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diamondxgirl
Grief is a lens to look at life through.
The final 5 minutes of this book is just full of #allthefeels and now I'm just sobbing. SOBBING.
Signs of You is a little nugget of a contemporary with a bit of magic/paranormalism mixed in. It's one of those books that you'll likely consume in one sitting, not just because of it's dainty size but because the journey of Noah, Riley, Kate, and Jay is equally as mysterious as it is mesmerizing.
Everyone has experienced grief at some point in their life. For Noah, Riley, Kate, and Jay, grief is one of the things that connects them. They're a tight-knit support group of friends who are suddenly experiencing a very surreal thing: they can see their deceased love ones around town. These aren't zombies and they're not even really ghosts. What they do know is this phenomenon is connected to an old Totem they were warned against.
Each of the characters and their surrounding supports were likeable and charming in their own ways. There's very little ego in this book, just pure caring and support for each other, which is a refreshing thing to see in a contemporary novel. The story arc is not perpetuated by some awful thing that happens between characters but by a new sensation that they're all learning about together. In that sense, Signs of You is a mystery novel.
Overall, Signs of You is worth your read (or listen, because the audiobook is also fantastic) because it's something new and different that crosses genres and has wide appeal. Just be prepared for a few tears at the end!
The final 5 minutes of this book is just full of #allthefeels and now I'm just sobbing. SOBBING.
Signs of You is a little nugget of a contemporary with a bit of magic/paranormalism mixed in. It's one of those books that you'll likely consume in one sitting, not just because of it's dainty size but because the journey of Noah, Riley, Kate, and Jay is equally as mysterious as it is mesmerizing.
Everyone has experienced grief at some point in their life. For Noah, Riley, Kate, and Jay, grief is one of the things that connects them. They're a tight-knit support group of friends who are suddenly experiencing a very surreal thing: they can see their deceased love ones around town. These aren't zombies and they're not even really ghosts. What they do know is this phenomenon is connected to an old Totem they were warned against.
Each of the characters and their surrounding supports were likeable and charming in their own ways. There's very little ego in this book, just pure caring and support for each other, which is a refreshing thing to see in a contemporary novel. The story arc is not perpetuated by some awful thing that happens between characters but by a new sensation that they're all learning about together. In that sense, Signs of You is a mystery novel.
Overall, Signs of You is worth your read (or listen, because the audiobook is also fantastic) because it's something new and different that crosses genres and has wide appeal. Just be prepared for a few tears at the end!
I begrudgingly listened to over 13 hours of this on audio before I rage quit and skipped to the last 5%. I just...nope.
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Besides reading tons of YA, I also read tons of graphic novels and comics so I hope you don't mind a few reviews on those. I consider a lot of what I read to be YA adjacent, anyways.
It's no secret that I'm a big music lover. I'm also a big fan of comics who are written by people who engage in other types of writing, including songwriters, novel writers, and screenwriters. I'm fascinated by how they engage in comics, which feels different to me. So when I heard that Gerard Way was re-engaging with DC Comics with his very own imprint, DC's Young Animal, I knew I needed to get on with reading Umbrella Academy. It helps that I got to choose the graphic novel for my Women with Issues comic group.
Welcome to the Umbrella Academy.
The Umbrella Academy exists in an alternative reality where JFK was never assassinated (apparently there is where 11/22/63 was successful) and is set in 1977, which is the year Gerard was born. The Monocle has adopted a group of kids who were born out of the blue to parents who largely abandoned them. This group of dysfunctional superheroes is charged with saving the world, which would probably be more realistic if The Monocle was a good dad, which he totally is not. In fact, even though the kids call him dad, he doesn't honor that title. Oh, and he names them with numbers, which are assigned in the order he deems them useful. Very helpful in developing a team of kids who are eventually going to save the world.
We only see each other at weddings and funerals.
In starting the story, the team has disbanded and not in contact, though that quickly changes with the death of The Monocle. Oh, and in the meantime, one of they has switched teams and is now a supervillain. #00.01 - The Spaceboy - is the assumed leader of the group and has developed super strength. Other abilities include altering reality through lying, telekinesis (which only works when he's barefoot), and time travel, to name a few.
#00.05 has been 60 years in the future and relays to his siblings that the world is going to end in the very near future. Chaos ensues, which is all I am going to say about the rest of the story.
Gerard's writing mirrors the tone of his songwriting, poetic and dark and thought provoking, while also being a bit surreal. I enjoy this in a comic, because if I wanted to read a typical superhero story, I'd read Batman or similar. These characters and their journey are not your typical heroes. They're more broken and their responsibility to come together as a team is less clear, especially since they've developed new abilities.
Overall, this isn't a comic for everyone (certainly not for kids). If you want something a little different, I recommend it, though!
It's no secret that I'm a big music lover. I'm also a big fan of comics who are written by people who engage in other types of writing, including songwriters, novel writers, and screenwriters. I'm fascinated by how they engage in comics, which feels different to me. So when I heard that Gerard Way was re-engaging with DC Comics with his very own imprint, DC's Young Animal, I knew I needed to get on with reading Umbrella Academy. It helps that I got to choose the graphic novel for my Women with Issues comic group.
