Book Review: The Fun Family

Book: The Fun Family written and illustrated by Benjamin Frisch

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

Beloved cartoonist Robert Fun has earned a devoted following for his circular daily comic strip, celebrating the wholesome American family by drawing inspiration from his real home life... but the Fun Family bears some dark secrets. As their idyllic world collapses and the kids are forced to pick up the pieces, will their family circle become a broken mirror, or a portal to a nightmare world? In his debut graphic novel, Benjamin Frisch presents a surreal deconstruction of childhood, adulthood, and good old American obsession.


Rating: 4 stars

Review:

The Fun Family is a twisted story of when the family dynamics start to crumble. After the father's mother unexpectedly died, the family seemed to go through a quick decline. The parents' problems multiplied leading towards divorce but that's where the some what normalcy ends. The mother Marsha left to stay in a nearby motel with Mikey and J.T., two out of the family's four children.

Meanwhile, the father Robert is in such a deep depression that he spends his days sitting on the couch in a tattered old bathrobe doing nothing. Not in the state to do much of anything, that left the other two children Robby and Molly to care for the home, their father and all their financial matters.

This story is pretty messed up with the oldest child Robby turning into the parent because with neither of his parents working he had to take on all these responsibilities. He unfortunately had to grow up really fast. Things seemed to go from bad to worst but some how it worked out the way it should at least for this story. I'm not particularly a fan of the ending but it truly goes with the story.

Out of all the characters, poor little Robby is my favorite because he had so much responsibility placed on him when he should have just been a kid. Despite being a warped and parodied version of the comic strip The Family Circus it is interesting to read.

The author took an out of the box approach to telling this story because at times it's totally crazy, most of the characters are truly a mess. However, this story does has heart albeit if not slightly demented but it's there. The artwork tends to be bright and colorful meanwhile the story is dark and a little twisted.

During Happier Times:

And Not So Happier Times: 

Book Review: Upside Down: A Hat Full of Spells

Book: Upside Down: A Hat Full of Spells (Upside Down book #2) by Jess Smart Smiley

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

Harold, the sugar-loving vampire boy, is back with all his spooky friends for an all-new adventure! In the wake of Book One, witches are no longer plaguing the country... but their hats remain, charged with magical mischief! Jess Smart Smiley returns for a delightful all-ages romp in beautiful black, white, and green.


Rating: 2 stars

Review:

I wonder if I was a kid would I have liked this more. In a Hat Full of Spells, Harold the vampire boy was dealing with nightmares every night. He kept dreaming that the witch Vermillion was back. His parents and their friends Professor and Mrs. Adams were all trying to help him deal with it but nothing would stop his nightmares.

Trouble started once witches' hats started to appear around town, although all the witches had been destroyed their magic was still tied to their hats. Anyone who puts on one would end up casting the last spell attached to the hat. And the problem got worse when Mrs. Adams got one of the hats stuck on her head. Now it was up to all them to try to stop the chaos from all the wayward magic before it's too late.

The story was okay, I thought it was a little confusing at first because from looking at the artwork it was hard to understand what was going on. I guess this just wasn't for me, I didn't find it to be that interesting.

Book Review for Book Club: March: Book One

Book: March: Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin with illustrations by Nate Powell

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

History has shown us time and again that it's the everyday person who has changed the course of history. I'm sure when a young John Lewis and his friends and others were putting together those sit-ins they had no idea how much of a difference they were making by fighting for the right just to sit at the counter to have a meal despite all the racists who opposed them. That took so much courage.

March: Book One is a first hand look at the beginning of the civil rights movement told from John Lewis. The book flash back from the present (2009 at the time) to the past as it builds up to the moment of the historical march.

This is a very well-written and profound story that would also make a great reference. I am definitely interested in reading the second book, which I will be adding to my wishlist.

Book Review: Alone Forever: The Singles Collection

Book: Alone Forever: The Singles Collection by Liz Prince

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: Top Shelf Productions

Description:

Liz Prince, author of the world's cutest relationship comic, "Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed?", returns with a new comic about being — gasp! — SINGLE.

