This graphic novel about the culinary art of sushi was amazing. The information was vast - from history and tradition to types of sushi and trends to accompaniments like rice and saki. The artwork was creative and engaging and lent itself to drawing the reader’s eye to the important elements of the frame. This book will make its way into my school library but may also find its way into my private collection.

If there is any industry even tangentially related to preparing, serving, or eating sushi, the creators of this book have found someone to interview about that. Lots of pictures and descriptions of people doing work with their hands, really satisfying and educational.

Unlike my teenager, I rarely read graphic novels/manga. However, drawings and bite size pieces (see what I did there?!) of information and dialogue were the perfect way to tell the complicated story of a seemingly simple meal.

The sushi we are shown goes from sophisticated high end sushi, through to innovative sushi and on to the simple homemade hand-rolled style. That’s just the final product though. We also learn about the production of nori seaweed sheets, of soy sauce manufacture, of sake, of the ceramics the meal is served on; how fish are caught and more humanely killed so as to preserve flavour and texture; how crucial the relationship between chefs and fish market traders is; of knives and how to use them. (Did you know that Maguro bocho and Oroshi bocho, the swords used to cut freshly caught tuna, are forbidden to be taken from the fish market? “However, they’ve been found among certain yakuza….”)

The drawings are predominantly black and white with splashes of colour to highlight the food. The text is a mixture of dialogue and information. Together, they make a feast of a book!

Thank you to Papercutz/ NBM Graphic Novels and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this fabulous book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Papercutz, NBM Publishing for the opportunity to review this ARC.

I love Japanese culture but I haven't tasted sushi yet because I am really not good about eating things I don't know what is. I would hate to leave a plate of food because I didn't like it, and all the different names like maki, hosomaki, nori and nigiri are confusing and overwhelming, so no, I haven't ventured into a sushi restaurant yet because it seems more work than pleasure. I am not a very adventurous person, I know.

That's why this book seemed ideal!
I read a lot of graphic novels so this was an easy must-read to gain knowledge!
I hoped to learn a lot from the read – and I did!

I loved how nerdy this read is. I really got an impression of the art and craftsmanship of creating sushi and I know now that sushi is more than just a piece of fish on rice.

The book is non-fiction and drawn as a travel notebook showing and telling what our main characters learn when they visit different masters in the art of sushi.

It was cool how in detail it went about the different parts of fish, the tastes, the tools to prepare the ingredients and the objects they use to present the sushi for the customer in the end etc. The book has small side stories with other professions that might not directly make sushi but is an important part of creating the art of sushi.

My feelings afterwards are that from all that I learned from this read I would feel comfortable in visiting a sushi restaurant today, and I would even appreciate all the work that went into creating sushi. But I would also know it's just an imitation of the real deal. The freshness of the fish is key. (See how nerdy this read made me! lol)

Overall I really enjoyed the book. I felt I was in Japan with our main characters because of all the insightful facts not only about sushi but also Japanese culture. Next stop for me is at my local sushi restaurant ;-)


I know that this is a review copy and might not be identic to the final published copy, but because there is a resolution difference between the drawings and the text I fear that what I read, is what the published version will look like in ebook.

The low resolution/pixelated pictures is a letdown. It's like half of the product is missing, and the deliciousness of the sushi I had hoped to find in the drawings is not present. It was hard to see the textures the chef is talking about because of the low resolution of the drawings.
The text was crisp and easy to read.

AN interesting graphic novel about the art of sushi. I liked the illustrations but it did seem like a pretty long book. Informative though, and easy to read and understand.

Thank you to NetGalley and Papercutz, NBM Publishing for the opportunity review this ARC.

This was a very fun and interesting read. I think using a graphic novel to convey The Art of Sushi was a wonderful idea. Although a little bit of a task to finish this was very entertaining.
If you’re a fan of sushi, Japanese culture or want to learn a little more about it.
This is the book for you or the sushi lover in your life!

This graphic novel is beautifully drawn, but not very well written. I understand this may be a translation, however the overuse of the exclamation point is distracting and a detriment to overall enjoyment. Almost every panel has dialogue punctuated as such. This undermines the sincerity of the dialogue, and makes it staccato and difficult to find a reading flow. I can't blame the dialogue entirely on the exclamation points, often the dialogue is not substantive and does not move the conversation. Graphic novels rely heavily on visual storytelling and need to use their words wisely to move a story forward.

