Nimona: Art with Narrative

This week I’m going to mix it up a little bit, with a graphic novel.

The Following is a semi-spoilery look at Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. Anyone who hasn’t read the book, should not go past the Dust-jacket summary placed next to the image of the cover:

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel has been hailed by critics and fans alike as the arrival of a “superstar” talent (NPR.org).

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

 

Part of what makes this book so great is that it was written as a webcomic by Noelle Stevenson who also works on Lumberjanes and is a huge nerd. As you progress through the story you see the art progress from black, red, and white to full color fully shaded masterpieces in their own right, by which the story is given this sense of passion that you wouldn’t get from just any graphic novel. You feel like she’s giving you the true actual story that she wanted to tell you despite her transition to the publishing world. As you progress through the book you also see the transition from this lighthearted humorous take on the medieval fantasy genre to a powerful and meaningful story with monsters that you root for and heroes you want to love, but can’t completely. It’s cute and it’s gripping. Truly my favorite graphic novel if not book of all time. If you’re looking for graphic novels or sci-fi/fantasy/superhero books with gay subplots and a love of full-figured women who fight good, then check it out.

Last week of Spring 2017, Carry On My Kiddos

Hey ya’ll, welcome to the last week of school/last two days of exams. As we leave school and Writing Club for this year I have something I want to say… *ahem* *clears throat* *ahem* “Hi.”

 

I have a pitch for you… Book you’ll want to check out: Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell. Since we finally have ” free time” to “read what we want” on our hands (air quotes for those of you working/interning this summer), I’ll be posting about books you might want to check out or books that I’ve been reading etc. My first pick is Carry On because I love this book to death. If anyone has any suggestions for books please send them to me or right them in the comments and I’ll try to check them out. I want to make a recommended book list on the website because good writers come from good readers, and good readers come from good/fun/entertaining books. Without Further ado, my thoughts on Carry On.

Warning Spoilers from the description of the book below (no details on key story elements, but what you’ll find on the book jacket):

Actual Description:

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here–it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

 

 

 

 

My Thoughts:

I’ve been trying to get my friends to read this forever because it’s so passionate about what it is. If you’ve ever read Fangirl (also by Rainbow Rowell) this is based off of the fanfiction in that book. If you haven’t it’s based on the story of Simon and Baz, the protagonists of the Harry Potter-esque series, in their eighth year. Because of the premise of this story it reads like the eighth book of a series that you need to reread and a fanfiction. Anyone looking for feels and Harry Potter nostalgia should read this book. Quite frankly, it’s beautiful. It has a world/magic system that speaks to writers, a mystery that ends in a bang, and a cast of hilarious characters who understand their own tropes.

Also It is super gay. There is at least one gay character, a possibly bi character, and a possibly ace character (though it’s not clear).

Are Your Hands Wet?