Manga Review: That Blue Sky Feeling, Volume 3, by Okura and Coma Hashii

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media

Release Date: October 2019

Volumes: 3.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A butterflies-in-your-stomach high school romance about two very different high school boys who find themselves unexpectedly falling for each other.

Outgoing high school student Noshiro finds himself drawn to Sanada, the school outcast, who is rumored to be gay. Rather than deter Noshiro, the rumor makes him even more determined to get close to Sanada, setting in motion a bittersweet tale of first love.

Self-discovery is not always awesome, as Noshiro, Ayumi and Makoto are all finding out the hard way. Even the self-assured Sanada seems to be struggling. The final volume of this complicated love story proves that hanging on to that blue sky feeling of youthful love is an elusive and unpredictable task.

Review:

Noshiro finally has to confront his real feelings since the series is coming to a close. Noshiro and Sanada are both in denial, though for different reasons and in different ways. Before all of this, though, Ayumi and Sanada have to be honest with each other. And then Noshiro has to see whether he wants to be with a girl more than he wants to be with Sanada.

I really appreciate how this series wraps up. Particularly how Ayumi and Sanada confront each other and realize their real friendship. Ayumi has a bit of a hard time here, up until she comes to the realization, and then her and Sanada finally get to be real and honest with each other, and it's really sweet to see.

The conclusion for Noshiro and Sanada isn't very explicitly stated, but I'm still quite happy with it. They've kind of agreed not to label it at this point, but that seems to work for them at the moment.

I really liked this series. I appreciate how it handled several themes, the characters were really good, and the ending was nice. I'm really glad this series was released, and I look forward to seeing more like it.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Love at Fourteen, Volume 7, by Fuka Mizutani

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: April 2018

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

As Class 2-B makes landfall in Kyoto, everyone's talking about who's going to confess to whom. Amidst the mayhem, Kanata is shocked to realize that despite their developing romance, Kazuki's never actually told her how he feels about her! There's love in the air, but for Kanata and Kazuki, will this momentous confession--if it ever comes--just be too little, too late?

Review:

There's some light plot in the beginning of the volume, as the classes get together for group projects, and our characters decide to research the schools seven wonders. They're mostly either doubters or scaredy-cats, though, it seems. Throughout this, Kanata and Kazuki are still just trying to find time alone together, and Nagai is trying not to be affected by the teacher.

This leads into it being time to decide on their next step in the future. They have to decide on what school to apply for, or whether they want to work or do something else. Kanata and Kazuki don't communicate it at first, but we all know they hope to stay together. There are several unrequited crushes that struggle with deciding where to go for themselves, or to find out where their crush is going. We get a little bit of development with the minor characters during this, but in the latter half of the volume, we meet a new character that ruffles Nagai a bit.

Meeting this new character has me excited, honestly. I absolutely love the diversity in this series, and getting to see so many characters with such a range of interests and sexualities. This new one appears to be pan or bi, and I appreciate that. He also seems like fun, so I'm excited by that.

This is a really well done series. It shows a good range, even though it's a school romance. It's thoughtful and pretty and diverse. I hope to read the next one soon.

Manga Review: Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Volume 2, by Yuhki Kamatani

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

HELP OR HINDRANCE?

Tasuku is starting to feel at home at the drop-in center―just in time for him to help a younger student who also hangs out there. Misora Shuji likes to wear girls’ clothing but is unsure about their gender identity. Will Tasuku’s guidance offer Shuji some clarity or just make things harder?

Review:

There's a really harsh moment in this volume, just as a warning.

We officially meet Misora, a boy who likes dressing as a girl. This introduces a new aspect to the story, as Misora states he's not gay, he just likes dressing as a girl—and also explores the idea of not really knowing who he is yet. He's younger than Tasuku, and gives Tasuku a moment to help and be there for someone going through something similarly difficult.

It all goes down when Tasuku and Misora go out to a festival. Misora is confronted with a harsh part of being a woman, and he doesn't quite handle it well—not that anyone should, really. But he reacts by blowing up at Tasuku, in a very public, harsh way.

