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betweentheshelves's reviews
2705 reviews
Off Menu by Oliver Gerlach
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
A delightful little cozy fantasy graphic novel about the power of food to bring people together. The art fit the overall tone of the book really well, depicting some delicious food concoctions. In addition to fighting for control of the restaurant she loves, this book is also about Soup's journey finding confidence and learning to take time for herself. If you like books like Legends and Lattes, this is definitely the graphic novel for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Abandonment
Girlmode by Magdalene Visaggio
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was...not really what I was expecting, and man, these teens at this school were really awful to Phoebe. There was so much potential here to make commentary on being a teenage girl in current society, but it almost feels like it was taken too far. The way Mackenzie talks about being a girl to Phoebe at points just didn't jive with me.
The art, though, was really great! Probably the best part of the book overall, if I'm being honest. Not necessarily my favorite graphic novel of the year.
The art, though, was really great! Probably the best part of the book overall, if I'm being honest. Not necessarily my favorite graphic novel of the year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Death, and Drug use
Flopping in a Winter Wonderland by Jason June
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
3.0
If you enjoy Hallmark movies, this is definitely a holiday book for you. It's a light, fluffy romance set on a remote Christmas island, which is fun! The competition aspect between the teens that lived on the island was a little odd to me, and I do wish the voices between the main characters would have been made a little more distinct. But overall, it was a fun holiday book to read over the Christmas holiday!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Grief and Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Avengers & Fantastic Four: Empyre by Valerio Schiti, Dan Slott, Al Ewing
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The problem with reading Marvel comics when you're just following one character is that you get to large scale events like this one and are often missing some part of the story. That's definitely how I felt reading this volume, because there's a lot of space Marvel things happening in this that I didn't have context for. I powered through, though, and I did like some of the art in this one! I know that this is a jumping point for Marvel space in the future, so we'll see if I go down that route!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide and Violence
Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Explorations of grief definitely seemed to be a trend in YA romance in 2024 because there were a lot of them. To be fair, it is a pretty popular theme to explore in YA, it just felt like there were a lot of them this year. Which I'm thinking is a side effect of the pandemic, because it's likely a lot more teens have had to deal with this because of that.
Anyway! This book hit all of the right notes when it came to exploring grief. Case is struggling with the fact that his best friend is gone and how that influences his own future; especially when it means Walker's dreams go unfulfilled. Winnie is struggling with pursuing her own dreams when she has to take care of her younger siblings. Both Winnie and Case have excellent chemistry, and they bring out the best in each other. Hahn also made their voices distinct enough that I didn't get confused when they switched POVs, which isn't something easy to do!
I do feel like the resolution at the end felt a little too quick, especially when we're talking about Winnie's POV. And while I understand the need to include pop culture references, it felt like there were a lot in this (though maybe it's just because they tend to bother me), so they took me out of the story a little bit.
All in all, if you enjoy cowboy romances and explorations of grief, definitely check this one out!
Anyway! This book hit all of the right notes when it came to exploring grief. Case is struggling with the fact that his best friend is gone and how that influences his own future; especially when it means Walker's dreams go unfulfilled. Winnie is struggling with pursuing her own dreams when she has to take care of her younger siblings. Both Winnie and Case have excellent chemistry, and they bring out the best in each other. Hahn also made their voices distinct enough that I didn't get confused when they switched POVs, which isn't something easy to do!
I do feel like the resolution at the end felt a little too quick, especially when we're talking about Winnie's POV. And while I understand the need to include pop culture references, it felt like there were a lot in this (though maybe it's just because they tend to bother me), so they took me out of the story a little bit.
All in all, if you enjoy cowboy romances and explorations of grief, definitely check this one out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Judy I. Lin is always good for Asian mythology inspired fantasy, and this is definitely in her wheelhouse. This story is pretty slow moving, focusing on the mythology, music, and poetry. I found I didn't mind that it was on the slower side, especially since Lin uses a lot of wonderful descriptive language.
There were some side characters that I occasionally got confused, though I think that can be attributed to the fact that I listened to the audiobook. If you enjoy fairytales and mythology, this is definitely the fantasy for you!
There were some side characters that I occasionally got confused, though I think that can be attributed to the fact that I listened to the audiobook. If you enjoy fairytales and mythology, this is definitely the fantasy for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Gore, Sexual assault, and Classism
New Avengers: A.I.M. Vol. 3: Civil War II by Al Ewing
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is a Civil War II tie in story, but Civil War II is a pretty background part of the story. Overall, this story arc was meh to me; probaby not an essential Avengers story if you're invested in reading those. There are some good character moments, but it's more of a periphery story in the overal Marvel Universe. Not bad art for the most part, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
My Fairy God Somebody by Charlene Allen
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Unfortunately, I think this book suffers from being too short. There are some great characters, and the premise was interesting and fresh, but it didn't feel like there was enough time to let them and the overall mystery breath. Things seemed to happen too quickly, and the resolution didn't feel as satisfying to me at the end.
Despite that, this would be a great read if you enjoy stories set in the summer in New York. I could definitely see it being a great summer book!
Despite that, this would be a great read if you enjoy stories set in the summer in New York. I could definitely see it being a great summer book!
New Avengers: A.I.M. Vol. 2: Standoff by Marcus To, Al Ewing
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Definitely enjoyed the storyline in this one, especially seeing the gang come back to help save Billy (also the conversation about his codename is perfect). The art style is not my favorite, though it does lend itself well to some of the action sequences here. I for sure preferred the art style in the previous Young Avengers comics, though.
New Avengers: A.I.M., Volume 1: Everything is New by Gerardo Sandoval, Al Ewing
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Definitely enjoyed the storyline in this one, especially seeing the gang come back to help save Billy (also the conversation about his codename is perfect). The art style is not my favorite, though it does lend itself well to some of the action sequences here. I for sure preferred the art style in the previous Young Avengers comics, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror