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veelaughtland's review against another edition
3.0
BookTube-A-Thon 2014 book #2.
3.5 stars.
The Nao of Brown is a graphic novel I've been itching to get my hands on for quite a while, ever since I saw a review by Mercedes from MercysBookishMusings on the YouTubez. So I was ecstatic to see it in my local library, and I didn't even have to order it in! Result.
This graphic novel depicts the life of Nao Brown, a young woman living in England who is half Japanese half English, and has a severe case of OCD - not the typical 'keeping everything tidy' OCD you'd expect, but the kind of OCD where she experiences fantasies of killing people around her in various brutal ways. This happens on a day to day basis, and Nao struggles to make connections with people because of this. It is not until she meets the electrician Gregory that she begins to view her life from a slightly different angle.
I really enjoyed the artwork in this graphic novel - it was simple and sketchy, and red was the dominant colour, appearing in pretty much every single page. The story itself was interesting, and the violent imagery at times was surprisingly shocking. I can't deny that I've had the odd thought about how easy it would be to commit an act of violence such as jumping out in front of a train (about myself more so than doing it to others), so I couldn't look at Nao as being a cruel person as she seemed to see herself. Instead I felt sorry for her, and wanted to help.
I only gave this graphic novel 3.5 stars because, although I enjoyed the reading experience, I didn't feel like it was anything particularly special and it didn't quite meet the high expectations I had for it. It wasn't exactly an enjoyable read at the best of times, due to the morbid subject matter and lack of any real laughs (apart from one moment, read it you'll find out), and I didn't feel particularly connected to any of the characters apart from Nao at some points.
Overall I'd recommend this graphic novel if you're interested into getting into a stand alone instead of a series, and if you like the artwork. However, try not to have too high expectations because it isn't exactly life-changing - just interesting and something a little bit different.
3.5 stars.
The Nao of Brown is a graphic novel I've been itching to get my hands on for quite a while, ever since I saw a review by Mercedes from MercysBookishMusings on the YouTubez. So I was ecstatic to see it in my local library, and I didn't even have to order it in! Result.
This graphic novel depicts the life of Nao Brown, a young woman living in England who is half Japanese half English, and has a severe case of OCD - not the typical 'keeping everything tidy' OCD you'd expect, but the kind of OCD where she experiences fantasies of killing people around her in various brutal ways. This happens on a day to day basis, and Nao struggles to make connections with people because of this. It is not until she meets the electrician Gregory that she begins to view her life from a slightly different angle.
I really enjoyed the artwork in this graphic novel - it was simple and sketchy, and red was the dominant colour, appearing in pretty much every single page. The story itself was interesting, and the violent imagery at times was surprisingly shocking. I can't deny that I've had the odd thought about how easy it would be to commit an act of violence such as jumping out in front of a train (about myself more so than doing it to others), so I couldn't look at Nao as being a cruel person as she seemed to see herself. Instead I felt sorry for her, and wanted to help.
I only gave this graphic novel 3.5 stars because, although I enjoyed the reading experience, I didn't feel like it was anything particularly special and it didn't quite meet the high expectations I had for it. It wasn't exactly an enjoyable read at the best of times, due to the morbid subject matter and lack of any real laughs (apart from one moment, read it you'll find out), and I didn't feel particularly connected to any of the characters apart from Nao at some points.
Overall I'd recommend this graphic novel if you're interested into getting into a stand alone instead of a series, and if you like the artwork. However, try not to have too high expectations because it isn't exactly life-changing - just interesting and something a little bit different.
oibecky's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Everything about this book, even down to the beautiful red-tipped pages is stunning and thought provoking. Right from the off, Nao is presented as old friend that you're catching up with before getting to see behind her 70s sunglasses into a tortured, dark world punctuated with moments of kindness and light and often, humour.
I sat down a few hours ago to read a few pages of this and got through the whole thing! Stunning, a must read.
I sat down a few hours ago to read a few pages of this and got through the whole thing! Stunning, a must read.
em_ham's review against another edition
5.0
In this interview at PaulGravett.com, Glyn Dillon said: "I didn’t want to do a book like that, a book that explained OCD, I wanted to do a book that was for someone who has OCD and doesn’t need it explaining to them."
That's a special thing to do (and commercially, quite brave), and I think Dillon does it really well. The book can work for people who know about OCD, those who want to understand a bit about it, and those who just want to read a good story. Plus it's a beautiful graphic novel to look at. I'll read it again and see different things in it next time...
That's a special thing to do (and commercially, quite brave), and I think Dillon does it really well. The book can work for people who know about OCD, those who want to understand a bit about it, and those who just want to read a good story. Plus it's a beautiful graphic novel to look at. I'll read it again and see different things in it next time...
noelles's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
shea_proulx's review against another edition
5.0
Just gorgeous, creepier for it's beauty. Loved it so much I just made myself a digital version of "The O Tape" so I can listen to the "soundtrack."
gio_shelves's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
bengisue's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mhall's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this from the library shelves the other day because it looked like it was about a character named Nao, and I loved the character named Nao in Ruth Ozeki's [b:A Tale for the Time Being.] This illustrates the point that people pick up books for all sorts of weird and happenstance reasons.
This has the most beautiful artwork and character renderings. A story about OCD, obsessive thoughts, washing machines and Buddhism, taking place in an upscale Japanese novelty vinyl toy shop and an urban Buddhist center.
This has the most beautiful artwork and character renderings. A story about OCD, obsessive thoughts, washing machines and Buddhism, taking place in an upscale Japanese novelty vinyl toy shop and an urban Buddhist center.
kaleovens's review against another edition
5.0
Gorgeous art and broken people.
Frustrating, impatient, unhappy people searching for something. The reader feels the same way about the characters. Be better. Be whole. Stop making everything in your own life worse. Readers should hang in there. I trust it is not a spoiler to say that the book ends at a meditative and happy place, even if it's a bit out of left field.
I'm vulnerable to confusing puns with meaning, coincidence with importance. Unfortunately, so is the author. There are a few eye-rollers.
But this is a lovely, hard, book.
Frustrating, impatient, unhappy people searching for something. The reader feels the same way about the characters. Be better. Be whole. Stop making everything in your own life worse. Readers should hang in there. I trust it is not a spoiler to say that the book ends at a meditative and happy place, even if it's a bit out of left field.
I'm vulnerable to confusing puns with meaning, coincidence with importance. Unfortunately, so is the author. There are a few eye-rollers.
But this is a lovely, hard, book.
robin_dh's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Pedestrian, obtuse drivel. Glyn Dillons watercolour work is amateurish (especially taken in comparison to his earlier gouache work in Deadline) and laid over rough, spindly, half-baked pencils. The best looking segments of the book are the infrequent fantasy sequences, which are sadly the least readable part of the book, in those his line is as confident and stark as his earliest, best art. Sorely disappointing read, would not reccomend.