Thank you so much to NetGalley and Europe Comics for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully imagined Graphic Novel and one that I completely adore.

Olive is 17 years old, she is autistic, and she lives her life (or at least, as often as she can) in an imaginary world. She has created a safe space in her imagination, a place that is within her control, that has only the things she enjoys and the friends she chooses. A place for her to go whenever the real-world is too overwhelming.

I absolutely loved this first instalment and I would very much love to read more of Olive's story. I thought the subject matter was handled delicately and the characters were delightful. I particularly adore Olive's best friend, Noel, a giant floating rubber duck.

4 superb stars!

*I received this book as an eARC from Europe Comics via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This graphic novel features an autistic main character with a whole world in her head. I love the concept. It initially reminded me of "Otherbound" by Corinne Duyvis.

This book is a very interesting idea, but I was quite confused at first. The story just did not flow for me. I give this book a 2/5.

It doesnt support or open after I download the pdf version of it. It's also not showing in my shelf in netgalley and I cant open it to read

Please look into the issue and if you can send me the pdf in my mail ID- taniagungunsarkar@gmail.com

I cant read the book from here. Please look into the issue

A very unique comic, at first I was confused but I started to understand and love it. Olive is 17, with a very rich and vivid inner life. I don't want to say its all her imagination but most people would. She created this world, she has complete control over everything, she can go anytime she wants. Which is her main issue, she would rather be there in her inner life than outside in the real world. When she is there, her body sorta goes into autopilot, she doesn't pay attention to anything going on around her, people around her make fun of her, call her names, play pranks on her, a lot happens without her knowing. Yet, her inner life isn't just her, at least not anymore! Something appeared out of nowhere, and she is freaking out!

Just as things were getting good, it ended. Now, I gotta wait for book 2, but I want to know what happened!

Thank you to Net Galley and Europe Comics for the ARC of this graphic novel.

This preview left me wanting more! The first issue of this series introduces us to Olive, an imaginative autistic woman who struggles to balance her life between two realities.
The artwork was beautiful and the colors really helped to set the tone. The story was compelling and wholesome. I could see Olive's character clicking with any young person, neurotypical or otherwise, that enjoys the world in their mind more than the one they currently occupy.
Some of the school dynamics felt a big cliche, but given that this was just the first issue, I hope to see more depth as the story grows. In any case, this was a promising snippet of this story and I look forward to learning more about Olive and her mysterious dreamatorium.

I wasn't able to find this book on goodreads to review on there but I enjoyed this story very much. My daughter is autistic so I understand the little things that upset olive and why she is the way she is. I love the world she created and the art work for this is gorgeous. Once I can find this on goodreads to review I will attach a link.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

Olive a short graphic novel about a 17-year-old who has created a space in her mind where she goes too. Sometimes it isn't intentional and sometimes she goes there as a safe space. She has a new roommate at her boarding school which shakes up her life just like how the astronaut in her inner life shakes her up.

The art is stunning and the story is intriguing, to say the least, but the ending left so many unanswered questions that I feel like it was cut off abruptly. I do feel that when the second part is out, that we will get those answers and that it will feel much more wrapped up.

Rating: 3⭐
Would I Read It Again? Yes
Would I Recommend it? Yes, when there are more parts

Usually when it comes to picking up a graphic novel I always judge the cover. I know its nothing something I should do, but the cover is something that should catch a sometimes attention right away. And this cover did that. Once I saw the cover I needed to request to read this novel. I had to read it. And I wasn't disappointed. I loved the art work and everything. It was so interesting and it made me think of Alice in Wonderland.
The way our main character deals with her other world experiences is just amazing. Really Alice in Wonderland vibes. It was sad to see how people around her, who didn't really understand or see what she saw, judged her so badly. Bullying is wrong and its something that happens every single day. She is going through so much through out the whole book. The writing and the art style works so well together. This is wonderfully done. I need the next book. We must know how this continues on.

Olive spends most of her time in her world. A place that is very real for her and one that she doesn’t feel others will understand. The first volume introduces you to Olive, her world, and the struggles she has outside of this.

I don’t really want to discuss the plot too much as I feel this is a re-read friendly graphic novel. Visually it’s beautiful and there is a lot of detail in the panels, especially when Olive is in her world. I think that is worth a second look.

The story does occasionally clunk, and I felt it ended a bit abruptly. I got the impression that because of where it was building (vol.2 and beyond) the first instalment probably has more enjoyment when you link the overall story together.

I still enjoyed this, I just wanted what was “hinted” at to be more from the beginning, and I really adored the art.

The first volume of 4, which was not something I realised when I chose to read it.

The art and introduction to the plot are great - but it feels strange to review the story after this volume - akin to reviewing a quarter of a book. There is an original plot with Olive creating a world as a coping mechanism in her life, and the exploration of if it is a reality she created or a fictional world she created. The artwork is wonderful. It has the potential to be amazing when a complete work.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

2.5 stars.

