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3amonline's reviews
48 reviews
Bloom by Kevin Panetta
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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? Yes
4.5
Roaming by Jillian Tamaki, Mariko Tamaki
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
Who We Are in Real Life by Victoria Koops
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thank you to Netgalley, House of Anansi Books Press, and Groundwood Books for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review!
I was really interested in, "Who We Are in Real Life" by Victoria Koops because of the teen romance centered around loving DND, which I haven't read before. The DND aspects of the book are the most entertaining and atmospheric parts of the book, but they can sometimes feel shoehorned in since they are utilized to further explain the characters actions and feelings. Unfortunately the main characters, Darcy and Art, were not very likable. Darcy is rude to everyone around her including her moms because she was forced to move away from her city (which felt like an extreme reaction). Art is a doormat who rarely stands up for himself, Darcy, or his sister when it came to defending them against homophobia directed to them by his father. The romance between these two characters ended up feeling forced because of how much their morals clashed and the overall lack of chemistry. Based on the actions of the characters I felt like they should not have stayed together. DND was truly the only thing these characters had in common. The plot didn't kick off until half-way through the book and the ending was underwhelming since the main conflict was not high stakes to begin with. I give this book a 2 stars because the fantasy elements were enjoyable.
I was really interested in, "Who We Are in Real Life" by Victoria Koops because of the teen romance centered around loving DND, which I haven't read before. The DND aspects of the book are the most entertaining and atmospheric parts of the book, but they can sometimes feel shoehorned in since they are utilized to further explain the characters actions and feelings. Unfortunately the main characters, Darcy and Art, were not very likable. Darcy is rude to everyone around her including her moms because she was forced to move away from her city (which felt like an extreme reaction). Art is a doormat who rarely stands up for himself, Darcy, or his sister when it came to defending them against homophobia directed to them by his father. The romance between these two characters ended up feeling forced because of how much their morals clashed and the overall lack of chemistry. Based on the actions of the characters I felt like they should not have stayed together. DND was truly the only thing these characters had in common. The plot didn't kick off until half-way through the book and the ending was underwhelming since the main conflict was not high stakes to begin with. I give this book a 2 stars because the fantasy elements were enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia
Minor: Death of parent
You Will Get Through This Night by Daniel Howell
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts
Skim by Mariko Tamaki
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Toxic friendship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
Ramayana: Divine Loophole by Sanjay Patel
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Kidnapping, War
Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness, Self harm
Death Note Short Stories by Tsugumi Ohba
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Bullying, Violence
Solitaire by Alice Oseman
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
Minor: Stalking, Toxic friendship
My Lovesick Life As a '90s Otaku 1 by Nico Nicholson
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
My Lovesick Life as a 90's Otaku is a slice of life manga that follows an adult Megumi Sato recounting her teenage years growing up as an otaku (a person who deeply enjoys nerdy activities like manga, anime, and video games.) She struggles on whether she should hide her interests from her peers to get social validation or to embrace what she loves.
This manga has funny moments and a compelling side story with her pen pal. Overall the manga has room to be interesting in later volumes, but her naiveté can sometimes be both very realistic and yet very annoying.
This manga has funny moments and a compelling side story with her pen pal. Overall the manga has room to be interesting in later volumes, but her naiveté can sometimes be both very realistic and yet very annoying.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying