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A review by midnightmarauder
Blue Is the Warmest Color by Jul Maroh
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Blue is the Warmest Color follows the story of Emma and Clementine, two women living in France who start a relationship with one another that lasts from the late 90s to the late 2000s. The story is told through a series of diary entries made by Clementine before her death.
Throughout the book, Clementine writes about her experiences in life from the ages of 17 to 30. Early on, she talks about her struggle to come to terms with her sexuality. She nearly sleeps with a guy that expresses interest in her at her school, and wonders why she can't reciprocate the feelings that he has for her. It isn't until she meets Emma that she realizes that she is more interested in the same sex.
Emma and Clementine have a whirlwind of a relationship that could be toxic at times. For starters, although Emma likes Clementine and expresses attraction to her, she simultaneously pushes her away and says that Clementine doesn't really like her and that she's simply having fun with her until she meets a guy that she'll leave her for. Which, ends up beingsomewhat true towards the end, as the end of her and Clementine's relationship is ended due to Clementine sleeping with a male colleague. Not to mention, Emma is also cheating on her girlfriend, Sabine, with Clementine. Clementine is also troublesome, with her main issue being her inability to accept her sexuality and proving Emma's point by sleeping with her male coworker.
I watched the film before seeing this book at work and deciding to check it out. Quite frankly, this graphic novel is immensely better than the film. Although the original story is much sadder than the novel, the writing is better, it isn't overly focused on Emma and Clementine's sex lives, and it portrays the love the women have for one another ten times better than the film ever did.
Throughout the book, Clementine writes about her experiences in life from the ages of 17 to 30. Early on, she talks about her struggle to come to terms with her sexuality. She nearly sleeps with a guy that expresses interest in her at her school, and wonders why she can't reciprocate the feelings that he has for her. It isn't until she meets Emma that she realizes that she is more interested in the same sex.
Emma and Clementine have a whirlwind of a relationship that could be toxic at times. For starters, although Emma likes Clementine and expresses attraction to her, she simultaneously pushes her away and says that Clementine doesn't really like her and that she's simply having fun with her until she meets a guy that she'll leave her for. Which, ends up being
I watched the film before seeing this book at work and deciding to check it out. Quite frankly, this graphic novel is immensely better than the film. Although the original story is much sadder than the novel, the writing is better, it isn't overly focused on Emma and Clementine's sex lives, and it portrays the love the women have for one another ten times better than the film ever did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Abandonment, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Minor: Toxic relationship