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A review by dinipandareads
Lunar Boy by Cin Wibowo, Jes Wibowo
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
LUNAR BOY GOT ME IN MY FEELS. 😠brb, crying.
But seriously, there were so many reasons to love Lunar Boy. The story was so well-written and it goes without saying that the art was nuanced and stunning. It's a fantastic graphic novel that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend for readers young, old and everything in between. If you're looking for a diverse and inclusive story with wonderful Indonesian and positive LGBTQIA+ rep that explores themes of identity, belonging coming-of-age, grief, and family, then I would highly recommend checking out Lunar Boy. And I mean, if you're just looking for a fantastic story period you should definitely check out this graphic novel!
Indu's character is clearly written with so much heart. Change can be a scary experience for anyone and his sense of fear and confusion was so well depicted in his story. Ngl, I teared up several times while reading this book cos Jes & Cin had my emotions in a bit of a chokehold, lol. I absolutely loved the inclusion of Indonesian as it made the story feel more authentic but also all the references to Indonesian culture and queer history that I didn't know about before but was glad to learn more about through this story.
As a TCK myself, Indu's experience arriving in New Earth really made me feel seen because as someone who only returned to Indonesia as an adult to live here for the first time, the struggles he experienced with the language and cultural differences were thins that I also faced. Despite a rocky beginning on New Earth, Indu finds a beautiful community of people who are warm, welcoming, and accepting. The Bhinneka Community Center folk were so wonderful and I felt such a healing energy from them. The community makes a beautiful family and it was so heartwarming to see.
Overall, Lunar Boy is easily one of my favourite reads of 2024 and although I don't re-read much, this is a graphic novel that I can definitely see myself returning to on the regular. 💜 Please read it!
But seriously, there were so many reasons to love Lunar Boy. The story was so well-written and it goes without saying that the art was nuanced and stunning. It's a fantastic graphic novel that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend for readers young, old and everything in between. If you're looking for a diverse and inclusive story with wonderful Indonesian and positive LGBTQIA+ rep that explores themes of identity, belonging coming-of-age, grief, and family, then I would highly recommend checking out Lunar Boy. And I mean, if you're just looking for a fantastic story period you should definitely check out this graphic novel!
Indu's character is clearly written with so much heart. Change can be a scary experience for anyone and his sense of fear and confusion was so well depicted in his story. Ngl, I teared up several times while reading this book cos Jes & Cin had my emotions in a bit of a chokehold, lol. I absolutely loved the inclusion of Indonesian as it made the story feel more authentic but also all the references to Indonesian culture and queer history that I didn't know about before but was glad to learn more about through this story.
As a TCK myself, Indu's experience arriving in New Earth really made me feel seen because as someone who only returned to Indonesia as an adult to live here for the first time, the struggles he experienced with the language and cultural differences were thins that I also faced. Despite a rocky beginning on New Earth, Indu finds a beautiful community of people who are warm, welcoming, and accepting. The Bhinneka Community Center folk were so wonderful and I felt such a healing energy from them. The community makes a beautiful family and it was so heartwarming to see.
Overall, Lunar Boy is easily one of my favourite reads of 2024 and although I don't re-read much, this is a graphic novel that I can definitely see myself returning to on the regular. 💜 Please read it!