I really enjoyed Val's story. From her joyous childhood memories to numbing disenchantment, her journey of growing up is a mix of youthful whimsy, family stress and strength, images of a boisterous multi-cultural asian community, and illustrations of internal anxieties that border on spiritual horror. Given the title of Love Story, I thought it'd be heavy on romance, but there's an equal emphasis on the love expressed with family, community, friends, and self. Very impressed with how all of the storylines came together, and how the art supports and enhances the emotional narrative.
Tangential Note: I would like to take this moment to gripe about the logo for First Second publishing. It’s mildly misleading for a graphic novel imprint to have a big “01” on the spine of standalone books. I’m sorry, numbers on spines just scream series. Anyway.
**Thanks to BookishFirst for the ARC**
Tangential Note: I would like to take this moment to gripe about the logo for First Second publishing. It’s mildly misleading for a graphic novel imprint to have a big “01” on the spine of standalone books. I’m sorry, numbers on spines just scream series. Anyway.
**Thanks to BookishFirst for the ARC**