A delicate balancing act in the form of a dual point of view narrative, Hypericum is seductive with its art and charming with its back and forth. The storytelling felt intimate with how human the lead characters felt and how vulnerable the readers get to witness them. The romance detracted a little from the main plot but was compelling nonetheless. Recommended for graphic novel readers who would enjoy a literary feel to their next read.

Hypericum is literary, visually appealing, historical, and layered. Another strong example of the work Fantagraohics publishes, and a beautiful use of the comics form.

Book 031 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟🌟

Sighs.. I expected more from this and was sorely disappointed.

The art was amazing.. the story when it was about the past was great. Her present was meh.

Ugh another not my cuppa tea.. no...

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Hypericum follows two parallel stories - one is the unexpected excavation of King Tut's tomb, and the other is the self-discovery journey of an archeologist working on displaying Tutankhamon's treasure in Berlin in the early 2000s.

What I truly enjoyed about this graphic novel was the art. It is an absolutely stunning watercolor style that built a romantic and dreamy atmosphere and it added so much depth to both story lines. I found myself admiring the visuals far more than in other graphic novels.

The story was interesting, but a little disjointed, possibly because it attempts to depict the chaos of chronic insomnia. It includes some sections in a few European languages and while I understood some of what was being said, I'm sure I missed a lot of context. More noticeably, there's a lot of indecisiveness and back-and-forth that makes the story a bit difficult to follow, and the ending - in similar fashion - felt a bit rushed and then is completely overturned the next page. It's also definitely more suitable for mature audiences as the main character's relationship turns graphic pretty fast.

This was an enjoyable book overall and well worth a read. Give this a go if you're into archeology, egyptology, European culture, depictions of chronic conditions and self-discovery journeys.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

I really enjoyed this. Twin stories of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in the 1800s and of a young Italian Egyptologist discovering herself in 1990s Berlin. Nice to see the main character grow into herself and deal with her insomnia and passivity; it's a little hard sometimes to see what the Victorian archeology adds to the story, but it is interesting personal history. A moving, and occasionally hot comic.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

Love love love the style of this graphic novel. It does truly feel like art and I adore it.

The bits in German were nice because they help place the story and the struggles she’s facing

As a character a bit erratic because of her sleep which I understand because I had that too for so long. The way she snaps at him when they were almost found out in that place, the way she can be so hard were all things I found really relatable and very real in her.

All in all, love it!

This graphic novel was quite interesting. It's about two characters living in different times: an egyptologist (1920s) and a young woman working on the discoveries that were found in a tomb in Egypt (2000s). Although it was a little confusing with the 2 storylines, the art was stunning and I feel it came together in the end. It's been a while since I read it, but I still think about it.

Lovely graphic novel about finding your true self. You get to know a lot about history. Not only about Germany but also about the finding of the grave of the Egyptian Pharao Tut Anch Amun. Loved the inserts from the book by Howard Carter.
Very important topic, so I would definitely recommend!

The artwork was great, but the narrative was hard to follow at times; it felt very disconnected and failed to grip me.

Such a fancinating book!

Let's point out the obvious: I absolutely adored the illustrations! The Egypt scenes are painted so beautiful I had to take a few moments to stare at them. Every illustration from the ones made with grafiti to the watercolours were magnificent!

The dual storylines added a lot to the story as well, and the way the insomnia issue was solved towards the end of the book was enough for me to add another star than what my original rating would of been.

I'd definitely recommend this for adult readers only as the depiction of the fmcs and mmcs relationship is often depicted to be physical.

"Hypericum" beautifully weaves together a harmonious combination of an intriguing premise and alluring illustrations that creates both visual and narrative satisfaction. Each detail was carefully crafted, enhancing the overall aesthetic and creating an immersive world. The pacing of the narrative was another commendable aspect. It struck a perfect balance, allowing the story to unfold naturally without feeling rushed or dragging.


Thank you, Fantagraphics Books, for the arc.

Two very different stories that are only tangentially related. One is Howard Carter finding King Tut's tomb. The other is about a young Italian woman who has come to Berlin to set up an exhibit about King Tut in the late 90's. That story is a whirlwind romance between her and a lazy hipster boy she meets. As a warning, their story is very sexually explicit so maybe don't read this one in public. Other than both stories also having a passing acquaintance with the title (Hypericum is the scientific name for St. John's wort.) there's no real reason why both stories are in this book. The ending feels very tacked on and I honestly wonder why it was added. It brings nothing to the story.

