Alex Sanchez (1)Recensioni

This is a story that could have been really cool, but unfortunately is dragged down by a lot of different aspects. The writing is weak and incredibly stilted. The water theme is overplayed and nearly every page features some sort of water/ocean quip that feels forced. Dialogue just lacks any charisma or creativity; if feels like I’m reading a hasty draft for a fanfic. I know artwork is fairly subjective, but I thought the art style was weirdly cartoony. Body shapes looked distorted, and facial expressions were often just WEIRD.
Finally, the plot is just lackluster. It’s basic. It offers nothing fresh or exciting, which is annoying because it COULD have been such a fun story! I guess it was kinda funny at points, but that was just me laughing at the bad writing. Oh, and the Big Bad character? The one they make a huge deal about coming? Yeah, this character NEVER shows up.

CW: a whole lotta homophobia from the antagonist in here, so be warned

Oh hey Aqualad!! (I mean technically...)

Anyhow - what an unexpectedly sweet story about love and friendship and coming out. I loved the colors here (though at times some of the panels confused me as they would switch angles suddenly) and enjoyed how clueless Jake is (seriously he's narrating how great it is to have a friend like Maria who is putting moves on him constantly and every panel is her frustration at his complete obliviousness).

Honestly though we could have done without the bullies - Jake had more than enough to deal with between Maria, his college application, Kenny, his mom and his burgeoning powers. Dude didn't need homophonic bullies too.

This book follows a high-school boy named Diego as he goes through probation following an assault at school. Throughout probation, he works through the root cause of his anger, focusing in on childhood trauma and his coping methods.

While I am not a therapist and cannot vouch for the effectiveness or safety of the methods used in this book on healing from trauma, it really hit at my emotions. Diego has quite a bit of character growth throughout the story and quickly becomes someone you want to root for. His internalized homophobia is not something that is supported throughout the book and presented as one of the areas of growth for him. While his healing felt incredibly fast, it still felt real and personal. I did take off a star because of the unrealistic speed of his recovery, specifically surrounding his confrontation with his mom and how that was handled.

This is my first Alex Sanchez read and I will definitely be picking up more of Alex Sanchez's books.

TW: child sexual assault, self harm, assault, homophobia½

An awful lot of melodrama, and characters that fit archetypes. But maybe I'm looking at it through the rose-tinted glasses of hindsight. I have a hard time thinking this would be groundbreaking, but it might have been ahead of the curve of young adult gay fiction. I had certainly seen its cover as a babygay, around the time I came out. I guess that's why I bought it when a shopowner recommended it in a gay London bookshop a few years ago. (Like many other things, it's been sitting on my bookshelf since then looking at me forlornly.)

A nice read but I'm definitely too old for it.

Such a sweet, beautiful story on a kore muted superhero scale.

Okay I loved this book. I loved everything about it. The characters were wonderful. I loved the plot of the story. The story moved nicely and wasn't to fast or to slow. I hope there will be more stories with these characters.

Two stars, down from the original five I gave it in 2017. In 2017, I thought this book approached its themes seriously and quite well. Now, five years later...Das_Sporking reviews books and fanfictions, and has different things they count. "Symbolic Dreams of Symbolism" is a count for super unrealistic dreams that of course do something for the plot or characterization in a hammy way, especially if they're recurring. This book had quite a bit of those for pages at a time. The dream was in the form of being chased by a shark and was...Symbolic Dreams of Symbolism, indeed. Another count Das_sporking has is "How do you do, fellow kids?" which is of an adult author trying very hard to sound like a modern teenager. This book has -that- in spades. It was annoying. The writing wasn't as vivid as I remembered, and at times, things were just so convenient. There was plot contrivance. I was glad when the book ended. For this type of stuff...I'd actually recommend memoirs containing these themes, since writing these books and doing it well can be so tricky.

I read the paperback, not the audio as listed on here. I'm new to LibraryThing and navigating it.

2 1/2 stars
Is Mr. Sanchez really as stilted a writer as this book seems to be? The idea isn't bad, but the execution is just not as free flowing as I would think most teen fiction ought to be. Also, I admit upfront that my experience with being that age was very different from the teens in this book, so I could not quite connect or sympathize with any of the characters.

Still worth the read? Yes, since it covers an area that a lot of authors are too wary to explore. I just wish it had been better done.