I appreciate the point of view that Misora presents here, but I don't particularly care for the way he talks. He's very brash with his words, which perhaps Tasuku needs. He blatantly uses the word fag, and how he treats Tasuku when he freaks out is just not okay. It was a really hard moment to read.

It also looks like Tasuku's crush is going to do something in the next volume. It's unclear where he stands on these things, but I suspect we'll find out soon.

I am really glad that this is being released. I think it's an important story. Plus, the artwork is gorgeous—I love the imagination used here. And those color pages at the beginning of this volume are just gorgeous.

Manga Review: Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Volume 1, by Yuhki Kamatani

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: May 2019

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: Yes.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A beautiful tale of coming-out and coming-of-age.

Not only is high schooler Tasuku Kaname the new kid in town, he is also terrified that he has been outed as gay. Just as he’s contemplating doing the unthinkable, Tasuku meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a group of people dealing with problems not so different from his own. In this realistic, heartfelt depiction of LGBT+ characters from different backgrounds finding their place in the world, a search for inner peace proves to be the most universal experience of all.

Review:

I am so glad that we're at the point where we can get diverse series like this now. It's taken such a long time, but now more publishers are picking up yaoi and yuri series, yes, but also series like this—where there's a mix of identities and sexual orientation. The story doesn't have to be about one gay couple. There can be coming of age stories that include this stuff, in manga as well.

Kaname is at a new school, and he's starting to learn things about himself, but he doesn't quite have friends or fit in yet, and he can't react organically to things. He discovers a house that anyone can go in and hang out, and there's an odd group of friends there, with a mix of identities. Kaname was considering suicide, and then discovers that maybe he's not all alone. He's still not sure how to identify, if he can let himself even think of himself as gay, when he discovers these people. One of which is mysterious and gives him no information or advice, and another who's a lesbian in a serious relationship. And there appears to be acceptance and other people with potentially similar stories.

There's clear to be more struggles in the future for him, but I think there'll be more accepting characters to meet.

The start of this volume very much felt like middle/high school in the early 00's. People spouting the word “gay” and “homo” insensitively, and it unknowingly causing a bad affect on others. Kaname starts off in a spiral, but I think this group of people are going to help him, and be there for him. He's also got an interesting imagination, and I'm confused but intrigued by how it's portrayed.

I'm just so happy series like this is being released now, and definitely want to support it. I want more stuff like this, more representation and diversity of characters and people. I'm excited for it.

Manga Review: That Blue Sky Feeling, Volume 2, by Okura and Coma Hashii

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media

Release Date: March 2019

Volumes: 3.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A butterflies-in-your-stomach high school romance about two very different high school boys who find themselves unexpectedly falling for each other.

Outgoing high school student Noshiro finds himself drawn to Sanada, the school outcast, who is rumored to be gay. Rather than deter Noshiro, the rumor makes him even more determined to get close to Sanada, setting in motion a bittersweet tale of first love.

The kids at Noshiro’s new school are finding out that being in “like” can be pretty intense. Noshiro’s getting closer than ever to his classmate Sanada, who is gay; Ayumi is hopelessly in love with Sanada, who happens to be her childhood friend; and new student Makoto arrives on the scene to knock everyone off-balance.

Review:

Sanada and Ayumi have to confront their feelings for each other. In a normal romance, they'd end up together, but Sanada's gay, and Noshiro's doesn't quite get that that wouldn't work. Ayumi was holding onto hope despite herself, and Sanada was ignoring Ayumi's feelings to hide behind her. They both have to confront their actual feelings, from opposite sides.

We meet a new character in this volume, Morinaga. He's an underclassman, and puts all of his feelings out there, very dramatically. He clearly likes Noshiro, but he's more like Sanada than he realizes. I found the misunderstandings here fun, and we get to see Noshiro trying to be nice while still not quite understanding what being gay entails. It's a long process for him, it seems. It's also been a process for Sanada and Noshiro, though. These things take time, it seems.

