Review: Waiting for Winter

Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nice story. Appealing illustrations. Worthwhile.

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Review: The Prince and the Dressmaker

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another graphic novel. I am not sure why I keep checking these out, when I know they aren't my favorites. I guess it is because of friends' recommendations.

Well, I didn't hate this one. There is at least some personal development, even with minor characters, which is good. And the two main characters are interesting. I am not terribly fond of the art work, but that is just me.

I am going to have to look for something that would designate books as graphic novels on my library search engine.

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Review: Awkward

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have finally found a few graphic novels that I enjoy and this is one. The difference here is not only is there a strong story line, but there is also enough going on that you can see some real character development. Some of the characters are still caricatures (e.g., the art club sponsor), but since they are minor characters, it just adds a bit of humor and doesn't really detract. Enjoyable.

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Review: Princess Princess Ever After

Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O'Neill
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Once again, I fail the graphic novel test. I just don't care for them, to be honest. The problem is, I expect some character depth and nuance and it just isn't there for me. The characters all seem like caricatures, rather than people with depth. We have the strong, black, hard-working, tough-talking princess. We have the slightly overweight, blond, simpering princess, and we have the relatively clueless prince. Sure, it is nice to have a lesbian romance, but it is a bit too superficial for me. Sorry, I didn't love this book. I am glad it exists, but the story could be better. The illustrations are good, though. They are heavily influenced by manga, so, if that is your thing, you may enjoy this book more than I did.

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Review: The Benefits of Being an Octopus

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I got this as an e-book from my library, which means I have to read it on my computer, since I don't have an e-reader. I originally was just going to read a bit of the first part and save it for later. A couple of hours later, I had finish both it and dinner. This is pretty major for me, as I really don't usually finish books that I try to read at my computer (a desktop).

I think the thing that got me involved so much is that Zoey actually seemed real. I could feel her anger, sadness, desperation, resentment, and all of the other emotions that beset her as she went about her days. I could see a lot of my former students (I am retired.) in her and I was rooting for her teachers to be able to help her.

Recommended.

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Review: Book Uncle and Me

Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a nice story about a child taking steps to influence people's minds. I also like that it shows that sometimes there are unintentional consequences of something we do - the original letter, in this case.

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Review: Building Our House

Building Our House by Jonathan Bean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a sweet book about a family moving to the countryside and building their own house over the course of time.

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