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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
It took me some time, but I got into this book.
I love how they are telling the story through who she is kissing. Kiss number 8 is a game changer for our protagonist Mads. She never finds a reason to stay with boys, but she realizes that her best friend might be more than Mads thought. Her friend is Cat, a wild and boy crazy girl. Kiss #8 was not with Cat, but it was a girl and she finds out that it feels right. This is what she has been looking for, or so she thought.
There is a lot of high drama with relationships an friendships and all the high school drama at play. Mads does go to a Catholic high school, very tiny and once she kisses the girl, her school is horrible. She is the center of gossip and no one will talk with her. She is completely alone. Sad.
There is also drama within the family. There is a mystery surrounding her grandfather. That is a rather interesting detail I side story.
It took the first third of the book to draw me in and then I couldn't put this book down. I tore through the rest of it. There are plenty of hurt feelings and queer phobias in this book. It deals with the subject well. I thought it was a good story and I enjoyed reading it. It's an interesting book.
I love how they are telling the story through who she is kissing. Kiss number 8 is a game changer for our protagonist Mads. She never finds a reason to stay with boys, but she realizes that her best friend might be more than Mads thought. Her friend is Cat, a wild and boy crazy girl. Kiss #8 was not with Cat, but it was a girl and she finds out that it feels right. This is what she has been looking for, or so she thought.
There is a lot of high drama with relationships an friendships and all the high school drama at play. Mads does go to a Catholic high school, very tiny and once she kisses the girl, her school is horrible. She is the center of gossip and no one will talk with her. She is completely alone. Sad.
There is also drama within the family. There is a mystery surrounding her grandfather. That is a rather interesting detail I side story.
It took the first third of the book to draw me in and then I couldn't put this book down. I tore through the rest of it. There are plenty of hurt feelings and queer phobias in this book. It deals with the subject well. I thought it was a good story and I enjoyed reading it. It's an interesting book.
emotional
funny
tense
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:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Sexual content, Transphobia, Death of parent, Lesbophobia
Minor: Bullying, Deadnaming
This book has some pretty strong themes of homophobia and transphobia, but they are handled in possibly the most sensitive way I have ever seen in a comic. The ultimate message of the book is one of joyful self-acceptance and of a family which has been divided for many years by fear and prejudice being healing and reunited. The reason I want to state these facts at the very top of my review is that I almost put the book down after about 40 pages, feeling unsure if I would end up enjoying it. It is very, very worth it to read through the slightly rough opening to the beautiful story it unfolds into.
The lead character, Amanda, is a baseball-loving, church-going high school senior at the local Catholic high school. She has two best friends who couldn't be more different: sexually active, confident, bad-girl Cat and law-abiding Laura. When Amanda overhears a furtive phone call made by her father that seems to suggest he's having an affair, Amanda tells them both. But the family drama is much older, bigger, and stranger than she could ever have predicted. When she gets a letter from an stranger with a photo of a lost relative and an inheritance check for $30,000, she starts to investigate. On the way she uncovers family lies and personal truths which change her life forever- and for the better. The art is absolutely gorgeous, done in traditional inks with light washes. This story is set in 2004, and I appreciated the "historical details"- flip phones, AIM chat, Bush/Cheney signs, etc. Very well done, and highly recommended.
The lead character, Amanda, is a baseball-loving, church-going high school senior at the local Catholic high school. She has two best friends who couldn't be more different: sexually active, confident, bad-girl Cat and law-abiding Laura. When Amanda overhears a furtive phone call made by her father that seems to suggest he's having an affair, Amanda tells them both. But the family drama is much older, bigger, and stranger than she could ever have predicted. When she gets a letter from an stranger with a photo of a lost relative and an inheritance check for $30,000, she starts to investigate. On the way she uncovers family lies and personal truths which change her life forever- and for the better. The art is absolutely gorgeous, done in traditional inks with light washes. This story is set in 2004, and I appreciated the "historical details"- flip phones, AIM chat, Bush/Cheney signs, etc. Very well done, and highly recommended.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars. I have read this twice now and both times was utterly captivated. This has such a unique story and I really wish it was a movie or a novel so I could have even more of it. The ending went by a little quick and things weren’t as resolved as I would like, but that’s life. The 2004 setting seemed so real! It was really grounded. It was just a great story about finding yourself and the truth of who you are.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual content
Dubious consent in the end?
I loved this story. I loved how likable all the characters were, even the ones who are in the wrong. Everyone is trying, though some are very ill equipped. I loved Amanda's relationship with her father, even when he let her down horribly, and I loved how much respect was given to his lifetime of messed up indoctrination. I haven't forgiven him yet, but I can see in the book how I might someday, and I'm grateful for that glimpse. Lovely.
An incredibly real book that doesn't shy away from tackling difficult issues in the LGBTQIA community. I adored it.
I loved this book so much. Picked it up on a whim a couple months ago and randomly decided to read it while qUaRAnTiNeD, and ended up sobbing my eyes out. The art is wonderful, the storyline was way way intriguing, I was super invested in the characters and saw myself in multiple of them, and loved all the snappy dialogue between Mads and her dad. I thought it was going to be set at least post-2015, so opening it up and immediately seeing the lil Bush-Cheney-04 sign was a surprise, but it was done so well and was such an eye opener on how things were even such a short time ago. I could go on and on about how well-done this was, but I'll spare it for now. Absolutely recommend!