A beautiful exploration of childhood grief, highly recommend!

An interesting comic about introvertism, escapism and loneliness, but the art didn't work out for me and neither the overall pace. Although 'My Own World' provides the tools for a child to imagine their own safe places so they can explore it and evade the problems from their actual world and take a break from life when things are getting out of control.

Mike Holmes is my son, so I’m prejudiced. He’s been drawing since he was a little kid, and has always had a wonderful imagination. His reaches into your imagination - you know, the one you used to have - and challenges your vulnerability. And if you’re one of those people who as a child had an inner life you kept hidden, Mike’s story will touch you. It’s not meant for the cynical, unless your cynicism has a lovely crack in it. And he leaves space for your story to come alongside.

3,2/5Quality of writing: 4Plot development: 3Pace: 3Characters: 3Enjoyability: 3Ease of reading: 3This... was not for me. The art didn't impress me, the story was a bit confusing, characters just seemed... flat.Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nathan just wants to hang out with his older brother, but that brother is distracted by teenage things - and also is deathly ill. So, naturally, Nathan discovers a magical portal leading to another world where he can manipulate glowing red balls into anything he imagines. My Own World is quite literal in that way: Nathan spends a huge portion of the book in this other world, with the plot basically abandoned in favor of psychedelic art.When the plot comes back around ((view spoiler)[Nathan being...

'My Own World' was a lot better than I expected. I thought the main character was going to be a brat but he was doing his best under the circumstances and I really felt for him. Nathan discovers a secret place with glowing orbs that bend to his will. He plays for days and yet no time passes in the real world while he's there. At the same time, his family struggles under a personal tragedy. I think this was pretty good at showing depth of character in this short book and I always love seeing thin...

There isn't a lot of think I hate in comic book more than a cover that didn't reflect the actual art inside. The art on the cover is stunning, the art inside isn't, way more sketchy and looking «older» than the polish and very modern cover art. That being said, the story was a bit mehhh, easy, not really original and I never connect with the character. the review so far seem good, so maybe I'm the problem but I didn't like it!

Nathan feels like a loner this summer. His older brother, Ben, who used to be his best friend seems to be leaving him behind for his teen friends. His older sister totally ignores him. The neighbor kid only likes him for the quarters he can provide, and then his parents seem distracted with something going on with Ben. One day Nathan stumbles across a portal to a world that is all his own. He can create awesome stuff there, including the perfect friends. He has a blast. But is it too good to las...

This is an unusual story, powerful and very odd. The graphic novel form for this story was pretty much a necessity for the "other world" parts, and worked very well there.Nathan is a decent kid who seems to be mostly ignored by his family, except when they want to keep him from doing something that he wants to do. As the story progresses, though, we learn at least one of the reasons why other things are on their minds.He adores his older brother Ben, but clearly Ben doesn't want to be a full-tim...

This was an emotional and hard read. The basic premise of the book could boil down to "how do you cope with a world that is changing so fast and you do not know what to do physically and/or emotionally". The book follows Nathan who at age nine has to deal with changes that is happening in his brother Ben, but he finds this really cool place where he can literally escape from his problems, until he has to ultimately face them again. To be honest, I do not really get the end. It was one of those e...

This is a poignant and affecting story about a nine-year-old boy named Nathan who is dealing with bullying, loneliness, and a changing relationship with his older brother. Nathan stumbles upon a deserted lighthouse and enters into a fantasy world of his own making where he can create the friends he needs and wants.I really enjoyed this and its subtle approach to dealing with issues of change and growing up. It captures that feeling of being out of place in the world very well. The ending was the...

I received an advanced copy of this from NetGalley.This graphic novel introduces us to 9 year old Nathan. He is struggling in real life, being bullied, wanting to be with his brother but his brother has his own things going on.Nathan discovers a deserted lighthouse and enters a safe dreamworld when time seems to last forever. He creates his own creatures and landscapes. He is finally in control. But then reality kicks in. No spoilers so I won’t go on.The use of colour is really effective. There

Thank you Net Galley and First Second for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!This book was not what I think it would be when I requested it. I thought it would be a heavy scifi graphic novel with lots of action but it was mostly a book about a teenager trying to deal with life.The art is okay, some pages in the boy's safe place are interesting but otherwise I didn't really like it much.The story is a bit confusing, as a reader you know from the beginning that the protagonist i...

I received a digital ARC through NetGalley from First Second. In this middle grade graphic novel, 9-year-old Nathan is dealing with bullying, finding his place in a big family, and missing his busy brother who used to be his best friend. Nathan discovers a fantasy place that he can build to his own needs and he never loses time. Nathan is making his own friends in this world, but he is hiding from his real world problems.While the illustrations were quite evocative of the moods Nathan was feelin...

I received this book as part of a giveaway. As soon as I got it in the mail I began reading it. It’s a very quick read as it’s a graphic novel but worth every page. This book tugs at the heart strings and gives a beautifully illustrated look at the inner workings of grief through childhood and beyond. The main character experiences emotions anyone who has ever been through true hardships can relate to and offers an escape we all long for in those times.This book feels very closely to A Monster C...

I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of a Goodreads giveaway. Unfortunately, this fell extremely flat for me. It was very confusing at times, disjointed, and just didn’t really flow well overall. I’ve seen much better explorations of grief. I just wasn’t really impressed with this one.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader Copy.The gist of the story, for me, was that a boy desperately needed an escape, so he created one.. That is a good message. Sometimes life is so rough that we need to create safe spaces for ourselves. Places to dream and to create and to find love and connection... even if those places are imaginary.I appreciated the premise of this story, but didn't always follow it. Maybe I'm too literal. I was confused if this fantastical place...

My Own World is a story about a boy who overhears his parents talking about a family crisis. He can't deal with it at the moment so he runs off to find peace and ends up finding a portal to another world. I could not find information about the creative team in the review copy. It does state by Mike Holmes, which oftentimes means he was the writer, artist, letterer, and colorer.In the beginning of the book the colors were very flat. I loved this effect. This is the story of a kid who things that

This is a sad and strange story about Nathan, a nine-year-old boy, who is dealing with bullying, loneliness, and an older brother who doesn't want to hang out with him. Nathan overhears the adults talking about illness in the house and starts to venture into the woods. He finds a fantasy world by a deserted lighthouse where he can create his own adventures and friends and where time stands still. This book really captures Nathan's feelings of isolation and worry. The art conveys the contrast bet...

Thank you to Net Galley and First Second for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My Own World was an emotional journey that blended reality and fantasy to portray feelings of isolation and otherness that many kids go through as they grow up.Nathan feels like an afterthought both in and outside of his home, so when he finds a portal that transports him to a world where he's in control, it's like he's finallly able to breath for the first time in a long while. But Nathan can't e...