Litsy

rwmg

Wrap-Up List | Steven Arntson

#storygraph #wrapup #February2025

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Eggs

Light We Lost | Jill Santopolo

“Sometimes I got this feeling that we‘d never be close enough. I wanted to climb inside your skin, inside your mind, so I could know all there was to know about you.”

#LoveLost ❤️💔❤️

#FeelinTheLove

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks On my way list! 3w

Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Have Kleenex nearby 😢 3w

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jdiehr

Eleanor & Park | Rainbow Rowell

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Loved this story of young love, angst, and the search for acceptance ❤️

The alternating narrators were great.

The story took an unexpected turn near the end when they found out who Eleanor's bully is.

Butterfinger Loved this book. 3w

Suet624 I enjoyed this too. 3w

38 likes2 comments

Lcsmcat

To Be Sung Underwater: A Novel | Tom McNeal

so-so

I can deal with unlikable characters, but in this book they got more unlikable as each chapter unfolded and I found nothing to redeem them. Every character is in a weird spot where they think they are superior while simultaneously feeling like everyone else feels superior to them. The final act of the “first love” was so selfish. I don‘t understand those who call the book romantic. Some decent writing, but not enough to save it for me.

38 likes

AileenRR

The Light We Lost | Jill Santopolo

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This one made me feel things, both good and bad. Ultimately bad. But I did really enjoy reliving the consuming intensity of first love

16 likes

MartinaLove

Blankets: An Illustrated Novel | Craig Thompson

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3/5 ⭐️
Beside the religious aspect of the book, I liked the book. It was touching and sad. A good book for teenagers or a bookclub.

10 likes

psalva

Blankets: An Illustrated Novel | Craig Thompson

so-so

Let me begin by saying I really appreciated this story being told. It‘s a perspective that I‘ve never seen in a graphic narrative, that of a boy growing into young adulthood and navigating his faith, all while dealing with abuse, bullying, and essentially a rather traumatic childhood. It‘s a vital story, however painful it is at times, one that I can see a lot of people connecting with, particularly those navigating their own conflict of faith. ⬇️

psalva In fact, I could see much of myself and my strict Catholic upbringing in the story. In addition, the epilogue, in which Thompson reflects back on his experience of romance, a main arc of the narrative, and his childhood, was stellar. I found his reflections and his changed perspective immensely valuable ⬇️ 5mo

psalva Nonetheless, I had some problems with this. There were a few panels which aged poorly, namely those relating to Raina‘s sister. Even ignoring these, I found the confessional nature of the narrative a bit uncomfortable, particularly because, due to the nature of the story being one-sided, we don‘t know what becomes of Raina‘s family. Now, this is reasonable I realize. An autobiographical narrative can‘t be omniscient of everyone‘s ending ⬇️ 5mo

psalva Still, it just made me too uncomfortable not knowing whether Raina was okay. There is just a lot of unresolved pain throughout. And it‘s fair to note the humanness of that, and also the value of seeing these stories. It was just not a story that I enjoyed experiencing. ⬇️ 5mo

psalva In the end, I‘m glad I read it. I can appreciate it, but I will most likely not be revisiting it. 13/100 for this list: https://www.npr.org/2017/07/12/533862948/lets-get-graphic-100-favorite-comics-an... 5mo

20 likes4 comments

TheLudicReader

Seventeenth Summer | Maureen Daly

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It's a toss up which book, this one or The Outsiders, is the first work of YA. This one was written when Daly was still in college and published in 1942. Although I found it slow moving, I also found it full of wistful nostalgia. Anyone who has ever fallen in love as a teen will likely recognize themselves in Angie. The themes are universal.

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