"In: A Graphic Novel" by Will McPhail - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: In: A Graphic Novel
Author: Will McPhail
Upcoming Release Date: May 4, 2021


Synopsis: A poignant and witty graphic novel by a leading New Yorker cartoonist, following a millennial's journey from performing his life to truly connecting with people

Nick, a young illustrator, can’t shake the feeling that there is some hidden realm of human interaction beyond his reach. He haunts lookalike fussy, silly, coffee shops, listens to old Joni Mitchell albums too loudly, and stares at his navel in the hope that he will find it in there. But it isn’t until he learns to speak from the heart that he begins to find authentic human connections and is let in—to the worlds of the people he meets. Nick’s journey occurs alongside the beginnings of a relationship with Wren, a wry, spirited oncologist at a nearby hospital, whose work and life becomes painfully tangled with Nick’s.

Illustrated in both color and black-and-white in McPhail’s instantly recognizable style, In elevates the graphic novel genre; it captures his trademark humor and compassion with a semi-autobiographical tale that is equal parts hilarious and heart-wrenching—uncannily appropriate for our isolated times.

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Review: I have really been vibing with graphic novel memoirs lately. It's such a great medium for telling an individual's experience. Mostly these are semi-autobiographical and the little details that you just know have to be true really make the stories feel so real.

I really like Will McPhail's art style. He uses it so well to add color in only select areas. The storytelling in this book is done so well. The internal dialogue compared to what the protagonist actually says gave me many chuckles. The way he depicts conversations is excellent.

Nick is a Millennial going through the motions. This is a story about wanting to connect to others and figuring out how to do that. I think it's super relatable.

I give this book a 5/5. Wonderful storytelling. The methods used are simple, but so effective. I will be recommending this book to fellow Millennials. Empathy and vulnerability is at the heart of this book.


--PAUL

Sprite and the Gardener (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Oni Press via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: Sprite and the Gardener
Author: Joe Whitt
Artists: Rii Abrego
Upcoming Release Date: May 4, 2021


Synopsis: Long, long ago, sprites were the caretakers of gardens. Every flower was grown by their hand. But when humans appeared and began growing their own gardens, the sprites’ magical talents soon became a thing of the past. When Wisteria, an ambitious, kind-hearted sprite, starts to ask questions about the way things used to be, she’ll begin to unearth her long-lost talent of gardening. But her newly honed skills might not be the welcome surprise she intends them to be. 

The Sprite and the Gardener, the debut graphic novel by Joe Whitt and Rii Abrego, is bursting with whimsical art and vibrant characters. Join our neighborhood of sprites in this beautiful, gentle fantasy where both gardens and friendships begin to blossom. 

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Review: This is a cute, simple story. The artwork is adorable and very colorful. The sprites each have such a unique design and fun different personalities. I'd describe the tone of this book as playful. This story is about struggling with the norm and critiquing both the present and the past in order to decide what the future looks like. I give this book a 4.5.

--PAUL

Villainous (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Mad Cave Studios via Edelweiss. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: Villainous
Author: Stonie Williams
Artist: Jef Sadzinski
Upcoming Release Date: May 4, 2021


Synopsis: Tilly, one of the newest super-powered people to join the Coalition of Heroes, is doing her best to navigate the dizzying world of superheroes. Working with her idols should be a dream come true, but when she learns the truth, Tilly's dream quickly becomes a nightmare. Now, Tilly has to make a choice - Get in line and stand with her heroes, or take a stand and risk becoming something more... Villainous

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Review: This book takes place in a world where superheroes and villains exist. Tilly is excited to be essentially an intern for the super hero team. She quickly discovers good and bad isn't so black and white. BUT, in this book it kind of is. For a story that has such a focus on the good guys actually being the bad guys, there's very little time spent on gray morality. And the super hero good guy team just comes across as ridiculously over-the-top villains.

These characters did not sit well with me. I wanted them to be more rounded. They didn't seem to have much depth. There's also a villain known as Two-Spirit, but it isn't referring to the character's identity. It seemed like an instance of a writer using a cool name without knowing what the term even means to many people in the Indigenous Native American community. 

I was hoping for a lot more moral questions in this book instead of just a swapping of the good and bad guys. I give this book a 2/5.


--PAUL

The Orville Season 2.5: Launch Day (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Dark Horse Books via Edelweiss. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: The Orville Season 2.5: Launch Day
Author:  David A. Goodman
Illustrators:  David Cabeza & Michael Atiyeh
Upcoming Release Date: April 6, 2021

Orville 1.5: New Beginnings REVIEW


Synopsis: Board the starship Orville and adventure through space on these new missions set between seasons two and three of Seth MacFarlane's hit sci-fi TV show!

Executive Producer David A. Goodman writes a double feature that has Captain Ed Mercer and crew investigating an enigmatic alien device and contemplating the consequences of intervention when a primitive civilization faces an off-world threat.

In Launch Day, when seemingly hostile Krill ships cross into Union space, the Orville intercepts. Ed learns they are en route to a planet that left the Planetary Union decades ago under mysterious circumstances. Scans have discovered a moon-sized construct above the planet, and the Krill intend a preemptive strike against the presumed weapon. But is it?

In Heroes, Lieutenant Talla Keyali returns to a planet she surveyed as an Ensign when a quantum signature on the surface suggests significant technological advances since her last visit. Instead, she discovers a spacefaring species has subjugated the locals, transforming their once idyllic society into a grim mining operation. Stymied by the Union's hesitance to provoke hostilities, Talla must consider how far she's willing to go to help these people and the repercussions of doing so.

Collects The Orville #1: Launch Day Part 1 of 2, The Orville #2: Launch Day Part 2 of 2, The Orville #3: Heroes Part 1 of 2, The Orville #4: Heroes Part 2 of 2.

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Review: I really enjoyed the graphic novel taking place between the first two seasons and this book delivers the same thing except between season two and the upcoming season. This book collects two different stories that each feel like an episode of the series on their own.

The first story is Launch Day. There's good pacing, funny dialogue, and modern themes showcased in an interesting way. A lot of fun. The society in this story takes isolationism to a whole new level.

The second story is Heroes. It features a world being taken advantage of. A folk hero inspires change with the help of some of the Orville crew. There are some fun vigilante and superhero themes.

I give this book a 4.5/5. Both stories feel just like fully fledged episodes. This book really gets me excited for the next season of this show.


--PAUL

My Shadow is Pink (picture book) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Larrikin House via Edelweiss. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: My Shadow is Pink
Author & Illustrator: Scott Stuart
Release Date: April 1, 2020


Synopsis: My Shadow is Pink is a beautifully written rhyming story that touches on the subjects of gender identity, self acceptance, equality and diversity.

Inspired by the author’s own little boy, ‘Shadow’s’ main character likes princesses, fairies and things ‘not for boys’...he soon learns (through the support of his dad) that everyone has a shadow that they sometimes feel they need to hide. This is an important book for a new generation of children (and adults alike) which exemplifies the concepts of unconditional love, respect and positive parenting.

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Review: This picture book has great art with a wonderful rhyming story all done with great intention and with a heartfelt message. Every person has shadows that match their inner desires and things that society often shames people for doing/liking based on preconceived ideas and norms. The protagonist has a pink shadow that likes to dance. By the end of the book, we get to see the protagonist's father join his child in wearing a tutu.

I love the idea behind this book, but I had a few hesitations with how the story was portrayed. It still is very binary. I was confused by the color of the shadows. At one point men are shown to have blue shadows and women pink, but at another point the protagonist is the only child with a pink shadow in a class that seems to have girls in it as well. I wish the traditionally feminine interests weren't gendered with the pink shadow. Dancing can be enjoyed by all genders. I wanted this book to defy stereotypes even more. 

I also wanted to see more inequality addressed. This book portrays every person having interests they are shamed for, but society does not shame everyone equally. There are people whose interests align with what society says they should enjoy. Those people are not discriminated against for those interests, while those with interests seen as nontraditional are discriminated against.

These grievances are small, though. I understand that books like this are more of a way to open up a dialogue with both children and caregivers. I love that there are more books like this filling up the picture book shelves! I give this book a 4/5. 

--PAUL