Jul MarohRezensionen

This is a story that could have been really cool, but unfortunately is dragged down by a lot of different aspects. The writing is weak and incredibly stilted. The water theme is overplayed and nearly every page features some sort of water/ocean quip that feels forced. Dialogue just lacks any charisma or creativity; if feels like I’m reading a hasty draft for a fanfic. I know artwork is fairly subjective, but I thought the art style was weirdly cartoony. Body shapes looked distorted, and facial expressions were often just WEIRD.
Finally, the plot is just lackluster. It’s basic. It offers nothing fresh or exciting, which is annoying because it COULD have been such a fun story! I guess it was kinda funny at points, but that was just me laughing at the bad writing. Oh, and the Big Bad character? The one they make a huge deal about coming? Yeah, this character NEVER shows up.

This GN appeals to readers who enjoy immersing themselves in stories of deep personal relationships, young love, and the struggles of coming out to family and friends. It has a melancholy, bittersweet tone. Some illustrations depict the physical relationship between the characters, but the beauty of the book – its poetic narrative and dreamlike illustrations – are undoubtedly at the forefront of it all.

CW: a whole lotta homophobia from the antagonist in here, so be warned

Oh hey Aqualad!! (I mean technically...)

Anyhow - what an unexpectedly sweet story about love and friendship and coming out. I loved the colors here (though at times some of the panels confused me as they would switch angles suddenly) and enjoyed how clueless Jake is (seriously he's narrating how great it is to have a friend like Maria who is putting moves on him constantly and every panel is her frustration at his complete obliviousness).

Honestly though we could have done without the bullies - Jake had more than enough to deal with between Maria, his college application, Kenny, his mom and his burgeoning powers. Dude didn't need homophonic bullies too.

3.5 Stars

Just didn't make that much of an impression on me. I like the art, I found the story pretty well constructed (although a sudden leap in time felt ill-judged, but wasn't horrible). But nothing about the book really grabbed me. I think my problem with it was that it felt a little bit rote, a bit 'by the numbers'. Anyway, it's roughly about a teenager discovering she's a lesbian, and how that affects her life, and that of her girlfriend, family, etc.

Gli elementi che ho apprezzato di più in questa graphic novel sono l’uso dei colori e la rappresentazione della presa di consapevolezza di essere lesbica. Nel primo caso, ho trovato interessante accostare il colore blu, solitamente freddo, alla passione, per via del colore dei capelli della ragazza della quale Clémentine si innamora. Di conseguenza, le tavole dove c’è attrito tra di loro vertono sul giallo, mentre la somma del loro amore e del dolore ci presenta ambientazioni color verde. Una scelta interessante.

Per quanto riguarda l’accettazione di sé, ho trovato molto ben ricostruiti i dilemmi e le paure di Clémentine – ma anche quelle di Emma – riguardo ai suoi sentimenti e alle implicazioni del prendere certe decisioni.

Tutto il resto, invece, non mi è piaciuto minimamente. Il grande difetto di Il blu è un colore caldo è un’enorme superficialità, condita con una tale quantità di melodramma da risultare quasi insopportabile. Ci sono un sacco di tematiche – violenza all’interno di una coppia LGBTQIA+, omofobia, bullismo, tradimento – piazzate lì senza che gli venga dato il rilievo e l’approfondimento che meriterebbero. È quasi stordente veder introdurre certi temi, per poi vederli perdersi in un nulla di fatto...

Ci sono anche alcune tavole prive di parole, dove probabilmente l’intento dell’autrice era quello di lasciar parlare le immagini: in realtà, l’intera narrazione è così squilibrata e poco attenta a dare il giusto approfondimento a ogni accadimento che la stessa storia d’amore tra Clémentine ed Emma risulta avere un peso esagerato nelle vite delle due ragazze, visto che noi non vediamo che la passione iniziale, senza lo sviluppo e la maturazione che darebbero senso al finale.

Tutto questo condito con dei toni melodrammatici che sfiorano il ridicolo, come quando il primo fidanzato di Clémentine, in ginocchio, le si aggrappa addosso, implorandola di non lasciarlo. Quest’idea, che pervade un po’ tutta la graphic novel, dell’impossibilità di vivere senza quella specifica persona al proprio fianco come sinonimo di aver trovato il “vero amore” l’ho trovata piuttosto inquietante: non vedo niente di positivo nel non riuscire a superare il fallimento di una relazione...

I loved this book so much! I can’t wait to watch the film!

Clem is so relatable for me, I felt what she was feeling, was willing her on in my head and wished I could have been there to just give her a hug at times.

The love story is so imperfect it’s perfect and it’s just...I don’t even have the words. I loved this.

I popped into Vancouver library when I was there, only for one full day after I came back from Banff. I couldn't borrow anything, so I found the graphic novels section and perused until something caught my eye. It took me about 40 minutes to read this touching and heart-wrenching story. I guess I have to watch the movie now.

Al mondo vi è un’unica via che nessuno
oltre a te può fare: dove porta? Non domandare, seguila.

