Welcome back to the thing no one asked for but I'm going to keep doing anyway! I have some more short graphic novel reviews for your reading pleasure. Let me know if you've read any of these or if you are interested in checking any of them out!
And there you have it, the most recent batch of graphic novels that I've read! I've found that, now that I'm a stuffy old grown up with lots of responsibilities, children's graphic novels really appeal to me. Especially because it is so easy to read them and generally they can be read much faster than a traditional book. However, as I've said before, they can be difficult to write full length reviews for. I don't know if anyone is interested in these short reviews, but, like all things with this blog, I'm having fun with it so I'm going to keep doing it.
Until next time!
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Personal Rating: 5 Stars Goodreads rating at time of review: 3.95 Stars Content rating: G Ivy's grandmother is a healer--to mostly four-legged patients of the forest. Although the woodland creatures love her, the residents of Broomsweep grumble about Grandmother's unkempt garden. When a kingdom-wide contest is announced to proclaim the tidiest town in the land, the people of Broomsweep are determined to win. That is, if they can get Ivy's grandmother to clean up her ways. Ivy is determined to lend a hand, but the task proves more challenging when a series of unexpected refugees descends on Grandmother's cottage. Before the week is over, an injured griffin, a dragon with a cold, and a tiny flock of temperamental pixies will cause a most untidy uproar in Broomsweep . . . and brighten Ivy's days in ways she never could have dreamed. (goodreads.com) One nice thing about working at a library (apart from all day access to books and wonderful coworkers) is that there are frequently tasks to work on that are rather monotonous. Such as painting clear plastic Christmas ornaments to be used as Pokémon terrariums. With such tasks, it is sometimes possible to listen to an audiobook while working. This book was one of the first juvenile audiobooks that popped up on Libby (check your local library, see if they also have Libby or something similar, it’s a free eBook/eAudio app through your library!) when I was looking for something to listen to while working on a craft for work. I saw the cover and then saw that it was a full-cast audio recording and immediately decided this was the book for me. A moment of appreciation for the cover: Look at the colors! Look at the fluffy dog (his name is Poof)! Look at how kind the grandma looks! Look at that beautiful cozy cottage and the fun garden! I just love it so much. FANTASTIC. And the inside is just as magical. This is such a cute, warm, fluffy fairytale of a story. It’s most definitely meant for younger readers (my guess is probably 3rd grade+), but, if you are in the mood for a short cozy read then this will hold up no matter your age. It is not very long, in fact the audio was only two hours, and the story doesn’t get much done. There’s a cottage, there’s a garden, there are grouchy townspeople, and there are magical creatures. The characters are not particularly deep or dynamic, but they are fun. It’s predictable if you’ve read any other fairytale, but sometimes that’s okay. So, this isn’t some great work of literature, but it is adorable. Regarding the audiobook: I’m not sure if I would recommend it or not. I usually love a full cast audio because it reminds me of the days when my brother and I used to listen to a radio show called Adventures in Odyssey. For the most part, I was fairly neutral about the recording for this book. There was some fun music which reminded me of old cartoons, and most of the voice actors were totally fine. The mayor’s wife, on the other hand… I’m not sure if she was voiced by the narrator or a different actress, either way, her character’s voice was so horrendously screechy that I had to turn down the volume every time she spoke. Apart from the mayor’s wife, however, it was a decent audio recording. I’ve also just found out that the physical book is illustrated, so if you like illustrations (and who doesn’t?) then it might be better to read the physical book or the eBook instead of the audio. Or do both! Listen and read at the same time! Who am I to tell you what to do? However you decide to read this book, I hope you do read it! It was a very fun, definitely childish book and it was perfectly cozy and cute. I plan on picking up the sequel immediately. Thanks for reading! I am off to GUARD THE POOF. Until next time! Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30688026-ivy Personal Rating: 4 Stars Goodreads rating at time of review: 3.96 Stars Content Rating: Strong PG-13 (for alcohol consumption, language, and “fade to black” sexual content) When Japanese-American Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Now, she’s overcome conniving cousins, salacious press, and an imperial scandal to finally find a place she belongs. She has a perfect bodyguard turned boyfriend. Her stinky dog, Tamagotchi, is living with her in Tokyo. