Raw and honest, I can't begin to say how much I appreciate books of this nature. As a parent of a non-binary child, I want so much to understand more Raw and honest, I can't begin to say how much I appreciate books of this nature. As a parent of a non-binary child, I want so much to understand more about this topic. Books like me help me to understand the terminology, and helps me to discover the questions to ask.
Is this book for everyone? Not everyone will be comfortable with the subject matter. Maia's story is intense and personal and will lead you to think. It's definitely worth reading though, especially if you want to understand more about the gender and the journey so many are on....more
The first three episodes of the TV show Miraculous put into a graphic novel form. This is exactly what you see on TV which is just fine. It's fun to rThe first three episodes of the TV show Miraculous put into a graphic novel form. This is exactly what you see on TV which is just fine. It's fun to read the show after enjoying watching it. The quality of the book makes this a delight as well, so we're all good. I'm discovering I really do like this show. Great characters and clever ideas for who goes 'bad' and why. Can't wait to read more!...more
This was a lot of fun. I'd seen only some of the Miraculous series and didn't know where the characters came from. Seeing it all come together like thThis was a lot of fun. I'd seen only some of the Miraculous series and didn't know where the characters came from. Seeing it all come together like this really filled in the gaps in my knowledge. Love the art and style, and reading this book just felt good all the way around. I'm left with a warm feeling and a lot of enthusiasm to keep going and read the rest of the series....more
The story of two sycamore seeds which spans hundreds of years. What happens to a seed when it leaves the tree? What does it need to survive? How can oThe story of two sycamore seeds which spans hundreds of years. What happens to a seed when it leaves the tree? What does it need to survive? How can one see link one period of history with another?
I liked the idea of the seeds each having a name. Louise has big ideas. Merwyn needs time to learn. This story was interesting, but it didn't move me much though I wished it would. There were times of great beauty, but Merwyn continued to annoy me to the point where the story sometimes dragged.
This was a little bit of a disppointment as I've liked other books by Selznick. Perhaps I just wasn't in the right place to appreciate it....more
Taking something like Shakespeare and translating it into the terms of high school makes for an interesting story no matter what. Adding in elements rTaking something like Shakespeare and translating it into the terms of high school makes for an interesting story no matter what. Adding in elements related to gender and sexuality makes it brilliant.
I have to give the author a lot of points for doing something so incredibly clever and original. The artwork is spot on and the story was interesting and a lot of fun to read. I'm only dropping this down a bit because I really feel as though Vi was the only character fleshed out as fully as they could be, leaving even their twin brother feeling kind of flat. There was a lot of awesome potential here which I think could have been explored more fully with a few more pages of story. I really wish this had a been a lot longer so we could have gotten into everyone in a deeper and more resonant way.
Vi though was interesting, and well thought out. I liked how they started to come into their own and wonder how they'll do after this story ends. I kind of wish I could have seen into the future more to discover what happened next.
So, if you're a fan of Shakespeare, YA fiction and graphic novels this is not to be missed. I'm glad I chanced across this at the library and will be looking up the next book in the series....more
Such an important story! I'm so glad this was made available to all readers by creating a graphic novel of this important time in history. The story oSuch an important story! I'm so glad this was made available to all readers by creating a graphic novel of this important time in history. The story of Bluma and Felix and their time spent in concentration camps during WWII is absolutely one which must be read. We really cannot afford to forget what happened, so it can't happen again.
That said, my only complaint about this book is it's so word heavy. To me a graphic novel needs to use the medium fully - to tell the story through pictures and words combined. Too often all we saw were random headshots of people and a lot of text. I can't help but wonder if this could have been done differently to make this more accessible to students who might not be as comfortable reading...?
