Reviews - The Graphic Library

Like a butterfly vol 1 by suu morishita

11/16/2023

Cover of Like a Butterfly volume 1. Suiren is in her school uniform of a suit jacket and tie. Her long blonde hair falls around her. She has a surprised expression. A butterfly flits above her head.

Suiren is a beautiful, mysterious young girl starting high school and the object of many young men’s crushes. She’s quiet, mysterious, and keeps to herself often. They liken her and nickname her “mysterious flower” because of her beauty and aloofness. One day, shy but tough Kawasumi stands up for her against several bullies, and she finds herself smitten. Kawasumi’s problem mirrors Suiren’s - he doesn’t know how to talk to girls, while Suiren doesn’t know how to talk to boys without sending them into emotional tizzies. The two bounce off each other in various high school situations - class field trips, navigating other students having crushes on them - and they might start to drift closer to one another as they realize a mutual attraction.

Secrets of the Silent Witch vol 1 By Matsuri Isora

11/10/2023

Cover of Secrets of the Silent Witch volume 1

Illustrated by Tobi Tana and Nanna Fujimi

Booklist review

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 8-12

Publisher: Yen Press
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9781975365301 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Fantasy, Mental Health, School Life, Yen Press

Unordinary vol 1 by uru-chan

10/30/2023

Cover of unOrdinary volume 1. John and Seraphina are standing in front of their school in their school uniform. Sera has purple gears coming out of her hands and her blue eyes are glowing. John is standing with his hands in his pockets and has a book tucked in his arm.

John is a powerless teen at a private school in a world where everyone has a power. He's determined to do well and study hard, and he's particularly determined to keep his head down as he's a target for high-power bullies. But, he often finds himself in the infirmary after standing up for folks who can fight back or for mouthing off to someone with more power than him. Good thing that his best friend is Seraphina, one of the most powerful kids in school. There are some strange things happening around in the community, though. Someone is murdering high powered superheroes and tracking even high schoolers who are overpowered. And Sera comes under fire when school officials find her with a copy of a banned book, so now he's without his loyal protector. Will it be the school that finally breaks him, or will it be his secret past finally catching up with him?

Insomniacs after school vol 2 by makoto ojiro

10/27/2023

Cover of Insomniacs after school volume 2. Nakami and Magari are standing on water that's reflecting the starry sky above them. They're in their school uniforms. Magari is holding her skirt up and smiling. Nakami has one hand in his pocket and the other is pushing up his glasses. He is sort of frowning.

The Astronomy Club needs to start holding events and doing actual club activities, but first, they need ideas and some funds. The club advisor suggests Nakami and Magari travel to a small town and visit with past Astronomy Club alumna, Yui Shiromaru, who is an award-winning astrophotographer, and who may be able to provide some guidance with Nakami’s budding hobby and make it lucrative for the club. Meanwhile. Nakami and Magari separately explore their feelings for their friend and try to decide whether the safe haven they have created has begun to blossom into a crush. Towards the end, the grade-level goes on a field trip to a famous beach, and the two hope to sneak away to capture their award-winning photo, but the constant storms and cloud-cover, plus watchful chaperones, might ruin their plan.

The darwin incident vol 1 by Shun Umezawa

10/25/2023

Cover of The Darwin Incident volume 1. Charlie is hanging off the torch of the Statue of Liberty. He's in khakis and a t-shirt. In one hand he has a cell phone and it looks like he's casually scrolling on his phone. Behind him is the skyscraper skyline of New York City and the Hudson River.

Charlie just wants to attend a normal high school and get a normal education, but Charlie's main problem is - he's not normal! Charlie is the world's first ever Humanzee! Born in a California lab 15 years ago then freed by the ALA -- The Animal Liberation Allliance -- Charlie has been trying to live a quiet life with his mom and dad in a small town in the Midwest, but all that changes when the ALA sets its sights on Charlie once again. When the ALA begins executing violent attacks in cities across the nation, folks start to wonder if it's safe for Charlie -- and for their own children -- for him to try to be a normal teenager.

