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2521 reviews
The Silent Lord by Otava Heikkilä
5.0
Oooft! What a volume!
Edmund goes through a very difficult transition, but through that we learn about the Silent Lord's history, about Ibauld's history, and how the Night Court was created. It's a fascinating, sad story. We learn more about the nurse Geza and his husband Sorin, which is very interesting.
Ibauld has such a tragic story - and the Silent Lord is so interesting - that I'm glad we had the slight deviation from the main plot to see both in good detail.
I only wish we understood this whole letter situation - every book starts at some point in the future, where Ed is writing letters to Lucardo, so they're obviously not together at this point, because Ed doesn't know where Lucardo is. Why are they apart? Is it temporary? Does that mean Ibauld is back in the forest (effectively dead) and Lucardo has taken over the Night Court? Or has being around the Night Court and the Silent Lord been so taxing on Ed that he's been forced to leave Lucardo? Or, has Ed somehow *not* completed his transition, so he's back to being human, and that's why he can no longer be part of the Night Court?
I. HAVE. SO. MANY. QUESTIONS! The most important being - when will we see a release date for Volume 4!
Edmund goes through a very difficult transition, but through that we learn about the Silent Lord's history, about Ibauld's history, and how the Night Court was created. It's a fascinating, sad story. We learn more about the nurse Geza and his husband Sorin, which is very interesting.
Ibauld has such a tragic story - and the Silent Lord is so interesting - that I'm glad we had the slight deviation from the main plot to see both in good detail.
I only wish we understood this whole letter situation - every book starts at some point in the future, where Ed is writing letters to Lucardo, so they're obviously not together at this point, because Ed doesn't know where Lucardo is. Why are they apart? Is it temporary? Does that mean Ibauld is back in the forest (effectively dead) and Lucardo has taken over the Night Court? Or has being around the Night Court and the Silent Lord been so taxing on Ed that he's been forced to leave Lucardo? Or, has Ed somehow *not* completed his transition, so he's back to being human, and that's why he can no longer be part of the Night Court?
I. HAVE. SO. MANY. QUESTIONS! The most important being - when will we see a release date for Volume 4!
Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture, Vol. 5 by Mikage Sawamura, Toji Aio
5.0
This volume concludes the Curse of 4:44 from Volume 4. There are also another 2 cases here, though they actually appear to be interconnected.
Case 1: a mermaid sighting
Case 2: the night of 100 horrors
We get to see Akira and Naoya investigate a potential mermaid sighting and get the FIRST real real supernatural entity of the series! So far, there have been small incidents and coincidences that appear to be supernatural but are never proven and we don't get to see it. Here, we get both!
We also get to see Uncle Wataru, who Akira stayed with in London due his recovery period, after being "spirited away". We also get quite a lot of exploration of Akira's personal life, thanks to Wataru showing up.
There's a bit more of Nanba, who is a great friend to Naoya, even if he denies it. For the first, he actually lies to Naoya, but its in the sweetest way and I love that Naoya understands why he did it instantly. The more I see of Nanba, the more I love him.
I really loved the new character Sae-san. She's is SO interesting.
Case 1: a mermaid sighting
Case 2: the night of 100 horrors
We get to see Akira and Naoya investigate a potential mermaid sighting and get the FIRST real real supernatural entity of the series! So far, there have been small incidents and coincidences that appear to be supernatural but are never proven and we don't get to see it. Here, we get both!
We also get to see Uncle Wataru, who Akira stayed with in London due his recovery period, after being "spirited away". We also get quite a lot of exploration of Akira's personal life, thanks to Wataru showing up.
There's a bit more of Nanba, who is a great friend to Naoya, even if he denies it. For the first, he actually lies to Naoya, but its in the sweetest way and I love that Naoya understands why he did it instantly. The more I see of Nanba, the more I love him.
I really loved the new character Sae-san. She's is SO interesting.
Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture, Vol. 4 by Mikage Sawamura
5.0
Volume 4 continues/concludes the case of the "miracle child" while exploring just a little more of Akira's past.
Case 1 - a shine for an Oni skull
Case 2 - the curse of the 4:44
I'm really loving the deep-dive into different Japanese folklore and traditions. It's such a complex, but fascinating culture, and although I've never heard of most of these myths, legends or childhood games, I love that I don't need any knowledge of them, because they're explained in a way I can follow and understand.
