I struggle reading Manga because it takes me a moment to adjust to reading the opposite direction of what I’m used to but I enjoyed this rendition of Sherlock Holmes’ book, “A Study in Scarlet”. The art is done well and the story is true Sherlock Holmes! A delightful mystery and it was fun to tag along with Sherlock and Watson as they solved the case. The suspense was perfect. The illustrations were eye-catching and pulled me into the story.
Likes/dislikes: I love the artwork! This is a manga that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m impressed with this rendition of “A Study in Scarlet”! Mature content: PG-13 for smoking. Language: PG for 2 swears, no f-words. Violence: PG for off page death. Ethnicity: White.
Reed is eight years old when raiders arrive in her village and kill everyone except her. Her family’s lodge burns and falls down and she’s hidden in the wreckage next to her mother’s body. The raiders find her and take her to be a sacrifice to their god for their safe journey home. Before the raiders leave, two strong women arrive and save Reed and take her to live among their warrior kind, the Aristenes. She’s raised to believe she will become a great warrior and find a hero that will die a glorious death so she can become an Aristene also. Reed learns that life isn’t black and white or easy.
Likes/dislikes: Reed is a strong character who believes in right and wrong. Reed has a great relationship with the two other girls being raised to become Aristene warriors alongside her, Gretchen and Lyonene. The story shows the importance of love, loyalty, strength and friendship. Mature content: PG for kissing. Language: PG-13 for 10 swears, no f-words. Violence: PG-13 for deaths, bloody fighting. Ethnicity: Ethnicity is mixed with many skin tones. Reed has tan skin.
The Crown Royale virus seems to be everywhere and it either becomes fatal or creates a happy mindset in survivors. Mariel and her mom are homeless and she believes that the virus would make life great but her mother doesn’t. Ron, the youngest of six children, hosts his rich father’s Airbnb and welcomes people to stay for four nights at the beautiful penthouse for a very cheap price. This will be the last stay before the penthouse closes. His father is wanting to live in isolation so they don’t catch the virus and give all their money to charity because they’re out of their right minds, all caused by the Crown Royale virus. Morgan reaches her internship meeting, where she meets with a very rich woman who has recently been diagnosed with Crown Royale and wants to bequeath everything to Morgan to eradicate the virus. Ron becomes an alpha-spreader, Mariel is immune, Morgan wants to do everything possible to eradicate the virus and after inheriting tons of money and partnering with Ron’s extremely rich father, she has the means to.
Likes/dislikes: I love the inclusion and representation of several different ethnicities and cultures. The stories of random people and encounters intrigued me and helped cement the nature of the virus and its effect on people. I enjoyed how the author explored the choices people made and their actions. Interesting story. Mature content: PG for kissing. Language: R for 65 swears and 6 f-words. Violence: PG for death. Ethnicity: Ron is of Spanish descent. Morgan is Eurasian, Mariel is white.
Ramona and Sam created the band, April and Rain. Tom soon joins them. They each live their own unassuming lives and just want to enjoy their music. The three friends bond and learn from each other as they get through high school, meet their goals and make their future plans. Not everyone understands them but they understand each other and are true friends unconditionally.
Likes/dislikes: The author shows an authentic portrayal of dyslexia. The high school band and unconditional best friends are refreshing. The tidbits of wisdom from Ramona are helpful to her friends. Mature Content: PG for kissing. Language: R for 25 swears and 7 f-words. Violence: Pg for bullying. Ethnicity: falls to white.
The Thought Spot 