F. Nietzsche, Schopenhauer come educatore, Considerazioni inattuali

Such a sweet, beautiful story on a kore muted superhero scale.

Completely emotionally destructive. I really want to read it in the original French at some point.

Okay I loved this book. I loved everything about it. The characters were wonderful. I loved the plot of the story. The story moved nicely and wasn't to fast or to slow. I hope there will be more stories with these characters.

Of course, SO much better than the movie!

My rating of this book probably suffered because of the fact that I watched the film first. There are some striking differences, as Maroh herself has pointed out, between the book and the movie. I found the movie visually stunning, emotionally powerful, and artistically revolutionary. The comic book, on the other hand, although I have little to no familiarity with graphic novels, seemed like a typical, almost trite, coming-of-age lesbian story. A lot of what the film has suffered unfair criticism for can be found in the book. With three stars I feel like I'm giving it credit for the ground-breaking story line, but I think the filmmakers all collaborated to create something new and valuable that the book itself didn't provide.

I don’t know how long I sat on the floor of Barnes and Noble reading this but I’m glad I did. First piece of reading for 2018 and so far it was amazing. Another story about raw love that makes you want to cry. I related to Clem so much, this hit me in the feels.

I really loved the way Clem's struggles and self-discovery were portrayed. It felt real, and I ached for her highs and lows. I adored her friendship with Valentin. The romance aspects were often breathtaking, a lovely combination of teenage angst and first-time awe. The story really took a turn after the climax with a huge time and tone jump, and even with the framing from the beginning I really didn't like it, or the trope the story fell into. However, overall I enjoyed the well-fleshed characters and the interwoven details of French social/political issues. Also the way the color blue was deliberately put into each panel/page added so much depth to the experience of the graphic novel.

I cannot honestly say this was a favorite or remotely interesting read for me. While I support the LGBTQ+ community and have praised several other works that represent members of the community, I find the chaotic and emotional ride found in this graphic novel overwhelming. It may just be because I do not like romance so heavily focused on when reading books. Nevertheless, I found the choice of colors to be interesting. Cool colors and grays are obvious as every person is typically drawn with this palette, but whenever the color blue is used the illustrator makes it known. From hair to clothing, blue is as significant and symbolic as much as Clementine believes, given that she cannot shake off her feelings towards Emma. The scene that did leave an impression was the intimate sharing of affection and love Emma had for Clementine, all the while Clementine tears from the words. This book certainly displays the confusion and nervousness of trying to find identity, relating to any readers who find themselves on the same boat and who wish to find companionship in a story that reflects the hardships of coming-out and the success of finding acceptance.

You Brought Me The Ocean is an amazing story set in the DC universe. Jake is a Black teen who struggles with his identity, dreaming of being a marine biologist in the New Mexico dessert. He wants to go to a college on the coast, but his mother and best friend are holding him in the stifling dessert. On top of this, he struggles with feelings for Kenny, the popular swimmer at school. The comic is the story of Jake learning about himself and being honest with what he feels and what he wants; the identity of his father, his magical powers, his feelings for another boy, all in a beautifully heartbreaking package. And don't worry, it has a happy ending.

Even though it wouldn't make a great read aloud as a comic book, this would be a great addition to a classroom bookshelf. Sexuality, deciding about the future, problems with friends, not knowing who you are; these are all issues middle level students can experience, and the incorporation of the superhero aspect could interest students who don't particularly care to read. With the aspect of water, marine biology, eco systems, and fish in the story, it has strong ties to the Science curriculum.

Body Music is the sort of project that's hard to place in one category. It's a series of vignettes, some connected, some not. Some of the stories are romantic, some are decidedly not. Some of the stories are queer, some are straight, some are monogamous, some are polyamorous. Some of the stories are really quite short, a couple meander around a bit.


What ties them together? Love.

The book opens with a story about two men who've been on a single, not-so-great, date. They're both obsessing about what they could have done differently, how they judged the other man too harshly, and should they call/text. In the end, they both delete the contact from their phones and go on about their solitary existence.

A story close to the end of the book is about a middle-aged lesbian couple in bed, listening to the cat meow about breakfast. Through their little bits of dialogue, we learn of their long life together, raising children, and this cat as a birthday present. It's sweet and then very funny. A very "we've been through it all" story.

There's a story about a throuple forming, and another about a man visiting two of his friends who are polyamorous and the two men disagreeing about monogamy. In the end, nothing is presented as the one true way, but rather Maroh treats her subjects gently and gives them space to shape their lives and their relationships as they see fit. There are trans characters, disabled characters, and a woman who chooses to give her gods her sight in exchange for the man she loves coming back to her. There are stories that end happily, stories that end unhappily, and stories that don't end at all.

One early story, which features a mother and her son, is about the mother watching two people in the park below passing each other by. She wonders if you can see a first kiss before it happens. Later in the book, that same mother and son go through the son's father's old cassettes and mourn a love gone by. They dance and remember and laugh. It's sweet and sad and very human.

Body Music is beautiful, not so much because it's a groundbreaking work of heartwrenching drama like Blue is the Warmest Color, but because love is beautiful and tragic and wonderful and this book is about all of the ways we experience or don't experience it.

