What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan and Genevieve Darling

3*

What Makes Girls Sick and Tired? is, simply put, an illustrated list of offenses against women and girls. The most stunning aspect is the sheer magnitude of the crisis of worldwide misogyny. As De Pesloüan states on the first page, Girls are sick and tired because sexism affects everyone, every day, in ways that are both obvious and subtle, and both simple and complex and every girl, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender, personality, physical attributes and more, shares similar experiences. The author and illustrator acknowledge that they are privileged white women, so it may not be a complete list of experiences, but the book serves as a call to action in support of feminism and women’s rights. It’s difficult to tell from the galley how the book will appear in print, but on-screen it is a page-by-page list of offenses with accompanying monochromatic illustrations which are somewhat amateurish and inconsistent in style. Regardless, the book achieves the stated purpose. Counselors might find this valuable, but it would be an optional library purchase.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Second Story Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Vincent Book One: Guide to Love, Magic and RPG by Vitor Cavaggi

2*

This graphic novel features a cast of teenage animal characters navigating love and relationships. Vincent is either a bear or a dog who becomes infatuated easily and makes a mess of things. Since he’s a typical awkward teen, he seeks the advice of his friends (Bu, a female monkey whose good advice he ignores and his RPG male friends whose bad advice he tends to listen to). There’s a love triangle, long-distance romance, and heartbreak, all elements of a typical teen romance. The problem with the book is that the illustrations and dialogue would appeal to middle schoolers, but the storyline is more appropriate for older kids. Libraries serving pre-teens might consider adding it to their collection.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Super Genius through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.