Cab (1)

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley.)

Twenty-four-year-old Samuel has lived in the Milton Building ever since his friend Thom let him crash in his band's rehearsal space. So when he "rescues" a wayward, doe-eyed teenager from some of his sketchier neighbors, Sam pays it forward and agrees to give Edwin a place to stay. Edwin is everything that Sam isn't: hardworking, conscientious - and sober. Still, the two get on well enough, until a confluence of events show more turns the fault lines in their relationship into tiny earthquakes.

Sam's called Uniontown - UTown to the locals - home for all his life. But the gentrification that's been shifting the face of his neighborhood has finally arrived at his door - literally. The tenants of 1454 Milton Street have been given 90 days to vacate the property, before it will be torn down and replaced with condos. Though they have little recourse - since the Milton Building is all commercial leases, no one's supposed to be living there - the news is met with protests. With tensions simmering, Thom's friend Étienne commissions Sam to create some artwork to adorn the walls of his new coffee shop -slash- pub, to give him some street cred (yes, he said the quiet part out loud). Can Sam rise to the occasion despite his looming eviction, drug and alcohol addiction, and all-around poor self-esteem?

UTOWN is ... kind of an interesting beast. The gentrification - and community resistance - proved to be a more engaging character than the actual main character. Maybe it's because I saw too much of myself in him (aimless, adrift, self-sabotaging), but mostly I just didn't find Sam all that compelling. He's self-absorbed and kind of a deadbeat. He has talent but actively avoids employing it at all turns. (And his excuses, ugh.) His redemption/moment of inspiration was nice, but it proved kind of a drag getting there.

Likewise, are we supposed to like Étienne in the end? He's pretentious and self-serving with zero ability to read the room. And I didn't buy him as scary or intimidating in the least. Honestly, that characterization had me scratching my head. Unless you're afraid of the lawyers he might possibly sic on you?

Really, it's the side characters of The Milton Building that really shine. Give me more Liz and Viv, Craig and Becky, Elly and her garden. show less

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This graphic novel reminds me of Scott Pilgrim to an extent, but more than anything, it reminds me of Night in the Woods. The same feeling of wanting to just live a good life with your friends, but your town slowly is crumbling around you. I really do like how every character is written! They all feel like they could be real people, and they feel like people you could know. The overall plot feels show more achingly familiar, as anyone whose been pushed out of their neighborhood due to gentrification will understand. The helpless rage of being unable to stop the gentrification of your town, seeing everything you use to know suddenly change and being forced to accept your fate. I live in a town where most of the housing is getting bought out by companies or the rich and all are being turned into rentals or AirBnB's, and I'm always mad when I see another generic condo. This felt like a slice-of-life story, but with a sadder tone to it. The plot pace is fairly slow, but not mind-numbingly slow. Sam was easy to empathize with, and his mentality is relatable in a sad way. I loved the art style. It reminds me of Scott Pilgrim, but more scratchy, it felt like it was drawn with an old-style ink pen. show less

Wow I loved this book! Our main character delivers food during the worst winter ever. She lives in a town that took on a lot of radiation due to an explosion and some of the residents show the aftereffect. Cute graphics and interesting story. I will continue reading the series.