~I didn't get around to this before it was archived, but don't want a lack of review to bring down my ratio. I'm giving it a 5 stars anyway because this sounds exactly like something I'd love.

My first impression of this graphic novel was that the art style wasn't my favorite but that I would give it a read and see what I thought of the story. I very quickly got hooked into the story, it probably only took about 10 pages and then I was reading it all in one sitting, quickly devouring it. I very quickly connected to the main character and wanted to know more. At the beginning, she is struggling with the grief of losing her mother. She quickly finds an outlet in riding motorcycles and buys herself a Ducati (that's actually my dream brand of motorcycle if I ever had the guts of Franca to buy one). The rest of the story follows her racing trajectory during a cup tournament, how she is dealing with her grief, and her struggle between the things she wants: a career in archeology in Rome (what she wanted before she lost her mom) and racing (what's been keeping going since losing her mom). It's a really sweet story that actually made me tear up at a couple of parts. I really loved the other characters including her uncle who trains her, her friend, and Silvio. While I still didn't love the art style, I did appreciate it more as I read. The landscape style scenes that popped up every now and then kind of between scenes were really gorgeous, I just don't love this style for people personally, but it's still done well even if not my taste. My only critique story wise was that it suddenly jumped forward in time and then very quickly ended. It was abrupt and a bit bittersweet and open ended and it didn't really match the vibe I had enjoyed from the rest of the graphic novel. But the bulk of the story was really enjoyable, just wish we had a more fleshed out ending.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, the author, and the artist for the ARC I read.

I enjoyed this story, at first I didn't like the art but as it went on the simplicity made me enjoy it more. I did not like the time jump towards the end. But overall, I enjoyed it, although the journey was a bit better than the destination...

"Motorossa" by Jean Aubertin & Adèle Albrespy is an engaging graphic novel. I was captivated by the main character, Franca, and her journey dealing with grief after the passing of her mother. Her new-found love for moto racing, he relationship with her uncle & aunt, and her slow adaptation to small-town life were fun to read. I enjoyed the Sardinia setting and the friendships portrayed in the book. I found the pace a bit strange, though. The time jump and the ending felt a little abrupt to me. I wanted to see more of Franca and Silvio. I wanted to read more about what happened after the race - I was enjoying it. But otherwise, it's a great book!

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

I loved the art style it was so nostalgic and warm. Reminded me of Tin Tin and Condorito and I loved that.

Unfortunately ... the pacing was a little off for me. I thought we were going to really focus on our main character and how racing helped her with her grief but instead everything just felt so accelerated (no pun intended) which made the time jump a little ineffective to me.

This is a beautiful story and it is beautifully drawn and coloured. Franca is bereaved and grieving, having just lost her mother. She has moved to the island of Sardinia to live with her aunt and uncle, and she is finding it difficult to fit in with the people of this small island, having grown up in Rome.

She then discovers the world of motor bike racing and decides to give it a go despite her aunt”s nagging. As she races, she becomes an insider and begins to make friends, and when racing opens up a whole new world to her she takes the chance to grow. As she does this she encounters friendship, love and opportunities, but she also leaves her mark on the small town and others.

This is a lovely coming of age story, although I did think the ending was a little rushed. The reader gets to see Franca grow and develop into adulthood with near misses and true love. It is a gentle story which draws the readers in.

Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Like the racers within the story, this books reads very quickly. The colors are bright, the action is manga/anime inspired and the plot moves along at a steady clip. This will be popular with younger readers though I do not know how many high-school and above readers will find new here.

In Carbonia, everybody loves motorcycles. There’s a famous amateur circuit, an annual cup that fills the village to the brim with tourists. And there’s the blue sea and the lazy beach. And… that’s pretty much it.

“When you come from Carbonia, you stay. We’re rooted to the spot. Like ancient ruins.” says Silvio, before taking Franca to a spin on his motorbike, hoping to scare her and maybe make her fall in love. And fall in love she did - with the speed, and the motorcycle :)

The colorful cover hides Franca’s colorful story - one that should’ve been predictable as heck. and yet it was unlike any I’ve ever read, about family, love, sports, finding one’s way, about goals and the sacrifices required to reach them. I really, really loved it. Maybe you will, too.

It’s Adèle Albrespy & Jean Aubertin’s first book - and I sure hope it won’t be the last. I’ll be waiting.

Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This didn't influence my opinion in any way.

I thought this book was super cute. I love the art style and I also absolutely adore the characters. I loved absolutely every element of this. I love the motor racing motorbikes. I love the romance and the connection that the main characters have, especially the old gentleman who was teaching her about motorcycles, and how he grew from a state of giving up to becoming better, and I absolutely love that generally I would 100 recommend this book. I think it’s easy to read, it’s fast pacing. I read this all in one sitting it was just an absolute delight.

