Advertisements

Tag Archives: graphic novel review

Lenni Reviews: “Komi Can’t Communicate” Vol. 1 by Tomohito Oda

11 Thursday Jul 2019

Posted by in Book Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Hitohito Tadano has started at an elite high school and just wants to blend in until he can graduate. That’s until he ends up seated next to the prettiest girl in the school, Shoko Komi. After a while, he can’t help but notice Shoko never speaks and asks her if she has trouble talking to people. While Shoko may appear to be the perfect aloof princess, turns out she gets so terrified to say the wrong thing, she ends up saying nothing. Having opened up to him by writing on the chalkboard, Hitohito decides to help Shoko with her dream: to make 100 friends.

I kinda love this manga. I adore how Shoko doesn’t have any sort of disorder or anything, she’s just SUPER awkward. Watching the kids around her fumble to figure out what the heck she’s doing is funny and it’s genuinely sweet that Hitohito wants to help her out. I’m betting there will be some really interesting personalities Shoko will encounter on her quest for 100 friends and the story makes it really easy to root for her. So unless this takes some sort of horrible dark turn, I’m on board with this series and look forward to more! 4 out of 5!

Follow me on BlogLovin.

Advertisements

Lenni Reviews: “Irena Book One: Wartime Ghetto” by Jean-David Morvan, Séverine Tréfouël & David Evrard

05 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by in Book Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel tells the story of Irena Sendlerowa, a social worker in the Warsaw ghetto in the early 1940’s who helped smuggle 2500 Jewish children out of the ghetto before getting captured and tortured by the Nazis.

While of course, this is not easy to read, it is an important story and I am glad to see it told. I’m not sure I would give this to a young person as it doesn’t flinch much from the horrors of the ghettos and Nazi torture but it’s still a great book. If I had a nitpick, it would be the ending. Spoilery but it shows her walking off into the light as if she died when she didn’t. She lived into her 90’s. 4.9 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

Lenni Reviews: “No Ivy League” by Hazel Newlevant

04 Thursday Jul 2019

Posted by in Book Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

*This book has been given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Sheltered homeschooler Hazel Newlevant takes a summer job clearing ivy from the forests in Portland, Oregon. At first, she’s just looking to make some quick cash for a concert but she finds her small world opened when interacting with more diverse kids.

I like this book because the main character isn’t a racist who comes around. Hazel has legitimately not interacted with anything other than other white, affluent, homeschooled kids and comes to realize there’s a bigger world out there. She has been given advantages others may not have and instead of being some White Savior or being riddled with White Guilt, she just makes friends and starts dancing. I respect that.

I do feel more needed to be done with her parents and their reasons for homeschooling Hazel. The mother does go into her backstory a bit but if systemic racism and white privilege are being addressed, more was needed with Hazel’s realization about why her mother chose this rather than a couple of panels and one trip to the library. But that’s just me. Overall, I enjoyed it. 3.7 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

Lenni Reviews: “Manfried Saves the Day” by Caitlin Major & Kelly Bastow

18 Tuesday Jun 2019

Posted by in Book Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Steve’s life has really turned around since the first book. He makes a living off his cartoons, he has a great girlfriend, and he’s finally happy. But when his girlfriend’s man shelter is in danger of being bought out, Steve may be stretching himself too thin trying to keep up with his deadlines and help Manfried compete in a man show to win prize money to save the man shelter.

Much like the first, this book is just too cute. You get the classic “raise money to save the *insert thing here*” plot but it’s refreshed by having tiny men as pets instead of cats. It may be a predictable plot but the adorable art makes this a worthwhile read. I absolutely enjoyed it. 4 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

Lenni Reviews: “Manfried the Man” by Caitlin Major & Kelly Bastow

17 Monday Jun 2019

Posted by in Book Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Steve works at a tech support call center and has very few friends as close as his pet man, Manfried. He wants to be a cartoonist but he hates his job and he’s one of the last single cats his age. But when he ends up fired and loses Manfried, he unintentionally goes viral in his search for his best friend.

I enjoyed this little switcharro where the cats are in the human’s position and visa versa. The idea of people as pets, without being dystopian horror, was a nice funny diversion. Unless you are particularly prudish and don’t wanna see a lot of cartoony naked men, this is an adorable little story. 3.9 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

Lenni Reviews: “My Solo Exchange Diary Vol. 2” by Kabi Nagata

15 Saturday Jun 2019

Posted by in Book Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nagata is still struggling to live on her own and make the connections she desperately wants so she doesn’t feel like such a failure. I empathize so much with Nagata’s struggles; especially when dealing with the fact she really does have people who care about her. Depression and anxiety can and does lie to you about who is really there for you. It’s a struggle to remember you have people who love you no matter how broken you feel.

If I had a complaint, I’d say the art can be too simplistic at times. I felt more detail would give the story more impact. 4.7 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

Lenni Reviews: “Coyote” Vol. 2 by Ranmaru Zariya

02 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by in Book Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Though madly in love, both Coyote and Marleen’s secrets are forced to the surface and it is uncertain if not only with their feelings survive but if they will lose their lives as well.

I have to admire how the secrets came right out without dancing around and dragging it all our for several volumes. This story is tightly contained and highly dramatic with plenty of angst and smutty action to keep you entertained. What remains to see is how this will all shake out and if that conclusion will be satisfying. 3.7 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

Lenni Reviews: “Cannonball” by Kelsey Wroten

03 Friday May 2019

Posted by in Book Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

This is the story of Caroline Bertram as she sets out after graduation to living on her own for the first time and her struggles to not only make money with her writing but to be fulfilled by it as she does.

Caroline is an entitled, self important, grating, judgmental, jackass who somehow comes through all her faux pretentiousness and still made me feel for her. She perfectly encapsulates the need to be yourself when you don’t know what that ‘self’ is and also what happens when you create something for the world and is no longer yours.

Despite how frustratingly self destructive and pompous this character is, she is inherently relatable. Much like her in universe friends, Caroline is a jerk but we love her anyway. 4.8 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

Lenni Reviews: “The Tale of Genji: Dreams at Dawn” Vol. 1 by Waki Yamato

01 Wednesday May 2019

Posted by in Book Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is a manga adaptation of the original tale, giving us the story of the shining prince, Genji as he tries to escape the shadow of his forbidden love.

The original book is still on my To Be Read list so I can’t compare the story but I can say this book is pretty to look at but confusing. The art is pretty but I had difficulty telling people apart because of the style. It’s delightfully detailed in some aspects; like the flowers and the clothes. But I had trouble with the faces because they were all designed so similarly. And the dialogue didn’t help; leaving me baffled as to who was who in the hierarchy and why it was important. One day I’ll read the original book but as a taste of it, this manga isn’t so bad. 3 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.

Lenni Reviews: “NewsPrints” by Ru Xu

29 Monday Apr 2019

Posted by in Book Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Masquerading as a boy, Blue loves her job as a newsboy delivering papers so people can be informed in a time of war. The paper she works for is the only one that tells the truth so her job can be perilous. While on the run from boys from a rival paper, she happens upon an eccentric scientist and then a young boy named Crow with strange secrets of their own.

This is a cute little book in a steampunk sort of world with odd gadgets and scientists with goggles. While overall entertaining and gorgeous to look at, this is a familiar story; plucky girl, quirky scientist, enigmatic boy with a secret, and government secrets. If you’ve never read something like this before, you may enjoy this more than I did. Not to say I didn’t like it or have fun reading it but I have seen this all before. 3.6 out of 5.

Follow me on BlogLovin.