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Needle and Thread
Choosing between living the life you want and living the life you're “supposed to have� is not always an easy choice. Noah, embracing his true-self, wants to pursue a career in costume design, something his loving, public service parents would never approve of. Azarie, the perfect, model daughter of a very stern, traditional family, dreams of embracing the hobbies she secretly loves, hobbies her social circle would never abide by.
The two live different lives and their social statuses keep them from ever crossing paths until they have a chance encounter that exposes some common ground: the desire to be who they truly are. Together, the two set out to put it all on the line and show everyone what they're made of and what they want to achieve in the form of cosplay. Their growing friendship will be tested and their faith in themselves, as well as each other, will be tried.
Up-and-coming writer David Pinckney (Fight Like a Girl) and first-time graphic novel artist Ennun Ana Iurov introduce a coming-of-age yarn about self-discovery, resilience, and the enduring power of having a person believe in you.
The two live different lives and their social statuses keep them from ever crossing paths until they have a chance encounter that exposes some common ground: the desire to be who they truly are. Together, the two set out to put it all on the line and show everyone what they're made of and what they want to achieve in the form of cosplay. Their growing friendship will be tested and their faith in themselves, as well as each other, will be tried.
Up-and-coming writer David Pinckney (Fight Like a Girl) and first-time graphic novel artist Ennun Ana Iurov introduce a coming-of-age yarn about self-discovery, resilience, and the enduring power of having a person believe in you.
200 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2021
6 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
August 22, 2021
The story of a middle class boy who wants to be a costume designer and a rich girl who wants to be an actress. Neither of their parents will listen and leave their career choices up to them. So they band together to do cosplay. This is a very much a story for tweens. There's whole chapter that is just drawn pictures of a phone being held while the characters text among each other. I found this infuriating. Comics are supposed to be a mix of story and art. Lets talk about the art. To put it mildly it's not good. The artist can't draw noises so she just punts on them. No one gets a nose. Only a little bump out if they are in side profile. There are some great elements about friendship and middle school readers will probably like this a lot.
Received a review copy from Mad Cave Studios and NetGalley.
Received a review copy from Mad Cave Studios and NetGalley.
July 14, 2021
This turned out to be better than I had expected!
Story:
This is a sweet little story of passion and dreams. There are so many cute things about this book. It was great to see a book show a boy, and a straight one at that, interested in clothes and sewing. Azarie too broke the stereotype by reading comics and being interested in cosplay. I also loved how she was portrayed with freckles all over her body; it was a pleasure to see something so realistic. What I also appreciated was the lack of a romantic connection between Azarie and Noah. Theirs is a story about friendship and it stays that way, unlike so many other books that force a romantic subplot even when a platonic relationship would have been fine. Hiroki, Noah’s best friend, is a fabulous secondary character and brings the perfect amount of joviality and loyalty to the story.
The graphics are good. Some of the panels seemed a bit sketchy, but overall, I enjoyed the illustrations. They weren’t too cramped, and the storyline progressed well through the panels.
The book puts across a clear message of “Be what you want to be, not what everyone says you should be.� It will certainly resonate with readers. The only issue could be that the book is predictable. As an adult, I could easily guess where the story was going and I might have rated it a 4. But as its target audience is teenagers, I need to view the book from their perspective and I think they’ll really connect with Noah and Azarie and their struggles to fit in, to follow their dreams, and to keep up their social image. So regardless of the predictability, I still think the book does a great job in entertaining and educating its main readers.
Thank you, NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
***
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Story:
Noah, a school senior, wants to make a career as a costume designer and hence wishes to join a visual arts academy but his parents are opposed to it. Though they are great parents, they feel that it’s not a suitable career for a boy and want him to choose something nobler and socially worthy.
Azarie is the local mayor’s daughter. Coming from a prominent family means that she has to constantly maintain her social image as the perfect daughter of a successful politician. She dreams of being an actress and finding more like-minded friends but her dad crushes both ideas in order to maintain his standing in public so that he can be re-elected.
The story tells us of their efforts to fulfil their dreams.
This is a sweet little story of passion and dreams. There are so many cute things about this book. It was great to see a book show a boy, and a straight one at that, interested in clothes and sewing. Azarie too broke the stereotype by reading comics and being interested in cosplay. I also loved how she was portrayed with freckles all over her body; it was a pleasure to see something so realistic. What I also appreciated was the lack of a romantic connection between Azarie and Noah. Theirs is a story about friendship and it stays that way, unlike so many other books that force a romantic subplot even when a platonic relationship would have been fine. Hiroki, Noah’s best friend, is a fabulous secondary character and brings the perfect amount of joviality and loyalty to the story.
