Este sitio utiliza cookies para ofrecer nuestros servicios, mejorar el rendimiento, análisis y (si no estás registrado) publicidad. Al usar LibraryThing reconoces que has leído y comprendido nuestros términos de servicio y política de privacidad. El uso del sitio y de los servicios está sujeto a estas políticas y términos.
Grace Mendes a.k.a. Cinderhella is a fierce competitor in the PFF, a pillow fight federation that's part roller derby, part professional wrestling. But in this fresh, coming-of-age YA graphic novel, Grace needs to learn to overcome her biggest enemy: herself. For fans of Check, Please and Bloom. When college freshman Grace Mendes reluctantly attends her first pillow fight match, she falls in love with the surprisingly gritty sport. Despite her usually shy, introverted, and reserved nature, Grace decides to try out for the Pillow Fight Federation (PFF), a locally famous league of fighters with larger-than-life personas like Pain Eyre, Miss Fortune, and champion Kat Atonic. They may battle with pillows, but there is nothing soft about these fighters. The first and only rule to pillow fighting is that the pillow needs to be the first point of contact; after that, everything else goes. Grace struggles with deep-seated body image issues, so she is especially shocked when she makes the competitive league and is welcomed into the fold of close knit, confident fighters. As her first official fight performing as newly crafted alter-ego/ring persona Cinderhella looms on the horizon, the real battle taking place is between Grace and her growing insecurities. What if people laugh or make fun of her? Why did she think she could pillow fight in the first place when she doesn't look like your "typical" athlete? Turns out, no one is laughing when Cinderhella dominates her first match in the ring. And as her alter-ego rises through the ranks of the PFF, gaining traction and online fame (and online trolls), can Grace use the spotlight to become an icon for not just others, but most importantly, for herself? Pillow Talk is an inclusive, high-octane, outrageously fun graphic novel that aims a punch at the impossibly high standards set for women in sports (and otherwise) and champions the power of finding a team that will, quite literally, fight for you. A knock-out! … (más)
(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss. Trigger warning for bullying.)
-- 3.5 stars --
College freshman Grace Mendes is quiet, unassuming, and introverted - the last person you'd expected to join a semi-professional pillow fighting league. (Think: roller derby meets UFC, but with pillows.) But when her best friend Callie drags Grace to a match, she's hooked. Despite her misgivings (read: low self-esteem), she tries out - and then quickly advances up the ranks!
Just like the PFF is trying to desexualize pillow fighting and reclaim it as an empowering sport, Grace hopes to gain some confidence, feel more at home in her plus-sized body, and maybe even help women like her who are watching at home or in the audience. But when one of her fights goes viral on "tweeter" (lol), the trolls come out to feed in droves. Can Grace overcome the trauma of past bullying to be the CINDERHELLA that her fans (and friends) have come to know and love?
PILLOW TALK is a really sweet and relatable story. I saw so much of myself in Grace (right down to the confusion and shame over makeup), and it felt great to root for her and see her sisters rally around her. Callie is a great bestie and she gets two noteworthy side stories too. The representation is great, right down to the little details, and the artwork is so alive and vibrant with color.
My only complaint are the matches, which at times proved difficult to follow. I think it's just especially difficult to draw the nuanced motions of a pillow fight in any way that makes sense. ( )
Grace Mendes a.k.a. Cinderhella is a fierce competitor in the PFF, a pillow fight federation that's part roller derby, part professional wrestling. But in this fresh, coming-of-age YA graphic novel, Grace needs to learn to overcome her biggest enemy: herself. For fans of Check, Please and Bloom. When college freshman Grace Mendes reluctantly attends her first pillow fight match, she falls in love with the surprisingly gritty sport. Despite her usually shy, introverted, and reserved nature, Grace decides to try out for the Pillow Fight Federation (PFF), a locally famous league of fighters with larger-than-life personas like Pain Eyre, Miss Fortune, and champion Kat Atonic. They may battle with pillows, but there is nothing soft about these fighters. The first and only rule to pillow fighting is that the pillow needs to be the first point of contact; after that, everything else goes. Grace struggles with deep-seated body image issues, so she is especially shocked when she makes the competitive league and is welcomed into the fold of close knit, confident fighters. As her first official fight performing as newly crafted alter-ego/ring persona Cinderhella looms on the horizon, the real battle taking place is between Grace and her growing insecurities. What if people laugh or make fun of her? Why did she think she could pillow fight in the first place when she doesn't look like your "typical" athlete? Turns out, no one is laughing when Cinderhella dominates her first match in the ring. And as her alter-ego rises through the ranks of the PFF, gaining traction and online fame (and online trolls), can Grace use the spotlight to become an icon for not just others, but most importantly, for herself? Pillow Talk is an inclusive, high-octane, outrageously fun graphic novel that aims a punch at the impossibly high standards set for women in sports (and otherwise) and champions the power of finding a team that will, quite literally, fight for you. A knock-out!
-- 3.5 stars --
College freshman Grace Mendes is quiet, unassuming, and introverted - the last person you'd expected to join a semi-professional pillow fighting league. (Think: roller derby meets UFC, but with pillows.) But when her best friend Callie drags Grace to a match, she's hooked. Despite her misgivings (read: low self-esteem), she tries out - and then quickly advances up the ranks!
Just like the PFF is trying to desexualize pillow fighting and reclaim it as an empowering sport, Grace hopes to gain some confidence, feel more at home in her plus-sized body, and maybe even help women like her who are watching at home or in the audience. But when one of her fights goes viral on "tweeter" (lol), the trolls come out to feed in droves. Can Grace overcome the trauma of past bullying to be the CINDERHELLA that her fans (and friends) have come to know and love?
PILLOW TALK is a really sweet and relatable story. I saw so much of myself in Grace (right down to the confusion and shame over makeup), and it felt great to root for her and see her sisters rally around her. Callie is a great bestie and she gets two noteworthy side stories too. The representation is great, right down to the little details, and the artwork is so alive and vibrant with color.
My only complaint are the matches, which at times proved difficult to follow. I think it's just especially difficult to draw the nuanced motions of a pillow fight in any way that makes sense. ( )