Take a photo of a barcode or cover
obscurepages's reviews
406 reviews
Magical Boy, Volume 1 by The Kao
adventurous
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Humorous, campy, and so so good! 😂
I didn't have a lot of expectations diving into this book, especially because I don't know too much about it. But wow this was a pleasant surprise.
Great art (I could see the anime-style kind of art, but it was still its own design). Love the story and what it teaches about queerness/gender identity and transitioning. Loved the plot and the world-building, I thought it was really exciting and reminiscent of those "chosen one" YA fantasy we love but it has a fresh take. The friendships and the characters in here were also so good! I'm a sucker for found family or the ragtag group of misfits kind of trope so I just love how "Team Magical Boy" came together 😆
My only gripes would be that sometimes it's hard to discern which scene or panel is next? Same with the dialogue 😅 So it can get confusing sometimes. It also left us in a cliffhanger, which I feel conflicted about 😆 Not that I don't like cliffhangers, but maybe I would have liked to see some character development for particular characters? (The mom, Pyper, even Max as the MC) But honestly, it's not that bad and I know there's already a Volume 2 so I'm really excited!
Read for Trans Rights Readathon 2025! 🏳️⚧️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Deadnaming, Transphobia
The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Okay, let's start with that I liked 😆
- The art is gorgeous
- Love the autistic and trans girl rep
- Love the focus on humanity
What I didn't like 🥲
- there are weird time jumps?? I wish they were labeled properly or put into different chapters instead.
- Storytelling lacks a bit for me?
- Feels like the characterization is off sometimes? Like the characters' logic is weird/inconsistent (Lanie suggests sacrificing their bully, Val was against it. And then Val suggests killing their bully? Like what)
- I liked the ending enough, but there are some plot holes and unanswered questions for me 😅
Overall it was good and entertaining. But there were some plot holes and subplots I just couldn't get out of my mind 😅 Like what's the point of adding them if there's no resolution or they won't get mentioned ever again.
It feels like a weak 3-stars for me. A shame because I really liked the art and the premise.
Read for Trans Rights Readathon 2025! 🏳️⚧️
- The art is gorgeous
- Love the autistic and trans girl rep
- Love the focus on humanity
What I didn't like 🥲
- there are weird time jumps?? I wish they were labeled properly or put into different chapters instead.
- Storytelling lacks a bit for me?
- Feels like the characterization is off sometimes? Like the characters' logic is weird/inconsistent (Lanie suggests sacrificing their bully, Val was against it. And then Val suggests killing their bully? Like what)
- I liked the ending enough, but there are some plot holes and unanswered questions for me 😅
Overall it was good and entertaining. But there were some plot holes and subplots I just couldn't get out of my mind 😅 Like what's the point of adding them if there's no resolution or they won't get mentioned ever again.
It feels like a weak 3-stars for me. A shame because I really liked the art and the premise.
Read for Trans Rights Readathon 2025! 🏳️⚧️
The Dark Dimension by Gianluca Panniello, Manuela Razzi, Elisabetta Gnone
adventurous
challenging
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
You can tell that the girls are still only starting to bond with each other and form a chemistry. I definitely don't remember Cornelia being so antagonistic? impatient? lol. Still interesting though!
The Twelve Portals by Elisabetta Gnone
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I like that we're getting to know the girls a little bit here! Like the kind of people they are. World-building still gets a little confusing though, or because we don't have all the details yet and I think that's fine for now.
I still find it weird that their guardian form makes them look like older versions of themselves. And then we have Irma who transformed and went to a club and flirted with a guy older than her?? What in the 😭😂 I mean she's still 13, she's a kid. I don't think that's safe, nor is it significant to their powers/guardian selves. Like what does looking older and curvier really do when they're fighting or using their powers? I think it doesn't really add anything 🥲
I still find it weird that their guardian form makes them look like older versions of themselves. And then we have Irma who transformed and went to a club and flirted with a guy older than her?? What in the 😭😂 I mean she's still 13, she's a kid. I don't think that's safe, nor is it significant to their powers/guardian selves. Like what does looking older and curvier really do when they're fighting or using their powers? I think it doesn't really add anything 🥲
Halloween by Alessandro Barbucci, Elisabetta Gnone, Barbara Canepa
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Cleaned my cabinets and found my collection of W.I.T.C.H. comics 😭 I don't have the complete collection but I have about 30 issues. So I might just take another trip to nostalgia land and read this whole series for the first time (just like I did with Inuyasha mangas last year 😂)
Okay so. First issue ever. The art is good. I remember just taking the time and tracing every character and trying to draw them when I was a kid 😂 I definitely had a phase lol.
