It’s been three months since we last saw our favourite family. Hazel, Alana and Klara have been kidnapped by Dengo, who has his reasons. He also had his reasons for kidnapping Prince Robot IV’s newborn son. Something about seeing a kidnapper wearing a baby sling with little ducky’s on it humanises him for me, even if he is a robot. You could say that Izabel may also have been kidnapped but, since the damn suns haven’t set, she’s not part of the equation right now. I missed her.
Meanwhile, Gwendolyn, Sophie, The Brand, Sweet Boy (The Brand’s dog) and Lying Cat (awesome, awesome Lying Cat) are searching for a very specific ingredient on Demimonde that they hope will cure The Will. But they may not be alone. Enter Halvor, who is the older brother of The Stalk. Incidentally The Stalk actually had a name – Enriette.
Then there are Prince Robot IV (with his TV head), Marko, Yuma and Ghüs, who have joined forces (possibly temporarily) in order to rescue TV head IV and Marko’s kidlets.
Poor Marko!
We meet the Revolution, a group of resistance fighters who use “asymmetrical tactics” to attempt to end the war between Landfall and Wreath.
They are Lexis (with the pink superhero eye mask), Sirge (the big brown guy with the red flames (?) coming out of his head), Quain (a snake guy from Mawker and the Captain of the Fourth Cell), Zizz (the guy at the back. He’s from Cleave. Remember we were there in Volume 1?), and Julep (the aqua lady in the lingerie).
There’s plenty of action in this Volume and because we’re in a war here, not all of our friends or foes are going to make it to the end of the story, or this Volume if we’re being honest.
Even though Hazel told us herself in the last Volume that she’s not always this adorable, she certainly is in this flashback. Aww!
While we’re talking cutie pies, check out how sweet Lying Cat looks when they’re sleeping. For a series with a brutal war at its core I find my heart melts much more frequently than I expected it to.
Then there’s Ghüs, who is potentially the sweetest of them all. Maybe.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Multiple storylines collide in this cosmos-spanning new volume. While Gwendolyn and Lying Cat risk everything to find a cure for The Will, Marko makes an uneasy alliance with Prince Robot IV to find their missing children, who are trapped on a strange world with terrifying new enemies.
So, there I was, happily binge reading my way through Saga and I suddenly remembered that the first Volume of Paper Girls needs to be returned to the library urgently. I had planned on reading both series anyway for my barely started (😱) 2019 Hugo Awards readathon and while the two series have different illustrators they share an author. Since I am now obsessed with Saga I assumed I’d be gaining a new obsession tonight. After all, when I originally looked at the blurbs for both series, it was Paper Girls that I was more excited about.
Long story only slightly shorter (sorry!), it turns out that I was wrong. Yes, I enjoyed this first Volume but I’m almost certain that I wouldn’t be picking up Volume 2 if not for the Hugos. I’m not emotionally attached to any of the characters I’ve met so far (unlike the immediate connections I’ve felt with practically every Saga character I’ve encountered). I know hardly anything about any of the four Paper Girls and while I’m generally okay with multiple unanswered questions this early in a story I’m not that curious about the answers at this point.
Because Volume 4 has been nominated for a Hugo Award this year I’m convinced there’s awesomeness to come if I give it a chance. There’s a lot of potential here – countless people have vanished, the sky’s now very pretty but definitely not typical, pterodactyls, people speaking unknown languages, time travel, and a group of 12 year olds who are left to figure out what the hell is going on.
It may be a week or two before I begin Volume 2 so the rest of my review will consist of notes I’ve made to remind myself of what I think I already know. Beware: spoilers ahead.
It all begins on All Saint’s, Tuesday, 1 November 1988 in Stony Stream, Ohio. Our four Paper Girls are (from left to right):
MacKenzie (Mac) – smokes, is a Girl Scout, and has a teenage brother. The local police are well acquainted with her family. Her father and stepmother, Alice, met at an A.A. meeting. She doesn’t attend private school.
KJ – carries a hockey stick, goes to Buttonwood Academy and is Jewish.
Erin – the new kid. Her younger sister Missy is her only friend and she attends St. Nicks.
Tiffany – saved up to buy the group’s walkie-talkies. Her mother is a doctor, she was adopted and she attends St. Pete’s.
