Scan barcode
A review by danaslitlist
Wolfpitch by Balazs Lorinczi
0.0
Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an early access copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. And if there were ever any questions about if my ARC reviews are honest; let me put those questions to rest by absolutely dunking on this graphic novel.
The art is cute, but what isn't cute is the magical cure/healing of a disability. It is completely disgusting to have a character be Deaf (or partially Deaf) only for that character to have nothing but self hatred and loathing about it to the point where she's never been able to relax enough to drop her werewolf form because "hey when she's a werewolf she can hear just fine!". This falls into the magical cure trope of fiction that many disabled people (including myself) find utterly offensive and hurtful.
It might've been different if Izzy at all comes around to realizing that being Deaf isn't some horrible thing and had tried to immerse herself into Deaf culture or at least understanding. But no, instead we're fed this harmful quote: "Allowing Delilah to get close to me would just cause me to permanently lose what makes me who I am" referring to her ability to hear music. The author then goes on to try to spin the "insecurities" to refer to Izzy's ear having been scarred, but that doesn't line up with what was just said previously. Basically tying all of Izzy's self worth to ability to hear. To me, a disabled reader, this doesn't feel as though Izzy has worked through anything at all, she's just suddenly okay with people knowing she's Deaf as a human but continues to ONLY live in her werewolf (and hence Able Bodied) form. This isn't her working through any internalized ableism or even close.
The art is cute, but what isn't cute is the magical cure/healing of a disability. It is completely disgusting to have a character be Deaf (or partially Deaf) only for that character to have nothing but self hatred and loathing about it to the point where she's never been able to relax enough to drop her werewolf form because "hey when she's a werewolf she can hear just fine!". This falls into the magical cure trope of fiction that many disabled people (including myself) find utterly offensive and hurtful.
It might've been different if Izzy at all comes around to realizing that being Deaf isn't some horrible thing and had tried to immerse herself into Deaf culture or at least understanding. But no, instead we're fed this harmful quote: "Allowing Delilah to get close to me would just cause me to permanently lose what makes me who I am" referring to her ability to hear music. The author then goes on to try to spin the "insecurities" to refer to Izzy's ear having been scarred, but that doesn't line up with what was just said previously. Basically tying all of Izzy's self worth to ability to hear. To me, a disabled reader, this doesn't feel as though Izzy has worked through anything at all, she's just suddenly okay with people knowing she's Deaf as a human but continues to ONLY live in her werewolf (and hence Able Bodied) form. This isn't her working through any internalized ableism or even close.