Be warned: Case 2 continues in Volume 5!
Case 1 - a shine for an Oni skull
Case 2 - the curse of the 4:44
I'm really loving the deep-dive into different Japanese folklore and traditions. It's such a complex, but fascinating culture, and although I've never heard of most of these myths, legends or childhood games, I love that I don't need any knowledge of them, because they're explained in a way I can follow and understand.
Be warned: Case 2 continues in Volume 5!
Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture (Manga), Vol. 3 by Toji Aio
5.0
Another great volume.
Case 1: an actress being haunted on a horror movie set.
Case 2: a miracle child, suspected of causing a fake cult
I loved this volume. We got to see Naoya struggle, then get some relief, from his "gift" of hearing lies. He temporarily loses his ability, due to an ear infection, which gives him an insight into how important the gift is to him and his connection to Akira.
I LOVED the hint of shyness and underlying connection between Akira and Naoya. It's not really a romance, which is fine, but they do have a deep connection with each other, which Akira points out - they've both experienced a trauma as children, bonding them, because they're the only people who could ever believe each other's stories, and be there to support each other as they search for answers.
I really love grumpy Ken-chan. He's such a good friend to Akira, but he's also sweet to Naoya, helping him know when to back off, when to be careful. It's like a big brother guidance they both need.
Be warned - the miracle child storyline ends on a cliffhanger in this volume, but concludes in Volume 4.
Case 1: an actress being haunted on a horror movie set.
Case 2: a miracle child, suspected of causing a fake cult
I loved this volume. We got to see Naoya struggle, then get some relief, from his "gift" of hearing lies. He temporarily loses his ability, due to an ear infection, which gives him an insight into how important the gift is to him and his connection to Akira.
I LOVED the hint of shyness and underlying connection between Akira and Naoya. It's not really a romance, which is fine, but they do have a deep connection with each other, which Akira points out - they've both experienced a trauma as children, bonding them, because they're the only people who could ever believe each other's stories, and be there to support each other as they search for answers.
I really love grumpy Ken-chan. He's such a good friend to Akira, but he's also sweet to Naoya, helping him know when to back off, when to be careful. It's like a big brother guidance they both need.
Be warned - the miracle child storyline ends on a cliffhanger in this volume, but concludes in Volume 4.
Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture (Manga), Vol. 1 by Mikage Sawamura
5.0
Oof, this is SO good!
I went into this not really knowing what to expect. I've recently read [book:Hell Is Dark with No Flowers, Vol. 1 (manga) (Volume 1) (Hell Is Dark with No Flowers|217394506] and [book:The (Pet) Detective Agency|60333934], so I was hoping it was along those lines, which...it is, but it isn't.
Naoya Kukamachi was just a boy when he went to a local night festival and was given a terrible choice - choose a lollipop. Each of the three lollipops came with a terrible consequence; one meant he would lost his words, the second he would lose his ability to walk and the third...well, we don't find out that until Volume 2 ;) Naoya chooses the third, and faces some interesting consequences.
Flash forward to college, Naoya begins a new class Folklore Studies II. Right from the start, the mystery was intriguing. From Naoya's childhood to the intriguing Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki, who has made it his mission to study folktales and their origins. Since Naoya has an interesting one, he submits the story to Akira, who is fascinated.
Thus, they begin to work together to investigate folktales and mysterious goings-on. They investigate a supposedly haunted apartment and begin a second case, of a girl who may be cursed, which doesn't conclude until Volume 2.
The mysteries are really well written and plotted, exactly what I'd expect of a great manga. It was very reminiscent of [book:A School Frozen in Time, Vol. 1|55437524]. There was the same sense of mystery clashing with reality.
So far, there's no romance between Naoya and Akira, however they do have a close friendship. It's not explicitly BL in the traditional sense, but all indications are that the series has undertones. Which is very similar to how [book:A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, Volume 1|49766957] is written.
Volume 1 does a fantastic job of drawing you into the story and exploring the characters. The supernatural aspects are well handled and the entire plot is very original. But, be warned that Volume 1 ends on a cliffhanger!
FYI: EVERY book I've referenced or mentioned here is fantastic and absolutely on the same par as this one. If you liked them, you'll love this and vice versa.
