graphic novels

Graphic Novel Review: The Scarlet Rose

Posted by

0

Scarlet Rose #1 by Patricia Lyfoung

Scarlet Rose #1 
by Patricia Lyfoung
2 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Maud’s father is murdered by an assassin looking for a book containing the secret to a great treasure. Maud swears to avenge her father’s death, and wants to join a bandit named the Fox, who steals from the rich to give to the poor. Maud has to move in with her aristocratic grandfather, who only wants to control her and force her to marry a nobleman. Maud becomes the masked Scarlet Rose, and works on her fencing skills so she can become a highway bandit, and get one step closer to her father’s killer.

The plot is predictable and full of Robin Hood tropes. The characters are boring and obvious. The writing is blah. The artwork is okay, but nothing special. It’s not horrible, but it’s not good either. I’ve read worse, but I’ve also read much better.
Continue reading →

Book Review: The Tea Dragon Society

Posted by

0

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill
The Tea Dragon Society 
by Katie O’Neill


3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
In this graphic novel, Greta’s mother is teaching her to be a blacksmith, but Greta is distracted when she befriends a tea-shop owner with a pet tea dragon. As Greta learns to care for the tea dragons, she befriends a whole new group of people in the society dedicated to protecting their tea dragons, and brewing the delicious tea leaves harvested from their horns. But will Greta ever return to her blacksmithing lessons, or have a tea dragon of her own?

I love the whimsical artwork! The colors and lines are soft and sweet. I thought the plot was adorable and lovely. The little tea dragon creatures are the cutest thing ever created! But there were some confusing things about this book that make it difficult to review.

My main problem is that there is a homosexual couple in this book. One of them is a human and the other is some kind of furry llama-looking guy with a long tail. I did not appreciate this kind of political/philosophical posturing in an otherwise lovely children’s book about dragons.
Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Review: Wires and Nerve

Posted by

0

Wires and Nerve, Volume 1 by Marissa Meyer
Wires and Nerve, Volume 1 (Wires and Nerve, #1) 
by Marissa Meyer (Goodreads Author), Douglas Holgate (Illustrations)

5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads

I love this continuation of the Lunar Chronicles series, especially since it’s a graphic novel! After Cinder takes the throne and the Earthen-Lunar war is over, there are still some wolf-soldiers running around Earth unsupervised, causing death and destruction.
So Iko, the sassy android, takes up the task of retrieving all the deserters of the wolf army and bringing them back to Luna to face justice and/or be rehabilitated. It will take all her fancy programming and a lot of nerve to keep her friends safe, and even more determination to convince people that she has feelings just like a human.

I really loved the blue-tinted artwork, and I was impressed with the layout of the panels, and the pacing of the story. Some of the characters didn’t look quite how I had imagined them in my head, but that’s okay. Really beautiful cartoony style that pulled me into the world of Luna!
Continue reading →

Book Review: Snow White

Posted by

0

Snow White by Matt Phelan
Snow White: A Graphic Novel 
by Matt Phelan
5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


A wonderful retelling of Snow White set in the Jazz Age of America! Snow White is a New York heiress, and she meets seven orphan boys who live on the street. They help Snow White to hide from her stepmother, the “Queen of the Ziegfeld Follies” on Broadway.

I love the 20s costumes, and the contrast between rugged New York streets and the glitz and glam of the Follies. The setting really makes this into a new story, despite the fact that the plot itself follows the original fairy tale pretty closely. There are a few key details that are changed, which kept things interesting. Continue reading →

Review: Wool: The Graphic Novel

Posted by

0

Wool: The Graphic Novel
Wool: The Graphic Novel by Hugh Howey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Wow! I was blown away by the original novel, and so intrigued by the world of the Silos; so experiencing it again in graphic novel form was wonderful!

I love the artwork, and the mystery. There’s a lot of good suspense put into place just by how the panels are set up and how the dialogue follows from one page to the next. The colors reflect the mood of each chapter, and I love how darkness and light are used to portray the darkness of their ignorance. Continue reading →

Review: Manga Classics: Jane Eyre

Posted by

0

Manga Classics: Jane Eyre
Manga Classics: Jane Eyre by Stacy King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jane Eyre has always been one of my favorite books, so I had high expectations for this manga adaptation, and I was not disappointed!

Jane is beautifully portrayed, and all the complexity and grace of her character is reflected in her appearance, her facial expressions, and in every bit of dialogue. Simply brilliant! I loved her pretty dresses, and her fierce spirit and sweetness absolutely pours off the page! Continue reading →

Review: Manga Classics: The Jungle Book

Posted by

0

Manga Classics: The Jungle Book
Manga Classics: The Jungle Book by Crystal S. Chan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I liked how this manga presentation of The Jungle Book actually followed the real stories from the original book, including not just the story of Mowgli, but also Rikki-Tiki-Tavi, The White Seal, Toumai of the Elephants, and others. I wish they would make another one for Jungle Book 2 with even more stories!

The artwork is so beautiful, and really brings the characters to life! I loved seeing the facial expressions of Mowgli and Rikki-Tikki and the others, showing their fierce jungle spirit. The action was easy to follow, since each panel shows what is going on very clearly. Really well put-together and beautiful art! Continue reading →

Manga Review: Magic Knight Rayearth II, Vol. 1-3

Posted by

0

 

Magic Knight Rayearth II, Vol. 1Magic Knight Rayearth II, Vol. 3Magic Knight Rayearth II, Vol. 2
Magic Knight Rayearth II, Vol. 1 by CLAMP

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The three magical girls are back in the mysterious land of Cephiro for a second adventure! They don’t know who summoned them to this alien world, but they have their weapons and the Mashin spirits to help them fight, this time against invaders from neighboring worlds. Without a Pillar to hold the planet together, Cephiro is literally falling apart, and only the three Magic Knights can defend this world until someone new can take on the job of being the Pillar.

All the same things that I liked and disliked about the first volumes still hold true. The plot is obvious, the characters lack depth, and the action artwork is confusing. But the girls are cute! and I like the pretty artwork, and the adorable characters and their sweet friendships. Continue reading →

Review: Manga Classics: Les Misérables

Posted by

0

Manga Classics: Les Misérables
Manga Classics: Les Misérables by Stacy King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Somehow, I’ve never been a huge fan of Les Mis, but this manga changed my mind! For the first time, I actually enjoyed reading this classic story!

The artwork really brings the story to life, and enhances the characters so much. I loved seeing cute little Cosette when she’s a tiny little girl, and the brave and generous Jean Valjean striving to protect her. Seeing the expressions on their faces made them more real and relatable. The story is full of action and suspense, and that is reflected excellently in the art panels.

The writing is really brilliant, especially since it can’t be easy to condense such a complicated story into this format. In just a few words, the characters’ deep motivations are laid bare to the reader. The plot is easily understood without losing any of its multiple layers of meaning and emotion.

I loved it so much!! I read it all in one sitting, and I can’t wait to read more of these Manga Classics.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

View all my reviews

Graphic Novel Review: The Wendy Project

Posted by

0

The Wendy Project
The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is so beautiful and sweet and sad. Gorgeous artwork and a bittersweet story.

Wendy and her brothers are in a car crash, and Wendy swears she saw her youngest brother Michael flying off with Peter Pan, but no one believes her. She gets in trouble at school, and sort of connects with a weird guy named Peter. He’s enigmatic and unreliable, only interested in having fun, but Wendy believes he could lead her to her brother. Wendy’s therapist tells her to draw in a journal, and she begins to document the things she sees that makes her believe her brother is alive somewhere in Neverland. Continue reading →