Month: September 2022

Review: I Hear the Sunspot (#1-#3) by Yuki Fumino

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

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Because of a hearing disability, Kohei is often misunderstood and has trouble integrating into life on campus, so he learns to keep his distance. That is until he meets the outspoken and cheerful Taichi. He tells Kohei that his hearing loss is not his fault. Taichi’s words cut through Kohei’s usual defense mechanisms and open his heart. More than friends, less than lovers, their relationship changes Kohei forever.

This review covers my thoughts about I Hear the Sunspot, I Hear the Sunspot: Theory of Happiness and I Hear the Sunspot: Limit Volume 1.

I’ve heard some great recommendations for I Hear the Sunspot, and although I’m not the biggest manga reader, I decided to finally pick this one up. My friend Courtney had also recommended them to me, and so far, they haven’t let me down.

I Hear the Sunspot is a super sweet, ultra slow-burn LGBT romance between two young men, who notice their close friendship change into something more. The friendship felt honest, emotional and natural, and I loved seeing the ways they interacted. The dialogue felt relatable and the way the pair slowly grow closer over the first few books feels real.

Although I felt the second volume, Theory of Happiness, didn’t quite pack the same punch and became a little convoluted with the introduction of a larger friendship group, it definitely picked up with Limit Volume 1, which became my favourite in the series so far.

In my opinion, the third instalment in this series best encapsulates the tender and difficult journey of Kohei’s hearing disability, and I loved the introduction of this into the workplace. We don’t often see disability portrayed in this way, but the discussions it introduced felt meaningful and honest.

I’m really looking forward to continuing with the series and can’t wait to see how the pair progresses.

I Hear the Sunspot

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

I Hear the Sunspot: Theory of Happiness

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

I Hear the Sunspot: Limit Volume 1

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

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Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It’s the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program.
It’s not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the “greater good” that Bayt-Sajji’s military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined.
Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.

Squire was a welcome treat of a graphic novel, with beautiful art, a gorgeous colour scheme and a concise, well structured story which I found easy to follow.

This graphic novel tackles a variety of topics, some more in depth and difficult than others. As we follow Aiza through her day-to-day life in the competitive Squire training program, we see her navigate friendships, which felt relatable and really drew me into the story. The art was visually stunning and the colour scheme beautiful too, and the landscapes were definitely a favourite part of the overall story for me.

The pacing really picks up in the second half and the action scenes are really visually engaging, almost feeling like a movie. The ending does feel quite rushed, however, and I do feel like this slightly distracted from the struggles Aiza was facing in regards to her Ornu background.

Overall, this was beautiful and I’d love to re-read it at some point to further explore the story, and I’d definitely read another volume if it was published.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review2 Comments

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When Dani and Dorian missed the bus to magic school, they never thought they’d wind up declared traitors to their own kind! Now, thanks to a series of mishaps, they are being chased by powerful magic families seeking the prophesied King of Witches and royals searching for missing princes.
But they aren’t alone. With a local troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher who can see the future on their side, they might just be able to clear their names…but can they heal their torn kingdom?
Based on the beloved webcomic from WEBTOON, Hooky is in stunning print format for the first time with exclusive new content sure to please fans new and old.

I’d seen Hooky a couple of times while browsing bookshops before I finally decided to pick it up. The art style really called out to me, and the concept itself sounded similar enough to the adorable Kiki’s Delivery Service that I thought it would be a fun one to pick up.

However, Hooky didn’t impress me quite as much as I was hoping. Although the art style never let me down, and was utterly beautiful and incredibly detailed throughout, the story itself felt kind of disconnected.

This may be due to the fact this was originally published as a Webtoon, but I haven’t felt the same about other Webtoon publications such as Lore Olympus. It also just felt like there was a lot going on. I wanted a sweet story following two kids across a magical land, but it almost felt like there was too much crammed into these pages, and it distracted from what I wanted and hoped for from the book.

This was still really cute, and I did love a lot about it, especially the art style. But it sadly did let me down in places.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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