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raesengele's Reviews (320)
Back in 2015, I remember coming across this book online and lusting after it for a long while, but, being a broke literature major at the time, my money went towards required reading rather than OMG-I-NEED-THAT reading and Through the Woods faded from my peripheral. Fast-forward to last week when I went to the library as I do ever Wednesday to write and there this beauty was on display right next to the table I always sit at as though greeting me with angelic voices singing around it. Okay, so that's a very obnoxious way of saying that I snatched it up as soon as I laid eyes upon it. And all I can say is, "why does this book keep entering my life when I don't have money?"
Featuring five creepy stories and stunningly haunting imagery, Through the Woods is the graphic novel that I needed as a weird, horror-loving teen. Though none of the stories are can't-walk-down-a-dark-hallway-afterwards scary, they are unsettling enough to satiate both horror fans and those who just want a good Halloween read.
Entertainment: 1 star
I was actually surprised how each story was able to hold my attention and make me want to know what was going to happen next. Even if I already had a feeling what was coming, I was still consistently and steadfastly along for the ride.
Story: 1 star
Since this is a collection of stories, I thought it would be best to talk a little about each one.
"An Introduction"
This story depicts the narrator as a child and the fear she felt of the darkness at the edge of her bed at night after reading. The story is short with less than 100 words, but it serves its purpose of getting the reader into the scary story mindset.
"Our Neighbor's House"
This story follows three sisters whose father sets out in the dead of winter and doesn't return home after three days. Though they were told to go to the neighbor's house on the fourth day if he didn't return, the oldest of the sisters insists that they stay before beginning to act strangely. This story plays with the fears that come with isolation and has one of my favorite pages that just encapsulates that mood of the story perfectly.
"A Lady's Hands are Cold"
Playing with "Bluebeard" themes, this story depicts a young woman who is married to a rich man and who begins to hear an eerie song coming from the house at night. This story flips some key ideas on its head with wonderful effect. Plus, it features this stunning spread.
"His Face All Red"
In this story, a man's brother isn't his brother, and he knows this because he killed his brother. Though this story never really give you an answer, it's the very concept that makes this one creepy. Plus, this story utilizes silence beautifully.
"My Friend Janna"
"Janna" takes the seance story to a new level when the girl pretending to communicate with spirits becomes haunted by a spirit that only her best friend can see. This is another story that doesn't end with an answer, but it doesn't really need one, the concept itself being what makes the story.
"The Nesting Place"
The longest of the stories, "The Nesting Place" features Bell, a fearless girl who doesn't believe in monsters until she is confronted with one. This story falls more into the body horror category of creepy. The story itself isn't all that creepy, but the almost cinematic visuals are what make it.
"In Conclusion"
Rounding out the book, we return to our narrator in "An Introduction" as she makes her way through the woods to her mother's house. This story is a bit of a turn on the typical Red Riding Hood stories with an ending that is creepily philosophical.
Character: 1 star
I had a bit of trouble with this one, since you're not really in any of the stories long enough to, so I thought, really get to know the characters, but the more I thought about, the more I realized that I was kind of wrong. Though the characters are never explored or fleshed out, you do get a quick glimpse of who they are as a character which aids in the further telling of the story. So, no, the characters aren't three dimensional people, but they don't really need to be for this format to work.
Writing Style: 1 star
While the writing style is sparse, it works in Carroll's favor here. Good visual horror isn't in what's said, but rather what isn't and Carroll definitely embraced that.
Art: 1 star
The art in this book is stunning! The use of color, space, text, and speech bubbles added so much to the story. Much like with the writing, Carroll understands how to use visuals in her favor when telling horror. The images alone make this book worth cherishing.
Total: 5 stars
I loved Through the Woods and had to stop myself from finishing it in one night. It's quick enough that nothing drags, the visuals stunning, and Carroll obviously understands what makes creepy creepy. I'm definitely going to purchase this book once I'm back in a place where I can freely throw money at amazon.
