Graphic Novel

Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron

Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron

By: Julia Quinn

Illustrated By: Violet Charles

Blurb:

A madcap romantic adventure, Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron has appeared in several Julia Quinn novels and enthralled some of her most beloved characters. Now, this delicious tale of love and peril is available for everyone to enjoy in this wonderfully unconventional graphic novel.

Born into a happy family that is tragically ravaged by smallpox, Miss Priscilla Butterworth uses her wits to survive a series of outlandish trials. Cruelly separated from her beloved mother and grandmother, the young girl is sent to live with a callous aunt who forces her to work for her keep. Eventually, the clever and tenderhearted Miss Butterworth makes her escape… a daring journey into the unknown that unexpectedly leads her to the “mad” baron and a lifetime of love.

Review:

I kind of wish I hadn’t read the Author’s note at the end of the story. I thought Miss Butterworth was okay, but after reading the note I feel bad for not liking it more. I’ll probably not rate it on Goodreads just because I don’t believe I can give an honest rating without feeling bad.

Miss Butterworth was an interesting idea, but graphic novels are a different beast than regular novels and I wasn’t a fan of how it was written. The artwork was fine, just not my cup of tea. I’m picky on that front, though.

It was cute and if you’re a fan of Julia Quinn and the Bridgerton books go ahead and pick it up, but if not I wouldn’t bother.

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The Oracle Code

The Oracle Code

The Oracle Code

By: Marieke Nijkamp

Ilustrated By: Manuel Preitano

Blurb:

After a gunshot leaves her paralyzed, Barbara Gordon enters the Arkham Center for Independence, where Gotham’s teens undergo physical and mental rehabilitation. Now using a wheelchair, Barbara must adapt to a new normal, but she cannot shake the feeling that something is dangerously amiss. Within these walls, strange sounds escape at night; patients go missing; and Barbara begins to put together pieces of what she believes to be a larger puzzle.

But is this suspicion simply a result of her trauma? Fellow patients try to connect with Barbara, but she pushes them away, and she’d rather spend time with ghost stories than participate in her daily exercises. Even Barbara’s own judgment is in question.

In The Oracle Code, universal truths cannot be escaped, and Barbara Gordon must battle the phantoms of her past before they swarm her future.

Review:

I’m a fan of the entire Bat family, but Barbra is one of my favorites. The story reminded me some of Gwenda Bond’s Lois Lane stories, in that Babs is strong and modern and all around badass.

Babs has just had her accident putting her in a wheelchair. In this version she isn’t Batgirl yet, or possibly ever, but also isn’t yet Oracle. She’s a hacker. Her strong desire to help those in need is there as well. Still, she’s dealing with the aftermath of her accident and trying to figure out if she’s still the same person.

I thought the super creepy bedtime stories paired with the equally creepy art was fun. Which is odd cause I am not a fan of horror at all.

What I loved most about the story was that the girls were able to take down the bad guys on their own. They weren’t defeated by their disability, they were just as capable as before.

4/5