The Sand Warrior
By a bunch of people
Published by Random House
This book's a bit hard to explain. It stars Oona, sand dancer, a kind of elite magic people on this one planet who can control sand (sand is important) but isn't very good at it. Through a mistake, she finds out that the 5 planets (4 of them are moons but I don't want to go into much detail here) are dying due to global warming because there are these giant towers that were put there by the gods of the realm and now they are closed so heat is building up, so now she must group up with some unusual companions in order to find the "Chosen One" to fix everyone. I understand that's a really bad description, but it makes way more sense if you actually read the book. Trust me on this.
I like this book, but at certain parts I feel like it just grabs a few to many cliches (the chosen one, many of the spaceship designs, the warrior race, etc...) but over all it's original ideas are strong enough to stand. The art is pretty good. I especially like the architecture. The characters are fine, nothing to write home about. The chemistry between the characters is decent, but there are a few moments where a character makes a decision that seems to clash with their goal. The plot does get a bit incomprehensible at times, but over all it works. But this book does have one big problem that I see more and more. The dreaded "First book in a series" syndrome. This book is mainly concerned with info dumping about the world, while providing an okay story to keep you interested. I feel like this book isn't too hurt by it, but I worry that as this gets more common, it could seriously hurt books like it.
TL;DR: 7/10
The Time Museum
By Matthew Loux
Published by First Second
The Time Museum stars Delia Bean, a high school student and complete nerd who goes to her Uncle Lyndon. Turns out her Uncle is a time traveler from the future who works at The Earth Time museum, a museum that employs time travelers to collect artifacts for them, thus giving the museum the most complete collection of earth's history, employing people from all different ages. Delia is given the chance to intern at the museum by competing against other possible interns in a competition across time, but through their adventures, they get intertwined with the story of a rouge time traveler and his schemes.
I quite like this book, but *fill in the blank.* The characters are a bit hyperbolic, but it works well enough, and some of the characters have good chemistry, and the different times adds another layer of depth to them. The art is fabulous, but clashes with the character design. The characters have very cartoony designs, with very stretchy faces and limbs, while the backgrounds are more realistic and solid. Even so, it works well enough. The Story is simple. Very much a first book. The antagonist was weak and didn't have a clear motive or goal, and seemed to switch his character throughout his timeline. Overall, the book has some holes, but no deal breakers.
TL;DR: 7/10
The Stone Heart
By Faith Erin Hicks
Published by First Second
My first review of a sequel! If you want context for the series, read the old review here. The book continues the story of Kaidu and Rat, as they live in the nameless city. Taking place directly after the first book, the Dao government has been making a push for peace, but this didn't please everyone, and after the assassination attempt in the last book, everyone is on edge. During this pressing time, the location of the secret of how the city was built was uncovered, and a new plot is hatched to take control of the other clans with war instead of diplomacy, with only our main characters having the knowledge to stop it.
This book is a good improvement over the previous book. I think the characters are much more fleshed out in this book, with interesting backstories and struggles, each with believable motivations save one. The expanded cast is much more diverse, which is good. The main characters have very good chemistry, and are written well. The plot is much easier to follow, and the sense of scale works well. I do think the "main" villain is completely unrealistic, with no real motivation I could see, which did dampen the end a bit, but over all, I liked this book
TL;DR: 8/10
One Trick Pony
By Nathan Hale
Published By Amulet
It's hard thinking of first sentence comments; I've used up the good ones. One Trick Pony is set in a dystonia future where strange alien bug robot things known as Pipers bubble up and steal all the metal and plastic they can find, leaving earth ravaged and the few survivors trying to stay one step ahead of the horde to survive. The Book stars Strata, a girl of one such survivor group who finds a mechanical (and somewhat sentient) horse named Kleidi. Together, they must escape the pipers, and maybe find a way to end them once and for all.
I like parts of this book, but not others. The characters are mostly flat, with boring motivations, and most only have a single character trait, that can clash with their actions. The horse is my main problem. It's powers and abilities were never made 100 percent clear to me, so I found it really anticlimactic when the final conflict was ended by the horse doing the thing we'd already seen it do multiple, and that somehow having a completely different affect. That really left a bad taste in my mouth. The monster design it great though, and the art is good, save for a few odd character designs. On the whole, it's flawed, but I enjoyed it somewhat. I do want to encourage the author to keep writing fiction though. It's a good first start.
