I am a sucker for the Bronte sisters. I have always been drawn to their moody, broody literature. I love nothing more than wandering the moors with Heathcliff, sympathizing with the broody Rochester, basking in the critical voice of Agnes Grey. So when I saw this graphic novel, I knew I needed to read it if for nothing else to expand my knowledge of the backstories of some of my favorite authors. It did not disappoint. I feel like this graphic novel was just a peek into the lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte. Their lives were marred by societal constraints, a controlling/unreliable brother, and a loving, yet aging father. Their lives are not sugar-coated, it lays bare how tragic and harsh their lives really were.

This graphic novel would be perfect to assign to students before reading any of the Bronte sisters in class. It gives the background of the tragic lives of the sisters in an illustrated and relatable manner. The art is just as broody as the novels the sisters wrote are. Each sister has a particular look/style which connects them to their real life counterparts and their novels. I liked the sharp, bold lines. The implied events behind some the scenes does the novel justice as well.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for a free digital galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions stated are entirely my own. I was very excited going into this book. A graphic novel about the Bronte sisters and their lives sounded very interesting and I have been wanting to learn more about them. I would give this book around a three-star rating because I enjoyed the writing but the art style wasn't for me. The art was okay and enjoyable, but something felt missing (keep in mind I read an ARC and the art in the finished copy might be different). All in all, this was an okay book that I would still recommend to someone interested in the Bronte sisters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have never read anything written by the Bronte sisters

BUT I enjoyed this even though it wasn't anything crazy and exciting

I felt that the illustrations were okay and the pacing good enough to keep me interested throughout the whole book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A great way to learn about the history of the Brontë sisters! The simple art style perfectly reflects the era the graphic novel depicts. I would love to learn about more authors in this format, Jane Austen would be great!

This superbly written and illustrated book is an absolute joy to read. Telling the story of the personal lives of the iconic Bronte sisters, and how they came to be published authors, this novel depicts family life and relationships, and the challenges they faced.

The illustration are chunky and simple, but full of emotion and atmosphere. I appreciate this pen and ink style and feel that it lends itself well to the era. Each sister is represented differently and is identifiable through her characteristics, and the afterward notes how the author based them upon particular actors. The expertly drawn close up expressions tell their own stories of pain, fear and anger. The settings and locations are expertly drawn; the graveyard and streets are superb, and the silent pages depicting crows overhead for example are full of atmosphere.

Dialogue is minimal but still tells the story, and gives an insight into the life and times, and the challenges women faced. Whilst this isn’t a detailed account of the lives of the Bronte sisters, it does allow us a glimpse into their world and the events leading to their first publications.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this arc, and for the introduction to Manuela Santoni.

This graphic novel provides an accessible historical account of the Brönte sisters’ lives, careers, and deaths. It is an overview of their decisions to write and publish their work to support themselves and their family. I enjoyed learning the history of the family, and the graphic novel did a good job differentiating the sisters and their personalities. The illustrations were simple yet effective, and acted as a means of storytelling which bolstered the other content. Overall this work is best suited for fans of the Brönte sisters, and for fans of literary graphic novels.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC.

I personally really enjoyed what a quick, factual read this was- and presented as a graphic novel made it all the more interesting. I've always loved the Bronte sisters, and this quick little look into their lives and familial relationships was very fun for me.

The art was alright, I enjoyed the blurb at the end about how she plans out her characters, and the timeline was such a great addition, too!

I'd highly recommend this if you're a fan of the sisters, of interesting historical non fiction graphic novels, and wanting to read something relatively quickly.

I would definitely read graphic novels like this about other historical figures, if the author plans to do more!

Didn’t quite jive with the art style (and I felt like I was constantly checking who was who), but brontë was informative and fun. Just..... too informative maybe. It was less storytelling and more ‘let me teach you about the history and the timeline’ in a very simplified version. Not what I was looking for, but it’ll be what some other people are looking for.

Normally I love a graphic novel, and I think I still love the idea of this graphic novel - but this one fell flat for me. The inconsistency of only starting narration until the very end, somewhat difficult to follow the dialogue, and a lack of context made it so it wasn't as enjoyable to read as I had hoped. I liked learning more about the Bronte sisters, and it did lead me to want to do my own research into their lives.

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.

“Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë—faced with an ailing father and an alcoholic brother—pursue independence through art in this graphic vision of the lives of three legendary writers.”

Going into this, I sadly did not know much of the Brontë sisters aside from a passing knowledge of how the initially wrote under pseudonyms, ad their untimely deaths due to tuberculosis at relatively the same time. This book did an amazing job filling in the gaps for the most formative time period of their lives – the moment that they decided to start publishing their writings to help save their family. With an ailing father, and a deadbeat brother addicted to both alcohol and opium, the sisters set aside their fears of judgement and finally publish their works to much critical acclaim. It was not until death met their mighty blow, that much of the world found out the true nature of the three writers that took nineteenth century England by storm, and defined that time period for many people in the modern era.

