A man grows into his skin

but very slowly,
and sometimes too tight.

I wasn't sure what I was going to get with this one.

I was a little ambivalent with the drawing style and the very dull cover. But I've been proven wrong before, so I didn't want to just bypass it.

Unfortunately, I feel that the book matched its cover. The story seemed to drag and eddy. It seemed to get lost here in there in dull details and leave all the real things to shadow and imagination. The story itself was sad and ugly but I just didn't feel connected to any of the characters.

In the end, I was glad when it was over. There was nothing uplifting or bright at all. Everything was bleak and that's exactly how I felt about it.

But now this book has become part of a trade. Maybe its next reader will like it better.

The Big Box of Trade Books arrived safely today; many thanks! I was interested in this one for its Serbian-Canadian fusion - a blend I hadn't come across before - as well as for a look at the conflict in Yugoslavia. And that's here, but there's also a very painful look at a cycle of violence and abuse that shattered her family. The artwork is stark, and I think it added some distance to the very difficult subject matter.

I left this book in this wonderfully colorful Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in MA here.]

*** Released for the 2018 Keep Them Moving release challenge. ***