Featuring five creepy stories and stunningly haunting imagery, Through the Woods is the graphic novel that I needed as a weird, horror-loving teen. Though none of the stories are can't-walk-down-a-dark-hallway-afterwards scary, they are unsettling enough to satiate both horror fans and those who just want a good Halloween read.
Entertainment: 1 star
I was actually surprised how each story was able to hold my attention and make me want to know what was going to happen next. Even if I already had a feeling what was coming, I was still consistently and steadfastly along for the ride.
Story: 1 star
Since this is a collection of stories, I thought it would be best to talk a little about each one.
"An Introduction"
This story depicts the narrator as a child and the fear she felt of the darkness at the edge of her bed at night after reading. The story is short with less than 100 words, but it serves its purpose of getting the reader into the scary story mindset.
"Our Neighbor's House"
This story follows three sisters whose father sets out in the dead of winter and doesn't return home after three days. Though they were told to go to the neighbor's house on the fourth day if he didn't return, the oldest of the sisters insists that they stay before beginning to act strangely. This story plays with the fears that come with isolation and has one of my favorite pages that just encapsulates that mood of the story perfectly.
"A Lady's Hands are Cold"
Playing with "Bluebeard" themes, this story depicts a young woman who is married to a rich man and who begins to hear an eerie song coming from the house at night. This story flips some key ideas on its head with wonderful effect. Plus, it features this stunning spread.
"His Face All Red"
In this story, a man's brother isn't his brother, and he knows this because he killed his brother. Though this story never really give you an answer, it's the very concept that makes this one creepy. Plus, this story utilizes silence beautifully.
"My Friend Janna"
"Janna" takes the seance story to a new level when the girl pretending to communicate with spirits becomes haunted by a spirit that only her best friend can see. This is another story that doesn't end with an answer, but it doesn't really need one, the concept itself being what makes the story.
"The Nesting Place"
The longest of the stories, "The Nesting Place" features Bell, a fearless girl who doesn't believe in monsters until she is confronted with one. This story falls more into the body horror category of creepy. The story itself isn't all that creepy, but the almost cinematic visuals are what make it.
"In Conclusion"
Rounding out the book, we return to our narrator in "An Introduction" as she makes her way through the woods to her mother's house. This story is a bit of a turn on the typical Red Riding Hood stories with an ending that is creepily philosophical.
Character: 1 star
I had a bit of trouble with this one, since you're not really in any of the stories long enough to, so I thought, really get to know the characters, but the more I thought about, the more I realized that I was kind of wrong. Though the characters are never explored or fleshed out, you do get a quick glimpse of who they are as a character which aids in the further telling of the story. So, no, the characters aren't three dimensional people, but they don't really need to be for this format to work.
Writing Style: 1 star
While the writing style is sparse, it works in Carroll's favor here. Good visual horror isn't in what's said, but rather what isn't and Carroll definitely embraced that.
Art: 1 star
The art in this book is stunning! The use of color, space, text, and speech bubbles added so much to the story. Much like with the writing, Carroll understands how to use visuals in her favor when telling horror. The images alone make this book worth cherishing.
Total: 5 stars
I loved Through the Woods and had to stop myself from finishing it in one night. It's quick enough that nothing drags, the visuals stunning, and Carroll obviously understands what makes creepy creepy. I'm definitely going to purchase this book once I'm back in a place where I can freely throw money at amazon.
This book isn't so much a how-to as it is a "you have all the tools, now get off your ass and write" sort of book. I have a feeling this is going to be yearly read for me.