Boyfriends with Girlfriends explores the world of teen sexuality and all the questions and insecurities it entails. Lance is gay and his best friend, Allie, is straight. Sergio is bi and his best friend, Kimiko, is a lesbian. When they all meet for the first time the fireworks fly: Sergio is attracted to both Lance and Allie; Kimiko thinks Allie is hot; Lance really likes Sergio’s pecs but is worried about the bi appellation; Allie is excited that Kimiko is Japanese because she loves everything from Japan. The messages are not subtle but not overbearing either. Lance struggles with his preconceived notions and stereotypes about bisexual guys. Allie wonders if she might be gay or bi because she finds herself increasingly attracted to Kimiko and questioning her relationship with her boyfriend of two years. Ethnicity also complicates the already daunting issues of family acceptance and coming out in the Latino and Asian cultures for Sergio and Kimiko. The characters are realistic and wrestle with very real questions in their own minds and with their best friends and families. Booklist starred.

Thirteen-year-old Xio, a Mexican American girl, and Frederick, who has just moved to California from Wisconsin, quickly become close friends, but when Xio starts thinking of Frederick as her boyfriend, he must confront his feelings of confusion and face the fear that he might be gay.

Three high school seniors, a jock with a girlfriend and an alcoholic father, a closeted gay, and a flamboyant gay rights advocate, struggle with family issues, gay bashers, first sex, and conflicting feelings about each other.

You Brought Me The Ocean is an amazing story set in the DC universe. Jake is a Black teen who struggles with his identity, dreaming of being a marine biologist in the New Mexico dessert. He wants to go to a college on the coast, but his mother and best friend are holding him in the stifling dessert. On top of this, he struggles with feelings for Kenny, the popular swimmer at school. The comic is the story of Jake learning about himself and being honest with what he feels and what he wants; the identity of his father, his magical powers, his feelings for another boy, all in a beautifully heartbreaking package. And don't worry, it has a happy ending.

Even though it wouldn't make a great read aloud as a comic book, this would be a great addition to a classroom bookshelf. Sexuality, deciding about the future, problems with friends, not knowing who you are; these are all issues middle level students can experience, and the incorporation of the superhero aspect could interest students who don't particularly care to read. With the aspect of water, marine biology, eco systems, and fish in the story, it has strong ties to the Science curriculum.

You Brought Me the Ocean is an origin story for Aqualad, this time as a gay Black teen living in the US Southwest. So many secrets. His mother's been keeping him away for water his entire life, but why? What are the "birthmarks" on his arms and why do they glow when exposed to water? Is he gay? Why does everyone think he's dating his best friend Maria? And is it time to talk to the only out gay guy at school? Or do more than talk?

Long-time readers of queer comics will be familiar with Julie Maroh's art. Soft lines and a pencils and watercolor feel. Subdued colors. Lots of longing looks. This was my first time reading anything by Alex Sanchez, however, and I was pleased.

Jake (Aqualad) falls for Kenny, a Chinese-American boy with green hair and a conservative dad who uses a wheelchair. Kenny feels trapped in town because if he leaves his father will be managing the local inn alone since his mother passed away years ago. He's the only out gay kid and that's also isolating, even if he has some friends. The romance between Jake and Kenny is complicated but felt true and deep.

Readers should know that You Brought Me the Ocean is heavy on homophobia, including some actual gay-bashing. Jake's long-time best friend is Mexican-American and she's been waiting for years for Jake to finally want to date her. She's initially angry when she finds Jake and Kenny kissing, but it's not homophobia so much as really hurt feelings based on an assumption she never should have made.

They're all seniors in high school, which adds another element of uncertainty to the story. I'm not sure about you, but my family decided that when I was 18, I got to know all the messy family business and this felt a bit like that. (Why is it that everyone wants to turn your life completely upside down when you're already in a period of massive transition?)

In all, this book is beautifully illustrated and a bit heart-breaking but ultimately a loving and hopeful origin story for a young man destined for great things.

***

Content Warnings: homophobia, bullying, assault

Suzanne received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Jake Hyde has an overprotective mother that smothers him. He has a best friend who is in love with him. Jake wants to leave his landlocked town to study oceanography in college. The ocean calls to him. It tuns out Jake is a genetically modified Black boy, and the son of the evil ecoterrorist Black Manta. As he comes to terms with his homosexuality and academic future, Jake must now contend with the fact he has the power to control water. This beautifully inked and written graphic novel captures the ups and downs of first love, bullying, growing apart, and declaring independence. It was lovely to see such a diverse cast of teens--a plump and Mexican girl, a Chinese American boy, and an African-American boy.

I need more of this story!!!!!

