tatyana_'s reviews
173 reviews

Thank you to the Netgalley, Lerner Publishing Group, the author, Stephanie Loureiro, and illustrator, David López, for an advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own. Available as of January 1, 2024.  

This short graphic novel reviews environmentalism and climate activism with simple yet effective storytelling. It starts off by focusing on the history and evolution of climate change and environmentalism. Beginning with ancient societies, readers learn about the advocates and activists who strove to understand and improve the relationship between society and the environment. The final chapter highlights young climate activists and how they were inspired to use their voices for change. I really appreciated this chapter because it’s always great to see how involved younger people are in movements and how powerful young voices can be. I found this book to be rather informative for 30 pages and a great introduction to the topics discussed.

In Unfamiliar 2, we spend time with Planchette's friends, Sun and Babs, whom she met in Volume One. They face curses, an annoying Faerie King, family issues, and new feelings. In the background, Planchette works with Pinyon to help another ghost find peace. 

The story was very fast-paced in this installment. We were given a lot of information that wasn’t expanded upon. Instead, it seemed to be setting up for future events. This as well as the jumping between storylines made it feel like there was too much being juggled at once. The drawing style and color palette were certainly highlights of this book. We also got to learn more about their world and other characters, which was fun. Seeing the characters grow over the span of the two books has made for an interesting read.

Thank you to the Netgalley, Mad Cave Studios, Maverick, and author Ennun Ana lurov for an advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own. Available as of October 24, 2023.

This supernatural graphic novel tells an eerie tale involving a dark and mysterious forest. We follow a young man, Adam, who is visiting his best friend in Romania. When he arrives, he learns that his friend has disappeared after visiting a forest they had planned to see together. He also learns that many have gone missing in this forest, including a growing number of young men. So Adam decides to look for his friend despite receiving many warnings, including from locals in the area.

It felt like this short story was neither the beginning nor the end of this dark tale. It was hard to tell how many details of the disappearances were truth versus urban legend. Although the townspeople were saddened by what was taking place, everyone seemed to have accepted the fate of those who went missing. There were also some who may have known more than they let on. We also got a quick synopsis of the folklore linked to the forest, which added to the unsettling nature of this short story and the mysterious ending.

This graphic novel follows four teens who make a wish on Halloween and are transported to the world of Confetti Realms. Upon arrival, they are given a minor quest and learn that the entire realm is about to be transformed into a new one very soon. The idea of becoming someone else is very enticing for each teen as they struggle with their respective issues. Now, they must decide if they will stay or return to their lives.

While I enjoyed the premise, I am not sure if the storyline and conclusion did it justice. The characters move throughout the realm gaining insight from their experiences. But with four teens having different struggles, the symbolism of each experience wasn’t fully explored. On the other hand, the artwork and color palette were very suitable for this graphic novel’s fall vibes. I also appreciated that the characters actually sounded and acted like teenagers. Their understanding of identity, mental health, grief, growth, and reconciliation felt realistic.

I was feeling nostalgic and loved this book as a kid 🤷🏾‍♀️

Thank you to Netgalley, Europe Comics, and Stéphane Fert for an advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Temperance is an ogre who is adopted into a community of witches as a baby. Her very existence seems to cause serious contention among The Lost Ones (aka non-magical humans) and the witches. She was raised by Grizzelda, who is known for her affinity for growing plants in harmony and using them for various purposes. She feeds and helps many people including those from outside her community. Grizzelda once lived among the humans until there is a conflict that forces her to flee to the witch's home with baby Temperance and an arrow in her back. It is hinted that Grizzelda has secrets and suspicions that she is not ready to share, but that may be of use to Temperance finally understanding who she is. 

The mist is a leering threat throughout the entire graphic novel and a great source of mystery. Anyone who gets lost in it becomes a mutant with no memory of their past life. We briefly see that the characters are living in a post-apocalyptic world. So, it's possible that the mist could be a symptom or reaction to something from the past. The story ended on a cliffhanger and left many questions unanswered. Hopefully, what caused the downfall of the old world and other unanswered questions will be explained in future installments. Some several characters and relationships are also pretty vague. 

My favorite part of this book was the art. The soft, mute palette made it stunning. I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel and look forward to reading future installments.

This short story follows Lily who is a Duban. Every Duban is born as a twin. So when Lily is born with a shadow instead it is expected that she will be killed by her community to her parents’ dismay. Lily ends up surviving, but unfortunately, her parents do not. As a result, she ends up being passed between two adoptive families who care for her until she is a toddler. Along the way, this short story explores how powerful the fear of the unknown can be through Lily and other characters. There are also magical elements woven throughout the story with other worlds and creatures. After reading this, I learned that this story is connected to some of the author's other novels where we learn more about Lily and her adoptive father. I would be interested in learning more about the characters and this world, especially since this ends on a cliffhanger. 

 

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. While this is presented as a story about the relationship between a mother and daughter, it feels more like their relationship takes a backseat. Instead, we see how they interact with other people, most notably the men in their lives. After reading this I really did not know anything about them that wasn’t told through the context of these men. I also found that the art heavily sexualized both women, and that did a disservice to their characters and the plot. It also seemed unclear who was narrating at several times and the time jumps were sporadic, which made it difficult to follow the timeline and understand what was happening.