Amparo is always up to something and is known as a delinquent. When a talking cat comes in through their window and offers to grant one wish, Amparo is game. All they need to do is offer up a drop of blood and they’ll become a better person. What could possibly go wrong? Everything! The cat steals Amparo’s name and life, banishing them to some place called the Bright World. Nameless, shoeless, and confused, Amparo is left fighting to get their name and home back while trying not to get eaten along the way.

I have to say that this is one of the neatest graphic novel concepts I’ve seen in a while. I’m a fan of fantasy, and Bright World is an entirely new and fascinating world. I’m obsessed! We mainly follow Amparo as their life takes quite the turn when they become tapped in Bright World. The main rule of Bright World is that there are no rules. They’re always changing, so any humans who find themselves there can’t seem to find a way to escape. I’m fascinated by this world. I’m also interested in learning more about Amparo’s patron, El Ciervo, as the story continues.

We also loosely follow Amparo’s crush, Iolanthe, in the human world. Iolanthe is a straight edge, rule following, and serious person. When she gets looped into dating who she thinks is Amparo, she slowly becomes aware that something isn’t right when they seem to do a complete personality flip. Once the imposter everyone thinks is Amparo goes missing, we see her leading the search to find out what happened to them.

I wish that Iolanthe’s story was mapped out a little better between each issue. There were times that having the human world suddenly pop up side by side was out of place. In one instance, the human and bright world were depicted side by side across several panels, which was completely and utterly confusing. I had to read the human world panels and come back to read the bright world panels separately because it was just too confusing to read in the order it was laid out in.

The artwork was also absolutely beautiful. I loved looking at how rich and vibrant each panel was on top of the beautiful drawings. I’m super excited to eventually read the second volume and see where the story takes Amparo and company next.

Very cute and very fun read! Loved the art style and the story. Read it so quick and really enjoyed.

Hi, I'm sorry I'm not able to leave a review either way for this book due to problems I've had with thhe file of the book which is why I'm marking this as an average 3 stars. If I manage to get hold of a copy in future I will review it properly but am having to officially review rather than 'will not review' this title on netgalley as it hurst my feedback ratio otherwise so huge apologies and will try to read/buy this in future to review properly.

I love this graphic novel! I thought that the art style was unique and I loved the use of colour to create what should look like a friendly world but with darker undertones where humans are lucky to be alive in a parallel world to our own. The world the author has created is unique and original and you really feel a sense of these characters in such a short space of time. I would highly recommend this to so many people and I need to see how the story continues on!

What. On. Earth. Did. I. Read????

This was so unique.

I need more asap. Please?

4.5/5 stars

This story was good but odd. I did want to get through it to find out what happened, but since it is only a first volume I didn't get to find out what happened. I liked the relationship between the main character and their crush at first but once they ended up in the other world, I really became concerned for their partner with the other version of the main character. I'd love to see the main character get back home, but I am not sure what that would mean for their partner. Some of what happens in the other world is tough to handle. It can be a graphic & scary place. It's not like rated R but it's not what I expected from the cartoony cover. A good purchase where queer fantasy is needed or popular. Would also be great in a library where there is a large population of Hispanic folks who read graphic novels. I'd like to read the next volume to find out what happens but will not be buying for my library.

I initially struggled to engage with the art style Stanley uses. The lines are awkwardly thick and the digital colouring is something I found off-putting. I found the characters to be annoying and their interactions with each grating.

It says something then that Stanley was able to pull me into this weird world he has created and made me emotionally invest in characters that at first impressions I did not like. Amparo is an idiotic teenager who makes a foolish deal with a supernatural cat that ends up with him losing almost everything. The thing is you feel like he deserves it at first before he slowly wins back your affections.

The protagonists are never all that likeable but their motivations feel real. I like the fact that the book wrong-footed me and took the story in darker directions than I anticipated.

The mix of Webtoon inspired art with Latin American iconography and mythology is an acquired taste. For me, it doesn't really work when the characters are in the real world. But it soars when the action hits the underworld and Stanley has the freedom to get weird.

The lettering was clumsy but the dialogue for the most part was well observed and had a good rhythm. A good graphic novel that if you give it a chance will entertain you.

The artwork in this graphic novel was absolutely stunning! Bright World is a tropical explosion of color. The fantastical world Stanley created was so creative! Seeing so much Spanish was so pleasantly surprising, and I loved that the author included parts of "the ephemera of Mexico" from her upbringing. I also loved the queer and non-binary representation. The main character's queer identity was just one small part of the story, and not a source of conflict. I did find the dialogue to be very confusing - I often couldn't tell from the drawings what the order of the speech was, or who was doing the talking. I also very quickly stopped being invested in any of the characters from the real world.

