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jeremydaniel's reviews
15 reviews
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Just finished reading. Wow!! That is all I can really say at this point. Definitely buying a copy for my bookshelf.
A Child's Life and Other Stories by Phoebe Gloeckner
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
5.0
One of the most interesting and depressing collections of stories I’ve ever read. The art is amazing. I initially wanted to read the first couple of stories before bed and ended up staying awake for a couple of hours, devouring the entire novel.
The stories show the more traumatic sides of humanity and seem to come from experiences of the author or others in their life. It is a very authentic showcase of child abuse, trauma, addiction, and sexual assault. If you have survived any of this, you will connect with this in positive and negative ways.
The stories show the more traumatic sides of humanity and seem to come from experiences of the author or others in their life. It is a very authentic showcase of child abuse, trauma, addiction, and sexual assault. If you have survived any of this, you will connect with this in positive and negative ways.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Addiction, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, and Rape
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
What a wonderful read. I couldn’t put it down. Informative, heartbreaking, and powerful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape
White Faced Lies by Eric Flanagan, Eric Flanagan, Sam Voutas, Sam Voutas
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
I stopped smoking before I finished. Too repetitive for my tastes, it just took quitting; easier said than done. If it helps, it helps. Attempt it if you’re tired of smoking.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was an enjoyable read and stayed on my mind throughout the entire process of reading it. I felt the characters to be relatable, believable, and consistent to themselves throughout. The insight into the video game industry seemed proficient and was contextualized well; it was also referential without going full Ready Player One, which I genuinely appreciated. The plot was interesting but, in my opinion, not the focus. I also found the writing. I loved that the formatting of the novel was able to integrate with the plot at points.
The Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky
Took a break and did not return. Last opened June 2022. Plan to finish eventually.
Shigeru Mizuki's Hitler by Shigeru Mizuki
challenging
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
2.5
The opening talks about portraying the human side of Adolf Hitler but I feel like this ends up being disingenuous. Mizuki’s Hitler does shine light on the early years of Hitler but it’s incredibly brief. The main content focuses on his beliefs and his rise to power. It moves very fast, while context of people, places, and events is mostly served in a separate set of brief notes which, for me, disturbed the flow of the presentation.
This isn’t very surprising; an attempt at covering 56 years of someone’s life, especially someone that made such a huge impact on the entire world, is a large feat for a graphic novel. I imagine this would most likely not be the first place someone would head seeking an in-depth biography in the first place.
Some of the art was fantastic, particularly the artist’s signature style of mixing realism with manga elements. It’s eye-catching and unique, but I was left wondering what purpose it served in regards to recounting Hitler’s life.
The Holocaust itself is hardly mentioned which I found bizarre.
Ultimately, I found this manga to be shallow overall due to the reasons above. Covering the history of Hitler and all the events surrounding his rise to power is a massive undertaking, especially in this format. It’s the first graphic novel I’ve read where I didn’t think the genre was fit to tell the story.
This isn’t very surprising; an attempt at covering 56 years of someone’s life, especially someone that made such a huge impact on the entire world, is a large feat for a graphic novel. I imagine this would most likely not be the first place someone would head seeking an in-depth biography in the first place.
Some of the art was fantastic, particularly the artist’s signature style of mixing realism with manga elements. It’s eye-catching and unique, but I was left wondering what purpose it served in regards to recounting Hitler’s life.
The Holocaust itself is hardly mentioned which I found bizarre.
Ultimately, I found this manga to be shallow overall due to the reasons above. Covering the history of Hitler and all the events surrounding his rise to power is a massive undertaking, especially in this format. It’s the first graphic novel I’ve read where I didn’t think the genre was fit to tell the story.
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
4.5