I went into this not really knowing what to expect. I've recently read [book:Hell Is Dark with No Flowers, Vol. 1 (manga) (Volume 1) (Hell Is Dark with No Flowers|217394506] and [book:The (Pet) Detective Agency|60333934], so I was hoping it was along those lines, which...it is, but it isn't.
Naoya Kukamachi was just a boy when he went to a local night festival and was given a terrible choice - choose a lollipop. Each of the three lollipops came with a terrible consequence; one meant he would lost his words, the second he would lose his ability to walk and the third...well, we don't find out that until Volume 2 ;) Naoya chooses the third, and faces some interesting consequences.
Flash forward to college, Naoya begins a new class Folklore Studies II. Right from the start, the mystery was intriguing. From Naoya's childhood to the intriguing Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki, who has made it his mission to study folktales and their origins. Since Naoya has an interesting one, he submits the story to Akira, who is fascinated.
Thus, they begin to work together to investigate folktales and mysterious goings-on. They investigate a supposedly haunted apartment and begin a second case, of a girl who may be cursed, which doesn't conclude until Volume 2.
The mysteries are really well written and plotted, exactly what I'd expect of a great manga. It was very reminiscent of [book:A School Frozen in Time, Vol. 1|55437524]. There was the same sense of mystery clashing with reality.
So far, there's no romance between Naoya and Akira, however they do have a close friendship. It's not explicitly BL in the traditional sense, but all indications are that the series has undertones. Which is very similar to how [book:A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, Volume 1|49766957] is written.
Volume 1 does a fantastic job of drawing you into the story and exploring the characters. The supernatural aspects are well handled and the entire plot is very original. But, be warned that Volume 1 ends on a cliffhanger!
FYI: EVERY book I've referenced or mentioned here is fantastic and absolutely on the same par as this one. If you liked them, you'll love this and vice versa.
Wolf Magic by Natsuki Zippo
5.0
This is a story split into 3 parts - part 1 is actually a standalone story with nothing to do with either of the other two parts. Parts 2 and 3 are connected by character, but occur years apart.
PART 1: The Water of Love for the Withered Flower - 4*
I really liked this story. Sousuke is called Yakuza by the local kids because of how he looks, and he's openly treated badly by people who can't believe he's a florist. He inherited the business after his parents died, but as much as he tries, people are scared of his face. He acknowledges that, over the years, as people berate him and are rude to him, he's started to behave as scary as he looks.
There's only one person who sees through his low self-esteem to see the man beneath - Hata. Hata is openly gay and has fallen in love with Sousuke, despite his prickly personality. Hata manages to get him to open up by being persistent.
It's a little stalker-y, a little one-sided for half the story, but it does end up really cute as Sousuke begins to recognise how he really feels about Hata. The overall story is rushed towards a romance, but it's definitely cute and has a good ending.
PART 2: Magic for a Wolf - 5*
I LOVED this part. This is a high school story about Nagase, who is gay and has a crush on Masaya Ido - who just so happens to be dating Nagase's friend, Yurika. She complains about Masaya to him, and while Nagase hasn't met him yet, he soon does and falls for him instantly. He knows Masaya is unattainable, until Masaya confronts Nagase about being too close to Yurika. He thinks that Nagase is in love with Yurika, so Nagase confesses that he's actually in love with Masaya, so he doesn't need to worry. Only, Masaya begins to wonder...and he kisses Nagase. Unfortunately, it doesn't end well - Masaya isn't gay, just curious and probably a little jealous and petty. Nagase ends up with his heart broken and...this part ends! I was shocked, gutted, devastated for Nagase. Ugh! The feels were heavy for the poor, sad teenager who just wanted to be loved but was used instead.
PART 3: Wolf Magic - 5*
Here, we get to see Nagase as an adult! I was SOO happy his story continued, because it's by far the best part of the book. It's been 2 years since he left high school, Nagase is working and getting by on occasional flings and friends-with-benefits that will never end in love. And he's okay-ish with that. Of course he still wants more, but he's STILL in unrequired love with a player at work, who is no good. History is repeating itself, except Nagase is more closed-off and guarded now. He's careful. Until he ends up sitting next to the silent, introverted Higuchi at a work event. A missing phone and keys leads to him taking Higuchi home, to give him somewhere to stay the night. Then they begin this tentative, sweet friendship. Higuchi says very little, Nagase loves that about him and feels somehow accepted, while in his company. It's beautiful, it feels tragic, and it feels forbidden and doomed, but somehow it all works out and Nagase gets his happy ending!