I appreciate the author's intent, in attempting to educate anyone who has ever enjoyed sushi, in the history of sushi, sushi etiquette, and the modern sushi master's techniques. Unfortunately, this is not one I am likely to recommend or read again.

ARC Copy...I Highly Recommend for sushi fans and as an introduction to Sushi and Japanese cuisine culture for new people. I liked the illustrations; sensed a European-handed style yet the monogram (with splashes of colour) and brush strokes reminded me of Sumi-E techniques.

Even as an afficiando of the dish in particular and Japan in general I learned a lot from this graphic novel. The love for food is clear and it makes me want to travel to Japan asap
A real treat to dive into! I love Japanese food, and initially I didn't have super high expectations of The Art of Sushi, especially when somewhere in the first pages the difference between maki, temaki and uramaki was explained. However Franckie Alarcon dives into the art of sushi in a very serious manner, with trips to three star Michelin chefs, innovative chefs in both Japan and France and trips to sake brewers, soy sauce producers and fishers. The importance of fish is paramount, as is the love for the produce and tradition, in that sense making this staple food in this book really an art. I learned quite some new things and felt hunger while reading this, which makes me forgive the limited attention for crashing fish stocks and the question of sustainability. A real foodie book for anyone interested in sushi.

I guess I didn't read much when requesting this book because I didn't realize it was a graphic novel. That being said, I really enjoyed this and got a lot out of it.

The Art of Sushi is a non-fiction graphic novel about the making of sushi. There are detailed descriptions of fish selection, rice making, fishing, sauces, saki making, and knives as well as other tools and processes instrumental to making sushi. The black and white images with a pop of color here and there for emphasis are delightful. The information is well-researched and comprehensive. Some of the text reads as if it is targeted towards younger readers while the content seems intended for adults.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Don't read this when you're hungry! I made that mistake, and I'm starving now as I write this review. The Art of Sushi by Franckie Alarcon is an absolutely delectable and fascinating graphic novel all about sushi. The graphic novel follows the author as he travels to Japan to learn about sushi straight from the source. According to the description, "the author traveled to Japan to meet all the players involved in the making of this true work of culinary art." The book can function as a guidebook and also includes recipes at the end.

Overall, The Art of Sushi would make the perfect gift for the sushi-lover in your life. Whether you're a sushi expert or just a casual sushi fan, this book will give you something new to think about. For example, I had no idea that freezing raw fish before you eat it can help kill germs. As someone who has eaten sushi my entire life, I knew some facts, but there was a whole lot that I had no idea about. This book was very informative, and I can't wait to show off the facts I learned to my friends. If you're intrigued by the description, or if you're a fan of graphic novels about food, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in December!

Classy, foodie, but also a little worthy, this is a document of a travel trip the author and friends made to Japan to explore the world of sushi – so we meet an older master who has used the same sources of fish at the same market for forty years, a younger expert, and the fishermen, rice growers – even soya sauce makers and the sake bowl ceramicist him outdoors – necessary to give the whole pretentious affair its je ne sais quoi. I mean, it certainly gets a little pompous, with the slightest decision supposed to impart a huge change in experience and flavour. If you believe that to be the case, then I'd suggest putting down tonight's choice of one of four hundred different olives, and pair this with your best choice of reading sake. The rest of us uncultured lot can never tell one olive from another, and would never know sakes apart either, and while overwhelmed by the foodie porn here will enjoy the presentation, with its sparse colouring. Three and a half stars, many more if you can get over the high-falutin'ness.

Meticulously researched and put together, this book is an excellent source for anyone interested in sushi. The author makes you feel like you are on a sushi research trip right alongside him and his friends. From the masters in Tokyo to the artists of Paris, I learned a great deal. This would be an interesting book for food lovers, sushi enthusiasts and people of all ages.

I love the design and style of this book. Not my first hunch at what I might find in a graphic novel, but amazing visuals and detail.

"Gastronomy is a domain that offers a lot of freedom to play and express yourself"
Food, travel and art are combined in Franckie Alarcon’s The Art of Sushi. Alarcon guides the reader through his travels to Japan, tracing the origins of Sushi preparation up to the modern day, meeting a variety of chefs and foodies, all with different perspectives and ideas surrounding this popular cuisine. Following the journey from farm, sea, market, kitchen to the table, this was a fascinating read! Alarcon successfully weaves together the origins of sushi together with recent food trends in France, and explores a variety of dishes and preparation techniques through beautifully detailed illustration. As you read you feel transported to Japan, immersed in the culture, and very hungry as you reach the final page!