"Writing is survival." (xii)
"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you." (xiii)
"If you are writing without zest, without gusto, without love, without fun, you are only half a writer." (4)
"This afternoon, burn down the house. Tomorrow, pour cold critical water upon the simmering coals." (7)
"It means you must still take long walks at night around your city or town, or walks in the country by day. And long walks, at any time, through bookstores and libraries." (42)
"Self-consciousness is the enemy of all art." (116)
"Writing is survival." (xii)
"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you." (xiii)
"If you are writing without zest, without gusto, without love, without fun, you are only half a writer." (4)
"This afternoon, burn down the house. Tomorrow, pour cold critical water upon the simmering coals." (7)
"It means you must still take long walks at night around your city or town, or walks in the country by day. And long walks, at any time, through bookstores and libraries." (42)
"Self-consciousness is the enemy of all art." (116)
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Entertainment: 1 star
This book isn't boring. There is a heart that was put into it that you can feel as you read it. This may be mostly because this seems to be a very autobiographical book. It's hard not to put heart into something you yourself lived.
Story: .75 stars
I found the atmosphere and the depiction of Mexican American culture was the best part of this book. While I grew up around Mexican American culture, I was never immersed enough to really understand why certain things were done. This book did help me to better understand certain parts of the culture that I hadn't previously. As well, despite not being Mexican American, this book did make me feel a bit more proud of the area I come from.
It's also very much a story about family and how your family extends to those who help carry you through life, not just the people you're related to by blood. The whole theme of comadres/compadres was a great overarching theme that I really did enjoy. If you want a book that will either give you a view of Mexican American family life or to inspire you or your kids to take pride in their heritage, this is a good book to pick up.
What kept me from giving it a full star, however, is the fact that it felt more like a fix-up novel. Knowing that this is Canales' first novel and that her experience with writing before was short stories, this does make sense. Most of the book is just a series of vignettes with the tension/conflict of the moment being resolved by the end of the chapter. Which brings me to the whole novel aspect of this book. I'm still not sure why it was written as a novel and not as a memoir. The segmented vignettes and the real world lack of overarching tension is something that is much better suited for a memoir and are things that I wouldn't have questioned had it not been presented to me as a novel.
Character: .5 stars
While you can't help but enjoy the characters, they are all pretty two dimensional with very few flaws between them. Probably the most rounded feeling character was Berta who grew and changed throughout the book while learning to embrace and mold her flaws and accentuating her strengths. Sophia's mother was probably the next rounded out character, however, there were too many times when she felt like a bit too much of a cartoon character, especially the stocking baby in the grocery store story. While I liked the father, he was too perfect and saint like.
Both Lucy and Sophia felt like they never aged. Even at St. Luke's, Sophia never felt like a teen to me. There was a lot of focus on Berta changing, but not a lot on Sophia, the main character. While I understand that Sophia is a "tom boy" and not the stereotypical teen who is into boys and makeup and all that, but even teen "tom boys" are not the same as ten year old "tom boys."
Writing Style: 0 stars | Descriptions: .5 stars
I can't seem to separate these two and I keep talking about them as one, so, we're going to treat them as one.
The writing style was the thing that kept me from really enjoying this book. Aside from the lack of overarching tension or conflict, I felt that the wrong things were often shown. While her family and their love for each other was well developed, they floated in an empty void for me because we were never really shown where they were. Even as a Texan: I'm in South Central Texas, I've been to the border once in my life and never to the valley, so I'm not even sure what the landscape is like let alone what McAllen is like. We're never really shown McAllen, we hear about it often, but we never see it. This was especially glaring to me on two occasions: 1) when Sophia's mother takes her to the rich side of town to trick-or-treat. We never see how the area or setting is contrasting only the woman at the door and the fact that the treats are different. 2) when Sophia first goes to Austin. We never see the change in setting or landscape. Not only is Austin an interesting city visually that lends itself to being described, seeing the city would help us to see just how away from home Sophia is without ever needing to know how far it is in distance. While the school is described to some degree, it's in very generic language: "spacious green playing fields," "grand stone buildings around a large quadrangle," a list of facilities without description (pg 128). It doesn't help that we are never given an image of McAllen or the valley, so we have nothing to contrast these generic, collegiate terms with.
