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How wonderful is it to read a graphic novel that celebrates Black women! How we all come in all shapes and sizes. The beauty of our hair and the love and care is put in to make sure they poppin'. I loved how it showed Black women from all walks of life. This shows Black queer women, Black women that struggle with mental health, Black women walking away from what could be a toxic relationship, and Black women putting themselves first before any man!!! We absolutely love to see it.
CW: murder, death, grief, cancer, death of loved ones.
I was so hyped to read this book. By the synopsis I thought it was going to be a quiet and intriguing mystery. Kind of like confessions by kanae minato. I started off loving this book. The writing is beautiful and I was captivated by how the author dealt with grief and death. Sadly I ended up being disappointed in this book. I ended it confused and not truly caring for any of the characters. I think one of the things that hindered my reading experience and comprehension of this novel was the multiple perspectives. There's three perspectives and I wish the author would've just left it with just Da-on's pov.
This story had so much potential but unfortunately it just felt flat for me. If you're interested in picking this up. Just go in with low expectations.
Not my favorite volume so far. But I appreciate the bit of backstory we get on toshinori. I think that stain is such an interesting villain with interesting ideals. I wish that horikoshi would've given him more time. But I know that it was all for a greater (or evil-er) purpose. I'm so excited to finally continue the manga. And hopefully catch up before the year ends.
Also as a full tenya iida stan i cried seeing him get so badly hurt..
CW: PTSD, blood, mentions of sexual assault, substance abuse, kidnapping, murder, vomiting.
Okay so it's done ?????
There's so much I want to say yet I don't really know what to say. I liked how the author tied in things from the other books into this. It was brilliant how they made small details that were maybe deemed insignificant in the other books. And we're actually part of the bigger picture. But that ending was so rushed and a bit out of character for pip. I don't know how I feel about it.
Also is there going to be another book? I would love more tbh but these characters have already been through hell and back. They need a break, maybe a novella of there they are now, a vacation or something
CW: rape, child abuse, domestic abuse, death, pedophilia, incest, racism, assault, alcohol abuse, blood, colorism, animal abuse, fatphobic comments, use of the word g*psy.
okay so i'm kinda disappointed and conflicted about my thoughts on this book. in one hand i how trauma heavy this book was. it felt like every chapter was just trauma after trauma. it was so hard to read sometimes. and on the other hand i do feel like the commentary of blackness and how it gets overshadowed by whiteness. it's a conversation that we should be having to this day. i also thought that the book in itself was constructed in a weird way. i didn't get any time to really connect with any of the characters or their stories. the second i started to feel for a character the story would change to focus on another. it had a weird flow throughout the book. i personally didn't fully like how it felt like the author wanted to make us sympathize with pecola's parents. even after knowing the abuse that both of them put her through. i understand that maybe she wanted to show the reader that sometimes abuse is a constant loop birthed by abuse and trauma. i appreciate her intent and thought it was interesting to see her parents pasts. but it still doesn't mean it's okay to treat her the way they did.
i really liked toni morrison's writing and would like to pick up her other books. also, i know this is her debut so maybe something else by her would surely work for me.
CW: themes of depression
I picked up this book because i kept hearing about it in different youtube videos. All I knew about it was that it was about a yellow wallpaper and commentary on depression. But wow it's so much more than that. It succeeds on explaining the feeling that comes with depression. And the dread of having people ignore it and say to just sleep it off. We see the narrator slowly descend into madness due to not getting the help she needs.
I honestly don't know what to rate it lol.
CW: death of a loved one, terminal illness, chronic illness, and complications with pregnancy.
I absolutely loved my time rereading this. I can confidently say that it is a favorite of mine. I love how atmospheric and cozy this book is. Even though this book is told in “short stories” or vignettes following four different characters. Each story bleeds into each other and the characters are still present in the other stories. So you get to see them all develop in their own and the other stories. I really fell in love with this book and the characters all over again.
first read: may 14 2020
second read: october 11 2021
CW: mentions of rape and domestic abuse
wait a minute... not me finishing this and finding out it was written by a man!?
okay i'm not saying men can't write about women and our struggles. BUT THIS BOOK TALKS ABOUT RAPE AND ABUSE!!!? like i feel like i've been catfished or something because there were poems where i almost teared up and connected with. but then there would be others that sounded so cheesy and cliche. I was almost not going to rate this because I don't like to rate poetry or nonfiction low. since they're normally so personal. But idk how I feel about this now that I know that this was written by a man...
P.s. It annoyed me how every poem ended with some kind of variation of “I am made of flowers I am made of steel...“
thanks you netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
