Customer Reviews

Twelve Reasons Why I Love Her

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tear tracks are still staining my stupid face as I write this review. If you start reading this book, you will likely read it in one sitting. While I was still in the malaise and intoxication of emotion, this question came to my mind: How do I write a review to encourage others to read this book?

Universality - 5 out of 5 stars
Recommendability to a friend - 5 out of 5 stars
Creativity - 5 out of 5 stars
Unformulaicness - 5 out of 5 stars
Visual beauty - 5 out of 5 stars
Insightfulness - 5 out of 5 stars

I scan through several hundred comics every month in Previews, trying to decide what to buy. This cover & title jumped out at me. While I am not a regular reader of this graphic novel genre, this design was compelling, and I ordered the book. I am writing this review with one hand behind my back, because as you will understand after reading the book, I can't really review it completely without giving away the plot flow and conclusion. It would kind of be like trying to write a review about "The 6th Sense" without commenting on the fact that Bruce Willis is dead throughout most of the movie (You have seen The 6th Sense? Right? Please tell me I didn't just ruin that for you.) How do you review a book like this without disarming the artists' intended effect? Since it is a new book, I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. I apologize for the mystery. So instead of a normal review, I will just mention a couple responsive thoughts that came to mind after reading the book.

The book reveals issues that arise when a person chooses that one special person to spend the rest of their life with.

Love is sometimes an emotional and intellectual drive that inspires us beyond our initial ideas and boundaries in search of ways to create long term healthy rapport with others. Self-selected morals and boundaries that disable that drive tend to limit our ability to experience, recognize, maintain, and grow love that is often near to us.

Wow. Joelle Jones is one talented artist. "12 Reasons Why I Love Her," isn't going to win any nobel prizes, but it's a very pretty, clever and smart little graphic novel about young love, featuring the main character, Gwen. It is Jones's manifestation of the ultra feminine Gwen that really sets this book apart.

Sure, Rich's writing is worthy, and his words articulate Gwen's quick wit, intelligence, and vulnerability, adding substantilly to her compelling feminine appeal. And the writing seems to mesh very nicely with Jones's drawings.

Yet there can be no doubt that Joelle Jones's images of Gwen are the powerful "Je ne sais quoi" behind this books's ability to captivate. Having said that I wonder if it's no coincidence that all of the four reviewers so far have been males. Gwen is the kind of woman with whom that crude little voice in the back of the male brain says quite uncharacteristically, "I'd really like to take a bath with this girl."

So, if you are a romantic and/or an artist of either gender, do yourself a little favor and get yourself a copy. And check out Joelle Jones's website. I was very pleased to find that her wonderful art is readily accessible, including images from "12 Reasons."

Another great Original Graphic Novel from ONI: I ordered this book after a full chapter was previewed on several comic books sites and I don't regret it.
Each of the 12 chapters of the book cover an important scene in the relationship between the two main characters. The realistic dialogs written by Jamie Rich and the emotions carried by Joelle Jones' art make all of these scenes special.
An excellent book for people who like to "piece of life" stories.

I loved the book. It's a very personal look into the lives of the two young lovers, but also leaves some hanging. Jumped around a lot and tells the story out of chronological order, but it's always fun to go back and pick up the minor details you missed the first time. i recommend it. Oh, and I LOVE Joelle Jones' art.

I decided to pick up this title after hearing it on Indie Spinner Rack's "Best of 2006", (Indie Spinner Rack is a free podcast about inependent comics). My expectations were high and anticipation grew as I tracked by widget I grew ecstatic as I saw my package delivered to my door. I raced home after work and tore my package open and read it Jamie Rich's new graphic novel with aplomb only to be disappointed.

After getting to the end I was disappointed feeling disjointed I put it down.

I decided to begin again and try over. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. "Twelve Reasons I Love Her" is a fantastic graphic novel, with deep characterizations, you can see why the main character falls in love. And like any great art, it helps you understand the world within you.