Book 090 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟💫

This was a bizarre graphic novel about super tall people. I have no idea what the author was on, but I'd like none of that, thank you very much.

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

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Weird graphic novel about a select few women in a family who all grow up to be exceptionally tall. It's just too easy to take against the style, and the presentation of the myth-seeking short stories really isn't as notable as the females involved might have been.

A fascinating graphic novel about three generations of women who live in a small German town. None of them are accepted because they are ………….(wait for it)…… too tall.

Across the three generations they experience exclusion and criticism in their small town because of their height and it takes generations for them to break free from this shadow and be who they really are. I enjoyed reading this and I thought the story is engaging and will resonate with any who is different or who doesn’t conform to others in some way. It is easy to say ‘be who you are’ but not always easy to do that.

A lovely story.

Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I enjoyed the very unique art style of the graphic novel, but unfortunately that was all I enjoyed. The story lacked substance and it felt off in a way. Some layout and the font choice was pretty bad.
There's really not much else I can say about this.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC from NetGalley.

The art style was something I definitely had to get used to, but I appreciate the vividness of the art and think it's a unique factor of the book as a whole. Sadly, the story fell flat for me; it was very long-winded and all I got from it was there were three generations being talked about. It felt very anecdotal and disjointed, and I wonder if something was lost in translation.

I have read a decent amount of graphic novels in the last couple of years and this one did have a unique art style that was interesting to read. I found that the harsh, simple lines were powerful but also made me feel distant from the story at times. Although the story is about family and the truth or folklore of our parents, I found that I wasn't very invested in the characters at all. I liked the look of the book but I didn't always find that it was able to connect properly to the story. I would read more graphic novels by this author and I did enjoy the time spent with this work, I just think it lacked some depth at the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for the ARC.

I liked the artwork and the surreal touches to the story, but the story just seemed to keep going without accumulating. In the end I was left with some interesting images and mostly a shrug.

About three generations in a family of very tall women living in a remote German village. I appreciate the messages but I have a hard time because of the art style and also the story does not make sense at all. Thank you Netgalley and Fantagraphics for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

I wanted to like this because I like to support Fantagraphics but this was stupid with some real fugly art. It's about 3 generations of Anna who are really tall. That's the whole story. Then it's page after page of legs turned every which way as they spill out of baby carriages and the like. Even as a baby, she has 8 foot long legs. Just dumb with no story.

This was an entertaining graphic novel about three generations in a family of very tall women living in a remote German village.

What I loved: the graphic style was wonderfully unique, really loved it. The graphic story was great! And so's the cover.
What I liked less: In words, I didn’t really feel the story had a good flow, and I think this is due to the translation. Parts of it didn’t really seem to gel in English.

Thanks to Fantagraphics and to NetGalley for access.

Thank you Netgalley and Fantagraphics for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this graphic novel didn't resonate with me. It has a weird premise, and I think the story is not making sense at all. But I commend the colorful illustration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fantagraphics books for providing me with an early digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book introduces us to a lineage of towering women named Anna, set against the backdrop of rural Germany. The story unfolds through a series of vignettes, offering glimpses into their lives and their challenges in asserting their identity and place in society.

The graphic novel delves into themes of female empowerment and intergenerational trauma.
With a minimalist comic book style, the artwork of 'Anna' employs expressive linework to evoke a sense of charm and isolation, at the same time. My favourite moment is the chapter depicting the women's collective fury atop a mountain peak.

While the social criticism undertones may not resonate universally and some readers may find the font choice less than ideal for readability, its engaging narrative and visually captivating artwork make it worth reading. It offers an intriguing exploration of resilience and defiance in the face of societal norms.

Overall, I'd give 'Anna' four stars. It's an interesting read with bold, provocative illustrations. It offers an intriguing exploration of resilience and defiance in the face of societal norms. Definitely worth checking out if you're into stories about breaking the mold.