Despite how loud he is, I actually liked Morinaga, and enjoyed how he pushed Noshiro and Sanada in this volume. They needed something to push these feelings forward.

I really like this series. I'm so glad it's being published and we're getting more stuff like this. I look forward to seeing how it wraps up.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: The Bride was a Boy by Chii

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: May 2018

Volumes: 1.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The heartwarming transgender love story, based on true events!

Drawn in the style of diary comics with an upbeat, adorable flair, this is a charming tale about Chii, a woman assigned male at birth. Her story starts with her childhood and follows the ups and downs of exploring her sexuality, gender, and transition--as well as falling in love with a man who’s head over heels for her. Now they want to get married, so Chii’s about to embark on a new adventure: becoming a bride!

Review:

I'd heard good things about this one, but it wasn't until I went to glimpse through it at the bookstore, and ended up reading almost a chapter, that I decided to pick it up. The concept grabbed my attention from the beginning, and it's a diverse subject that isn't mentioned much in manga.

The story follows Chii, who was born a boy, and how she slowly discovered and accepted that she always felt more like a girl than a boy. It's autobiographical, and it shows as Chii addresses the audience often, and explains things to us, about legal issues and how she worried about telling people. This is definitely more of a lighthearted story than I'm sure a lot of people experienced, but Chii had a relatively easy time of it. For her, though, her family was rather easy-going, and the boy she meets is perfectly fine with all of it as well. He's so in love with her, that he doesn't mind she's not completely a woman yet, and is perfectly fine dealing with the obstacles of all of this with her.

This is a really cute story, but I also think it's a really important one. It's a tough thing to go through in any society, and there are a lot of obstacles and things to consider and ways to handle it.

This was a fun read, and I think it's a really important one, too. I would definitely recommend it, and would love to see more books like it released.

Comic Review: Spinning by Tillie Walden

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Themes: YA, Comic, LGBTQ+, Ice Skating

Publisher: First Second

Release Date: 2017

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It was the same every morning. Wake up, grab the ice skates, and head to the rink while the world was still dark.

Weekends were spent in glitter and tights at competitions. Perform. Smile. And do it again.
She was good. She won. And she hated it.
For ten years, figure skating was Tillie Walden’s life. She woke before dawn for morning lessons, went straight to group practice after school, and spent weekends competing at ice rinks across the state. Skating was a central piece of her identity, her safe haven from the stress of school, bullies, and family. But as she switched schools, got into art, and fell in love with her first girlfriend, she began to question how the close-minded world of figure skating fit in with the rest of her life, and whether all the work was worth it given the reality: that she, and her friends on the team, were nowhere close to Olympic hopefuls. The more Tillie thought about it, the more Tillie realized she’d outgrown her passion—and she finally needed to find her own voice.

Review:

This is an autobiographical comic, about Tillie as she was growing up, as an ice skater, and a lesbian.

It's about ice skating, and discovering herself, and coming out, all as a growing teenager.

This has a pretty good mix of all of these things. We see Tillie practicing, as she gets up very early every morning to ice skate, whether she enjoys it or not. We see her with good and bad coaches, with good and bad friends, as she enjoys it and works hard, and as she starts to question whether it's just habit and discovers that she doesn't actually like ice skating. Friendships form, and she falls in love for the first time, and decides to tell her family.

I understood parts of this book, and I really enjoyed following her as she discovers herself and decides what she wants for herself. It was also very frustrating to see her coming out, and how some people react to it, like her family. Seeing people react as if it's wrong (and parents, as if they've done something wrong) bothers me, so much, and I know it happens, still.

I really enjoyed reading this. I don't read a lot of American comics, but some of them are definitely worth reading. And I liked following this journey.

Novel Review: And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga, #1) by Kiersten White

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Genre: YA Historical, Romance

Publisher: Delacorte Press (Penguin Random House)

Release Date: 2016

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday. Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

The Cover:

I love these covers. I will admit that it gives me a somewhat different impression of the book than the contents felt--Lada does not feel nearly as fierce as this cover makes me feel; it also wasn't as intense and focused more on the potential romance than the cover makes me think it will. But it's still a gorgeous cover.

