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tcbueti's review
5.0
A charming memoir of a French girl finding her path. Her father is principal at a boys’ school, and her family lives in the building. Her mother was a teacher but now has little respect for them, thinks her husband could do better, argues with him and criticizes — everyone. Very competitive. Always comparing. In contrast, her father loves his work and is calm and supportive.
Sylvie loves to draw. From day one, she uses school supplies in her dad’s office, studies/copies the pictures in encyclopedias.
This is full of little anecdotes, tiny adventures and musings. Some funny episodes, some sad, bad parenting and good, a little straight romance. Nothing much HAPPENS, except finding her path, which is, let’s face it, HARD and huge. Especially with a resistant parent.
The artwork is completely charming, digitally done but looks like ink or pencil with watercolor, in a warm, muted and often monochromatic palette (shades of green, or purple for different chapters or episodes. She mixes in some examples of the characters’ own non-digital developing work (but I don’t think they’re actually original.)
NB: Author’s bio: she is Barbara Lehman’s partner and lives in the Hudson Valley. Just saw Lehman’s work at the Eric Carle Museum in the SPEECHLESS exhibit.
Perfect for fans of Smile, though slightly less dramatic.
Sylvie loves to draw. From day one, she uses school supplies in her dad’s office, studies/copies the pictures in encyclopedias.
This is full of little anecdotes, tiny adventures and musings. Some funny episodes, some sad, bad parenting and good, a little straight romance. Nothing much HAPPENS, except finding her path, which is, let’s face it, HARD and huge. Especially with a resistant parent.
The artwork is completely charming, digitally done but looks like ink or pencil with watercolor, in a warm, muted and often monochromatic palette (shades of green, or purple for different chapters or episodes. She mixes in some examples of the characters’ own non-digital developing work (but I don’t think they’re actually original.)
NB: Author’s bio: she is Barbara Lehman’s partner and lives in the Hudson Valley. Just saw Lehman’s work at the Eric Carle Museum in the SPEECHLESS exhibit.
Perfect for fans of Smile, though slightly less dramatic.
aqilahreads's review against another edition
2.0
this is an autobiographical graphic novel about the author/illustrator’s life and on the road to adulthood.
there are different random stories from school to relationships to family - it seems like there are a lot of stories the author would like to share but just felt like it causes the narratives to be disjointed at some parts and the story was quite flat throughout the book.
this is targeted to children but im not too sure if they would enjoy this one a lot as its quite lengthy and the art might not appeal to some readers even though personally i find it cute!! it also covers huge themes like racism/religious discrimination which is good but i hope there was more elaboration in explaining clearly what is right/wrong. this is only sylvie’s first book and theres still a lot of potential though - will definitely keep a look out to her future works.
there are different random stories from school to relationships to family - it seems like there are a lot of stories the author would like to share but just felt like it causes the narratives to be disjointed at some parts and the story was quite flat throughout the book.
this is targeted to children but im not too sure if they would enjoy this one a lot as its quite lengthy and the art might not appeal to some readers even though personally i find it cute!! it also covers huge themes like racism/religious discrimination which is good but i hope there was more elaboration in explaining clearly what is right/wrong. this is only sylvie’s first book and theres still a lot of potential though - will definitely keep a look out to her future works.
lucymoosie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
4.0
A beautiful read for anyone who is feeling nostalgic for their childhood days. Aptly reflecting different aspects of childhood, the joys and fears. Very comforting to know that you’re not alone in experiencing these things.
therainbowshelf's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
5.0
I love finding nonfiction graphic novels, especially memoirs. In this, Sylvie reflects on her artist journey, as well as her experiences growing up with a narcissistic mom. I enjoyed finding out that her family is Jewish, and it was fun seeing her develop new romances and her ideal bedroom along the way. Content warnings for antisemitism and nationalism.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism
Nationalismbenix's review against another edition
5.0
J GN
Read this for a possible book for the graphic novel book club I organize for kids. I really liked it. It sounded authentic and didn't put too many "life lessons" in that kids should learn. But discussed arguing parents, fear of not knowing what you want, and first loves in a real way.
Would definitely read more by this author!
Read this for a possible book for the graphic novel book club I organize for kids. I really liked it. It sounded authentic and didn't put too many "life lessons" in that kids should learn. But discussed arguing parents, fear of not knowing what you want, and first loves in a real way.
Would definitely read more by this author!
jilljemmett's review against another edition
4.0
Sylvie was born in Morocco and moved to France as a child when her dad got a job as a principal. They lived in the teacher’s school where he worked. Sylvie and her younger brother loved to explore the school. As she got older, Sylvie started to notice her parents arguing and became aware of being different, since they were the only Jewish family in the town. Sylvie was passionate about drawing, but her mom wanted her to have a more secure job, which forced her to study math and science even though she didn’t want to. This was a great coming of age memoir.
This graphic novel consisted of a variety of anecdotes from Sylvie’s life. There were moments with her friends and her siblings. Each chapter was like a snapshot of a moment in her life, which all added up to her childhood.
I loved the illustrations in this graphic novel. They looked like innocent drawings by a child, though they were more detailed than a child’s art. Since they had a childlike simplicity, it reinforced the theme of Sylvie’s childhood.
This is a beautiful graphic memoir!
Thank you Candlewick Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This graphic novel consisted of a variety of anecdotes from Sylvie’s life. There were moments with her friends and her siblings. Each chapter was like a snapshot of a moment in her life, which all added up to her childhood.
I loved the illustrations in this graphic novel. They looked like innocent drawings by a child, though they were more detailed than a child’s art. Since they had a childlike simplicity, it reinforced the theme of Sylvie’s childhood.
This is a beautiful graphic memoir!
Thank you Candlewick Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
martereadsbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0