While I had some reservations about the somewhat cartoonish art style in this graphic novel, I admired the vivid use of color, the structure of the panels, and the overall composition.

However, I found the narrative to be fragmented, encompassing aspects such as estranged friends on a journey, details about cremation, and even the inclusion of a monkey.

Although the quirky humor didn't quite resonate with me, I am intrigued to explore other works by imaginative and skilled authors like Mr. Alvaro Ortiz.

Profoundly melancholic yet charming and heartfelt, I developed a deep affection for this compact graphic novel.

It revolves around three friends embarking on a mysterious road trip to lay their companion's ashes to rest, culminating in a poignant and beautifully bittersweet conclusion.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Ortiz and IDW Publishing for the review copy!

I loved reading Ashes. It's quirky and has a certain seriousness I didn't expect. The writer did an amazing job. The eccentric vibes in the narrative really helped it to stand out and the illustrations complement the story well. I can visualise my friends and myself in similar situation 10-15 years later. Recommended!

This graphic novel is about three friends who go on a road trip to spread their late friend's ashes. But chaos ensues when they get on the road. Overall, this was a good graphic novel and I loved the quirky art style.

I really enjoyed this book! I appreciated the art style and the characterization. The story was funny and interesting, but also heartfelt when it wanted to be. Will recommend to customers

3.5
This is the story of old friends who find themselves on a roadtrip that none of them really want to be on. They run into a handful of unexpected obstacles and are managing their feelings towards each other and how their lives haven't turned out quite how they would have hoped.

I enjoyed the over the top vibe of the story and seeing the reveals of the characters backstories and where the narrative takes them.

***Thank you to Netgalley and IDW Publishing/Top Shelf Productions for providing me with a e-book ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Late review



That was a really nice comedy comic. With its vibes and story suitable for wide age range this is a very nice confort book.

Originally I was going to rate this 4 stars but the ending hit me right in the feels, so. The story does get a little madcap in terms of some of the plot, but the way it all tied together at the end made it so worth it. I also enjoyed the color palette choices.

This wasn't bad but I feel like it could have been better. The story moved slow and by the halfway mark I just stopped caring. The story really dragged in the middle and I could tell it was supposed to be an overall uplifting story but it just didn't come through. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review

This was an enjoyable story with message hidden about life. The story could have been a bit tightened to make it shorter. The story deals with trauma and a part of life that we can't avoid and eventually face head on. Not bad for his first graphic novel.

I just reviewed Ashes by Álvaro Ortiz. #Ashes #NetGalley

Although I found the art in this graphic novel to be a little cartoonish, I was nonetheless impressed with the colour, panel structure, and overall design. But I found the tale to be disjointed. There were estranged friends traveling together, information about cremation, a monkey, etc. Although I don't think I would enjoy the quirky humor, I would like to read other stories from creative authors such as Mr. Alvaro Ortiz.

This book packs a big punch. I was not expecting this book to be so emotional. This is a fascinating deep dive into the world of friendships set against a road trip background.

What a great book that follows friends on their trip of grief, loneliness, troubles and reconnecting. Honestly this is one of those YOU HAVE TO STICK WITH IT books. The whole book kinds of jumps and dodges and never truly feels like its really the same story... til the end. And then it really snaps into place. These people who are estranged, mourning, hurting, lonely, and trying to just figure out how tf to adult in a meaningful (to them) sort of way, are all affected by circumstances in life and the journey in different ways.

This was a fun and at times ridiculous graphic novel about three friends who go on a road trip to scatter the ashes of their friend. I really appreciated the ending, but found the random info about cremation to be a disruption to the story.

Such a delightful graphic novel to read with lots of surprises. I was a bit confused about the cremation book pages, but I loved how it came together towards the end of the graphic novel. It made me feel the feels of friendship and appreciated the drawings. I gave it 4/5 because of feeling confused some times by the timeline and plot. Thank you for the opportunity to review an early eBook!

A story of three friends who go on a trip of their lifetime to scatter the ashes of their deceased friend. This book is kind of ridiculous and entertaining but I'm not the biggest fan of the illustration stroke. Although I am a huge fan of the ending and it just takes you on a journey where you're not really certain who this will end. All in all, a pretty good read though I wouldn't highly recommend it.

I liked that this book was a little goofy and a little heartfelt. The artwork is effective, and the plot moved along at a decent pace.

Although I really liked the art style and the road trip aspect, I didn't like the pacing. I found the story bounced around a lot. At first, I liked the introductions of each of the characters which occurred between the pages of the present-day plot. But then there were plot jumps for cremation facts and random circus monkey antics. I found the themes of friendship, falling out of touch, and dealing with death pretty good overall.

I wasn't big on the villain characterization using a tired, one-note joke without any other queer representation and that wasn't necessary to the plot because it could have been literally anything else. However, this may be a result of the original being published in 2012.

Thank you to NetGalley, IDW Publishing, and Top Shelf Productions for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Summary:

Who hasn't dreamed of taking an epic road trip with their best friends? We've been told repeatedly that the right road trip can change our lives and forge new bonds of friendship. Well, can it reconnect old friendships? One group is about to find out.

Polly, Moho, and Piter used to be great friends. Now, not so much. Time and distance have changed all of that. But perhaps one epic road trip can help them come back together, even if there is a bit of drama.

My Review:

I'll be honest with you here; I really didn't know what to expect from Ashes. It looked like it would be such a fun read, and I've been trying to be better about reading translated works lately (there are SO many gems out there!).

Naturally, my lack of expectations meant I was pretty blindsided by how intense and emotional this read it. Think about any faded friendship you've had – there are a lot of complex emotions wrapped up in those memories, right? Consider that emotional mess the foundation of a graphic novel, and you'll have a better idea of where Ashes starts.

From there, it turns into so much more as these three friends tackle death, the nature of forgiveness and understand what friendship means to them. I love that each of the characters gets a chance to show their backstory – including the monkey! That was a cute surprise, if I may say so.

Highlights
Spanish comic
Friendship
Emotional
Road trip
Surprise monkey

Trigger Warnings
Car accident

Thank you so much to net galley and top shelf production for giving me an e-arc of this book

It's a pretty dull book i mean i feel like nothing really happened or the way they tell the story felt like there's really nothing going on but somehow i can't stop reading it so I'm kinda confused whether i would recommend it or not.

While the overall story of Ashes was somewhat messy and didn't really come together for me, I did enjoy the overall themes of friendship and healing bonds while dealing with trauma and grief. I wish the friends had found the hotel halfway through the book and we'd seen more of the development of it but all in all it was a very unique story.