Early Book Review: Glass Syndrome by Eiko Ariki

Glass Syndrome by Eiko Ariki is a graphic novel currently scheduled for release on August 10 2021. Class president Nijou is a talented athlete, popular honor student... and a total people-pleaser who can't stop living up to others' smothering expectations of him. When his teacher asks him to check on Toomi, a classmate who's stopped coming to school, that chance meeting leads to an unexpected connection that neither young man expects. Toomi sees right through his diligent facade, and Nijou can't forget the cool comfort of Toomi's undemanding touch. But when Nijou discovers the reason behind Toomi's frequent absences — that he's been working as an online cam "girl" — he doesn't know how to react. How can he bring up what he knows? And how will it change their relationship?

Glass Syndrome is a nice romance, with a second story included in the volume. I thought it was well done in terms of story, text, and art. I felt for Nijou and Toomi as they face their individual struggles. I kind of wanted a bit more oft hem actually figuring the relationship thing out- it felt more like they just decided that they would be together without ever saying anything. Then the switch to the second romance confused me for a bit- I knew they were different people from the first couple but could not figure out how everyone related only to decide that it was a completely unrelated story. It was also good in its way, but was short. I think I would have liked it more if I could have connected the two stories and the main story was expanded on a bit more. However, I did enjoy the read and think it is a quick, fun read.

Early Book Review: I Hope This Helps: Comics and Cures for 21st Century Panic by Tommy Siegel

 

I Hope This Helps: Comics and Cures for 21st Century Panic by Tommy Siegel is currently scheduled for release on October 6 2020. Tommy Siegel’s comics began as doodles in the back of a van as a touring rock musician, and quickly earned a viral global fanbase and shout-outs from cultural heavyweights ranging from Ringo Starr to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  With comics titled “Choose your social anxiety coping mechanism” and “What your coffee drink of choice says about you,” the book offers commentary on our phone-obsessed, social media-driven culture, as well as a series of relationship comics starring his popular Candy Hearts characters.

I Hope This Helps is a comic collection that had me just as interested in the commentary of the reasons behind his drawings, and some of how individual pieces came together. I did recognize some of the work from social media, but a good deal of it was new to me. I have to admit that when I started the book I was not sure I was going to enjoy it. The art style was not my favorite. However, the underlying humor and commentary of the text and some of the pieces quickly changed my mind. Some were just downright silly, others very witty. I really came to appreciate Siegal's intelligence and what they had to say. I also enjoy that they never took themselves too seriously and laughed at themselves and the insanity that is the current state of the world around us. 

Book Review: Invisible Differences: A Story of Asperger's, Adulting, and Living a Life in Full Color by Julie Dachez

 

Invisible Differences: A Story of Asperger's, Adulting, and Living a Life in Full Color is a graphic novel by Julie Dachez that has been translated for the very first time in English. Mademoiselle Caroline did the adaptation, illustrations, and color, and the story was inspire by and done in collaboration with Fabienne Vaslet. The translation was done by Edward Gauvin.

Marguerite feels awkward, struggling every day to stay productive at work and keep up appearances with friends. She's sensitive, irritable at times. She makes her environment a fluffy, comforting cocoon, alienating her boyfriend. The everyday noise and stimuli assaults her senses, the constant chatter of her coworkers working her last nerve. Then, when one big fight with her boyfriend finds her frustrated and dejected, Marguerite finally investigates the root of her discomfort: after a journey of tough conversations with her loved ones, doctors, and the internet, she discovers that she has Aspergers. Her life is profoundly changed – for the better.

Invisible Differences: A Story of Asperger's, Adulting, and Living a Life in Full Color is a wonderful book that can help people understand what dealing with Asperger's can feel like, both before and after diagnosis. It can also help readers that have Asperger's see that they are far from alone. I could empathize with Marguerite right from the first page, and my connection only grew through the entire read.I could understand her frustration and disappointment when those around her dismissed her needs or concerns, even after she made the effort to meet them halfway or try to explain. I was angry on her behalf through a good part of this book. I think the artwork does a very good job of capturing the details and emotion in each panel. I especially liked the use of red in the noise and problematic aspects of the world. I thought the addition of facts about Autism in general, and Asperger's specifically, in the endpages of the book. Offering further details to readers is always a good thing to me. I think this is a book that young adults and older will be able to get a great deal out of, whether they are on the autism spectrum or not, it is for anyone interested in learning more about how others think and feel. 

Early Book Review: A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, Vol. 1 by Momochi, Misaki, Sando

A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, Vol. 1 by Momochi, Misaki, and Sando is currently scheduled for release on August 11 2020. When Lizel mysteriously finds himself in a city that bears odd similarities to his own but clearly isn't, he quickly comes to terms with the unlikely truth: this is an entirely different world. Even so, laid-back Lizel isn't the type to panic. He immediately sets out to learn more about this strange place, and to help him do so, hires a seasoned adventurer named Gil as his tour guide and protector. Until he's able to find a way home, Lizel figures this is a perfect opportunity to explore a new way of life adventuring as part of a guild. After all, he's sure he'll go home eventually so he might as well enjoy the otherworldly vacation for now.

