Member Reviews
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Europe comics for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions stated are entirely my own. I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I thought the art was good and the storyline was interesting. I liked that the book talked about and hinted at important topics like bi-poplar and personality disorders. The book also had a fantastical/sci-fi spin to it but had realistic elements as well. I also liked how there were some plot twists and the book left off at a cliff-hanger. It makes me want to read the next one!
* I received an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
wow! This graphic novel is incredibly beautiful. The artwork is dynamic and I love the integration of technology into the physical layout of the panels.
The story follows Elle, who is a student trying to manage a balance between school, home, and friends. Through a specific diagnosis. she has come to live with the "Elles" within her. I liked the story but wished there was a little more plot to the introduction. We started to get into the good stuff right near the end, and I wished it just came a little sooner.
This graphic novel is a great introduction to this world and Elle. I wish we got to meet more of the different Elles, but I look forward to reading more.
I would recommend this to anyone who is a lover of middle grade/ YA graphic novels.
Wow, I was not expecting such a cliffhanger on the ending.
I really loved how unique and loveable these characters and storyline was. The fact that her hair changes colour like a mood ring was pretty awesome.
The graphics were refreshingly bright which definitely added to the reading experience!
I've never seen let alone read a graphic novel about mental health before but I loved it and I need more of it. I can really see its potential for future editions. The art style is beautiful (it’s what initially caught my eye) but after reading the description I was hooked. Its execution is much like Pixar's Inside Out, and as someone who cried at the ending of that movie I really enjoyed how the author put this story together. I think it could really help someone who is looking for themselves in something, or help someone who can't find the words, to help explain to someone else how they feel. 4/5 stars because I’d love to see the storyline get more complex because I think this first edition just scratched the surface, but otherwise a great start to what I hope becomes a successful series.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel on a lot of different levels! First, the drawings are absolutely stunning! It is full of colours and really nice to see.
I liked the fact that the topic of the novel was about a mental disorder, it is not frequent to see this kind of topics usually !
It was really quick and easy to read, I read it in one go. A bit too short in my opinions.
I am looking forward to read the next one especially because of the cliffhanger at the end !
I would like to thank Netgalley to offer me the opportunity to read this book in exchange of an honnest review.
Actual rating 3.5 stars
This story of a girl with multiple personalities and a mysterious origin wasn’t that original or compelling to me, but the art was absolutely stunning. I am a sucker for great art and color-coordinated characters! Otherwise not sure how to feel about this graphic nocel honestly. It was a quick and decent read I suppose.
Reading this graphic novel was a wonderful experience. I literally yelled NO out loud when I finished because I didn’t want the story to end. The artwork was incredible, and matched the tone of the plot so well. It was an enlightening experience to see young individuals understanding and coming to terms with dissociative identity disorder, and it was a fantastic explanation of what it is like to live with DID. A beautiful novel that I could read again and again. I’m so happy to see further representation of mental health disorders in the literary world. I honestly can’t wait to delve into the next instalment.
Love the ilustrations!! The story seems easy but in the end is quite curious!!! I will love to read the next one!!!
NOTE: I received a free preliminary, and likely unedited copy of this book from Netgalley for the purposes of providing an honest, unbiased review of the material. Thank you to all involved.
When I first started this, I wasn’t too sure what to expect – the art style and setting made me worry I was about getting into a twee book for teenagers, but I was definitely wrong. While the premise may sound somewhat similar to the recent Disney movie Inside Out, only a superficial likeness is there – Elle(s) adds the extra layer of being about mental health issues, and what it means to love somebody with mental health issues into the mix, which makes this so much more. The depiction of “split personalities” is on par when accounts I’ve heard on various TV shows and podcasts – i.e. dominant personality controls everything and person sees everything in third person view – so that was interesting. It would interesting to see somewhen in the clinical psychology field review this.
While volume one leaves this chapter as an unfinished mystery, and could easily turn into something supernatural and weird, I’m hoping it stays as grounded as volume one – as it was a surprise to me how much I enjoyed it.
Europe Comics continues its trend of quality comics that always seem to surprise me. I will definitely need to seek out the next volume upon publication to see where this story ends up going. Don’t let the cover fool you into thinking this is something other than what it is, and give it a try – It’s good stuff.
The comic series Elle(s) deals with the important topic of a personality disorder. Elle's personalities are well represented by the great illustrations. Generally it's a major basic story (bipolar disorder meets classic teenage everyday life), but as an introduction of the series, a lot is happening too fast for me. From the moment we get to know Elle's other personalities, a lot is gathered in time and important information were quickly brought up. Unfortunately, I didn't liked that implementation very much. Still, I would want to read more books in this series any time.
Beautiful art style, I really like the way that the hair colours reflect the emotions and traits of the Elle in charge, I’m definitely intrigued as to where this is headed!!
3.5 ⭐
This was a really interesting graphic novel, the illustrations are amazing, I just love them. I thought the authors' use of different hair colours to represent all the different sides of Elle - depending on her current emotional and mental state - was quite unique and well executed.
I also thought it was interesting how the tone of the book was quite dark at times but was balanced by the use of light and cheerful supporting characters and the use of the bright colours. A good introduction to the characters and the relationship dynamics.