Welcome to the Umbrella Academy.
The Umbrella Academy exists in an alternative reality where JFK was never assassinated (apparently there is where 11/22/63 was successful) and is set in 1977, which is the year Gerard was born. The Monocle has adopted a group of kids who were born out of the blue to parents who largely abandoned them. This group of dysfunctional superheroes is charged with saving the world, which would probably be more realistic if The Monocle was a good dad, which he totally is not. In fact, even though the kids call him dad, he doesn't honor that title. Oh, and he names them with numbers, which are assigned in the order he deems them useful. Very helpful in developing a team of kids who are eventually going to save the world.
We only see each other at weddings and funerals.
In starting the story, the team has disbanded and not in contact, though that quickly changes with the death of The Monocle. Oh, and in the meantime, one of they has switched teams and is now a supervillain. #00.01 - The Spaceboy - is the assumed leader of the group and has developed super strength. Other abilities include altering reality through lying, telekinesis (which only works when he's barefoot), and time travel, to name a few.
#00.05 has been 60 years in the future and relays to his siblings that the world is going to end in the very near future. Chaos ensues, which is all I am going to say about the rest of the story.
Gerard's writing mirrors the tone of his songwriting, poetic and dark and thought provoking, while also being a bit surreal. I enjoy this in a comic, because if I wanted to read a typical superhero story, I'd read Batman or similar. These characters and their journey are not your typical heroes. They're more broken and their responsibility to come together as a team is less clear, especially since they've developed new abilities.
Overall, this isn't a comic for everyone (certainly not for kids). If you want something a little different, I recommend it, though!
Before I started this book, I hadn't heard of Hyperion. That mostly made me curious, because it seemed random that he got his own book suddenly. I'm glad I decided to pick this one up!
Maybe I don’t have to help everyone. Maybe I can just help one human at a time.
Hyperion is trying to stay under the radar but Doll has other plans. She's heard of his special abilities and worms (*shudders*) her way into his life. Turns out she's in a debacle thanks to some creepy circus dudes who have bigger plans for her. Let me tell you, these carnies are not your regular creeps but take their villainess to a whole other level.
I enjoyed both the art and the writing in this one and will continue with the next arc. There's a bit of a surprise at the end of issue 5 so I'm interested in learning more about that!
Maybe I don’t have to help everyone. Maybe I can just help one human at a time.
Hyperion is trying to stay under the radar but Doll has other plans. She's heard of his special abilities and worms (*shudders*) her way into his life. Turns out she's in a debacle thanks to some creepy circus dudes who have bigger plans for her. Let me tell you, these carnies are not your regular creeps but take their villainess to a whole other level.
I enjoyed both the art and the writing in this one and will continue with the next arc. There's a bit of a surprise at the end of issue 5 so I'm interested in learning more about that!
Joyride is one of my most absolute favorite comics of all time. It's smart, funny, and snarky, with characters you can't help but love. Oh, and did I mention it's set in SPACE? That's right, the creators have taken the teen experience and centered it around space.
Joyrides are meant as a kind of escape, yeah? Well this joyride takes that meaning and runs with it. Each of the teens has their own reason for getting off their planet and running. Eventually it all comes out and they're either in it together or spaced (I'll let you infer what that means).
Joyrides are meant as a kind of escape, yeah? Well this joyride takes that meaning and runs with it. Each of the teens has their own reason for getting off their planet and running. Eventually it all comes out and they're either in it together or spaced (I'll let you infer what that means).
OMG seriously, this is one of the funniest comic I've read in a long time. Bobbi aka Mockingbird is so great. She's everything you want in a superhero and personally, I think she gives Tony Stark a run for his money.
All of the nods to other Marvel superheroes and events just add to the camp of this book. Everything from the art to the writing is on point. I'm so glad we get more Bobbi because the world needs more comics like this!
All of the nods to other Marvel superheroes and events just add to the camp of this book. Everything from the art to the writing is on point. I'm so glad we get more Bobbi because the world needs more comics like this!
Perfect ending with the most perfect creative team. I'm sad to see them transition from the book because they made Batgirl come alive for me and I imagine a lot of new readers.
Dick Grayson is my absolute favorite hero. Call him Robin, Nightwing, Agent 37...I don't care because he's always GRAYSON to me.
I love that this arc comes full circle into rebirth. The annual as part of this collection is hilarious and features some favs such as Constantine and Harley. But nothing is like ending with Nightwing rebirth. I got straight chills on the last page. Man, Seeley knows how to tell a story! If you're skeptical about rebirth, don't be. I'm all in.
I love that this arc comes full circle into rebirth. The annual as part of this collection is hilarious and features some favs such as Constantine and Harley. But nothing is like ending with Nightwing rebirth. I got straight chills on the last page. Man, Seeley knows how to tell a story! If you're skeptical about rebirth, don't be. I'm all in.
So many heart eyes, especially as Norah is creating the playlist in her head.