1.5 stars - Unfortunately, I did not particularly enjoy this graphic novel. While "Hypericum" attempts to frame its narrative and explore its themes through the two interconnecting storylines of the 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb and an early 2000s upcoming exhibition of the aforementioned tomb in Berlin, in my opinion the effect lands quite flat as the overall story seems to exist in a vacuum, bereft of any other connections or real examination of both the before and after of the events and characters.

I was not moved or affected by the story as I did not feel connected to any of the characters, even the main ones such as Teresa or Ruben. I did not learn much about them as characters, and thus did not care what happened to them. The main so-called romance of the two characters - rather than romantic - comes off as puzzling and befuddingly spontaneous. What do those two see in one another? Why should I care about their relationship when even Teresa herself acknowledges that she knows nothing about Ruben? Throughout the book, the couple viscillates between making love and breaking off, but it is not even ezplained how they get back together in the end. I also thought Fior's approach to Teresa a bit weird and at least mildly objectifying.

The art, however, is pleasant especially when it comes to the scenes in Egypt and Berlin's metropolitan architecture, and I admire how Fior is able to paint the novel wholly in watercolor especially in so much detail. Overall, this graphic novel is great visually but not so much story-wise.

This was an interesting read and I am not fully sure what to think about it. I really liked the art style and that is what drew me to the story. But the rest of it was choppy and confusing at times. Both timelines had great potential but I was left wanting more.

𝟮.𝟱𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀

Hypericum is the story of a young archeologist ,Teresas Leben, in her 20s who struggles with chronic insomnia; she has been given the opportunity to arrange an exhibit in Berlin regarding a found ancient treasure. During this time she meets Ruben who she ends up sharing his apartment with for a few months and eventually falls in love with.
There’s another storyline that we follow; that is of an Egyptologist ,Howard Carters, set a number of decades prior to Teresas’s story, when he documents the journey of discovering the Tutankhamen’s treasure.

Unfortunately this book was very disappointing, I went into it thinking it would be addressing mental health but I didn’t find anything like that in it. the story was flat. I didn’t understand what the purpose of it really was and It just didn’t make me feel anything. I had trouble following everything that was happening in this book.

The illustrations though; were beautiful I liked their style. but I was also very surprised by them as there were a few sex scenes that I was flabbergasted when reached the first time ,since there was no warning about them. I also didn't have any problem with them just that I was surprised by them, but also at the point it happened between the two characters it was very unexpected as it was very soon to take place imo.

So all in all I didn’t enjoy this book and aside from the art I don’t see a reason why one should read it!

•Thanks to 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆 and the publisher for providing me with this digital copy in exchange for an honest review•

When I can't sleep, time slows down, then finally becomes immobile. It deteriorates... and rots, repeating itself to infinity.

Hypericum by Manuele Fior is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that fully encompasses the spirit of discovery, a love for history, and respect for archaeological study. Written in part with a journalistic style, in part day to day life alongside gorgeous, warm toned images often shown with a fuzzy, nostalgic, and sometimes photographic style, it leads the reader through the story of Teresa's 1990s love for Egyptian history and fatality of the human heart.

The exploration of the relationship between Teresa and Ruben is beautiful, rich with yearning not just for each other, but with all that comes with life. It showcases an appreciation for the beauty in the world and the people within it. It is often philosophical, not just about history, or relationships between two people, but also about the indomitable human spirit.

At its core, it is a painfully honest, introspective, and personal tale that professes a love for the present reflected within the past, and for the past reflected within the present.

Thank you Netgalley, Manuele Fior, and Fantagraphics Books for this advance copy!

First, thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review this copy of Hypericon's English-translated edition.

Note: this graphic novel has previously been published in French, German, and Spanish, and includes text in various foreign languages, most especially German as much of the story takes place in Berlin. While it is not essential to know these languages, I did find it beneficial to be able to understand the German dialogue as it does not provide translation, only inference.

I'm giving this book a 3.75 out of 5.

The novel plays out in well-executed full-color illustrations as a back-and-forth between the documented discovery and excavation of King Tut's tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter, and the scholarship-awarded archeological intern, Teresa, who has come from Italy to Berlin and has been tasked with the handling of the discovery's artifacts for a Berlin exhibition.

While the Egypt storyline is direct, Teresa's story is more jumbled and ruminative. Thus the story finds itself a reflection on that which is clear and direct and that which is abstract and perceptual.

