Cute. A relatable story about how it feels to be the only black kid somewhere and the spark of joy you get when you see someone else who looks like you and microaggressions.

Also, amen to the segment about how MG/YA books are marketed to black kids. You have got drugs, poverty, rap, and basketball for black books vs. lily-white adventurer books. Thank God, it's slowly changing.

Yesss, Rio gives up on Akari. Thank youuuu. Rio + Yuna, here we go!

I probably would not have liked this if it weren’t in graphic novel form. I found many of the verses corny, but the majority rhymed, so I liked that. I also like the relationship between JB and Josh though it does feel a bit co-dependent on Josh’s part. Still, I understand feeling jealous when it feels like the rug has been pulled from under you.

The business with their dad was super relatable. A lot of my older family members have struggled with high blood pressure. My family’s African-American, so you know soul food can be a big part of the culture. I completely get the difficulty of trying to change eating habits and get their dad to go to the doctor.

I thought when the dad went into a coma was pretty dramatic and then he dies, but you know...

I guess ball is life and their mom wanted to take their mind off things, but, screw a middle-school basketball game. If my dad is dying, I want to see his last moments.

3.5

Charming!
3.5

This was a cute Christmassy story with some dark moments. Nothing wrong with the story at all, but I just didn’t find the art style engaging. I almost dnf this

Dark and unsettling. This is the typical survival, zombie story. I usually hate dystopian/apocalyptic themes, but the artwork grabbed my attention. The story’s set in Germany, and some of the backgrounds are just beautiful. Apparently, the world went to hell in a span of two years.

There’s a clear contrast between the two leads: Eva is hardened and fights to live like a rabid dog, whereas Vivi is still naïve and wants to put her head in the sand with all that has transpired. The ending isn’t open-ended, but there are some implications.

Idk how Eva teleported back to Vivi, but this can’t end well unless she becomes like Nezuko (Demon Slayer Kimetsu). Y’know someone that can withstand their cravings for humans.

I found a skeleton-faced dude working in a bookshop (in the manga/comics section) with all the wacky customers that come by really quirky and enjoyable. I like learning about the behind-the-scenes business of a bookstore. The bit about how *some managers are always stressing workers to smile was fun.

Still, a lot of riveting fun, but the Unicorn War business gets super confusing. It's on its alternate timeline type of stuff.

In addition to that, we get some backstory on Nico. This volume had a lot of action in it, so it's sure to hold kids' interest. As always, every character is like a Easter egg for different mythologies (I learned about African God Absonsam from this one!). I look forward to the next one.

“If the heir of the Takaba group were involved with a high school student… it would be a huge scandal” (pg 68).

I’m surprised the author addresses the age difference issue wholeheartedly and constantly. I love Hana. She never fails to roast Takane to smithereens and doesn’t drop everything at the drop of a hat to hang out with him. Takane’s not a wimp either and is so ridiculous that it’s charming. In this volume, we meet one of Takane’s few friends even though they had a falling out.

“If you hate being protected, then I’ll do everything to protect you!”

Loved it! Jamal’s narrative is crisp, and he’s soft-hearted. This story plays with the idea of closure after someone’s death. It’s touching and funny. Yes, it’s not an all-consuming sad fest. This has one of the best takes on forgiveness that I’ve read in a while. Even if you have never experienced grief or heartache, there’s something emotional here that would resonate with anyone.