I loved this book.
When I opened it and started reading, I couldn't stop. It was a book that captured me.
I think the graphic style was really well aligned with the story and the time in which it develops. This visual style was very impactful, for me. It was really fantastic.
And I love all the characters that appear in the story, each one has their own side. The main character is strong but is looking for something to soothe or use to distract herself from the pain. I loved the kinda "love triangle". It was something truly spectacular.
And that ending was really a perfection. She really needed to ear those words.
I totally loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

The first thing that court my eye was ‘Motorossa’ it art style it looks so good and the story doesn’t disappoint as well. It is really good and I would really recommend reading it.

Rating 4 stars

4/5

It's always cool to see people writing their stories using Italy as their base.
In this case we are in Sardinia and it's the story of a young girl who lost her balance after losing her mother. She will soon find her strenght back riding a Ducati that bought with the money her mother left her.

From this point the main plot seems to be centered around her trying to succeed in the regional motor cup in Carbonia, the main set of the story.
Thing is we will never know what really happened during that day because the story gets abruptly cut and jumps 15 years ahead, where it wraps up.
I honestly didn't like this author choice, because in the end all this tells us everything and nothing at the same time. We do get an ending but it's way too open to be considered an actual conclusion of the story.

The color scheme was very vibrant and the drawings despite being kinda sketchy were very clear.
The story left me a little dubious, I would have preferred another path.
Still a very enjoyable read set in Italy.

A note from a native Italian: the names were a little weird and despite having many italian terms, even if spelled correctly not always were used in the correct way.

I absolutely adored the vintage inspired art style and through it felt easily transported into the story. I enjoyed seeing a glimpse into these characters’ lives and relationships.

Holy emotional rollercoaster, Batman! From grief, to anxiety, to heartwarming hug this graphic novel was not what I was expecting. There was second chance love, a love triangle, and found family. I signed up for a good motorcycle babe story and got so much more. I will revisit these characters often.

This was reminiscent of the Tintin style of graphics which I enjoyed. I also really enjoyed the overall story and I thought it was sweet. I'm not sure how it's accurate to the regions culture, but it was enjoyable read.

Franca’s mom has died. She’s past the point of that sharp ache but she’s still missing something in her after the loss. Until, that is, a spontaneous ride on a motorcycle. Franca immediately goes and buys a brand new red Ducati. She’s going to school to be an archaeologist, but she needs something until then. On an island filled with bikers though, she still feels like an outcast. Motorossa follows Franca as she finds her place among the bikers of Sardinia and comes to terms with closing a chapter of her life.

I picked this book because it reminded me of Tintin, and that held true as I read it. I loved this. It’s bright and summery, primarily taking place in the small island of Sardinia in Italy. This was such a breeze to read I knew I’d find myself coming back to this comic again and again when I felt a little wanderlust. I found the end to be abrupt and a bit rushed, but part of me wonders if this harsh cut will grow on me over time. It feels like there could be value to it if I read it a few times over.

Did I read this book just because it's set in Sardinia? ... probably.

A young girl from Rome moved to Carbonia to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother’s death, and two years later she still feels the sting of grief. She’s seen as a foreigner in the village, not doing anything to become part of the tight knit community, and dreaming to go back to Rome so she can study archeology. In the last summer after high school, as she starts to mingle with the locals, she discovers a new passion that makes her forget her grief for a moment: speedracing.

She decides to buy a bike with her inheritance and compete in the Carbonia Cup.

The graphic novel is about overcoming grief, friendship and teenage dreams, set in the atmospheric views of the mountains and the Sardinian sea; it’s a cute little standalone story, with simple illustrations and a vivid color scheme.

The book is a translation from the French, but I can tell that the words in Italian were kept the same from the original version, as I imagine it contains the same mistakes someone not well versed in the language would make, but please I need everyone to understand you don’t use “ciao” in formal situations! That one was difficult to ignore. (Also. The majority of the characters - and all the racers -is Sardinian and not a single one of them has a traditional Sardinian surname: what’s that about?)

Overall it was an enjoyable read!

Franca's mom died, when she turns 18, she spends all her inheritance money on a new motorcycle to participate in competitions. But some surprises await.

Motorossa is a very well drawn comic with a charming protagonist. The artstyle is very clean with a sharp line and flat colors, very dynamic in the action scenes. I really liked the epilogue and I think the ending is very satisfying.

Thanks to Netgalley and Europe Comics for an arc of this comic.

Motorossa was a really inspiring tale of a girl that is trying to deal with the grief of losing her mother. I loved the illustrations of the racing scenes, they were so exciting!!

I didn't have any expectations on this book and was greatly surprised! I think the art fits the story very nicely and it was an inspiring story about grief and pushing yourself.