Finally bringing her popular webcomic to printed form, Alone Forever explores the joys of flying solo, free to focus on what really matters: comics, punk rock, and cute boys with beards.

Drawn in Liz Prince's ultra-charming style, filled with self-deprecation and cats, there's something for everyone to relate to in this celebration of self-reliance in the age of OkCupid.


Rating: 1 star

Review:

Prior to reading this I was unfamiliar with Liz Prince or the comics she draws. I wanted to read this because of the cute cover and the description seemed interesting.

However, I didn't enjoy reading this. Usually these types of non-fiction comics I find funny but this one wasn't funny at all. The running theme for this book (besides her sad dating life) seems to be tons and tons of self-deprecating humor and a lot of weirdness.

Alone Forever is collections of comic strips from the author's webcomic about being single, her attraction to guys with beards, also how she's constantly attracted to guys who are not interested in her, her love of cats and much more.

It was a chore to even finish this. I was very bored because it felt like it was trying too hard to be witty and funny which made some comics appear even more weirder than they already were.

I guess this just wasn't for me.

Book Review: Wizzywig

Book: Wizzywig: Portrait of a Serial Hacker by Ed Piskor

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

They say "What You See Is What You Get"... but Kevin "Boingthump" Phenicle could always see more than most people. In the world of phone phreaks, hackers, and scammers, he's a legend. His exploits are hotly debated: could he really get free long-distance calls by whistling into a pay phone? Did his video-game piracy scheme accidentally trigger the first computer virus? And did he really dodge the FBI by using their own wiretapping software against them? Is he even a real person? And if he's ever caught, what would happen to a geek like him in federal prison?

Inspired by the incredible stories of real-life hackers, Wizzygig is the thrilling tale of a master manipulator — his journey from precocious child scammer to federally-wanted fugitive, and beyond. In a world transformed by social networks and data leaks, Ed Piskor's debut graphic novel reminds us how much power can rest in the hands of an audacious kid with a keyboard.


Rating: 1 star (Did Not Finish)

Review:

This was so boring and disgusting. I couldn't find anything enjoyable about the story or the characters and certainly not the misogynist jokes sprinkled throughout.

The story begins talking about Kevin's arrest for computer hacking but immediately changes gears and starts focusing on his life as he was growing up. This was a slow moving story that was trying too hard to be "edgy" instead of offering a well written interesting story. 

This was definitely not for me, it's a total fail.

Book Review: Strong Female Protagonist Book One

Book: Strong Female Protagonist Book One by Brennan Lee Mulligan with illustrations by Molly Ostertag

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

With super strength and invulnerability, Alison Green used to be one of the most powerful superheroes around.

Fighting crime with other teenagers under the alter ego Mega Girl was fun - until an encounter with Menace, her mind-reading arch enemy, showed her evidence of a sinister conspiracy, and suddenly battling giant robots didn't seem so important.

Now Alison is going to college and trying to find ways to help the world while still getting to class on time. It's impossible to escape the past, however, and everyone has their own idea of what it means to be a hero....

After a phenomenal success on Kickstarter, Brennan Lee Mulligan and Molly Ostertag bring their popular webcomic into print, collecting the first four issues, as well as some all-new, full-color pages!


Rating: 5 stars

Review:

The first volume of Strong Female Protagonist is about former superhero Alison Green a.k.a. Mega Girl who decides to give up being a hero. Instead she attended college and works as a firefighter. Her revelation to quit the superhero work came after she received some unsettling information from supervillain Menace who surprisingly had decided to give up being a villain. The information made Alison feel like nothing she or any of the superheroes did was truly making a difference. The world wasn't getting any better.

As Alison goes about her day to day life, she still finds herself encountering the superhero world she left behind. From showing up to protests to dealing with a villain who showed up at her college looking to settle an old score. She is also trying to understand Feral, an old friend, decision to do harm to herself all in the name of helping others. But it's what her friend wants to do and she will be saving lives but it will cause her immense pain to do so.

