Scan barcode
jshawreads's reviews
578 reviews
Assassination Classroom, Vol. 10: Time for Robbery by Yūsei Matsui
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Assassination Classroom, Vol. 09: A Shocking Time by Yūsei Matsui
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley, Tor, and S.L. Huang for providing me with a free electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
.
The Water Outlaws is a genderspin retelling of a classic Chinese novel, an epic fantasy adventure of the Liangshan Bandits, a group of women, trans women, and gender binary non-conforming people who work to liberate the people of the empire from the swollen, brutal rule of beaurocrats.
.
Inspired by wuxia, the book has beautiful and intricate fight choreography, and Lin Chong, one of the main characters, is a true martial arts master. I thoroughly enjoyed following each of the narratives as they led to the epic conclusion, and seeing queer representation in wuxia inspired fantasy was refreshing and natural. I really hope to see more stories in this universe!
.
The Water Outlaws is a genderspin retelling of a classic Chinese novel, an epic fantasy adventure of the Liangshan Bandits, a group of women, trans women, and gender binary non-conforming people who work to liberate the people of the empire from the swollen, brutal rule of beaurocrats.
.
Inspired by wuxia, the book has beautiful and intricate fight choreography, and Lin Chong, one of the main characters, is a true martial arts master. I thoroughly enjoyed following each of the narratives as they led to the epic conclusion, and seeing queer representation in wuxia inspired fantasy was refreshing and natural. I really hope to see more stories in this universe!
Let Me Out by Emmett Nahil, George Williams
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley, Oni Press, and Emmett Nahil and George Williams for providing me with a free electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
.
Let Me Out is a queer horror graphic novel set in a small town in the USA at the height of the "Satanic Panic". When the local Pastor's wife is found dead, apparently covered in satanic sigils, it ends up being the band of outcasts Mitch, Terri, Lupe, and Jackson, the punks and queers of the town, who suffer the blame. As the sheriff and an FBI agent work to cover things up, the gang of four will have to (quite literally) deal with the devil to make it out alive.
.
It is a really gripping narrative, with beautiful and real characters facing the worst of the worst as queer people in 1979. The phobia and abuse they suffer is the real devil, apart from you know.... the real actual devil...
.
Delightfully gory and spooky, but with a core group of lovable outcasts at the core, Let Me Out is a fantastic edition to the queer horror catalogue.
.
Let Me Out is a queer horror graphic novel set in a small town in the USA at the height of the "Satanic Panic". When the local Pastor's wife is found dead, apparently covered in satanic sigils, it ends up being the band of outcasts Mitch, Terri, Lupe, and Jackson, the punks and queers of the town, who suffer the blame. As the sheriff and an FBI agent work to cover things up, the gang of four will have to (quite literally) deal with the devil to make it out alive.
.
It is a really gripping narrative, with beautiful and real characters facing the worst of the worst as queer people in 1979. The phobia and abuse they suffer is the real devil, apart from you know.... the real actual devil...
.
Delightfully gory and spooky, but with a core group of lovable outcasts at the core, Let Me Out is a fantastic edition to the queer horror catalogue.
Supper Club by Jackie Morrow
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley, Image Comics, and Jackie Morrow for providing me with a free electronic review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Supper Club follows three friends entering their final year of High School, through the pressures of getting into college, dating, anxiety, and dealing with illness and grief. But one shining light keeps them going, Friday night is Supper Club night. A potluck where everyone cooks, brings their dishes, and eats great food together.
A wonderful story of how food can bring us together, can settle disputes and cheer us up. I did enjoy how we get to see the perspective of each friend, but in a just over 200 page comic, that meant that sadly the perspectives were a little thin, and in some cases felt a little rushed. I would have loved to see more detail about each of the character's struggles and how food and their friends helped them through it. The art was lovingly drawn, in that anime way that somehow 2D cartoon food can look so delicious, and there were even recipes for some of the foods.
Overall, it was a great read, but I felt I could have had a little more depth, perhaps in a further volume?
Supper Club follows three friends entering their final year of High School, through the pressures of getting into college, dating, anxiety, and dealing with illness and grief. But one shining light keeps them going, Friday night is Supper Club night. A potluck where everyone cooks, brings their dishes, and eats great food together.