Review:

I have loved all of Kiersten White's books, and I've always admired how she can change her style of writing so perfectly. I'm a little disappointed to say that I didn't really enjoy this book, at times.

I will admit that I'm not typically a historical fan. I didn't think it would matter much here, but it's still true. Long stories of history are not of my interest, and stories that combine that with political dealings are apparently especially so.

We meet Lada and Bogdan and her brother Radu as the book starts. They start as children, and slowly grow older until they're teens during this book. Lada is the daughter of Vlad, and at first she tries hard to impress him and prove herself. Radu is her weaker brother. Bogdan is her bodyguard/servant boy who she actually orders around.

This book was very slow going. It took a long time for them to grow older, and at several points in this book I wondered where it was going, and when it was going to get there.

I liked Lada at first, and I thought she was going to be fierce from the beginning. She is fierce, but then I think she loses herself about halfway through the book. Romance shows up, and she seems to lose herself and her ambitions with it. I realized at some point in the book that I didn't particularly care for Lada all that much.

Radu, on the other hand. Radu is at first her weak little brother. But while he doesn't have physical strength or much of a mean streak at all in him, he has smarts instead. He learns how to listen, and how to play nice and make conversation and get a person on his side very easily. It's a struggle when Lada realizes he has this and she does not, and really it's more of a point on his side than hers.

I really liked Radu, quite a lot. I think my least favorite character turned out to be Mehmed. When we first meet him, I thought I liked him. But after a while, I realized that I really didn't like the effect he had on Radu or Lada. He kind of ends up ruining them, I think.

Radu becomes so focused on his love for Mehmed, that I think it brings him down. He could be doing a lot more, and he could be seeing the other people around him better, if Mehmed weren't there. It's the same with Lada. She loses sight of what's most important to herself, because of her affection for Mehmed. And it frustrates me so much because it's not requited to the extent that either of them need. It's helping Mehmed, when he doesn't deserve it, and it's bad for both Radu and Lada.

I really hope that this book was setting up for something bigger. It definitely seems like Lada is off to start something big, and I hope that it gets more intense from here. This book was very long and tedious, and usually I like character development like that, but it didn't hold my interest enough in this context. It was frustrating at times.

But the concept is still so interesting to me, and Kiersten White is one of my favorite authors, so I'll be reading at least one more book.

Comic Review: Gingerbread Girl by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover

Rating (Out of 5): ~2

Publisher: Top Shelf Productions

Release Date: 2011

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

There are plenty of established facts concerning 26-year-old Annah Billips. She likes sushi and mountains, but hates paper cuts and beer breath. She dates girls and boys, and loves to travel. She may have a missing sister, or she might be insane. Did Annah invent an imaginary sister named Ginger during her parents' ferocious divorce, or did her mad scientist father extract part of her brain and transform it into a living twin?
In this graphic novel, a host of narrators including boyfriends, girlfriends, magicians, pigeons, bulldogs, and convenience store clerks follow Annah through a night in her life in an attempt to determine that one last fact about Annah...and the Gingerbread Girl.

Review:

I thought that this was going to be a fun, quirky indie comic when I picked it up from my local bookstore. I'm a little disappointed by how it turned out.

We meet Annah, who believes she has a sister, made out of her own brain, who has disappeared. She's constantly looking for her, and believes that she has no emotions without her, and thus refuses to make any lasting decisions.

We meet Annah as the book starts, but then the story quickly shifts to other characters in the scene, who introduce themselves and talk to the reader, and talk about their experience with Annah. We get some science for what Annah thinks happened to her, and how it might have come about. The switching perspectives reminded me a bit of A Little Something Different, only not done quite as well, and more directly told to the reader.

Given how far-fetched the idea of her sister turns out to be, the thrown in science seems even more hard to believe. And then we get no answers—everyone refuses to answer any questions, as most of them don't have answers. Nothing gets solved, and we only get a base understanding of Annah and any of the other characters.

