PositiveForeword ReviewsThe writing is hypnotic and memorable. Its imagery is stunning, and its descriptions are evocative ... The book is rooted in nostalgia ... he expands on the bonds that music can forge, along with its ability to spark curiosity and send listeners in new, unplanned directions. The book also serves that function, entertaining and enticing with its details of Russ and Matt’s extensive playlists, along with references to poems and other works ... an affecting, introspective novel that embraces the beauty of memory and the power of resilience.
Jordan Crane
RaveForeword Reviews... transcendent ... a gorgeous and unforgettable ending ... The fresh absence of loved ones is shown with dotted outline ghosts, resulting in many poignant and affecting scenes. Like a unique dialect, it takes some time to grow accustomed to the storytelling style, but once its mechanisms are understood, it results in intense, profound communication ... wenty years passed between the publication of the first part of this story and this complete edition. Deceptive in its complexity and rewarding of multiple readings, Keeping Two is a romantic graphic novel with deep emotional impact.
Manuele Fior, trans. by Jamie Richards
RaveForeword ReviewsWith a prevailing aura of mystery, and unanswered questions about the details of the Great Invasion, the story is rich, satisfying, and complex. The book features striking, haunting visuals ... The art shows a practiced breadth of skill that encompasses tender emotions and dynamic action scenes. Celestia is a thoughtful, beautiful graphic novel.
Barrett Swanson
RaveForeword Reviews... eloquent ... combines personal essays, journalism, and travelogues into a memorable collection ... personal recollections and reflections mix with on-site reportage, resulting in compelling accounts ... The book’s wide, sophisticated vocabulary makes even its most pedestrian statements and recounted dialogue enjoyable, though its complex wording leads to occasional obfuscation ... Uncommon synonyms are also employed; whether these come across as a matter of artistic license, or as imprecise choices, will depend on the preferences and predilections of the reader ... Swanson’s perspectives are empathetic and honest. The people and situations he describes are considered with the care of a sociologist, but also a sensitive heart. The essay collection Lost in Summerland forwards a smorgasbord of ideas, people, and places, all filtered through the perceptions of a skilled writer.
Barry Windsor-Smith
RaveForeword ReviewsEach character’s story line is given the time, depth, and space to make them feel alive in every way. The book’s pen and ink artwork is exquisite, from its delicate shading to the way word balloons lead the eye up, down, and all around the page, maintaining a mesmerizing flow from one panel to the next. Despite plenty of grand, dramatic tension, some of the book’s most memorable moments come via subtle expressions of family dynamics around a dinner table, through distinctive speech patterns, dialogue, and lettering. Also revealing and affecting are the handwritten letters of Bobby’s mother, which show the measure of her desperation about her husband’s change in personality after his duties during and after World War II ... a graphic narrative masterpiece and a haunting examination of the lingering effects of evil.
Ethan Rutherford
RaveForeword ReviewsEthan Rutherford’s Farthest South is a spooky, sweet, wondrous short story collection ... There’s something larger at work in every story, and the fact that the entries rarely offer neat resolutions only makes them more haunting and beautiful ... Rutherford’s writing cuts to what’s essential. His sentences are lean, but speak volumes nonetheless ... There’s variety in the subject matter, but also in style, while occasional black-and-white illustrations add to the enjoyment. Farthest South is an imaginative, transformative, and delightful short story collection.
Elisa Macellari
RaveForeword ReviewsKusama is fascinating: an underdog who seeks solace in creativity and becomes a major figure in the art world, despite her health troubles and disapproving parents ... he distillation of Kusama’s long, full, and atypical life to a trim, fast-flowing graphic novel is admirable ... This marriage of text and visuals is magical ... a wonderful introduction to a gifted artist.
Amanda Leduc
RaveForeword ReviewsDisfigured is a fascinating exploration of how disabilities are treated within fairy tales and of how those treatments help to shape social attitudes and perceptions. Part literary examination, part cultural critique, and part memoir, Disfigured is exceptional ... The text is convincing in naming the primary problem with such tales: that they reinforce the idea that people with disabilities need to change or to be made \'whole\' in order to live fulfilling lives. It proposes a different, more appropriate message instead: that society should adapt to those with disabilities ... Thorough research is capped by a multipage list of works consulted, demonstrating the depth of the problem by dissecting many lesser-known fairy tales ... This is work that’s also personally informed by Leduc’s experiences living with cerebral palsy, making it all the more emotionally impactful. Disfigured is an enlightening work of literary criticism that dissects the stories that we tell ourselves.
Anna Veltfort
PositiveForeword ReviewsAnna Veltfort’s piercing graphic memoir Goodbye, My Havana reveals the oppression of Cuba’s citizens by the authoritarian Castro government, as witnessed and experienced by a young lesbian woman ... The book’s illustrations are clear and consistent throughout, a critical feature for a detailed story with many characters. The layouts weave into the book actual copies of newspaper headlines, propaganda posters, excerpts from Cuban magazines, and photos, as well as other relevant material, including text from Castro’s speeches. The result is a deep, penetrating stare into Castro’s Cuba. Though it is somewhat overshadowed by the political intrigue, Veltfort’s coming-of-age-story is also compelling. She’s plucky and endearing as both character and narrator. With its rare combination of skill, observation, circumstance, and experience, Goodbye, My Havana is an unforgettable graphic memoir.
Maria Tumarkin
RaveForeword ReviewThough categorized as a book of essays, \'essay” doesn’t do justice to Tumarkin’s lengthy, probing, literary reports. It is made up of five forays into seldom-explored crevices of society ... The writing is dazzling without showboating. Tumarkin casts a critical eye on herself in a charming way, too. While her breadth of knowledge is impressive—the book is full of less-than-obvious, sometimes obscure, and always appropriate references—her work soars on the depth of her introspection, her interrogation, her tenacity, and her willingness to follow a story wherever it leads her ... The reader’s equivalent of catching lightning in a bottle, Axiomatic showcases a brilliant and perceptive mind writing on a variety of subjects. Full of grace and insight, it is an exceptional book.
Josh Frank, Tim Heidecker, & Manuela Pertega
PositiveForeword Reviews\"Judged on its own merits, Giraffes on Horseback Salad is bizarre but successful—in part because the talents of Frank and Heidecker, Dali’s surrealism, and Marx Brothers comedy blend nearly seamlessly, with impeccable delivery of jokes about lobster phones, taxis with interior rain systems, and the like. An assortment of extras includes original sketches and photos, completing a book that should satisfy fans of Dali or the Marx Brothers, or anyone looking for something completely outside the norm.\
Hanif Abdurraqib
RaveForeword ReviewsDoesn’t attempt an arm’s length, scholarly approach to analyzing the group and its music; instead, Abdurraqib speaks from his own experiences, often in the form of questioning or appreciative open letters to members of the band. It’s a bold conceit, but if the book loses a bit of reserved objectivity in the process, it gains much more: an emotional grounding for why the group was so important to the author, and, by extension, why their music should matter to readers, too ... [Abdurraquib\'s] own prose often falls into a kind of flow and rhythm that recalls his subject .. There’s little doubt that rap fans will love Go Ahead in the Rain, but even those not familiar with the genre or the group may find themselves entranced by Abdurraqib’s book.
Peter Watts
RaveForeword ReviewsHard science fiction that reads like a first-person parable, Peter Watts’s The Freeze-Frame Revolution is thoughtful, suspenseful, and unforgettable... compelling science fiction with heart.
