This is the first volume in the Monstress series by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. The plot is very engaging and the illustrations are absolutely wondeThis is the first volume in the Monstress series by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. The plot is very engaging and the illustrations are absolutely wonderful.
I've never been really into Fantasy tales, but this Steampunk Fantasy saga has me hooked for sure!The story's plot is very dramatic and starts off in a very eye-opening way. The illustrations are filled with violent scenes, so I would recommend it for young adults. It continues with, Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood, and I'm really looking forward to reading that one soon.
Merged review:
This is the first volume in the Monstress series by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. The plot is very engaging and the illustrations are absolutely wonderful.
I've never been really into Fantasy tales, but this Steampunk Fantasy saga has me hooked for sure!The story's plot is very dramatic and starts off in a very eye-opening way. The illustrations are filled with violent scenes, so I would recommend it for young adults. It continues with, Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood, and I'm really looking forward to reading that one soon....more
This is the second volume in a new series, collecting issues #1-5 of this comic. It's a strange, but very exciting and action-packed tale.
I love the sThis is the second volume in a new series, collecting issues #1-5 of this comic. It's a strange, but very exciting and action-packed tale.
I love the strong female characters as well as the pop culture (and merchandising) references from my own teenage years followed by the shift to recent years.
I am only a few year older than the main characters in this story, and I can relate to how things have changed over the last thirty years.
Our oldest daughter is really into this series as well and we are eager to get the next volume soon from our local library!
interesting quotes:
<>"I'm afraid our fates rest with this young quartet. Either the girls somehow find their way back home soon...or they won't have a home to return to."> (p. 13)
"The world is a terrifying place, more than I ever realized. But if I had my whole life to do over again, that's literally the only thing I'd change. I'd stop being so afraid of other people." (p. 116)...more
Even though I pretty much figured out what was going on (for at least half of the story), I was still very engaged throughout. Anne Marie Lee does a vEven though I pretty much figured out what was going on (for at least half of the story), I was still very engaged throughout. Anne Marie Lee does a very good job narrating the audiobook edition.
interesting quotes (page numbers from edition with ISBN13):
"" (p. )
"...like Alice with the 'drink me' bottle..." (p. )
"...if there's one thing I learned from the unlikely allies we made over the years, it's that famThe eighth volume in the series...
interesting quotes:
"...if there's one thing I learned from the unlikely allies we made over the years, it's that family is about much more than blood." (p. 13 - unpaged)
"When you question the biology of someone who happens to be transgender, you don't just objectify us, you make us feel illegitimate..." (p. 18 - unpaged)
"Here's the thing about miscarriages. They are painful, they are horrific, and they are very, very common. There are no funerals for Those Who Might Have Been, leaving parents to mourn their loss in strange and unexpected ways." (pp. 24-25 - unpaged)
"My parents taught me never to get too attached to new people who come into my life, since attachment is the root of suffering." (p. 81 - unpaged)...more
And the epic space opera continues, with some adorable critters, the return of some characters, and the loss of others.
interesting quotes:
"If there'sAnd the epic space opera continues, with some adorable critters, the return of some characters, and the loss of others.
interesting quotes:
"If there's one thing parents suck at, it's estimating how long any activity is going to take." (p. 33 - unpaged)
"If a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, then a family is more like a ROPE. We're lots of fragile little strands, and we survive by becoming hopelessly intertwined with each other. The happiest families I ever met were all frayed...but they were also tighter than a hangman's noose. " (pp. 81-82 - unpaged)
"Look, life is short and hard, and most folks are just doing their best to muddle through it. Even the people who despise us. " (p. 128 - unpaged)
"The more you care about someone, the more likely it is that your eventual parting of ways will be as sudden as it is baffling." (p. 133 - unpaged)
"The only action that has vaster repercussions for the universe than making a life is TAKING one...which is why I'll never understand why most people put so little foresight into doing either." (pp. 136-137 - unpaged)...more
Just when you thought this space opera couldn't get more convoluted (I mean, complicated)...
interesting quotes:
"I've found that cultures often clash fJust when you thought this space opera couldn't get more convoluted (I mean, complicated)...
interesting quotes:
"I've found that cultures often clash for the same reasons that people do. It's not that we're so different from each other...it's because we're all so goddamn alike." (pp. 84-85 unpaged)
"...but anyone who thinks one book has all the answers hasn't read enough books." (p. 89 - unpaged)
"You'll never understand the way the worlds really work until you surround yourself with people from all sorts of weird backgrounds." (p. 95 - unpaged)
"Dying is one of the few experiences we'll eventually all enjoy firsthand, and like most shit that's commonplace, it's boring to dwell on." (p. 145- unpaged)...more
Maybe I just don't get the humor in this tale because I've never watched the show, but it's very weird and not all that entertaining.
