Whoever wrote the synopsis for this book did a terrible job. They made it appear that the primary conflict in the story was the main character and her mother’s attempt to cross the border for safety. This did not actually happen until 70% of the way through the book. Much of the rest of the novel focused on day-to-day life in a dangerous area with people trying to make it work. Something about the narrative, and the misdirection from the synopsis, made it more difficult to connect with the story. I also think that the limited amount of pages left to chronicle the main characters experience with the US immigration system meant that many of these important aspects got condensed into far a few pages. Unfortunately I do not recommend this book. I have read better.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. At first, based on the cover, I thought that this book would be science fiction. However, the science fiction aspects are how the main characters OCD manifest. The primary genre for this book is contemporary. The art is excellent. The author also does an excellent job navigating what can be difficult issues.
I have no idea what I saw in these books when I read them as a child. The graphic novel, I have read, is a fairly faithful adaptation of the original. Unfortunately, I could not get over the syrupy sweetness of the, frankly, unbelievable narrative. The art is well done, but I could not stand anything else about this book. I definitely do not recommend it.
I really enjoyed this fairytale retelling of a sort, a villain backstory, this time it’s the witch who keeps Rapunzel in the tower. I also appreciated the light fantasy take to the story which rooted it firmly in many historical traditions and events that could very well have led to the origin of the fairytale. Even though I said that this book is the so-called origin story of Mother Gothel, all of the story takes place well before the fairytale starts and differs quite significantly from the traditional telling, specifically the Brothers Grimm tale. The author kept me engaged in the story, although I must admit that she included the storytelling technique that is a personal bother to me and that’s where the author implies long passage of time between certain events when in reality only weeks or months not years have passed. This is just a personal thing. I will definitely pick up more from this author.
Andrea Beatriz Arango continues to be one of my favorite authors. Her poetical prose flows so smoothly and also beautifully captures incredibly difficult real life traumas and natural events. Although the first book that I read from her, Iveliz Explains It All, continues to be my hands-down favorite. I still enjoyed this one though I would rank it third out of the three books that I have read from her. I don’t remember if the previous books I’ve read by her delve into magical realism which this book did. That gave the narrative a different taste. In this book, she explores an all too real aspect of machismo in the Latine culture and its profound impact on the main character as he deals with anxiety that should be clinically treated. Arango did an excellent job exploring this and also helping the main character realize certain things about himself, about his father, and about how he should continue moving through the world.
Once again, T. Kingfisher created a book I thoroughly enjoyed. Although I likely missed a handful of illusions to other events that have occurred in this world because I have not read most of the Saint of Steel series or the Clockwork Boys series, I still really enjoyed returning to this world and exploring more stories. I also liked how she explored the Dervish’s reaction to trauma, both of trauma inflicted on him while he was tied to the sword as well as the trauma inflicted by the apparent betrayal of his commander, the love interest in Swordheart, Sarkis. Additionally, I always love a story where more unique characters join the cast, provide comic, relief, and play critical roles. Could I have done without a sentient 5/7 foot tall pill bug? Yes, but the way that Kingfisher wrote Large Francis’s character was brilliant.
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