FINALLY, Nagase gets his man!
PART 1: The Water of Love for the Withered Flower - 4*
I really liked this story. Sousuke is called Yakuza by the local kids because of how he looks, and he's openly treated badly by people who can't believe he's a florist. He inherited the business after his parents died, but as much as he tries, people are scared of his face. He acknowledges that, over the years, as people berate him and are rude to him, he's started to behave as scary as he looks.
There's only one person who sees through his low self-esteem to see the man beneath - Hata. Hata is openly gay and has fallen in love with Sousuke, despite his prickly personality. Hata manages to get him to open up by being persistent.
It's a little stalker-y, a little one-sided for half the story, but it does end up really cute as Sousuke begins to recognise how he really feels about Hata. The overall story is rushed towards a romance, but it's definitely cute and has a good ending.
PART 2: Magic for a Wolf - 5*
I LOVED this part. This is a high school story about Nagase, who is gay and has a crush on Masaya Ido - who just so happens to be dating Nagase's friend, Yurika. She complains about Masaya to him, and while Nagase hasn't met him yet, he soon does and falls for him instantly. He knows Masaya is unattainable, until Masaya confronts Nagase about being too close to Yurika. He thinks that Nagase is in love with Yurika, so Nagase confesses that he's actually in love with Masaya, so he doesn't need to worry. Only, Masaya begins to wonder...and he kisses Nagase. Unfortunately, it doesn't end well - Masaya isn't gay, just curious and probably a little jealous and petty. Nagase ends up with his heart broken and...this part ends! I was shocked, gutted, devastated for Nagase. Ugh! The feels were heavy for the poor, sad teenager who just wanted to be loved but was used instead.
PART 3: Wolf Magic - 5*
Here, we get to see Nagase as an adult! I was SOO happy his story continued, because it's by far the best part of the book. It's been 2 years since he left high school, Nagase is working and getting by on occasional flings and friends-with-benefits that will never end in love. And he's okay-ish with that. Of course he still wants more, but he's STILL in unrequired love with a player at work, who is no good. History is repeating itself, except Nagase is more closed-off and guarded now. He's careful. Until he ends up sitting next to the silent, introverted Higuchi at a work event. A missing phone and keys leads to him taking Higuchi home, to give him somewhere to stay the night. Then they begin this tentative, sweet friendship. Higuchi says very little, Nagase loves that about him and feels somehow accepted, while in his company. It's beautiful, it feels tragic, and it feels forbidden and doomed, but somehow it all works out and Nagase gets his happy ending!
FINALLY, Nagase gets his man!
The Troublesome Guest of Sotomura Detective Agency by Sakae Kusama
4.0
TRIGGERS: kidnapping, attempted sexual assault, unlicensed/non-con porn (mentioned), mentions of cheating, selling someone into the porn trade to pay off debts.
This one really took me back to the manga that were prevalent about 10 years ago - the art style, the story and the pacing - were all so similar to the kind of stuff that used to be everywhere, like [book:Embracing Love, Vol. 1|30315].
I liked the art, mostly. It was sharp and angular, but it was nicely presented. I liked the pacing of the plot, that it was a fairly spicy one-off story, but it wasn't ALL about the sex. There was some fun and cute chemistry, with one MC being the grumpy "I don't like you, but I like us" type, and the other being all bi-awakening "say what you like, but I know you like me".
Matsuda and Kamiko went to the same high school, where Kamiko was a total player. He would date the "plain" girls and they would work hard to keep his attention, prettying themselves up for him, but then he'd lose interest. The boys at school loved it, because he gave the plain girls the incentive to dress prettier. It was a bit gag-inducing, TBH, BUT...while I would normally hate that mindset, Matsuda was the only one who saw how gross and hypocritical it was of them...and of Kamiko. However, when we start to see things from Kamiko's POV, you see that he's actually more interested in plain, non-traditionally pretty types who are themselves. It's only when the girls start trying to prove themselves, dressing pretty and getting all flirty that he loses interest.
