Member Reviews
This graphic novel was so good, it follows Olive, a teenager who’s doing an internship at a digital imaging specialist (basically, the people who edit and retouch images for social media and that stuff).
It is a well constructed analysis of social media and how that can affect body image as well as self esteem. The digital era is now and we are surrounded by media and images all the time so I think this made a great job at describing that and sending an important message about it.
The art style is simple and a bit classy, I really liked it.
TW: mentions of eating disorders.
Interesting read about a young girl named Olive who's takes a summer internship for a photographer. Primarly working with a fashion magazine to re-touch photos.
Olive herself struggles with her appearance and relationship with social media. Almost creating a false identity of who she believes she should be "to the world" versus who she is.
Being exposed to all of the overly re-touched photos complicates her views on these issues... but ultimately helps her work out a healthier expectations on herself and allowances to be more authentic.
Great read that tackles very common and current social views, expectations , and disillusioned realities for women in the world, online, and presented by the media.
Art style was a bit vague and chunky at times. Not exactly my preferred style but overall didn't effect the flow or my interest in the story.
**Thank you to Lerner Publishing Group, Graphic Universe, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
I found this to be quite enjoyable. It was a very quick read but still felt like it met all of my expectations for it. The storytelling was clear and well done, clearly showing with the wonderful character development through her summer vacation. I think that if I read this while in 8th/9th grade, it would have done wonders for me!! I really enjoyed the message that this book has to share, felt super relevant and impactful.
Thank you so very much Lerner Publishing Group for the advance copy! <3
In this graphic novel we follow Olive, a teenager who has a summer internship at a major fashion magazine. She's helping the digital imaging specialist touch up and photoshop photos for shoots. Along the way, Olive learns about social media and how most photos are touched up or even completely faked. Throughout her internship Olive reflects on her relationship with social media, touching up her own photos, and learns about eating disorders, modeling, and what she wants to really do with her life.
Overall, this was a fantastic graphic novel. The story was great and flowed really well throughout the book. I loved the art style as well. It reminded me a lot of the art in Persepolis. I would highly recommend checking this one out!
I don’t typically go for graphic novels but I enjoyed this quick read! I liked the art style and relevant, nuanced look at social media, the affect it has on self esteem, and body positivity.
I enjoyed this graphic novel about body positivity. The message was easy to understand and well told. This was a neutral, feminist approach that didn't shove itself into your face, with an angry pointing finger. The art style reminded me of Persepolis, but more relaxed. This would be good for older middle schoolers and up. Adults will enjoy this, too!
TW: bulimia
This book is sweet and full of heart. I loved Olive and her cast of friends. A great read when you need to get out of a slump.
So this is not the type of book that I normally read. I am not the biggest fan of graphic novels. I usually just can never relate to the story. I thought this one was okay. I loved how it dealt with body image and the influence that social media can have on us. I think this is a book that every younger person should read. But being that I am not YA age I do not think this one was for me. But I was very excited to read it and loved the message that this book gave.
Nice coming of age graphic novel that wrestles with topics like social media, the meaning of art, and finding a way to contribute meaningfully to the world using one's artistic gifts.
I liked the art style and content. I didn’t realize it was mean for a younger audience, but I enjoyed it.
Olive gets an internship retouching photos of models and has an existential crisis about body image, social media, & the realization that a lot of things she thought were real were not. This is a touching, humorous story about a young woman learning to love herself. The art style is cute and at times, silly, matching the vibe of the story and the characters very well. Overall I enjoyed this very much and would recommend it to anyone having body image issues or a social media addiction, because the message of this story is that social media is just a tool, not a way of life, and it’s okay to be unretouchable.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for allowing to me read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
This was a really good graphic novel! I loved the topics that were brought up that you usually dont see. This is a graphic novel i can see everyone enjoying.
Unretouchable by Sofia Szamosi is a graphic novel that follows Olive as she gets an internship at a fashion magazine before starting college.
This book has a lot to say about how young girls struggle with body positivity. It shows through the internship how society exacerbates these emotions. The illustrations are great, the book makes great points, and was fun to read. I definitely recommend this one to anybody with teenage girls.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this thought-provoking (and sometimes funny) graphic novel. My pet peeve is when people discount the positive power of our phones and being connected, so I appreciated that the author took a nuanced look at social media. The artwork was charming and the narrators voice was relatable and engaging.
This was a really sweet story about learning to navigate social media and false perfection with a great illustration style backing the story. Would definitely recommend.
A fabulous non preachy story of what is done to images and its impact. Find yourself and your moral compass aren't always easy, but the journey we all need to take.
5 stars!!
Overall, this was an extremely easy read with a very important message. I think it's accessible for anyone to pick up and enjoy. It's emotional, but in a good way because you're able to connect with the characters quickly.
THINGS I LIKED:
The art style was awesome. It really sets the tone for the vibe of the book!
Speaking of tone, it was perfectly balanced between lighthearted and serious. I giggled a lot, but I also cried.
The inner dialogue and descriptions were so relatable and real. I could feel what the main character was feeling the entire time. It was super easy to connect with this novel.
My favorite character is Toni by far. She is amazing!!! I love how she and the mc are so supportive of each other.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
None!!! I loved this book- excellent social commentary
Like Olive on her first day interning at FASH, I didn’t get the artwork for this graphic novel. As I continued to read, it hit me straight in the face how perfect the illustrations fit the storyline. I love learning new perspectives, especially with art. Although, this graphic novel is done in black & white, Olive’s personality fills the story with a wide variety of colors. As I continued to read the storyline, I was so engrossed it felt as if I were watching an anime. I like the Devil Wears Prada feel with a way better boss Giorgio!! Also, I am not sure what Smarty Panties are…. but I feel the need to get a few pairs now.
Fun read. The NYC setting is terrific! Reading about #BoPo Body Positivity was new for me and very enlightening.
Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Lerner Publishing Group, Graphic Universe
Before I say anything else, the graphics were amazing! They were "edgy" and totally went along with the theme of the book.
The story centers around Olive, who plans to go to art school but is told she needs to take a summer job with a major fashion magazine, working behind the scenes of photo shoots. Olive becomes more and more aware of her body image and how this is shown on social media, eventually questioning what is real vs. what is not and what she should really do with her future.
It was a great, relatable story. I loved how it shows what really happens and how people's minds work when dealing with body image.. Highly recommended for anyone, as we all have these same thoughts at any age.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for this free e-arc.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
This is such an important topic, and I appreciate that more graphic novels are tackling societal issues. The art style took about a third of the way through to really grow on me, it's not something I would typically gravitate towards. I liked how Olive was written in a way that was very real, we all have insecurities that are made worse by social media. I do feel that her working through the issues within a highly edited world was done in a super neat manner, and I would have liked for it to have been worked through a little bit more. I think the sub-plot regarding eating disorders should have either been left out completely or expanded upon, the short instances of it seemed out of place to me. The frequent scenes within the bathroom also threw me off, Olive makes a joke about it but really-why are we in the bathroom so much? Overall it was a quick, fun read, but not one that will end up sticking with me or I will re-visit.