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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Aaaaaa I need to be careful with graphic novels like this otherwise I'll inhale it in a single sitting. This is a really beautifully illustrated book—I think the illustrations were my favorite part, actually. The artist did a great job of capturing the mood of the story. Her style evokes a certain ~aesthetic~ that I really really loved and hope to see more of!
The actual storyline provides a really great exploration of toxic relationships, an especially crucial conversation to have, and ESPECIALLY within a queer context. Laura Dean isn't the type we would think of as a bad or abusive partner, but it's obvious that she sucks! She's selfish, thoughtless, and the all-around definition of a toxic partner. This book really clearly articulates that even if your partner is "not that bad," your relationship can still be one-sided and emotionally unfulfilling. Because of the really strong message within, I think this book could be really useful and resonate with a lot of people.
Though I loved the art style and appreciated the central theme, some aspects of this book fell kind of flat for me. Mostly the characters, which I feel weren't fleshed out well enough. There's a whole cast of dope queer characters, but I felt as if we didn't get to know any of them particularly well? Perhaps this is just to emphasize that Freddy is a bad friend who is oblivious to her friends' lives when she's with Laura Dean, but it made it hard to empathize/root for any of the characters when they felt somewhat unrealized. Additionally, not a lot actually HAPPENS in terms of plot, and the whole "writing to an advice column" schtick felt a little weird and forced to me.
Overall, good book that I wish pushed a little further with developing its characters and plot lines. Hovers around the 3.5 star mark for me, rounded up!
The actual storyline provides a really great exploration of toxic relationships, an especially crucial conversation to have, and ESPECIALLY within a queer context. Laura Dean isn't the type we would think of as a bad or abusive partner, but it's obvious that she sucks! She's selfish, thoughtless, and the all-around definition of a toxic partner. This book really clearly articulates that even if your partner is "not that bad," your relationship can still be one-sided and emotionally unfulfilling. Because of the really strong message within, I think this book could be really useful and resonate with a lot of people.
Though I loved the art style and appreciated the central theme, some aspects of this book fell kind of flat for me. Mostly the characters, which I feel weren't fleshed out well enough. There's a whole cast of dope queer characters, but I felt as if we didn't get to know any of them particularly well? Perhaps this is just to emphasize that Freddy is a bad friend who is oblivious to her friends' lives when she's with Laura Dean, but it made it hard to empathize/root for any of the characters when they felt somewhat unrealized. Additionally, not a lot actually HAPPENS in terms of plot, and the whole "writing to an advice column" schtick felt a little weird and forced to me.
Overall, good book that I wish pushed a little further with developing its characters and plot lines. Hovers around the 3.5 star mark for me, rounded up!
i really fell in love with this book. :') it's inclusive, the art is exceptional and the story is engaging. i was so hooked and i could relate so much. i hope the author and the illustrator are planning on working together again. <3
Polyamorous or monogamous, your love should be a thing that brings something to you.
It's true that giving can be a part of love. But, contrary to popular belief, love should never take from you, Freddy.
Cosas de las que estoy completamente enamorada: LA PALETA DE COLORES Y LAS ILUSTRACIONES. LA REP.
Y maybe le voy a dedicar un poco mucho a la toxicidad de la que habla esta novela gráfica. Me molestó un poquito que no se haya reconocido al principio, que a la relación de Freddy y Laura lo pasaran como un ida y vuelta. Obvio que el lector y las personas alrededor de Freddy se daban cuenta de la toxicidad, pero aaaaa me sacó que nadie dijera nada. Un CHE AMIGA DATE CUENTA siempre se agradece, period.
It's true that giving can be a part of love. But, contrary to popular belief, love should never take from you, Freddy.
Cosas de las que estoy completamente enamorada: LA PALETA DE COLORES Y LAS ILUSTRACIONES. LA REP.
Y maybe le voy a dedicar un poco mucho a la toxicidad de la que habla esta novela gráfica. Me molestó un poquito que no se haya reconocido al principio, que a la relación de Freddy y Laura lo pasaran como un ida y vuelta. Obvio que el lector y las personas alrededor de Freddy se daban cuenta de la toxicidad, pero aaaaa me sacó que nadie dijera nada. Un CHE AMIGA DATE CUENTA siempre se agradece, period.
