Fiction

Bone: Out of Boneville

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Bone
Author
Smith, Jeff
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

Bone is one of those comics I’ve always been aware of but haven’t gotten around to reading until now. It’s interesting how the visual style of the titular characters evokes an older style of comics, while the other characters in the world feel more modern. The storytelling runs at a pretty fast pace that kept me turning the pages to see what happens next. There’s some pretty good humor here, as well as tense situations to keep it from becoming too silly. I can definitely see the appeal and why it’s been a notable comic since its origins in the early 1990s.

My only qualm with this book has to do with the main characters. The three “Bones” feel out of place in the fantasy realm, let alone our world. It also took me a while to distinguish visually between Fone Bone and Phoney Bone, which was only aided because this book mostly follows Fone. These characters are quite expressive for their simple design, which helps. I understand their simple white design would make producing the (originally black and white) comic easier, but they’re so jarring when everything else is so detailed.

It's funny how the Japanese isekai genre has picked up in recent years, only to have been solidly pre-dated by Bone. The concept of a group of people being transported/lost in an unfamiliar fantasy world is a huge genre today. The fantasy world-building Jeff Smith does in this first volume definitely holds to a lot of fantasy tropes while also taking humorous turns that make the world unique. I’m glad I picked up the colorized version of this first volume and I’ll definitely be reading the next volume when I get the chance.

A bold take on the isekai genre in an American style, I give Bone, Vol. 1 4.0 stars out of 5.

Reviewer's Name
Benjamin W.

Song of Susannah

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Song of Susannah
Author
King, Stephen
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

Six books into the Dark Tower series, and I'm glad that things are wrapping up. I felt Wolves of the Calla was only as good as it was because it was clearly a ripoff of The Magnificent Seven (1960). And with so many of the books in this series focusing on the men of the ka-tet, it was nice to get a book that mostly focused on Susannah's experiences. A lot of weird stuff happened in this book, but at least it laid the groundwork for the last entry in the series.

Perhaps the weirdest part of this book was its meta-narrative with Stephen King. I was a little surprised this fourth-wall-breaking move worked as well as it did. Then again, King clearly hinted that this was a possibility in the previous book in the series. Author self-inserts usually take the form of the main character living out the author's fantasies. However, literal author self-inserts are a little rarer. It also felt like King was trying to remind himself why he started on this Dark Tower series at all, which doesn't instill a lot of confidence in the reader.

I wasn't wild about the somewhat cliffhanger ending, but it didn't matter too much as I knew I could jump into The Dark Tower shortly after finishing this book. It's mostly frustrating because there are a lot of things that are cut short in this book that clearly will be resolved in the next. Song of Susannah gathered King's top ideas from his previous works, making it almost a "greatest hits" from his bibliography. That there's been some good action in books five and six of the series bodes well for the conclusion.

A meta setup for the last book of the Dark Tower series, I give Song of Susannah 4.0 stars out of 5.

Reviewer's Name
Benjamin W.

The Stranger

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The Stranger
Author
Camus, Albert
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

The Stranger by Albert Camus is one of the most widely read novels in the world. It was originally published in French in 1942 and then translated into English as well. After its publication, thousands of copies were sold all over the world.
The novel presents Albert Camus's theory of absurdism, which says that the whole world is useless, and he also doesn't believe in this world.

The narrator of this story kills an Arab in the desert to save his life. He is brought to court by police officers on trial. He is ready to confess his crime in front of all the people and is ready for any sort of punishment, but the jury has different intentions, and he is flabbergasted when officers start questioning him about his mother, who died a few days ago. They blame him for not weeping at his mother's funeral. He might be forgiven for his crime, but he could not be pardoned for not crying when his mother died. He is ghastly criticised by all the members of the jury because he went to the pool and watched a funny movie with his girlfriend after his mother's death. After a few days of hearings, the court announces his death sentence, and no one has tried to find the elicit facts, as they are mentioned in the text book.

"After being charged with murder, he executed because he didn't weep at his mother's funeral. "

After suffering throughout his whole life and witnessing the deplorable behaviour of others, he no longer believes in God. His heart got badly broken, and the existence of God has no importance to him anymore.
The importance of memories is another big theme in this novel. Memories are very important in life, and they last forever, even till death. I must say:

Life without memories is like a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.

