Alex Assan

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

High school student Rotem is a "Sunhead" - a diehard fan of the vampire romance series SUNRISE. Her friends, not so much. Just as she's feeling increasingly alienated from them - especially her bestie, Nicole - she finds a kindred spirit in Ayala, who not only reads SUNRISE on her recommendation (gasp!), but loves it as much as she does. As the girls spend more and more time together, Rotem is surprised to find that she show more might be interested in more than 'just' friendship.

So. I really wanted to like SUNHEAD ... but if I knew from the jump that it was set in Israel, I probably wouldn't have requested an ARC. Judging from his socials, the author is a supporter of Palestine, but you wouldn't know it from reading SUNHEAD. Not that there's anything Islamophobic in there. There's just ... nothing at all. Reading a contemporary graphic novel set in Israel, it's disconcerting to see absolutely zero indication of the mass slaughter and genocide happening just miles away (about 45, to be exact), perpetrated by the MC's own government in her name. The whole thing just felt surreal.

All this aside, I didn't really fall in love with SUNHEAD otherwise. Rotem is hard to root for. She's kind of an asshole to everyone around her. I, too, have a habit of geeking out (sometimes to the point of excess), and am surrounded by IRL people who just don't get me. It can be lonely and demoralizing; I get it. But honestly, you've got to learn to compartmentalize. Nicole isn't the enemy because she's indifferent towards Edmund. If your friends aren't into it, join a fan group online, geez.

Additionally, Ayala suffers from undiagnosed joint pain, and it's bad enough that she has to sit out every gym class. Rotem makes a joke about how it must be nice. To be fair, she feels awful when Ayala can't make the walk home without resting - but not bad enough to actually apologize for her earlier shitty comment. So there's that.

And then there's SUNRISE, which is very obviously based an another, massively popular and super-problematic vampire romance series. (Is it just me, or is Zoe bear a striking resemblance to Kristen Stewart?)

Originally I wasn't going to rate this title, but after some thought, I decided to give it 3/5 based on the artwork and storyline, with a star deducted for the setting (or rather, lack of crucial context re: the setting). show less

This book reminds me of the days of Twilight. Our main character Rotem is a “Sunhead”. She is a fan of the Sunrise vampire romance novels. No one else understands her devotion to these books until she makes a new friend who finds them just as wonderful as she does. This book takes place in Israel, which for the most part doesn’t matter, except for the parts when they’re talking about American schools and having to learn a second language. I find that quite funny. However, this story show more is its own romance and knowing that it’s OK to be a little bit different, to like what you like, and like who you like. This book is very sweet and endearing and I wish it went further than it did, but it ended at a perfect happily ever after. show less

A little too short to get your teeth into (all the comics are 1 page), but the repetition of format makes it clear how different artists use the space. Over all, nice!

Been waiting for this one since the kickstarter launched, since a beloved friend has a story in it.

Loved it but wished the stories were longer.