Showing posts with label Picture Book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Picture Book. Show all posts

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Chopsticks Review

Chopsticks is a novel made up of pictures, not words. I was drawn to it because of this but for me it ended up being it's downfall.

The novel focuses on Glory, a piano prodigy, and Frank, an artistic and rebellious boy. They quickly form a strong relationship, and soon after that Glory's career takes off and she goes on a world tour. Soon, she begins to crumble--both as a person and as a musician.

Not a lot about this book made sense to me, so please forgive the lame synopsis. Seriously, though, I felt lost for at least half of the novel. If I'd enjoyed it any more then maybe I'd go back to re-read it, but I don't think I will.

 I feel like this book was a really interesting concept but had a really rocky execution. The rise and fall of relationships and events got lost somewhere in the pages of photos and IM conversations, and for me those kinds of elements of novels is the while reason I read.

Some of the pictures are visually stunning, and I think it's a neat idea that could definitely be improved on, but overall this was not the book for me.

Plot: N/A
Characters: N/A
Writing: N/A 
Ending: WTF even happened?
Content: Um...I think there was sex, because there was one pencil sketch that had boobies.
Overall:
Meh.
I read this book in like an hour a half, so there's that, but it wasn't the innovative storytelling I was hoping for.

Chopsticks was published by Razorbill early this year and is available now. I purchased my own copy (for a frigging steal I might add, luckily).

Monday, August 30, 2010

People of Walmart: Shop and Awe Mini Review

Author: Andrew Kipple, Adam Kipple, Luke Wherr
Release Date: September 7, 2010
Pages: 224 (ARC)
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Most Appropriate For Ages: Adult
Where I Got It: From publishers

Tons of –  
  • New Photos!
  • Bad Decisions!
  • WTF Moments!
Plus –
  • Fan Stories!
  • Celebrities!
  • Goats!
As Americans, we hold these truths to be self-evident: We will shop. And when we do, especially at our favorite supercenter, we will wear and do the most bizarre things possible.
From the wildly popular website PeopleofWalmart.com, this photo collection of Americans in their natural shopping habitat (70 percent of which is brand new and never before included on the website) presents people of all shapes and sizes wearing and doing everything imaginable in full view of their fellow shopping public. Plus, for the first time brand-new fan-submitted stories offer the most random experiences you can imagine!

So welcome to a world where no shoes and no shirt are no obstacles, where parking lots are filled with dead deer, Bengal tigers, and old men in thongs riding bikes. Once you meet the People of Walmart, you are sure to fall in love.
-----------------------------
If you've ever been to the popular site, People of Walmart, then you'll know what you're in for with People of Walmart: Shop and Awe: a lot of...interesting, funny pictures with good captions to go along. The first few fan submitted stories didn't impress me all that much, but there are definitely some good ones that had me laughing. At some points my whole family had gathered around to read this along with me, and they were either disgusted (I have never seen such big, exposed "back boobs" in my life) or laughing (oddly enough, one of these men featured in a photo looks a little too much like my dad). People of Walmart: Shop and Awe will be sure to satisfy loyal fans of the site as well as the new crowd that they'll get with the book. It was a whole lot of fun to read!

Even though this is an adult book, would it be OK to give it to my kid? There's quite a bit of language, and one picture where a woman exposes pretend breasts (although at first glance I thought they were real).


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