I'm not sure this was for me; I think it was geared towards a different audience. I found it to be a little odd and seemed kind of all over the place. The art work was nicely done though.

I feel bad that I've been in such a reading slump because I haven't been able to care about a lot of these anticipated releases like this one. I really wanted this one to be the one to break the slump, but unfortunately, this wasn't it for me.

A story of a family through 3 generations told from the point of view of nineteen year old Rocio. It begins with the sparsely attended funeral of Rocio's grandmother - and goes back in time to see Vilma (the grandmother) arrive as a child, fleeing with her parents to Buenos Aires - as her father is a communist which puts the family in a great deal of danger in Mussolini's Italy. While the men of this family are not immune to tragedy and sacrifice - it is the women who end up dealing with the brunt of it - from leaving friends and family behind to move to a new country and not speaking the language to perpetuating generational trauma cycles by putting one child's education and ambition over the others, to homophobia, rape and restrictive gender roles.

The art and colour is stunning throughout - and heavy topics are dealt with without it feeling too... heavy.

I really love a story that shows how the past informs the present - and the 'why' of why people do the things they do - and this had that in spades!

The only detraction was the cursive writing used while telling the grandmothers story - I found it quite hard to read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this graphic novel in return for my review.

The story is so captivating and I love it a lot. The illustrations are interesting and flows with the story. Throughout the book, we encounter the events that made today; the family bonds, sexual violence, homosexuality etc... Besides, as we learn more about the grandma, we understand her character better and emphasize with Ro, her granddaughter.

The only thing is that the font, the one used for the past events are kind of hard to read. Maybe it's because I read it from my phone but I found it hard to read.

overall a good read and interesting story. I love complex family dynamics portrait, which we all have and it was shown so well. and the art is very interesting too. and I like to believe she had closure at the end of the story.

I enjoyed so much the way the novel engulfed me in Vilma's story. Every traumatic event and thought were presented in such a delicate way.
The phone ringing in the book sounded in my head as I gasped for air coming back up and diving right in after each phone call was over.
The artwork was what brought me in, but the story and all it's qualities have stayed with me for quite a while after reading the book.

I was captivated by the synopsis of this graphic novel and I was not disappointed at all! Heart breaking and heartfelt all at the same time. Sole Otero’s art style is so unique and beautiful I was captivated with each panel. I cannot wait for this to come out.

I would have loved this if I could read the font! The illustration is delicious, the story sounds moving - but I really couldn’t make out the words. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

This was my first time reading a graphic novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the unique illustrations, and the moving story of their family, the secrets, and hardships they faced. I was very invested in the story when it abruptly ended, so I’m not sure if my arc was incomplete. Either way, I’ll be keeping an eye out for it.

"Mothballs" is a poignant, multi-generational graphic novel that deftly explores themes of family, ambition, and breaking cycles of isolation. After her grandmother Vilma's death, Rocio uncovers her family's tragic history spanning Italy and Argentina. Otero's nuanced storytelling draws poetic parallels between Vilma and Rocio's lives as strong-willed women constrained by societal pressures. With tenderness and whimsy amidst the pain, "Mothballs" chronicles fraught family dynamics and Rocio's pursuit to forge her own path. Otero's tour de force cartooning marks her as a major talent, making this a must-read that will linger with readers long after the last page. An emotional, sensitively rendered gem.

Book 091 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟🌟💫

Enjoyed this one until I got to the tiny cursive writing. I am old. Eesh.

The fleas infestation totally grossed me out and the ending... so is there a part two?

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The background of generational trauma among the women in the family is shocking. I really liked it and can't wait to read the published version.

The author skillfully renders family dynamics and shifts in time comprehensible. Within the house, space and time meld, and memories merge seamlessly with the present, echoing real-life experiences until they become palpable.

The great-grandmother's distress, the grandmother's frustration, the father's departure, and the daughter's uncertainty intertwine expertly, creating a unified narrative.

As the story unfolds across the 20th century, the reader becomes immersed as another character within the confines of the protagonist's familial history.

This work lingers, akin to the lingering fragrance of a loved one or a bridge constructed to fathom the actions of someone dear. It becomes a cherished memory, akin to renowned titles in graphic novel history, including 'Naftalina'.

Thank you Netgalley and Fantagraphics for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel tackles family conflicts and deals with heavy issues which is compelling, and it made me curious as to what it has to offer. but it feels like I was left hanging. It also baffled when I realized that I didn’t get the full version of the book, so it’s kinda hard to provide a review on this book. That highly contributed with my unresolved feelings towards the book because I wanted to know how to story will unfold.

In terms of the visuals, while I liked art style and color palettes, the cursive handwriting was such a pain. It gives me headache. I read it using my mobile phone so I had to zoom in to make it readable.

Thank you Fantagraphics for a copy of Mothballs!

"In this moving family saga, a teenage woman uncovers the hushed history of sexual violence that shattered her grandmother’s life."

**Note: This is a partial digital ARC. It is only the first 200 pages of the book.

What an intense graphic novel! A story about family and intergenerational trauma -- how we affect each other and how we break the chain of history. I'm excited to pick up this book and finish the story!

I think perhaps Mothballs loses some of the original essence in translation. In some parts the transition between timelines were hard to decipher. I enjoyed the exploration of complex family dynamics in this book but I never connected with Ro as a character. I was more interested in the grandmother's story. And though I liked the art style, the font made the panels nearly illegible. The pacing of the first 2/3rds of the book were slow. The plot picks up around page 200, unfortunately that's was where my arc ended. I would have continued reading if only to get closure on the grandmother's story.

Well as I only review full files, not fractions, it's enough for me to say I didn't like the art much at all, the cursive was too tight and hard to read (especially in brown) and – and that's about all you'll get. Not a book I'd rush to have selected for my own choice, particularly. Two and something.

Thanks NetGalley and Fantagraphics for this arc

4/5 stars

This was an emotional partial story, and it really is a disservice it just ends with over 100 pages left. I enjoyed what I read so far, but the art and the cursive writing were a little busy and muddled at times - however that is probably just bc I'm reading it on my phone. I'm interested to finish this and get the whole story so I can give a proper review

Thanks kindly to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for the partial ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the premise of this graphic novel, and was excited to read its first 200 pages when the publisher granted my wish to review it. This beautifully illustrated story explores a granddaughter's discovery of her grandmother's life after her death, and the parallels between them, as we move between both their perspectives.

The author traverses the themes of family, identity, sexual violence and intergenerational trauma with nuance, care and whimsy, and has ignited in me a newfound curiosity towards graphic novels.

I'm excited for folks to experience this award-winning work by Sole Otero, now translated by Andrea Rosenberg into English from its native Spanish - I highly recommend it.

While I did love this graphic novel I'm taking a star away because I couldn't read some of due to the cursive the whole book was written in. Cursive writing in books should be banned. Other than that, I enjoyed the story and the artwork as well.