kumquatlemon's reviews
27 reviews

Morrison writes characters into existence in a way that makes them feel alive. I feel like I've met Cee before, heard about Frank from friends, and was raised by the women of Lotus. The world they inhabited felt real, like it was a fraction of the story many of us share and come to live, but with experiences so unknowable and specific to the people that tell it. 

HOME is written to examine what that word means, who you share it with, and how you come to name it. It is a beautiful book, with beautiful structure, and an even more beautiful message.

Nothing I've read in the book was seriously surprising in that I didn't expect it, but to see it all laid out, with descriptions from the perpetrators themselves, really puts into perspective the severity of lack of censure within internet communities. 
There were quite a few times where I had to take a break from reading because of the amount of cynicism this caused me to feel about the general state of the world. Though it does call into question the role of techno business capitalists in this spread of viral hate, but reflecting on the past two years since "Antisocial" was published, especially after the events of January 6th, 2021 there doesn't seem to be lasting effects in how the world treats issues of this magnitude, only treating symptoms and not causes. 

This is less of a review than a general inquiry, and I'd especially appreciate a discussion on this from other community members who are interested in this topic, but does this phenomena arise the need for policy reform especially as we continue to discuss political and social affairs on social media? This book is a very America-centric viewpoint and fails to account for the different cultures things like Facebook and Twitter affects. There are policy restriction on communication that are already enacted throughout the world that promotes political censorship of minorities under authoritarian rule. How might we account from how social media affects different countries? 

Might be be useful to break up these companies to small subcategories? But that might also promote the censorship of citizens in a way that prevents them from enacting meaningful, positive political change. It's a much broader topic than just the removal of Nazi's (which should happen, of course). But if we have to beg these companies to remove these voices of racism and violence, can we really trust them in leading discussions that affect us culturally and politically?

The book is written in the different perspectives of the family members, detailing the most influential parts of their lives and how they each were affected by it. Lightman does well in writing poetic prose, abstract emotion written in concrete sentiments. 
However,  there were times I grew frustrated with the characters' plot points, as it didn't feel like they made many conscious actions and it was mostly just documenting their reactions. Which, I suppose, is the point, but it doesn't allow for any progression of story and more of a recount of anecdotal narratives. 

This review focuses on storytelling from a graphic novel POV rather than just the writing.

My favorite story from the anthology is definitely the first one, and it's probably one of my favorite examples of creative and atypical paneling from anything I've read. The way the art flows out of its borders, which are molded by the other elements of the page, into another makes it feel like a modern day tapestry. Usually, in stories like these, artists tend to restrict their border-breaking but I'm glad Valero-O'Connell doesn't. The art is half, if not more, of the enjoyment of the story.

The characters all have a romantic type of problem, not necessarily in the sense of love and relationships, but more of the internal and external struggles that seem other-worldly but still speak to our emotions. Her writing and characters remind me of older stories and fairytales. I'm a big fan of stories with semi-ambiguity, especially when it comes to comics, so they hit just the right points for me to love the anthology.

I love her character designs in each of them and how well the pushes the conflict and mood of the stories. Valero-O'Connell is one of my favorite graphic novelist because she (seemingly) effortlessly blends writing with art where she builds a whole new fantastical world!

"Laura-Deen" is a coming-of-age story following the main character, Frederica Riley, as she struggles with her on-again off-again girlfriend, Laura Deen. The reader is taken on a journey through young Freddy's relationship problems, whether it be romantic or platonic, and you sympathize with each character and their own unique troubles. 
Coupled with beautiful art and sequencing, the story takes on a somewhat fantastical tone, using the art to swirl us from page to page. Tamaki's writing pairs finely with Valero-O'Connell's art and you can't help but feel entrapped in the world they build together.
I found this book after reading Valero-O'Connell's latest anthology, "Don't Go Without Me," which has much of the same flowing storytelling techniques and art that's used in this graphic novel. 
This is a great book to get lost in, and to come back to whenever you're feeling down!

Kurniawan's books all have a unique edge that makes the adventure feel otherworldly, and not just because of it's magical themes and plots. His writing style is exciting and draws you in from the first few pages! 
Occasionally, it is a bit confusing to understand the sequence of events and is a bit disorienting. While I feel like it works for this type of story, it might get in the way of understanding the full plot.