Customer Comments

This book felt like a good palate cleanser for all the other titles I've read recently, while it starts in a dark place it slowly becomes more and more existentially pleasing. Truly a well-written book about the finality of death and how even grief and guilt are something we must push past as people without truly forgetting. I think it's an interesting choice for younger readers to pick up, and it doesn't quite have that spark of adventure most do to entice new readers. But aside from that, not a bad read at all. I recommend it to anyone going through a depression or a stagnant point in their life.

I wish this book was a movie or show instead. The book does its best mocking pop culture and corporation products so well that it almost feels like it would do better in that format. The book does its best to deconstruct things like gender, sexual orientation, race, and nationality, but it comes off as two-dimensional at times. I almost don't consider it a young-adult novel since age rarely came up in the story. If the story's main purpose was to entertain with a comedic effect similar to hitchhikers guide where the story and themes were vehicles for jokes then the book does a fantastic job. but messaging in the book's narrative was bogged down by surprise characters and strange genre-shifting choices that made the book a glorious mess. I don't think it's necessarily worth the read, but I also wouldn't dismiss it.

Rarely do I often review graphic novels despite my passion for them. Especially for those that replicate a previous book or story in a visual format. To give light to good and bad visual storytelling isn't a negative in my mind, but I feel there are some people who do basic visuals to tell stories. And while I can nitpick all I like, I can't deny the ability to visually show what something is like for people who simply learn better that way. But this book was not that. This book went out of its way to tell a story of one person so visually clear that I actually enjoyed the choice to make it all black and white. I only hope the creators follow through on the next volume. You will like this book if you enjoy graphic novels. And there is a fair chance that if you don't like graphic novels, you'll still like it.

This story takes a lesser-known Greek myth of gods and their affairs and used it excellently in a way that best shows their effect on the human condition. There was almost a part of me that wanted more gods to interfere in their own way, but going down that path may lead to a length similar to the odyssey and I don't think the story could survive such a length while keeping us invested. The main story focuses on 4 characters and their romantic endeavors and attempts to keep them alive during the 1st world war. All in all, I think that the story is well written for displaying the dark side of the war as well as the separation between it and life on the outside of it. One of the surprising standout characters in my mind was James Aldridge, who despite being one of the main leads in a love story is given plenty of time to grow as a character individually and away from the romantic plot. His ability to grow separately shows a maturity that you don't always get in these kinds of stories, and while I didn't dislike the romance they give us, it was nice to have a brief change of pace. The scene where he's helping a grieving widow is probably my favorite scene in the entire book and most other people who I know have read the book agree. If I had to pick a complaint it would be that Aubry's and Colette's story is worth more attention than Hazel's and James's. But then again two love stories are definitely better than one.

I didn't know what to make of this book. I definitely think the Greek chorus was a nice touch since it adds a level of drama to this already very dramatic book. Especially since before reading this, I didn't know what a Greek chorus was. however, I don't know how best to describe my feeling about it without getting very direct and specific details that spoil certain parts. the book has plenty of different views on the same story which gives us a diverse pov. However, that does not necessarily make the point of view simple to follow throughout. I often found the change in perspective a little jarring at times and ultimately thought the only upside to it was the Greek chorus that gave consistency. But even then if you weren't a fan of the Greek chorus then you'd definitely find that more confusing than helpful. If you want to read a book about gay representation, I would recommend it. If you are more into gay romances I personally would choose something with lighter tones but that's just me. I personally only go for very niche stories when it comes to subjects of love and while topics of homosexuality aren't on the list, I find the societal implications of coming out oftentimes outshine the relationship itself. I think this book does that as well, but not so much to spoil the relationship itself. Not a bad read, probably wouldn't have picked it up if someone hadn't recommended it.