Scan barcode
rollforlibrarian's review
4.0
I couldn't decide whether to give this three stars or four...
Good light comic reading, enjoyable and at times funny and touching (sometimes simultaneously)
I didn't understand some points but this was no fault of the book - just because the Australian post-High-School experience is very, very different.
Good light comic reading, enjoyable and at times funny and touching (sometimes simultaneously)
I didn't understand some points but this was no fault of the book - just because the Australian post-High-School experience is very, very different.
viera's review
5.0
This is a fun diary comic, more thoughtful in its layout and execution than most.
saidtheraina's review
3.0
Another young comics creator steps onto the scene!
Nourigat publishes here her daily comic for her senior year of college at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
I feel this tension with daily comics - just because of their basic structure, they often have problems finding a narrative line. Authors often feel its necessary to keep some things private, which leads to vagueness or flat omission after the slow build of a plotline - which can be freaking annoying. Mostly in the area of romantic interests, but not always.
This story definitely has these problems, but two things tip it into the good for me...
1. The Special Features. Nourigat goes into a fair amount of detail at the end about how and why she decided to do this project, her methodology... there's a lot more thought that goes into the method than I would have guessed. It's fascinating and hopefully instructive for other (young) comics creators. Good on her for revealing her trade secrets. ;)
She also includes hand-drawn maps of Eugene and Portland, so it's almost like she knows me and my pet peeves and desires.
2. The drawing! This girl can draw. She uses a nice variety of tools and techniques, does some nice things with shading, and varies her panels like a pro.
I'm looking forward to seeing an original story from Nourigat - the other stuff she's come out with has all been written by other people (at least that my library system has purchased). Maybe something YA?
Nourigat publishes here her daily comic for her senior year of college at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
I feel this tension with daily comics - just because of their basic structure, they often have problems finding a narrative line. Authors often feel its necessary to keep some things private, which leads to vagueness or flat omission after the slow build of a plotline - which can be freaking annoying. Mostly in the area of romantic interests, but not always.
This story definitely has these problems, but two things tip it into the good for me...
1. The Special Features. Nourigat goes into a fair amount of detail at the end about how and why she decided to do this project, her methodology... there's a lot more thought that goes into the method than I would have guessed. It's fascinating and hopefully instructive for other (young) comics creators. Good on her for revealing her trade secrets. ;)
She also includes hand-drawn maps of Eugene and Portland, so it's almost like she knows me and my pet peeves and desires.
2. The drawing! This girl can draw. She uses a nice variety of tools and techniques, does some nice things with shading, and varies her panels like a pro.
I'm looking forward to seeing an original story from Nourigat - the other stuff she's come out with has all been written by other people (at least that my library system has purchased). Maybe something YA?
hm_reads's review
3.0
Fun illustrations. I'm usually not a huge fan of journal-type writing but this one was interesting. Still not convinced it's a format I like, though. Will check out more of Nourigat's work as I really enjoy their style.
al_theo's review
4.0
A fun story to read! I loved the bonus material at the end. As someone who is interested in getting into creating comics (as opposed to just reading them) I often feel intimidated. I appreciate the openness about process and tools.
There were some panels that I felt were too vague to share with the reader, but overall I really enjoyed this book.
There were some panels that I felt were too vague to share with the reader, but overall I really enjoyed this book.
lucyblack's review
2.0
I'll start by saying that the drawing is really cool. Natalie Nourigat is one talented lady. The composition and view and settings are all really well done. I like the sophisticated self portraits and the cute manga ish cartoony pics. The art is why I am giving this 2 stars and why I kept reading. At times I really wanted to put this book down (forcefully). I guess I didn't actively dislike the persona the author choose to present but I didn't like her either. The woman in this graphic novel (and Isay that cos I don't want to assume that that's all there is to Natalie Nourigat) is immature, shallow and views things from a very smug perch of privalige. Her main worries in life seem to be expired cereal, her hair, spiders and choosing between a few very cushy, safe and supported life paths. She comes across as egotistical but at the same time she is annoyingly dependent on her parents opinions . She's 22 but most of the problems in her life seem very high schooly. I feel mean now. I'm sure she's nice and stuff... just I didn't need to read her whinge about her really good life..
Also, I still think of graphic novels as part of an alternative culture. I think in New Zealand they are. Seems that in the states it's different. I kept being shocked at Nourigat's Starbucks (was she like, sponsered by them?), name brand this, mainstream that references and other pointers that she was very much popular, upper class and sorted.
Also, I still think of graphic novels as part of an alternative culture. I think in New Zealand they are. Seems that in the states it's different. I kept being shocked at Nourigat's Starbucks (was she like, sponsered by them?), name brand this, mainstream that references and other pointers that she was very much popular, upper class and sorted.
blooker's review
5.0
I don't think there's any way for me to describe Natalie Nourigat's Between Gears in a way that conveys how much I enjoyed it.
