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geast's review
emotional
funny
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? N/A
4.75
bookph1le's review
5.0
This author just amazes me. She has such great insight into the fraught social happenings of middle school. Awkward tackled a form of bullying as well, but this book is more explicit with Jensen, who is such a sympathetic character. Chmakova shows how Jensen has a rich inner life that isn't appreciated by those who don't know him well, but she also doesn't portray his bullies in a one-dimensional manner either. They have issues of their own, and what's really wonderful about this book is the way it dissects this problem and introduces the idea of a culture and how that culture shapes people's behaviors. Without being at all preachy, Chmakova does a very effective job of showing how, bit by bit, everyone can do their part to build a more tolerant, just, and equitable culture for the betterment of all.
Also remarkable about these books is how diverse they are. Chmakova populates them with characters from the disability community, characters of varying ethnic and religious backgrounds, characters with many different body types, and even includes a background character in this book with vitiligo. Plus, the way they're presented isn't done in a way that calls them out as "very special"; instead, she depicts them living their lives, presenting all of her characters as human beings like every other human being. She also puts her characters on equal footing regardless of gender. It's precisely this kind of representation I want to see in books, and children's books in particular.
Chmakova is just so talented. Her artwork is lovely and full of emotion and animation, and her story-telling skills are top-notch. She's made a big fan of me, and I'm eager to devour everything she has to offer.
Also remarkable about these books is how diverse they are. Chmakova populates them with characters from the disability community, characters of varying ethnic and religious backgrounds, characters with many different body types, and even includes a background character in this book with vitiligo. Plus, the way they're presented isn't done in a way that calls them out as "very special"; instead, she depicts them living their lives, presenting all of her characters as human beings like every other human being. She also puts her characters on equal footing regardless of gender. It's precisely this kind of representation I want to see in books, and children's books in particular.
Chmakova is just so talented. Her artwork is lovely and full of emotion and animation, and her story-telling skills are top-notch. She's made a big fan of me, and I'm eager to devour everything she has to offer.
mehsi's review
5.0
I was super excited when I found out that Awkward would have another book, this time about another character but still taking place in the same school. I pre-ordered it immediately.
The protagonist this time is Jensen, a slightly overweight guy who is in middle school and is utterly confused by a lot of things (though I don't blame him, anyone would be confused). He is trying to traverse through school and getting by as best as he can. Some hurdles on his way include maths (I can imagine he is confused though, that math looks hard, or maybe it is just my brain blocking out all the maths I had in high school), but also bullies, friendship (is it truly friendship or not).
Jensen was a great character and I loved his daydreams, his hopes, and how hard he tried to work to get better at things. His drawings are amazing. Though his sunspot obsession was a bit too much at times (I did like that the author explained why he was so obsessed though). That he saw his daily life in game levels was really fun, I did the same thing as well!
I would have liked to see a bit more of his family situation at home. There is some talk about it, but not that much and I am sure it would have made the character even better.
The book changes in mood/tone as the book progresses. From slightly confusing events (how the hell do I survive this day) to him finding out that maybe he is truly bullied (um, yes, yes you are) to him getting more and more sad as the days pass by. The ending is back to happy again.
I felt so sorry for Jensen, though I was shaking my head that he didn't get that he was bullied, and that he even thought that words wouldn't hurt. Um, sorry dude, but really, words can hurt just as much, if not more.
Sorry, but those people in the art club were terrible. I was definitely not expecting that from Peppi, girl from the previous book, to go along with it, or at least not notice it happening. I just wanted to shake some people in the art club for making Jensen feel this way, for hurting him like that. Bleh, what a terrible club. :|
Then there are Yanic and Foster, I so didn't like those guys. They were terrible. I was kind of worried that the author may do a redemption arc (due to some stuff happening), but thankfully that didn't happen. Just something Jensen decides on his own at the end, which fitted perfectly.
The newspaper-club was quite fun, I loved how they tried to get Jensen to join a bit, even if it was with menial jobs. Though I do wonder if they did it to help him, because they wanted him in the group, or because they were just interested in interviewing him.