Matsuda hated Kamiko's behaviour and personality in high school, and he wasn't quite about it. He just didn't realise that Kamiko *knew* about his opinion and found it intriguing.
When they reunite as adults, Matsuda is running a detective agency. A woman comes for help, after her sister gave a lot of money to a boyfriend who just upped and left shortly after. When trying to track him down, Matsuda recognises Kamiko from school and convinces him to give the money back. In return, Kamiko implants himself in Matsuda's life and work, claiming he's got nowhere else to stay. They very quickly end up having sex, when Kamiko finds out Matsuda is gay. There's the implication that Matsuda was always interested in Kamiko and the only reason he hated him in school was because he was jealous, so I really didn't have a problem with them ending up in sexy times within a day of Kamiko moving in.
There's a hint of hate sex or at least enemies-to-lovers, with the way Matsuda resists the relationship forming and the suggestion that Kamiko is just having a good time rather than planning anything serious.
I liked the overall plot - Matsuda and Kamiko coming together - but I also liked the investigative aspects, because there were a few cases for them to work on together. Kamiko proved particularly suited to the work, actually helping Matsuda rather than holding him back. It was like an older-style version of [book:The (Pet) Detective Agency|60333934]
This one really took me back to the manga that were prevalent about 10 years ago - the art style, the story and the pacing - were all so similar to the kind of stuff that used to be everywhere, like [book:Embracing Love, Vol. 1|30315].
I liked the art, mostly. It was sharp and angular, but it was nicely presented. I liked the pacing of the plot, that it was a fairly spicy one-off story, but it wasn't ALL about the sex. There was some fun and cute chemistry, with one MC being the grumpy "I don't like you, but I like us" type, and the other being all bi-awakening "say what you like, but I know you like me".
Matsuda and Kamiko went to the same high school, where Kamiko was a total player. He would date the "plain" girls and they would work hard to keep his attention, prettying themselves up for him, but then he'd lose interest. The boys at school loved it, because he gave the plain girls the incentive to dress prettier. It was a bit gag-inducing, TBH, BUT...while I would normally hate that mindset, Matsuda was the only one who saw how gross and hypocritical it was of them...and of Kamiko. However, when we start to see things from Kamiko's POV, you see that he's actually more interested in plain, non-traditionally pretty types who are themselves. It's only when the girls start trying to prove themselves, dressing pretty and getting all flirty that he loses interest.
Matsuda hated Kamiko's behaviour and personality in high school, and he wasn't quite about it. He just didn't realise that Kamiko *knew* about his opinion and found it intriguing.
When they reunite as adults, Matsuda is running a detective agency. A woman comes for help, after her sister gave a lot of money to a boyfriend who just upped and left shortly after. When trying to track him down, Matsuda recognises Kamiko from school and convinces him to give the money back. In return, Kamiko implants himself in Matsuda's life and work, claiming he's got nowhere else to stay. They very quickly end up having sex, when Kamiko finds out Matsuda is gay. There's the implication that Matsuda was always interested in Kamiko and the only reason he hated him in school was because he was jealous, so I really didn't have a problem with them ending up in sexy times within a day of Kamiko moving in.
There's a hint of hate sex or at least enemies-to-lovers, with the way Matsuda resists the relationship forming and the suggestion that Kamiko is just having a good time rather than planning anything serious.
I liked the overall plot - Matsuda and Kamiko coming together - but I also liked the investigative aspects, because there were a few cases for them to work on together. Kamiko proved particularly suited to the work, actually helping Matsuda rather than holding him back. It was like an older-style version of [book:The (Pet) Detective Agency|60333934]
Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide, Vol. 5 by Mone Sorai
4.0
They guys visit Peru (Machu Picchu) and experience a little homophobia from a grumpy old man, Misaki. It ends up, he recently lost his wife and his son just came out as gay, which he's struggling with.
In Panama, they take the time to chill out and catch up with everyone they've met on their journey so far.
When they get to Mexico, they stay at a resort and end up meeting another gay couple on their honeymoon, who give them some sage advice about marriage.
It was a cute snippet, but I still feel like the "story" aspect gets left behind for all the travelling info and gushing over food.
In Panama, they take the time to chill out and catch up with everyone they've met on their journey so far.
When they get to Mexico, they stay at a resort and end up meeting another gay couple on their honeymoon, who give them some sage advice about marriage.
