Miniature Monday #1

Hello, everyone, and happy Labor Day to those of you celebrating it!

I have been on a kick lately of reading a lot of graphic novels, comics, and even a bit of manga, and I have more on my TBR for the next month, so I decided I would start a new series. Every 1-2 weeks, I’ll be posting a small batch of mini-reviews for graphic novels and the like! I’ll also include poetry collections, as I’ve read a little poetry lately.

This week, I’ll be reviewing one poetry collection, two memoir graphic novels, and one fiction graphic novel. Let’s get started!

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All the Words Are Yours – Tyler Knott Gregson

“Whisper to me soft,
sing a song of homecoming,
hum me back to you.”

I’ve been following Tyler on social media for years, and purchased this book when it first released a few years ago, but for some bizarre reason, it’s been sitting, unopened, just looking pretty on my shelf until now. I love poetry collections, and Tyler’s voice in particular is so beautiful and full of haunting that it never gets old. I only knocked a star off because a handful of the haikus are a bit repetitive, but this is a gorgeous collection that would be a fantastic addition to any poetry shelf.

Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository

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Hyperbole and a Half – Allie Brosh

I started following Allie’s blog back in early 2010, shortly after it launched, and completely fell in love with her sense of humor. I was so delighted when this book released… and then she fell off the face of the planet, more or less. I don’t fault her. I know depression is a bitch. I just like picking this book up and rereading it every now and again when I’m missing her content. At an age where I felt so incredibly alone in my depression, Allie put my feelings into words that left teenaged me somehow simultaneously destroyed and ecstatic. She’s hilarious, sure, but honestly, the gold in this book comes from her words about depression and how much it can ruin you. I dunno, this review’s a short little mess compared to what I normally post, but Hyperbole and a Half is one of those things you’ve just gotta experience for yourself.

Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository

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Locke & Key, Vol 2 – Joe Hill

Another great volume of Locke & Key! I love Joe Hill’s bizarre, creepy writing style, and the illustrations in this graphic novel are just gorgeous. There’s so much detail and intricacy, and you really want to look closely at every panel because sometimes, there are tiny little details hidden that are just so neat.

Content warnings: mentions of homophobia and racism (including some slur usage) – it isn’t presented as an acceptable thing, but the language gets a little rough a time or two.

Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository

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Lighter Than My Shadow – Katie Green

I went into this graphic novel knowing nothing about it; it was on the “read now” list on NetGalley, and I was in the mood for a quick graphic novel. (Joke’s on me – this graphic novel is over 500 pages long!)

Essentially, Lighter Than My Shadow is a story about eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and sexual assault. It’s a memoir in the form of a graphic novel, written to tell the story of Katie Green’s own childhood and teen life. It’s a very sad and haunting story, but unfortunately, it’s just not a very enjoyable read, either. It has incredibly slow pacing for a GN, which is unusual in my experience, and the scenes are extremely repetitive.

If you’re particularly fond of memoirs about mental illness, you may be interested in this title, but otherwise, I’d pass it up.

Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository

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