Though I have to say I didn't always like the girls there. Jenny... I didn't quite like her that much. At times she kicked serious butt, but at times I was frustrated with her attitude and how easily she was pissed off. Plus she has a big case of bossiness, a character trait I absolutely don't like. She kept controlling all sorts of things, and I was quite startled that Akilah was still friends with her. If my friend kept pushing me, rejecting my ideas, and being so bossy? I wouldn't be friends with her, even if we had a few good moments.
Jorge? He was instantly a favourite character. I just knew the type when we saw him the first time in this book. I just knew he was a giant sweetheart. Sorry, I have read too many books/manga/comics/graphic novels with this kind of character. :P
The art style is still amazing, and I love it so much.
I do hope we will have many more books coming in this series. Maybe next time we could have Jorge? Awww, please? I would recommend this book to everyone.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
The protagonist this time is Jensen, a slightly overweight guy who is in middle school and is utterly confused by a lot of things (though I don't blame him, anyone would be confused). He is trying to traverse through school and getting by as best as he can. Some hurdles on his way include maths (I can imagine he is confused though, that math looks hard, or maybe it is just my brain blocking out all the maths I had in high school), but also bullies, friendship (is it truly friendship or not).
Jensen was a great character and I loved his daydreams, his hopes, and how hard he tried to work to get better at things. His drawings are amazing. Though his sunspot obsession was a bit too much at times (I did like that the author explained why he was so obsessed though). That he saw his daily life in game levels was really fun, I did the same thing as well!
I would have liked to see a bit more of his family situation at home. There is some talk about it, but not that much and I am sure it would have made the character even better.
The book changes in mood/tone as the book progresses. From slightly confusing events (how the hell do I survive this day) to him finding out that maybe he is truly bullied (um, yes, yes you are) to him getting more and more sad as the days pass by. The ending is back to happy again.
I felt so sorry for Jensen, though I was shaking my head that he didn't get that he was bullied, and that he even thought that words wouldn't hurt. Um, sorry dude, but really, words can hurt just as much, if not more.
Sorry, but those people in the art club were terrible. I was definitely not expecting that from Peppi, girl from the previous book, to go along with it, or at least not notice it happening. I just wanted to shake some people in the art club for making Jensen feel this way, for hurting him like that. Bleh, what a terrible club. :|
Then there are Yanic and Foster, I so didn't like those guys. They were terrible. I was kind of worried that the author may do a redemption arc (due to some stuff happening), but thankfully that didn't happen. Just something Jensen decides on his own at the end, which fitted perfectly.
The newspaper-club was quite fun, I loved how they tried to get Jensen to join a bit, even if it was with menial jobs. Though I do wonder if they did it to help him, because they wanted him in the group, or because they were just interested in interviewing him.
Though I have to say I didn't always like the girls there. Jenny... I didn't quite like her that much. At times she kicked serious butt, but at times I was frustrated with her attitude and how easily she was pissed off. Plus she has a big case of bossiness, a character trait I absolutely don't like. She kept controlling all sorts of things, and I was quite startled that Akilah was still friends with her. If my friend kept pushing me, rejecting my ideas, and being so bossy? I wouldn't be friends with her, even if we had a few good moments.
Jorge? He was instantly a favourite character. I just knew the type when we saw him the first time in this book. I just knew he was a giant sweetheart. Sorry, I have read too many books/manga/comics/graphic novels with this kind of character. :P
The art style is still amazing, and I love it so much.
I do hope we will have many more books coming in this series. Maybe next time we could have Jorge? Awww, please? I would recommend this book to everyone.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
eggjen's review
4.0
I really love this series. Book 2 centers around Jensen, the sweetest nerdling who loves art, science, writing, disaster plans and his friends. The theme of this story is bullying and the various shades of bullying that exists in a typical middle School. The author does such a great job showing you every angle and creating a rich cast of characters. You see how small choices snow ball and effect others - and even better you see how things can change and improve. I'd recommend this book strongly, especially to any kid in the middle school years.
jess_mango's review
4.0
Pretty good middle grade graphic novel about a boy who is just trying to survive the game that is middle school. The central themes in the book are bullying and fitting in.
