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renatasnacks
While I'm making comics confessions: I'd never read any DtWOF comics before. I loved [b:Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic|26135825|Fun Home A Family Tragicomic|Alison Bechdel|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1448570249s/26135825.jpg|911368] and [b:Are You My Mother?|11566956|Are You My Mother?|Alison Bechdel|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388205192s/11566956.jpg|16507555], and I knew this was a thing, but just...never read it. I was amazed by how fresh and timely a LOT of this still feels, even while still being a really specific time capsule for different eras of the last like 25 years?!
Of course there have been some cultural shifts and it's interesting to see how some of the language and norms have shifted over the years, particularly with regard to trans* people. But it's great to see how Bechdel's work evolved with the times.
It's amazing how this twice-monthly one-page comic strip had so many well-developed, diverse characters who had truly evolving lives and story arcs! There are a lot of balls in the air throughout the course of the story and there's almost always a payoff.
This is the "essential" not the "complete", and IDK how many individual comics are missing from this? I know they're online but it was nice to just dive into this and read a whole bunch. Also I liked her comic introduction to the collection.
ALSO WARNINGS FOR PET DEATHS. TWO OF THEM. wahhh
Of course there have been some cultural shifts and it's interesting to see how some of the language and norms have shifted over the years, particularly with regard to trans* people. But it's great to see how Bechdel's work evolved with the times.
It's amazing how this twice-monthly one-page comic strip had so many well-developed, diverse characters who had truly evolving lives and story arcs! There are a lot of balls in the air throughout the course of the story and there's almost always a payoff.
This is the "essential" not the "complete", and IDK how many individual comics are missing from this? I know they're online but it was nice to just dive into this and read a whole bunch. Also I liked her comic introduction to the collection.
ALSO WARNINGS FOR PET DEATHS. TWO OF THEM. wahhh
This is one where I just couldn't put it down, and if I had put it down and stopped to think about the magical worldbuilding, it maybe...doesn't...quite hold together? But I DON'T CARE
Most of what I loved is Lucie's voice and her careful puncturing of gender roles and the PATRIARCHY.
Most of what I loved is Lucie's voice and her careful puncturing of gender roles and the PATRIARCHY.
I love me a sad, funny, pretentious teenager and that's Quinn Roberts for sure. Grieving for his sister (whose death he feels responsible for) and ~different from the other kids~ because of his love of classic cinema (and also he's gay), he has a ~summer romance~. It's sweet and sad and very funny. A good readalike for [b:Me and Earl and the Dying Girl|12700353|Me and Earl and the Dying Girl|Jesse Andrews|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1337216932s/12700353.jpg|17831620] for the black humor & cinema obsession, or for, you know, Sarah Dessen or any other bittersweet realistic fiction prob.
I was keeping my eye on the fat-phobia in here-Quinn's mom is significantly overweight, and Quinn loves her but also kind of judges her? But also defends her (by proxy) when his love interest makes fun of another fat woman in public. I dunno...it's complicated? And I definitely buy that his mom was coping with her grief by overeating, but then it's pretty mean for Quinn to think about his mom's lack of willpower? But of course, teens can be mean. IDK. The mom's fatness was a pretty minor thread, and it's contrasted with Quinn being self-conscious about how skinny he is (compared to his muscley love interest). I guess basically...bodies?! Are the worst!?
I was keeping my eye on the fat-phobia in here-Quinn's mom is significantly overweight, and Quinn loves her but also kind of judges her? But also defends her (by proxy) when his love interest makes fun of another fat woman in public. I dunno...it's complicated? And I definitely buy that his mom was coping with her grief by overeating, but then it's pretty mean for Quinn to think about his mom's lack of willpower? But of course, teens can be mean. IDK. The mom's fatness was a pretty minor thread, and it's contrasted with Quinn being self-conscious about how skinny he is (compared to his muscley love interest). I guess basically...bodies?! Are the worst!?
This is really smart YA historical fiction! (ie not just "set in the 80s because the author grew up then") Using the Son of Sam serial killer as a story piece is great. (Kids love murder!) Also the women's lib movement in the background with the white and Latina girl BFFs really subtly shows what progress has & hasn't been made in an intersectional way.