Nourigat took on the ambitious project of creating a page-a-day graphic novel diary of her senior year at the University of Oregon. The ambitiousness of the project comes through the story of this year, as you learn that she has a thesis to write in addition to jobs to apply for, commissions to finish, and cons to attend--which involves lots of preparation in creating and printing artwork, minicomics, and so on. And then there's life--a necessary tonsillectomy, family visits, relationships with friends and her sorority to maintain, dating, college classes, ridiculous neighbors you only find in campustown, some dating, alley cats, partying, TV shows, movies, music, and her intense appreciation for fashion and shopping. Some entries are fun--drunk Natalie or Natalie being harassed by her responsible side are particularly amusing. Other entries are deep and emotional--one that comes to mind presents three gray, still images and the simple line, "Why do I feel this way?"
I was not an art student in college. I was not a woman in college, not part of any Greek organization, and not particularly social and into parties. But I found this story highly-relatable and authentically reminiscent of my senior year in college--on a basic level, being a college student can be a universal experience. Compound this feeling of connection by the little window Nourigat gives you into her personal life, and I challenge you not to fall in love with her a little bit.
And this says nothing about her artwork. Her style is fun and flexible, veering from realism to chibi depending on the tone she wants to create and this harmonizes brilliantly with whatever context she depicts. At times, her work brings to mind Craig Thompson, Kazu Kibuishi, and occasionally Adrian Tomine. At other times, I feel like I'm reading a well-drawn manga. But the style is uniquely hers, and recognizably so.
While I honestly feel that anyone could pick this up and enjoy it, I think readers between 14 and 35 would get the most out of it. This diary was composed in 2010, and Nourigat makes pop culture references that may be out of reach to older readers--heck, I wouldn't be able to identify the Pokemon theme song if my younger brother hadn't watched it growing up. To younger readers, those not yet Freshman in high school, college may seem to be a distant daydream, and they may be uninterested in classes, papers and the like. High schoolers and college students will appreciate this glimpse into Senior year, and those who've graduate in the last decade-and-a-half will enjoy reliving the experience in someone else's shoes.
Nourigat took on the ambitious project of creating a page-a-day graphic novel diary of her senior year at the University of Oregon. The ambitiousness of the project comes through the story of this year, as you learn that she has a thesis to write in addition to jobs to apply for, commissions to finish, and cons to attend--which involves lots of preparation in creating and printing artwork, minicomics, and so on. And then there's life--a necessary tonsillectomy, family visits, relationships with friends and her sorority to maintain, dating, college classes, ridiculous neighbors you only find in campustown, some dating, alley cats, partying, TV shows, movies, music, and her intense appreciation for fashion and shopping. Some entries are fun--drunk Natalie or Natalie being harassed by her responsible side are particularly amusing. Other entries are deep and emotional--one that comes to mind presents three gray, still images and the simple line, "Why do I feel this way?"
I was not an art student in college. I was not a woman in college, not part of any Greek organization, and not particularly social and into parties. But I found this story highly-relatable and authentically reminiscent of my senior year in college--on a basic level, being a college student can be a universal experience. Compound this feeling of connection by the little window Nourigat gives you into her personal life, and I challenge you not to fall in love with her a little bit.
And this says nothing about her artwork. Her style is fun and flexible, veering from realism to chibi depending on the tone she wants to create and this harmonizes brilliantly with whatever context she depicts. At times, her work brings to mind Craig Thompson, Kazu Kibuishi, and occasionally Adrian Tomine. At other times, I feel like I'm reading a well-drawn manga. But the style is uniquely hers, and recognizably so.
While I honestly feel that anyone could pick this up and enjoy it, I think readers between 14 and 35 would get the most out of it. This diary was composed in 2010, and Nourigat makes pop culture references that may be out of reach to older readers--heck, I wouldn't be able to identify the Pokemon theme song if my younger brother hadn't watched it growing up. To younger readers, those not yet Freshman in high school, college may seem to be a distant daydream, and they may be uninterested in classes, papers and the like. High schoolers and college students will appreciate this glimpse into Senior year, and those who've graduate in the last decade-and-a-half will enjoy reliving the experience in someone else's shoes.
crowyhead's review
3.0
I'm giving this three stars because I liked the art a lot, and it was fascinating to see Nourigat's style and talents improve and evolve as the year went on.
As a book, though, this is intensely dissatisfying. Nourigat needs to work on her storytelling. I realize that this is essentially a diary and a drawing exercise, so I'll cut her some slack, but this whole thing was just so, so superficial. I suspect she was trying to protect the privacy of her boyfriend, her friends, and her family, but the result is that there was nothing to draw my involvement or emotional interest. That single panel about how she's never had sex? What was that? I'm interested in that! I want more of that! That's just one example. There was just not enough here to make anyone feel *real*, other than the knowledge that she was real because this was her diary.
Bottom line: neat, but not enough for me.
As a book, though, this is intensely dissatisfying. Nourigat needs to work on her storytelling. I realize that this is essentially a diary and a drawing exercise, so I'll cut her some slack, but this whole thing was just so, so superficial. I suspect she was trying to protect the privacy of her boyfriend, her friends, and her family, but the result is that there was nothing to draw my involvement or emotional interest. That single panel about how she's never had sex? What was that? I'm interested in that! I want more of that! That's just one example. There was just not enough here to make anyone feel *real*, other than the knowledge that she was real because this was her diary.
Bottom line: neat, but not enough for me.