They don’t know what’s happening and they don’t know who to trust, the teenagers,
the old-timers,
or neither. However they have figured out that they don’t want to be near an Editrix. This is an Editrix.
Teenagers, Heck and Naldo, are from Thirteen. “Oh, right, we kinda rolled back the odometer after Calamity ended all the – -”
The most sense I managed to get from someone I think was an old-timer was, “Children, your questions will be answered, but it’s very dangerous for you to be out during Ablution.”
I hope an eventual reread (after I figure out all of the pieces of the puzzle I’m currently missing) will result in both a higher rating and an updated review rambling about the brilliance that I missed during my first read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Saga writer Brian K. Vaughan launches a brand new ongoing series with superstar Wonder Woman artist Cliff Chiang! In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time.
I’ve become emotionally entangled with so many of the characters in this series in such a short period of time, so much so that I’m genuinely proud of Alana and Marko for managing to keep themselves and their daughter alive for so long, despite incredibly treacherous circumstances.
By the way, Hazel is a toddler now!
Isn’t toddler Hazel adorable?!
Oh. So, isn’t Hazel adorable right this second?
After having heard of the ongoing war between Landfall and its moon, Wreath, narrowly escaped Cleave, rescued Sophie from Sextillion and visited Alana’s all time favourite author in Quietus, we now get to enjoy watching Hazel spend some time on a bouncy castle in Gardenia. But Gardenia is not the only place we visit in this Volume.
That dwarf planet in the distance there? That’s Robot Kingdom. We get to go to Robot Kingdom!!! And it’s good timing too, because Prince Robot IV is currently missing, but we can’t assume he’s dead, no matter what the tabloids report.
I know we’ve visited before when we’ve been following Prince Robot IV’s story but I can’t get enough of it. They’re robots with TV heads! I love seeing how the image they’re showing on their screen lines up with the situation they’re facing. My favourite in this Volume was a baby being born with the standby signal projected across their screen. That’s priceless!
We meet King Robot, whose design is simply perfect! I laughed as soon as I saw him. His head is a widescreen TV and his sceptre is a remote control. Let that sink in for a moment. That’s definitely worth a chuckle.
A lot of people who came into my family’s life looking like heroes ended up acting more like villains.
I’m not telling you who this refers to in this Volume but what I will say is that I’m not trusting anyone nice in this series ever again! Except Izabel. Please don’t prove me wrong, Izabel!
Thank goodness for that!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe. As they visit a strange new world and encounter even more adversaries, baby Hazel finally becomes a toddler, while her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana struggle to stay on their feet.
So, Hazel and her parents, Alana and Marko, along with her babysitter, Izabel, and Klara, Marko’s mother, have arrived at Quietus. They’ve travelled across the galaxy to see the author of Alana’s favourite book, D. Oswald Heist, despite Klara’s eloquently voiced objections. I’m with Alana! If you have the opportunity to have a conversation with your favourite author, do whatever it takes to get there! Move mountains! Sell a kidney! Travel across the galaxy!
They’re grieving the loss of Marko’s father, who died in Volume 2.
The Will, who endeared himself to me when he saved Slave Girl from being a slave girl, finally gives her a name, Sophie. I practically melted when I found out why he chose that name.
We’re introduced to Even, Alana’s stepmother, who she’s obviously very fond of
and, in case you were wondering, it appears tabloid reporters exist in every galaxy. There’s no escaping them!
Lying Cat stole my heart in this Volume for doing what a feline lie detector does, only this time their response made a huge dent in the shame that Sophie was carrying.
Alana, in perfect book nerd form, responded to seeing a library in a lighthouse
and hearing her favourite author talking about their next book. I also loved this author.
Gwendolyn finally winds up having a conversation with her ex and we spend most of our time in a lighthouse that includes said library. Favourite author consistently spoke my favourite lines in this Volume, the standout for me being
Oh, and look! Our little girl is starting to grow up! Aww! 🥰
I have no idea how I remained unaware of the existence of this series until a couple of months ago but it’s brilliant! I can’t wait to binge read the rest of it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
From the Hugo Award-winning duo of Brian K. Vaughan (The Private Eye, Y: The Last Man) and Fiona Staples (North 40, Red Sonja), Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe.
Searching for their literary hero, new parents Marko and Alana travel to a cosmic lighthouse on the planet Quietus, while the couple’s multiple pursuers finally close in on their targets.
