Dual Review Day

Dual Review Day:

February 21st 2017

Hello all, 

I am back today to give you two very short reviews of books that I finished this morning while I was waiting to go to class. The books that I completed were The Arrival by: Shaun Tan and Milk and Honey by: Rupi Kaur. Both of these books are very quick reads which is why I was able to complete them in one morning, however each left its mark in my soul, these are two books that I will never forget. 

The Arrival: A Review 

This book is a voiceless graphic work, meaning that there are no words anywhere throughout this book. The author deliberately eliminated any sense of voice or understanding for the reader so that the would feel what an immigrant does when they cannot comprehend a new place. This idea of having no words present throughout the book is genius! I truly was confused for the first few sections of the graphic novel, however after accepting that I would not understand all of it I found that I was truly captivated. 

The artwork that is in this is nothing short of breathtaking! Illustrations are done in pencil sketches that have both a lifelike quality to them and a curiously surreal. Though the art is solely in black and white as you read the colors become vivid and luxurious with your imagination. I found the artwork to be fascinating and detailed, each stroke tells the story of our protagonist as he moves to a new land. 

The artwork complements the rather bleak themes that Tan is attempting to tackle within this work. Immigration and the idea of acceptance are pivotal ideas that are explored with this book, making it all the more relevant for our society today! The emotions of a man who is forced to separate from his family in hopes of finding a better life for them hits like a tsunami coming to is crescendo, while the cooperation and patience of those seen in this story and the ending will warm your heart and give you a new hope for humanity. This book was a quick read, with ample substance talking about crucial ideas for our modern world. This is a must read for all!

Rating: 4 Stars

Milk and Honey: A Review

This collection of poems deals with three major topics, pain, love, and healing. Each one of these topics has a selection of poems dedicated to explore the emotions felt in each. This collection was the first collection of poems that I have ever read, and I absolutely loved a bunch, but found that some were difficult for me to connect with and were rather forgettable. I am not quite sure how to review this collection, as I feel poetry is such a personal preference and one that I am not well versed in yet. I will leave you with an example of one of her poems in the collection, I recommend reading the section title The Healing regardless of if you want to read the rest.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Happy Reading!