A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation is a charming manga that felt very much like some of the fantasy I read as a kid, and the video games that I played. Lizel seems sweet and innocent, but is smart and crafty enough to make the perfect choices in companions, who to trust, and how to interact with them. Gil is a nice foil to Lizel, seeming to be much harder and more jaded, but they balance each other out even as they confuse each other. There are many layers to what is happening, and I want to follow them all. I want to know more about the background and skills of both Lizel and Gil, how they ended up who and where they are. I want to see them deepen their friendship, I want to learn more about several secondary characters, and what is really going on with how Lizel got there and the person that put in a request at the guild. I thought the artwork matched the story, theme, and characters very well and added details and personality to each page. 

I enjoyed A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation and hope to continue the series.

Early Book Review: There Are Things I Can't Tell You by Edako Mofumofu

There Are Things I Can't Tell You by Edako Mofumofu is currently scheduled for release on July 21 2020. Kasumi and Kyousuke are polar opposites when it comes to personality. Kasumi is reserved, soft-spoken and shy; Kyousuke is energetic and has always been popular among their peers. As the saying goes though, opposites have a tendency to attract, and these two have been fast friends since elementary school. To Kasumi, Kyousuke has always been a hero to look up to, someone who supports him and saves him from the bullies. But now, school is over; their relationship suddenly becomes a lot less simple to describe. Facing the world - and one another - as adults, both men find there are things they struggle to say out loud, even to each other.

There Are Things I Can't Tell You is a friends to more romance in manga format. I found the slow reveal of each character's feelings, and the way they struggle with their own self esteem and attraction to each other is very well done. I also liked the secondary characters and the way the story unfolded.  Kasumi is shy, clumsy, and down on himself for the most part. Kyousuke seems to be outgoing and confident, but he is just as insecure as everyone else- he just hides it behind trying harder to be perfect and staying on what he thinks is the right path. Finding their happy ever after is hard, and most of the obstacles are their own perceptions of happiness and their ideas about societal views of right and wrong. The artwork is very well done, and adds emotion and detail to the story. I will warn readers that this is a romance and there are some sex scenes, which could get awkward if you are reading in public or have someone sneaking peeks at what you are reading. The illustrated format makes them a bit more obvious, so just be aware.

Book Review: Petit: The Ogre Gods Book One by Hubert Boulard, Bertrand Gatignol

Petit: The Ogre Gods Book One is a blend of graphic novel and novel written by Hubert Boulard, with design and artwork by Bertrand Gatignol. Parts of the story are fully in graphic novel format, while other sections are in text with the occasional image. 

Petit is the son of the Ogre King, and the littlest giant in the royal clan. Scarcely larger than a mere human, he is the latest sign of the family's rapid degeneration, which makes each generation smaller than the one before.His father wants him killed as an embarrassment, but his mother sees in him the possible regeneration of the family lineage, since he could mate with a human, just as the Founder of their lineage once did. Confused, she confides in great Aunt Desdee, the oldest of their clan, who was once dishonored because of her love for the humans, whom the Ogres consider little more than labor and food. But contrary to her guidance, she decides to raise Petit in the family traditions, including the violent impulses that this entails. So Petit grows into manhood, torn by the hunger he inherited from his upbringing and the sympathetic education he received from Aunt Desdee. Can he find his place in this world divided between humans and giants, neither of which truly accept him? And will he survive the voracious appetite of his own monstrous family?

Petit: The Ogre Gods Book One is as dark as the description promised, and a read that mirrored some of the real world a little too closely for my tastes. Petit has seen the horror his family has become and the way they treat others, he also has an aunt that shows him the arts and gentler side of life. He is toward between the two worlds. I did get a solid sense of his characters through the book, and I liked that while readers can tell he really wants to be a good person he is not perfect, and makes his share of mistakes. However, he continues trying to do right, even when it is not easy. I liked the character of his aunt, Desdee is still caught by the trappings of the family but rises above the violence and cruelty. Petit's mother, the queen, is a mix between the two. There are moments when readers can almost think well of her, then she does something cruel or violent with no thought to how it affects others, and clearly puts power and her wants about just about anything. Even when she seems to be doing something good, it quickly twists into something much different. The art style is very interesting, and I found the giants to be suitably horrifying, and they actually reminded me a bit of the REd Queen in Alice in Wonderland- both in personality and appearance. The black and white art lent itself to the dark mood of the story, and the lne work was very well done. I found the text backstories to be a good break in the story, both explaining the history and giving readers a break from the danger and horror of the main story. I found these brief interludes gave me a much better understanding of the culture, history, and power struggles between the giants. I did find one or two characters to be a little much, and the romantic hints to the story really did not add anything to the story for me, rather I found them distracting even though I know it did serve a purpose. So, that was just something that did not work for me, but might not be an issue for anyone else. 

Petit: The Ogre Gods Book One is a gothic, horror graphic novel full of characters that are unnerving through their appearance and their actions. THe art and the story are engaging and I just might pick up the next volume. I am not certain yet and think it will decide on my mood when I see that it is available.