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twicomb's reviews
846 reviews
Losing It in Translation by Sheelue Yang
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
There's a lot of heart in this short book about the challenges of navigating language barriers with older family members. I would have liked the story to be more fleshed out; it resolved very quickly and missed the opportunity to delve more deeply into moments where the main character works to learn new Hmong words from her grandparents. We see that happen so briefly and it could have been a lovely and much more significant storyline. But the overall concept of the book will feel relatable to any child struggling to connect with family elders who don't speak the language they are growing up speaking. Bonus points for inclusion of some details about cooking and how to prepare pho in the traditional Hmong style.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Frankie D, Vegan Vampire, Volume 1 by Brian Dutra, Sally Dutra
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
A charming and surprisingly funny early chapter book featuring the adventures of Frankie and his family of vampires, as they try to figure out "human" life (going to the beach? bring SPF 500!). It's well-written with short, snappy chapters...made me remember being this age and the excitement of finally getting to read books with chapters. The story itself is clever and heartwarming without being sappy. I quite like the accompanying illustrations as well. The whole book reminded me a little of the Amelia Bedelia books...not so much wordplay, but the same fun, silly tone. My favorite part of this book is how it shows that love and caring can exist in any family, even an unconventional family (like vampires).
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Taxi Ghost: (A Graphic Novel) by Sophie Escabasse
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A charming, light-hearted tale with gallons of heart, all spun around the amusingly-unexpected idea of a girl who becomes able to see ghosts upon beginning her monthly periods. The ghosts are curmudgeonly, or super-friendly, or chill and laid-back...just the way that humans might be any of those things. These ghosts are far from monolithic. They also appear in a variety of colors. As for where they appear, they tend to congregate near loved ones who are still alive, but also in locations relevant to topics of great passion (like the fight to keep their former apartment building from being bulldozed for new condo development).
The story is quick and peppy, with good conflicting emotions around family dynamics, duty to others, respect for your own self, and all the other things that come along with trying to figure out who you are (and who you want to be) during your teenage years. I really enjoyed all of the supporting characters as well, especially the passionately energetic grandmother who will absolutely put in her two cents no matter what and no matter when.
Props to the author and publisher for being willing to tell a story within which "girl gets her period for the first time" is a light, humorous plot point, and not either something to be never mentioned or something that is incredibly embarrassing and must be examined with grave concerns. This is such a fresh, authentic way to tackling the topic. And really, it actually makes perfect sense - with all of those other changes that come along with your menstrual cycle beginning as you start your transformation into womanhood, why wouldn't you also start being able to see ghosts?
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
The story is quick and peppy, with good conflicting emotions around family dynamics, duty to others, respect for your own self, and all the other things that come along with trying to figure out who you are (and who you want to be) during your teenage years. I really enjoyed all of the supporting characters as well, especially the passionately energetic grandmother who will absolutely put in her two cents no matter what and no matter when.
Props to the author and publisher for being willing to tell a story within which "girl gets her period for the first time" is a light, humorous plot point, and not either something to be never mentioned or something that is incredibly embarrassing and must be examined with grave concerns. This is such a fresh, authentic way to tackling the topic. And really, it actually makes perfect sense - with all of those other changes that come along with your menstrual cycle beginning as you start your transformation into womanhood, why wouldn't you also start being able to see ghosts?
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Et Cetera: An Illustrated Guide to Latin Phrases by Maia Lee-Chin
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
An attractive, nicely laid-out book that encourages idle flipping through pages even by those who believe themselves not interested in Latin. Surprise, surprise: they will likely discover they're more interested than they had thought.
The phrases are divided into five themes: Literature; Love, Friendship, and Family; Mythology; Military and Power; Culture and Philosophy. For each phrase, the author provides a literary translation, the attribution, the origin, and a full-page explanation/analysis of the phrase's meaning, source, and applicability today. Each phrase is also accompanied on the facing page by a large illustration done in pencil line and graphic color blocking. These illustrations are very well-done, and capture the powerful emotions that thread through so many of the phrases featured in this book.
I found many new phrases in this book. Here are a few I particularly enjoyed:
"Is venerem e rapido sentiet esse mari" - from Tibullus, "She is like Venus, born from blood and an angry sea."
"Aut viam inventam aut faciam" - from Hannibal Barca, "Either I'll find a way, or I'll make one."
Not all of the phrases are new to readers. Many will ring a bell, which no surprise, given that our language is in large part descended from Latin. The die has been cast, soul sister, one hand washes the other, swan song: It's fascinating how many of these phrases remain in common speech today, although as the author notes, many have been softened in meaning from their original, stronger, implications.
