Reviews Week 20

 Reviews Week 20

May 15th-21st

Book 72: Time Will Tell

By Courtney Peppernell

Read May 15th-16th

Pages Read: 224

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Time Will Tell is a cozy little poetry collection that touched me. I related to many of the poems and the emotions that Courtney is expressing in them. There were so many poems that I know that I will reread repeatedly. I’m definitely going to pick up a copy for my poetry collection and I cannot wait to read more of Courtney’s poems. 

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of the book.*

Book 73: You Are Your Own Fairytale

By Amanda Lovelace

Read May 16th-18th

Pages Read: 464

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You are Your Own Fairy Tale is definitely my favorite of Amanda’s poetry collections so far. I really enjoyed each of the books throughout this trilogy, especially Break Your Glass Slippers. This book had many beautiful illustrations to go along with Amanda’s powerful words. I have seen many of these poems before online but they hit even harder in context with the other pieces in this collection. 

I adored how Amanda used the fairy tales throughout each of the books and how they connected with her poems. This was clever and stood out so much. I will definitely be picking up a copy of this for my poetry collection. 

Book 74: Descender: Deluxe Edition Vol. 1

By Jeff Lemire

Read May 19th-20th

Pages Read: 400

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Review from May 19th-20th, 2023

I highly enjoyed my reread of this wonderful graphic novel and cannot wait to finally finish this story. It has such beautiful watercolor illustrations that stand out throughout the entire volume. Even the most grotesque scenes, look great here. I loved the storyline with TIM-21 and the rest of the characters, especially how information is slowly revealed throughout the volume. I forgot some of the details and they hit hard again. 

Review from December 13th, 2017

A young robot boy named TIM-21 is a companion robot of a boy named Andy. In a universe where androids have blown to pieces the way of life for many, the robots are outlawed and hunted by bounty hunters. The graphic novel follows Tim and his companions as they struggle to stay alive in a universe with so much war.

The first issue opens before the war when a group of planet-sized robots called the Harvesters come and destroy civilization's way of life. We skip ahead ten years and meet TIM-21, who has been asleep for the past ten years. He and "his family" lived in a mining development. He slowly discovers what has happened since he was "sleeping" and is trying to find his companion and mother. Bounty hunters come and attack him, and the adventure continues from there. 

The writing style of each issue in this deluxe edition is quite interesting. I liked how the writer relieved information throughout the story. As we get introduced to more characters, we slowly learn more and more about their identities and backstories. As the series continues, more reveals come out in the writing. The story never feels bogged down with this information, and it all feels essential to get to know the characters and where they are coming from.

Another aspect of the writing that sticks out throughout is the characters. We follow along with TIM-21 throughout the entire piece but also his companions. Each is developed and has characteristics that make them intriguing to continue to read about. The characters range from humans to many sorts of alien races and many types of robots. Each has their own motivations in the wars and struggles that have been happening since The Harvesters came and destroyed many of their lives. An integral part of the overarching story is the fact there are both good and evil characters on both sides of the battle. Not all androids have done horrible things, and not all humans and aliens can be trusted at face value. The idea of grey areas of thinking can be seen throughout the entire story. Neither side can be considered either good or evil.

The magnificent illustrations drew me to this graphic novel from the first page. The art style is beyond stunning, even with some more grotesque scenes. Each panel has a simplistic painted background that helps each character and other details come alive over it. The watercolor feel of each panel makes a stunning story stand out even more.

Many characters get different types of lettering depending on who they are. The aliens and the humans have one kind, and then many of the androids will get a more synthetic font. The only android that seems not to is Tim. Tim is one of the androids that is humanized more; we are meant to symphonize with his character.

Overall, this is an incredibly made series that I cannot wait to continue with. I enjoyed reading about everything that has happened in this universe since The Harvesters started wreaking havoc. Each character was complex and brought different sides to this story, making it a joy to continue reading. With a great mixture of story development and stunning graphics, this is a graphic novel that I cannot recommend enough. If you are a science fiction fan, you should pick it up. I believe that you will be impressed by it.

*I was given a copy of this graphic novel for free for an honest review.*

Book 75: Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, Volume 1: Imperial Machine

By Charles Soule

Read May 20th-21st

Pages Read: 154

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This graphic novel was a great read that I enjoyed. I have been wanting to read more Star Wars content like this and I will continue to look for even more. Can’t wait to continue on in the next volume and see what happens next. It’s interesting to see Darth Vader right after the events of Revenge of the Sith and this is exactly what I was wanting from a comic about him. I definitely recommend this one.