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The Altered History of Willow Sparks
What happens when you can finally get everything you ever wanted?
Willow Sparks and her best friend Georgia Pratt are at the bottom of the social ladder at Twin Pines High School, just trying to get through each day relatively unscathed. But when Willow finds a mysterious book that allows her to literally change her life, it feels like her luck is finally turning. Becoming more and more popular with each entry into the book, her old life, including her friendship with Georgia, seems miles away. Yet as Willow will discover, every action has a reaction, and the future has unusual—even dangerous—ways of protecting itself.
Willow Sparks and her best friend Georgia Pratt are at the bottom of the social ladder at Twin Pines High School, just trying to get through each day relatively unscathed. But when Willow finds a mysterious book that allows her to literally change her life, it feels like her luck is finally turning. Becoming more and more popular with each entry into the book, her old life, including her friendship with Georgia, seems miles away. Yet as Willow will discover, every action has a reaction, and the future has unusual—even dangerous—ways of protecting itself.
152 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2018
3 people are currently reading
453 people want to read
About the author
Tara O'Connor
19 books65 followersTara is a cartoonist currently residing in the New Jersey wilderness. When she's not drawing comics, she's teaching them. She drinks way too much tea and coffee, and on any given day there's a 90% chance that every meal she had was cereal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
July 23, 2018
The Altered History of Willow Sparks
is a magnificent coming of age graphic novel. A lot of teens experiencing low self-esteem: whether they are pretty enough, funny, cool, amazing, brilliant or stylish. Whether a teen or not, sometimes we wish that we could be a much better version of our self, and that's what happened to Willow.
Because of an accident in the library that Willow works for, she discovered a secret part of the library where unusual books are stored. This is where she got her hands into a book that is named after her; she discovered that she can change her life by writing what she wishes to happen in the said book. Willow's life improved, from her outer appearance up to being accepted by others. However, nothing comes for free so there was a price to pay for all of these changes.
Willow's story is undeniably a great and entertaining tale that a lot of people could relate to. Reading this graphic novel will enlighten readers about a lot of things especially about the value of friendship, loving oneself, being confident, honest, and not trying to fit in just to be accepted.
Because of an accident in the library that Willow works for, she discovered a secret part of the library where unusual books are stored. This is where she got her hands into a book that is named after her; she discovered that she can change her life by writing what she wishes to happen in the said book. Willow's life improved, from her outer appearance up to being accepted by others. However, nothing comes for free so there was a price to pay for all of these changes.
Willow's story is undeniably a great and entertaining tale that a lot of people could relate to. Reading this graphic novel will enlighten readers about a lot of things especially about the value of friendship, loving oneself, being confident, honest, and not trying to fit in just to be accepted.
August 15, 2022
Willow Sparks is a high school outcast with only a couple of friends. When she comes across the book of her life, she decides to write in some changes.
This book seemed to superficially touch on every trope of the high school nerd suddenly becoming popular. It didn't bring anything new to the story nor did much actually happen. We didn't even get much of an explanation on the books themselves. Besides some nice blue-line art, their just isn't much of substance here.
This book seemed to superficially touch on every trope of the high school nerd suddenly becoming popular. It didn't bring anything new to the story nor did much actually happen. We didn't even get much of an explanation on the books themselves. Besides some nice blue-line art, their just isn't much of substance here.
March 6, 2018
I love a story that makes me think about what I’d do in a character’s position. In The Altered History of Willow Sparks Willow is essentially a book nerd. She is regularly tormented by the school’s resident ‘mean girl’, she loves to read, she works after school at the local library and her friends, Georgia and Gary, don’t appear to be winning any popularity contests either. Oh, she also has pimples, thinks her hair makes her look like a boy and sucks at dodgeball.
Willow accidentally comes across a hidden room filled with books, including one with her name on the spine. Naturally she takes ‘her’ book home and discovers that by writing in this book she can rewrite parts of her life. Of course nothing this magical comes without a price.
I flew through this one. Yes, it was predictable but it was also an entertaining read. Because it’s one of my all time favourite movies I did wonder if Twin Pines High School was a nod to Back to the Future.
