Just Like Family

The Sisters #1

by Christophe Cazenove

The million-copy French series makes its English language debut! Meet two wonderful young girls who happen to be sisters-Maureen, and her older sister Wendy. Both are full of personality and a strong sense of independence. So while they may love each other with all their hearts, it's not always easy for the two of them to be together. After all, when kids are still very young, age differences are much more meaningful. While Maureen may want to hang out with her older sister, nothing could be more embarrassing for Wendy. See how despite all odds, they still manage to get through each day without killing each other... well, at least so far!

In addition to the main story, this volume features great backup features including the "Guide to Sisters", Maureen's journal entries and much more!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Comics, Humor, Childrens, Juvenile, Fiction

96 pages, Hardcover

Published June 14, 2016

About the author

Christophe Cazenove was born in Martigues in 1969. A lifelong comics fan, Christophe's first efforts led to a twelve year career … in supermarkets! Toward the tenth year of his employment in frozen foods, one of his projects attracted the attention of comics writer and editor Olivier Sulpice: Predictions of Nostra. After that, he regularly worked for French publisher Bamboo putting his humor to work on series like Gendarmes, the Fire, the Driving School and finally The Sisters. He also participates in the collection "Sport" with Basketball Dunk while writing less thematic stories, such as Area 51. He is also co-writer of the collection "Fades". More recently, he wrote the screenplay for Eden Globe-Trotter, The Adventures of Gullia, My Mother and Me.

Reviews

[Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice slice of life comic strips about the same family, but it didn't really need to be read in order.

[Lata · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was.....ok. I think it was supposed to be mostly amusing, but I didn’t find the episodes (and that’s what this volume is made up of) particularly funny.
The sisters have a lot of energy, and I could appreciate what the author and illustrator were doing, but I actually found this a little boring. I also realize I’m not the intended audience; however, I’ve read other, children’s comics that have held my attention better.

[Miss Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Calvin and Hobbes were two sisters (instead of a boy and his tiger) I imagine they would be something like this. The love-hate-love relationship that is a sisterly bond is very well done.

If Mr. Cazenove doesn’t have sisters of his own, he is a keep observer of kids this age.

The humor, the situations, the lightning fast change in mood (as illustrated by the shadow right on the cover) are all well done.

There are only a few irritations.

1) The reliance on the trope that darker skin is bad. (This one right here knocked off a whole star by itself.)

If you think I’m crazy, go back and look. So many panels that show Wendy getting angry at Maureen, her skin gets darker. Also, the two or three token brown kids all appear in the same comic - one about how kids don’t like real food, only fast food. Funny on the surface. Until you realize that the two black kids are both fat stereotypes, only in front when talking about philly cheese steak and chicken nuggets, then they are completely hidden, never to be seen again. I’d rather this world have been lily white. We don’t need this kind of diversity in what was otherwise a good book.

2) The objectification of women.

This is subtle, and in so few places that I didn’t take off stars, but I had to mention it.

Every time Wendy or Maureen imagine themselves grown, they are beautiful, busty “hello nurse” versions of themselves. This, in and of itself, is not necessarily wrong. So many little girls DO imagine themselves that way. But added to the gratuitous boob cleavage that we get from Mom in one panel and the extra curves given to the girl that is supposed to be Wendy’s friend, it just felt too ever present in a book about a relationship between young sisters.

BUT

This book is highly enjoyable, and I think the good outweighs the bad.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Obviously I’m not the target age range here. That being said I didn’t love some of the things in here and I wouldn’t want like my kid to read it. A few fat jokes and lots of physical fighting. Besides that I have no clue how old Wendy was supposed to be because she would like play make believe but be dating and dress older. The art style I did like, it reminded me of a newspaper cartoon.

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This juvenile graphic novel translated from French was ridiculously bratty. I didn’t have a sibling, so I don’t have a basis for comparison, but these sisters were so selfish, stuck up and mean — I can’t recommend this as a good influence on kids. No diversity and bad jokes about bulemia as well.

[Jenn Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations and that each page/ set of pages was a mini story. I don’t know, but it seemed like they may have been a newspaper comic strip. Some of these stories even ring true to my sister experience. Some of them were awkward and too serious. I’m not sure I will read more volumes.

[Mayar Mahdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel is adorable. Maureen and Wendy are the cutest sisters ever!

[el (celestialbronz) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still as funny as I remember

This was my favorite comic back ini elementary school but I never found other than 2 editions on the bookstores. I'm going to savor them all!!!

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with DD2 for a graphic novel book club night at her school. It was originally published in French, so if you have a sharp eye, you can catch some cultural details, like French pharmacy signs. This volume is the first in the series and feels more like a collection of comic strips because there is no overarching storyline. That said, it is still a fun and funny look at sister relationships.

[Zahra Rose Duxbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of page length vignettes that had my sister in a chokehold for at least the entirety of her seventh year. Maureen and Wendy are nothing special. But pictured in years to come their shirts are threatening to pop and their lips are painted read. What is it with French comics and sexualized children? Or else, abnormal sexuality. Strange.