After I got to the end of the book, I felt a bit like I'd wasted my time. The whole concept was implausible to me, it didn't seem to have any real depth, and then nothing was answered or solved in the end. Not even her wish-washy attitude toward her dates. I'm a bit annoyed, possibly at how disappointed I was. The only part of it I did appreciate was the bisexuality of Annah.

Manga Review: That Blue Sky Feeling, Volume 1, by Okura and Coma Hashii

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media

Release Date: August 2018

Volumes: 3.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A butterflies-in-your-stomach high school romance about two very different high school boys who find themselves unexpectedly falling for each other.

Outgoing high school student Noshiro finds himself drawn to Sanada, the school outcast, who is rumored to be gay. Rather than deter Noshiro, the rumor makes him even more determined to get close to Sanada, setting in motion a bittersweet tale of first love.

The first volume of this heartwarming high school story about how your first love isn’t always exactly what you expect begins with the popular Noshiro transferring to a new school and becoming intrigued by Sanada, a loner who doesn’t seem to have any friends—or even want any. Some of the other kids tell Noshiro that Sanada keeps to himself because he’s secretly gay, which only makes Noshiro more interested. He sets out on a campaign to win over the shy Sanada, embarking on a friendship that starts to feel like something much more intense.

Review:

I just love when we get realistic stories that feature LGBT characters. It happens so little, where it's not just yaoi, but a slice of life story, or even just a story that includes gay characters, in manga.

Noshiro transfers to a new school, where he discovers that Sanada is treated differently. Everyone else is being so nice to him, and yet no one really talks to Sanada, and that bothers him. When he finds out it's because there are rumors that Sanada is gay, it bothers him even more. He doesn't think he's homophobic, and yet it makes him think of Sanada differently, at first.

There's also Yamada, Sanada's only friend at the beginning. She seems sweet, and that could go in a few different directions. We also meet Hidemitsu, Sanada's older ex-boyfriend. This is an interesting development, and I appreciate the input he gives, how he tries to help guide them both.

I liked the realistic discussions in this book, how Noshiro was conflicted about the rumors, and how Sanada confronted him about it. And how Noshiro went to Hidemitsu a few times for advice, when he was struggling with his feelings.

This volume was so good, and just what I wanted. I'm so glad it's being released, and I really can't wait to read more.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Novel Review: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance; LGBTQ+

Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)

Release Date: April 2015

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

The Cover:

The cover is just kind of okay for me. I don't dislike it, but I don't love it either. It's not really eye-catching, the headless thing is kind of weird. I do like the word bubble for the title, and the colors and grainy-ness work. But otherwise it's just kind of meh.

Review:

“Don’t you think everyone should have to come out? Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or another, and it should be this big awkward thing whether you’re straight, gay, bi, or whatever. I’m just saying.” (Hardback, pg. 146) “White shouldn’t be the default any more than straight should be the default. There shouldn’t even be a default.” (Pg. 269)

When his classmate Martin finds out that Simon is gay, he blackmails him into helping him get a date with Simon’s friend Abby. Feeling forced into it so he doesn’t come out before he’s ready, or cause problems with his mystery email buddy Blue, he attempts, but isn’t very good at it really. And he’s more focused on Blue than anything else.

I like how honest and realistic this book seemed, with the whole subject matter. Simon decides to come out to some people, and is forced to with others, and it’s all honest. His emails with Blue are adorable and so cute. They go to the same school, but they don’t know who the other is. Which means that Simon starts trying to guess, and I loved the reveal. It’s incredibly adorable, as is most of the book.

Martin is a bit of jerk, honestly, even if he has some possible redeeming qualities. I liked Simon’s friends, too. His bond with Abby was sweet, and I enjoyed their honest interactions. He has a group of friends, and I liked the focus that part of his life was given, along with his family. He’s close with his family, and I liked the equal attention all of it was given.

This book is smart and thoughtful, but also super adorable and cute and funny. I loved it, and it went by so fast. I will definitely be picking up whatever she releases next.