Also, while the characters mentioned the valley several times, Canales just assumed that the reader knew what she was referencing. The same thing was done with Whataburger and HEB, both of which were only mentioned once but that are huge parts of Texas culture and that any reader who isn't from Texas won't understand how big of a deal it is that her school in Austin isn't near an HEB, the primary grocery store chain that is in just about every city/town in the state of Texas and no where else in the US. In fact, we hear more about Wal-Mart than we do HEB, which was another issue I had. Berta explains to Sophia that Wal-Mart isn't a place to shop, it's where people go to hang out during the summer, but we never actually see this happening.
Another thing that really bothered me was the stilted dialogue and the ham-fisted connections to early events. As an example, here's a chunk of dialogue that bothers me for several reasons:
1) The events that Papa is referring to here happened literally two chapters and about 20 pages back. While I understand that it's supposed to have been years for the characters, it hasn't been for the readers, we don't need a recap this soon in the book. All he needed to say was something along the lines of "Remember that Halloween all those years ago? After I took you to the cemetery? Do you remember what you told me?" One line, the reader remembers, Sophia remembers and we move on.
2) This is a family who is proud of their heritage. How in the hell has Sophia, who is fourteen at this point, not yet gone to the cemetery with her family to celebrate dias de los muertos? How is it that she still needs the act of visiting dead family members on October 31st compared to a sobremesa to understand why people go to the cemeteries? Even as a white child who only knew this custom through observations, I got this concept before I was 10. This explanation is for the readers who Canales is assuming don't get it and I don't like that it's happening here and not in the chapter about dias de los muertos.
3) This conversation happens because Sophia wants to go to a boarding school in Austin and this is one of the instances where I felt this would have been better suited as a memoir. Canales is coming up with a reason for why Sophia wants to go to the school, which I'm sure was Canales' reason for wanting to go to the school she went to, but in the context of a fictional novel, it's ham-fisted and feels as though it's only to connect back to the dias de los muertos chapter. Sophia has already been shown as a kid who wants to do the best she can in school and who prefers to be smart over worrying about "girly things" like quinceaneras. The fact that she wants to go to a prestigious school which will guarantee her a spot in an ivy league university should be enough of an incentive without adding in the bit about her wanting to "see what's out there, on the other side[.]" (pg 48)
Also, there's a point where a character says "University of Texas in Austin" as dialogue. No Texan would say the whole name out loud unless they were explaining to a non-Texan what UT Austin stood for. It wouldn't be that hard to include in the narration something along the lines of "He was referring to University of Texas in Austin, one of the most prestigious universities in Texas and is stupidly hard to get into."
Total: 2.75 (rounded up for goodreads)
While I did enjoy this book for what it offers in cultural representation of a "minority" group that I grew up around, but that I feel many others don't understand, there were a lot of basic story telling mistakes throughout the book that kept me from enjoying it as much as I really wanted to. And yet, had this been written as a memoir, I would have been able to ignore a good chunk of those mistakes.
This book isn't boring. There is a heart that was put into it that you can feel as you read it. This may be mostly because this seems to be a very autobiographical book. It's hard not to put heart into something you yourself lived.
Story: .75 stars
I found the atmosphere and the depiction of Mexican American culture was the best part of this book. While I grew up around Mexican American culture, I was never immersed enough to really understand why certain things were done. This book did help me to better understand certain parts of the culture that I hadn't previously. As well, despite not being Mexican American, this book did make me feel a bit more proud of the area I come from.
It's also very much a story about family and how your family extends to those who help carry you through life, not just the people you're related to by blood. The whole theme of comadres/compadres was a great overarching theme that I really did enjoy. If you want a book that will either give you a view of Mexican American family life or to inspire you or your kids to take pride in their heritage, this is a good book to pick up.
What kept me from giving it a full star, however, is the fact that it felt more like a fix-up novel. Knowing that this is Canales' first novel and that her experience with writing before was short stories, this does make sense. Most of the book is just a series of vignettes with the tension/conflict of the moment being resolved by the end of the chapter. Which brings me to the whole novel aspect of this book. I'm still not sure why it was written as a novel and not as a memoir. The segmented vignettes and the real world lack of overarching tension is something that is much better suited for a memoir and are things that I wouldn't have questioned had it not been presented to me as a novel.