Alison is also friends with the former Menace a.k.a Patrick but it seems that he is keeping something hidden from her. There is a growing wave of information that Menace has returned since most believe that the villain was in hiding instead of calling it quits and it's possible that Patrick is trying to find out who the new Menace is.

The last issue (or the 4th chapter), is part origin story that showed how Alison and the rest of the others acquired their powers while the other part is set in the present and showed Alison and her family dealing with a family matter her father's health to be exact. You get to see how despite Alison having all of these powers there is nothing she can do to help her father. It's an emotional ordeal for the entire family but it also helps Alison to bond with her younger sister Jennifer.

Following the end of the first four issues (chapters), is a short story that follows Professor Chakravarti in India as she tries to talk to another superpower being who is under the impression that he is a god and not a human who has acquired powers. After being ambushed, she had to make a quick escape.

This was a very good read because you get a smart and interesting look at the life of a former superhero and how her decision to quite is affecting her and her family. I wish I had known about this, I would have been reading it sooner.

Book Review: Incredible Change-Bots Two Point Something Something

Book: Incredible Change-Bots Two Point Something Something: Odds, Ends and Missing Parts (Incredible Change-Bots #2.5) by Jeffrey Brown

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: November 18, 2014

Description:

The bestselling author of Darth Vader and Son and Jedi Academy presents the latest installment of his shape-changing robot parody series.

Collecting rare and never-before-seen material, Incredible Change-Bots Two Point Something Something includes short stories, gallery art pieces, game and toy designs, artwork created for fan club members, interviews with almost every Change-Bot, and more.


Rating: 1 star

Review:

Despite the cover, this comic book is not for children the humor throughout is very adult. And surprisingly on NetGalley they have this placed in the children's book category.

As the description states this is a parody of the Transformers. The problem with this book is it's not really funny. And for a parody book that's the whole point, right?

Everything about this feels like it's trying too hard.

Book Review: Maddy Kettle: The Adventure of the Thimblewitch

Book: Maddy Kettle: The Adventure of the Thimblewitch (Maddy Kettle book #1) by Eric Orchard

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: September 30, 2014

Description:

Eleven-year-old Maddy loved working in her parents' bookstore... especially when joined by her pet flying toad Ralph. But that was before the mysterious Thimblewitch turned her mom & dad into kangaroo rats!

Now Maddy's on the adventure of a lifetime. To save her parents, she'll need to sneak past an army of spider-goblins, scarecrow warriors, and much more... Fortunately, an assortment of new friends await, including the cloud cartographers Harry and Silvio, a bear and raccoon who explore the world in their moon-balloon. They'll help her along the way, but in the end, the fate of everyone will depend on Maddy's courage, compassion, and creativity.

Full of surprises and stunning artwork, Maddy Kettle is a truly magical debut for Spectrum-Award-winning cartoonist Eric Orchard. Climb aboard and let your imagination soar!


Rating: 5 stars

Review:

What an adorable little book, I would say it's Tim Burton meets Wizard of Oz especially with the artwork.

And speaking of the artwork, I love how beautiful yet quirky and whimsical it is.

As for the story, it follows 11 years old Maddy Kettle who is trying to find the Thimblewitch because the witch had turned her parents into kangaroo rats. And to makes things even worse her parents and her floating pet frog were then taken by the Spider Goblins.

Maddy was on her own trekking through the desert until she met Silvio (a raccoon) and Harry (a bear), two Cloud Cartographers who travel by air balloon. The trio were soon on their way to find the Thimblewitch, give or take a few mishaps including getting help from Inky the bat to find their way to the witch's castle.

This is cute story that shows that not everything is as it appears.

The characters were very interesting. And how can you not like Maddy? She's a total book girl and loves working at her parents' bookstore but that was before the witch and goblins attacked.

For a first book it's a fun adventure and I look forward to reading more from this series.