[Katrina]

Dnfed as it seemed to be a series of incidents with the sisters rather than a story plus the panels were way too busy for my eyes

[Homewood Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Calvin and Hobbes were two sisters (instead of a boy and his tiger) I imagine they would be something like this. The love-hate-love relationship that is a sisterly bond is very well done.

If Mr. Cazenove doesn’t have sisters of his own, he is a keep observer of kids this age.

The humor, the situations, the lightning fast change in mood (as illustrated by the shadow right on the cover) are all well done.

There are only a few irritations.

1) The reliance on the trope that darker skin is bad. (This one right here knocked off a whole star by itself.)

If you think I’m crazy, go back and look. So many panels that show Wendy getting angry at Maureen, her skin gets darker. Also, the two or three token brown kids all appear in the same comic - one about how kids don’t like real food, only fast food. Funny on the surface. Until you realize that the two black kids are both fat stereotypes, only in front when talking about philly cheese steak and chicken nuggets, then they are completely hidden, never to be seen again. I’d rather this world have been lily white. We don’t need this kind of diversity in what was otherwise a good book.

2) The objectification of women.

This is subtle, and in so few places that I didn’t take off stars, but I had to mention it.

Every time Wendy or Maureen imagine themselves grown, they are beautiful, busty “hello nurse” versions of themselves. This, in and of itself, is not necessarily wrong. So many little girls DO imagine themselves that way. But added to the gratuitous boob cleavage that we get from Mom in one panel and the extra curves given to the girl that is supposed to be Wendy’s friend, it just felt too ever present in a book about a relationship between young sisters.

BUT

This book is highly enjoyable, and I think the good outweighs the bad.

- Miss Kelly

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read an ARC copy of this book in English. Some of the translation was a little shaky from the original French. I also found it really odd that many aspects of pop culture were borrowed with very slightly altered names (Hi Cool Musical instead of High School Musical, for example), it would have made more sense to make up new things that could be implied with the pictures. There was a joke about bulimia as well as a joke about drunks. I also found the relationship between the daughters and their parents to be disturbing. On the positive end, the illustrations are adorable and incredibly appealing. I also found Wendy and Maureen's relationship to be really believable. I read a 46-page ARC of the full novel provided during a publisher breakfast.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute comic about two sisters, Wendy and Maureen. They fight and get into trouble, but their antics are mostly hilarious.

There isn’t an overarching story, each page is a standalone comic. Nothing deep, but fun.

Translated from French, so all of the speech bubbles are in English, but some of the artwork is still in French (for example, when they go to get their ears pierced, the shop has a French name).

[Syreeta Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a funny interpretation of what siblings really look and act like. Love the diversity and intensity of getting along and fighting like warriors. The imagination, creativity, and art put together in this book is just so sweet and often made me think, "Yes, that's exactly what having sisters is like!"

[Zarifa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because there have not the same stories. this book is so realistic. there are sisters sometimes they love each other, and sometimes they hate each other. One story the young sister offended her older sister. So the young one drew her older sister how she is fat, angry, and bad.the older sister saw and she wanted to kill her. That's what I remember in the middle of the story.

[Carla]

I picked this up because it looked like a silly book about two constantly feuding sisters. I think it's meant to be silly, and quote a few people will probably think it is, but it didn't resonate with me. The sisters are so nasty to each other that it's not funny. They absolutely hate each other, and their animosity is actually quite alarming.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wendy and Maureen are sisters so involved in their own world that we rarely even see their parents. They sometimes love each other, and sometimes they just don't agree. Wendy likes to read Maureen's diary, copy everything she does, and steal her clothes. Maureen likes to ditch Wendy when she can.

[Dippit! with E.S.Jennette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really how sisters act and it is great to see how great it is captured. You can go from loving each other to hating each other and growing up at different ages can really affect it. Really well done.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a little chaotic for me and it took me several pages to catch on to the fact that this wasn’t a continuous story; more like every page was a comic strip. But it was chaotic in a fun way, with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

[Mompop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the "English" version not the French.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another huge hit with Erin. She is at the age when graphic novels/comic books hold great appeal. We will buy the next in the series.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute graphic - not a story, but more as a comic panels.
I think good for 4-5 graders. all girl

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute comic that is pretty accurate on the sister experience. It's not a story thought like Sisters by Raina T. it is a collection of strips/panels put together in one volume.

[Luciana Gularte]

Theas book was about 2 sisters and the big sister did not wanet to do more things with the little sister

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

read English translation

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A middle elementary graphic novel about two sisters and their ups and downs told in snippets between two pages.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sibling story with all that goes with a friends/enemies relationship.

[BookCupid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got this as a gift. Although I found the scenes great moments to remember a sister by, I couldn't help but get distracted by the repetition and short length of the stories.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to read this. Sisters, Wendy and Maureen ( I have a sister named Maureen) have a love/hate relationship. One page vignettes are spot on.
Awesome sauce.