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sarahsbooklife's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder
amberlfaris's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, and Alcohol
graceless_grace's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder
biancafrancisco's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Pretty accurate to the original book!
Levi and Nick seem to have been beautified so their descriptions very slightly don't match up to the drawing and also things progress a bit faster because of the cut out/reduced parts.
Actually this was what disappointed me a bit and made it not 5 stars when I love this story. I don't read a lot of manga so it might just be the style and how it's supposed to go, but I feel like you lose a lot of the background that helps you understand the characters better because we get so little of Cath's internal dialogue. The Simon and Baz scenes for example seem extra alive in this style which was fun because tbh whenever I reread the book I tend to skip them or skim really fast...they get lost easily; but Cath feels worse because we really need to understand her inner turmoil to get her reactions.
Also, is it just me or they draw Reagen's face reactions really weird? I know Cath saw her as mean and intimidating in the beggining but you can't always tell by the tone that she's being straightforward/joking instead of just straight up being a mean girl.
Again, it might be because I'm looking at it as an adaptation and not in its owm rights as just a manga.
I did really like the artwork though, the amount of details that are significant to the story was amazing done.
Levi and Nick seem to have been beautified so their descriptions very slightly don't match up to the drawing and also things progress a bit faster because of the cut out/reduced parts.
Actually this was what disappointed me a bit and made it not 5 stars when I love this story. I don't read a lot of manga so it might just be the style and how it's supposed to go, but I feel like you lose a lot of the background that helps you understand the characters better because we get so little of Cath's internal dialogue. The Simon and Baz scenes for example seem extra alive in this style which was fun because tbh whenever I reread the book I tend to skip them or skim really fast...they get lost easily; but Cath feels worse because we really need to understand her inner turmoil to get her reactions.
Also, is it just me or they draw Reagen's face reactions really weird? I know Cath saw her as mean and intimidating in the beggining but you can't always tell by the tone that she's being straightforward/joking instead of just straight up being a mean girl.
Again, it might be because I'm looking at it as an adaptation and not in its owm rights as just a manga.
I did really like the artwork though, the amount of details that are significant to the story was amazing done.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Eating disorder
fandomsandfiction's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
I wanted to read this and see if it'll have the same effect on me as the novel had many years ago (back when it was still one of my favourite books and I hadn't known about the controversy around the author yet). I still found it relatable, but for different reasons as I did when I was younger. My own shy freshman experience this year is what helped me connect with Cath in this story. The story may be lacking in some parts, but the artwork is gorgeous. Overall a decent read.
[I seriously worry about the nutrition of these characters though...]
[I seriously worry about the nutrition of these characters though...]
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness and Eating disorder
booknerd626's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Eating disorder
words_and_coffee's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Eating disorder and Mental illness
midgeyu's review
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
I read the novel a few years ago, so I knew what to expect going in. It's a decent adaptation, although it relies a little too heavily on narration in my opinion -- many things could've been conveyed with greater impact through more expressive art rather than a narration box. (Speaking of the art, the character designs are cute and easy to tell apart, but backgrounds are very sparse. It often feels like the characters are talking to each other across an empty space.)
How much you enjoy the story will likely depend on how much you empathize or sympathize with the main character Cath. Being super involved in fandom myself (and a fic writer), I could easily understand a lot of her feelings and motivations. However, there's a pivotal error she makes in later part of this volume that is just completely unbelievable to me, which made me lose faith as a reader. This was an issue I had with the novel as well, so it's not new to the manga adaptation.
If you're intrigued by the premise, go ahead and check it out because it definitely fulfills the premise. If you're a fan of the novel, you'll probably like this too. (I'm not sure whether there is any new content in this volume. I heard there was, but nothing stuck out to me as new. To be fair, it's been a long time since I read the novel, so maybe I missed something.)
How much you enjoy the story will likely depend on how much you empathize or sympathize with the main character Cath. Being super involved in fandom myself (and a fic writer), I could easily understand a lot of her feelings and motivations. However, there's a pivotal error she makes in later part of this volume that is just completely unbelievable to me, which made me lose faith as a reader. This was an issue I had with the novel as well, so it's not new to the manga adaptation.
If you're intrigued by the premise, go ahead and check it out because it definitely fulfills the premise. If you're a fan of the novel, you'll probably like this too. (I'm not sure whether there is any new content in this volume. I heard there was, but nothing stuck out to me as new. To be fair, it's been a long time since I read the novel, so maybe I missed something.)
Content Warnings
Minor: Eating disorder
Cath experiences some disordered eating at the beginning of the college semester; she's too anxious to use the dining hall alone, so she subsists off of energy bars in her dorm room. Some characters make concerned comments about this in the form of jokes. The issue is resolved midway in the book and not brought up again.
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