I adored the use of blue tones in the illustrations and art critic that I am (ha!) I really liked the feel of the artwork. Perhaps it’s because the same person wrote and illustrated this graphic novel but there wasn’t the jarring I’ve felt recently with other graphic novels. I’m not quite sure how to explain this but it was as though there was a harmony between the words and pictures, so the story flowed seamlessly for me.
When you see Willow making changes to her life your mind naturally does a stocktake of your own life. Circumstances outside of our control aside, we basically do write our own lives anyway, but it is kind of intoxicating to think of the what ifs.
What would you write into your life if you had the power?
What would you write out of it?
Would the consequences outweigh the benefits of the changes?
Personally I can think of a number of things I may consider rewriting but I don’t think I actually would in most instances. While the sucky things in life obviously suck, good can come out of the suckiest of situations. It’s certainly an interesting concept to play around with at any rate.
It’s probably the caffeine flowing through my veins but I loved that there’s a tally in the ‘special features’ section at the end of how much caffeine was consumed by Tara O’Connor during the writing and illustrating process. In case you’re curious, she drank 1460 cups of coffee, 730 cups of tea and 12 espressos. There’s also a list of some of the music that she listened to. It’s the inclusion of this sort of unique quirkiness that makes me love a book even more and feel like I could sit down and have a chat to the author.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.
Willow accidentally comes across a hidden room filled with books, including one with her name on the spine. Naturally she takes ‘her’ book home and discovers that by writing in this book she can rewrite parts of her life. Of course nothing this magical comes without a price.
I flew through this one. Yes, it was predictable but it was also an entertaining read. Because it’s one of my all time favourite movies I did wonder if Twin Pines High School was a nod to Back to the Future.
I adored the use of blue tones in the illustrations and art critic that I am (ha!) I really liked the feel of the artwork. Perhaps it’s because the same person wrote and illustrated this graphic novel but there wasn’t the jarring I’ve felt recently with other graphic novels. I’m not quite sure how to explain this but it was as though there was a harmony between the words and pictures, so the story flowed seamlessly for me.
When you see Willow making changes to her life your mind naturally does a stocktake of your own life. Circumstances outside of our control aside, we basically do write our own lives anyway, but it is kind of intoxicating to think of the what ifs.
What would you write into your life if you had the power?
What would you write out of it?
Would the consequences outweigh the benefits of the changes?
Personally I can think of a number of things I may consider rewriting but I don’t think I actually would in most instances. While the sucky things in life obviously suck, good can come out of the suckiest of situations. It’s certainly an interesting concept to play around with at any rate.
It’s probably the caffeine flowing through my veins but I loved that there’s a tally in the ‘special features’ section at the end of how much caffeine was consumed by Tara O’Connor during the writing and illustrating process. In case you’re curious, she drank 1460 cups of coffee, 730 cups of tea and 12 espressos. There’s also a list of some of the music that she listened to. It’s the inclusion of this sort of unique quirkiness that makes me love a book even more and feel like I could sit down and have a chat to the author.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.
April 3, 2022
This was a fun graphic novel. I really liked the art, it was blue, black and white. I thought the characters were well-illustrated and that gave them a little more life than the story gave character development. I do wish the story had a bit more depth into the books/librarian as I felt things were pretty rushed. Willow Sparks is the typical nerdy girl with pimples and unfashionable clothes and struggles with social interactions in school. Like most unpopular girls in stories she is desperate to become popular. An accident leads her to an odd book titled The Life Of Willow Sparks - what would you do if you could rewrite your history?
December 15, 2017
A highschool girl is closing up shop at the library she works for, when she takes a tumble and finds a hidden floor to the library - stocked with books that have only individuals' names on the spines. When Willow finds the book with her name on it, she realizes that she can write in the book, and whatever she writes will come true - at a price.
I thought this was a pretty fun idea, and the art was nice enough, but I just didn't really find it particularly interesting. I didn't get attached to the story or characters, and probably wouldn't continue the series; that said, if the synopsis intrigues you, I'd recommend giving it a try!
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for this honest review!
I thought this was a pretty fun idea, and the art was nice enough, but I just didn't really find it particularly interesting. I didn't get attached to the story or characters, and probably wouldn't continue the series; that said, if the synopsis intrigues you, I'd recommend giving it a try!