I have started tMaybe I just don't get the humor in this tale because I've never watched the show, but it's very weird and not all that entertaining.
I have started to read this book several times, thinking it would be a fun fast read, but the challenging font, odd dialogue, and hard-to-follow plot led me to stop after only a few pages every time.
It wasn't until I had a long wait at the ER with my mom that I finally got around to finishing it....more
This is an exciting tale about a young man who experiences turning into a werewolf. Filled with both horror and humor, this story is sure to engage yoThis is an exciting tale about a young man who experiences turning into a werewolf. Filled with both horror and humor, this story is sure to engage younger readers.
I did not realize that this book is the fourth in a series of tales featuring normal people becoming monsters. I may have to start with the first book to see if there's any background info I've missed.
interesting quotes:
"As much as I love great books, sometimes there's nothing like a good comic to get your mind settled. " (p. 51)
"He was wrapped in strangeness, almost as if it were a layer of bandages he could never remove. " (p. 55)
"The next time I felt like complaining about some tiny problem or minor annoyance, I knew I would think of him - I would see him in my mind and be content with my own situation." (p. 55)...more
I think I had intended to borrow Mr. Huang's first book, Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir, but borrowed this one instead. I listened to the audiobook and I think I had intended to borrow Mr. Huang's first book, Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir, but borrowed this one instead. I listened to the audiobook and I have to admit that I almost gave up on it within the first 30 minutes. I barely understood what he was talking about and could not relate to him at all. I bet our girls could understand him better, even though he's much closer in age to me.
Instead of giving up, I sped up the replay to 2x the normal speed and gave him another chance. Once he arrived in China and started waxing philosophic about race, belonging, life and love as well as discussing the merits of different regional Chinese food, I became more engaged.
Overall, the book is good, but not great. At the end of the book he mentions a detail that really puts a whole damper on the second half of the book. (view spoiler)[He ended up breaking up with Dena, the woman he obsessively discusses and eventually proposes to, eighteen months after they got engaged. (hide spoiler)]
interesting quotes (page numbers from paperback edition with ISBN13 978-0812985436):
"Nothing encapsulates the over-reduced Chinese-American better than Yelp. We aren't quiet, we aren't devoid of opinion - we're an extremely passive-aggressive, tribal, prescriptive people who can't agree on how we feel about Indians." (p. 4)
"I thought alchemy in China was relegated to making fake eggs or lions, but, clearly, when the skills were applied in a positive manner the result was transcendent." (p. 115)
"I hung up the phone, headed to the spa's movie theater, and tried again not to judge parents until I'd been one myself." (p. 137) ...more
After reading this author's book about his travels in North Korea, I realized that he had written several other graphic novels and travelogues. This oAfter reading this author's book about his travels in North Korea, I realized that he had written several other graphic novels and travelogues. This one details the months he spent in Shenzhen China.
The stories are quite similar, with this trip being slightly less depressing. His descriptions of life in Southern China are very fascinating and sometimes startling.
I am not entirely unfamiliar with Asian culture, so the squatting toilets and some of the foods he ate do not faze me.
I was...uh...unsettled, however, when I saw dog carcasses. That's a bit hard to take, especially when I'm reading snuggled up with our puppy.
Nevertheless I liked his anecdotes and I appreciated his comparisons of Shenzhen to his visits to Canton and Hong Kong.
interesting quotes:
"I realized that I'd remembered only the good things...how exotic it was...Because with time blocking out the bad, memory is always bound to be a bit naive and stupidly optimistic." (p. 7)
"In Canton, I get out at the youth hostel. It's got single rooms that aren't expensive. On the door, the usual rules: There's a $6 fine for lighting fireworks in the room, and radioactive weapons are not allowed in the hostel." (p. 129)
"Taken out of context, even boredom can probably sublimate itself and seem entertaining...it's a bit like memory. " (p. 145)...more
This story is filled with drama and intrigue, which is pretty impressive for a book designed for beginning readers. A summer getaway turns into a raceThis story is filled with drama and intrigue, which is pretty impressive for a book designed for beginning readers. A summer getaway turns into a race to solve a mystery surrounding a matryoshka (Russian nesting) doll.
Overall, it's an entertaining and fast read and I was thrilled to discover one of Mr. Roy's early books, before he became well known for his A to Z Mysteries series. ...more
Entertaining tale of a postman making his rounds at Christmastime.
The gimmick of including the actual mail items is very ingenious and I liked lookingEntertaining tale of a postman making his rounds at Christmastime.
The gimmick of including the actual mail items is very ingenious and I liked looking through them. Younger children may not have the attention span or interest to read them all, however.
I loved the myriad ways in which the author pays homage to different fairy tales, although many of the humorous references may go over a young child's head.
I have read books by the Ahlbergs, but had never seen this before. And as I posted this review, I saw that they have other similar books, so perhaps this format is not so novel after all......more
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