But the family dynamics are really what kept me reading. Nora's brother was scarier to me than the Son of Sam. Great for teens looking for a page-turning...I dunno, it's not exactly a thriller...? I DUNNO JUST THROW IT AT FEMINIST TEENS UNTIL THEY READ IT
But the family dynamics are really what kept me reading. Nora's brother was scarier to me than the Son of Sam. Great for teens looking for a page-turning...I dunno, it's not exactly a thriller...? I DUNNO JUST THROW IT AT FEMINIST TEENS UNTIL THEY READ IT
I stayed up too late to finish this and cried about ittttt
Really sweet, endearing romance with 2 strong leads and a realistic, compelling look at grief and mental illness. A great antidote to books where characters ~don't want to take medication because they they don't feel real~.
Really sweet, endearing romance with 2 strong leads and a realistic, compelling look at grief and mental illness. A great antidote to books where characters ~don't want to take medication because they they don't feel real~.
This was like...not as bad as I thought it would be? And not as conservative agenda-laden as eg [b:Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims|18460009|Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims|Rush Limbaugh|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1378587144s/18460009.jpg|26112464].
But also, it's not good? And there are like a million books about the Lincoln assassination and this one doesn't really add anything to the conversation, so.
http://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-46-killing-lincoln/
But also, it's not good? And there are like a million books about the Lincoln assassination and this one doesn't really add anything to the conversation, so.
http://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-46-killing-lincoln/
Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever
Dwight Jon Zimmerman, Bill O'Reilly
Surprisingly this was less boring than [b:Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever|10587120|Killing Lincoln The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever|Bill O'Reilly|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317793681s/10587120.jpg|15494456] but still not...particularly good or age-appropriate. If you've got a lil history buff give 'em [b:Chasing Lincoln's Killer|3790380|Chasing Lincoln's Killer|James L. Swanson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328843231s/3790380.jpg|16829032] or something.
http://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-46-killing-lincoln/
http://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-46-killing-lincoln/
CAVEATS: I'm not usually a big fan of mysteries and/or Sherlock Holmes! But I wanted to read this because I've been internet friends with the author for years! But I was afraid I wouldn't like it because of that first thing!
BUT I loved it, I think I like the bitter too-smart drug addict Holmes-deal way more if she's a somewhat traumatized teenage girl than a middle aged dude. To me it makes more sense! Also it gives this kind of a Veronica Mars vibe, which is one of few mystery-type things I do love. It feels like a great response to rape culture, etc.
And I loved the in-world lore of the repercussions of these famous ancestors of theirs, and the way it made this kind of bonkers mystery premise actually make perfect sense.
HOORAY
BUT I loved it, I think I like the bitter too-smart drug addict Holmes-deal way more if she's a somewhat traumatized teenage girl than a middle aged dude. To me it makes more sense! Also it gives this kind of a Veronica Mars vibe, which is one of few mystery-type things I do love. It feels like a great response to rape culture, etc.
And I loved the in-world lore of the repercussions of these famous ancestors of theirs, and the way it made this kind of bonkers mystery premise actually make perfect sense.
HOORAY
I have a weakness for a good pretentious meta-concept and this is sooo good omg
I just loved it
I'd give it to teens who are already big readers, they'll appreciate what Ness is doing with big YA tropes and characters here.
but also, content warning for eating disorders & mental illness--some readers are going to want it more for that of course, but you wouldn't necessarily expect to find it in this book so it might take some readers by unpleasant surprise.
also the god of cats <3
I just loved it
I'd give it to teens who are already big readers, they'll appreciate what Ness is doing with big YA tropes and characters here.
but also, content warning for eating disorders & mental illness--some readers are going to want it more for that of course, but you wouldn't necessarily expect to find it in this book so it might take some readers by unpleasant surprise.
also the god of cats <3
Spoiler
I got a little wince-y when I thought Jared was going to magically cure Mike's mental illness but I shoulda known betterrr
This seems like a transitional volume--wrapping up a few loose ends, tying into whatever the F is going on with Inhumans, etc--and I'm not sure that I totally followed all of it but I did love the X-ladies night out and some other bits of fun dialogue/character development.