Source: From Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.
Publication Date: February 13, 2024
Rating:
Goodreads Synopsis:
A stylish graphic novel about the unique angst, humor, and self-doubt universal to the experience of going away to college—from a promising debut talent—for fans of Heartstopper.Everyone gets a fresh start. Who do you want to be? Sarah is leaving suburban Wisconsin for her freshman year in Minnesota. She has high hopes for the impress her professors, meet interesting new people, stay close to her best friends and boyfriend back home, flourish as an artist, and shed her lingering high school anxieties. What seems manageable at first quickly unravels into a Sarah’s high-achieving roommate puts her to shame, her summer love dissolves, and she is quickly overwhelmed by the freedom, the isolation, and all the possibilities that await in this new environment. Based on the author’s personal college journal and comics, Freshman Year navigates the inner workings of an 18-year-old girl in witty, honest, and heartfelt detail. Whether you’re anxiously looking forward or nostalgically looking back, this is the perfect read for anyone who loves realistic graphic novels about the laughable growing pains of almost-adulthood, like Check, Please! and Bloom.
Review:
This is a graphic novel about being a freshman in college, undecided, a new adult, and lots of self-doubt, angst, and a new-me attitude. In the case of the main character that means being vegetarian and artsy. That part hit close to home and I have to laugh out loud a bit.
The main character is Sarah and the novel follows her interactions with her friends from high school and in college - sadly for me, the art made them all look really similar and that made it hard to differentiate. I didn't love Sarah, she was kind of meh, but her issues and troubles were realistic and not too over the top, so they fit the time of her life and struggles that I also remember having in college. She deals with friends, lonliness, fitting in, regular long-distance boyfirend issues etc.
The pacing overall was ok, it was a bit slot really. There was also no color in my Advanced copy - I am not sure if there will be in the final but it made it hard to tell some people apart. I found it a bit strange that the characters were pretty expressionless - sad and happy often just looked blank and while I understand new-adult angst, this made it hard to feel what the characters were feeling and made the text read as monotone.
Overall it was an ok read. It wasn't the greated graphic novel, but it was very to the point and really felt realistic in its capture of the Freshman year experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment