Clara by Christophe Lemoine

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Clara is a heart-rending story about a little girl who lost her mother because of illness. Before her mother passed away, she gave her daughter Clara the doll she used to own when she was still a kid. Death is not an easy topic to discuss with children like Clara, but because of her dad and grandma's patience to explain to her what happened, she was able to understand about her mother's death.

Kids in Clara's age has a vivid imagination, so maybe it is her wild imagination that the doll talks or it is really true that have the ability to talk. Nevertheless, that doll that was also named Clara by her mother helped her cope up with on her mourning.
Clara is a great graphic novel that could be used by parents or teachers to educate children about the concept of death and how to deal with it.

Superb: Life After The Fallout by David F. Walker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Superb Volume 1 is a tie up to the Noble Vol. 1 comic series by Brandon Thomas. The story of this graphic novel tells us about how the Foresight Corporation tries to find those who possessed extraordinary powers among the teenager residents of Youngstown, Ohio.

If you enjoy reading superhero stories, you may find this just like every comic series you've read in the past. Why I gave this a 4-star rating is because I like how the authors made a teenager with down-syndrome a superhero and the main character and that the pacing and storytelling is much better than its counterpart, the Noble comic series.

Krista Kim-Bap by Angela Ahn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Krista Kim-Bap is a middle-grade fiction book which is about the story of Krista and her Korean family who resides in Canada. Krista was struggling with some of the changes she's experiencing such as the change in her style of clothing, and the change in how her classmates treat here. Because of these changes, her relationship with her best friend Jason was on the rocks. Her sister, grandma and her mom all helped her by trying to let her clear and understand some things, especially on how she must learn to accept what she really is.

Through a school project, she also learned about her Korean ethnicity: its culture and its history, specifically which are related to food. Krista's relationship with her grandma and her older sister has come into good terms after; family is a family and must help each other especially during times of need.

The Wellspring Trilogy: The Crystal Key by Robert Gronewold

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Crystal Keyis the first book in the Wellspring Trilogy written by Robert Gronewold. This young adult and fantasy fiction novel is about Felicity Bough, a sixteen-year-old orphan who was adopted when she was two by her mother's best friend, Lenora. Every year, her birthday wish is to become just like her mother and Lenora, a Doorward.

A Doorward is a caster who helped protect and maintain the mirror was. On her sixteenth birthday, unexpected guests arrived on their doorstep and informed Felicity that she could be more than just a Doorward; she could be a Turnkey just like her dad. A Turnkey is an expert in combative magic who prevents Horrors from the Dark from slipping in the mirrorways.

The first eight chapters of the story tackle character development and world building. Thus if you are waiting for the better part, you have to wait until chapter nine because that's where the conflict begins. In the said chapter, Felicity, Harry and Margo went to the grand unveiling of the new mirrorway central hub. During the event, there was a catastrophe in the venue and Felicity was able to save Harry. However, the Horror grabbed Felicity through the Mirrorgate and then the gate was shattered, making her trapped inside.

If you are a fan of young adult and fantasy fiction, you will appreciate this kind of story even though that it's quite long. It took me a week to be able to finish this 388-page novel, but I could say that it's worth it.

La Casati: The Selfish Muse by Vanna Vinci

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I never knew who Marchesa Casati is and thanks to this graphic novel, I was introduced to the bizarre yet very interesting life of this prominent person in the early 20th century. Casati's eccentric and extravagant fashion and way of living will engross those who will read this memoir of hers.

Casati maybe vain, but we could learn a lot from her life, especially on how dauntless she is and not imitate her carelessness especially on financial matters. She always lived in the present and never mind what her future would be, thus she was left with literally nothing when she got old. This memoir is a great read that will not only entertain readers but also will teach a lot of lesson in the end.

Between Me and You: A Novel by Allison Winn Scotch

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Between Me and You is a fiction novel that tells about the story of the married couple, Ben and Tatum. It narrates the imperfect relationship they have: from the struggles, jealousy, secrets, jealousy and infidelity.

The story was narrated through Ben and Tatum's perspective; the flashbacks dated from their first meeting in the bar where Tatum used to work up to how their lives were entangled in secrets and deceit during their marriage. They both know that they still love each other, but there are instances that they felt one has already fallen out of love.

This novel sort of reminds everyone that there's no such as perfect marriage, but it's up to those who are in the relationship how to work it out. There will be problems that married couples encounter during the course of their marriage; trying to forgive and forget is one of the important factors to consider and remember. And this is what Ben and Tatum did to be able to save their relationship.

Zen Pencils: Creative Struggle by Gavin Aung Than

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book I've read from Gavin Aung Than. His books are not only entertaining to read but are also very inspirational. The illustrations drawn by the author and the quotes and stories of some of the famous people that he compiled in this book will make an impact on those who read it.

Through this book/graphic novel, we are reminded that even the popular personalities are ordinary people also because they have encountered problems in achieving their goals. These books of Gavin Aung Than are the type of books that should be included in everyone's bookshelves, especially in public libraries, so everyone could have access to them and will help boost everyone's morale.

First Year Out: A Transition Story by Sabrina Symington

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The title of this graphic novel piqued my interest, thus I checked out on what this about. The story is about the transition period of the transgender woman Lily up to her SRS, or sex reassignment surgery.



The experiences of the transgenders were discussed throughout the story. People will learn a lot from reading this. I recommend that those who have preconceived opinion about the LGBT should try to read this.

Thanks to Jessica Kingsley Publisher for the ARC of this graphic novel.