TL;DR: 6/10
Spill Zone
By Scott Westerfeld
Published By First Second
I definitely got what I wanted from this book. Spill zone stars Addison, a young woman who illegally photographs the strange goings on inside a now deserted town where a catastrophe called the spill changed the rules of physics and reality, and cause mutants and strange "flesh puppet" corpses to run rampant. After one of her more successful photography runs, she meets with one of her rich buyers, who informs her that there was another such spill in North Korea, and that inside the town hospital there is a special box that may contain the key to solving and eventually fixing the spill.
The Book is good, but it has its flaws. I like it's setting, but the characters are kinda tropeish. The child character is the unexplained physic child trope but with an added morally questionable doll. The two do play off each other, but it could have been better. The generic tough guy friend is just that, and the rich eccentric buyer just struck me as out of touch, seeming to always have a cheesy grin on her face. I loved the creature design, but wished it had gone further, with more beasts lurking in the background, giving the reader a bit more eye candy to look at. The color is great, with vivid contrast. While the plot does kinda get a bit silly, I think it's strong enough to hold up. One more thing is that the book is very much the first of a series, and leaves way too much up in the air. I do want to see these threads taken somewhere, but I think that some of them should have been saved for later entries.
TL;DR: 7/10
Should You Read It: Yeah, if you like weird and absurd
Snow White
By Matt Phelan
Published by Candlewick Press
I like a good fairy tale from time to time, but this one is really really good! The story is a modern reinterpretation of the classic snow white tale, set in 1929 New York after black Tuesday (The stock market crash that started the great depression). The story has fun tweaking and changing the different elements to fit the new setting, and does it very well.
What really made me fall for this book was the beautiful art. It is mostly black and white, with subtle blues and vibrant reds, along with use of harsh shadows that create the perfect atmosphere to breath new life into a very old story. The story is nothing new, of course. But it fits the time period well. While I would take fault in the ending and how it is just ridiculous, but that came from the original text, so there is nothing much I can say about it. Unfortunately good art can't really hold it up, so it goes down to a 7/10.
TL;DR: 7/10
Should you buy the book: Yes
Giant Days
By John Allison
Published by BOOM! Box
I’m not sure what I think about this book. It’s about 3 college freshmen who are all stereotypes of particular cultures (nerd, goth, main character) who just go through a college year. I honestly am not sure how to describe this.
Tried rereading it but nope. Still confused. The book follows a semi-consistent narrative, but seems to get a few things wrong with its characters. As I said, stereotypes. Also drugs. I Have not been to a college, but I’m pretty sure this is not how people interact. Even so, the characters have decent chemistry, and the art is good. The book is mostly solid.
TL;DR: 5/10
Should you read it: I mean maybe?
Ghosts
By Raina Telgemeier
Published by Scholastic
This book is magnificent. Ghosts is about two sisters Cat and Maya, who are moving from the south of California to far north. When they get there, Cat at first doesn’t like it, but slowly she and her sister find that the town is a hot spot for ghosts! The two go about their lives while trying to bridge gaps their family left while exploring town and celebrating the day of the dead / Halloween. Did I mention they come from Spanish roots? That is important.
I love this book. It is dripping with atmosphere. The Characters are human and likable, with lots of diversity among them. The art is fantastic, using the simplicity to empiricism the color and characters. I have nothing more to say. But there is one big problem. The author is White. Now I know, that really sounds like a weak reason to pull it down to a 7/10, but I kinda have to. I understand that in the current political climate, such things are iffy, and so I must acknowledge this.
TL;DR: 7/10
Should you buy it: Yeah, if you're okay with the author
Compass South
By Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock
Published by Margret Ferguson Books
Another book with a bizarre plot, but this one for slightly different reasons. Compass South is about two twins Alex and Cleo, who try to escape poverty via an add in the newspaper from a man who was looking for his long lost suns (cash reward). They collide with a second pair of twins, but both pairs are separated, each with one of the other. One drugged and made to work on a boat headed for San Francisco, and the other pair stowing away on a different boat which also was heading to San Francisco, while a pirate band chases them for the strange artifacts their father gave them.
Did I mention 1860? this book is pure 1860. The Plot is kinda all over the place, in some spots being a character driven affair and in others a high energy adventure fighting pirates and Jaguars. There is an element later in the book that was dropped out of no where, and wasn’t fully explained which confused me. But I still recommend the book because the characters are good and have compelling chemistry, and the art is good.
TL;DR: 7/10
Should you read it: yes
Alabaster Shadows
By Matt Gardner and Rashad Doucet
Published by Oni Press
Another good book with a few holes. Alabaster Shadows is about two kids Carter and Polly, who move with their parents to a town named Alabaster Shadows. That night, Carter finds a portal to an alien world, and the two of them must team up with a group of local kids who all are in some way connected to the portal to thwart the evil villains plans which are never revealed or spelled out. As I said, holes.