Thank you to Le Lombard, the authors and Netgalley for granting me a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing me the digital arc of this title!
I think this is the coolest and most beautiful art style in any graphic novel I’ve ever read. Not only is all of the artwork gorgeous and colorful but the story is unique and wonderfully written.
When I reached the last page I was so sad to see that there wasn’t more to this story but loved it enough to be looking out for a sequel (hopefully) in the future.
I loved the distinction between the different personalities Elle has and the corresponding hair colors each of them had. From the very beginning I was hooked on this story and was so eager to keep reading and see where it went!
"Whatever demons you're facing, Elle, we won't let you face them alone." - Kid Toussaint, Elle(s): The New Girl (Vol. 1)
Trigger Warnings: reference to dissociative identity disorder (DID) also known as multiple personality disorder, bullying, depiction of depression
Have you ever been the "new kid"? At some point in your life, you must have been...So, there is no need to tell you how it's never easy when you find yourself being the new kid in school. In the first volume of Elle(s): The New Girl, we are introduced to the eponymous heroine of Kid Toussaint. Being checked out/sized up by her peers doesn't seem to faze her. With her confidence and devil-may-care attitude, she easily adjusts to the switch in school and acquires new friends on her first day of school. But like all teenagers, she carries a secret...5 distinct and colorful secrets hidden inside herself. After a year of being the new kid, her secrets decide to make their presence known. Her life gradually becomes more colorful (pun intended) as she searches for an answer to her past.
I absolutely adore this graphic novel! I honestly had no idea what I was getting into. I requested the ARC from Netgalley mainly for the stunning and intriguing cover design. The title and the set-up of the cover led me to believe it would be somewhat like the 2017 dystopian science-fiction action-thriller film, What Happened to Monday...identical quintuplets. It was no surprise that my assumption was proven to be wrong and I am not even salty about it at all!
The illustrations are so stunning and vibrant... give me an anime/Disney-Pixar episode vibe. The narrative is so fast-paced and engaging. A TV adaptation needs to happen yesterday!
I am not entirely sure if what is depicted within the panels is an accurate representation of the disorder or if she even has one, to begin with. Because of the way the narrative is illustrated: the different side of her sheltered in different lands and Disney-Pixar's Inside Out vibe it gives me...I like to think that this is her different personalities guiding her through high school. Maybe some sort of superpower?
I also love the emphasis on friendship. Perhaps of all her friends, I have a soft spot for Linotte. She is by no means the stereotypical ditzy blond...she exhibits a form of innocence and is someone who often daydreams. Though, we don't yet know much about her (or any of Elle's friends for that matter)...I think she is a bookworm.
Overall, I am peeved that there is only one volume out. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for the continuation of this series. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good mystery with a Disney-Pixar vibe to it. This is an imaginative and immersive read you won't want to put down.
Thank you again to NetGalley and Le Lombard Europe Comics for this ARC of Elle(s): The New Girl (Vol. 1) by Kid Toussaint and art by Aveline Stokart.
The New Girl (Elles #1) by Kid Toussaint, 90 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Le Lombard (Europe Comics), 2021. $9.
Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Being the new girl isn’t always easy, but Elle made friends and things have been going well -- until the stress starts to break her facade. With pressure from school, family, and a friend trying to break out of the friend zone, Elle stops being herself and her inner personalities start to front.
I like how Toussaint opens the conversation for mental illness, whether or not he means to focus on one that reminds me of DID. The emotion of Elle’s story, accompanied by Stokart’s bold illustrations, is potent -- both the emotion and the illustrations were easily my favorite parts of reading this book. With a cliffhanger ending, I’m ready to find out what happens to all the Elles.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
Beautiful art, interesting story. A tale of teenage friendship, psychiatric disease and family mystery.
Elle(s) is soooooo beautifully drawn. I especially loved how smoothly each page went by. Even though we're dealing with multiple change in Elle's character, it wasn't hard to read because of how Elle was drawn. I loved how each Elle was differentiated by hair color! The colors used for this graphic novel made me feel like I was watching an animated film/video instead of reading a graphic novel.
I just wish it was longer and we're given more time to get to know the characters some more. This is a good introduction and I would definitely love to follow Elle(s) story in the future!
3 stars*
The Elle(s) has an interesting story, and I would continue on with the second volume given a chance! I think although all the characters are kind of one dimensional, they are still distinct from each other and fun. I like the main character and her best friend and am intrigued at where the story is going. I hope that the second volume is translated soon. Overall, I recommend this if not just for the beautiful art style, then for the fun characters.
Me encantó y me dejó IMPACTADA CON EL FINAL. O sea, 100 páginas pasaron en un abrir y cerrar de ojos y fue mucho más que un drama juvenil. La manera en la que representaba los estados de ánimo/emociones dependiendo del color, así como la introducción de un transtorno mental en una novela gráfica tan fresca y entretenida hizo que lo amara de principio a fin. Muero por leer los siguientes tomos, ¡quiero más!
I loved this. Quite simply, it is brilliant. The art work looks like something out of a Disney Pixar short. The colours are perfect and it’s just brilliant.
This shows an excellent understanding of bipolar disorder. I feel that this shows it as it is, a little mischievous but always protective of your main self. Needing to be something different for different situations.
The story is just the right amount of high school and issues, but I wish it was longer.