Reviews

Little Miss Esterel by Zidrou, Jordi Lafebre

estherdb's review against another edition

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5.0

Funny and sweet comic in which you follow a family on a summer trip to Saint-Etienne. I loved the illustration style, colouring, characterisation (deeper than I would've expected*, but I admittedly am a layman when it comes to comics) and the storytelling. I loved how this story was laced with typical family situations (e.g. the older, corpulent grandfather being held away from unhealthy food by his wife; a child picking up her grandfather's habit of addressing the toilet as "Jules"; the controlling mother-in-law, the stressed out father and young mother; forgetting a child in a restaurant (swing), being stuck in a huge traffic jam due to bad recommendations, etc.). Very sweet and recognisable, even though I never experienced life in the sixties.

This comic is full of the richness and melancholy that memories of past summers are prone to have. With memories, there tends to be a shimmer of positivity over our past. A shimmer that blends the bad with the beautiful and makes us feel that most of it was really worth it after all. Something similar happens in this comic. This trip technically is 90% bad (or "not ideal", to say the least) and 10% worth it, but melancholy evens that out and casts a pinkish hue over both.


To put it in the words of one of these characters: Living is like driving a car. You have to steer forward, but you constantly have to check the rearview mirrors, too.

A definite recommendation!


Spoiler *E.g. the grandmother having had several miscarriages.

anakl's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful tense fast-paced

4.0

bluemoon8's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

cintiandrade's review against another edition

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4.0

Gracinha. Verões Felizes é muito aquela série para quando você precisa de um feelgood book.

manika's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5
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