Review: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki, Illustrated by Rosemary Valero-O'Connell

Title: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me

Author: Mariko Tamaki

Illustrator: Rosemary Valero-O'Connell
Publisher: First Second
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Paperback, 289 Pages
Published May 2019

Summary: The day they got together was the best one of Freddy's life, but nothing's made sense since. Laura Dean is popular, funny, and SO CUTE ... but she can be really thoughtless, even mean. Their on-again, off-again relationship has Freddy's head spinning — and Freddy's friends can't understand why she keeps going back. When Freddy consults the services of a local mystic, the mysterious Seek-Her, she isn't thrilled with the advice she receives. But something's got to give: Freddy's heart is breaking in slow motion, and she may be about to lose her very best friend as well as her last shred of self-respect. Fortunately for Freddy, there are new friends, and the insight of advice columnist Anna Vice, to help her through being a teenager in love.

I had heard so many great things about this book before I had the chance to pick it up, which is what made me add it to my TBR. But I hadn't managed to get a copy until a few months ago, and then I waited for the perfect snowy day to pick it up while I was passing time on a post office line. And let me tell you, I'm very glad that I did, because I really enjoyed reading this book!

As the summary explains, Freddy is hopelessly in love with her girlfriend, Laura Dean. Even though Laura Dean keeps being unfaithful to her and breaking up with her. So Freddy writes to an advice column, asking about what she should do, all while trying to juggle her feelings for Laura Dean and her hope for their future with her friends and their own struggles that she isn't paying the most attention to while she's distracted by the chaos in her own life.

I really did enjoy this book. For starters, I thought that the art work and the color scheme were gorgeous! I spent so much time just staring at the gorgeous art and the detail on the pages -- there was seriously so much love and heart put into these illustrations, and it really showed. As I mentioned, I started reading this book while I was on a ridiculously long line at the post office, and the man standing behind me ended up even commenting on how awesome the art was (from his 6 feet away distance, of course)! I hadn't been a huge graphic novel reader until BookExpo a few years ago, where I had a chance to talk to Margot Wood, and I told her that I loved contemporary rom-com stories but I didn't know of any graphic novels that had that element. She recommended My Boyfriend is a Bear to me (you can read my review of that here!), and I ended up really loving it. So that's when I realized that there were some contemporary graphic novels out there that I could really enjoy -- the same with Check, Please! (another review you can read here). So I was glad that this book fit that bill for me too, and I ended up really enjoying it. :-)

I absolutely could not stand Laura Dean at any point throughout the book. I thought she was the absolute worst, which I understand was definitely the point. There were so many times that she was just gaslighting Freddy and treating her like the absolute worst and just being such a hurtful person, and while I understand that the point of the story is that Freddy is supposed to be blinded by her supposed love for Laura Dean (which is why she puts up with her behavior), I just wanted to reach through the book and shake her shoulders and be like "Girl!!!! LEAVE HER!!! She's an actual garbage person!!" But I really did like the fact that the book delves into the tricky, sticky web of teenage love and how sometimes we can find ourselves wanting to see the best in people who don't always deserve it. Even though it's a tough lesson to learn, it's an important one, that's for sure. 

(Spoilers in this paragraph, so skip to the next one to avoid them!) The only thing I wasn't super enthusiastic about with this book was the way that Laura Dean flipped out on Freddy seemingly out of nowhere as soon as Freddy broke up with her. It doesn't really seem like she cares about Freddy at all during most of the book, even a little bit, so her explosive reaction didn't really make much sense to me. But maybe that was the whole point, about how Laura Dean guards her emotions and continuously hurts people and doesn't make much sense. I just know that it confused me a little bit as a reader.

Overall, I really liked reading Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, and I'd definitely recommend it for any readers out there who want to dip their toes into the graphic novel scene while still staying in the contemporary/romance genre that they love and are familiar with. I'm so glad that Margot convinced me to give graphic novels a try a few years ago, and I'm so glad that I found a sub-genre of them that I enjoy! So if anyone else has any more contemporary romance graphic novel recommendations, please drop them in the comments down below, because I'd love to hear them. :-)

 

Review: Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds & Illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff

Title: Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel

Author: Jason Reynolds

Illustrator: Danica Novgorodoff
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Hardcover, 208 Pages
Published October 2020

Summary: Jason Reynolds’s Newbery Honor, Printz Honor, and Coretta Scott King Honor–winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novel Long Way Down is now a gripping, galvanizing graphic novel, with haunting artwork by Danica Novgorodoff. Will’s older brother, Shawn, has been shot. Dead. Will feels a sadness so great, he can’t explain it. But in his neighborhood, there are THE RULES: No. 1: Crying. Don’t. No matter what. No. 2: Snitching. Don’t. No matter what. No. 3: Revenge. Do.No matter what. But bullets miss. You can get the wrong guy. And there’s always someone else who knows to follow the rules…

I had wanted to read LONG WAY DOWN for the longest (ha) time, because I never got around to it with all of the review copies and new releases that I had to read for the blog. However, as soon as I saw that our local indie bookstore got copies of the new graphic novel version in stock, I made a trip over there to check it out. And let me tell you, I'm so glad that I did, because this book is so incredible and I will be recommending it to everyone for the foreseeable future. 

