse and Bullying
christabelle_v's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I hate to give low star reviews. The art itself is beautiful and I can see why it gives Studio Ghibli feels in terms of art style. Sadly, I feel the dialog was odd, stiff, and not natural. It doesn't flow and there were multiple times where I felt I had missed a page. The characters don't feel fully real; I don't know enough about Sophie to be truly invested. The aunt is very mean and verbally abusive that I found it hard to believe she simply changed in one moment. As soon as I saw Sage she had the stereotypical "cool one in the family" look but I felt she didn't understand Sophie. I didn't understand the magic lessons either, one minute it looks okay and then Sage is yelling at Sophie to stop and Sophie is crying. I didn't understand Sophie had anxiety until I looked at reviews halfway through the book. I thought the red bubbles were some evil voice or something given that it's a magical setting. I felt her shaking and crying and the jagged thoughts weren't introduced properly . Perhaps it was because the entire book was dialog rather than narrative (except for beginning part) that this didn't come across well. It took me three squares of art to realize Sophie was communicating to her family using a mirror. And the grandmother's anger felt odd in the pacing of the story. Perhaps if it had moments of Sophie speaking to the audience or more narration it would have flowed better but it was still hard to connect to the characters and the dialog felt awkward. I'm sorry I didn't like this. The art was nice though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Child abuse
mutantrat's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
idlereader's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse
ednam0dewannabe's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
3.5
I really enjoyed this light graphic novel, I seriously needed a breath of fresh air. I would have loved it if certain important plot points had been given more time but despite that I found it an entertaining and quick read in which I didn't take any breaks. I recommend it to anyone doing the Asian Readathon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child abuse and Mental illness
Minor: Grief
jackelz's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Tidesong is a magical story about self-acceptance, friendship, and familial expectations — inspired by Chinese mythology.
This book did an excellent job showing how much pressure one feels trying to meet familial expectations. Sophie wanted to appease her mother and grandmother by being accepted to the Royal Magic Academy, the best magic school in the realm. She also wanted to prove she was worthy of Cousin Sage and Great-Aunt Lan’s time. Lir was trying to live up to his father’s greatness as the King of the Southern Sea.
As young lads still learning magic, I felt they had way too much pressure placed on them. Sophie had intrusive thoughts about not being good enough, and this was shown with angry red thought bubbles.
Great-Aunt Lan was treating Sophie badly because of her strained relationship with her sister, and Lir’s father was treating Lir how his father treated him, showing the vicious cycle of intergenerational trauma. I appreciated how this was addressed, and how healthy boundaries were set using effective communication.
Lir’s dragon form reminded me of Sisu from Raya and the Last Dragon! The art — the seascapes, the dragons, everything — was so beautiful.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse
izzys_pages's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse and Mental illness
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