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for this honest review!
March 31, 2018
Disclaimer: Received a free digital copy of the book through Netgalley.
This book was such a disappointment. It was relatable yet cliché in the start and exuded a sense of mystery, inculcating certain typical high school experiences, including bullying, cliques, gym class disasters and the insensitivity of teachers when it comes to girl problems. I liked the artwork, especially the pages where there are different pictures for different times in the library, which is why this is getting 2 stars.
However, despite having an admittedly interesting yet bland concept i.e. changing your fate by writing in your life book, this was inconsequential and anti-climatic. As the comic went on it turned very typical and used banal tropes like high school friends abandoning their old friends for new popular ones once they get noticed and so on. All the characters were very simple and lacked distinct personalities. I think I would've enjoyed this more if it included the dark past of Mr. Ages.
I honestly liked the author notes more than the story. The author explained how she went about to write the book, the creative changes made over the years, the playlist she heard the most while working, which made me realize that despite this comic not being the best, we should never fail to acknowledge the amount of work which goes into making a comic/book.
Overall, this was a quick read with good artwork, however failed to reach its potential and have an impressive narrative!
This book was such a disappointment. It was relatable yet cliché in the start and exuded a sense of mystery, inculcating certain typical high school experiences, including bullying, cliques, gym class disasters and the insensitivity of teachers when it comes to girl problems. I liked the artwork, especially the pages where there are different pictures for different times in the library, which is why this is getting 2 stars.
However, despite having an admittedly interesting yet bland concept i.e. changing your fate by writing in your life book, this was inconsequential and anti-climatic. As the comic went on it turned very typical and used banal tropes like high school friends abandoning their old friends for new popular ones once they get noticed and so on. All the characters were very simple and lacked distinct personalities. I think I would've enjoyed this more if it included the dark past of Mr. Ages.
I honestly liked the author notes more than the story. The author explained how she went about to write the book, the creative changes made over the years, the playlist she heard the most while working, which made me realize that despite this comic not being the best, we should never fail to acknowledge the amount of work which goes into making a comic/book.
Overall, this was a quick read with good artwork, however failed to reach its potential and have an impressive narrative!
January 29, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley for my copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This was kind of a difficult one to rate due to the sensitive subject matter. The Altered History of Willow Sparks centers around a girl named Willow and her best friend, Georgia. Outcasts at their high school, both of them face bullying every day. That is until Willow comes across a book that can make things happen with the sweep of a pen. Our main character, Willow, shortly thereafter becomes an unlikeable protagonist but as someone who dealt with forms of bullying growing up, it makes perfect sense. As a reader, I could understand why she chose to make the decisions that she did because though wrong in a lot of ways, she just wanted to fit in and thought that in changing herself, things would be better. The art was simple, yet beautiful at the same time. I really enjoyed the theme of blue tones that the author chose. And Georgia, I liked her right from the start. But all that aside, a few of the scenes were uncomfortable because on more than one occasion, we see physical bullying such as: throwing a dodgeball at someone’s face (which leaves a bruise) and shoving another down the stairs - so if that is a sensitive subject for you, I would suggest either passing on this one or going into it with caution. Overall, it was a quick read, just not for me.
This was kind of a difficult one to rate due to the sensitive subject matter. The Altered History of Willow Sparks centers around a girl named Willow and her best friend, Georgia. Outcasts at their high school, both of them face bullying every day. That is until Willow comes across a book that can make things happen with the sweep of a pen. Our main character, Willow, shortly thereafter becomes an unlikeable protagonist but as someone who dealt with forms of bullying growing up, it makes perfect sense. As a reader, I could understand why she chose to make the decisions that she did because though wrong in a lot of ways, she just wanted to fit in and thought that in changing herself, things would be better. The art was simple, yet beautiful at the same time. I really enjoyed the theme of blue tones that the author chose. And Georgia, I liked her right from the start. But all that aside, a few of the scenes were uncomfortable because on more than one occasion, we see physical bullying such as: throwing a dodgeball at someone’s face (which leaves a bruise) and shoving another down the stairs - so if that is a sensitive subject for you, I would suggest either passing on this one or going into it with caution. Overall, it was a quick read, just not for me.