Fantastic. I started this not really knowing much about it and I fell in love with it as I read. This art style is funky and at first, I was like I hate this but I was wrong because it's amazing. I cannot wait for the next book to come out!

The artwork is very distinctive. If you can adapt to the heavy lines, you will enjoy the story. I particularly appreciated the cultural nods in the setting and costume designs. The story kept me curious but I do admit that I struggled a bit with the art style myself.

A vibrant and fresh graphic novel series starter for older readers with themes of identity, insecurity, loyalty, love and loss. A bit creepy -- unnerving, perhaps? -- but not scary, I could see this getting great traction in high school classrooms and libraries.

I did enjoy this, but goddamn it was dark! And unfortunately it has that webcomic thing of the plot being a bit meandery and unspecific, which was the only reason I didn’t give it five stars, because other than that it’s beautiful, original, and fascinating.

3.5/5 - rounded up to 4.

The Hazards of Love is a fantastical journey of queer teen who is pulled into a new weird and wonderful world. With goal of escaping back to the world they know.

I enjoyed this graphic novel, the art was great. I did find this to be a slow starter and it dragged at points for me. Looking online at the author, I can see that this was an online comic and I can forgive it as perhaps there was an element of finding the right path/direction to take the story.

I would have likely scored it higher at the time I read it, but it honesty my score is reflective of the lasting impression it made on me and I am struggle to recall it the way I would. Therefore, 3.5 seems fair - I liked it, I loved the art but it just doesn't have that lasting appeal to me and I did not seek to continue the story. Perhaps just not the story for me.

I would like thank Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to review this graphic novel in exchange for a honest review.

The comic was exciting! OMGGGG This comic!

I really loved it ! The pages were so unique, original and cool! The storey is so interesting and smart too! I loved the worlds and characters, too: literally in my eyes, it is perfect. There's nothing else I couldn't ask for.

It's absolutely genius, I highly recommend it!

Review:
This graphic novel took me on a trippy, dark journey that I was not expecting. The cover drew me in so much that I decided to not read the book description before I began reading. The story is incredibly diverse and the illustration style manages to be colorful and sinister at the same time. Amparo is such an easy character to connect with because their way of speaking is casual. While sprinkled with some slang and turns of phrase, none of it seems forced or awkward.

While I am a huge cat-lover, as most of you know, I don't feel such warmth for the cat in this tale. The Hazards of Love is great for fans of dark fantasy and talking animals.

Content warning: some scenes may appear gruesome.

Excellent. This is one of the best graphic novels I have ever read. It's deliciously, weird, wacky and takes you on a journey you simply did not expect. I thought it was going to be a predictable high-school love story between Amparo and Iolanthe. But it's so much more, I felt like I was falling down the rabbit hole, this is a twisted, dark mysterious misadventure combined with a sentimental and cynical love story which I didn't want to end. The artwork is visually lush and so imaginative. I'm addicted to the characters and need to know more.

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel, it was unique, gripping from start to finish, and answered just the right amount of questions to keep readers waiting for more without feeling sold short. The author included relatable characters, even if they were in some unrelatable, yet entertaining, situations. Every character was distinct, the words and images bring them to life making me feel connected to someone I had never met. The plot was full of twists that keep you guessing and wanting more, the narrative was easy to follow, the storyline flowed from page to page merging seamlessly with the imagery that helped bring it to life.

The Hazards of Love is a gorgeous burst of queer magical realism. Nonbinary high schooler Amparo is always getting into trouble, but when they fall for the more studious Iolanthe, they leap at a strange offer from a talking cat who offers the chance for Ampara to be "good" in order to win her over. Making vague deals with magical animals tends to have the potential to go awry, however, and Ampara finds themselves changing places with the cat - he takes over Ampara's body and Ampara is transported to the Bright World, a dangerous and magical place.

The graphic novel switches back and forth between the two worlds, and there is a delightful mixture of humor and darkness, with some thoughtful musing on identity and ethics. The art is full of luscious color fitting for a Latinx tale that draws upon folkloristic themes while still bringing a story full of intricate worldbuilding unique to Stan Stanley. The book ends on a cliffhanger, and I'm eager to dive back into this rich world again and discover what happens next for these characters.

'The Hazards of Love' with story and art by Stan Stanley is a graphic novel about a person who makes a very bad deal and ends up in a very strange place.

Amparo loves Ioanthe, but Amparo is a bit of a troublemaker. One day Amparo makes a deal with an enchanted cat and gets tricked. The cat steals Amparo's body and Amparo gets sent to a strange world where creatures feed on memories and humans. Amparo is crafty and tries to get out, but soon finds themselves in thrall to a black deer named El Ciervo who is cruel and curious.

This is a fever dream of a story that is fueled by vividly drawn art. The art has thick lines and is densely overlaid. I liked the story and the really interesting art.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.