When we last saw Alana, Marko, Hazel and Izabel they were on board a rocketship, flying away from Cleave, where Hazel was born and where numerous foes have already attempted to capture them. We had just been introduced to Marko’s parents.
In a flashback we get to meet Marko’s childhood dog, Rumfer, who is so cute and has horns (naturally). Speaking of flashbacks, we also get to see how Hazel’s parents met.
When Marko accidentally mentioned his ex, Gwendolyn, in the first volume I wasn’t sure if I’d get to meet her. In this volume I did and she did not disappoint!
I loved getting to know Marko’s parents, especially his father, and decided I need my very own rocketship.
This series seems to be comprised of complex badasses who just so happen to be gorgeous, bloodshed, magic and an interesting storyline that keeps introducing new characters that I instantly love (whether they’re goodies or baddies). I’m fairly certain I’m setting myself up for some ugly crying because there’s no way I can have this many favourites in a war zone and expect them all to survive.
Okay, Marko, if you insist. Bring on Volume 3!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
The smash-hit ongoing epic continues! Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and alien monstrosities, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters something truly frightening: her grandparents!
Alana is from Landfall, the largest planet in the galaxy, and Marko is from its moon, Wreath. Landfall and Wreath’s ongoing war has spread far out into the galaxy and, because they’re on opposing sides in this war, they were never supposed to fall in love. They were definitely never supposed to have a chid.
This is Hazel. She was born on Cleave, where her parents met. She has her mother’s wings and her father’s horns.
From my very first day, I was pursued by men. All of them tried to hurt me, but only one managed to break my heart.
It wasn’t long before I knew I would have to continue reading this series, no matter what. Actually, it was right about here that it happened.
Horrors? Count me in! Then I realised that this couple weren’t the only ones destined to encounter Horrors. I was soon to encounter a Horror of my very own.
What kind of nightmare world is this?! No time to read???
Incidentally I loved the Horrors, particularly Izabel. Everyone, please meet Izabel.
Those on both sides of this war are trying to track down this adorable family, including Prince Robot IV of the Robot Kingdom (these guys literally have TV’s for heads!)
and The Will, a Freelancer, whose sidekick, Lying Cat, possesses a unique skillset that has the potential to be quite useful. Although The Will is described as a monster he’s definitely the kind of monster I can cheer on, especially when he does this to a slimeball pimping out a child.
I’ve intended to start this series for months and now that I have, I can confidently say that I am so hooked! I love this story! You’ll be hearing a lot about this Saga from me in the coming days.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.
From bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan, Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.
This is a confronting and brutal depiction of child abuse and family violence. Brenda’s only a small child when she earns the nickname ‘Little Mama’; she takes on adult responsibilities, looking after her own mother. Brenda’s mother is abusive and while Brenda’s bruises don’t go unnoticed at school, no one intervenes.
Brenda’s life becomes even more volatile when her mother’s new boyfriend moves in. The only good thing in Brenda’s life is her new baby brother, Kevin, who she cares for and adores.
Told mostly in flashbacks while adult Brenda tells her therapist about her traumatic childhood, this is not a fun read. The long term effects of trauma are evident in this story – Brenda’s guilt and shame, the effects on her self esteem, the intrusive nature of the memories – but you also get to see her resilience, despite experiences that understandably made her want to give up at times.
Because this story is told throughout therapy sessions it can feel disjointed at times, but each memory adds to the overall picture. I felt uncomfortable the entire time I was reading, always dreading the next violent act. This made the story feel more authentic to me because that’s what ongoing violence feels like – unable to enjoy any respite because you’re always waiting for the next time.
I fumed at the inaction of everyone who knew (or suspected) what was occurring in this home and failed to protect these children. We can always do better where child protection is concerned; I can only hope this is a story of how things used to be.
The colour scheme felt in keeping with the atmosphere of the story, essentially black and white, offset by a muted green throughout. I may be overthinking this but I did wonder if the green used was intended to mimic a faded bruise, even though it was a softer and prettier green on the screen I viewed the graphic novel on than a bruise is.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lion Forge and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Life isn’t easy for little Brenda, whose single teenage mum is immature, selfish, and prone to violent mood swings. Brenda takes care of her as best she can, missing out on many childhood joys to be her mother’s Little Mama. Sadly, her already challenging existence gets even worse when her mum’s abusive boyfriend moves in. Brenda loves having a new baby brother, but her home life soon turns into pure living hell. Finally, she reaches her breaking point, and must find the courage to save herself and embark on the difficult road towards recovery. A heartbreaking and inspiring tale of abuse and survival.