This book would be a great addition to the library of anyone who enjoys languages, history, or learning fascinating random facts. It could also be a great gift for that hard-to-please friend who's always picking up a new hobby, because reading it leaves you feeling like you could spit out fun Latin facts at the next cocktail party you attend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
The phrases are divided into five themes: Literature; Love, Friendship, and Family; Mythology; Military and Power; Culture and Philosophy. For each phrase, the author provides a literary translation, the attribution, the origin, and a full-page explanation/analysis of the phrase's meaning, source, and applicability today. Each phrase is also accompanied on the facing page by a large illustration done in pencil line and graphic color blocking. These illustrations are very well-done, and capture the powerful emotions that thread through so many of the phrases featured in this book.
I found many new phrases in this book. Here are a few I particularly enjoyed:
"Is venerem e rapido sentiet esse mari" - from Tibullus, "She is like Venus, born from blood and an angry sea."
"Aut viam inventam aut faciam" - from Hannibal Barca, "Either I'll find a way, or I'll make one."
Not all of the phrases are new to readers. Many will ring a bell, which no surprise, given that our language is in large part descended from Latin. The die has been cast, soul sister, one hand washes the other, swan song: It's fascinating how many of these phrases remain in common speech today, although as the author notes, many have been softened in meaning from their original, stronger, implications.
This book would be a great addition to the library of anyone who enjoys languages, history, or learning fascinating random facts. It could also be a great gift for that hard-to-please friend who's always picking up a new hobby, because reading it leaves you feeling like you could spit out fun Latin facts at the next cocktail party you attend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Yule Island by Johana Gustawsson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Recipe For a Dark Holiday Read: take this book on winter vacation in a snowy cabin in the woods, and read with a big mug of steaming coffee and a plate of crispy Swedish vaniljkakor (vanilla cookies).
It's a twisty whodunnit set on a remote island of Sweden, where the answers that art appraiser Emma Lindahl is searching for may be closer than she realizes. But on Storholmen, nothing is at it seems, and as the nights grow longer and the snow grows deeper, she's going to discover that her sister's long-ago death on this very same island is at the center of a bloodcurdling series of murders that are still going on today.
I'm a fan of great thriller novels. I like them confusing, mysterious, and not too gory. This title does a good job of satisfying on all those counts. It did get a little *too* twisty in some places...I found myself getting confused a few times while trying to follow all the events, keep track of varying timelines, and multiple characters. It doesn't help that these are often presented without clarifying information about the dates or locations (in order to keep twists more of a surprise when revealed), but until you get to those twists, you just find yourself a bit muddled as to what's going on. But the overall pace of the book kept moving along well enough for me to remain interested. The ultimate reveal was...without going into spoilers, I'll just say that I would have liked more "why" behind what happened. Why was this thing done? Why did that person make that decision? We find out the Who, What, Where, and When...but never really the Why. That irked me a little since if you're going to read an entire book about a series of terrible murders, you expect there to be some payoff explaining why it all happened. But nonetheless, I enjoyed the journey and the twisty turns along the way.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
It's a twisty whodunnit set on a remote island of Sweden, where the answers that art appraiser Emma Lindahl is searching for may be closer than she realizes. But on Storholmen, nothing is at it seems, and as the nights grow longer and the snow grows deeper, she's going to discover that her sister's long-ago death on this very same island is at the center of a bloodcurdling series of murders that are still going on today.
I'm a fan of great thriller novels. I like them confusing, mysterious, and not too gory. This title does a good job of satisfying on all those counts. It did get a little *too* twisty in some places...I found myself getting confused a few times while trying to follow all the events, keep track of varying timelines, and multiple characters. It doesn't help that these are often presented without clarifying information about the dates or locations (in order to keep twists more of a surprise when revealed), but until you get to those twists, you just find yourself a bit muddled as to what's going on. But the overall pace of the book kept moving along well enough for me to remain interested. The ultimate reveal was...without going into spoilers, I'll just say that I would have liked more "why" behind what happened. Why was this thing done? Why did that person make that decision? We find out the Who, What, Where, and When...but never really the Why. That irked me a little since if you're going to read an entire book about a series of terrible murders, you expect there to be some payoff explaining why it all happened. But nonetheless, I enjoyed the journey and the twisty turns along the way.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Dysphoria, Torture, and Animal death
Dandelion by Sabir Pirzada
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
3.5
Essentially a short-story compilation in graphic format, all themed to the same idea: what if someone invented free-floating "homes" large enough that people could live out the rest of their lives there, never touching back down to earth again? And what if the government decided these should be used as housing for those people it wanted to essentially remove from society? (Similar to when convicts were given one-way ocean trips to Australia.)