rereader33's review
5.0
Wow, this was awesome! This was an absolute delight to read, and so important, too! It seems that Chmakova is interested in exploring bullying in her graphic novels, which was touched on in Awkward but took center stage in Brave. While I couldn't relate to Jensen as much as I could relate to Peppi, he was an enjoyable character to explore and received a healthy dose of character development in this novel. He was an endearing character with a lot of personality but has a difficult time expressing it, but he learns and grows throughout the novel. The other characters were fantastic as well, and I absolutely love the amount of diversity in this novel. It amazes me that a graphic novel contains more diversity than most novels, even in 2018. Not that this is a bad thing, it's just an interesting observation and destroys the whole "we don't have diverse characters in our books because they're hard to write/we have to do a lot of research to write them right" excuse. This book proves it's not that hard; they're ordinary people going about their lives. Simple as that.
One thing that might seem small to some people but I greatly appreciated is how Jensen is bullied by both boys and girls. If there is one thing that drives me nuts in fiction, no matter the medium, it's that when someone is bullied they are almost always exclusively bullied by boys or girls. The fact is, that's not accurate to real life. Yes, some people may have only been bullied by boys or girls, but from all of the bullying stories I have heard, most victims are bullied by both. Again, a minor detail, but I greatly appreciate it. Also, while I feel like the conflicts (Felicity getting suspended and Jensen's bullies) were handled a bit too positively (to my knowledge, it would be rare for a school to overturn a suspension due to a petition) I like how it gives readers hope and reminds them they have support.
Also, Sailor Moon reference. 10/10 just for that :)
Anyway, loved this book, I hear she has a third one coming out this year, so looking forward to it!!
One thing that might seem small to some people but I greatly appreciated is how Jensen is bullied by both boys and girls. If there is one thing that drives me nuts in fiction, no matter the medium, it's that when someone is bullied they are almost always exclusively bullied by boys or girls. The fact is, that's not accurate to real life. Yes, some people may have only been bullied by boys or girls, but from all of the bullying stories I have heard, most victims are bullied by both. Again, a minor detail, but I greatly appreciate it. Also, while I feel like the conflicts (Felicity getting suspended and Jensen's bullies) were handled a bit too positively (to my knowledge, it would be rare for a school to overturn a suspension due to a petition) I like how it gives readers hope and reminds them they have support.
Also, Sailor Moon reference. 10/10 just for that :)
Anyway, loved this book, I hear she has a third one coming out this year, so looking forward to it!!
laylayreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4saradouglas's review
4.0
Awkward was amazing, but I think I like Brave even more! I'm used to being a little disappointed with graphic novels--I typically find them to be too short and just lacking in depth, character development, plot, etc. Chmakova's books are such an exception. There are so many characters you can relate to, so many relevant situations, and (as in Awkward) an amazing diverse cast of characters. I thought it was just at the right level for middle schoolers... nothing too far out there, but lots to think about. I'm just so thankful when an author can deliver in so many ways... short, graphic novel, realistic, entertaining, fun, thoughtful, and so on.
rollforlibrarian's review
5.0
I picked this up out of a new books box on a whim - and was really impressed.
One of the best treatments of bullying I've seen in children's books, it covers a lot of ground within the subject too. Character writing is well done too - even minor characters have distinct personalities and behaviours. I loved the approach to diversity and inclusiveness, wonderfully sans stereotyping and without a character's difference being their purpose or definition, or made a point of.
I haven't read the first book yet - but I'm looking forward to doing so!
p.s. I love that this throws shade at certain popular children's books in which treating others horribly is glorified
One of the best treatments of bullying I've seen in children's books, it covers a lot of ground within the subject too. Character writing is well done too - even minor characters have distinct personalities and behaviours. I loved the approach to diversity and inclusiveness, wonderfully sans stereotyping and without a character's difference being their purpose or definition, or made a point of.
I haven't read the first book yet - but I'm looking forward to doing so!
p.s. I love that this throws shade at certain popular children's books in which treating others horribly is glorified
snugglyjewelsies's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
- 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
One of my personal favourites. So emotionally resonant and came at a perfect time in my life.