At the core, Teresa whose life has always been followed like "a long, very comfortable straight line, now finds herself detoured by a fellow Italian living abroad who lives a far more carefree and whimsical lifestyle. Their relationship plays out throughout the modern storyline.

Interlaced are Teresa's struggles with insomnia and her later successful treatment of it using a plant of long-believed unusual and restorative properties: Hypericum perforatum aka St. John's Wort. The novel states the plant was documented to have been discovered in King Tut's tomb. Additionally, interlaced is the consideration of the varying perceptions of time across peoples and civilizations - with the Egyptians having a generally contradictory perception: seeing the past before them and the future behind them. These additional layers provide a sense of dimension that connects the 2 stories.

Overall, a very enjoyable read in which my only critiques are that some connections felt like they were included a little more as asides - especially the namesake plant which felt thrown in at the end of the story versus having been woven into the text earlier. And generally, I wish a few of the more insightful aspects had received a little more attention.

While much of the story follows the romantic relationship between Teresa and Ruben, I found the relationship a distraction against the story's clear initial structure (much as Ruben is to Teresa's life), but not quite in a way that is not wholly complimentary. Between the 2 archeological storylines, the romantic relationship, and the connecting asides, I found the book's elements to be somewhat competitive vs harmonious.

I usually find that a story would have benefitted from being shorter/more cut down, but this one I think could have benefitted from being slightly elongated to allow a little more breathing room for ideas to grow.

But these critiques are small suggested improvements to an already enjoyable read. I would recommend this graphic novel for its: thoughtfulness, novel structure, heavy realism toward both romantic relationships and living abroad, and of course for it's well-executed illustrations.

❝For the ancient Egyptians, time was nothing more than a cyclical repetition of the past. Their picture of the past was constantly evolving, like a giant fresco being painted in front of them.❞

"Hypericum" is inspired by Howard Carter’s Tutankhaman’s Tomb discovery and the current culture in Berlin. A young woman who finds herself in distraught between the fear of missing out in finding love her 20s to her potential uprising career in Archaeology. I initially found this in high interest because of the artwork in front of the cover and I am also, a mid-20 year old pursuing a niche in Anthropology. However, the illustrations in the story are far different from the cover and leans towards watercolor. Which, ended up suiting the atmosphere surprisingly well.

I'm personally not a fan of how the romance plot developed—and I found myself rather admiring the detailed flashbacks to Carter in Egypt. Additionally, they were told in a diary entry format, which revealed an appreciative, personalized, and developed experience with history in synonymous with Teresa's fondness for her career.

After reading, it was difficult to understand the moral of the story and felt like St John's-wort was mentioned way too late rather throughout the anecdotes. I would have enjoyed this if the panels of Teresa were of her spending days alone in the city trying to engage with Berlin like an anthropologist than much of Ruben. There were so many missed opportunities to zoom in and actively talk about acculturation, cultural relativism, and feminism other than telling it just holistically.


Special thanks to Netgalley and Fantagraphics for providing me an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was very disappointing since I picked it up because I was in the mood for a beautiful graphic-novel and this one had a gorgeous cover which immediately caught my attention and got me intrigued…unfortunately, the art of the novel is not very similar to & not as detailed as the art of the cover and the story left me a bit confused, it just didn‘t make any sense to me and I didn‘t get the point of it and even without it having a point the story & the characters felt very boring&bland and the vibes just weren‘t vibing

I've been wanting to read 'Hypericum' since it was published in Dutch in May 2023, because of words like Egypt, Tutankhamen, Howard Carter,.... in the synopsis.
The reason why I didn't buy a copy back then is quite simple, a graphic novel is an easy read for me and way to expensive in comparison with a full length novel.
So when I saw the opportunity on #Netgalley to read it for free I took it and I must say that after reading I'm very much tempted to buy the real thing, because I'm a huge fan of the drawings.
They're just wonderful, almost like a watercolor painting, so fitting to the story which is told.
I definitely liked how the author used the real notes and key phrases of Howard Carter in this graphic novel and by that just told the whole story in a couple of pages.
A great way to learn something about history for sure!
The other, modern, time-line is also very well done as it tells a story about life, personal growth, love,... but apart from some tiny connections with the 1922 story I'm a bit confused about why they needed to be fit together in one.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, but maybe that's the way it's meant to be as I'm going to ponder about it, reread it, talk about it,.... So well done Manuele Fior!