MariNaomi

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher of Simon & Schuster, and the author MariNaomi for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I didn't know the differences between the original and expanded version, besides the author saying there was an additional epilogue. There could be some other technical differences such as the inking and coloring being updated or some scenes re-drawn. Besides those details, the graphic novel was a fun and compressed travelogue journey as the author travels throughout Japan and works as a hostess. Their struggles to relearn their native/mother tongue are quite relatable. While, I didn't particularly enjoy the presence of their boyfriend, Giussipe, I understand why he was included. I'm surprised there wasn't much interaction between their parents as they traveled in Japan. Including those elements would have been interesting or brought some insights about the author's life and their themes.… (more)

I wish I could explain why I loved this memoir, but anything I say won't do it justice. So, simply, yes

MariNaomi captures the voice of a woman, confused by years of emotional, if not practically useful, memories regarding her acquaintance turned best friend turned nemesis turned ghost... As well as how those memories are another nemesis.

The format of "archaeologist notebook turned graphic novel" was a beautiful exploration of how experiences are formed, forgotten, and reformed in our minds.… (more)

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss. Trigger warning for violence against women, including stalking and rape.)

What began as a casual acquaintance eventually blossomed into a best friendship - one that ended seemingly without warning. Mari and Jodie were friends from ages 14 to 28, at which point Jodie abruptly disappeared from Mari's life, leaving Mari to wonder what she did wrong. It would be more than a decade before she learned the truth behind Jodie's exodus, first from mutual contacts and, finally, from her ex-best friend herself.

I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME is a sort of excavation - of Mari's friendship with Jodie; the fragile and fleeting nature of memories; coming of age as a biracial, bisexual feminist in the '90s; and building (and losing) relationships and trust - through prose, letters, journal entries, and mixed media collages. It's got a distinct Gen X vibe to it that I love.

The mystery of Jodie's departure is, at least to this outsider, so mundane as to be anticlimactic (Of course that was it. OF COURSE.), but the journey leading there is interesting, in a voyeuristic kind of way.

That said, I worry that I missed out on some of the nuances of the story. The ARC I received from the publisher was incredibly pixelated; the (charmingly) typewritten index cards proved difficult to read, and anything handwritten - such as Jodie's notes - were plain impossible. The difficult reading experience likely dampened my overall enthusiasm for the book. So, grain of salt.… (more)