This book is about a young boy named Will, whose older brother has been shot dead. The entire story is told in the roughly sixty seconds it takes for Will to get from the 7th floor down to the lobby of his apartment building, where he then plans to go avenge his brother's murder by killing the man that shot him. But on the "long way down" to the lobby, Will encounters several different people who join him in the elevator -- none of whom he is expecting. And what they tell him and what he finds out may change Will's decision forever.

This book is a spectacular piece of art. That was my first thought when I sat down to write this review. To be honest, this entire review is probably going to be me saying much of the same over and over again, because that's really how I feel. I've loved a lot of books in my lifetime -- but very few stuck in my mind with the world spectacular. This is definitely one of them. In terms of the story itself, I was hooked. I read almost the entire book in one sitting, and I definitely would have continued to read well into the early morning if I hadn't had to go to bed for work. The people who get on that elevator with Will...I won't spoil anything for you, but all I will say is that their conversations with him really open up more of the story that nobody was expecting to see. By the time I finished this book, I had tears in my eyes. Very few books have ever truly moved me like that, but this was definitely one of them. Jason Reynolds is a master of telling stories in verse, and even with so few actual words on the page, so much is addressed and covered and explored. It was truly, truly beautiful. I don't even have any other words for it.

Being that this is the graphic novel version, of course I have to discuss the artwork as well. This entire graphic novel is done with watercolor artwork, which Danica Novgorodoff truly masters. There are some gorgeous scenes here. Seeing them interact with the words of Jason Reynolds really creates such a beautiful experience. There were some moments where I just stopped reading so I could run my fingers over the images, drinking them in, absorbing all of their pain and their beauty. It's truly spectacular. I shared some of them in one of our Instagram posts if you want to check them out yourself! It really made me wish I had some artistic talent like this, because the graphics truly took my breath away.

Overall, I absolutely loved LONG WAY DOWN. It was gut-wrenching, emotional, gorgeous, and truly just perfect. I think that I made the right choice by opting to read the graphic novel version, because in addition to the brilliant story, I got to see amazing watercolor artwork that really breathed life into Jason Reynolds's words. It's clear to me now, as I had suspected long before this, that he is one of the most incredible writers of our time. I'm truly in shock and awe, and I will be sharing this book with my friends, family, and peers for a long time to come. If this book isn't on your TBR already, then I can safely say that you are definitely missing out. I also recommend picking up the graphic novel version, because like I've said a million times in this review already, it really adds something spectacular to the piece. I hope you love this book just as much as I do!

Review: Check, Please! Book 1: Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

Title: Check, Please! Book 1: Hockey
Author: Ngozi Ukazu
Publisher: First Second

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Paperback, 288 Pages
Published September 2018

Summary: Eric Bittle is a former Georgia junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and amateur pâtissier. But as accomplished as he is, nothing could prepare him for his freshman year of playing hockey at the prestigious Samwell University in Samwell, Massachusetts. It's nothing like co-ed club hockey back in the South! For one? There’s checking. Second, there is Jack—his very attractive but moody captain.

I had heard nothing but great things about this book for years, and I had always meant to find time to pick it up, but life got in the way with college getting busy and the ARCs we had to read for publishers starting to pile up. So when I finally got the time to purchase a copy of CHECK, PLEASE and get reading, I was beyond excited. Especially since I'd been getting more and more into graphic novels within the last few years, so finding more contemporary and/or rom-com types of graphic novels has really been capturing my interest. So finally, after long last, I was able to find some time to sit down and to read CHECK, PLEASE -- and I'm really glad that I did. So without further ado, let's get into my review!

As the summary explains, the story follows Eric "Bitty" Bittle, incoming freshman hockey player at Samwell. The graphic novel is told from the perspective of his vlog channel that he has, where he explains everything that goes on during his freshman year, both with the hockey team and also his Samwell experience in general. And there's also the fact that he has a *teeny tiny* crush on the gorgeous team captain, Jack...which leads to a lot of interesting stories to hear from him!

I really enjoyed reading this book! I thought it was a super cute, feel-good read that left me feeling satisfied and happy when I was finished reading. On the graphic novel front, I thought the illustrations were gorgeous and the book itself is really easy to get through quickly because the story just flies by. I'd absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read that leaves them feeling really good. You guys, it was freaking ADORABLE! I totally understand why all of my friends have been pushing me to read this book for so long, and I'm disappointed in myself for waiting so long to pick up this delightful story! 

In addition to the cute rom-com feel of the story, there was also an entire hockey narrative that was really interesting to follow, especially as someone who knows so little about hockey but really wants to get more into it. It's definitely one of the main focal points of the story, but it isn't too complicated or confusing to the point that non-hockey fans wouldn't understand what was going on. Bitty even offers explanations here and there, and in my copy of the book there was also an entire additional few chapters after the story ended where some of the story's other key players offered a "seminar" about how certain aspects of hockey/the lingo used in the book shakes out. As well as a hilarious collection of some of Bitty's best Tweets! 