The graphics are good. Some of the panels seemed a bit sketchy, but overall, I enjoyed the illustrations. They weren’t too cramped, and the storyline progressed well through the panels.
The book puts across a clear message of “Be what you want to be, not what everyone says you should be.� It will certainly resonate with readers. The only issue could be that the book is predictable. As an adult, I could easily guess where the story was going and I might have rated it a 4. But as its target audience is teenagers, I need to view the book from their perspective and I think they’ll really connect with Noah and Azarie and their struggles to fit in, to follow their dreams, and to keep up their social image. So regardless of the predictability, I still think the book does a great job in entertaining and educating its main readers.
Thank you, NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
***
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April 16, 2022
4/5stars
*ARC provided by the publisher!
This was such a cute story of friendship! I honestly really liked that there was no romantic interests in this story, it was entirely about friendship and who your real friends are and being yourself.
We follow a boy who wants to go to college for sewing and a girl who wants to be an actress, but neither of their family support what they want to do, so they band together to make costumes together and go to a convention costume party.
I think this would be very relatable and interesting to read for anyone who didn't have parents who supported what they wanted to do in college, or struggled with finding themselves as a young adult.
*ARC provided by the publisher!
This was such a cute story of friendship! I honestly really liked that there was no romantic interests in this story, it was entirely about friendship and who your real friends are and being yourself.
We follow a boy who wants to go to college for sewing and a girl who wants to be an actress, but neither of their family support what they want to do, so they band together to make costumes together and go to a convention costume party.
I think this would be very relatable and interesting to read for anyone who didn't have parents who supported what they wanted to do in college, or struggled with finding themselves as a young adult.
November 27, 2021
The artstyle is not for me. There's substance in the plot. Hip and happening. But I feel the connection is just not there for me.
June 5, 2021
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Needle and Thread in exchange for an honest review.
This was really cute! Needle and thread follows two high schoolers: an outcast sewer who's parents refuse to acknowledge his dreams of becoming a fashion designer and the popular 'it' girl who's politician father pressures to keep her comic book & acting inspirations hidden. It was really fun to watch the two come together and use their own talents to bolster the other person and all in all while these kinds of stories aren't unique by any means, this was still a quick, uplifting read.
This was really cute! Needle and thread follows two high schoolers: an outcast sewer who's parents refuse to acknowledge his dreams of becoming a fashion designer and the popular 'it' girl who's politician father pressures to keep her comic book & acting inspirations hidden. It was really fun to watch the two come together and use their own talents to bolster the other person and all in all while these kinds of stories aren't unique by any means, this was still a quick, uplifting read.
December 31, 2021
I’m obviously not the target audience here, but while there were elements of the story I really liked (sewing and comic cons), there was just too much that I did not like. The artwork just did not work for me, the unsupportive parents (particularly Azarie’s dad whose villainy was cartoonish) were a bit much, and the ultra-mean popular girls were way too cliché.
July 17, 2021
Needle and Thread is a great story about a young man's dream to create costumes and a young woman's dream to follow her own heart.
This story took a bit for me to get into, but once I finally got captured it was all or nothing. I seriously loved the story line of following these high schoolers and seeing them develop. They all have difficult journeys they have to make, but all of them geek out together, learn, grow and make epic cosplay costumes! The illustrations were a little weird to me at first, but they grow on you too. This is just an excellent story of art, friendship and personal growth.
This is a real winner for me!
Three out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
This story took a bit for me to get into, but once I finally got captured it was all or nothing. I seriously loved the story line of following these high schoolers and seeing them develop. They all have difficult journeys they have to make, but all of them geek out together, learn, grow and make epic cosplay costumes! The illustrations were a little weird to me at first, but they grow on you too. This is just an excellent story of art, friendship and personal growth.
This is a real winner for me!
Three out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
June 27, 2021
Needle & Thread tells the story of two high schoolers on the opposite ends of the social spectrum who both have extravagant goals for their life after high school. Noah is an artist who dreams of designing costumes and fashion, however, his parents expect him to go into a more "respectable" career. Azarie is a girl who dreams of becoming an actress, but she feels held down by the expectations of her peers and parents to be a perfect, socially acceptable girl.