It was a cute snippet, but I still feel like the "story" aspect gets left behind for all the travelling info and gushing over food.
Out of Left Field by Jonah Newman
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
TRIGGERS: first time sex, passing, closeted teens, outing teens, bullying, threatening to out a closeted teen, the use of homophobic slurs: gay, faggot, dyke and "alternative lifestyle choice"
~
I was looking forward to this - a semi-autobiographical graphic novel about a teen finding himself, love, his passion for baseball, while in high school.
Unfortunately, I had some problems with this one. Let's start with triggers.
There's a lot to unpack here, but I found the story to be bravely graphic about what some kids go through, but it tried so hard to make all of these events seem normal and expected that it felt like they were falling into stereotypes of what gay teen life is like rather than exploring it authentically. Maybe it's because I'm from the UK and the book takes place in the US, but it didn't feel like a realistic journey through teen life.
Yes, there's High School Hell -> teachers who fall into three categories 1) rude bullies, 2) super supportive and 3) completely neutral or disinterested. -> there are bullies everywhere, who never face the consequences of their behaviour, are never reported by the MC and who, while vaguely scolded, get away with anything -> shock! A girl tries out for a sports team and is completely ignored -> gossip rules the school! to the point where it becomes really uncomfortable for everyone.
I get it, these are high school stereotypes, but I just don't find it believable - and maybe this is a Me thing - that a teenage boy who already suspects he's gay, will go from studying with his best female friend to their first kiss to their first sexual experience within the space of minutes. And I mean that literally. They've only ever been friends, but all it takes is a friend whispering in her ear, the baseball team goading Jonah with claims that "no one" goes into their next year of school without having had sex, and suddenly just because his parents aren't home, they're "bored" with studying, they share their first kiss and end up having sex.
If this is what kids nowadays go through, I feel really sorry for them. It makes me feel old to say, but "in my day" sex wasn't something you did for the first time just because you were bored and some asshole from school said you should.
Gah! It makes me mad, just thinking about it.
Moving on...Jonah NEVER stands up for himself. In fact, he kind of plays the victim a few times, never confronts his bullies or defends himself, just gets quietly mad and ends up taking it out on other people. When he discovers a gay forum and recognises a photo, he uses that information to his own advantage. When that guy overhears a secret, Jonah doesn't ask him to keep it a secret in any nice way, but actually threaten to out that person, which probably went a long way to him outing Jonah first.
Was there anything I liked? - the signs outside school. The trial-by-fire that coach put Jonah through in baseball. Amelia standing up for female sports players. Jonah started off cute and lovely, really geeky and fun.
However, Jonah quickly deteriorated into that cesspit of changing himself to fit in with the crowd who bully him. Amelia is the only one who points out that the team are being two-faced when they're laughing and joking with him - laughing AT him, rather than WITH him. They keep him around as entertainment, a jeering punching bag, if you will.
I had some hope when the openly gay Dustin came alone, who was a little femme, very happy-go-lucky and clearly crushing on Jonah. However, that went downhill quickly.
I also hoped that the secretly gay sports dude might get some redemption later, being open and out himself. He or Dustin could have been a REALLY positive and good support system for Jonah, which would have gone a LONG way to improving my feelings about this story.
I wasn't overly keen on changing the names of famous/popular movies AND people! I get that there's a slight copyright concern, but these are established brands and muddling the names feels weird, especially when it comes to Harvey Milk. I thought Jonah doing his research was a great choice, however, it can be confusing for TEENS who are reading this, about what they're reading. If you're going to hint at important information that teens could find really useful, DON'T FAIL to supply context or else they can't follow up with their own research. All the work the author put into providing the information of useful and important resources for teens goes completely down the toilet, because it's glossed over and badly explored.
~
OVERALL, I had a couple of BIG issues with this book.
* For me, everyone was just a total asshole. Even Jonah, even his bestie, even his boyfriend, even Amelia. EVERYONE became an asshole at some point, with very little redemption.
* there was so much emphasis on PEER PRESSURE that it never challenged the problem with any real resolution. There were no consequences for the bullies, no lessons learned, no real discussion about what they'd done wrong or how dangerous their behaviour could be. Everything was just glossed over as "well, this is high school and Jonah is gay, so what do you expect". That's not good enough.