When he is sent to jail, he has only the memories of his life and spends his time remembering the beautiful moments of life and the time he spent with his beloved ones. As it is written in the novel:

"I have learned that even after a single day's experience of the outside world, a man could easily live hundreds years in prison "

To conclude, the novel is a wonderful piece of literature because it explores the real events of the writer's life and contains some important lessons for others. That's why reading this book would be a good idea.

Reviewer's Name
Nasir A.
Genres

A River Runs Through It

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A River Runs Through It
Author
MacLean, Norman
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

I love how books can give insight into things we might not otherwise know. How, when someone "writes what they know" in an autobiographical sense, the reader gets to experience that slice of their life. I'm not interested in fishing—in any of its styles. And yet, A River Runs Through It gave such a clear picture of what it's like to go fly-fishing that I felt like I had actually experienced it. I'm still not interested in trying it in real life, but now I feel like I get it.

Of course, A River Runs Through It isn't entirely about fly-fishing. There are other universal themes, like fatherhood, brotherhood, sonship, and unity with nature. I can also appreciate that there is a Christian tilt to the main character without being judgmental of the choices his family has made. This unconditional love speaks to what Christianity is all about. That's not to say that the actions of his family aren't frustrating to read about, it's just that going fly-fishing is something that washes away any bad blood.

While it's a quick read, A River Runs Through It doesn't need much to convey the author's genuine attitude toward life. Because it's not about the details of actually fly-fishing that reveal how knowledgeable Maclean is at the sport. There weren't any facades that tried to paint the main character as a saint. All the characters had flaws, just some were more obvious than others. An accurate examination of an individual's life says more about what they've accepted than what they wish they'd wanted to be. And perhaps being in the "natural environment" where they're the most comfortable is the whole point of this book.

A heartfelt love letter to family and fly-fishing, I give A River Runs Through It 4.0 stars out of 5.

Reviewer's Name
Benjamin W.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Author
Rowling, J.K.
Rating
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review

I suggest the book to people, who want to enjoy an intriguing, fast paced novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone is the perfect book for those people.
This novel is the first of the seven famous Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling. This book is about 11 year old Harry Potter, who receives a letter from Hogwarts, which is a school of witchcraft and wizardry.
This book is full of imagination like at one point, Harry Potter is asked to catch the golden ball, while he is flying on the broomstick. Then he stands up on the broomstick and tries to catch the golden ball unexpectedly he falls off from the broomstick and throws up the golden ball to winning the game for his team.
This book keeps you involved throughout the book.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a good book to spark joy and imagination for anyone, regardless of age.

Reviewer's Name
Teja S.

Things Fall Apart

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Things Fall Apart
Author
Achebe, Chinua
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

The novel was set down in 1958 by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, who was the inventor of modern African literature. It is one of the most widely read novels in the world and also has a prestigious role in African literature.
It tells the story of a great wrestler, Okonkow, who is the best warrior among the people, and he hasn't inherited that honor, fame, and reputation from his father or ancestors, as it happens in most of the cases. He becomes a well-respected man, and the tales of his bravery and fighting spread like a bushfire in the other villages .

Things Fall Apart is a true picture of Nigerian culture, language, living style, their religion, different sorts of gods (God of Earth, Goddess of Fire, etc.), and customs, and the people are very much attached to their traditions and religion. Especially, the proverbs are also a big part of their culture. You could sense their importance from this proverb:

"Proverbs are the palm oil with which the words are eaten "

Okonkow is ostracized form the village for seven years for killing one of the clansmen. In his absence, an Englishman comes into his village, asks permission from the tribesmen to live there, and gets it. That's the point where the Nigerian culture's destruction starts. White men come one by one and build colonies to recite there.

So, their traditions, religion, and gods are all crucified ghastly by white missionaries who call Africans uncivilised, savage, and dark people and say we are the ones who came to give them light and are gonna make them civilised, but eventually they put them into the heart of darkness and are responsible for their destruction.

All the nations are known by their own traditions, culture, religion, and language . How could you make an organised nation by destroying its culture? White men came to show Africans a way to come out of their darkness, but the real darkness was inside them. It is a worthwhile novel and should be read.

Reviewer's Name
Muhammed N.