Regardless, this is a powerful book and the story is incredible. How they survived is nothing short of a miracle. Definitely worth reading!...more
Now I'm back to being confused. I keep checking to see if I missed a volume in here because I'm not sure how we came to this portion of the story. In Now I'm back to being confused. I keep checking to see if I missed a volume in here because I'm not sure how we came to this portion of the story. In reading the other reviews I can see I'm not alone in feeling this way. Not sure how to proceed. I'm at the point where I'm not going to put a lot of effort into trying to find the next volume of the series....more
Gritty and dark, this story gets better and better as it goes. There's nothing tame about this version of Logan (was he ever tame?) and sometimes the Gritty and dark, this story gets better and better as it goes. There's nothing tame about this version of Logan (was he ever tame?) and sometimes the art leaves me a little bit shaken. But there is a lot of depth here even if the pace of the story continues to be slow. I guess some things really can't be rushed. Will definitely keep reading.
As a note, I was able to pull my husband into this series and now he's hooked too. We're sparring over who gets to read the next volume first....more
I stumbled across this series at the library and came into it feeling like I had missed out on something important. The good news is that it's easy enI stumbled across this series at the library and came into it feeling like I had missed out on something important. The good news is that it's easy enough of a storyline to understand. The frustrating part is that very little seems to happen before you're needing to be hunting around to find the next book. Don't get me wrong, I love Logan under any circumstances, and the old man Logan thing is intriguing, but I really do wish there was more meat to this story. Will keep reading....more
Things are getting more complicated for Cath. There is something so amazing about reading out loud to another person. I'm so glad this has been capturThings are getting more complicated for Cath. There is something so amazing about reading out loud to another person. I'm so glad this has been captured here. The writing process - absolutely. I get her frustration being someone who used to write fanfiction. The whole "how ethical is this" debate vs. how awesome it is to play in someone else's universe is a very real controversy. I like how well this is all explained.
The situation with her mom and dad is stressful though. I feel for Cath. She's ill-equipped for all this. An ill-timed kiss only complicates things further and sets her up for future difficulty. Whee! So much to explore here. Wait, when is the next book coming out????...more
The idea of becoming a squire and maybe even someday being a knight feels glamorous and exciting, especially to young people who don't see a lot of opThe idea of becoming a squire and maybe even someday being a knight feels glamorous and exciting, especially to young people who don't see a lot of opportunity for themselves, or have much experience in the world. What this entails though becomes something quite different, especially for Aiza and her friends as they learn that sometimes the rules they follow make sense...and sometimes they don't. When the time comes to decide what's right it can be hard, especially when taking the higher ground means breaking with tradition and doing something completely different from what you're told. Knowing when to do this is even more crucial.
There's a lot of deep topics to think about in this book. It's the sort of thing which should be read thoughtfully, hopefully in a class or book group because I think there's a lot to discuss. This is one of the better books I've read in a while to really illustrate these points. Wrapping this all up in an interesting story makes this truly delightful. The biggest problem I see is there's no way to know what happens next. I hope there's a sequel someday as I really like these characters and want to see where they go from here....more
This is one of those gentle coming of age stories which you can easily relate to whether you've been a horse girl or not. I love how the author addresThis is one of those gentle coming of age stories which you can easily relate to whether you've been a horse girl or not. I love how the author addresses the idea that something we were obsessed with once doesn't have to be all-consuming all our lives. How those around you react to these changes is explored honestly, as is the idea it's okay for friendships to change as you grow older.
There's a lot more going on here though. The expectations we put on ourselves, that others put on us can really mess us up sometimes. Also, just how hard it can be to fit into certain worlds. As an adult with horses I understand this too well - there's a lot of these same pressures on still around with plenty of 'helpful' people quick to tell you when you're not doing it right.
I liked this book. It's a quick read, but deep and meaningful. It spoke to the horse lover in me, and even tapped into my inner geek. Great on all counts and highly recommended!...more
Hades...I think he's a lot sweeter than he'd like to let on. Love meeting the other characters. And of course Persephone - dealingOooh, so much drama.
Hades...I think he's a lot sweeter than he'd like to let on. Love meeting the other characters. And of course Persephone - dealing with tabloid rumors on top of everything else? Oh yes, this is fun. I know this has been around for a while, but as usual I'm late to the party. Interested to see where things are going through so don't spoil it for me.