This book is good, but I feel like I’m only saying that because I have been trained to except that kind of reasoning over the years by listening to Welcome to Night Vale, the greatest podcast ever. And it looks a lot like Night Vale: a desert town, mysterious occurrences, a dark and vague antagonist. To someone who hasn’t had this acceptance of weird hardwired into their brain, the book’s plot meanders, with many things not being explained enough and many things relying on chance to make sense. The villain, as stated before, seems not to have a clear motive, besides keeping everyone in the dark. Maybe it’s world domination, I’m not sure. But the characters are good, and the art and monster design are good, which is a plus.
TL;DR: 7/10
Should you buy it: Yeah, if you are wiling to accept some plot weirdness.
Bera the One-Headed Troll
By Eric Orchard
Published By First Second
Why is the art so good? Bera the One-Headed Troll stars the titular main character Bera the royal Pumpkin Grower, who finds a human baby because of reasons. The story focuses around her trying to find great troll heroes to help her deliver the infant to a human village, all the while attempting to escape the witch Cloote, who wants the Infant as well because of other reasons.
This book has one of the best art styles I have ever seen. It uses a very small color pallet, but gets a lot of detailing in, with harsh shadow and contrast, using the occasional yellow to draw your eyes around. The Characters are all unique, and have designs that reflect their personalities (They don’t have much, but they have a bit). The implied lore of the world is also vast and exiting. I would very much like more books in its universe to be written. The characters are a bit flat, but it is just so well illustrated.
TL;DR: 7/10
Should you by it: yes
The Twilight Children
By Gilbert Hernandez, Darwyn Cooke, and Dave Stewart
Published by DC comics
This book was not the book I thought it would be when I saw the cover. The Book centers around a sea-side town in which one day a strange glowing ball of light appears. Along with the ball (which promptly disappears and reappears throughout the book at random) a mysterious woman appears, who is somehow connected to it all. The rest is muddled and makes little sense.
This was a confusing book that left a bad taste in my mouth. For one, none of the characters were very fleshed out, and seemed like cutouts most of the time. Also most of the characters are jerks that make for an cast that I have no interest in. The whole orb of light thing made no sense what so ever, seeming to not follow any rules and doing nothing consistently. The finale made even less sense, and the whole book seemed disjointed, without a vision. If this book focused more on one of its elements and really worked on it, I would have liked this book, but in its current state I wouldn’t recommend it. Also this book had adult themes and images. I would have worked that into the paragraph but I couldn’t be asked.
TL;DR: 4/10
Would you get a positive outcome from using language to secure a replication of the original text which creates this story if you look at it: meh
Level Up
By Gene Luen Yang
Published by First Second
Another book that focuses on the internal struggles of characters that feel like people. The book focuses around the life of main character Dennis, and his life, which to him revolves around video games. But in collage, he is visited by four cherubs, who tell him he must go to med-school. The book focuses on Dennis’s struggle between these two forces in his life.
I was trying to be as vague as possible with that description, since the book should be read by anyone who isn’t fulfilled by their life. It discusses them of false promises, responsibility, how fulfilling life should be, and the difference between what you want to do and what you should do. The art is good, using a simplistic style. The characters are great, seeming like real people with goals and good chemistry. I recommend the book.
TLDR: 7/10
Should: yes
Broxo
By Zack Giallongo
Published by First Second
Broxo is interesting. Set in a medieval(ish) world, Broxo stars Zora, exploring a place for some reason that isn’t made clear. There She meets the namesake of the book, Broxo, and discovers that in this place, the dead are restless and bloodthirsty. She teams up with Broxo, and together they must find a way to put the dead to rest.
This book has some solid ideas, but a lot of it is murky. By that I mean many of them aren’t fleshed out enough. I think Broxo’s backstory is interesting, as is the lore they have surrounding the area. I think the characters are good, and have good chemistry with one another. But there are places were it falls flat. The tone is unfocused, swapping from darkness to lighthearted joking from time to time.
The “Villain” (I put air quotes around that since she isn’t properly villainous for most of the book) is flat, and needed a bit more fleshing out, but over all I enjoyed it.