The idea of the free-floating "dandelions" (houses) is a fascinating one, and unfortunately we don't actually learn much about them in this compilation. The stories focus more on the human reaction and experience around living (or not living) in the dandelions. A fair choice to make, looking at it from the human-experience perspective, but it left me with a lot of unanswered questions around the dandelions themselves that could have made for rich storytelling. Most of the stories are quite short (after all, they're one-shots, in the comic book sense of the word), which also means that we get a quick glimpse into the mind of a person or people related to the dandelion saga, but we never go too deep. The stories are split between one-shots about everyday dandelion inhabitants and one-shots that touch on the backstory of the mysterious inventor.
The art styles vary from story to story, as one would expect in a compilation, but they all play nicely together. All of the artists did a great job visualizing the dandelions themselves (although again, for a book titled "Dandelion" and ostensibly about these floating housing units, there is very little actual story or visual time spent showing/telling us about the dandelions).
I have mixed feelings about this book. The concept is fascinating. I feel it would have been more successful as a full-length graphic novel that took a few characters (perhaps one or two inhabitants, plus the inventor) and then spent the whole book digging into and expanding on those specific stories. Instead, this felt a little like a "what if?" collection akin to a "what if dinosaurs were vampires?" story collection where you get a lot of things roughly themed around the idea, but no central heart to hold it all together. I do like the originality of the overarching idea, and the opportunity always provided by this sort of compilation to showcase a variety of writers and artists.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
The idea of the free-floating "dandelions" (houses) is a fascinating one, and unfortunately we don't actually learn much about them in this compilation. The stories focus more on the human reaction and experience around living (or not living) in the dandelions. A fair choice to make, looking at it from the human-experience perspective, but it left me with a lot of unanswered questions around the dandelions themselves that could have made for rich storytelling. Most of the stories are quite short (after all, they're one-shots, in the comic book sense of the word), which also means that we get a quick glimpse into the mind of a person or people related to the dandelion saga, but we never go too deep. The stories are split between one-shots about everyday dandelion inhabitants and one-shots that touch on the backstory of the mysterious inventor.
The art styles vary from story to story, as one would expect in a compilation, but they all play nicely together. All of the artists did a great job visualizing the dandelions themselves (although again, for a book titled "Dandelion" and ostensibly about these floating housing units, there is very little actual story or visual time spent showing/telling us about the dandelions).
I have mixed feelings about this book. The concept is fascinating. I feel it would have been more successful as a full-length graphic novel that took a few characters (perhaps one or two inhabitants, plus the inventor) and then spent the whole book digging into and expanding on those specific stories. Instead, this felt a little like a "what if?" collection akin to a "what if dinosaurs were vampires?" story collection where you get a lot of things roughly themed around the idea, but no central heart to hold it all together. I do like the originality of the overarching idea, and the opportunity always provided by this sort of compilation to showcase a variety of writers and artists.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
The Hunger and the Dusk, Vol. 1 by G. Willow Wilson
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
Give us volume 2, stat! I must know what happens!
This first volume drops us deep into the world of orcs and humans, their age-old conflict, and their new need to form a truce and present a united front to a more terrifying enemy than either has ever seen before. Unifying forsworn enemies often means arranged marriages between the two sides, and things are no different in this fantasy world. One of the main characters is an orc princess who finds herself wed not to the orc overlord she had been unofficially betrothed to (and in love with) since they were both children, but instead a rough-n-tumble human who leads a ragtag band of fighters who are nevertheless fearsome in determination to save their lands. The orc overlord, in turn, finds himself paired up with another orc girl who had been friends with his erstwhile orc princess, also when they were all children. Lo, how the tangled threads do interweave. But all of this is presented in such a heartfelt and realistic way, through a story driven by the universal emotions of hope, fear, and uncertainty, that it feels immediate and relevant in a way you wouldn’t expect such a fantasy story to feel. There’s also plenty of violent warfare to keep readers from labeling this as merely a soap opera; and a soap opera it most certainly is not. Matters of the heart are experienced with the same depth, whether orc or human, and that’s one of the underlying messages being delivered in this first volume of the series.
Let’s not forget about this absolutely gorgeous art, which is what truly brings these universal emotions to life on the characters’ faces and in their body language, more than any dialogue can do. The world itself is detailed and elegant, rendered with finesse that makes you believe you can feel the slimy mud of the swamp, and hear the wind soughing through the pine trees over the snow. The orc kingdom’s fortresses and temples are a particular delight for the eyes, with crumbling plinths and still-imposing fortifications.