Character: .5 stars
While you can't help but enjoy the characters, they are all pretty two dimensional with very few flaws between them. Probably the most rounded feeling character was Berta who grew and changed throughout the book while learning to embrace and mold her flaws and accentuating her strengths. Sophia's mother was probably the next rounded out character, however, there were too many times when she felt like a bit too much of a cartoon character, especially the stocking baby in the grocery store story. While I liked the father, he was too perfect and saint like.
Both Lucy and Sophia felt like they never aged. Even at St. Luke's, Sophia never felt like a teen to me. There was a lot of focus on Berta changing, but not a lot on Sophia, the main character. While I understand that Sophia is a "tom boy" and not the stereotypical teen who is into boys and makeup and all that, but even teen "tom boys" are not the same as ten year old "tom boys."
Writing Style: 0 stars | Descriptions: .5 stars
I can't seem to separate these two and I keep talking about them as one, so, we're going to treat them as one.
The writing style was the thing that kept me from really enjoying this book. Aside from the lack of overarching tension or conflict, I felt that the wrong things were often shown. While her family and their love for each other was well developed, they floated in an empty void for me because we were never really shown where they were. Even as a Texan: I'm in South Central Texas, I've been to the border once in my life and never to the valley, so I'm not even sure what the landscape is like let alone what McAllen is like. We're never really shown McAllen, we hear about it often, but we never see it. This was especially glaring to me on two occasions: 1) when Sophia's mother takes her to the rich side of town to trick-or-treat. We never see how the area or setting is contrasting only the woman at the door and the fact that the treats are different. 2) when Sophia first goes to Austin. We never see the change in setting or landscape. Not only is Austin an interesting city visually that lends itself to being described, seeing the city would help us to see just how away from home Sophia is without ever needing to know how far it is in distance. While the school is described to some degree, it's in very generic language: "spacious green playing fields," "grand stone buildings around a large quadrangle," a list of facilities without description (pg 128). It doesn't help that we are never given an image of McAllen or the valley, so we have nothing to contrast these generic, collegiate terms with.
Also, while the characters mentioned the valley several times, Canales just assumed that the reader knew what she was referencing. The same thing was done with Whataburger and HEB, both of which were only mentioned once but that are huge parts of Texas culture and that any reader who isn't from Texas won't understand how big of a deal it is that her school in Austin isn't near an HEB, the primary grocery store chain that is in just about every city/town in the state of Texas and no where else in the US. In fact, we hear more about Wal-Mart than we do HEB, which was another issue I had. Berta explains to Sophia that Wal-Mart isn't a place to shop, it's where people go to hang out during the summer, but we never actually see this happening.
Another thing that really bothered me was the stilted dialogue and the ham-fisted connections to early events. As an example, here's a chunk of dialogue that bothers me for several reasons:
"Ah, I think it's my turn now," Papa said, scratching his head. "Sofia, remember your two bags of Halloween candy years ago? And how I took you to the cemetery? Do you remember what you saw there? People were having a sobremesa of sorts with their visiting dead relatives. Do you remember this? And do you remember what you said on our way home that night, that you wished we lived on the other side of town because they lived in nice warm houses?" (pg 47-48)
1) The events that Papa is referring to here happened literally two chapters and about 20 pages back. While I understand that it's supposed to have been years for the characters, it hasn't been for the readers, we don't need a recap this soon in the book. All he needed to say was something along the lines of "Remember that Halloween all those years ago? After I took you to the cemetery? Do you remember what you told me?" One line, the reader remembers, Sophia remembers and we move on.