TLDR: 7/10
Should you do the buy: Sure
Dragon Girl
By Jeff Weigel
Published by Andrews McMeel
I feel like my previous posts have made it seem like I dislike books for childishness. So I present a childish book that I really really like. Dragon Girl Focuses around main character Alanna and Her brother Hamel in a medieval (ish, there is an air ship at one point) world in which dragons exist and the classic dragon hate is at medieval levels (That is to say high). Alanna and her brother find an orphaned baby dragon, who leads them back to a dragon sanctuary. There they must focus on stopping an evil knight from killing all the dragons or some other evil thing.
As I said 3 sentences ago, I like this book. The dragons not being evil thing is nice. They are portrayed more as animals then a force of evil. Also the air ship. I can think of very little in literature then an airship that can shoot fire would not improve. The villain does get easily distracted at times, and his motive seems to shift. But for the most part the characters are okay, as is the story. The best part is the art, which is detailed and interesting to look at. The world is also quite good.
TLDR: 7/10
Does this piece of wood-pulp with chemical dye deserve investment: Yes
Super Mutant Magic Academy
By Jillian Tamaki
Published by D+Q
Yet another book I didn’t read at first. This one can only be described as weird. The book focuses around a diverse cast of students brought together at the Super Mutant Magic Academy. The name perfectly describes everyone in attendance. Don’t ask why. This books is definitely a coming of age novel, as if focuses around the main character (kinda) Marsha developing.
A few critiques of the book I have are the art style and the pages themselves. Both have no consistency, and spirally seem to jump from place to place. This does help the book slightly, by giving the story a scene of confusion, similar to real high-school. The characters are mostly fleshed out, and the book provides great commentary on art, gender, and difference. There is quite a bit of language through out, so be warned.
TLDR: 7/10
Should you walk to the bookstore and demand a copy: Yes, but mind the hard language.
Primates
By Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks
Published by First Second
Having had the joy of going to one of Jane Goodall’s talks, this book has a special place in my heart. The book focuses on the lives of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Gladikas, and their expeditions to research primates, specifically chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans respectively. The story is nonfiction, describing their lives and research.
I quite like this book. It has simplistic but pretty art, is informative, and does what it sets out to do: provide an interesting and informative story about these amazing women. The authors acknowledged that in some places they did have to take narrative leaps, but they made sense and the flow of the book remained mostly intact throughout. It is a good addition to my ever expanding shelf.
TLDR: 8/10
Should you invest currency into this item: yes
Baba Yaga’s Assistant
By Marika McCoola
Published by Candlewick
Another book from the “books I like but not as much as other books” pile. The story is an odd one indeed, even a bit childish. The main character is Masha, whose father (a widower) is kindling a relationship with someone who is not important who has a daughter who is a brat. Masha’s grandma recently passed away, so teenage angst is at an all time high for her. But then she sees an ad in the newspaper posted by the mythical Baba Yaga, requesting an assistant. So Masha goes out into the woods and seeks employment.
This book has some glaring issues. So let’s list them. The first is that the amount of times they go back to the original story is ridiculous and unnecessary. I got the point, and didn’t need it hammered home repeatedly. The second is that the story thinks that it has this deep backstory involving the grandmother and Baba Yaga, but it doesn’t end up feeling that deep. The story is shallow and childish. Not that the book is without its charms. I love the art style and Masha and the grandmother are okay characters, its just the book is aimed at a younger audience then me, so Its flaws are more obvious.
TLDR: 6/10
Should you purchase a copy: Sure, but it's more for younger readers
Psychiatric Tales
By Darryl Cunningham
Publisher by Bloomsbury
This book is very good, but it’s not conventional. It is nonfiction, and focuses on the author’s work at a psychiatric hospital, detailing the many different patients he encountered throughout his time there. This book paints these people as people, not as characters, and also works some helpful advice for sufferers into the book. The author himself also dealt with depression, which adds an air of honesty and empathy into the book.
I personally believe that this book should be required reading for all of humanity. Not because it is well written or well drawn (it is both), but because it gives a necessary viewpoint that many people lack, and can be used in a learning environment.
TLDR: 8/10
Should you buy this: GO READ IT NOW
Ghostopolis
By Doug TenNapel
Published by Scholastic
This book is a classic of its genre, or at the very least it should be. The story follows Garth, a kid with an incurable disease who is sent to the afterlife due to a ghost hunting accident. This unfortunate event leads to epic adventures with a colorful cast of characters, including a bone horse named Skinny, the ghost of Garth’s grandpa, Frank Gallows: the ghost hunter who started it all, and Claire: a ghost who escaped to the living world but came to help. Together they try and stop the evil Vaugner, a god-like figure with near unlimited power.
