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bluexy's reviews
49 reviews
No Longer Human by Junji Ito
5.0
Incredibly unsettling story. The protagonist is an awful person who destroys everyone in their path and makes no meaningful effort to grow or do good. And the book, despite that, is incredibly compelling. Junji Ito's art is beyond compare, as ever. The story he tells is genuinely haunting. I'll never read this book again, but I can't help but acknowledge what an incredible work it is.
Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden
3.0
Interesting story, but quite aloof. Like with both Bloom and Laura Dean I found felt like a ton of panels and pages aren't used well, instead coming off as flourish for the sake of appearing introspective or thoughtful. But the story was already struggling to develop the characters, their arcs, the conflict. The space was needed to do more. As a result, the story came together in a silly and underdeveloped way.
I also took issue with how dark so many of the panels were. Conveying darkness and mood shouldn't require panels being indecipherable.
I did like the ending more than either Bloom or Laura Dean, though. It was interesting. And there was a depth to the characters that demanded further consideration, even if part of the point of the book was not to do that.
Even a story meant to convey pain and loneliness, where a lack of flesh on its bones is part of the message, still needs marrow. I felt shorted as a reader.
I also took issue with how dark so many of the panels were. Conveying darkness and mood shouldn't require panels being indecipherable.
I did like the ending more than either Bloom or Laura Dean, though. It was interesting. And there was a depth to the characters that demanded further consideration, even if part of the point of the book was not to do that.
Even a story meant to convey pain and loneliness, where a lack of flesh on its bones is part of the message, still needs marrow. I felt shorted as a reader.