halfcactus's reviews
72 reviews

A Walk in the Park by Winnie Chua

emotional hopeful reflective

5.0

A gorgeous and moving meditation about not knowing how to live your life that landed on all the right spots for me since I too have been Going Through It this year and also trying to do things to get out of my head—trying to find myself in the world around me.

Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza by Mosab Abu Toha

dark reflective sad

They didn't find a place to bury you.
They carried you on their shoulders,
wandered through the neighborhood,
stopped at your childhood school
and the old park.

The houses never saw you.
They've already packed their bags.
Dust has erected a tent in the corners.
Rust has landed with its worn-out clothes
  on the tap
and on the spoon.
It seals from the water its soft slide,
while you,
you sleep on moving sand.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

3.5

Enemies-to-lovers story in epistolary format as they leave each other letters in the time war. I found the writing flowery and distracting at first, but it grew one me as we spent more time with the characters. Plot was self-contained but a bit too lean for me—I could have done with more meat and tendon.

Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 5 by Kamome Shirahama

5.0

In the Jaws of St. Camillus by Stevie Barot

4.0

A twisty story about a mortician and a priest in a remote Filipino town. Dark and warm and beautifully tense, with a strong sense of place and very interesting character dynamics. The ending feels like a prelude to a bigger story.

The Birds of the Storm by Mathilde Laillet

challenging emotional mysterious reflective

4.0

A quiet and atmospheric comic about storms and tenderness. The emotions are understated but powerful, the story feeling simultaneously small and spacious. The experience is almost puzzle-like and never fully unravels, always leaving room for things that are unsaid.

Kanna Has Never Seen A Cat by C.R. Chua

3.25

Auntie by Claud Li

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

A surprisingly wholesome (and moving) poker-centered comic! The first part is a competition which was a lot of fun. Everyone had distinct personalities and some of the character interactions (John and Victor 👀) were intriguing. The second half takes you back to Auntie’s home which takes you to her home and personal life.

Content notes: grief and a sad family storyline—but overall the comic finds the character at a place of peace

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Content Warnings

Minor: Terminal illness and Grief

Light Through Memory by Jean Wei

hopeful reflective

4.0

Short and thoughtful; a very moving visual experience.

Minnow Soup! by Felipe Ortiz

lighthearted

4.0

Short and warm—the character-to-environment ratio makes this extra cute and alluring.