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. A royal wedding is on the horizon! Izumi’s life is a Tokyo dream come true. Only... Her parents’ engagement hits a brick wall. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage citing concerns about Izumi and her mother’s lack of pedigree. And on top of it all, her bodyguard turned boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship. At the threat of everything falling apart, Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to help win over the council. Which means upping her newly acquired princess game. But at what cost? Izumi will do anything to help her parents achieve their happily ever after, but what if playing the perfect princess means sacrificing her own? Will she find a way to forge her own path and follow her heart? (goodreads.com) This is the sequel for Tokyo Ever After, which you may recall I read and reviewed last year. You can read that review here if you would like. Oh my goodness, this was such a fun read! The book I finished before this one (which I may or may not review, I haven’t decided yet) was such a long and arduous read with so much world-building jargon, that it was nice to read a fun, fluffy story. If I would have had the time, I probably could have read the entirety of this book in one afternoon. It’s a very quick and easy read, which was very much appreciated after the week I’ve had. This book takes off pretty close to where the first one left off, hopping right into the summer following Izumi’s graduation at the end of Tokyo Ever After. Right off the bat, it seems like things are going well. Her parents are engaged, she’s starting to get the hang of being a princess (minus a few blunders), and she and her boyfriend, Akio, are super duper in love. It’s great. Until it isn’t. Dun, dun DUUUUUNNNN. This is a minor spoiler, but it basically says it in the description anyway so I’m not going to worry too much about it: Akio breaks up with Izumi! He says it’s for the best because everyone, including the Imperial Household Council, thinks that he is not the right fit for a princess (since he’s a commoner, y’know, that old spiel). And then he runs off to flight school after throwing into effect one of my least favorite contemporary-romance-sequel tropes: The Unnecessary Break Up.
I don’t know why, but it seems like there are a ton of contemporary romances with sequels that involve the main couple splitting up for really stupid reasons. It particularly annoys me when the reason for the break up is something that they already resolved in the first book. So, I was super shocked, annoyed, and heartbroken when Akio pulled a “I’ve gotta go my own way” à la High School Musical 2. I’ll be honest, I briefly considered quitting the book right there, so annoyed was I. However, I decided that I liked Izumi and the whole princess storyline enough on its own to keep reading even after Akio abandoned ship. And I’m so glad I did because, gosh darn it, it was still such a fun read without that surly, brooding bodyguard boyfriend. In fact, after another character is introduced, it might have been even more fun without Akio! So, ha! Take that, you self-sacrificing galoot! The other character that was introduced is named Eriku and good golly, he was probably my favorite character for most of the book. He is introduced as, first Izumi’s tutor and then… she and he decide to fake-date to make both of their families happy and appeal to the Imperial Household Council. And the shenanigans they get up to are absolutely adorable. There were also some fantastic and fun gal pal bonding scenes in this book, both with Izumi’s old friends, and some unlikely new ones. One of the things I’ve found so entertaining with this duology, as well as with The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, is reading about people with remarkable wealth just doing super expensive things. In real life, absurdly rich people are… controversial and sometimes not the most ethical people in the world. I feel like watching real wealthy people do things like go to amazing theme parks, spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes, or clear out a restaurant for private use, only sparks envy, annoyance, or self-righteousness. Reading about a fictional character experiencing those things, and sort of “going along for the ride” with those characters is so much more fun and guilt-free since it’s all made up anyway. On the whole, I was so happy with this book and all of the drama, fluff, and adventures in it. There was one thing that irritated me to the point of removing a star from what would have been a five star rating, but it’s a spoiler, so I will only discuss it in the spoiler section below. Basically, though, I’m in love with this series and the characters and I could probably read thirty more books about Izumi and not get bored. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fluffy romance (that isn’t very steamy), The Princess Diaries, or a bit of Japanese culture (again, I cannot attest to the accuracy of the cultural depictions in this book, but the author did say she did her research). If you would like to read my mini rant in the spoiler section, click the “Read More” button below. Thanks! |
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