2) This is a family who is proud of their heritage. How in the hell has Sophia, who is fourteen at this point, not yet gone to the cemetery with her family to celebrate dias de los muertos? How is it that she still needs the act of visiting dead family members on October 31st compared to a sobremesa to understand why people go to the cemeteries? Even as a white child who only knew this custom through observations, I got this concept before I was 10. This explanation is for the readers who Canales is assuming don't get it and I don't like that it's happening here and not in the chapter about dias de los muertos.
3) This conversation happens because Sophia wants to go to a boarding school in Austin and this is one of the instances where I felt this would have been better suited as a memoir. Canales is coming up with a reason for why Sophia wants to go to the school, which I'm sure was Canales' reason for wanting to go to the school she went to, but in the context of a fictional novel, it's ham-fisted and feels as though it's only to connect back to the dias de los muertos chapter. Sophia has already been shown as a kid who wants to do the best she can in school and who prefers to be smart over worrying about "girly things" like quinceaneras. The fact that she wants to go to a prestigious school which will guarantee her a spot in an ivy league university should be enough of an incentive without adding in the bit about her wanting to "see what's out there, on the other side[.]" (pg 48)
Also, there's a point where a character says "University of Texas in Austin" as dialogue. No Texan would say the whole name out loud unless they were explaining to a non-Texan what UT Austin stood for. It wouldn't be that hard to include in the narration something along the lines of "He was referring to University of Texas in Austin, one of the most prestigious universities in Texas and is stupidly hard to get into."
Total: 2.75 (rounded up for goodreads)
While I did enjoy this book for what it offers in cultural representation of a "minority" group that I grew up around, but that I feel many others don't understand, there were a lot of basic story telling mistakes throughout the book that kept me from enjoying it as much as I really wanted to. And yet, had this been written as a memoir, I would have been able to ignore a good chunk of those mistakes.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Entertainment: 1 star
I could have easily read this in one sitting, but I somehow managed to make myself pace it out to a week. Mariko & Jillian have a way of presenting the material in a way that makes you want to stay in their world as long as you can. This is a very slow and quiet book, if that's not what you're into, you will not enjoy it. Luckily, those are the books that I love the most and I was entertained the entire way through.
Story: 1 star
The story seems to be a point of disappointment or even contention when it comes to reviews on goodreads. There are a lot of people claiming that there is no plot or that nothing happened. I could not disagree more. No, there's not a lot happening on the surface, but there is a whole lot happening psychologically. We see while Rose navigates the summer around wanting to be a part of the world that is the late teens/early twenties group of locals who frequent or work in the convenience store near the cabin, but also wanting to spend it being a kid. She wants to be grown-up, but she doesn't understand what that means yet. She tries out watching horror movies, attempting to impress the convenience store clerk that she has a crush on, she tries out using their language, primarily in the word "slut", which gets her into trouble with her mom, she tries out understanding and imagining sexual situations which only confuses her more. The entire time, she's surrounded by childhood, by Windy, her friend who is 10, by the cabin that her and her parents stay in every year since she was little, by the actual grownups reminding her that she is not yet one of them. She's on this precipice and she's teetering along it the entire summer.
Another thing that I keep seeing claimed is that there is no development on Roses part, and to that I have to say: read between the lines. No, Rose never says anything to the amount of "I was wrong. I've learned my lesson." There's no philosophical espousing to show her working through the summer problems (probably because she's 12 and how many 12 year olds sit around espousing philosophically?). However, at the end, she begins to shift. It's a quiet shift, yes, but a shift nonetheless. She learns the truth about why her mother is depressed and there's a hint that her mother may finally talk to Rose about it once they leave. She digs a hole with Windy because it's what Windy wants to do and we see that they're coming back together. She sees that the guys in the convenience store are just kids, not unlike her. She genuinely hopes that Jenny is alright. But, most importantly, we see her getting ready to leave, her bag is too heavy. This a metaphor. She is weighed down by the summer, by what happened, and, in the end, we see that she has left all the things that she had collected that summer, a pile of rocks, sticks, and items that she found on the ground, mostly at the teens' campsite that she and Windy stumble upon. She is moving forward from this summer by leaving behind all the things that were weighing her down. And the final line, "Maybe I will have massive boobs. Boobs would be cool." She's still looking forward to growing up, but now that growing up is about her and who she will be. As well, it's something that is far off, something that hasn't happened yet. She's waiting rather than trying to make it happen.
