Member Reviews

I came across this book on Netgalley while looking for books to read and it looked just enough funny and dark for my humor and it did not disappoint. I have a strong love for Candy Hearts in general both eating them (nom) but my husband also proposed using one, so they hold a special place in my heart.

Candy Hearts is all about internal dialogues and what you are thinking in different situations, but all the situations Siegel puts the hearts into turn out to be funny and awkward.

This book is for adult audiences due to its crass-ness and concepts. It is a series of comics where some are only one page and others go on for a few. They cover concepts of dating, online dating, being along, being with the right/wrong person, parenting, and just relationships overall.

The collection was fun, it was nothing amazing, but the jokes were funny. Some were laughable, others a bit too awkward for my liking (but that probably says something about me more than the book). This would be a fun one to read around Valentine's Day, I think it works for those in relationships and probably those not as well.

Was this review helpful?

Candy Hearts
Author: Tommy Siegel
Genre: Humor, Comic Collection
Pages: 105

This is a collection of humorous comics that feature people as conversation hearts with “real” messages. It covers topics such as relationships, break-ups, dating, and parenting. The comics are single panel and stand alone. This collection does not have an over-arching story and is not told chronologically.

What I liked:
*The artwork is clever yet simple. The simplicity allows the humor to be the focus.
*The messages on the hearts are hilarious. I laughed out loud while reading this comic collection.
*I enjoyed how the illustrator incorporated the pandemic into life by comparing “now” to February 2020. This simple comparison was often very humorous especially when describing the challenges of dating during a pandemic.

What I did not like:
*Since this book uses single panels, it felt a bit short and was an incredibly quick read (I believe less than 30 minutes for me). I wanted more!
*I felt like the focus of the candy hearts jumped from big topic to big topic with a large focus on dating. I would have liked to see a bit more even, consistent distribution of the topics.

Overall, this is a hilarious collection of comics. If you need a good laugh, this collection will make you giggle. This may make an excellent gift to someone who loves sarcastic and snarky humor.

Was this review helpful?

Candy Hearts is a collection of short comics from Tommy Siegel, following the adventures of candy hearts with insightful messages written on them. All of the comics are funny, relatable, and witty. Siegel doesn’t shy away from awkwardness, the realities of living in a pandemic, or modern romance. I would definitely recommend this as a gift or as a book to read when you're looking for a more cynical sense of humor. Candy Hearts releases on February 2, 2021. Thank you to Tommy Siegel, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

**I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This was cute, funny, and relatable. I definitely like this one better than his previous comic collection.

Was this review helpful?

The candy hearts premise is clever and made me laugh at times, but it also felt very univiting to read. So much of it was not relatable to people in steady relationships, it was almost all about "the chase" and so I felt like I couldn't get into it.

Was this review helpful?

It was a quick read. Some of it was funny and relatable. I didn't like it a lot, would say it is an average read

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tommy Siegel did a great job with the illustrations and I thought the idea of putting our inner monologue on the outside with the candy hearts was really fun!
I had a great time reading this and found myself laughing out loud a few times.
There are so many things that go on in our heads that we never say out loud- for whatever reason. It was refreshing to see those unspoken thoughts out in the open!

Was this review helpful?

I can't wait for this book to be published because I definitely want a copy for my collection. This book is hilarious; I laughed out loud so many times my partner asked me what I was doing. Very cute, very relatable.

Was this review helpful?

This book is filled with hilariously honest cartoons of conversation hearts for our modern age. They perfectly convey the awkward things we think but would rather leave unsaid with our partners- whether it's in dating or more serious relationships. You'll definitely get a laugh out of Candy Hearts.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the advance copy.

Was this review helpful?

This was fun. I was maybe hoping for something a little less cynical, and maybe a tad more... Humorous, but I enjoyed the reading. The part about tinder was quite brilliant, and it was a nice surprise.

Was this review helpful?

Loved this! Super cute, simple commentary on how people don't always say what they're feeling. Would be a cute Galintines day gift for friends :)

Was this review helpful?

I liked the art and found the comics funny. I could connect with many of them and laugh at the truth in it. My favorite reminded me and my boyfriends and memes.. Which comic? you'll have to read the book to find out.

Was this review helpful?

I'm definitely a fan of Tommy Siegel's work, and although following the candy hearts comics on social media hasn't been my favourite work of his to follow (some of it is just a bit too cynical for my taste), I still enjoyed reading Candy Hearts as a collection. I'm especially fond of the comics that lean towards absurd or that felt true to me, and the ones from COVID quarantine offered some much-needed chuckles surrounding some of the more mundane situations we've found ourselves in as a result. As a whole, it was worth the read, and I'd recommend it for fans of Siegel and especially fans of the candy hearts comics that led to this collection.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a picture book about basically two candy hearts having conversation in different situations lol so you can imagine how it goes from there. Of course they reflect real life situation and dialogues, so it's pretty easy to relate to a lot of those moments, but instead of real people, we see cute candy hearts going through the same situations we do.

The illustrations are so funny, because they show how people are in day-to-day situations, such as online dating, long and stable relationships, blind dates, etc. Overall, it's a very quick and fun read and I recommend it if it seems your kind of vibe.

Was this review helpful?

I won’t lie, I requested this book because I am four books behind on my reading challenge and knew I could bust through it shortly, but I am so glad I picked up this book! I annoyed my wife by laughing out loud at every other page and forcing her to look at the most hilarious ones while she was just trying to get through missions in her video game. This was a hilarious, delightful surprise this Allie Brosh fans will appreciate. Netgalley provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

What we all need during Covid is a hearty giggle.
I loved Tommy Siegel's previous comic "I Hope This Helps: 500 Days of Comics and Extremely Helpful Guides".
And he even sneaks in some poignant moment and awkward truths.
Really liked it!
Akin to the Awkward Yeti and Sarah Scribbles.
If you want to giggle get this book now!

Was this review helpful?

I love that it is almost genderless. This graphic novel primarily focuses on relationships: how they start, how they go down. It is pessimistic. I did not see a happy couple. Sex, baggages, divorce, staying married because of children... I don't think I can say I love these comics. There is not even a sprinkle of contentment.

Was this review helpful?

I love reading where there’s mention of the pandamic and social distancing. It helps to make it current and let readers emphasise with the panels.

Was this review helpful?

As someone who has been dating my significant other for the better part of two decades, I love to live the dating life vicariously through my friends and books. Candy Hearts was full of cute and truthful one-panel comics that expressed the difficulty of relationships. The illustrations were amazingly drawn. It was a quick read and well worth it.

Was this review helpful?

Very cute gimmick for this comic collection; putting those chalky yet tempting valentines candy hearts as stand-ins for people in romantic situations and making the candy hearts' pithy slogans wryly reflect the situation at hand. For example, one candy heart is giving a present to the other and the words on the giver read "For My Love Blossom, the Perfect Gift," while the receiver's hear reads "Wait, Do They Think We Are Exclusive."

More hits than misses, especially when the comics turn to love in the time of COVID. A diverting collection.

Was this review helpful?