January 22, 2018
*I received an eArc of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review, so thanks to them!*
This was a fun read, that I was slightly disappointed by how short it was. This had the potential to be fleshed out in more volumes, or at least let it be a bit longer. The world and magic explanations seemed rush, even the reconciliation at the end. Everything seemed to be so rushed.
It revolves around a girl who discovers the *books* of the people living in her town and stumbles upon her book, in which she could write anything and it would come true, but at a price. She starts using it to become more popular at her school. The premise seems to be overused in a lot of YA writings, but I loved the library and the life books aspect of it, that I wished it was explained more.
overall, I enjoyed it.
This was a fun read, that I was slightly disappointed by how short it was. This had the potential to be fleshed out in more volumes, or at least let it be a bit longer. The world and magic explanations seemed rush, even the reconciliation at the end. Everything seemed to be so rushed.
It revolves around a girl who discovers the *books* of the people living in her town and stumbles upon her book, in which she could write anything and it would come true, but at a price. She starts using it to become more popular at her school. The premise seems to be overused in a lot of YA writings, but I loved the library and the life books aspect of it, that I wished it was explained more.
overall, I enjoyed it.
March 12, 2018
I wanted more maturity out of this in terms of the fullness of the story and character development. I felt like I was waiting for something that never came-- some larger story or commentary. While I understand the basic themes and the conflict of the main character there wasn't enough about the library, the book, the gatekeeper, Willow herself, etc.
The blue style worked well and the peripheral characters were vividly drawn but could also have been stronger elements in the story.
What would I do if I could use a book to alter history? Well it allowed me to think this way, but not in a lasting or meaningful way.
The blue style worked well and the peripheral characters were vividly drawn but could also have been stronger elements in the story.
What would I do if I could use a book to alter history? Well it allowed me to think this way, but not in a lasting or meaningful way.
April 3, 2018
Willow (also Willy) and Georgia are best friends and they are both being bullied by the popular people. One day Willy stumbles upon a book that contains her life and she finds out she can write in it to make small changes. Next morning she has no pimples and after that she wears more fashionable clothes. She becomes friends with the popular crowd and in the progress of becoming happier, she leaves Georgia behind.
I disliked Willy and her fast friendship with the popular people. I just can't deal with characters who leave their friends behind the moment they become popular. I was a bigger fan of nerdy Georgia, who still manages to forgive her friend when she comes back to her. Willy doesn't realize what she is doing until she gets more marks on her body; I just wish she realized that her actions on its own were bad. And how come she loses those marks while the librarian still wears his?
I disliked Willy and her fast friendship with the popular people. I just can't deal with characters who leave their friends behind the moment they become popular. I was a bigger fan of nerdy Georgia, who still manages to forgive her friend when she comes back to her. Willy doesn't realize what she is doing until she gets more marks on her body; I just wish she realized that her actions on its own were bad. And how come she loses those marks while the librarian still wears his?
March 27, 2018
The Altered History of Willow Sparks takes on the common trope of magical books that, when written in, can change your life. It doesn't deviate too much from the standard "be careful what you wish for" format, and there is definitely room for more character development. Actually, a lot more character development. But I also think this one is geared towards middle schoolers rather than young adult, so I can see why the book feels so compressed and hurried. The art is great. I picked this up because it reminded me of early Faith Erin Hicks, and there's a lot of fluidity to the graphics that brings the book to life. So, overall, not a standout, but not terrible. Probably a good addition to any library for younger folk.
December 7, 2017
When I finished reading this, I felt as though I had read it before, and perhaps I have, different versions, different ways of telling this same story, which is, what would you do if you could change your future? Would you change it? And how much would you change it?
The characters are all Mean Girls™ types, and of course the heroines are the underdogs, the nerds and the dull. There is even a love interest among the unloved.
The artist writes, at the end of the book, how long she has been working on this story, and rewriting and redrawing it over the years, and the illustrations are quite professional, but the ending, as others have mentioned, seems a bit quick, and the story wraps up far to quickly, with a lot of questions hanging.
