About Book Marks
Recent Reviews
Rutu Modan, tr. Ishai Mishory
Rave blogcritics [An] adventure in archeology like none other ... Modan gives a much more real-world look into the genuine adventure and intrigue of modern archeology ... Readers will be captivated.
Mirion Malle, Tr. Aleshia Jensen and Bronwyn Haslam
Positive BlogCritics The portrayal of depression often focuses on an artistic and sensory depiction of the struggle, which This is How I Disappear does vividly, but it goes several steps further into showing not only the struggle but the breakthroughs ... Malle...presents a narrative that is as educational as it is dramatic. Her zine-style art presents the feelings well, giving ample space for pacing in the panels that are not cartoony but also not hyper-realistic as to weigh down the emotional appeal. Certain spots of heavy inking, such as the characters\' heads and clothes and the cell phone serve as black holes that seem to slurp up the energy of the page ... Rather than wallowing in misery...This is How I Disappear shows that all is not dark.
Aminder Dhaliwal
Rave BlogCritics.org ... the comic is at its core science fiction, but its focus on the characters makes the story transcend genre. It has all the charm and draw of a slice-of-life in a modern world; it just happens that that world has a minority population of cyclopes ... The best part of Cyclopedia Exotica is its rich cast of characters with each cyclopean name pulled from mythology ... a masterful portrayal of being a minority in a society that may no longer be actively trying to kill cyclopes, as Odysseus did in days of myth, but certainly does not know how to relate. Dhaliwal\'s imagination is perfected with the attention to detail, showing the little things that would be overlooked in a glance at the story-world. The emotional touches with the engaging characters brings the reader along through quick comic stories, always wanting more even after the final page.
Sophie Yanow
Rave Seattle Post-Intelligencer In its own delightful contradiction, the art in The Contradictions is beautifully simplistic. The entire work is in black and white, completely monochrome with no more than some crosshatching for a few shades. Yet, bold backgrounds and certain panels with novel angles make the style everything but dull. In addition to its strong literary value and artistic flair, The Contradictions makes an excellent read for anyone who would like to study abroad or has already done so ... Nothing awakens a new perspective like travel, and The Contradictions will spark that fire to go.
Sophie Yanow
Rave Blog Critics A strong theme of alternative culture runs through The Contradictions , commenting on capitalism, corporatism, anarchy, and organization. Sophie experiments with shoplifting as a form of protest against supermarkets that throw out food at the end of the day anyway. Anarchists prove to be exceedingly organized, to the point of some groups creating their own structure and bickering with others. Throughout the graphic novel, philosophies, just like people, are shown never to be as straightforward as they are made out to be in the manifesto ... In its own delightful contradiction, the art in The Contradictions is beautifully simplistic. The entire work is in black and white, completely monochrome with no more than some crosshatching for a few shades. Yet, bold backgrounds and certain panels with novel angles make the style everything but dull ... In addition to its strong literary value and artistic flair, The Contradictions makes an excellent read for anyone who would like to study abroad or has already done so.
Yeong-Shin Ma, trans. by Janet Hong
Positive blogcritics Ma molded a story to showcase the drama of women of a certain age ... poignant ... Ma’s art in Moms helps bring the realism to life. The crisp line-work and bold inks in a broad range of grayscale combine with rich texturing to create a world that is not at all cartoony yet full of emotions. It highlights the original point of the graphic novel, taking a world that is so recognizable and exploring it to find the life within.
Kuniko Tsurita, Trans. by Ryan Holmberg
Rave Blogcritics ... Tsurita’s art explores the corners where people often do not look ... No matter the style through the decades, Tsurita always shows a captivating eye with close-ups, sudden large panels, and heavy inking that frames the light with much darkness ... In addition to Tsurita’s evolution in art, The Sky is Blue with a Single Cloud hints at shifts in her perspective ... Tsurita combines...boldness of emotion with captivating plots for her most powerful work. Each of these stories carries a feeling of a twist worthy of the Twilight Zone ... Tsurita still impacts anyone reading her work on a level so deep it seems she might well have been a pen pal.
Tian Veasna, Trans. by Helge Dasche
Positive Blogcritics.org Year of the Rabbit...presents an especially poignant view of the Khmer Rouge ... While showing the struggles of surviving, Veasna takes care to paint a thorough picture of the day-to-day tyranny ... Year of the Rabbit serves as a good reminder of humanity during such turmoil.