Book Review: A Bride's Story

A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori

*A YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens 2012*

I was first drawn to this book by the absolutely stunning artwork.  Mori is such a talented artist.  I was amazed by the detials she was able to put into the clothing and landscapes.

A Bride's Story is a historical fiction manga, set in the early 1800s on the central Asian silk road.  Amira is a 20 year old girl who has recently been given in marriage to a boy 8 years her junior.  While this may sound awkward to our modern ears, his maturity and leadership  make it believable.  Amira is a super cool chick who is an expert horsewoman, can shoot a hawk out of the sky with her bow and arrow, and is generally just the nicest person around.  When her old family decides they need her back so she can be married off to a more politically affluent family, her new family and town rally for a big throwdown.  Dotted with little day to day experiences of life during this time period, I found myself entranced by the characters and the lifestyle.  The character of Mr. Smith, an Englishman living in the area in order to conduct research, helps give clarity on certain cultural habits and beliefs. 

Romance, cool horsebackriding, great fights, and some awesome shots with a bow make this a great read.  It's worth it just for the illustrations! 

New Graphic Novels!

We have recently received a bunch of new graphic novel titles, including:


Blue Exorcist # 8
Vampire Knight # 2,3,4,5,6
Black Cat # 7, 9, 10
Full Metal Alchemist # 21, 22, 23, 24, 25




 




Bride's Story



















The Plague Ships


Batman: Earth One




Dear Creature


The Girl Who Owned a City


Rust: Visitor in the Field



Justice League: Origin (Volume 1)


The Red Ruby


Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices #1)


The Kite Runner


Come check them out!

Book Review: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader

Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? by Neil Gaiman

Batman has died, but how is the question.  As Batman watches from teh beyond, all of Batmans' closest friends and enemies gather around tot hell their opinion on how the Dark Knight met his fate.  Was Alfred the JOker the whole time and killed him on accident, or did Catwoman bdtray him?  These are some of the few thoughts Neil Gaiman puts in the reader's mind.  The best part of what Gaiman does is that he makes the story feel like an unpredictable tale fo greatness. Everything is unpredictable:  Gaiman adds his magical touch to make the story coherent and full of surprises.  Comic book writing and characterization is at its best, and this book might even be one of the best two issue comic stories in history.

Neil Gaiman has given us many great stories throughout his career, such as Sandman, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book, to name a few.  He uses his unique eye of perception for suspense and horror to write some of the greatest modern day books.  Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader is a great addition to the Batman library, and is surely a great read for teenages, Batman fans, and newcomers to reading alike.  So don't just sit there, check it out from the library!
        
                                                                                           
                                                                     Reviewed by John B.  (a DHS student)