glecharles's reviews
75 reviews

Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans by Sammy Lisel

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emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

4.0

A diverse range of stories about childhood experiences growing up trans, written for kids but as important for adults.
Mission to Kala by Mongo Beti

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adventurous funny sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

An entertaining and thought-provoking romp with a bittersweet ending.
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr by Ram V

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Believe the hype! I now wish I'd bought the hardcover edition because it's going on my all-time favorites shelf.
Quince by Sebastian Kadlecik, Kit Steinkellner

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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

The first few chapters didn't quite grab me because I'm becoming a cranky old man, but they were just confidently setting the table for an unexpectedly delightful story that actually had me tearing up by the end! ♥️ (I read this digitally, but the bilingual hardcover is beautiful!)
The Strange Tale of Panorama Island by Suehiro Maruo

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

3.0

Weird, shallow, but beautifully illustrated.
Black Panther, Vol. 3: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 3 by Chris Sprouse, Brian Stelfreeze, Ta-Nehisi Coates

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Coates' core thesis is interesting but doesn't pull off the right balance of superheroics and deeper philosophical questions he wants to tackle. It's also hampered by having to lean on previous events for emotional impact, while also setting up future stories, making it all feel like a 12-issue interstitial instead of a self-contained story.
Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 2 by Ta-Nehisi Coates

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Coates' pacing is better in these four issues, and he clearly had fun with The Crew's appearance, but underlying connections to past events mutes the overall impact a bit if you're not up to speed. Still, a fun read so far, but I would not buy these trades again.
Black Panther, Vol. 1: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Solid start to a larger story, but another example of the periodical format not always working in fractional collections.
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L'Engle

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I didn't read the original novel until I was an adult, shortly before I saw the movie, which I liked better but can't remember why. Larson's adaptation is solid, but still didn't make me like the original story nor any of its main characters.
The Comic Book Story of Beer: The World's Favorite Beverage from 7000 BC to Today's Craft Brewing Revolution by Mike Smith, Tom Orzechowski, Jonathan Hennessey, Aaron McConnell

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informative medium-paced

3.5

Informative and entertaining.