Hopping forward and backward through time through the framing device of therapy, the story unfolds as young Brenda recounts her tale, visibly maturing as the book (and sessions) continue. At first, we think it might be a child psychology session, but slowly we realize that it is in fact the adult Brenda merely feeling like the child she was at whatever age she is at during her storytelling.
A powerful story about child abuse, spousal abuse, and surviving the trauma toward hopeful blue skies.
If ever a story seemed destined to become a graphic novel, it’s Speak, which I finally read for the first time less than two months ago, and it was everything! I feared I’d Humpty Dumpty while reading Speak, which is why it took so long for me to gather the courage to finally begin reading it. I wish I’d had a Speak to tell me I wasn’t alone when I was Melinda’s age.
I asked my library to buy this graphic novel for me and they did! I love my library! I was under the delusion that I’d read this once and then move on. Hah! As if I wasn’t going to then buy a copy for myself immediately so I could reread it to my heart’s content!
Much like my experience with the novel I kept the graphic novel near me, planning to read it all month, but once again I was afraid of Humpty Dumptying. It’s due tomorrow and someone else has reserved it so I could avoid it no longer. But like Speak before it, it was AMAZING!!!
I’m left with a cacophony of exclamations fighting to be the loudest in my head:
”Where has this graphic novel been my whole life?!”
“Everyone need to read this!”
“How different could my life have been if this had been published when I was Melinda’s age?!”
“This graphic novel is going to introduce Laurie’s story to a whole new audience!”
“The illustrations portray the aftermath of sexual assault perfectly!”
Everything I said in my Speak review stands but Emily Carroll’s illustrations have brought Melinda’s story to life in a way that, while maintaining Laurie’s sensitive portrayal, provides a whole new dimension to it, showing what life after sexual assault can look like.
You get to watch Melinda’s expressions as she attempts to navigate high school, the same high school where It walks the halls. You can’t help but see how the trauma is affecting her throughout the story. You witness her growing from a scared rabbit to someone who not only has a voice but uses it! I got to see her turkey-bone sculpture outside of my imagination and it was perfect! (Apologies for the dodgy image. I took a photo of this page in my library book.)
I got to see what Melinda’s final tree looks like and I loved it. The only thing that could have made that image even better for me would be if a splash of colour had been added. Greyscale works perfectly for this book but a hint of colour (probably green for symbolism) would have delighted me.
I’ve never done this before but I’m going to add a couple of Post-it’s before I return this book to the library. While I’d never actually deface a library book I want to add the phone number of my state’s Rape Crisis Centre to the list of resources and a little something to let future borrowers know that they’re not alone.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
The modern classic Speak is now a graphic novel.
“Speak up for yourself – we want to know what you have to say.”
From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless – an outcast – because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. Through her work on an art project, she is finally able to face what really happened that night: She was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her.
I don’t know how to explain what I just read. I’d probably need at least two rereads to get it all straight in my head. There’s just so much going on and new characters are flung into the mix with little to no introduction, and most of the time I had no idea how anyone was connected with anyone else. However, I still need to read the next volume.
This volume combines the first six issues of this series and the artwork is exceptional! We begin at an auction, where Maika, a 17 year old arcanic girl with the mark of an eclipsing eye on her chest, is Lot 819. She’s there voluntarily because she wants something.
In this warring world, there are cats that talk, humans, ancients, arcanic halfbreeds and the old gods. The ancients are immortal and have magic; there’s a dusk court and a dawn court. The arcanics are half human and half ancients. The old gods’ “shadows haunt this world”; they are “horrors”.
Maika is an interesting character but it was Kippa, the little fox child, who stole my heart. She’s loyal and such an adorable sweetheart!
I borrowed this volume from my library in preparation for my planned 2019 Hugo Awards Finalists Readathon. Volume 3 has been nominated in the Best Graphic Story category. Had I not been reading with a purpose in mind I probably would have given up before the end of the second issue. The themes are dark, with war and children being trafficked, tortured and killed, and it’s not the kind of graphic novel I usually read (I’ve just finished a Phoebe and Her Unicorn-athon, for goodness’ sake).