Nimona

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Nimona
Author
Stevenson, Noelle
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

It's a rare treat to find a graphic novel with well-rounded characters, an interesting story, and an art style that has range. Even if it started as a webcomic, Nimona shows a surprising amount of depth for the medium. Sure, some of the early parts were clearly encapsulated in a serial format, but they were a quick way to introduce the characters and setting. When the story has some room to grow, it gets even better. It's definitely a page-turner, and I devoured it as fast as I could.

The heart of Nimona is its characters. Flipping the hero's journey on its head and focusing on the villain's perspective was a fun touch. Nimona's chaotic nature was a fun contrast to Lord Ballister Blackheart, who just wanted to do his villainous revenge alone. Perhaps the biggest surprise was how naturally the book handles LGBTQ+ themes. None of it felt forced or odd, even in a science fantasy setting. It was just there, with no winking nods or awkward attention brought to it. Then again, it was also a fantastic adaptation of the "enemies to lovers" trope—or would it be "lovers to enemies"?

As someone who likes to write science fantasy stories, I absolutely loved the science fantasy setting. It has all the trappings of a medieval time, just with video chats, laser guns, and dragons co-existing in a way that makes perfect sense. This is the kind of thing I can completely get behind. If anything, I hope this book inspires more writers to jump into this genre, as I desperately want to read more books like this. It's like the best parts of sci-fi and fantasy brought together in an awesome (but also deeply moving) story.

A science fantasy graphic novel with excellent characters, story, and art, I give Nimona 5.0 stars out of 5.

Reviewer's Name
Benjamin W.

Solutions and Other Problems

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Solutions And Other Problems
Author
Brosh, Allie
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

My first introduction to Allie Brosh's work—as I'm sure is the case for many—was the "all the things" meme. For those looking for more depth from these drawings, look no further than the humorous illustrated memoir, Solutions and Other Problems. I have never quite read a book like this. When I picked it up off the shelf, I was expecting a graphic novel, only to be surprised with big chunks of text between illustrations. Clearly, the best of both worlds here. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll be glad you read this book.

While it might be easy to discount the simple drawing style at first glance, many illustrations in this book prove to be quite exquisite. The stories themselves, which are not all silly or humorous, aid this distinction. Solutions and Other Problems subverted my expectations by being both hilarious and deeply profound. I've never read a book that had both a story about an obsessed kid stealing things from a neighbor's house and an examination of loss and depression. And yet, they both work in this context.

As these essays are deeply personal, I can say I don't particularly agree with some of the choices presented here. And that's fine. Everyone is different, and these are definitely the stories the author wanted to convey. I just don't want to endorse this book without providing the caveat that I probably wouldn't do things the way the author did them. Still, if you're going through some tough times, then perhaps this book will help break through to you with its humor while also comforting you with the idea that your feelings are valid and shared by other people.

The best half-graphic novel/half-memoir I've ever read, I give Solutions and Other Problems 4.0 stars out of 5.

Reviewer's Name
Benjamin W.

Book Review: Better than the Movies

Author
Painter, Lynn
Rating
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review

Better than the Movies is a young adult rom-com about Liz Buxbaum. The story centers around Liz’s senior year and her crush that just moved into town. It’s also centered around her neighbor, who tries to help Liz get her crush to ask her to prom. I think the author did a good job at talking about Liz and her emotions. Most of the story is Liz being a rom com lover like her mom who passed away. She tries to make her life like the romcoms she and her mother enjoyed together. The romance in this book was cute, but I also enjoyed how Lynn Painter kept it solely around Liz and her emotions about her mom and senior year. The coming of age part was very realistic while also playing out kind of like a rom com that Liz loves so much. So I thought that was a clever twist.

Reviewer's Name
Cara

Book Review: Love on the Brain

Author
Hazelwood, Ali
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

Love on the Brain is stacked full of misunderstandings. When Bee Königswasser gets her dream job at NASA, she is ecstatic, except when she realizes her archnemesis, Levi, is her co-worker. So, who does she blame when her equipment stops working? Or when the staff ignores her? Levi. Through all of Bee’s misadventures, the reader is pulled along seamlessly and introduced into the narrative with an enviable writing style.

So here’s an equation: Romance plus STEM equals?

Reviewer's Name
Lucia