The golden sheep vol 3 by Kaori Ozaki

10/20/2023

Cover of The Golden Sheep volume 3. Tsugu and Sora are both smiling and have their coats and sweaters on, both with bright colors. Tsugu has a bright green puffy jacket with a blue and white striped sweater. Her golden hair is flowing in the wind. Sora has a white coat and a red sweater on. Both are staring at something in the distance that is making them smile and laugh.

Asari is on the receiving end of the bullying she wrought upon Tsugu when she first came back into town, and she does not enjoy the taste of her own medicine. Tsugu, Sora, and Yuushin all stay at the restaurant after the boxing exam since Yuushin rescued a kitten, reminding them all of childhood sleepovers. In the morning, Tsugu goes to a studio where her Pop is working to play her guitar with him, but receives some devastating news about her family dynamic. The friends finally travel back and reconnect back at the base of the Golden Sheep and regain some closure by digging up their time capsule.

Wistoria: wand and sword vol 1 by fujino omori

10/5/2023

Cover of Wistoria: Wand and sword volume 1. Will is swinging a sword towards us and it is cover in blue flame. His intense red eyes are tracking us. His flowing black cape billows behind him.

Illustrated by Toshi Aoi

Will is a No-Talent student attending Regarden Magical Academy and hoping one day to become part of the Magia Vander. He can’t cast a single spell, but he isn’t talent-less - rather, he is exceptionally skilled at the sword, and he has gotten as far as he has by beating monsters in the dungeon below the school, and by studying relentlessly so that he can pass all of his written exams. Despite his skills, most of Will’s classmates and professors refuse to accept a No-talent among their ranks, and they test him and bully him frequently. One such occasion comes within the dungeons as Will’s classmate, Sion, tries to eliminate a dangerous beast before Will and deprive him of the prize credits. In another turn, a professor challenges will to land a single offensive strike. Will constantly must prove that he is worthy of his place at Regarden and achieve his dreams at his friend's side in the highest place of their magical society.

The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls vol 1 By Suzu Akeko

8/31/2023

Cover of Book review: The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls volume 1

Booklist review

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

Publisher: Yen Press
Publication Date: August 29, 2023
ISBN: 9781975365066 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, School Life, Supernatural, Yen Press

oshi no ko vol 2 by aka akasaka

7/30/2023

Cover of Oshi no Ko volume 2. Ruby is smiling and holding her hand above her forehead in a peace sign. She has blue gloves on. Her left eye has a white star pupil in it. She's wearing a pink dress with a pink ribbon on the collar.

Illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari

The twins are about to begin school at a prestigious academy for teens who are part of Japan’s entertainment industry, but in order to do so, they need to contracted entertainers. Ruby is determined to become an idol, but Aqua wants to protect her from that devastating industry. To help keep away from predatory agencies, Aqua convinces their adoptive mother, Miyako, to sign Ruby to Strawberry Productions as their first idol since Ai. Aqua’s contract comes from his constant mentor, Director Gotanda. Once they begin school, Aqua reconnects with Kana Arima, the genius child actor he starred alongside in volume one. She once again wants Aqua to join her on screen, this time for a campy tv drama where the studio is pushing male models and ruining her career. From this roll, Aqua now finds himself a reluctant contestant on a dating show!

Jujutsu kaisen vol 0 by gege akutami

7/15/2023

Cover of Jujutsu Kaisen volume 0. Yuka, a young man with short, black hair, is holding a sword at us and holding a young girl to him who is hugging him. She's wearing a black dress.

Yuka Okkotsu wants nothing more than to be left alone, yet school bullies still single him out and suffer terrible consequences. Yuka has a Special Grade Cursed Spirit attached to him — the spirit of his childhood sweetheart, Rika — who will protect Yuka with lethal force. Jujutsu High teacher Gojo discovers Yuka and brings him into the fold of Jujutsu sorcerers, hoping Yuka can wield the cursed spirit to the advantage of the sorcerers, but also hopes Yuka can discover his true nature in this world of curses. Once at Jujutsu High, Yuka meets Toge Inumaki, Maki Zenin, and Panda, other first years who have varied reasons for wanting to become Jujutsu sorcerers.