Manuela Santoni has a simple pen drawn art style that was interesting to see. At a few moments, some actions are hard to understand due to this stylistic limitation, but the script is there to cover for it. all-in-all this was a very well-done book and very informative.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!

The real-life story of the Bronte's has often been romanticized. Three sisters living in Victorian times posed as men in order to publish their novels, and their novels became bestselling successes. Almost everyone knows this story.. In this graphic novel, the story is brought to life with a novel angle: the relationship between the three Bronte sisters and their brother Branwell. Branwell is not often mentioned in stories of the Bronte sisters.
Here, he is depicted as a drunk and an addict, though he does have redeeming qualities. Although Branwell is a focus of this graphic novel, it doesn't detract from the abundance of Girl Power throughout the plot. Emily, Charlotte, and Anne push against the limits of what they are allowed to do as women and constantly defy their marginalized gender roles to do it. I was constantly rooting for them as they got rejected and as they found success. There are plenty of moments that relay the relationships between the sisters. Overall, this graphic novel would be an excellent read for anyone who is a fan of the Bronte sisters' novels. In addition, the art is free-flowing and nice to look at. The ephemeral figures of the women and their dresses contribute to the mystical and fantastical parts of the story. Even though everyone knows the standard story, the connections in this graphic novel are a stunning and welcome addition to the Bronte mythos.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
The book seemed somewhat bare bones overall, but I think the minimalistic style and gloominess were evocative of the lifestyle of the Bronte sisters.

This is a graphic novel about the Bronte family. I enjoyed learning more about the Bronte family, but I wasn't too sure about the graphics, as they were a bit dark for me. However, the book was still good and the information and story were interesting.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

(actual rating: 3.5/5)

I mostly enjoyed this graphic novel detailing a summary of the Brontë sisters. There was more of an emphasis placed on information than on progressive storytelling, which made for something that felt, at times, quite disjointed. The art style decent, if a bit chunky. I enjoyed learning a little bit more about these sisters, and some of that which they struggled through. Overall, it was fairly enjoyable considering how fast a read it was, and I would recommend it to others who would like a cursory look into the Brontë sisters' lives.

"Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte - faced with an ailing father and an alcoholic brother--pursue independence through art in this graphic vision of the lives of three legendary writers.

Despite their family's stormy fortunes, the Bront sisters resolved to write. To thwart the nineteenth century's double standards, they took the names of men, becoming the Bell brothers. Their works incited controversy and speculation, while at home, the sisters contended with the rages of Branwell Bronte, their self-destructive sibling. Manuela Santoni presents a time before Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall were known as literary masterpieces, when winds shook the Bronte house and determination held it together."

I'm a sucker for all things Bronte, especially when the mood captured by the drawings so fits their aesthetic.

I had no idea that was how the Bronte sisters lived and where their inspiration for their stories came from. This was not what I would call a "fun" read but rather an informative one of where the Bronte sisters got their strong will from. After reading this, I want to know more about Charlotte and her older married man, Anne and her love letters, and Emily's relationship with her family. A good way to introduce their life story to someone.

This is a quick graphic novel about the Bronte sisters; unfortunately, I thought it was a bit too quick - the beginning was a bit difficult to follow along with and understand what was happening and who the characters were (particularly the bits with their brother). Overall, I enjoyed the graphic novel and definitely learned about the prolific sisters.

And, the illustrations are gorgeous, dark and a bit haunting.

Well-drawn and told but Bronte family fans will probably find this adaptation to be lacking in depth and understanding about their motivations.

a "just the highlights" graphic biography of the brontë sisters that ultimately leaves the reader dissatisfied.

i wanted to like this book. i was drawn in by the cover and the flowing linework, but as i got into the book itself i began to feel let down. the book reads more as if it is a school project than as a professionally published book. the pacing is choppy, the writing is stilted (though perhaps that can be attributed to the translation), and the layout feels amateurish. the chosen typeface does not mesh well with the art and the layout of the panels feels like an afterthought. Furthermore, the art, while possessing charm, lacks enough range in value that the stark black brushwork ends up feeling muddied.

i was especially disappointed that santoni focused on the most well-known aspect of the brontë sisters – that they used male pseudonyms to publish their works – and used that as the focal point of the book. while i learned a few tidbits, the timeline of their life was unclear until reading the literal timeline at the end, and all of the characters in the book fell flat.

instead of reading the book itself, i would recommend reading the timeline at the end and looking at the pictures.

thank you to netgalley and lerner publishing group – graphic verse for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cool idea. I really like when people reimagine the classics, and making it into a graphic novel is fun! The pictures aren’t too detailed, though I wish they held a bit more. I was expecting some of them to be in color like the cover, but there weren’t any in color on this copy. Not sure if that’ll change with the published version this comes out in May.
Overall, if you like classics and graphic novels, you’ll probably like this book!