I also really loved the dynamic of all of the different characters in this book and the ways that they all interacted with each other. There is definitely a really great ensemble here! I feel like every character was so wildly different, but they were all banded together by their united love of hockey and seeing the way they all supported each other and acted like a little family throughout several points of the book was really heartwarming. Shitty was definitely my favorite character, I think. Seeing his never-ending devotion for his team and his friends and just EVERYONE in general was really sweet -- he reminded me of a puppy in human form! 

The only thing that I was a little disappointed about with this book was the way that time flew so quickly, so it felt like a lot of the story arcs were a little bit rushed or just buried completely. It makes sense, being that this started as a webtoon and there was a lot to cover so of course time was going to have to be sped up at certain parts, but there were several moments where I had to go back and reread a few panels because I was like "wait, WHAT just happened??" because I didn't realize that so much time had passed. This first book is a little more than 250 pages and it covers the entire school year, so as you can see, there were definitely some moments that flew by quicker than others! However, it didn't bother me THAT much, and I don't think it made the book bad in any way -- it was just something that left me a little confused at times, but it was nothing that a quick peek backwards couldn't fix.

Overall, I still really enjoyed reading CHECK, PLEASE! and I will definitely be purchasing the second book soon to dive into because I just have to know what happens next. If you're looking for a feel-good story that will make you laugh, giggle, and even swoon, and you want to close the book at the end feeling satisfied and giddy because you just devoured such an ADORABLE read, then I'd definitely recommend picking this one up!

Also, if anyone else has any other contemporary/rom-com graphic novel recommendations, please send them my way via the comment section below, thank you!!! :-)

 

Review: Aggretsuko #1 by Daniel Barnes, CJ Cannon (Cover Art), D.J. Kirkland (Artist), Sarah Stern (Colorist)

Title: Aggretsuko #1
Author: Daniel Barnes, CJ Cannon (Cover Art), D.J. Kirkland (Artist), Sarah Stern (Colorist)
Publisher: Oni Press

Rating: 4/5 Stars
22 Pages
Published February 2020

Summary: Sanrio and Oni Press join forces to bring Aggretsuko to comics for the first time! Aggretsuko, the hit Netflix show in production for season three, stars Retsuko the Red Panda, a young office worker stuck in a thankless job, whose only stress release is singing heavy metal at the local karaoke joint. With the help of her friends, can she ever find the job satisfaction she craves - - not to mention adventure, the approval of her mother, and even... love?! These comics explore all these issues and more, brought to life by today's top talent!

I received an advanced copy of Aggretsuko #1 from the fabulous Margot Wood and the Oni Press team back when I reached out in January -- my boyfriend had loved the series for a long time and recently gotten me to watch it! Since we both really enjoyed watching it together, as soon as I found out that there were going to be graphic novels released, I asked Margot if it would be possible to send me a copy for review. Not only did she deliver (as well as send me tons of other great stuff that I can't wait to read!), but she sent my boyfriend his own copy as well, which he was ecstatic about! So without further ado, let's get into my review.

First thing's first: the art is absolutely beautiful. I read this book so carefully, so afraid to turn the pages, because I was impressed with the art and the colors and that's one of the biggest reasons that I've been turning to graphic novels lately. There's something about the great art that really helps bring a story to life! 

It was also really fascinating to read about this "C-Virus" that is affecting the whole office, especially since I'm reading this in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Granted, when I received this copy back in February, things hadn't really ramped up here yet -- so I doubt that the coronavirus is what's actually being referred to -- but it felt really on-the-nose (and kind of funny to me) to see this book dealing with a mysterious virus that zombifies people. It was a tad too close to real life, but that is of course nobody's fault, and it got a good smile out of me. I tore through this book (even though it's only 22 pages) in a matter of minutes because I couldn't look away, and then I went back and reread it again to savor it even more. Seeing the return of all of the characters in this brief, hilarious little art piece really did brighten my crappy week of being stuck inside social-distancing. (Which is a necessity, people!)

And now, some commentary from my boyfriend, Matt, who also read the book and is a huge Aggretsuko fan!

The illustration was good and you could get a good feel for their personalities just from their faces and stances. My favorite part is when Aggretsuko pinballs off of Washimi and Gori; her quick one-liner and stance when she lands is definitely classic Retsuko.

I also enjoyed the fact that this was a short one-off of the anime where we get to see these characters in unique situations that are just enjoyable to read. It isn't trying to do too much yet, but it made me smile. I'm sure eventually we'll get subplots or little recurring things, and I'm excited for those!

Overall, I really loved reading Aggretsuko #1. The only downside is that I wish it had been longer, since I tore through it so quickly! If you're looking for a quick read that will make you laugh and lets you dive back into a television series you've been enjoying, then I'd definitely recommend picking this one up -- I'll certainly be on the hunt for Aggretsuko #2-4, which Goodreads has let me know are coming!