This was a cute & whimsical travelogue! I can definitely understand why people would not be into her navel-gazing, but I could relate, and I enjoyed the ride.

And I want a croissant please.

This was super cute, and I'm stoked that there's a mixed-race princess, and that she briefly but openly discusses some of the issues that might pop up there. (Like, was she a SECRET princess because her white prince dad was ashamed of her black mom? No it was just because her black mom wanted Olivia to have a normal childhood.)

I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the OG Princess Diaries series--for my own tastes as an adult reader, teen Mia is funnier and more relatable than tween Olivia, and Mia's books are understandably more complex than this one, which is basically just setting up the premise that Olivia is a secret princess--but I think this is a cute book that a lot of tweens will dig.

PS did anyone else think the way they talked about Qalif was a little weird? Like the fake Middle Eastern country that treats women like 2nd class citizens as a counter point to the fake European country of Genovia? IDK felt kinda weird and uncomfy? But not a huge part of the book, just something to ponder.

i found myself unable to suspend disbelief long enough to like this book. it has an interesting concept that just goes crazy, and its ideas are really... not that original.

WHY DOES EVERYONE LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH?

is it because people like tigers? i'm sure there are better books with tigers in them.

Mm, it took me awhile to get into this, and it never really ~grabbed~ me, although by all rights a story about Australian MURDER GHOSTS totally should have? I did like the characters, and I thought the multiple narrators were used really skillfully, and I appreciate the historical details, but overall, just... eh, I guess? Dymphna and Kelpie were totally rad, though.

(read as single issues)

oh my GOD I know everyone has been talking about how this comic is SO GREAT but I still put off reading it and I'm kinda glad I did because then I could read 6 issues all at once? Oh my gosh, it's SO GOOD though. SO funny and charming and also just GOOD. SO many jokes made me legit LOL but also the whole fight with Thanos was just brilliant. SQUIRREL GIRL 4EVA

I've heard this compared to Veronica Mars, and I think that's a valid comparison to make (for adult readers, since most teens now don't know VM), and something I'm into. I don't generally like mysteries very much as a genre, but I love the character of Veronica, and I love the character of Scarlett. I definitely love that we have a Sudanese Muslim heroine who's not whitewashed on the cover!

I think a lot of teens who like mysteries will be into this, and maybe also fans of [b:The Amulet of Samarkand|478600|The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus Trilogy, #1)|Jonathan Stroud|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1275207089s/478600.jpg|1121748], since this draws from some of the same mythical background.

The book revolves around an investigation of a teen suicide, and also there's a part where a dog gets hurt (spoiler: the dog does not die), but it's not especially graphic.

Nitpick: I thought it was a little weird and grating that they italicized every non-English word in here? I know that can be part of in house style, but if she's constantly calling her parents Abbi and Ummi, like on every page, does it really need to be italicized? I vote no.

This was gross.

http://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-23-the-greek-tycoons-blackmailed-mistress/

UGHHH. I picked this up because I started watching the TV show Arrow and I thought I'd give the comics a try. This is vol one of the New 52 reboot so THEORETICALLY it should have been approachable to me, a first time Green Arrow comics reader, because that was like, the whole point of the New 52. But it was not. There was no explanation about who Oliver's support team is? I would have accepted a one panel text box. Where did they come from?? On the show, his Batcave friends are my favorite part.

Also, on the show, Oliver is like a rich playboy but I find him likeable? Here he's PRETTY GROSS and calls women "skanks" and "attention whores". Like... in the show we see him kind of like that BEFORE his Island adventure that turns him into a hero. Now he's already a heroic figure, why is he still gross.

Also let's not... talk about how the main villains here are a sexy lady robot and her lover who is made out of toxic waste....?

Anyway, I'm aware that this came out a year or so before the show premiered, but I don't care. I like the show, I don't like this, I won't be picking up any more Green Arrow comics unless I hear that it's significantly changed. (Although I have heard that Felicity is in the comics now so maybe I'll pick them back up when she comes in. Or maybe I'll just keep watching the show.)

These have been my thoughts about new 52 Green Arrow vs Arrow the TV show, good night.

I'm giving this one more star than [b:Arrow Vol. 1|17671957|Arrow Vol. 1|Marc Guggenheim|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375569077s/17671957.jpg|24670944] only because a few of these stories had Felicity, who is the best. But, tragically, most of these stories had NO FELICITY.

IDK, both these volumes just felt really blah. Like if these were some fan's 15-minute flash fics, I'd be like, okay I get it. But as professional comics they're just like random fragments that don't contribute much to our understandings of any characters, nor does very much interesting happen, nor is the art very good?

my vote is: just watch the show.

ohh I see now that I should have read this a few volumes of All New X-Men ago... things retroactively make more sense now. COMICS, so tricky to follow! (speaking of which, I LOVED that Bobby kept singing "Tricky" to himself and I love the idea of past Bobby catching up on music history.

Here, in case that got it stuck in your head like it did for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-O5IHVhWj0

I also really liked the Guardians in this! Super funny. Reminds me that maybe I should try reading more GOTG comics.

And I liked the titular trial and how it did reasonably well with the CRAY timeline/ethical issues. Hooray!