A review by clovetra
Baby Blue by Bim Eriksson

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

thank you netgalley & fantagraphic books for a copy of this book in return for an honest review ! <3
i have to say, i liked this a lot more that i thought i would on first glance.
“baby blue” follows betty, as she is caught crying in public, and is captured by peacekeepers and administered treatment in this dystopian society. whilst undergoing this treatment, betty meets berina, a loud, brazen, and carefree lady, who betty instantly shares a connection with. together they explore the dark truths of their society, they explore the world of the resistance, and they explore each other.
now i have to say… i really didn’t like the art style at first. the art of betty almost makes her look grotesque, and the fact berina has a bunny-head really confused me at the beginning. but the more i read the art style started to grow on me, especially due to berina. ugh she’s so cute. i just had to get the hang of eriksson’s unique and zany art style, and whoo boy was it fun to look at. 
now back to betty…. she was um…. a bit boring if im honest. she didn’t seem to have too much substance, especially compared to berina who was well fleshed out. i’m not too mad that betty was surface-level though as she acted as a great audience surrogate to introduce readers to the world of “baby blue”. shout out berina ugh i loved her. also shout out gay people i love gay people 🔥
the plot was pleasant. i felt like the story didn’t go anywhere at the start, and i was a bit worried, but once the resistance plot kicked off all my worries were erased. it was honestly great from that point onwards. no complaints about the plot. the only teeny tiny complaint i did have is that i wish the social commentary went deeper. topics were touched on but it didn’t feel like they were explored much deeper. but also this is a graphic novel so im not expecting mf crime and punishment or something in terms of social class. i think this is just a case of me being pedantic, but ill be honest and mention it because honestly that’s the only reason this wasn’t a 5-star for me ! if i was someone who rated on quality, easy 5-star.
lowkey this was great. this superseded my expectations, and i had a great time . it was fun, it was brutal, it was sad, it was joyous. it was a lovely experience. 
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