not from the writing itself, but the usage of bible scriptures here is making my skin crawl

First, I think it’s such a sweet gesture of the author to memorialize his family’s lives in a book if this is real. The main character is named Ramiro, so I can’t tell if it is or not. But I don’t doubt it’s inspired by real events. The level of work it took to convert interviews into stories and drawings is extensive. 

There’s a story in here about an older woman “turning out/taking advantage of a minor,” that’s a little ehhh. But I understand not censoring stories and giving the people interviewed the space to tell their stories without judgment. It’s still framed in a “you go, boy! You had an older woman” way, but life cannot be censored. And I've heard too many stories similar to this.

As the book progresses, family drama and a *gasp* family secret a la Tyler Perry gets revealed. If this is real, it’s a little tacky to reveal, but who knows the lines of fiction are blurred. The ending also is farfetched.

this man this senile, but he can reveal the perfect bookend? i guess.

But personally, I found this extremely dull.

I loved the message and enjoyed my reading experience. 

 Okay, two for two! Marcks does it again. I really love his method of storytelling. We’ve got a small-town mystery, a thriller, and a girl who loves STEM all in one action-packed story. I’ve only known these characters a little while, though Elijah returns, but I enjoyed them all the same. 

 Maybe the real Dungeon and Dragons were the friends we made along the way. 

 The artwork is beautiful and makes me feel nostalgic. I don't entirely get all the worldbuilding, but not bad for an introduction. I also loved how the antagonistic characters care about their friends just as much as the "heroes."