I’m glad I kept reading though, because the story did start to come together for me. I’m left with countless questions but I’m intrigued and that’s enough at the moment for me to want to continue. I’m expecting my brain will catch up and connect more of the dots as I keep reading. I’m almost positive a reread will result in a more impassioned review.
Whether the story is your cup of tea or not, the artwork is definitely awe inspiring.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Reread 13 August 2019
Wow! I understand what all of the hullabaloo surrounding Monstress is about now! While I barely knew what was going on during my first read it all came together for me within minutes of starting my reread. I’m so excited to have (belatedly) fallen in love with this series!
I loved my reread so much I kept reading until I’d finished the Volume, after 2:30am. While I have many, many more thoughts, here are a few.
I tend to shy away from stories that include war and I think that may have contributed to my hesitation when I originally began Maika’s story. Between my first and second times through this Volume I binged nine Volumes of Saga, which proved I could fall head over heels with a series that includes war. This time around I went into Monstress with more of an open mind and the super helpful THE STORY SO FAR … summaries at the beginning of each issue from the second one. These summaries don’t exist in the paperback Volume I borrowed from my library and could have made all the difference in stopping my head from spinning around during my first run through if I’d known of their existence.
It was also at the end of the first issue that I found the most incredible quote from Marjorie Liu about this series and my love for it solidified my need to continue and unearth my Monstress obsession.
“And the root of my desire, I finally realized, was to tell a story about what it means to be a survivor. A survivor, not just of a cataclysmic war, but of racial conflict and its antecedent: hatred. And to confront the question: how does one whom history has made a monster, escape her monstrosity? How does one overcome the monstrousness of others without succumbing to a rising monstrousness within?”
I haven’t been reading graphic novels for very long and until this one I’d never encountered one with such complexity, with so many characters and questions that linger in your mind for several issues (or Volumes). Again I have Saga to thank for making me realise what I’d been missing out on.
Throughout the course of this Volume Maika seeks answers relating to the murder of her mother and the hunger within her which has recently awoken. She meets sweetheart Kippa, an Arcanic fox girl she saves from slavery, and Ren, a nekomancer cat. Kippa is loyal and she trusts Maika, although she is rightfully scared of the hunger inside Maika. Ren’s loyalties are not as clear.
While she was in the stronghold of Cumaea, Maika found a photograph
and a piece of an ancient mask, both of which she hopes will help her find out more about her mother’s murder. Maika is now on the run, doing everything she can to ensure her hunger doesn’t result in her eating adorable Kippa,
while trying to avoid the different factions who are all hunting her.
I got so much more out of this Volume this time around and launched straight into Volume 2. I appreciate the intricacies of the storyline now. What hasn’t changed between reads is my love for the jaw dropping illustrations. I could cheat and tell you that every illustration was my favourite but for this read I narrowed it down to these three. I expect I’ll have different favourites each time I open the pages though.
If, like me, your first Monstress attempt had you scratching your head, I would encourage you to give it another try. Trust me, it’s worth it! If you already understand the hunger for more Monstress, I know what you’ve all been talking about now! I may be late to the party but at least I’ve finally arrived.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, Monstress tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.
Willa and Edison have left Chicago and are on a train to Kansas City. Barrow is determined to stop Willa, no matter what, so he stops all the trains. Stuck in the middle of a forest isn’t as safe as it used to be. Since G-Day the bugs have supersized and Willa narrowly escapes being a dragonfly’s dinner when a badass warrior farmer with a sword, Lucas Serrano, saves her. Riding a butterfly, no less.
“So now we’re trapped in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of farmers turned crazy survivalists. What could go wrong?”
There’s so much going on in this volume. Giant bugs are now above us on the food chain! There are explosions! You don’t know who you can trust because it seems like practically everyone has a secret and/or ulterior motive.
It’s so much fun!
I really enjoyed the first volume. It ended with a cliffhanger and here I am again, sitting on the edge of a cliff. Now I have to wait until August to see how this all plays out in Skyward Volume 3: Fix the World.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Now a fugitive, Willa leaves Chicago and goes on the run! But when she takes refuge with some low-G farmers, she stumbles into a plot to attack the city. Oh, and on top of all that: giant, man-eating bugs! Maybe we should have led with that.
Schizanthus Nerd 