In fact, it took me a very long time to gather my thoughts to write this review for the book, and I’m still not convinced that I have come up with a cohesive whole here, but here we go.
Our protagonist is Jenny, but even giving her the title of “protagonist” is a bit generous. I tend to think of protagonists as very active in their respective narratives, but the way this story was constructed makes me feel like she’s more of a canvas on which this surreal narrative is projected. Which, according to the product description, is intentional and it definitely contributes to the overall negative tone of the book.
The surreal aspects are definitely something I appreciate about the narrative, but the story overall is rough. The plot is a string of loosely connected stories that, for me, boil down to a laundry list of traumas and disasters. And, for me, it’s very hard to get through. I’ll let the publisher explain it:
A coworker-turned-prospective-lover confesses a hard-to-swallow fetish. A train ride fantastically goes off the rails as old habits get dragged across the tracks. Cousins revisit summer holiday bliss—or was it really horror? Exes fumble an attempt to reconnect over a dip in the pool on a squelching summer day. And an expectant mother slips into an unusual place as she embarks on a communion with her baby more pure than language can accommodate.
There are several adult themes featured in the narrative including sexual fetishes, (child) death (but also: childbirth), religious trauma, child sexual abuse, and vehicle collision/accident.
The narrative’s final page offers the reader one small sliver of hope—a newborn baby, a chance to protect a new life from what plagued Jenny.
For me personally, I was not able to catch the optimism that I think was supposed to be projected here. There simply isn’t enough in the overall story to suggest that change is possible.
The artwork is interesting when it breaks from reality and introduces seemingly unrelated imagery that freely flows through the narrative. It’s otherwise difficult to criticize because it’s not particularly notable in either direction. The scratchy pencils are perfectly competent and they are technical in showing plane changes, but the overall look is not distinct and I actually had a little trouble identifying different characters. I always appreciate a muted and largely monotone color pallet, however.
This might be the first book I don’t feel comfortable recommending, not even in very specific circumstances. I think there is value in these sorts of memoirs, and they are unfortunately relatable to many readers, but I think there is better on offer. Please see Tsunami by Ned Wenlock, Epileptic by David B., Precious Rubbish by Kayla E., or even the tried-and-true classic, Maus by Art Spiegelman.
I Ate the Whole World to Find You By Rachel Ang Drawn and Quarterly, 2025 ISBN: 9781770467583
Publisher Age Recommendation: N/A, but I will note that Drawn and Quarterly has a Kids section on their website and this title is not listed there
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Australian, Character Representation: Australian,
Anh Do’s new book series Weir Do is about a boy with a very odd name. Not only that, he comes from an odd family and he himself has a few, well, weird habits. But besides that, he is just a regular kid who likes to draw and is trying to to get through middle school. The story’s premise does have appeal for elementary school readers, but the author’s gross jokes may not be for everyone and the series itself does not have anything that sets it apart from other similar books.
In the first book Weir Do, Weir starts a new school year, which begins with everyone laughing at his name. Readers are introduced to his eccentric family, a new strange friend, and Bella, the prettiest girl in his grade. As Weir settles into his new social life, he tries his best to be not as weird as people perceive him to be, but it is easier said than done. In Weir Do #2: Even Weirder!, Weir is excited to be invited to Bella’s birthday party. But before the festivities, he needs to survive a school trip to the zoo with his grandfather, the weekly shopping trip with his money saving mother, and creating the best costume to impress his classmates and Bella.
This Australian series is very similar to other diary inspired novels, but these books are shorter and geared towards a younger audience. Each chapter is short, always narrated by the main character, and have illustrations related to the chapter’s plot. The illustrations, drawn by Jules Faber, are simple, black and white scenes of characters in their funniest moments or committing their weird behaviors. There are also scenes of Weir’s imagination going wild across the page and characters speaking in speech bubbles. Some parts of the text are in color or blown up, depending upon the scene or Weir’s description. Other than these details, there is not much about this series that sets it apart from similar titles. The stories themselves contain a variety of gross jokes, especially Weir’s flatulent father with a talent for belching songs, but it gets to be a bit too much.
