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Category Archives: Reviews
Perfect World, Vol. 1 & 2 Review
Title: Perfect World
Author: Rie Aruga
Available Digitally?: Yes
Genre: Josei (Romance) Manga
Series Complete?: Ongoing
Final Verdict: Buy
Preview?: Read the first chapter here.
My take: A surprisingly heart-wrenching, realistic exploration of romance with a paraplegic.
I’ve been reading a lot of manga lately, because I’ve missed reading so much over the past four years (due to my constant headache), and the advantage of graphic media is there’s less text (and thus less eye strain), yet I can still enjoy stories. I’ve fallen in love with manga in particular because it’s long enough to tell a meaty story and it’s serialized, and I hate having to say good-bye to my favorite characters.
I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled across Perfect World, a manga about a young woman (Tsugumi Kawana) who runs into her high-school crush (Itsuki Ayukawa) and is surprised to find out they not only work in the same industry (he’s an architect and she’s an interior designer), but that he’s now a paraplegic.
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Tagged Josei, Manga, paraplegia, Perfect World, Rie Aruga, Romance, SCI
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Polarity Review
Title: Polarity
Writer: Max Bernis
Art: Jorge Coelho
Available Digitally?: Yes
Genre: Superhero
Final Verdict: Buy, with reservations
My take: Using supernatural powers as a partial metaphor for the mania of bipolar disorder is a brilliant way to raise awareness for the disease, but the book falls short despite its attempt at lampooning the superhero genre.
Many people who experience a manic episode report feeling special, powerful, invincible. But what if those feelings weren’t delusions? What if, during a manic episode, an individual really became a superhero?
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Tagged Bipolar Disorder, Comic, Graphic Novel, Mental Illness, Polarity, review
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If I Had Wings Review
Title: If I Had Wings
Director: Allan Harmon
Year Released: 2013
Available on Netflix (US)?: Yes
Final Verdict: Watch
If I Had Wings is far from the first movie to feature a blind character, and it isn’t the first to feature a blind teen boy. In fact, the trio of the two boys and the girl reminded me a little of the Brazilian film Love is Blind, although Alex (Richard Harmon, The 100), the blind teen in this film, isn’t gay. With the sports theme of this film, I was worried it would fall into a lot of the tropes of the genre, and probably would end up being pure inspiration porn.
However, I was immensely surprised to find that If I Had Wings actually portrays blindness realistically and is pretty disability-positive.
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To Each Her Own Review
Title: To Each Her Own
Author: Molly Mirren
Available in eBook?: Yes
Genre: Contemporary M/F Romance
Final Verdict: Buy
My Take: The subject of devoteeism–people who have a sexual attraction to disability–isn’t tackled often in the media. Ruth Madison’s novel (W)hole, (second edition reviewed here) is in some ways a pioneer in the genre, and a couple films have also touched on the subject, but usually not so much from the perspective of the devotees themselves. To Each Her Own, for better or worse, makes devoteeism a central conflict, as it continually drives the two love birds, Jay and Erin, apart and together, apart and together, like metallic pendulum balls in those desktop “executive toys.”
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Tagged Devotee, Devoteeism, Molly Mirren, Paralysis, paraplegia, SCI, To Each Her Own
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A Helping of Love Review
Title: A Helping of Love (Love #3)
Author: Andrew Grey
Available in eBook?: Yes
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Final Verdict: Skip
My Take: A Helping of Love is a hard book for me to review. On one hand, I appreciate Mr. Grey’s attempts to create a sympathetic paraplegic main character who’s comfortable with his disability, and for portraying him as a sexual being. I also appreciate the fact that said disability isn’t glossed over. However, it seemed blatantly obvious to me that very little–if any–research was done for this book, both in SCI and related aspects. Add to the fact that the writing felt a bit stilted and I never did feel like I connected with the characters, and it’s hard for me to recommend.
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Tagged A Helping of Love, Andrew Grey, homoerotic, Love #3, M/M, Paralysis, paraplegia
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(W)hole (2nd Edition) Review
Title: (W)hole (2nd Edition)
Author: Ruth Madison
Available in eBook?: Yes
Genre: Contemporary YA Romance
Final Verdict: Buy
My Take: Ruth Madison has returned to her debut novel, making some tweaks and filling out the story so that we now get alternate chapters between the two main characters. Although the pacing is off at times, it makes for a stronger, more cohesive piece than the original. The subject matter: a young woman dealing with her attraction to disability, gives a different perspective, and the characters are intriguing and sympathetic. This unique coming-of-age story is a worthwhile read, especially for anyone curious about the “devotee” label.
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Tagged (W)hole, 2nd Edition, Devotee, Devoteeism, Paralysis, Ruth Madison, Second Edition, YA, Young Adult
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What I Didn’t Say Review
Title: What I Didn’t Say
Author: Keary Taylor
Available in eBook?: Yes
Genre: Contemporary YA Romance
Final Verdict: Buy (with reservations)
My Take: Muteness is not seen often in literature, even less so than many other disabilities, and What I Didn’t Say is a unique romance since it’s told exclusively from the male protagonist’s perspective. Although it gets off to a slow start, it is a sweet story, albeit marred by a lack of research on the author’s part and a distasteful view toward ASL.
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Tagged Aphonia, Keary Taylor, Mute, Muteness, What I Didn't Say, YA, Young Adult
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His Eyes Review
Title: His Eyes
Author: Reneé Carter
Available in eBook?: Yes
Genre: Contemporary YA Romance
Final Verdict: Buy (with reservations)
My Take: His Eyes is a sweet, simple YA book marred by genre tropes, leaps of faith, and a lack of development.
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Precious Things Review
Title: Precious Things
Author: Gail R. Delaney
Available in eBook?: Yes
Genre: Contemporary (Clean) Romance
Final Verdict: Buy
My Take: It’s rare to find a well written romance novel featuring a deaf hero; Ms. Delaney has created a deep, interesting character and her knowledge of ASL shows through in the text.
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