You Brought Me The Ocean is a DC comic origin story for Jake Hyde, aka Aqualad. I'll be upfront, I did not know that when I picked up the book. While this is meant to serve as an origin story, you don't need to know anything about his comic book arc to understand and appreciate the story. The story is all about identity, and the search for your true self that is such a huge part of the teenage experience.
Jake has a few things that sets him apart. He is the child of a single mother with a father who drowned before he could remember. He has a strange birthmark on his arms that he does his best to hide from others. He dreams of escaping his New Mexico home to find solace near the ocean. But most importantly, Jake is gay, but afraid to tell anyone. All of these different aspects of Jake's identity are what make him who he is, and slowly throughout the story they all come together and help put the missing pieces of his life together to show him the man he is to be.
The illustrations by Julie Maroh are stunning. There are lots of little things she does, especially with color choice, that not only make the novel *look* gorgeous, but also adds a stunning new layer to the story.
While this is technically a superhero origin story, the superhero aspect is not always front-and-center. It is a very relatable story about a teen trying to figure out who he is and who are the people who will stick by him.

I enjoyed this. I really liked the art style and I thought that Jake was a very compelling protagonist. However, I thought the romance felt very rushed, and I was honestly more interested in the friendship plotline. Overall, I would recommend it if you are looking for a good lgbt+ graphic novel.

This was an okay book which felt a bit incomplete.

One of the first GBLT books I read that seemed to lay it all out pretty realistically; and without getting too angsty about it all.

Awesome queer, coming-of-age love story with a splash of super hero elements!

This Graphic Romance is a high school setting in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. The teens are struggling to find who they are. This becomes an even greater challenge when one suddenly discovers he has magical super powers.

Jake Hyde already is a bit stressed with school, his girl friend, not girlfriend and getting accepted to to study oceanography in Miami. Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, is a small town in the middle of the desert and like most high school seniors, Jake wants to get out. And then there is the dilemma to find the courage to come out. In the midst of all this, he connects with Kenny—a jock and the only openly gay kid in school. He also learns that the “birthmarks” on his body that he self-consciously keeps covered grant him the power to control water. To further complicate his situation, Jake is keeping secrets from his helicopter mom and childhood girl friend, Maria, who’s actually in in love with him. She suspects but won’t let herself realize that Jake is gay. As things come to a head, Jake’s mother reveals the truth about his father. He learns the father he believes drowned 17 years ago may still be alive. In a universe with superheroes and supervillains, Jake must decide who he’s going to be.

The illustrations and text was certainly authentic and be sure to read the afterwards about the character development. Maroh’s realistic sketches are in muted tones and infused with bursts of brightness! She has captured the beautiful ethnicity of each character. Jake is African American, Maria is Latinx, and Kenny is Chinese American.

A worthy, diverse addition to the DC Universe. (Graphic romance. 12-18)

Sexuality is always a messy topic, espically during the teen years, and Alex Sanchez is known for honestly dealing with these issues. In his latest book, we have Lance, who's gay, is going with his best friend Ally, straight and with a boyfriend, to meet Sergio for the first time. They met online and are making the leap to a face to face meeting. Sergio, who is bi, brings his best friend, lesbian Kimoko. The book explores the difference between gay and bi in an honest way and also managed to deal with cultural issues without overdoing it.

This is, in some ways, a simple super-hero origin story. But it is so much more than that - a coming of age story, a queer first romance, an exhortation to honesty and communication. It was a lovely read.

content notes: [spoilers]
- past domestic violence/current fear of violence if the main family are found by the missing family member.
- Homophobic behaviour/bullying.

The first 30 pages or so were incredibly cringey - choppy writing, stilted dialogue, a serious 'after school special' kind of vibe, and Lance's biphobic attitude really annoyed me. But it got better, I'm glad I stuck with it. The characters became less one dimensional and more endearing, Lance listened to Sergio and decided to believe him when he says he's bi, and Allie toned down the slightly creepy Japan obsession and started to like Kimiko for herself (though, unlike with Lance's biphobia, I'm not sure if Allie's 'ooh you're Japanese!!!' thing was meant to be read as a flaw). The story was sweet, the couples were cute, the ending was happy. The constant 'Sup', 'he he he', 'yee ha' and text speak never gets less embarrassing though.½

An angsty but heartwarming gay romance that just happens to involve some super powers. Jake Hyde has a lot of secrets for a high school kid in a small desert town in New Mexico: his college plans, his attraction to classmate Kenny Liu, and what happens when he comes into contact with water. Over the course of a few days, the secrets start coming out, rocking Jake, his friends and his family.

A nicely drawn and written character study.

Unlike some of the more Elseworlds sort of DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults, this one seems like it could fit in regular DCU continuity, and I hope the powers that be at DC make regular use of the Jake Hyde character, perhaps in Young Justice. But first I would love to see a follow-up volume by this same creative team.

(p.s., Oh, ha ha, apparently there is already a Jackson Hyde/Aqualad character that I missed in the DC Brightest Day and Rebirth events, and this story is a spin on his existing origin.)