This is probably more like a four star for its intended audience of young teens, but for me, I wanted more.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The characters are all Mean Girls™ types, and of course the heroines are the underdogs, the nerds and the dull. There is even a love interest among the unloved.
The artist writes, at the end of the book, how long she has been working on this story, and rewriting and redrawing it over the years, and the illustrations are quite professional, but the ending, as others have mentioned, seems a bit quick, and the story wraps up far to quickly, with a lot of questions hanging.
This is probably more like a four star for its intended audience of young teens, but for me, I wanted more.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
October 16, 2018
Really liked the set up of the world. The implications could lead to some great stories.
I kind of wish the stereotypical bully wasn't a character in this. It felt like an unnecessary distraction from the stuff going on with Willy and Georgia. Maybe I'm just a little tired of teen drama motivated by bullies? At least the other two bully members turned out to be relatively normal.
I was a lot more interested in Willy and the consequences of her mucking around with her magic book. I think the story is best when it focuses on Willy just being a bad friend to Georgia. Other than that, some further exploration of Willy's powers would have been cool too.
Kind of wish the story didn't wrap up so neatly. It sort of feels like if you do something forbidden, there needs to be bigger consequences. I think we need some more back story in regards to Mr. Ages. Also, what is that guy doing? I can't tell if he's just laissez faire or an agent of chaos.
I kind of wish the stereotypical bully wasn't a character in this. It felt like an unnecessary distraction from the stuff going on with Willy and Georgia. Maybe I'm just a little tired of teen drama motivated by bullies? At least the other two bully members turned out to be relatively normal.
I was a lot more interested in Willy and the consequences of her mucking around with her magic book. I think the story is best when it focuses on Willy just being a bad friend to Georgia. Other than that, some further exploration of Willy's powers would have been cool too.
Kind of wish the story didn't wrap up so neatly. It sort of feels like if you do something forbidden, there needs to be bigger consequences. I think we need some more back story in regards to Mr. Ages. Also, what is that guy doing? I can't tell if he's just laissez faire or an agent of chaos.
October 1, 2023
oh que c’était chouette.. j’ai vrm bien aimé ma lecture mais je trouve que cette série de romans graphiques sur la santé mentale édités par hachette manque cruellement de profondeur morale.. j’ai l’impression qu’il manque toujours une pièce du puzzle.
la destinée 🧬 les livres, mes talons d’Achille.
la destinée 🧬 les livres, mes talons d’Achille.
February 22, 2018
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
"What if you had the power to rewrite your life?"
Yep, I would definitely rewrite some parts. Just like Willow (and also Georgia) I was bullied immensely in school. I know I wouldn't be able to resist the chance to rewrite things, even if it meant that I would be in trouble later on. Even a few moments of bliss years ago would save me the a few shitty feelings I still have today. :( I know the consequences (I was wondering why Will never saw that there would be consequences, nothing comes for free), but yes, I would still do it.
I hated the bullying, it was terrible. Throwing a whole load of balls at someone? Especially aiming at their faces? Dunking them in toilets? Other crappy things? And I despised the teachers, they are bound to know something is going on, but none of them react. That one teacher (I am guessing she is at least) should have done something during that dodgeball game. Instead she just did nothing and stood there. :|
But I also hated Will at one point. When she dumped her best friend because she had the in-pass to the popular group. I do understand that she is happy it is not her, but this is also your friend.
I like the idea that there is a whole library (libraries I should say) that hold everyone's life books. It is a bit dangerous to have such a library, one wrong person can alter so much. But even with that there is something magical about it all. That you can see life change, that books disappear and appear.
Bonus points to the fact the Georgia and Will loved to read. That Will worked at the library.
The art was pretty OK, it was quite pretty at times, though I didn't always like the facial expressions/faces of the characters.
But all in all, I would recommend this book to people. It is a really good read.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
"What if you had the power to rewrite your life?"
Yep, I would definitely rewrite some parts. Just like Willow (and also Georgia) I was bullied immensely in school. I know I wouldn't be able to resist the chance to rewrite things, even if it meant that I would be in trouble later on. Even a few moments of bliss years ago would save me the a few shitty feelings I still have today. :( I know the consequences (I was wondering why Will never saw that there would be consequences, nothing comes for free), but yes, I would still do it.