Really looking forward to other volumes in this series....more
Loved this book so much! The story of two young men who couldn't be any more different and how they come together was a delightful and thoughtful readLoved this book so much! The story of two young men who couldn't be any more different and how they come together was a delightful and thoughtful read. I love how the author/artist went to such lengths to show their friendship first. This is so important in ANY relationship, and is something you don't see often enough in teen romance. I'm really glad I picked this up (and can't wait to dig into book 2!)...more
Why in the world has it taken me so long to read this? I absolutely loved every second of this clever reimagining of this classic story. I never thougWhy in the world has it taken me so long to read this? I absolutely loved every second of this clever reimagining of this classic story. I never thought I could fall in love with Hades, but he's utterly perfect, brooding and domineering and just enough angst to make him the antihero. Persephone is adorably naive and very very young for him...which in the world of gods is just fine.
What I love best though is the complexity of the gods themselves and their relationships. Having to figure out the politics, the alliances...all of this is an incredibly complex task and I feel like the author really nailed it. Intelligent and fun, Lore Olympus is now one of my new favorite things....more
You have to love when they take novels you love and put them into graphic form. I love seeing the artists conception of the story. So often it adds suYou have to love when they take novels you love and put them into graphic form. I love seeing the artists conception of the story. So often it adds such a nice dimension to something you already enjoy. This book is no exception.
Cath is a freshman at college, on her own (somewhat) with her twin living her own life. It's a new situation for Cath as she starts realizing the part of her life which might have been out of balance previously. Without her outgoing twin to help her, she needs to figure out everything from dorm life to how to navigate the cafeteria.
My complaint here is that Cath still needs to be rescued by someone outside of herself. This has always been a flaw with this book, but it's easy to overlook in the rest of the story. I love that she writes fanfiction (I had my Sailor Moon fanfiction days so I get it). I love how she avoids people and winds up with friends anyway. I love her growing attraction to the young men in her life.
Overall this is a great story, very sweet and fun to read. It's perfect light entertainment for a cold day, as it'll give you the warm fuzzies all the way through....more
Penny is a girl who gets fired and loses her apartment in the same day. Her solution? Move into a storage unit (kids don't try this for a home). What Penny is a girl who gets fired and loses her apartment in the same day. Her solution? Move into a storage unit (kids don't try this for a home). What follows just gets even stranger. Working at a laundromat for an 11 year old kid, Penny finds a way to con everyone around her into liking her and helping her out.
Sometimes you rate a book just by how much you enjoyed it. So while the story of Penny is kind of weird and the plot doesn't always make sense, reading about a girl so positively unlucky is kind of fun and interesting. I wound up liking Penny and even Walter grew on me. Overall I'd give this a 3 star on technical merit, but I'm bumping it up a notch just because I had fun reading it. Cute book!
Anytime I find a comic strip which talks about books I'm going to be pretty happy. Add in a healthy dose of introversion, a loving partner, and yes, tAnytime I find a comic strip which talks about books I'm going to be pretty happy. Add in a healthy dose of introversion, a loving partner, and yes, tons of jokes about buying more books - I'm in. Once again Debbie Tung has offered up something which resonates so deeply that I kept sharing panels over and over again with people around me. Would I own this? Yes. I'd also likely give a copy to bookish friends as that present I know they're going to love....more
**spoiler alert** This is a book I really desperately wanted to love. Here you have a love story told through the lifetime of two women who couldn't b**spoiler alert** This is a book I really desperately wanted to love. Here you have a love story told through the lifetime of two women who couldn't be together back when they first fell in love, who later found each other, and then taking them through the end of their lives. It's a great premise, and the art is just perfect.
It's the characters themselves that kept me from loving this book.
While I get that both women had been living a lie for years, the suddenness in which they freed themselves from their husbands felt not only cruel but callous. I don't like that I don't get to see the full story because I'd have to go online to hunt down some of the key components that are missing. And the ending was just...depressing where it should have been sad and beautiful.
Overall I was somewhat disappointed with this story and am not sure I would look for other things by this author.
As a note? with several adult children falling on the LGBTQ spectrum somewhere or another, I shared this book eagerly because I wanted their opinion. I want to say, that those of that grouping who read it didn't like it much either for much of the same reasons, so it wasn't just me. I'm heartily sorry that we didn't because this is such an important story....more
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