Meet Olive, an autistic girl who often loses herself in her own world. A world of magic, technology and safety. There were 1 or 2 things I could recognise myself in with Olive. I felt for her, especially with that one boy who apparently no one cares about despite him having a whole bag of her clothing XS stuff. Which just creeped me out. But at times I wanted her to find more help, more support also from the school, as the sessions were clearly not working out for her. I am glad that she found a friend in a roommate and that the roommate is learning how to be with Olive, as it isn't always easy for her. But I am glad that, unlike everyone in the school she isn't running away. She tries to help, she tries to be there for Olive. And I loved that.

But one thing that utterly confused me was how the astronaut is in her dreamworld. HER DREAMWORLD. Her safe spot. I just didn't understand especially given what we learn in the ending. I get that we are probably getting answers in the next volume, but I think that is just weird/odd. Not to mention.. now I guess I have to read the next volume... while I am not in the mood for that.

The art was OK, I guess. It was quite blurry as to read the text I had to up the % on my reader by quite a bit.

I found this a very interesting take on a coping mechanism that someone might use to escape the struggles in their daily life. I would definitely be interested in continuing with this series and I think it has the potential to get better.

Olive has been diagnosed with autism. At 17, she attends boarding school, barely passing her classes and avoiding other people as much as possible. She'd much rather spend time in the imaginary world she also lives in with a giant luminescent jellyfish and a talkative rubber duck. Her world is upended when a new student moves into her dorm room, bringing light and noise and, as Olive sees it, chaos. Things get even stranger for Olive when her imaginary world stops obeying her rules and admits a new resident, a refugee from the real world. This is part one of four and ends with the reader desperate to see how things will develop. Highly recommended.

I cannot speak from personal experience on the Autism representation but I personally found it very eye opening yet beautifully done. We see Olive likes to be alone and becomes distressed when she finds out she will get a roommate. Alongside 'the real world', we see Olive's imaginative world that she has created and falls into whenever she is alone. Here she has two friends she has grown up with: Rose - a flying cetacean, and Noel a palmiped of the anatidae family. During this story an object crashes into the pink salt-water lake and Olive discovers a man - an astronaut. She doesn't know how or why this person is here and is very concerned as when she sees him, she can no longer control the world. This ends with a revelation surrounding this man that makes me want to know more asap!

The art is stunning yet also pretty simple and perfectly shows the two 'worlds' as being separate yet combined throughout. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting something fun and quick to read that also wants a speck of sci-fi! I will be keeping an eye out for further parts of this series.

The graphics are beautiful and I love the illustrations and imaginative story telling..
I enjoyed seeing the duality of Olives worlds and trying to figure out what her created world means correlated to what’s going on in her day to day life.
I however did not understand the astronaut or why he is involved at all in the story.
I’m guessing it will be revealed in part 2.. that was super disappointing.. I really don’t enjoy not being able to wrap up a story..

I loved the graphics and everything, but I didn't get this at all, what does that astronaut with her?, I think it's a story for a second part.... But I didn't enjoyed it at all.
Thanks Netgalley for this graphic novel

Olive is a non-neurotypical teen with autism, who lives between two worlds. One is the world in which she attends boarding school and has a regular dull life, and one is the world only she believes is real, in which she creates everything in her environment and shapes it with her mind. The second world is her favorite, she shares it with a giant rubber ducky and a prehistoric whale who are her closest friends. This is the world she escapes to when things in the other world get too hard... like for example when her school assigns her a room mate, because her mom thinks it will be good for her to have one.
Unfortunately for Olive, now she can't even feel safe in her second world, because one day as she is trying to relax and escape she sees something she has never seen before: another person, a man in a space suit, has infiltrated her sacred space. Who is he, how did he get there, and is there nowhere Olive can feel relaxed and safe anymore?

Really beautiful art and interesting story, although I didn’t realise this was part one and it ends on a cliffhanger! (More an issue for me than anything else.)

Thank you to Europe Comics and Netgalley for the eARC.

Musings:

This story felt so unique and beautiful to me. I’m in love with the art! I loved seeing this girls inner world as she sees it. The oddness of the rubber duck and the cool sciency blobs she used as beds and chairs. I got lost in all of that.

It is a really quick read. I got through it in less then 20 minutes. Yet, in that time I had so much fun in the world and I know there will be more to explore in future issues.

This comic is fun, short, and full of possibility. I am so excited to read more of it in the future!

This was a gorgeous graphic novel about an autistic girl that creates a vibrant imaginary world in her head. I was entranced by the entire story, but the art was what made it truly wondrous.

Olive is a seventeen year old that often prefers her imagination to the real world. After a loud roommate moves into her college dorm, she finds herself escaping into her head more often than usual. While no one seems to believe in Olive’s alternate world, it has become a source of comfort and solace for her. So, when an astronaut shows up in Olive’s carefully crafted headspace, she isn’t sure what this means for the future.

I’m surprised by how much I loved this story! The protagonist was portrayed in a way that I couldn’t help but grow fond of; her imaginary world was depicted beautifully. The fact that this is set in France was another aspect I loved.

Everything about the art in Olive was fantastic. It’s rare that I become so attached to the drawings in a graphic novel like I have with this one. The cover was telltale enough for me to know I’d enjoy the illustrations at least.

My one complaint is that I wanted more out of this volume. The first few panels start with an interesting storyline that isn’t brought up again. I assume it will resurface in future volumes, though I wish we’d gotten some in the first! Overall, though, this was great!