Gorgeous, expressive art. A very moving story. Surprisingly fast-paced. It’s a story of failure, success, love, hate, jealousy, and music. The art is perfect for the subject matter, and the the graphic novel is the perfect medium for this story. There are some very common tropes present, but there’s just something about the characters and story that make them easy to overlook.

Such a beautiful, heart-wrenching and inspiring graphic novel. It reminded me a lot of Amadeus. Filipe paints a fantastic world that's ripe for adaptation.

A big story that’s not afraid to pose and address big questions, focusing on the lives of two men, interwoven in strange and wonderful ways. A surreal and thoughtful journey for daring readers.

Ballad for Sophie is an amazing book. The story is great with many surprising turns and the artwork is gorgeous; I would put up some of those pages as posters. The complexity of the story, with interweaving timelines, a tragic hero, and plenty of fame, fortune, and music had me glued to this book from beginning to end and reeling when it was finished. I couldn’t let the book end, I had to play the “Ballad for Sophie” sheet music on the last page.

This is a beautiful book filled with emotional, beautifully produced artwork. It's a story that takes you into the past, and weaves a musician's memories with the present. The use of colour and the interweaving themes are always touching, vibrant, and effective. It genuinely moved me. The story felt as though it was about music, regret, recovery and also, hope. Little details drew my attention back into the illustrations after I'd turned the page, again and again. An entire life, encapsulated in these pages. I loved the aspects of fantasy included, and Julien's life was never less than interesting, through its darker moments and brighter days. Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the opportunity to review an ARC of this title.

This book is so good that I literally started applauding when I finished reading it. It is bigger than most of the books I’ve read for the Best Comics Committee but I finished it quickly because I just couldn’t stop reading. The main character is perfectly flawed. Though he tends to focus on his own moral failings, the author does a great job of showing the good, broken heart at the center of it. Though the majority of the story takes place in the past, I still deeply cared and worried about what would happen to the characters next. The art is fantastic. It has these very posh designs with these beautiful vibrant colors. When Ju went into a memory, the image shifts to blues and reds and it looks fantastic. I love how the book gently blurs the line between fantasy and reality. I love all the adorable animals. I love everything about this book.