papercraftalex's reviews
356 reviews

SLAM! Vol. 1 by Pamela Ribon, Veronica Fish

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adventurous fast-paced

2.5

Veronica Fish’s art in Slam! was fantastic and really added a lot to the comic. Pamela Ribon’s storytelling, however, was lackluster. The characters were hard to connect to and were very flat and the plot was almost nonexistent. It was a confusing and disappointing read. I had high expectations because I love roller derby, so maybe that made it easier to be let down. I will read the second volume sometime in the future to see if it improves.
Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder was touching because Feder really showed the audience who her mom was when she was alive and how much love their family shared. Feder also utilizes some great jokes and relatable stories throughout that keep the book from being too depressing.
The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

It’s an allegorical horror reminiscent of Silent Hill. It was the kind of horror that’s less visceral and more “Oh, there’s so much wrong with society,” but the drawings and story did spook me in a nice way too. I think it wrapped up too quickly and I would’ve liked it to be longer, but it was overall really good and I’m excited to read the rest of Machado’s work.
The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a very touching and realistic portrayal of mentally ill and queer teens.
Skim by Mariko Tamaki

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

The entire story was depressing with no concrete ending. The characters were all despicable, which I don’t mind if the characters are relatable but I couldn’t connect to them at all.
Threshold by Anke Gladnick

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.5

Anke Gladnick’s graphic allegorical memoir Threshold featured beautiful art and conversations about identity, especially trans identity. It was very metaphorical and it took me a while to fully understand what they were trying to say, but I enjoyed it fully.
Displacement by Kiku Hughes

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It was a heartbreaking read. The characters and their pain were so real and visceral. This is not a subject I (or probably many others) were taught in school and it was done in a captivating way that will forever reside in my mind.
From the Roots Up by Natasha Donovan, Tasha Spillett

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emotional hopeful informative reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Just like the previous one, I learned a lot I hadn’t previously known, but I think the author really found her footing in this story. The characters felt more whole and I loved the subplots.
Surviving the City by Natasha Donovan, Tasha Spillett

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emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I learned a lot from this story and there were great resources in the back. The art had a profound affect on the story and made it amazing.
The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard

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dark fast-paced

3.5

Creepy as heck! Beautiful and terrifying