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bryanzk's review against another edition
4.0
very good memoir
definitely will listen to the songs mentioned~~
definitely will listen to the songs mentioned~~
crookedtreehouse's review against another edition
2.0
Like Pierre, I grew up in the age of the mix tape. I, also, made collections based on moods, important events in my life, my feelings toward the mix tape recipient, etc. Over the last decade, many comic book writers and artists have been including playlist suggestions based on the music that informed their work, the music they listened to while creating the work, or what they imagine the soundtrack would be. Even another book released this week, Royal City Volume 3 by Jeff Lemire, included a list of mix tapes in the back matter.
The mix tapes listed in this book are all Very Obvious Songs Of An Era, and it's an era when I was a teen, so I wanted to love it, but all the mixtapes listed were incredibly pedestrian and uninspired. If I received these tapes from a friend or someone with romantic interest, I would look at the list of songs and never bother putting the tape in. I *like* many of the songs, and they are evocative of the era but they're all things heard on the radio a billion times with no artistry to the rise and fall of a musical narrative.
I felt similarly reading this book. The bones of an interesting story are there, there are expected emotional beats that occur, a character has realizations about their relationships. But none of it felt different from any of a thousand stories about how music affects emotions.
This book is a boring mix tape made by someone who doesn't really know the person they're making the mix for, and so they have created the most generic collection of songs to describe their feelings. I understood precisely what Pierre was trying to accomplish but it completely failed to stir anything in me.
The mix tapes listed in this book are all Very Obvious Songs Of An Era, and it's an era when I was a teen, so I wanted to love it, but all the mixtapes listed were incredibly pedestrian and uninspired. If I received these tapes from a friend or someone with romantic interest, I would look at the list of songs and never bother putting the tape in. I *like* many of the songs, and they are evocative of the era but they're all things heard on the radio a billion times with no artistry to the rise and fall of a musical narrative.
I felt similarly reading this book. The bones of an interesting story are there, there are expected emotional beats that occur, a character has realizations about their relationships. But none of it felt different from any of a thousand stories about how music affects emotions.
This book is a boring mix tape made by someone who doesn't really know the person they're making the mix for, and so they have created the most generic collection of songs to describe their feelings. I understood precisely what Pierre was trying to accomplish but it completely failed to stir anything in me.
hwillustrator's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully drawn and, like all the best music writing, this book made me want to go home, put on my headphones and make some mixtapes for the people I love.
ermartinez's review against another edition
4.0
Eisner Award Nominee 2019
A deep, introspective look at how music shapes the people with become. Pierre's lighthearted dialogue and artistry balance perfectly with her explorations into romantic anxiety, PTSD, and therapy, and how music was the thread that helped guide her back to the light.
A deep, introspective look at how music shapes the people with become. Pierre's lighthearted dialogue and artistry balance perfectly with her explorations into romantic anxiety, PTSD, and therapy, and how music was the thread that helped guide her back to the light.
jenniekolakoski's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Great art style
kellyp's review
4.0
I've enjoyed the Summer Pierre's Paper Pencil Life series immensely so was excited to see this full-length work come out. Mixtapes and memoir is right down my alley. The artwork is fabulous! I love the way Pierre uses tracklists throughout, and how she represents anxiety. Getting a detailed look into the Boston/Cambridge singer-songwriter scene in the late 90s is also a treat.
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