Thank you to NetGally and Fantagraphic Books for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Annas by Mia Overlander follows 3 generations of women named Anna with Anna 2 & 3 being so tall that they are ostracized by their communities. It explores community, generational trauma, and self love.
This was honestly a very odd story.
I wanted more. I was happy that some of the conflict was brought to light at the end, but I felt like there was no resolution. It felt messy like life and that is probably the point, but I wanted more. I wanted there to be more healing and for the story to feel a bit more connected. The art style is very unique and, overall, I'd give it 3.75/4 stars.

This was bad. I'll admit that I requested it simply because my name is Anna but I'd like to not a single thing about this book. I usually try not to critique illustration style and artwork for graphic novels because I think that art is subjective But the illustrations in this were just not good. Half the time they looked like they were out of a children's drawing. The fonts they chose for the words were hard to read and there were these weird bright and neon text boxes every once in awhile. I'm not sure if that's because this was a arc or what but I was not a fan. It's supposed to be some great feminist fairy tale story but I did not get any of that.

A fascinating story with unique visuals. I love how flexible comics can be and this story certainly showcases some slice of life and intriguing storytelling.

I think I wasn't the reader for this book. It's intriguing, and using metaphor for familial trauma, but I found it ineffective for me.

Not necessarily a graphic novel enthusiast, I have to say, the illustrations and color schemes in this graphic novel are spectacular. Reading this fairytale like story about the Annas was made that much more delightful. The illustrations genuinely add to the enjoyment of the tale.

I enjoyed the childlike and adult themes intermingled in the struggles and discoveries of the “too tall” Annas. How they are loved by their families, how they try to assimilate into village life, and how they experience loneliness and try and persevere.

Anna by Mia Oberländer is a modern day fairytale in graphic novel form which was originally written in German and then translated into English by Nika Knight. Anna follows generations of Annas in the german country side who are extremely tall. while this modern day fairytale was intended to have empowering, feminist undertones, it ultimately fell flat for me.

the art style was weird, the font was weird, and the story itself was weird. I typically don’t mind weird things, but this really didn’t hit for me.
—1) Art Style. the comics looked like they had been drawn with crayons? and not in a good way? there were also hot pink boxes over some of the images and text, which was very out of place for the color scheme. I assume this was due to my copy being an advanced review copy, but given that this book comes out this month, I would think this would’ve been fixed by now.
—2) Font. the font was this odd cursive font that felt really out of place, and it wasn’t the easiest to read.
—3) Plot. the plot was just not cohesive. every once in a while there was some imagery that felt significant, but the overall tone and incoherence of the plot caused these images to fall flat. ultimately, I didn’t feel like the story had its intended effect.

notably, at the end of the graphic novel, Oberländer says that this comic was originally part of her bachelor’s thesis, which makes me wonder: 1) if I would’ve understood this graphic novel better alongside her dissertation, and 2) if this comic was meant to be read alongside a dissertation, and was never adjusted accordingly to be read as a standalone book.

nonetheless, I wouldn’t recommend this one.

{I received an advanced review copy from Fantagraphics Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review}

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for granting my wish to read this graphic novel for free!

Unfortunately I didn’t really understand it and felt the art was rather meh. I know it’s suppose to be sending a message on feminism but at the same time, I just felt it just wasn’t really for me unfortunately….

Anna has a problem; she’s too tall for her small (and small-minded) German town. She receives little sympathy or support from her mother (also named Anna), who despairs at her daughter’s abnormality. Anna tries to navigate life towering above everyone else, tackling motherhood, and embracing her differences.

Anna is a wonderfully charming and funny graphic novel. I absolutely adore Mia Oberlander’s bold and colorful art. I always appreciate clear text in graphic novels, and Oberlander’s lettering is outstanding.

There are some hilarious moments in Anna; I especially loved the “educational video” Anna’s mother shares with her, basically telling Anna to drastically lower her standards if she wants to find a romantic partner. Oberlander creates so much humor through the absurdity of Anna’s size. I genuinely chuckled throughout.

On a deeper level, this is an empowering book about aesthetic expectations placed on women, whether within their control or not. I would gladly share this book with my young daughter.

Anna is funny, absurd, and joyous. Highly recommended.