So I’ll once again request: please hurry up with volume 2! This is one saga I hope will continue for many volumes to come.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Tegan & Sara: Crush by Tegan Quin
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
5.0
A heartfelt ode to the trials and tribulations of being a young teenager feeling "love" for the first time. The story is woven seamlessly through the narrative of the twins getting signed to an agent and putting out a single (plus music video!). This story will ring true for anyone who's ever experienced that terrible thrill and pain of first crush...and haven't we all?
The artist does a gorgeous job of illustrating the emotions and thoughts of the two twins, and how they often clash (or come together) by using two primary colors to represent them. It's an excellent device that is never intrusive, but rather brings the conflicting energies to life as these two young teens start to find their ways toward their own unique identities outside of their twindom, but also find how much they need one another after all.
Highly recommended in particular for tween and teen readers who are trying to understand how to navigate the overwhelming tidal wave of emotions and thoughts that come with a crush. But the book will appeal to many more readers than that. Really well-done.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
The artist does a gorgeous job of illustrating the emotions and thoughts of the two twins, and how they often clash (or come together) by using two primary colors to represent them. It's an excellent device that is never intrusive, but rather brings the conflicting energies to life as these two young teens start to find their ways toward their own unique identities outside of their twindom, but also find how much they need one another after all.
Highly recommended in particular for tween and teen readers who are trying to understand how to navigate the overwhelming tidal wave of emotions and thoughts that come with a crush. But the book will appeal to many more readers than that. Really well-done.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
Griz Grobus and the Tale of Azkon's Heart by Simon Roy
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Recommended if you like Moebius's comics. This has a similar feel, both in art style (the line work and attention to detail, especially in building/machine design) and story flow (creates a sort of dreamlike feeling that this is a world both familiar and strange, where the story continues to move forward but not at breakneck speed). That said, I want to temper expectations: this is not at Moebius level. But then, what is? It's a very high bar to aim for, and Roy & Pollard have done a decent job of aiming for it and working hard to close in toward it. There' s fair amount of deadpan humor here as well, which is a fun note that keeps it feeling light and quick, overall.
I do have a bit of a quibble with the choice of lettering. It's difficult to read, and even if it were chosen for artistic reasons, that's still not a great decision when it comes to lettering for a graphic novel. There are ways to make lettering feel more hand-done than "typical" styles without going as far as is done here. I would have liked to see a lettering style that still had that rough feel, but not quite as stylized as what was used.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
I do have a bit of a quibble with the choice of lettering. It's difficult to read, and even if it were chosen for artistic reasons, that's still not a great decision when it comes to lettering for a graphic novel. There are ways to make lettering feel more hand-done than "typical" styles without going as far as is done here. I would have liked to see a lettering style that still had that rough feel, but not quite as stylized as what was used.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn, Volume 1 by Tri Vuong
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.0
The graphic novel collects together a series of interconnected stories about a paranormal investigator who is himself paranormal (?). The art has a simple, clean style to it that creates an interesting counterpoint to the dark themes and often-explicit violence. Characters tend to be drawn in a more rounded style which I quite liked. The muted but not dull palette is a nice choice as well.
The stories didn't hold my attention as much as I had hoped. Perhaps these struggled in adaptation from webcomic format to graphic novel format; I've seen that have a negative impact on story flow before. I think it's more that the stories just didn't grab my personal attention, not that there was anything wrong with them. Perhaps it's because they had a meandering feel that spent time creating a vibe than moving the storyline forward. There's nothing wrong with that if you enjoy that sort of graphic novel; it's just not my general preference. Nevertheless, the main character (Oscar) was engaging enough to carry it through for me.
Something that didn't sit quite right: many characters speak with a very modern vernacular. I found that odd, especially when they're supposed to be soldiers in World War II (for example). I would have appreciated it if they had spoken in a more authentic voice for that time period.
If you enjoy slower-paced, creepy, thought-provoking graphic novels, this may be a good one for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
The stories didn't hold my attention as much as I had hoped. Perhaps these struggled in adaptation from webcomic format to graphic novel format; I've seen that have a negative impact on story flow before. I think it's more that the stories just didn't grab my personal attention, not that there was anything wrong with them. Perhaps it's because they had a meandering feel that spent time creating a vibe than moving the storyline forward. There's nothing wrong with that if you enjoy that sort of graphic novel; it's just not my general preference. Nevertheless, the main character (Oscar) was engaging enough to carry it through for me.
Something that didn't sit quite right: many characters speak with a very modern vernacular. I found that odd, especially when they're supposed to be soldiers in World War II (for example). I would have appreciated it if they had spoken in a more authentic voice for that time period.
If you enjoy slower-paced, creepy, thought-provoking graphic novels, this may be a good one for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.