Anh Do’s Weir Do series has a few humorous moments, but it does not stand out against other books. Librarians would want to consider Weir Do as an additional purchase for their collection. It does have some appeal for children in grades 2nd-4th, especially those who are not bothered by gross jokes, but there are other titles, such as Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Dork Diaries, that should be higher purchase priorities.
Weir Do By Anh Do Art by Jules Faber Vol. 1 ISBN: 9781338305586
Weir Do #2: Even Weirder! Vol. 2 ISBN: 9781338305616 Scholastic, 2019 Publisher Age Rating: 7-10
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World is a pitch perfect historical graphic novel for anyone who wants to learn about brazen rebel ladies throughout history. Pénélope Bagieu started with a list of 50 women whose stories she wanted to tell and narrowed it down to about 30 for the book. In interviews, Bagieu is quoted as saying that one of the hardest choices was deciding “whose stories I could tell a 200 times without getting bored of.” She especially wanted to showcase that not all brazen rebel ladies are western, white, educated, cisgender, straight women. At the end of the book, Bagieu does include the rest of her list of fabulous women for further reading.
Spanning nearly 2500 years of history, Brazen gives life to women such as Agnodice, one of the first women gynecologists who lived in 350 BCE Athens, to Sonita Alizadeh, an Afghanistan rapper born in 1996. Bagieu covers doctors, scientists, artists, explorers, entertainers: just about anyone from anywhere through time. Some of the women I knew, such as Nellie Bly, Josephine Baker, Hedy Lemarr, and Temple Gradin, are listed but others such as Nzinga, warrior queen of Ndongo and Matamba, Cheryl Bridges, athlete, and Giorgina Reid, lighthouse keeper, are entirely new to me. I found myself especially delighted Bagieu made sure Mae Jamison was included, the first black woman in space who happens to be a sci-fi and comics nerd.
Typically in anthologies or in music, the placement of the stories or songs are arranged by the artist just so, with a theme or an overarching story told via that placement. I could not find such a theme here and this is not to say that the work is haphazard—rather the thoughtfulness of the placement of the brazen rebel’s lives are listed such that you could read about a rebel from 2500 years ago and the next story is of a brazen rebel from the 18th century. The book does not need to be read in chronological order, but I will warn you that when you sit down with the book you’ll likely finish it one sitting, just as I did.
Bagieu wrote, illustrated, and colored the art marking her as a force to reckon with. In another interview, Bagieu selected a “very simple palette of four colors for each story, chosen carefully regarding the era, the country, the global feeling of the story.” In between each story is a two page highly detailed and colored spread of the brazen rebel in action, whether she is warrior queen or Temple Gradin and her cows.
Pénélope Bagieu is known for her attention to detail and the wit of her subjects. Here she gives these ladies all the attention and voice that they deserve. Each brazen rebel is finely drawn and brought to life, their stories may be told over a few pages but each story is in-depth enough to whet a history lover’s appetite. Brazen is listed as age appropriate for older teens, 16+, and up, but it could easily become the favorite of middle grades and up, especially as a reference book for further study. Highly recommended for any collection especially for history lists as well as lists for LGTBQ+ peoples.
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World By Pénélope Bagieu Art by Pénélope Bagieu ISBN: 978-1626728691 1626728690 First Second, 2018 Publisher Age Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Browse for more like this title Character Traits: Japanese, Chinese, Black, Latinx, Middle Eastern, Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer, Pansexual, Trans
Anh Do’s new book series Weir Do is about a boy with a very odd name. Not only that, he comes from an odd family and he himself has a few, well, weird habits. But besides that, he is just a regular kid who likes to draw and is trying to to get through middle school. The story’s premise does have appeal for elementary school readers, but the author’s gross jokes may not be for everyone and the series itself does not have anything that sets it apart from other similar books.
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World is a pitch perfect historical graphic novel for anyone who wants to learn about brazen rebel ladies throughout history. Pénélope Bagieu started with a list of 50 women whose stories she wanted to tell and narrowed it down to about 30 for the book. In interviews, Bagieu is quoted as saying that one of the hardest choices was deciding “whose stories I could tell a 200 times without getting bored of.” She especially wanted to showcase that not all brazen rebel ladies are western, white, educated, cisgender, straight women. At the end of the book, Bagieu does include the rest of her list of fabulous women for further reading.
