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willowtree7's reviews
251 reviews
The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really loved this look into high school as a larger person, dealing with fitting in, sexuality, and finding your passion and people. While this was set in 2002/2003, a lot of the experiences still felt similar to my own experiences about 5-10 years later. Win/Fred/Winifred deals with a lot of mental health battles that turn into physical and eating battles, dealing with changing friendships and friend groups, and her internalised feelings.
This one definitely tugged on my heart strings a lot, and I’d highly recommend it.
This one definitely tugged on my heart strings a lot, and I’d highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
I included fatphobia as a graphic content tag but it’s definitely internalised fatphobia, rather than external fatphobia if that makes a difference for you as a reader
Shred or Dead by D. Bradford Gambles
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The story for this was pretty standard skate stuff. Definite focus on “rival gangs” that then turns into an alien story. Overall it was pretty average. I just pushed through to finish it, but can’t say I enjoyed the full experience. I feel like the ages the characters were given at the start don’t really match their behaviour and dialogue.
Hey, Mary by Andrew Wheeler
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this incredible graphic novel detailing a catholic boys journey of self discovery. As someone who was also raised somewhat religious (not catholic, and certainly not as devout as Mark), it is a difficult journey to finding yourself while also wanting to maintain connection with the spiritual world, especially when the pathways you know won’t support who you are.
Andrew Wheeler does a phenomenal job bringing in catholic and queer history to aide Mark on his self discovery journey. Rye Hickman beautifully illustrates the story to help convey everything through subtle mannerisms, iconography on characters, and really being the story to life. It’s not often I tear up reading a graphic novel, but this one resonated with me in ways I didn’t see coming.
If you also are queer and have any sort of religious connection, this one is a must read. Also to any Catholics or other religious folks wanting to see why the queer community is a great place that should be accepted, this is a good place to start.
Andrew Wheeler does a phenomenal job bringing in catholic and queer history to aide Mark on his self discovery journey. Rye Hickman beautifully illustrates the story to help convey everything through subtle mannerisms, iconography on characters, and really being the story to life. It’s not often I tear up reading a graphic novel, but this one resonated with me in ways I didn’t see coming.
If you also are queer and have any sort of religious connection, this one is a must read. Also to any Catholics or other religious folks wanting to see why the queer community is a great place that should be accepted, this is a good place to start.
Manga Classics: Les Misérables by Stacy King, SunNeko Lee, Crystal S. Chan, Victor Hugo
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you UDON and NetGalley for an ARC for this graphic novel (even though it’s been some time since its release!) I’ve loved the story of Les Misérables for years after discovering the musical. I have always intended to read the actual novel, but its size has always seemed rather daunting. This manga is the perfect size to learn more about the story Victor Hugo initially told. While it is not an exact depiction due its much shorter length, it still captures the essence of the story, the depth of the characters, and the important key moments from the story (as I know them from the musical at least!) the art style is beautiful and helps boost the story.
If you are wanting to dip into the waters of Les Misérables but like me are put off due to its length, this is a great way to learn some more about the story in an easy to follow adaptation. Highly recommend!
If you are wanting to dip into the waters of Les Misérables but like me are put off due to its length, this is a great way to learn some more about the story in an easy to follow adaptation. Highly recommend!
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
There’s not much I can put into words how much this series has meant to me since I first picked up the first book. This instalment just added to the story tenfold! I love how it’s both cosy and adventurous all at once. How the story just sits into the plot calmly and also has impending action just underneath. Travis has an incredible way with words and has really built up a wonderful world that I don’t want to leave.
Highly recommend this book for those of you who love cosy fantasy. Incredible read!
Highly recommend this book for those of you who love cosy fantasy. Incredible read!
Witchcraft: A Graphic History: Stories of Wise Women, Healers and Magic by Lindsay Squire
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! I really enjoyed the art style and the layout of the book. It was really informative and taught me a lot about witches and their history. I did also enjoy the story about Biddy Early and Lindsay in the graphic novel style as it added a fictional element to an otherwise nonfiction book.
What brought the rating down is just how the non-fiction elements came into the fiction story and vice versa. The non-fictional elements would bring me out of the story at a point where I’d be invested as there would be quite a bit to read before returning to Biddy and Lindsay’s story.
This is a unique non-fiction book that provides a lot of really useful information while adding in a story that uses that information in its plot. This is a really good read for anyone wanting to learn more about witches and I would still recommend giving it a read.
What brought the rating down is just how the non-fiction elements came into the fiction story and vice versa. The non-fictional elements would bring me out of the story at a point where I’d be invested as there would be quite a bit to read before returning to Biddy and Lindsay’s story.
This is a unique non-fiction book that provides a lot of really useful information while adding in a story that uses that information in its plot. This is a really good read for anyone wanting to learn more about witches and I would still recommend giving it a read.
Home Office Romance by Kintetsu Yamada
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really liked this cute look into how a relationship between two neighbours developed and grew. The characters were sweet and really create a cute couple. The relationship building is also played out well. Highly recommend this cute novel!
The Littlest Fighter by Joey Weiser
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Net Galley and Oni Press for an advanced copy of this graphic novel! I really enjoyed the art style of the characters in this. I enjoyed the story telling and how the moral came to be. It’s a great look into revenge and whether it will end as satisfyingly as you’d expect. Highly recommend this one!
Terminal Punks by Shelby Criswell, Matthew Erman, Chris Sanchez
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A fascinating take on capitalism and modern society through the lens of a sci-fi themed event.
Wet Moon 20th Anniversary Omnibus Vol. 1 by Sophie Campbell
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
3.0
I really enjoyed this collection of Wet Moon comics. I found it hard to get into and struggled to connect with the characters enough to keep reading, but I pushed through.
If I had been a fan of the comics prior to reading the 20th anniversary edition, I would probably have loved seeing it all in one omnibus volume. However, reading them for the first time with this edition I didn't find myself enjoying it as much.
The characters are all flawed and have their own growth throughout the story. The art style does convey the story well, however, it's just not my style.
If you are a fan of Wet Moon already, this omnibus edition is a must read. If you aren't sure if it's worth picking up, I'd still recommend giving it a go - it's full of all things queer, romance, friendship, hardship, and growth. This one was just not for me!
If I had been a fan of the comics prior to reading the 20th anniversary edition, I would probably have loved seeing it all in one omnibus volume. However, reading them for the first time with this edition I didn't find myself enjoying it as much.
The characters are all flawed and have their own growth throughout the story. The art style does convey the story well, however, it's just not my style.
If you are a fan of Wet Moon already, this omnibus edition is a must read. If you aren't sure if it's worth picking up, I'd still recommend giving it a go - it's full of all things queer, romance, friendship, hardship, and growth. This one was just not for me!