I hated the bullying, it was terrible. Throwing a whole load of balls at someone? Especially aiming at their faces? Dunking them in toilets? Other crappy things? And I despised the teachers, they are bound to know something is going on, but none of them react. That one teacher (I am guessing she is at least) should have done something during that dodgeball game. Instead she just did nothing and stood there. :|
But I also hated Will at one point. When she dumped her best friend because she had the in-pass to the popular group. I do understand that she is happy it is not her, but this is also your friend.
I like the idea that there is a whole library (libraries I should say) that hold everyone's life books. It is a bit dangerous to have such a library, one wrong person can alter so much. But even with that there is something magical about it all. That you can see life change, that books disappear and appear.
Bonus points to the fact the Georgia and Will loved to read. That Will worked at the library.
The art was pretty OK, it was quite pretty at times, though I didn't always like the facial expressions/faces of the characters.
But all in all, I would recommend this book to people. It is a really good read.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
May 8, 2023
Un jour, Willow découvre un livre
un livre qui porte son nom
le livre de sa vie
et découvre qu’elle peut
en écrivant dedans
changer le cours de sa vie
Paraître plus jolie
porter de beaux vêtements
être appréciée
des autres
Mais changer le cours des événements
n’est pas sans risque
et cela s’accompagne aussi
de contreparties
Une bande-dessinée
autour de l’adolescence
la difficulté à se faire une place
au lycée, parmi les autres élèves
la volonté de changer les choses
que tout change
mais parfois, une seule chose change
et on perd tout le reste
tout le bon
Alors sans doute vaut-il mieux
apprendre à accepter
et à se satisfaire
de la personne
que l’on est
Une BD qui n’a pas su pleinement me saisir, elle se lit vite, avec un brin d’éléments fantastiques, mais une bande-dessinée qui survole un peu les choses à mon goût. J’aurais aimé un peu plus de profondeur, ou que ça aille plus loin. Mais une lecture rapide et agréable !
un livre qui porte son nom
le livre de sa vie
et découvre qu’elle peut
en écrivant dedans
changer le cours de sa vie
Paraître plus jolie
porter de beaux vêtements
être appréciée
des autres
Mais changer le cours des événements
n’est pas sans risque
et cela s’accompagne aussi
de contreparties
Une bande-dessinée
autour de l’adolescence
la difficulté à se faire une place
au lycée, parmi les autres élèves
la volonté de changer les choses
que tout change
mais parfois, une seule chose change
et on perd tout le reste
tout le bon
Alors sans doute vaut-il mieux
apprendre à accepter
et à se satisfaire
de la personne
que l’on est
Une BD qui n’a pas su pleinement me saisir, elle se lit vite, avec un brin d’éléments fantastiques, mais une bande-dessinée qui survole un peu les choses à mon goût. J’aurais aimé un peu plus de profondeur, ou que ça aille plus loin. Mais une lecture rapide et agréable !
November 2, 2020
Second read:
4/5 stars
I enjoyed this graphic novel both times that I have read it. The story is interesting enough to read, but it isn't my favorite. I will probably end up reading down the road again at some point, but the nook is short enough and the plot memorable enough that I probably won't read it again for a while. The art is cute and I like how Willow is portrayed as a real human with acne, self-image issues, and someone that will act selfishly as many humans will. I believe that the lesson in the book is a good one, but it is one that should almost be taught younger.
First Read:
4.45/5 Stars
4/5 stars
I enjoyed this graphic novel both times that I have read it. The story is interesting enough to read, but it isn't my favorite. I will probably end up reading down the road again at some point, but the nook is short enough and the plot memorable enough that I probably won't read it again for a while. The art is cute and I like how Willow is portrayed as a real human with acne, self-image issues, and someone that will act selfishly as many humans will. I believe that the lesson in the book is a good one, but it is one that should almost be taught younger.
First Read:
4.45/5 Stars
April 20, 2018
A timid iteration of the monkey paw/careful-what-you-wish-for trope. I was sort of getting drawn into the mythology and characters and might have gone for a three-star rating if not for the abrupt and nothing ending. If the characters are going to halfheartedly shrug things off, why shouldn't I as a reader?