This book is exquisite, but after the 8th reading of it I started to pick up on some subtleties that I had never noticed before. The rules and laws that govern the afterlife are very clear, and there are subtle character moments that younger readers could miss. So it confuses me that most of the comedic lines are aimed at a younger audience of about 12. The plot also is ham-handed at times (there are bits that aren’t very subtle), but these are minor nitpicks that don’t degrade too much from the book.
TLDR: 8/10
Should you buy this book: Yes
Nameless City
By Faith Erin Hicks
Published by First Second
So I had this book for a while now sitting in my “To Read” pile, and now that I’ve read it I regret not reading it sooner. It focuses on a boy named Kaidu, in a place that from what I can see is a fictionalized China / feudal Japan; kinda. He recently moved to The Nameless City; a strategic point which many factions fight over, and constant changes hands. Kaidu is from the ruling faction, but meets a local girl who is a free runner, and they become friends. Together they break down the cultural barriers and uncover sinister plots from revolutionaries.
This book has incredibly fleshed out and human characters, but a weak plot. It seems like it’s setting up a sequel, getting all the world building out of the way. But I still found it engaging and interesting.
TLDR: 7/10
Should you read this book: Sure
Nimona
By Noelle Stevenson
Publisher: HARPERTEEN
I’ve read this book enough to recite it by heart, and I love it. It focuses on the main character Nimona, joining the evil “Villain” Blackheart as a Henchman in schemes, villainy, and a dash of conspiracy. The universe is a sifi fantasy mix, focusing in a kingdom run by an organization that administrates the heroes and villains to make sure they don’t do anything too evil and to keep the people happy. Enter Nimona, an outsider who doesn’t lay by anyone’s rules, and is a loose cannon. She becomes the henchmen of Blackheart, the most famous villain in the kingdom. Together, they slowly uncover what the organization it really up to, and attempting to overthrow it, all the while more is Revealed about the character of Nimona.
I love this book to death. It has a perfect flow, interesting stories that draw you in, and a beautiful art style. Go by this book and read it.
TLDR: 9/10
Should you get this book: yes yes definitely yes
August Moon
By Diana Thung
Published By Top Shelf
Fi is relocated to a new town (temperately) when her biologist father is called to examine the corpse of a strange new animal. She meets a boy named Jaden, who is an artist and doesn’t talk much, who can jump several stories. Turns out Jaden works for something called Rabbit Co., which is run by those strange animals (sort of sentient rabbit bears). Rabbit Co. is fighting the Mon&Key company, who are destroying the forest to do something (it’s not clear what) with the land.
I think this book is good. The art style reminds me a bit of My Neighbor Totoro, and the characters are decently complex and pretty believable. The story may be a little convoluted and confusing, and there may be some loose ends, but It is a good book that I would recommend.
TLDR: 7/10
Should you get the book: yes
Templar
By Jordan Mechner
Published by First Second
This book, set in France in 1307, stars a group of the Knights Templar attempting to “move” the Templar treasure during the trial of all Templars for heresy. This is made more difficult by the fact that they are being pursued by the army trying to arrest them and make them confess to location of the treasure, and their sins.
This book is good, no more no less. The art is most detailed when focused on buildings, and is strongest when showing large cities from a bird’s eye view. The illustrations of the characters are simpler but all differentiated, but their personalities kind of blurred together. The story is alright, with lots of action, but the characters aren’t well differentiated. They all are unique sure, but they don’t seem to have much character besides their shared trait of breaking rules for what they say is the common good. But for history, this book is worth the read; I liked the history lots! It is more adult than most graphic novel books for younger readers, with some mild swearing, a dark tone, and some nudity, so bear that in mind.
TLDR: 6/10
Should you get the book: for the historical parts yes, if you are a bit older
Last of the Sandwalkers
By Jay Hosler
Published by First Second
This book entails the journeys of a band of anthropomorphic insect scientists pursuing knowledge despite a crazy religion/pyramid scheme (kinda) that’s sole purpose is to thwart exploration and discovery so it can install its leaders and rulers of the insect city. Also I think this takes place some time after modern day, because I don’t know of any sentient insect colonies.
I like this book. At first the concept may sound weird, and it is, but it works. The characters - Lucy, Raef, Prof. Bombardier, Mossy, and Professor Owen - are all memorable, and the villain’s motives all make sense from their perspective. But it does have have some problems. The characters, though memorable, are rather basic and one-note. But overall, it is a good book that I would recommend. The world building, art style, and interesting story are what make this book good.
TLDR: 8/10
Should you get the book: yes, if you don’t mind insects.