A wonderful story of how food can bring us together, can settle disputes and cheer us up. I did enjoy how we get to see the perspective of each friend, but in a just over 200 page comic, that meant that sadly the perspectives were a little thin, and in some cases felt a little rushed. I would have loved to see more detail about each of the character's struggles and how food and their friends helped them through it. The art was lovingly drawn, in that anime way that somehow 2D cartoon food can look so delicious, and there were even recipes for some of the foods.
Overall, it was a great read, but I felt I could have had a little more depth, perhaps in a further volume?
Assassination Classroom, Vol. 08: Time for an Opportunity by Yūsei Matsui
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
First of all, who on earth gave Adam Silvera the ability, and the right, to so deeply and aggressively cause me to cry like a bitch in public whenever reading his books? Everything of his I have read has been so deeply emotional, and connects on a level that few other authors have managed.
More Happy Than Not is the story of Aaron, scarred by his past and struggling to find happiness with the help of his friends and girlfriend. Until Thomas shows up, who Aaron gets on with so quickly and so well, and other emotions seem to start up, making Aaron question everything that has gone on before.
I dont want to delve any further into the story, because any spoilers could REALLY throw off what happens. Part of what goes down was so shocking and so unexpected by me that I was literally sat outside in my city's Gay Village, ugly crying into my drink.
A really, really good book, gripping, emotional, and devastatingly sad. Read this when in a good mental state only.
More Happy Than Not is the story of Aaron, scarred by his past and struggling to find happiness with the help of his friends and girlfriend. Until Thomas shows up, who Aaron gets on with so quickly and so well, and other emotions seem to start up, making Aaron question everything that has gone on before.
I dont want to delve any further into the story, because any spoilers could REALLY throw off what happens. Part of what goes down was so shocking and so unexpected by me that I was literally sat outside in my city's Gay Village, ugly crying into my drink.
A really, really good book, gripping, emotional, and devastatingly sad. Read this when in a good mental state only.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Punch Up! Vol. 1 by Zachary Sterling
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
Thankyou to Netgalley, Oni Press, and Zachary Sterling for my free electronic copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
Punch Up! Is a fun, fast paced story about Pitch, an orphan, trained in martial arts, who longs to be trained by his idol, Sonny Chan. Entering a fighting competition in the hope of impressing him, Pitch manages to catch his attention with his impressive abilities. But under the surface of the tournament, something is lurking...
A gorgeously bright and dynamic graphic style, very Cartoon Netwoork meets manga, and a fun fast paced story, with excellently created fight scenes. I really enjoyed this, and will be keeping my eyes peeled for volume 2!
Punch Up! Is a fun, fast paced story about Pitch, an orphan, trained in martial arts, who longs to be trained by his idol, Sonny Chan. Entering a fighting competition in the hope of impressing him, Pitch manages to catch his attention with his impressive abilities. But under the surface of the tournament, something is lurking...
A gorgeously bright and dynamic graphic style, very Cartoon Netwoork meets manga, and a fun fast paced story, with excellently created fight scenes. I really enjoyed this, and will be keeping my eyes peeled for volume 2!
Northranger by Rey Terciero
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Pride Book Tours for including me on the Northranger Instagram tour and for providing me with a free physical copy in exchange for an honest review.
Northranger, inspired by the classic Jane Austen novel Northanger Abbey, follows Cade Muñoz as he works on a Texas ranch during the summer and begins to fall for Henry, the son of the ranch owner. But secret abound at the ranch, and at the owner's summer home, Northranger and Cade may need to discover them before it's too late.
Gorgeously drawn, with simplistic but atmospheric colouring, and really palpable characters and tension. I particularly loved Cade's love of horror and how he uses being scared of movies and tv shows to combat his real fears, living as a queer Latino teenager in Texas. The story of romance between Cade and Henry is wonderful, and Henry's own struggles with religion and identity felt natural and real.
I absolutely adored this graphic novel and highly recommend it.
Northranger, inspired by the classic Jane Austen novel Northanger Abbey, follows Cade Muñoz as he works on a Texas ranch during the summer and begins to fall for Henry, the son of the ranch owner. But secret abound at the ranch, and at the owner's summer home, Northranger and Cade may need to discover them before it's too late.
Gorgeously drawn, with simplistic but atmospheric colouring, and really palpable characters and tension. I particularly loved Cade's love of horror and how he uses being scared of movies and tv shows to combat his real fears, living as a queer Latino teenager in Texas. The story of romance between Cade and Henry is wonderful, and Henry's own struggles with religion and identity felt natural and real.
I absolutely adored this graphic novel and highly recommend it.