They find an unlikely friendship when Noah discovers Azarie's love for comics and cosplay, and they work together to make each others' dreams come true all while making friends and growing up.
This story was enjoyable but pretty generic. It's the tale of teams rebelling against their parents and social norms, and this story follows the same plotline that most of these tales do. There were definitely moments where I didn't understand relationships or character motivations, but it is also a 200-page story, so I may have been expecting too much. There were also plot points that seemed not fully fleshed out or just unnecessary; in such a short book, it's unfortunate to have needless fluff taking up so much space.
I do have to say: the art style is fucking gorgeous. I wholeheartedly recommend this if you are someone who thrives off of beautiful art styles and unique characters. I was drawn in to start by the character design, and I was blown away by the talent displayed on these pages.
I would definitely not recommend you read this digitally. It was very hard to read the text as it was incredibly small, and it was not easy to zoom in or enhance the book. The colors popped when I read this on my computer, however, unless you wish to be hunched over your laptop gazing straight into your screen, pick this one up physically.
Overall, it was a cute story, but I'm not entirely sure I would recommend it. I think there are many other books that deliver the same message in a much more effective format. 3/5
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts are my own.
They find an unlikely friendship when Noah discovers Azarie's love for comics and cosplay, and they work together to make each others' dreams come true all while making friends and growing up.
This story was enjoyable but pretty generic. It's the tale of teams rebelling against their parents and social norms, and this story follows the same plotline that most of these tales do. There were definitely moments where I didn't understand relationships or character motivations, but it is also a 200-page story, so I may have been expecting too much. There were also plot points that seemed not fully fleshed out or just unnecessary; in such a short book, it's unfortunate to have needless fluff taking up so much space.
I do have to say: the art style is fucking gorgeous. I wholeheartedly recommend this if you are someone who thrives off of beautiful art styles and unique characters. I was drawn in to start by the character design, and I was blown away by the talent displayed on these pages.
I would definitely not recommend you read this digitally. It was very hard to read the text as it was incredibly small, and it was not easy to zoom in or enhance the book. The colors popped when I read this on my computer, however, unless you wish to be hunched over your laptop gazing straight into your screen, pick this one up physically.
Overall, it was a cute story, but I'm not entirely sure I would recommend it. I think there are many other books that deliver the same message in a much more effective format. 3/5
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts are my own.
July 11, 2021
I received an eARC copy from Diamond Book Distributors and Maverick via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
On the most overwhelming crossroad in life, two teenagers face judgement and disagreement with their personal choices. Noah, an aspiring costume designer, struggles with making his parents understand that art and sewing are his passion and that, no matter how young he is, no matter how much he has yet to comprehend, he knows this is his path in life. Azarie, a picture-perfect politician's daughter who cannot be seen with just anyone who does not belong to her father's milieu, fights with keeping up the appearance in the public eye and her dedication to becoming an actress.
This charming graphic novel talks about finding one's true call in life and finding support on that journey. Both Noah and Azarie, although coming from different backgrounds, managed to find some common ground, appreciate each other's passion, and push each other forward, growing stronger and more determined. They both succeeded in stepping out of the shadows and emerging as valuable and opinionated people, real grown-ups.
The expressiveness of the artistic illustrations matches the story and its positive message perfectly. The panel showing Azarie in a gorgeous green costume hand-made by Noah was, in my opinion, the highlight of the entire plot. And that very panel displays a triumph as well, a victory after all the obstacles these two teenagers faced on their way to success.
However, I did find Needle and Thread to be too generic and predictive. It is a cute story that delivers a powerful message, no question about that. But I could have guessed what's going to happen next, and that was quite off-putting.
Needle and Thread is an inspiring graphic novel for everyone unsure about their passions and interests, as it screams from the bottom of its lungs: "GO FOR IT!"
On the most overwhelming crossroad in life, two teenagers face judgement and disagreement with their personal choices. Noah, an aspiring costume designer, struggles with making his parents understand that art and sewing are his passion and that, no matter how young he is, no matter how much he has yet to comprehend, he knows this is his path in life. Azarie, a picture-perfect politician's daughter who cannot be seen with just anyone who does not belong to her father's milieu, fights with keeping up the appearance in the public eye and her dedication to becoming an actress.
This charming graphic novel talks about finding one's true call in life and finding support on that journey. Both Noah and Azarie, although coming from different backgrounds, managed to find some common ground, appreciate each other's passion, and push each other forward, growing stronger and more determined. They both succeeded in stepping out of the shadows and emerging as valuable and opinionated people, real grown-ups.
