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mjtal's review
dark
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Murder
atayebi's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Black and white drawings but very clear line work and emotions on the character’s faces.
It was a bit confusing at first but engaging enough to pick up the storylines. Didn’t baby the reader and I liked that but only realized after I finished the book this is part of a much larger series/collection (hence the no background).
Felt real and lived in with great characters. Went in with no expectations and left with an appreciation of this book and author.
It was a bit confusing at first but engaging enough to pick up the storylines. Didn’t baby the reader and I liked that but only realized after I finished the book this is part of a much larger series/collection (hence the no background).
Felt real and lived in with great characters. Went in with no expectations and left with an appreciation of this book and author.
luciereads's review
4.0
3.5 stars
I had a bit of a hard time understanding what was going on in this book because of all the flashbacks that seemed kind of disconnected and everything. But overall I did enjoy the story and the art style.
I had a bit of a hard time understanding what was going on in this book because of all the flashbacks that seemed kind of disconnected and everything. But overall I did enjoy the story and the art style.
rincey's review
4.0
Read this without realizing it was part of a larger comic series, but there's some beautiful stuff happening here.
Watch me talk about this more here: https://youtu.be/liqBH5CvJm0
Watch me talk about this more here: https://youtu.be/liqBH5CvJm0
blkmymorris's review
4.0
love it. I should have gave it 5, but I haven't read all of the other books - just some. The art is beautiful, simple, and expressive. The story is so touching, but its depth comes from knowing these characters so well.
stopsatgreen's review
5.0
The bad news is, to get the most out of this book, you’re going to have to read thirty years worth of Jaime Hernandez’ Locas stories. The good news is, those five collected volumes form one of the greatest bodies of work in comics history.
We’ve seen Maggie grow from a young punk to a slightly isolated middle-aged landlady. We know her well, because Jaime Hernandez has taken such great care and attention in writing her. We’ve followed her life, loves and losses. And because of that, the final section of the book becomes one of the greatest moments of drama in the history of the series.
Jaime Hernandez is simply one of the great artists working in any medium, and this allows him to create heartbreaking works of staggering genius using only simple black and white lines.
Bravo.
We’ve seen Maggie grow from a young punk to a slightly isolated middle-aged landlady. We know her well, because Jaime Hernandez has taken such great care and attention in writing her. We’ve followed her life, loves and losses. And because of that, the final section of the book becomes one of the greatest moments of drama in the history of the series.
Jaime Hernandez is simply one of the great artists working in any medium, and this allows him to create heartbreaking works of staggering genius using only simple black and white lines.
Bravo.
angelc89f1's review
5.0
Jaime Hernandez is one of those artists who makes his stories seem effortless, as if all he had to do is draw a grid of panels and fill them in with moments from the lives of characters we've grown to know as real people. And we feel so lucky we got to know these people...
It also amazes me how he manages to combine the lighthearted with the utterly heartbreaking. The prettiness of his drawing and the affection he shows for his characters makes bearable what in other hands would be impossibly sordid.
This is a tough one. But it also contains one of the most moving endings in his whole career.
It also amazes me how he manages to combine the lighthearted with the utterly heartbreaking. The prettiness of his drawing and the affection he shows for his characters makes bearable what in other hands would be impossibly sordid.
This is a tough one. But it also contains one of the most moving endings in his whole career.
jameseckman's review
3.0
A tragic love story told over a period of 40 years or so, Hernández's realistic black and white art does a fine job of illustrating the ups and downs of life and he nails the look of Southern California from when I was a kid.
It's a bit of a soap opera, if there wasn't so much unhappiness, I'd give it another star.
It's a bit of a soap opera, if there wasn't so much unhappiness, I'd give it another star.
sarathebibliophagist's review
1.0
With a Goodreads average of 4.25 stars, this is clearly a very well-loved book, but it wasn’t for me. I nearly DNFed it around page 25 (that’s when the rape starts happening) but I wanted to push through to the end to see how everything was resolved. Turns out it wasn’t and I’m mad that I wasted my time.
Full review on my blog.
Full review on my blog.