Content Warning for the sensitive readers: this graphic novel contains extremely graphic depictions of domestic violence and rape.
However, stories like this need to be told. The woman, whose name we never learn starts out by telling us how wonderful her also nameless husband is. Slowly though, he changes. He begins hitting her... and the violence escalates. All the while, she continues to make excuses for his behavior, blaming herself for every beating... even the one that causes her to miscarry. Even the one that makes her contemplate ending her life. Even the one one that makes her contemplate ending his.
It's twisted, it's disturbing... and it's horrible real for millions of people.

A peek into life with an abusive spouse. Tragic but compelling and lyrical. Would recommend to readers of nonfiction and memoirs even though this is fictional.

'Sour Apple' by Jerzy Szylak with illustrations by Joanna Karpowicz tells the story of a marriage slowly unwinding.

The story is told through the prayers of a young woman. She has what, at first, seems to be a perfect marriage. Over the course of the story, she becomes more and more abused. She thinks it is her fault, at least that's what her prayers seem to say. As the abuse becomes more pervasive, finally she decides she must do something.

The story is fictional as far as I know, but the story elements have the feeling of truth. The illustrations are acrylic painted on canvas-textured paper, so they have a richness that is real and surreal. It's not a comfortable story to read, nor should it be, but I'm glad I got to read it.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

The book is about domestic abuse. It has a heart breaking, brutal plot. The art style is great. The cover is very striking.

This book feels like a punch on the stomach. It narrates the story of a supposedly happily married couple through the eyes of the wife, who, being religious, prays to God and is thankful for everything He has given her. One of the things she says she's thankful for is also her husband. I have to admit that one of the most powerful scenes in this graphic novel was when her husband started physically abusing her, but in her narration she still sounded thankful for everything she has.

Stories about abuse are very important to share, because the world is far from a happy place. However, such stories are also the most difficult to share. Reading this short yet extremely powerful graphic novel was an experience that will stay with me for a while. The narration sometimes highly contradicts the art, where scenes of violence unfold and the beaten and unhappy face of the female protagonist is obvious for the readers to see, despite what she narrates. The ending was also very powerful, more like a wake-up call to reality, since life doesn't give everyone their happy ending.

I will read pretty much any graphic novel that is put in front of me, so I requested this one with little more than a glance at the cover - and was subsequently very surprised to find myself reading a story about serious domestic abuse. It's a disturbing story with some very distressing images, and it also performs the impressive work of illustrating the mental gymnastics of abuse victims that so often lead to their remaining in tragic circumstances. The art is a little less polished than in other graphic novels I've read, but in this particular case, it works well to complement the story.

I've received a free e-copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"We walk the streets. Looking for women wearing sunglasses."

Sour Apple is a disturbing and painful narrative of domestic abuse; that cover art actually does an amazing job of encapsulating the theme. I really felt furious with the subservient nature of the lead character in here, but I do agree that her nature only reflects a multitude of women in this world. And this graphic novel deserves to be seen and read to raise awareness.[although I HIGHLY recommend that women should not stab their partners in the end! In order to purge such atrocities in this world, one should not think that violence is always the last resort.]

This has genuinely just shocked me. From the cover and description I thought I knew what to expect but I was totally unprepared for just how dark this book really was.

This is powerful, moving and bleak to an extreme degree.

Any book covering themes of domestic abuse alongside religion and the supposed sanctity of marriage is always likely to be quite deep and moving if done well. This book is exactly that; deep moving and extremely well done.

I wasn't totally sold from the start with what appeared relatively basic images and slightly odd dialogue but this only served to completely throw my guard down for what was to follow. By the end, I could not imagine this book being done in any other way. The artwork suits the outward Christian marriage being presented to the world while allowing for the dialogue to serve as cover for when it changes to far darker themes behind closed doors.

This is essential reading for teens upwards shedding light on how easy it can be to become a victim in your own home.

A really quick read that will live long in the memory.

Maybe something was lost in translation in this graphic novel. It was pretty bad overall. The art is okay though.

I gave this graphic novel five stars for the following reasons:

1. The art style. Point blank, the art of this graphic novel is beautiful. It was different from the black and white, ink and computer graphic styles that I usually read. The texture of the brush strokes and the indention in the canvas added extra depth for me.

2. The flow. This graphic novel had goldilocks pacing for me. The novel itself wasn't too long, or short, and it didn't drag on and on. I liked how the author sucked me into the narrators life and kept me there until the end.

3. The emotional reaction. The subject matter is dark. It's hard to read. Especially when you're reading it from the perspective of the woman who is being abused. I wanted her to be strong and leave, but also understood that due to the cycle of love and harm that she couldn't.