The expressiveness of the artistic illustrations matches the story and its positive message perfectly. The panel showing Azarie in a gorgeous green costume hand-made by Noah was, in my opinion, the highlight of the entire plot. And that very panel displays a triumph as well, a victory after all the obstacles these two teenagers faced on their way to success.
However, I did find Needle and Thread to be too generic and predictive. It is a cute story that delivers a powerful message, no question about that. But I could have guessed what's going to happen next, and that was quite off-putting.
Needle and Thread is an inspiring graphic novel for everyone unsure about their passions and interests, as it screams from the bottom of its lungs: "GO FOR IT!"
July 12, 2021
A YA graphic novel about the struggles of high school life, meeting your family's expectations and how they might not be what you want, planning for the future and college. We follow two teenagers, both are unable to pursue their dreams after high school (one wants to study fashion, and the other is interested in acting and cosplaying) because of their parents and social constraints, and how they manage to help each other realise those dreams.
The art was nice, and the chapter pages were certainly my favourites. Some of the story lines were rushed, but it was a very enjoyable experience. I would recommend it.
I thank Netgalley for the digital ARC
The art was nice, and the chapter pages were certainly my favourites. Some of the story lines were rushed, but it was a very enjoyable experience. I would recommend it.
I thank Netgalley for the digital ARC
June 23, 2021
"Needle and Thread" is about a "typical popular girl" and a "typical nerd boy" who discover that they are more alike than it seems.
The book is a nice, quick read and I enjoyed the story.
The comic speaks of family expectations, friendship and how hard it can be to be true to yourself and your passions. The art style is not exactly my favorite, but I'm glad I got to read the comic.
The book is a nice, quick read and I enjoyed the story.
The comic speaks of family expectations, friendship and how hard it can be to be true to yourself and your passions. The art style is not exactly my favorite, but I'm glad I got to read the comic.
January 12, 2023
I never write reviews but I’m going to for this book because I hate it so much.
The art: not good. I’m not that picky when it comes to level of artistic ability in comics, but this was so bad it took me out of the story. The characters do not have a consistent style together or even just as individuals from frame to frame. The characters don’t have noses which looks odd with the rest of the design. It’s not just an issue of a bad panel or two: look up the book and you can see this issue in all the panels that come up. The backgrounds look fine, it’s just the characters that look awful.
The plot: not good. I think I may be out of the age range for this book—I thought since it was about 17/18 year olds I would still enjoy it as a 20 year old, but I think this would be best for 11 or 12 year olds. The message is very disney channel original movie: it’s okay to have interests that are slightly different than the norm!!! There is nothing new or interesting. It’s hard to believe that the issues the book poses (like Noah is being criticized for wanting to sew professionally) because they are portrayed in an over the top, unrealistic way. Noah is specifically given an assignment that forces him to share his secret career goals? What kind of assignment is that? And then seemingly all of his classmates start criticizing him. Maybe if Noah had said he wanted to be a professional juggler I could imagine that reaction, but sewing and fashion is a normal field that people know exists. And then his friend seems to push him to not go to art school? Why??? I’ve never met a high schooler who would do that. Even if they thought that in their head, they still would support their friend! The story lacks depth and seemingly tries to make up for it by creating unrealistic scenarios in which the character faces an obvious obstacle.
Coloring and lettering were fine.
I hate this book so much.
The art: not good. I’m not that picky when it comes to level of artistic ability in comics, but this was so bad it took me out of the story. The characters do not have a consistent style together or even just as individuals from frame to frame. The characters don’t have noses which looks odd with the rest of the design. It’s not just an issue of a bad panel or two: look up the book and you can see this issue in all the panels that come up. The backgrounds look fine, it’s just the characters that look awful.
The plot: not good. I think I may be out of the age range for this book—I thought since it was about 17/18 year olds I would still enjoy it as a 20 year old, but I think this would be best for 11 or 12 year olds. The message is very disney channel original movie: it’s okay to have interests that are slightly different than the norm!!! There is nothing new or interesting. It’s hard to believe that the issues the book poses (like Noah is being criticized for wanting to sew professionally) because they are portrayed in an over the top, unrealistic way. Noah is specifically given an assignment that forces him to share his secret career goals? What kind of assignment is that? And then seemingly all of his classmates start criticizing him. Maybe if Noah had said he wanted to be a professional juggler I could imagine that reaction, but sewing and fashion is a normal field that people know exists. And then his friend seems to push him to not go to art school? Why??? I’ve never met a high schooler who would do that. Even if they thought that in their head, they still would support their friend! The story lacks depth and seemingly tries to make up for it by creating unrealistic scenarios in which the character faces an obvious obstacle.
Coloring and lettering were fine.
I hate this book so much.
July 1, 2022
I thought this graphic novel was a cute YA story, albeit cliche. I really liked the art style and the use of the texts and phone messages to convey the story since social media and phones are very important communications for teens.
The biggest gripes I had were with the story itself. Azarie's parents and friend's issue with her expressing herself seemed very trivial and unrealistic. Like how is a teenage girl being into cosplay, essentially just dressing up, an issue that could ruin an election?? The author could have added more weight to her storyline to make it more realistic.
The biggest gripes I had were with the story itself. Azarie's parents and friend's issue with her expressing herself seemed very trivial and unrealistic. Like how is a teenage girl being into cosplay, essentially just dressing up, an issue that could ruin an election?? The author could have added more weight to her storyline to make it more realistic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2021
"Right now I have nothing. I’m starting from zero, and I don’t know what else to do except trying to be myself."
What an exceptional coming-to-age story!
We follow Azarie and Noah, two teenagers who want nothing but to be themselves. Azarie is the daughter of a politician, cheerleader and one of the popular girls on high school, but in secret, she wants to be an actress and she’s totally into all the geeky stuff; whilst Noah is just the kid who has a deep passion for sewing and costume design, but whose family doesn’t seem to support his passion as a career.
They have their own struggles but somehow they become friends and end up working on a secret project of their own: Azarie has always wanted to cosplay one of her favorite characters and Noah is the perfect guy to help her design her costume. They find new, more experienced friends on the field and everybody helps them with this cosplay competition.
At least, that is until reality hits them.
They’ll have to overcome their obstacles in order to be happy and content with themselves and their future.
Now, I really liked the way friendship and found families were portrayed. There is nothing like finding yourself people you can express yourself with, flaws and all. I think that at the end of the day, even if family is a big factor on who you are and who you want to be, ultimately, you just have to choose and follow the path for yourself.
You got to try to be whoever you want to be, even if the world doesn’t get it and even if you feel like you don’t belong because of it. I can assure you the world needs more people who are passionate about their interests and whatever sets their heart on fire!
I received and e-book copy in exchange for an honest review via Diamond Comic Distributors.
What an exceptional coming-to-age story!
We follow Azarie and Noah, two teenagers who want nothing but to be themselves. Azarie is the daughter of a politician, cheerleader and one of the popular girls on high school, but in secret, she wants to be an actress and she’s totally into all the geeky stuff; whilst Noah is just the kid who has a deep passion for sewing and costume design, but whose family doesn’t seem to support his passion as a career.
They have their own struggles but somehow they become friends and end up working on a secret project of their own: Azarie has always wanted to cosplay one of her favorite characters and Noah is the perfect guy to help her design her costume. They find new, more experienced friends on the field and everybody helps them with this cosplay competition.
At least, that is until reality hits them.
They’ll have to overcome their obstacles in order to be happy and content with themselves and their future.
Now, I really liked the way friendship and found families were portrayed. There is nothing like finding yourself people you can express yourself with, flaws and all. I think that at the end of the day, even if family is a big factor on who you are and who you want to be, ultimately, you just have to choose and follow the path for yourself.
You got to try to be whoever you want to be, even if the world doesn’t get it and even if you feel like you don’t belong because of it. I can assure you the world needs more people who are passionate about their interests and whatever sets their heart on fire!
I received and e-book copy in exchange for an honest review via Diamond Comic Distributors.
July 30, 2021
First of all, everything about this graphic novel is adorable. From the cute, sketch-like art to the deep friendship that grows between Noah and Azarie as they both learn to be true to themselves and stand up for what they want.
It's full of great messages for younger readers while not talking down to them, dumbing down the situations, or minimizing the difficult feelings and choices they have to face down when deciding to follow their own path.
This a book that not only deserves all the praise, it deserves to be shared with readers of all ages.
It's full of great messages for younger readers while not talking down to them, dumbing down the situations, or minimizing the difficult feelings and choices they have to face down when deciding to follow their own path.
This a book that not only deserves all the praise, it deserves to be shared with readers of all ages.
July 2, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Being yourself and doing what you love sometimes it can be difficult to be accepted by your family and friends. Noah want to follow his dream of a career in costume design but his public service parents have other dreams for him. Azarie, is your perfect popular model politician's daughter of a traditional family with a snobbish group of friends that will never accept her nerdy hidden personality. Will Noah and Azarie be able to stand for their dreams and make the others see them for who they really are?
I liked it and got interested in the story from the start, it's so true how family's expectations can become such a burden on their kids. This was so good and I hope that it will inspire a lot of teenagers for their future lives. Do what you like and be who you want to be because at the end you have this only life to enjoy. Anyway, it was a good book to read and I loved the main characters, the artwork was nice.
Being yourself and doing what you love sometimes it can be difficult to be accepted by your family and friends. Noah want to follow his dream of a career in costume design but his public service parents have other dreams for him. Azarie, is your perfect popular model politician's daughter of a traditional family with a snobbish group of friends that will never accept her nerdy hidden personality. Will Noah and Azarie be able to stand for their dreams and make the others see them for who they really are?
I liked it and got interested in the story from the start, it's so true how family's expectations can become such a burden on their kids. This was so good and I hope that it will inspire a lot of teenagers for their future lives. Do what you like and be who you want to be because at the end you have this only life to enjoy. Anyway, it was a good book to read and I loved the main characters, the artwork was nice.
July 2, 2021
I absolutely fell in love with this graphic novel from the very first frame! During this graphic novel we follow two very different people whose paths end up crossing in a way nobody would expect! The super popular cheerleader and the quietest person in school grow as they are about to graduate high school and want to pursue their dreams in college. Their dreams end up being the complete opposite of what their parents want for them but, that doesn't stop them from really going after what they wanted in life! This graphic novel teaches you to follow your dreams no matter how big or small you may think that they are! One of my favorite reads of the entire year so far!
June 8, 2021
It is a shame that there are so many books out there of parents wanting kids to follow their chosen profession, and the kids fighting back. It really tears at the heart strings. In this case, it is a young man, Noah, who wants to design costumes for movies. He loves making clothes, and gets involved with a cos-play set of friends. His parents want him to go to UCLA, but he wants to go to an art college called Stonewell Academy for the Visual Arts.
On the other side of the social devide of high school is Azarie, who wants to be an actress, but has fallen into being a popular girl, and pushing her desire away, until she realizeds that what Hoah does, designing costumes, is what she wants. So they go back to being friends.
And both sets of parents object, as to her plastic friends.
Is all of high school Mean Girls? It does seem that way. I liked the depiction of going to a convention for the first time. It is an amazing experience, and I agree that you loose all your money by going to the dealer room.
Good story.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
On the other side of the social devide of high school is Azarie, who wants to be an actress, but has fallen into being a popular girl, and pushing her desire away, until she realizeds that what Hoah does, designing costumes, is what she wants. So they go back to being friends.
And both sets of parents object, as to her plastic friends.
Is all of high school Mean Girls? It does seem that way. I liked the depiction of going to a convention for the first time. It is an amazing experience, and I agree that you loose all your money by going to the dealer room.
Good story.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
July 31, 2024
never seen anyone’s reaction to “thanks i made this� be disgust and bullying. like not saying that this story isn’t valid…i just�
the art is very cutie and stuff, but even as someone who maybe is in a similar situation to the mc in that i have a major that prob won’t make me money and my parents don’t love that and people clown me for it, i found 0 relatability in this story. also school sanctioned party for sports is crazy. like,,,,yall are in high school still, right? idk. i was excited because i love knitting and stuff and thought this would be a fun little read, but i found myself annoyed before even finishing the second chapter.
the art is very cutie and stuff, but even as someone who maybe is in a similar situation to the mc in that i have a major that prob won’t make me money and my parents don’t love that and people clown me for it, i found 0 relatability in this story. also school sanctioned party for sports is crazy. like,,,,yall are in high school still, right? idk. i was excited because i love knitting and stuff and thought this would be a fun little read, but i found myself annoyed before even finishing the second chapter.
July 11, 2023
In a world without noses, two teens in stereotypical situations that seem beyond real-life reason struggle to "be themselves" and "follow their dreams." (Insert eye-roll here. 🙄) The art was sloppy, the story was trite and predictable, I did not enjoy this graphic novel.
The art was really bothersome. It seemed to change from panel to panel, but not in a purposeful way. Sometimes it looked very manga-ish, then not so much, then a panel so sloppy, followed by a detailed glamour shot.
The art was really bothersome. It seemed to change from panel to panel, but not in a purposeful way. Sometimes it looked very manga-ish, then not so much, then a panel so sloppy, followed by a detailed glamour shot.
June 25, 2021
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog
This is a very cute and nice read. No, it doesn't break any rules or cross into new storytelling territories: it's the usual "politician's daughter has to be perfect" and "I want to do an artistic career but my parents want me to be a doctor/lawyer" tropes that never seem to get old. I've even seen that "genki Japanese sidekick BFF" in many books. But this is well done, the characters are very likable and endearing, and it was a very enjoyable read. The artwork serves the story well.Story: Noah is the son of two civil servants: a paramedic and policeman. His dream is to do costuming for movies and theater but his parents worry that won't provide a stable income and are pressing for a more traditional career . Azarie is the daughter of the mayor; he is currently up for reelection in a close race and needs her to be the perfect daughter for his upscale supporters. But Azarie secretly has loved comics all her life and hides that love behind a veneer of the all American perfect kid. When their paths cross at a comic book store downtown, Azarie sees her chance in Noah to 'come out' as a comic nerd: together they will make a cosplay outfit together.
Despite the well-worn storyline, there are some differences here. Azarie and Noah aren't going to fall in love over cosplay and instead bond as friends who can be honest. In fact, there is no romance at all - the emphasis is completely on friendships and expectations. As such, there are several side characters (Noah's and Azalie's school friends and, of course, their parents) who play important parts in the story. Most are rather cliche: the social climbing 'mean girls' cheerleaders that are azalie's friends and Noah's "devil-may-care" best friend. Even the parents felt rather unoriginal: Noah's super sweet parents vs. Azalia's uptight mayor father and overachieving but patient lawyer wife. We have seen these archetypes many times.
And yet...there is a heart at this story that is touching and makes you want to read it through to the end. From the quirky cosplay club to the outrageous English teacher. It's a lot of fun and the artwork adds to that feel. The illustration work is clean but reminiscent of old school 1960s Sunday comics (the cover is a good representation of the style). The characters look fun and you just like them instantly. Because of that, it's easier not to think of Azalie as an idiot for having friends like she did or Noah for not having a more serious conversation with his laidback parents.
In all, I really recommend this. The cosplay angle gives it more relevance to the modern teen and the story is enjoyable enough that the messages never overpower it or become intrusive. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
June 23, 2021
I thought this book was super cute. I'm glad netgalley allowed me to read it ahead of publication. It had great character development, not only with the two main characters, but also the side characters. I thought it was a good impression of how it's important to chase your dreams, and that you need to surround yourself with people who will support you rather than tear you down. The art style was also beautiful, I liked the sketchiness of the lines. All in all, this was a super fast and easy read that I related to in ways I didn't expect.
September 3, 2021
Young people are so often pushed to be something that they don’t want to be. Whether it’s to follow in the footsteps of a family member or to choose a “career with a future� or whatever. It’s hard to be young, especially when you feel like you don’t have any control over your own future.
Needle & Thread tackles exactly that as two completely different teens try to navigate high school, their futures, and family that wants them to be someone they’re not.
Young people will find a lot of relatable themes in this story and certainly be able to see bits of themselves in it. A solid YA graphic novel worth checking out.
Needle & Thread tackles exactly that as two completely different teens try to navigate high school, their futures, and family that wants them to be someone they’re not.
Young people will find a lot of relatable themes in this story and certainly be able to see bits of themselves in it. A solid YA graphic novel worth checking out.
January 18, 2022
I could see teens really liking this. I got frustrated reading this because the parents SUCKED so hard. Illustrations were sweet though and I liked the friendship (?) even if it was a little weird and one sided at times.
February 11, 2022
More like 2.5, the parents just got on my nerves too much and so did Az's friends.
May 22, 2022
Actual Rating: 3.5
September 7, 2022
This was hard at first to get into. I put it away, and picked it back up and couldn't put it down.
December 11, 2022
A good story on giving the positive message and shining the light on being truthful to oneself and their dreams.
November 29, 2022
This book was AMAZING. Normally I don't finish books in a short period but I finished the book within a few hours of me receiving it but I am kind of upset that Azarie and Noah never started dating.
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