Dover Graphic Novel Classics: Dracula (Bram Stoker, adapted by John Green... not that one)

Release Date: November, 19th 2014  

Synopsis:
Readers will be spellbound by this graphic novel version of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The granddaddy of all the modern vampire stories, the immortal tale unfolds in a gripping journey into the past that recounts a Victorian-era struggle against ancient evil. Original illustrations add an extra allure to this easy-to-read edition. This Dover Graphic Novel Classic offers readers ages 8 and up an exciting introduction to a time-honored tale. Expertly abridged and packed with dramatic illustrations, this version offers a streamlined narrative that retains all of the storytelling essentials.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
Another graphic novel/manga adaptation of a classic tale.
I have never read the original book by Bram Stoker, but I have wanted to for years. For this same reason, I feel like I can't judge this graphic novel as an adaptation of Dracula, because I don't know it in its raw, original form, so I am going to review it based on what it is, and how much I enjoyed it as an independent graphic novel (of course I will still mention briefly how I think this was adapted, but only with what I know of the original).
This was a very (very) short adaptation, perfect to see if the story itself interests you, or to flip through if you have read the actual book.
I found the illustrations to be amazing, and very graphic, in the sense that you could almost feel the cold emanating from the vampires in the story. As a graphic novel about vampires, I believe the black and white illustrations worked really well. And even though I would have appreciated if it were a bit longer, I think that, overall, the story was conveyed quite well and the adaptation by not-the-fault-in-our-stars-John Green was successful to a certain extent.
A short review for a short book, but this definitely inspired me to go out and read the classic vampire story and see for myself how scary and gruesome vampires originally were.

Sorako (Takayuki Fujimura)

Synopsis:
GEN Manga is Indie Manga from the Tokyo Underground.
GEN Manga was made to give fans an exclusive look at real doujinshi, otherwise known as indie manga, that they had heard about, but until now, unable to get their hands on.
In its essence, doujinshi is manga traded among other manga artists. Manga for manga lovers!
Sorako lives an ordinary life. And this is an ordinary story. She has friends and family, loves her dog, thinks about life, and occasionally looks for work (kinda). These are the adventures into a typical girl's life.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
Like I have mentioned before, I am not used at all to the Manga/Comic Book style of writing and reading experience, so this was a new adventure for me.
Yet again, this isn't a big action kind of book. It is a manga about a normal girl living her life, through heartbreaks, lost dogs and part-time jobs. And I must say that made her sound very real. She was a real person.
The art gave this a very special touch: it was so perfect, almost surreal, but that, somehow, made me feel like I was actually looking at real-life situations of a selected group of people. Everything was so beautifully drawn I actually wished I could be in there.
Now, although I really enjoyed this book, it had a couple of flaws I can't overlook. First (and I believe this might be my problem, not the story's), I couldn't relate to the main character at all: yes, she felt like a real person, but not exactly a very likeable real person. I felt she was kind of naïve and I couldn't like her personality and the majority of her actions at all.
Also, most of the story was very confusing. I reckon it lacked a logical sequence of events and a little more explanation on what was going on. I guess this could be a characteristic of mangas and comic books, but I still felt it had potential to be a little bit more than it ended up being.
With all that, I still very much recommend this to manga fans and I will definitely be continuing my manga/comic book adventure.

Soppy - A Love Story (Philippa Rice)

Release Date: December, 2nd 2014  

Synopsis:
The wildly popular web comic SOPPY--with more than half a million notes on Tumblr--is the illustrated love story of author Philippa Rice and her real-life boyfriend. True love isn't always about the big romantic gestures. Sometimes it's about sympathizing with someone whose tea has gone cold or reading together and sharing a quilt. When two people move in together, it soon becomes apparent that the little things mean an awful lot. The throwaway moments in life become meaningful when you spend them in the company of someone you love.
SOPPY is Philippa Rice's collection of comics and illustrations based on real-life moments with her boyfriend. From grocery shopping to silly arguments and snuggling in front of the television, SOPPY captures the universal experience of sharing a life together, and celebrates the beauty of finding romance all around us.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
I have only read two graphic novels in my life and they were, for the most part, great experiences. Why it took me so long to read another one remains a mystery to me. But I am glad I found this one.
First of all, this isn't an adventure story, an epic quest to safe the kingdom, or even a hero's journey to find love. The characters in this book have already found love and this is their story. Their real story. With hardly any text and fantastic illustrations in white, black and red, we find here the simple story of two people that decided to share their lives with each other. That is what I really loved about this: besides being based on the author's real relationship, they show a side of romance we don't usually see in books: we never get to look at those little moments where nothing happens, yet so much occurs. I was immediately drawn by that, when I first saw this, and it fascinated me to think that a book could actually be made of pure love, nothing else, and still make us feel like we are reading something meaningful and beautiful.
And, although it was a very fast book to read and look trough, I still had the feeling that I traveled trough the years with this couple and it made me feel like I was part of an even bigger adventure than the one I mention in the beginning. The best words I can think of to summarize this review are 'cute', 'lovely', 'sweet', 'funny', 'sad'... and maybe 'soppy'.
I seriously recommend this to anyone who's feeling down and just wants a simple, quick pick-me-up to brighten their day.