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harrietj's reviews
426 reviews
Best Friends by Shannon Hale
3.0
I feel like Shannon Hale is kind of treading the same ground in this, her third graphic memoir about being a kid and navigating the battleground of school and high school age friendships, but then we all do. Some lessons you have to learn several times. And having read these books very spaced out from each other, I didn't feel that they were really too repetitive. Perhaps if I'd read them all in a glut it would have been more apparent, but independently each one is gently funny, and the art is very cute. I like them, and I think they would probably have been pretty comforting to read if I'd found them as a young girl.
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
3.5
This was cute. Two sisters move to a coastal town in part because it will be a healthier environment for the younger sister, who has a terminal illness. The town is populated by ghosts.
The art was very simple and it didn't blow me away by any means, but the story was cute, and I can see how it would be useful for a young kid to read a story exploring not just heritage, especially Mexican heritage (I'm not Mexican, so perhaps not in a place to comment on how accurate this part was. But then, I believe the author is white, so perhaps she isn't either), but also a story about the serious illness and potential death of a younger sibling. I don't know if I've come across that much in kids' literature, and certainly not from the perspective of the older, healthy, sibling.
The art may be a little mundane, especially given the potential of a story about ghosts, creepy landscapes, and Dia de los Muertos celebrations, but the emotionally sensitive and complex story more than makes up for it. This is definitely a kid's book, with probably limited crossover appeal for older teens or adults, but as a children's book it's very strong.
The art was very simple and it didn't blow me away by any means, but the story was cute, and I can see how it would be useful for a young kid to read a story exploring not just heritage, especially Mexican heritage (I'm not Mexican, so perhaps not in a place to comment on how accurate this part was. But then, I believe the author is white, so perhaps she isn't either), but also a story about the serious illness and potential death of a younger sibling. I don't know if I've come across that much in kids' literature, and certainly not from the perspective of the older, healthy, sibling.
The art may be a little mundane, especially given the potential of a story about ghosts, creepy landscapes, and Dia de los Muertos celebrations, but the emotionally sensitive and complex story more than makes up for it. This is definitely a kid's book, with probably limited crossover appeal for older teens or adults, but as a children's book it's very strong.
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
3.5
Cute, if a little underdeveloped. Teen girls as werewolves. It was simple, and maybe we've seen a lot of the adolescent fenale rage stuff done better before (Jennifer's Body?), but then I'm an angry gay 34 year old woman who's spent a lot of time consuming raging feminist media. Perhaps my bar is a little too high these days. This was still a lot of fun and I'm glad I read it.
I hope there are lots of people who come to this first, and enjoy it for what it's doing, and then go on to more intense or rage-fuelled media afterwards, as I think going the other way makes this seem a little light, but that's no fault of the title itself.
I hope there are lots of people who come to this first, and enjoy it for what it's doing, and then go on to more intense or rage-fuelled media afterwards, as I think going the other way makes this seem a little light, but that's no fault of the title itself.
Fourteen Ghost Stories by Nicholas Foster
3.0
Fourteen decent ghost stories. Very much in the MR James vein, these supernatural tales definitely take a quiet, creeping approach to horror, and while fourteen in one go might be a little too much of a good thing, read slowly, savoured over a longer period and allowing each story to stand on its own merit, this is a consistent and strong, if not especially innovative or varied, collection.
Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans by Dan Baum
4.0
Absolutely loved this. It provided such insight into the city and I'm so glad I read it ahead of and during my trip to New Orleans. What an incredible city, and what an incredible book, to explore it through these nine people who all lived through such a city-defining tragedy. I really feel like reading this book has given me a better understanding not only of this unique city but of America as a whole.
I especially loved the quote about New Orleans not being the worst organised city in the USA, but the best organised city in the Caribbean. I've only been a tourist skirting the edges of the city, but that felt dead on.
I especially loved the quote about New Orleans not being the worst organised city in the USA, but the best organised city in the Caribbean. I've only been a tourist skirting the edges of the city, but that felt dead on.
Marvel Knights Spider-Man, Vol. 1: Down Among The Dead Men by Mark Millar, Terry Dodson
3.5
Sure, Mark Millar is a bit of an edgelord, but he writes a good Spider-Man and he clearly loves the character. I don't think he writes Peter entirely faithfully - sometimes he's not the most likeable guy - but then, Peter has had some pretty extended periods during which he's been pretty hard to root for. He's often arrogant, rude, or just unreliable, and not only when he's trying to conceal a secret identity. The reason it feels slightly off in this book is that I don't think Millar is intending him to be read that way.
I still really liked this. It feels like it has high emotional stakes. It's quite hard to go wrong with Spider-Man for me, but this is definitely better than average.
I still really liked this. It feels like it has high emotional stakes. It's quite hard to go wrong with Spider-Man for me, but this is definitely better than average.
Marvel Knights Spider-Man, Vol. 2: Venomous by Mark Millar, Frank Cho, Terry Dodson
3.5
This got real dark real fast. I still really enjoyed it, but I think I liked the first volume of this series a little more. It's impressive how willing to go hard Millar is, though; he did not hold back with this one.
May stuff aside, I did think this volume was a little messier than the last one, and could have stood to be tightened up. It felt slightly less cohesive as one story.
May stuff aside, I did think this volume was a little messier than the last one, and could have stood to be tightened up. It felt slightly less cohesive as one story.
Superman: Funeral for a Friend by Dan Jurgens
3.0
Whatever, I know it's a bloated, overlong, shameless cash grab of a story, but I love that 90s art and I read this in an old edition that had newspaper-type pages that recreated it so well. I'm basic enough to get choked up at Superman's grieving family and friends. I'm here for it.
It also includes one of my all-time favourite Superman issues - Superman: Man of Steel #21. I love the cover so much, that terrible Pa Kent in the cornfield image, and I LOVE the chronically underused Underworlders that get a lot of attention in it. They're so cute and ridiculous and weird. I wish they'd showed up in more storylines. I know I shouldn't really rate an entire collection on the strength of one issue but I have such a weird affection for it.
It also includes one of my all-time favourite Superman issues - Superman: Man of Steel #21. I love the cover so much, that terrible Pa Kent in the cornfield image, and I LOVE the chronically underused Underworlders that get a lot of attention in it. They're so cute and ridiculous and weird. I wish they'd showed up in more storylines. I know I shouldn't really rate an entire collection on the strength of one issue but I have such a weird affection for it.
Human Remains: The Complete Series by Peter Milligan, AndWorld Design, Dearbhla Kelly, Sally Cantirino, Adrian F. Wassel
3.5
The vibrant, almost assaulting, art in this story was my favourite thing about it. I loved the concept, too, but I wanted a little more. I want this story twice as long and twice as deep. Otherwise, an excellent read.
Pass Me By: Gone Fishin' by Kat Simmers, Ryan Danny Owen
4.0
I loved this calm, quiet, reflective story about gay love and memory. The colours used were stunning and every page looked great.
I did find that I wanted more, much more, of this story, and I don't think that is entirely a good thing. I wasn't absolutely satisfied. I know this is the first volume of a longer series and I'd suggest that it might read much better when all collected into one great big volume. But if my only complaint is that there wasn't enough of the book, take it as a giant compliment! This was a great, if prematurely over, read.
I did find that I wanted more, much more, of this story, and I don't think that is entirely a good thing. I wasn't absolutely satisfied. I know this is the first volume of a longer series and I'd suggest that it might read much better when all collected into one great big volume. But if my only complaint is that there wasn't enough of the book, take it as a giant compliment! This was a great, if prematurely over, read.