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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely adored this book for just the sheer casual-ness of it and the surprise, but not surprise ending-- like it definitely was an "all these consequences to your actions will catch up with you" kind of book and i dont know why i was so surprised but i was surprised in a great way! Beautiful art style and truly a slice of life book where I felt like I was talking to a friend recalling this story. Definitely a melancholy but still kinda cozy and funny book!
I think there's definitely a place for this graphic novel--a slice of life book about teenagers trying to find themselves and their identities in a small town. But as other reviewers have said, the ending comes so abruptly and is such a downer, mixed in with glimpses of other characters doing things that don't seem relevant to the plot at all, and I'm just left with a sense of confusion and feeling let down.
Oh man! A nuanced, layered coming-of-age story for following four friends in small-town Forest Hills, who hatch a plan to sell bootleg anime DVDs to boys at their conservative high school. The omniscient narrator perspective works well and provides a lot of exposition and background info, and by the end I felt like I really got to know the four friends deeply, and why they made the choices they made throughout the story. The illustrations are absolutely fantastic too - I’ve been following Goux for awhile and am excited to continue seeing her work. Highly recommend!
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There were a whole lot of secondary and tertiary characters to keep straight, and their own intriguing stories were only hinted at. Albeit, that felt like a pretty accurate reflection of the many people you meet in school.
The overviews of Forest Hills made the town itself feel like a character. The "maps" made it feel like this was one story of Forest Hills, the place and the people. Like I could pick up another Forest Hills book that would center on other characters and the Bootleg Society would only be tertiary characters in that story.
I really enjoy the "brief history" asides about the different characters.
I found the end of this book realistic. I wouldn't call it a happy ending, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.
The overviews of Forest Hills made the town itself feel like a character. The "maps" made it feel like this was one story of Forest Hills, the place and the people. Like I could pick up another Forest Hills book that would center on other characters and the Bootleg Society would only be tertiary characters in that story.
I really enjoy the "brief history" asides about the different characters.
I found the end of this book realistic. I wouldn't call it a happy ending, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.
emotional
reflective
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:
Yes
This was such a wonderful story that I wish I’d had as a queer kid dealing with my own religious trauma. The artwork was gorgeous, the little blurbs about the characters were fantastic (loved the call outs of which hand was dominant for most of the characters). Also I burned hundreds of CDs and having that be the focal point just brought me back to what it was like growing up in the late 90s/early 00s.
Also the ending felt very realistic to my own experiences, so while it was sad (I’m only a little mad it made me tear up), it made sense to me. Overall I just really enjoyed everything about it
Also the ending felt very realistic to my own experiences, so while it was sad (I’m only a little mad it made me tear up), it made sense to me. Overall I just really enjoyed everything about it
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia
Minor: Eating disorder
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story surprised me by how devastating it is at times. I love how complicated all the Forest Hills girls are, including their relationships with each other. The art in this graphic novel is honestly so impressive and you can tell so much love and time and energy was put into every single page.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated