Aya

Aya by Marguerite Abouet is about teenage girls in the IvoryCoast of West Africa in the 70's. The main character, Aya, is very studious. Her two friends, Adjoua and Bintou, are much less interested in their schooling. They spend most of their time going out drinking and chasing men. When Adjoua gets pregnant, everything plunges into chaos.

Aya is not actually the center of the story. Most of the dramatic things happen to Bintou and Adjoua. Hell, even Aya's father has a more dramatic story involving a big beer compony. Aya acts more like the voice of reason than the center of attention.

My absolute favorite scene in the book is when Aya's father is trying to turn a luncheon with his boss into a promotion interview. It's funny how he completely sucks up to his boss, and his boss loves it. It is one of the funniest scenes in a graphic novel I've read in a long time.

The art in Aya is very French looking. Some might say it looks quite a bit like the Rabbi's Cat. The characters look like they were drawn by Johann Sfar, especially when it comes to their eyes. I really like the way that the markets and plazas are drawn in Aya. You cannot take one look at them and not think Africa.

There are some words used in this book that are native to the region  that the book takes place in. Luckily for us, there is a glossary in the back of the book so that you don't have to look up words on the Internet. And for all you food lovers, there are two recipes behind the glossary, as well as a tutorial of how to tie a pagne (a head scarf or skirt).

I don't think Aya is appropriate for all ages. There are strong mentions of sexual activity. I think it's more tame than Low Moon, but still pretty out there. If you are a parent, I would suggest that you proof read the Aya before you give it to a younger reader. All inappropriateness aside, Aya is a great book. I would give Aya 9 pregnant teens out of ten.

  

Ares Bringer of War

Ares Bringer of War is the seventh book in a series about the Greek gods by George O'Connor. It follows the gods as they watch the events of the Trojan war. I have to admit, the book started off a little slow. There was way too much narration, which I am not a fan of. The narrator started off explaining the difference between Ares and Athena, both Greek gods of war. Then he talked about what it's like when a soldier is possessed by Ares in the heat of battle. One thing I did like about this beginning is the depiction of the ancient Greek battles, and Ares fighting in the middle of it all.

It started to pick up for me once the prologue was finished. There was a lot less explaining who Ares was and a lot more showing what was happening to Ares. I like that.

My favorite scene in the book is when Athena blesses King Argo with divine strength. During King Argo's godly rampage, Aphrodite reaches down from the heavens to save one of her demigod children from King Argo's wrath, but he stabs her through the arm and continues with his bloody work. I like this scene because it is the first time in the series that we learn that the gods can be wounded by mortals. It makes them more relatable.

The art in this is one of my favorite things about the book. The characters are beautiful and the landscapes are epic in proportion. The noses of the characters are very specifically drawn. I have never seen noses drawn the way they are in this book. They look like upside down shields.

I personally think that Ares Bringer of War is pretty PG. The violence is not very bloody, there are no sexual innuendos, and the language is clean as a whistle. I would definitely recommend that you read Ares Bringer of War if you happen to find it in your local bookstore. If you find the other Olympians books, you should get them as well I would give Ares Bringer of War 6 vicious hoplites out of ten.  

This review was part of the Ares Bringer of War Blog Tour. If you want to see other reviews, click on this link.