Character: 1 star
This seems to be the second thing that a lot of people on goodreads don't like: Rose. Rose seems to have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, and I get it, but, at the same time, I don't. Rose is a typical 12 year old going on 13. She believes that she understands how the world works, even though she doesn't. She believes that everything is black and white, even though it isn't. She's a flawed character because most 12 year olds are flawed in that they're still figuring out empathy and that just because a cute boy says something that doesn't mean that its true. What makes this so poignant, and probably why people are so turned off by it, is that at the beginning of the book, we like Rose. We see her as a fun kid who's just enjoying the summer. Then we see the truth, that she's flawed, that she doesn't get it, that she is still a kid who wants to believe that she's grown up without actually understanding what that means. This is a very real depiction of what it means not just to be 12 years old, but, more importantly, what it means to be a 12 year old girl.
I do have to bring up another person's review where they said:
"I don’t know how old both girls are in this graphic novel – don’t recall it being mentioned – but they were very immature. Too immature. They’re always talking about grown-up stuff – sex, babies, blowjobs, parents, boobs - and giving their opinions which sometimes are, yes theirs, but also most of the time unnecessary and seldom accurate."
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TALKED TO A 12 YEAR OLD? And I don't mean in a family or large get together setting where adults are around either. 12 year olds yearn to be grown up, they're nearly the magical 13, the year that everything's supposed to change and they're a teen, which, in a 12 year old's eyes, is practically adulthood. They talk about what they think are grown up things that they are just starting to learn about or beginning to enter their peripheral. They don't understand any of it yet (because, of course they don't) but they want to believe that they do, they want their peers to believe that they do, because that would make them cool, that would make them grown up.
Writing Style: 1 star
The writing style is quiet and simple, often allowing the images to really get the idea across. We hear Rose's thoughts when we need to, but for the most part, we are simply there with her. However, the writing is never a second thought to the art. Both are balanced wonderfully and are what make this book so great.
Art: 1 star
So, the art. My GOD the art! It is amazing. I love supporting graphic novels that utilize an art style that separates itself from the typical comic book or manga style and this book definitely falls into that category. The settings are amazingly detailed and realistic, the character designs are great, the atmosphere and mood that is created— it's all wonderful!
Total: 5 stars
This book is both beautiful and well written. The story is both simple and complex. It's a book that I could tear apart and analyze to death. At the same time, I'm confident that a kid could get just as much out of it, at the very least it can begin some very important conversations about growing up and what it means to be female in a world that prefers the male view. Yet another book to add to my when-I-have-a-disposable-income-again list.
I could have easily read this in one sitting, but I somehow managed to make myself pace it out to a week. Mariko & Jillian have a way of presenting the material in a way that makes you want to stay in their world as long as you can. This is a very slow and quiet book, if that's not what you're into, you will not enjoy it. Luckily, those are the books that I love the most and I was entertained the entire way through.
Story: 1 star
The story seems to be a point of disappointment or even contention when it comes to reviews on goodreads. There are a lot of people claiming that there is no plot or that nothing happened. I could not disagree more. No, there's not a lot happening on the surface, but there is a whole lot happening psychologically. We see while Rose navigates the summer around wanting to be a part of the world that is the late teens/early twenties group of locals who frequent or work in the convenience store near the cabin, but also wanting to spend it being a kid. She wants to be grown-up, but she doesn't understand what that means yet. She tries out watching horror movies, attempting to impress the convenience store clerk that she has a crush on, she tries out using their language, primarily in the word "slut", which gets her into trouble with her mom, she tries out understanding and imagining sexual situations which only confuses her more. The entire time, she's surrounded by childhood, by Windy, her friend who is 10, by the cabin that her and her parents stay in every year since she was little, by the actual grownups reminding her that she is not yet one of them. She's on this precipice and she's teetering along it the entire summer.
