Scan barcode
A review by caseythecanadianlesbrarian
firebugs by Nino Bulling
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was a great slice-of-life graphic novel about a 30-year-old queer person from Berlin moving verrrrry sloooowly through some gender feels and navigating a longterm relationship. As per the title, there's a lot of metaphorical and literal fire in the book. Ingken, the protagonist, is going through a crisis, trying to figure out where they land in their own transness. Their girlfriend Lily, also trans, tells Ingken to burn themselves down and build a new self back up. Ingken isn't so sure about this metaphor, particularly as the story is set during the Australian bushfires of 2019/20 and they can't stop doomscrolling. Lily and Ingken also observe some firebugs on a summer night out in the country, wondering about insect reproduction and sexuality.
I don't read a lot of fiction by European authors or set in Europe, and Firebugs was an interesting window into a certain queer party scene in Berlin and also (briefly) Paris that's very dominated by drugs. There's no judgment on this or on anything else in the novel -- the tone is very much "this is what's happening, isn't it interesting" with no hints of morality or right or wrong, even when it might seem obvious someone is "behaving badly."
The art is bold black and white with pops of red. The spreads of queer dance parties are especially cool. There were also some very spot-on expressions on Lily and Ingken's faces when they were having relationship talks and disagreements. Almost too real!
I don't read a lot of fiction by European authors or set in Europe, and Firebugs was an interesting window into a certain queer party scene in Berlin and also (briefly) Paris that's very dominated by drugs. There's no judgment on this or on anything else in the novel -- the tone is very much "this is what's happening, isn't it interesting" with no hints of morality or right or wrong, even when it might seem obvious someone is "behaving badly."
The art is bold black and white with pops of red. The spreads of queer dance parties are especially cool. There were also some very spot-on expressions on Lily and Ingken's faces when they were having relationship talks and disagreements. Almost too real!