Storytelling-wise, I think it's a little disjointed. And a lot of info dump dear lord. As a result it can get a little confusing. Definitely interesting though, I love fantasy and world-building details so I'm looking forward to diving into the world-building of this one.
Also why do they transform to older teenage version of themselves when they transform and use magic? They're supposed to be 13 in this, but when they use powers they look like 16? Like what's the logic behind that 😭😂 When I was younger I didn't give it much thought. But being older now, I guess I just find that a little weird?
Hopefully the next few issues get better 👀
Okay so. First issue ever. The art is good. I remember just taking the time and tracing every character and trying to draw them when I was a kid 😂 I definitely had a phase lol.
Storytelling-wise, I think it's a little disjointed. And a lot of info dump dear lord. As a result it can get a little confusing. Definitely interesting though, I love fantasy and world-building details so I'm looking forward to diving into the world-building of this one.
Also why do they transform to older teenage version of themselves when they transform and use magic? They're supposed to be 13 in this, but when they use powers they look like 16? Like what's the logic behind that 😭😂 When I was younger I didn't give it much thought. But being older now, I guess I just find that a little weird?
Hopefully the next few issues get better 👀
How We End by LM Juniper
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Finally, after a month! This put me in a reading slump in February 😅
This was enjoyable and entertaining enough. My biggest issue is somehow it didn't have that "umph" that hooked me or made me obsessed. Like somehow it felt like everything was happening, but also nothing was happening at the same time. The plot and world-building were not as engaging or complex as I hoped they would be. I think I expected it to be more exciting or gripping as a reader, given that it is a zombie/apocalyptic story.
Now, I could have been fine with that. I mean, there were books that I liked where it's kind of confusing and not really plot-driven, but the characters still hook you in. I don't think that was the case for this book. Because while I liked the characters, I feel like the characterization still lacked and seemed like surface level? See I've been reading like half of the book, and I still couldn't care less about some of the characters. Even Jake as the main character felt weird sometimes (it was mentioned that he was a prepper, but it was so unbelievable for me unfortunately 😅) Anyway, yeah it wasn't until close to the end that I got an inkling of backstory from some of them and deeper personality traits.
I think the trans rep was good. It was very subtle though. But I liked that Jake's trans journey was highlighted in one part of the book and showed that not every trans experience is the same.
I think that's it for me really. Entertaining enough, but felt standard and conventional for the most part.
(Read for the Indie Ink Awards 2024!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Transphobia
The Boy & the Bindi by Vivek Shraya
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
This was so cute?!? Maybe I need to read more children's books 😭
This was such a short read, but also so poignant. I think for such a simple and short book, it was still really successful in delivering the message (breaking gender stereotypes and fostering self confidence) and engaging with the audience no matter the age.
Semantic Error, Vol. 1 by Angy, Soori Jeo
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was okay! It was funny and entertaining enough, but this is just the first volume so there wasn't much plot or impact yet. I've also never watched the kdrama (if I'm not mistaken, there is a kdrama adaptation?) Nevertheless, I still had fun reading it 😆 I look forward to reading the second one!
(Also is it me or Sangwoo is neurodivergent-coded? like pls, just say it and make it canon 🥹🙏)
The Ribbon Skirt by Cameron Mukwa
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
This was short and sweet and I really enjoyed it!
I loved the highlight on two-spirit identity and Indigenous culture. I think this book did a great job showing how they view gender as individuals and as community, now matter how simple it is, because it was a significant part of Anang, the MC's journey. I also think this is a very important book, especially when I think about what's happening in the west (particularly America) today. Seeing Anang in their ribbon skirt, dancing bravely and living freely at that moment was a scene of trans joy.
Some particular storylines were a bit shifty for me though. Like it could have been more seamless? But maybe that's just me nitpicking? 😆 And this is a middle grade book so I get the fast-paced feeling.
Still, this was very enjoyable and so heartfelt. 🥹
The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Book so good I didn't even realize the characters aren't queer until halfway through 😂 (They are queer in my headcanon for sure 😂)
This was such a cute read! 🥺 I know this is from one of the co-creators of Mooncakes (which I really adored) so I fell in love quickly with all the art and the colors! I also love the overarching themes of ethics in science/AI, humanity, and freedom (which funny enough, gave me a similar vibe as the Murderbot series!) Kye and Clem were cute but I do feel like their romance was rushed a bit? And I don't know but some plot points could have been explored further as well (gaining consciousness/freedom, Lin's backstory, Ada's story too). Still, I can't deny, this was an enjoyable read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse
Minor: Child death