Another thing that I keep seeing claimed is that there is no development on Roses part, and to that I have to say: read between the lines. No, Rose never says anything to the amount of "I was wrong. I've learned my lesson." There's no philosophical espousing to show her working through the summer problems (probably because she's 12 and how many 12 year olds sit around espousing philosophically?). However, at the end, she begins to shift. It's a quiet shift, yes, but a shift nonetheless. She learns the truth about why her mother is depressed and there's a hint that her mother may finally talk to Rose about it once they leave. She digs a hole with Windy because it's what Windy wants to do and we see that they're coming back together. She sees that the guys in the convenience store are just kids, not unlike her. She genuinely hopes that Jenny is alright. But, most importantly, we see her getting ready to leave, her bag is too heavy. This a metaphor. She is weighed down by the summer, by what happened, and, in the end, we see that she has left all the things that she had collected that summer, a pile of rocks, sticks, and items that she found on the ground, mostly at the teens' campsite that she and Windy stumble upon. She is moving forward from this summer by leaving behind all the things that were weighing her down. And the final line, "Maybe I will have massive boobs. Boobs would be cool." She's still looking forward to growing up, but now that growing up is about her and who she will be. As well, it's something that is far off, something that hasn't happened yet. She's waiting rather than trying to make it happen.
Character: 1 star
This seems to be the second thing that a lot of people on goodreads don't like: Rose. Rose seems to have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, and I get it, but, at the same time, I don't. Rose is a typical 12 year old going on 13. She believes that she understands how the world works, even though she doesn't. She believes that everything is black and white, even though it isn't. She's a flawed character because most 12 year olds are flawed in that they're still figuring out empathy and that just because a cute boy says something that doesn't mean that its true. What makes this so poignant, and probably why people are so turned off by it, is that at the beginning of the book, we like Rose. We see her as a fun kid who's just enjoying the summer. Then we see the truth, that she's flawed, that she doesn't get it, that she is still a kid who wants to believe that she's grown up without actually understanding what that means. This is a very real depiction of what it means not just to be 12 years old, but, more importantly, what it means to be a 12 year old girl.
I do have to bring up another person's review where they said:
"I don’t know how old both girls are in this graphic novel – don’t recall it being mentioned – but they were very immature. Too immature. They’re always talking about grown-up stuff – sex, babies, blowjobs, parents, boobs - and giving their opinions which sometimes are, yes theirs, but also most of the time unnecessary and seldom accurate."
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TALKED TO A 12 YEAR OLD? And I don't mean in a family or large get together setting where adults are around either. 12 year olds yearn to be grown up, they're nearly the magical 13, the year that everything's supposed to change and they're a teen, which, in a 12 year old's eyes, is practically adulthood. They talk about what they think are grown up things that they are just starting to learn about or beginning to enter their peripheral. They don't understand any of it yet (because, of course they don't) but they want to believe that they do, they want their peers to believe that they do, because that would make them cool, that would make them grown up.
Writing Style: 1 star
The writing style is quiet and simple, often allowing the images to really get the idea across. We hear Rose's thoughts when we need to, but for the most part, we are simply there with her. However, the writing is never a second thought to the art. Both are balanced wonderfully and are what make this book so great.
Art: 1 star
So, the art. My GOD the art! It is amazing. I love supporting graphic novels that utilize an art style that separates itself from the typical comic book or manga style and this book definitely falls into that category. The settings are amazingly detailed and realistic, the character designs are great, the atmosphere and mood that is created— it's all wonderful!
Total: 5 stars
This book is both beautiful and well written. The story is both simple and complex. It's a book that I could tear apart and analyze to death. At the same time, I'm confident that a kid could get just as much out of it, at the very least it can begin some very important conversations about growing up and what it means to be female in a world that prefers the male view. Yet another book to add to my when-I-have-a-disposable-income-again list.
