Review: Animal Farm by George Orwell (Graphic Novel)

 

Another graphical adaptation of George Orwell's enduring political fable Animal Farm. This very gritty and visually compelling adaptation was brought to life by illustrator Jakub Politzer and adapters Christina Dumalasova and Katerina Horakova. The original novel—a classic is a cautionary tale about revolution, power, and corruption—endures because of its striking simplicity and its ability to expose the mechanics of how easy it is for those who gain power to lose control and oppress others. It is more relevant in today's society than every before. So much of Orwell's work is relevant to our current political climate making is a timeless classic. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, the team of adapters J. Politzer, C. Dumalasova and K. Horakova, and Gemini Books Group  for a digital copy (eBook) of #GeorgeOrwellsAnimalFarm (a graphic novel) in exchange for my honest opinion. #GeorgeOrwellsAnimalFarm will be published on March 3, 2026. 

REVIEW: BOOM TOWN by Nic Stone

 

Debut adult thriller from young adult and middle grade author Nic Stone. Boom Town is her first adult novel. 

Boom Town is a fast pace intense urban thriller set in one of Atlant's infamous gentlemens club. We find two employees, Charm a newbie and Lucky, a seasoned [former] headliner have gone missing without a trace. The only person that notices this and how similar the two disappearances are is Lucky's former partner and co- headliner, Lyriq. 

Lyriq is on a mission to find out what happened and where these women are. This thriller is a mix of Player’s Club and P-Valley. It is gritty, raw, sharp, suspenseful and thought provoking. The latter is evident in the novel's social commentary on power, abuse, race, class, misogyny and the lack of attention and resources dedicated to finding missing women and girls.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #SimonSchuster, the author Nic Stone for a digital copy of #BoomTown exchange for my honest opinion. Boom Town will be published tomorrow October 14, 2025.

Review: You Must Be This Tall to Propose 1 by Fumi Mifuyu

A very cute manga about neighbors growing up together and a boy’s eternal pledge to marry the girl of his dreams. The boy, Chitose whose primary goal in life is to be with the girl, Tomo. Tomo who in response to Chitose’s proposal jokingly tells him he needs to be “this tall” (at least as tall as she is) to even propose to her. We follow Chitose’s growing pains as he navigates daily life and his love for Tomo. You Must Be This Tall to Propose is an enjoyable, heartwarming, sweet, wholesome slice of life story that although not new (predictable plot with numerous cliches) is still a great read. It has many funny moments and you can’t help but root for Chitose.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Fumi Mifuyu  and Kodansha Comics for a digital copy of #YouMustBeThisTalltoPropose in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Sketchy 1(Manga) by MAKIHIROCHI

 

Ako is stuck in a repetitive cycle, drifting through her twenties working at a video rental store and spending time with her boyfriend. Her days blend into one another in a monotonous haze. However, everything changes when she encounters a girl skateboarder practicing a daring trick. Intrigued, Ako feels a magnetic attraction to the sport. As she delves into skateboarding, dormant dreams and aspirations resurface, reigniting her passion and resolve. Ako decides to transform herself, determined to embrace change before it's too late. But can anyone truly be too late to uncover a new passion?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the author MAKIHIROCHI for a digital copy of the manga #Sketchy in exchange for my honest opinion. Disclaimer: Image courtesy of NetGalley.com.