Overall, I'll Sour Apple will definitely be on my mind in the next following days. I'm glad that I got the opportunity to read it on Net Galley.

I.... I actually hate this book...

I realize this is an important story to share, to give people a voice, to empower them to speak up. But reading this book makes me physically sick and disturbed. Which is probably the point. Abuse is evil, and hard for those in an abusive relationship to realize that it’s wrong, and terrible. They convince themselves that this is love, sometimes things are wonderful. Or they can’t leave because the spouse may try to murder them. It’s not that someone isn’t strong enough to leave the relationship, it’s that they can’t imagine being out of it. It’s easy to be convinced that you’re the problem.

If you’re squeamish or tender-hearted like I am, avoid this book.
I’m giving this book a three-star rating, because of the art style (everything looks like a painting!) and because I think this is an important story to tell.
But really, I personally do not like the story because of the content and I would not read it again.

My thanks to NetGalley granting me access to this digital ARC in exchange for honest feedback.

A somewhat succinct, beautifully-rendered portrait of what is likely many people's experience caught in the cycle of domestic abuse. Sad, brutal and honest..

An intense and realistic look at abusive relationships, "Sour Apple" is striking, both in its illustrations and its story.

Trigger Warnings: graphic sexual and physiological domestic abuse

Artwork: Realistic drawings. Each panel looks like a painted work on a textured canvas.

Story: This is one of those hard reads. Not only are we hearing the inner monologue of the wife who starts to feel like she does deserve the abuse, but we see visually all the brutal things are happening in this toxic marriage. This was just so hard. It's one thing to read a scene like this among a larger plot, also just as text, but a whole new experience visually seeing the horrors and literally nothing else. This story goes there and then some. Definitely not for everyone, and this one will linger with me for a while I fear...

Posted on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2397731484?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This was so ruthlessly realistic. Truly a powerful piece of art. This graphic novel really packed a punch in its' representation of domestic violence and just how hard it can be for a woman to escape it and escape her own idea of her marriage. I was blown away by how short short and to the point the writing was, as well as how powerful the art was. I would highly recommend this 15 minute read to anyone over the age of 18 who feels like they would not be triggered by images of violence and sexualy explicit content.

This is a graphic novel about a husband who beats his wife, there's no polite way to put it - or there's no polite way that should be used. It's a graphic story, there are graphic pictures. Catholicism is an ever present background character. If these subjects are triggers for anyone, beware.
There is a dark twist toward the end, one that I gleefully absorbed with only a small voice in the back of my head wondering if I *should* be enjoying it... but alas, the twist was a trick and the story ends (or continues) as most abusive relationships do.

How do you rate a book like this? It is a graphic novel depicting a battered wife, with only a few insights into her mind. It's a story that's been told before, it's a story that will never be told enough until there are no more stories like this. Perhaps if a battered wife happens to pick up this book and sees herself in the pages, actually SEES the illustrations of her life, perhaps that will have a positive effect on someone. So for that, and for the pure dark enjoyment I got from the short twist in the story, I will give this 4 stars.

Although incredibly dark, the narrative and sequential artwork was fantastic and all encompassing. I shan't forget this soon.

Trigger Warning : Super Graphic Scenes, Violence.
I honestly don't know how to communicate my feelings towards this book.
Domestic abuse are real. And the message behind this book is surely communicated clearly.
One thing that I am regretting is not read others review beforehand. Because there are graphic scenes that are way too much for me to handle. Seeing a lot of blood like that is something that really triggered me somehow. I feel super uncomfortable for those particular scenes.

This is the kind of book that I couldn't just recommend to anyone.
Also, I would not rate this book. But because I have to put ratings, I will give it a 2 stars. It is based on the illustration alone.

Although I found this graphic novel to be darker than I was expecting, I still enjoyed it. I found this graphic novel to be unique in the sense that the characters don’t get a happy ending for once. The illustrations were stunning, yet dark and raw, but made the book what it needed to be. I do feel like this is an important graphic novel to have available for the public to read, as it doesn’t shy away from touching on a very real problem.

Trigger Alert: It includes some sensitive subjects, including domestic abuse, rape, and graphic scenes.

4.5 stars for Sour Apple by Jerzy Szyłak. This is a heart-wrenching story that follows a woman whose prayers alternate between gratitude and despair as she slowly realizes she is trapped in an abusive marriage. Joanna Karpowicz's illustrations add incredible depth to the already very emotional narrative.

The story clearly shows the insidious method used by so many abusers to slowly trap their partners in an ever-increasing spiral of hopelessness. This should be a must-read for all young people to raise awareness of the problem of domestic abuse and encourage empathy for those who suffer at the hands of their partners.

Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing me with a free electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.