* It tried TOO HARD to be realistic. For me, by doing that, it failed to do the one thing it set out to do. In doing it, it focused completely on the negatives and struggles of teen life and coming out, without showing ANY good parts.
* the story rushed through pivot moments of Jonah's journey towards coming out and accepting himself for who he was, that it never gave us time to make a real emotional connection. There was promise in the beginning, where we were able to feel connected to Jonah and his geeky personality, his exuberance and his need to fit in. But once he joined the baseball team that all disappeared because he was instantly accepted, still being bullied, never made a sensible decision and rushed from one big moment to the next without ever thinking it through or it feeling like the next logical step. Because it was so rushed, everything just felt surface level - glossed over and never fully explored.
~
I get that it can be hard to filter a biographical story, but the author admits that it's a mix of fiction and real life. In that aspect, I think they needed someone to come in and filter out the bits that were unnecessary. It needed less tragedy and more positivity.
~
I was looking forward to this - a semi-autobiographical graphic novel about a teen finding himself, love, his passion for baseball, while in high school.
Unfortunately, I had some problems with this one. Let's start with triggers.
There's a lot to unpack here, but I found the story to be bravely graphic about what some kids go through, but it tried so hard to make all of these events seem normal and expected that it felt like they were falling into stereotypes of what gay teen life is like rather than exploring it authentically. Maybe it's because I'm from the UK and the book takes place in the US, but it didn't feel like a realistic journey through teen life.
Yes, there's High School Hell -> teachers who fall into three categories 1) rude bullies, 2) super supportive and 3) completely neutral or disinterested. -> there are bullies everywhere, who never face the consequences of their behaviour, are never reported by the MC and who, while vaguely scolded, get away with anything -> shock! A girl tries out for a sports team and is completely ignored -> gossip rules the school! to the point where it becomes really uncomfortable for everyone.
I get it, these are high school stereotypes, but I just don't find it believable - and maybe this is a Me thing - that a teenage boy who already suspects he's gay, will go from studying with his best female friend to their first kiss to their first sexual experience within the space of minutes. And I mean that literally. They've only ever been friends, but all it takes is a friend whispering in her ear, the baseball team goading Jonah with claims that "no one" goes into their next year of school without having had sex, and suddenly just because his parents aren't home, they're "bored" with studying, they share their first kiss and end up having sex.
If this is what kids nowadays go through, I feel really sorry for them. It makes me feel old to say, but "in my day" sex wasn't something you did for the first time just because you were bored and some asshole from school said you should.
Gah! It makes me mad, just thinking about it.
Moving on...Jonah NEVER stands up for himself. In fact, he kind of plays the victim a few times, never confronts his bullies or defends himself, just gets quietly mad and ends up taking it out on other people. When he discovers a gay forum and recognises a photo, he uses that information to his own advantage. When that guy overhears a secret, Jonah doesn't ask him to keep it a secret in any nice way, but actually threaten to out that person, which probably went a long way to him outing Jonah first.
Was there anything I liked? - the signs outside school. The trial-by-fire that coach put Jonah through in baseball. Amelia standing up for female sports players. Jonah started off cute and lovely, really geeky and fun.
However, Jonah quickly deteriorated into that cesspit of changing himself to fit in with the crowd who bully him. Amelia is the only one who points out that the team are being two-faced when they're laughing and joking with him - laughing AT him, rather than WITH him. They keep him around as entertainment, a jeering punching bag, if you will.
I had some hope when the openly gay Dustin came alone, who was a little femme, very happy-go-lucky and clearly crushing on Jonah. However, that went downhill quickly.
I also hoped that the secretly gay sports dude might get some redemption later, being open and out himself. He or Dustin could have been a REALLY positive and good support system for Jonah, which would have gone a LONG way to improving my feelings about this story.
I wasn't overly keen on changing the names of famous/popular movies AND people! I get that there's a slight copyright concern, but these are established brands and muddling the names feels weird, especially when it comes to Harvey Milk. I thought Jonah doing his research was a great choice, however, it can be confusing for TEENS who are reading this, about what they're reading. If you're going to hint at important information that teens could find really useful, DON'T FAIL to supply context or else they can't follow up with their own research. All the work the author put into providing the information of useful and important resources for teens goes completely down the toilet, because it's glossed over and badly explored.
