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sparky_young_upstart's reviews
200 reviews
A Silent Voice, Vol. 2 by Yoshitoki Oima
4.0
Now that I've read this volume, I think I will continue with the series. The first volume left me unsure because it was entirely backstory, and also because Shoya is incredibly un-sympathetic. Fortunately this volume gets the ball rolling on plot and character arcs. Shoya is striving to redeem himself from his actions, and several characters do accuse him of being nice to Shoko just to absolve him of his guilt - something I'm very glad was addressed. He doesn't want to be a better person just to stop being guilty, he wants to because now he knows it's the right thing to do.
The artwork continues to be good and manages to be dynamic even in the more quiet scenes. My favourite panels, though, were the ones where Shoko is emotional enough to sign to people with JoJo-levels of intensity. On the one hand I'm still waiting to see more from her perspective, but at the same time I think I understand why we haven't yet - Shoya, for all his good intentions, still has a while to go before he can actually call himself Shoko's friend and learn about her life beyond her disability. When he is able to cross that threshold, I imagine that's when we'll earn insight into Shoko as well.
The artwork continues to be good and manages to be dynamic even in the more quiet scenes. My favourite panels, though, were the ones where Shoko is emotional enough to sign to people with JoJo-levels of intensity. On the one hand I'm still waiting to see more from her perspective, but at the same time I think I understand why we haven't yet - Shoya, for all his good intentions, still has a while to go before he can actually call himself Shoko's friend and learn about her life beyond her disability. When he is able to cross that threshold, I imagine that's when we'll earn insight into Shoko as well.
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
5.0
Here we have a book that to some may seem to have a very gimmicky premise, but through the course of the story manages to run the gamut of every emotion and end in a very profound, satisfying, and meaningful place. This is a book of raw emotion, of the highest hopes and worst fears, of whether pain should be kept to yourself or if it should be shared (spoiler alert: it should be shared). Every character is given a sympathetic side, and every character has the capacity to be an asshole (except for Zooey, I guess, but it's hard to notice how perfect she is in the shadow of everyone else's pain). By the end, regardless of what they've said, you could see everyone having a reason to save the world or let it end.
Speaking of endings, SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING BELOW!
In my opinion, I would have preferred it if there was a more definite ending. I can even envision how it would've all played out. However, from an objective point of view, the ending that did occur was the best way the story could have ended. Thus five stars.
Speaking of endings, SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING BELOW!
In my opinion, I would have preferred it if there was a more definite ending. I can even envision how it would've all played out. However, from an objective point of view, the ending that did occur was the best way the story could have ended. Thus five stars.
James Bond: Service by Kieron Gillen, Antonio Fuso
4.0
A tight 4, but 4 nonetheless. Gillen's writing is quite up to par here, and his style shines through as always. The artwork by Fuso is also excellent, striking just the right balance of lighting and shadow, abstract and realistic to help move the action-packed tone along. I'm not a huge bond fan but I was quickly drawn to this iteration of him thanks to the character design, characterization, and nazi-punching (oh did I mention there's Nazi-punching? There's nazi-punching!). The biggest gripe I have is that it's so short. A longer story would have been even more engaging and given more time for the stakes to raise naturally instead of feeling so rushed.
The reason this is four stars is because of Gillen's Bond and Fuso's art; it's one of those weird situations where the whole isn't quite as good as the sum of its parts.
The reason this is four stars is because of Gillen's Bond and Fuso's art; it's one of those weird situations where the whole isn't quite as good as the sum of its parts.
Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
4.0
While I feel like the television episode has several advantages over the book, I still think this is a great read for newcomers and fans of Miss Fisher alike. Of course because I watched the show before reading the book, most of this review will be in comparison to the episode "Cocaine Blues".
I did find it a bit messy in the beginning, like Greenwood was hurtling towards the Melbourne setting as fast as she could. It makes sense, but also leads to a rushed introduction to Phryne. Fortunately her character is fleshed out more as the book goes on and is done so through her actions rather than statements, which is a nice change of pace. While the television show streamlined all the subplots of the novel so that they all relate to each other, here there are a lot of elements operating completely independently of each other - Alice's abortion, Dot being fired, and the cocaine trade are all different cases. I like this for two reasons. One, it shows just how dangerous it can be for women in 20s Melbourne, rather than these women being endangered simply because they were connected to the same bad people. Two, and connected to my first point, it also allows Phryne to demonstrate not only her desire to help many of the people that cross her path but another way in which she is defying convention of the time simply by being as strong and independent as she is.
There are also enough differences between the book and shows plots to make things a bit more surprising. The villain is the same as the episode, but the way they do their business is different. Unlike the show Phryne isn't motivated by family history to come to Melbourne, which unfortunately does rob her of some depth that was present early in the show. Rather than Collins, we have two different cops (including a lady cop!) assisting Jack Robinson, and the two of them play off of each other well - I hope to see more of them in later books.
All in all it's a great historical mystery for anyone who's a fan of the genres, and also certainly worth checking out if you liked the show.
I did find it a bit messy in the beginning, like Greenwood was hurtling towards the Melbourne setting as fast as she could. It makes sense, but also leads to a rushed introduction to Phryne. Fortunately her character is fleshed out more as the book goes on and is done so through her actions rather than statements, which is a nice change of pace. While the television show streamlined all the subplots of the novel so that they all relate to each other, here there are a lot of elements operating completely independently of each other - Alice's abortion, Dot being fired, and the cocaine trade are all different cases. I like this for two reasons. One, it shows just how dangerous it can be for women in 20s Melbourne, rather than these women being endangered simply because they were connected to the same bad people. Two, and connected to my first point, it also allows Phryne to demonstrate not only her desire to help many of the people that cross her path but another way in which she is defying convention of the time simply by being as strong and independent as she is.
There are also enough differences between the book and shows plots to make things a bit more surprising. The villain is the same as the episode, but the way they do their business is different. Unlike the show Phryne isn't motivated by family history to come to Melbourne, which unfortunately does rob her of some depth that was present early in the show. Rather than Collins, we have two different cops (including a lady cop!) assisting Jack Robinson, and the two of them play off of each other well - I hope to see more of them in later books.
All in all it's a great historical mystery for anyone who's a fan of the genres, and also certainly worth checking out if you liked the show.