More reviews at www.loveinpanels.com!

A beautiful, tragic classic.

Full review here: http://www.loveinpanels.com/blue-is-the-warmest-color

You Brought Me the Ocean is an origin story for Aqualad, this time as a gay Black teen living in the US Southwest. So many secrets. His mother's been keeping him away for water his entire life, but why? What are the "birthmarks" on his arms and why do they glow when exposed to water? Is he gay? Why does everyone think he's dating his best friend Maria? And is it time to talk to the only out gay guy at school? Or do more than talk?

Long-time readers of queer comics will be familiar with Julie Maroh's art. Soft lines and a pencils and watercolor feel. Subdued colors. Lots of longing looks. This was my first time reading anything by Alex Sanchez, however, and I was pleased.

Jake (Aqualad) falls for Kenny, a Chinese-American boy with green hair and a conservative dad who uses a wheelchair. Kenny feels trapped in town because if he leaves his father will be managing the local inn alone since his mother passed away years ago. He's the only out gay kid and that's also isolating, even if he has some friends. The romance between Jake and Kenny is complicated but felt true and deep.

Readers should know that You Brought Me the Ocean is heavy on homophobia, including some actual gay-bashing. Jake's long-time best friend is Mexican-American and she's been waiting for years for Jake to finally want to date her. She's initially angry when she finds Jake and Kenny kissing, but it's not homophobia so much as really hurt feelings based on an assumption she never should have made.

They're all seniors in high school, which adds another element of uncertainty to the story. I'm not sure about you, but my family decided that when I was 18, I got to know all the messy family business and this felt a bit like that. (Why is it that everyone wants to turn your life completely upside down when you're already in a period of massive transition?)

In all, this book is beautifully illustrated and a bit heart-breaking but ultimately a loving and hopeful origin story for a young man destined for great things.

***

Content Warnings: homophobia, bullying, assault

Suzanne received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Jake Hyde has an overprotective mother that smothers him. He has a best friend who is in love with him. Jake wants to leave his landlocked town to study oceanography in college. The ocean calls to him. It tuns out Jake is a genetically modified Black boy, and the son of the evil ecoterrorist Black Manta. As he comes to terms with his homosexuality and academic future, Jake must now contend with the fact he has the power to control water. This beautifully inked and written graphic novel captures the ups and downs of first love, bullying, growing apart, and declaring independence. It was lovely to see such a diverse cast of teens--a plump and Mexican girl, a Chinese American boy, and an African-American boy.

Clementine es una adolescente sin problemas. Llega del campo para integrarse en un instituto en el que se siente a gusto. Un día se cruza en la calle con una pareja de chicas. Una lleva el pelo teñido de azul, y le sonríe, mientras Clementine baja la vista. A partir de este preciso momento todo va a cambiar para ella: su relación con sus nuevos amigos, su sitio en la familia, sus prioridades… y sobre todo su sexualidad. Es difícil saber qué aspecto tiene el amor. A veces duele y siempre hay obstáculos en el camino. Pero un calor inabarcable se instala en el estomago, que te hace vibrar y te empuja a superarte. Estamos delante de una obra que describe con mucha delicadeza lo cotidiano de una joven mujer mediante la lectura de sus diarios. La ilustración de Julie Maroh permite identificarse con sus protagonistas sin apenas darnos cuenta. El trazo de la autora propone unas perspectivas, unas posturas tan inesperadas como la vida misma. Clementine y Emma intentan amarse a pesar de las dificultades que supone la visión de la homosexualidad por parte de la sociedad actual y los propios prejuicios de Clementine. Pero descubrimos una historia de amor que, a pesar de ser trágica, podría ser la de cualquiera, y sin diluir su intensidad en una profusión de reivindicaciones sociales. Aprender, crecer, amar. Eso es lo que nos enseña este emotivo y absorbente slice-of-life, adentrándonos en lo más personal y lo más intimo de dos jóvenes valientes.

I need more of this story!!!!!

You Brought Me The Ocean is a DC comic origin story for Jake Hyde, aka Aqualad. I'll be upfront, I did not know that when I picked up the book. While this is meant to serve as an origin story, you don't need to know anything about his comic book arc to understand and appreciate the story. The story is all about identity, and the search for your true self that is such a huge part of the teenage experience.
Jake has a few things that sets him apart. He is the child of a single mother with a father who drowned before he could remember. He has a strange birthmark on his arms that he does his best to hide from others. He dreams of escaping his New Mexico home to find solace near the ocean. But most importantly, Jake is gay, but afraid to tell anyone. All of these different aspects of Jake's identity are what make him who he is, and slowly throughout the story they all come together and help put the missing pieces of his life together to show him the man he is to be.
The illustrations by Julie Maroh are stunning. There are lots of little things she does, especially with color choice, that not only make the novel *look* gorgeous, but also adds a stunning new layer to the story.
While this is technically a superhero origin story, the superhero aspect is not always front-and-center. It is a very relatable story about a teen trying to figure out who he is and who are the people who will stick by him.