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OVERALL, I had a couple of BIG issues with this book.
* For me, everyone was just a total asshole. Even Jonah, even his bestie, even his boyfriend, even Amelia. EVERYONE became an asshole at some point, with very little redemption.
* there was so much emphasis on PEER PRESSURE that it never challenged the problem with any real resolution. There were no consequences for the bullies, no lessons learned, no real discussion about what they'd done wrong or how dangerous their behaviour could be. Everything was just glossed over as "well, this is high school and Jonah is gay, so what do you expect". That's not good enough.
* It tried TOO HARD to be realistic. For me, by doing that, it failed to do the one thing it set out to do. In doing it, it focused completely on the negatives and struggles of teen life and coming out, without showing ANY good parts.
* the story rushed through pivot moments of Jonah's journey towards coming out and accepting himself for who he was, that it never gave us time to make a real emotional connection. There was promise in the beginning, where we were able to feel connected to Jonah and his geeky personality, his exuberance and his need to fit in. But once he joined the baseball team that all disappeared because he was instantly accepted, still being bullied, never made a sensible decision and rushed from one big moment to the next without ever thinking it through or it feeling like the next logical step. Because it was so rushed, everything just felt surface level - glossed over and never fully explored.
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I get that it can be hard to filter a biographical story, but the author admits that it's a mix of fiction and real life. In that aspect, I think they needed someone to come in and filter out the bits that were unnecessary. It needed less tragedy and more positivity.
My Mate Is a Feline Gentleman by Arata Asanae
5.0
TRIGGERS : mentions of rape. Mostly off-page, but there's a constant thread of rape everywhere - child rape, servant rape, attempted rape, gang rape, rape as revenge, rape as punishment
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This was a surprisingly lovely story, with great chemistry between the MC's and gorgeous artwork.
Toushirou is unwanted - an omega, the son of a "whore" *insert eye roll* - and looked down on by society.
Alex is a Nyartigian - a cat person, essentially - and a gentleman.
The implication is that Alex is British, while Toushirou is Japanese. There's a surprising criticism of Japan, for the way they treat Omegas - both in terms of them mistreating other humans, and not safeguarding the vulnerable.
Toushirou's life has been hell - constantly being used and abused because he's an omega - until he's sold to a new owner, with the implication being that he's to seduce Alex for his previous owner, though the why or how it benefits the previous owner isn't really explained.
Alex is lovely! He's smart, strong and wonderful in every way. He takes care of Toushirou in ways that no one else ever has. He also has a best friend Rodney who - unlike some other stories of this type - looks down on Toushirou only because he's obviously been sent to tempt Alex to jeopardise the friendly relations between humans and Nyartigian's. Rodney is protective, cautious and yet he admits his mistakes, he's willing to trust Alex's judgement and accept Toushirou.
Putting the undercurrent of rape aside - as I do see the plot point of including it - the relationship between Toushirou and Alex was adorable! I'd like to read the next two, but as they're a connected volume, I'll wait until I have more time.
~
This was a surprisingly lovely story, with great chemistry between the MC's and gorgeous artwork.
Toushirou is unwanted - an omega, the son of a "whore" *insert eye roll* - and looked down on by society.
Alex is a Nyartigian - a cat person, essentially - and a gentleman.
The implication is that Alex is British, while Toushirou is Japanese. There's a surprising criticism of Japan, for the way they treat Omegas - both in terms of them mistreating other humans, and not safeguarding the vulnerable.
Toushirou's life has been hell - constantly being used and abused because he's an omega - until he's sold to a new owner, with the implication being that he's to seduce Alex for his previous owner, though the why or how it benefits the previous owner isn't really explained.
Alex is lovely! He's smart, strong and wonderful in every way. He takes care of Toushirou in ways that no one else ever has. He also has a best friend Rodney who - unlike some other stories of this type - looks down on Toushirou only because he's obviously been sent to tempt Alex to jeopardise the friendly relations between humans and Nyartigian's. Rodney is protective, cautious and yet he admits his mistakes, he's willing to trust Alex's judgement and accept Toushirou.
Putting the undercurrent of rape aside - as I do see the plot point of including it - the relationship between Toushirou and Alex was adorable! I'd like to read the next two, but as they're a connected volume, I'll wait until I have more time.