Spoiler
Also: me molestó un poquito que el clímax se haya dado a partir de un tercero, de la responsabilidad de Freddy como amiga, y no porque Laura era una mi*rda. Sé que fue la gota que colmó el vaso, pero hubiera estado bueno que Freddy dijera algo así como "flaca no me respetás a mí ni a nuestra relación". Ya ahora estoy despotricando but repito, después de todo lo que Freddy pasó y de ser tan pasiva en sus reacciones, hubiera estado bueno que explotara.
Debo empezar diciendo que las ilustraciones son preciosas, y sí hubo momentos de reflexión, pero la trama en sí no me gustó. No fue pésimo, pero no me fue posible conectar con los personajes y la verdad es que Fredy me llegó a caer mal.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
slow-paced
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, so I was lucky enough to read this before its release date.
First off, I think that the art was stunnnning. I found myself constantly searching the panels for secrets within the lines. It was captivating, and the facial expressions were always on point. Even the background characters were super expressive in some scenes. It was great. Sometimes no one would say anything for a few panels, and I could still tell what was going on just because of their faces.
Secondly, this story made me feel a lot. There were not a lot of moments that made me happy. But I was sort of expecting that. Not all stories need to! There were definitely scenes in this that I FELT, where I'd have to stop and sit for a second because I could practically touch the energy that was emanating from the page. I was definitely Frederica many times in a lot of my relationships when I was younger. It was a melancholy sadness that I think the author captured really well. On top of that, when there were happy moments, it made them better. They were like breaths of fresh air when you got to see Frederica smiling with her friends or being triumphant.
Thirdly, the characters were real and oh so believable. Very diverse. I appreciated the fact that people weren't cut down into tropes or stereotypes. It was refreshing to see a story full of people like my friends without having them be a plot point because they are "other" in some way. They were just there, living. Love that.
Though there were some definite downsides. I think that sometimes it was all over the place and hard to follow. More than once, I had to go back and carefully examine panels to figure out time was moving forward (sometimes long lengths of time), or that the story had shifted to a different subject. Adding to that was sometimes inanimate objects... talked? I think it was supposed to add some whimsy, but it pulled me from the actual story and made me confused.
The more severe downfall was there is something that happens in this book that I feel is very serious and messed up... but it's just brushed off and not talked about? I mean, there were a lot of serious subjects (TW: abortion, relationship with a minor, and emotional abuse). Still, one, in particular, I don't think was given enough screen time to talk about, which is a shame. If you're going to add something with a heavy and vital weight to it in a story, you can't just breeze past it without giving it proper time.
Otherwise, I loved this book. It was honest, raw and I could not put it down.
First off, I think that the art was stunnnning. I found myself constantly searching the panels for secrets within the lines. It was captivating, and the facial expressions were always on point. Even the background characters were super expressive in some scenes. It was great. Sometimes no one would say anything for a few panels, and I could still tell what was going on just because of their faces.
Secondly, this story made me feel a lot. There were not a lot of moments that made me happy. But I was sort of expecting that. Not all stories need to! There were definitely scenes in this that I FELT, where I'd have to stop and sit for a second because I could practically touch the energy that was emanating from the page. I was definitely Frederica many times in a lot of my relationships when I was younger. It was a melancholy sadness that I think the author captured really well. On top of that, when there were happy moments, it made them better. They were like breaths of fresh air when you got to see Frederica smiling with her friends or being triumphant.
Thirdly, the characters were real and oh so believable. Very diverse. I appreciated the fact that people weren't cut down into tropes or stereotypes. It was refreshing to see a story full of people like my friends without having them be a plot point because they are "other" in some way. They were just there, living. Love that.
Though there were some definite downsides. I think that sometimes it was all over the place and hard to follow. More than once, I had to go back and carefully examine panels to figure out time was moving forward (sometimes long lengths of time), or that the story had shifted to a different subject. Adding to that was sometimes inanimate objects... talked? I think it was supposed to add some whimsy, but it pulled me from the actual story and made me confused.
The more severe downfall was there is something that happens in this book that I feel is very serious and messed up... but it's just brushed off and not talked about? I mean, there were a lot of serious subjects (TW: abortion, relationship with a minor, and emotional abuse). Still, one, in particular, I don't think was given enough screen time to talk about, which is a shame. If you're going to add something with a heavy and vital weight to it in a story, you can't just breeze past it without giving it proper time.
Otherwise, I loved this book. It was honest, raw and I could not put it down.