December 19, 2017
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Have you ever read a book that made you wish you had something similar back when you were a teenager? That's what this book made me think once I finished reading it. I wish I had this book back when I was an awkward teen.
The idea of the book is pretty simple: you have a regular teenage girl, Willow, working at a library in her spare time, that isn't popular, and is bullied, alongside her best friend, Georgia, by a group of really popular kids. After an incident in the library, she discovers some books, one of which carries her name. Once she realizes what this book really is, she takes it, and tries to write herself a better story. Simple, right? Something I most certainly would have done had I been in Willow's shoes. Because what teen doesn't want to escape those years, when it's all awkward, and when acne, bad hair days, not being noticed by your crush, and not being picked for one of the teams in sports class seem like the worst thing that could ever happen.
But as simple as it may seem, it's also really complex. Because in doing so, Willow has to face the consequences of her actions, one of which is losing her best friend. The other visible effect of Willow altering her life in such a way is the signs that she has on her, some marks that look like lines made with a pen. I kind of get the symbolism behind it, but I would have wanted a bit more time spent on that aspect. I loved the fact that Georgia, Willow's best friend, lectures her on the fact that she's using this book to have an easier life, when she should find a different way to deal with life. At the same time, Georgia is going through some changes in her life, and seeing Willow exchanging their friendship for the company of the popular kids in school hurts her enough to stop trying to reason with Willow.
While the story itself is great, and some of the effects of Willow's tampering are mostly explored in this book, there were a few things that were left untouched, like the parents angle. I would have wanted Willow's parents to notice something. There's an interesting moment that shows the limitations of the book, but it wasn't completely explored. I am hoping that there's a volume 2 in the works, because the ending was a bit too abrupt. While I do remember how fights between friends resolved at that age (God knows I've had some of the most "epic" fights with my BFFs that ended in tears 5 minutes afterwards and promises to never fight again), I feel like Willow needs to face the school crowd without the help of the book, she needs to be exposed to the same popular kids after she returned her book. I'd love to see how she's going to do that.
Aside from that, there's a wonderful moment of someone having a crush on somebody, and it turns out that somebody is a gay character, and it's a beautiful conversation between friends that warmed my heart, really.
The artwork is pretty simple. It wasn't the best I've seen, but it's cute and it's in line with the story. The drawings are black-and-white, which is a nice change for me. The panels were easy to follow, and they weren't too crowded by dialogue. I liked the fact that the author shares, at the end of the book, a little bit of this book's history, with the changes in artwork that went on over the years. I've said this before, but I really enjoy seeing this behind-the-scenes type of segment in comic books.
Overall, this was a pretty good book, but I would have wanted a bit more. I hope the story will be continued in the future, and I'll definitely read the next volume if and when it comes out.
Have you ever read a book that made you wish you had something similar back when you were a teenager? That's what this book made me think once I finished reading it. I wish I had this book back when I was an awkward teen.
The idea of the book is pretty simple: you have a regular teenage girl, Willow, working at a library in her spare time, that isn't popular, and is bullied, alongside her best friend, Georgia, by a group of really popular kids. After an incident in the library, she discovers some books, one of which carries her name. Once she realizes what this book really is, she takes it, and tries to write herself a better story. Simple, right? Something I most certainly would have done had I been in Willow's shoes. Because what teen doesn't want to escape those years, when it's all awkward, and when acne, bad hair days, not being noticed by your crush, and not being picked for one of the teams in sports class seem like the worst thing that could ever happen.
But as simple as it may seem, it's also really complex. Because in doing so, Willow has to face the consequences of her actions, one of which is losing her best friend. The other visible effect of Willow altering her life in such a way is the signs that she has on her, some marks that look like lines made with a pen. I kind of get the symbolism behind it, but I would have wanted a bit more time spent on that aspect. I loved the fact that Georgia, Willow's best friend, lectures her on the fact that she's using this book to have an easier life, when she should find a different way to deal with life. At the same time, Georgia is going through some changes in her life, and seeing Willow exchanging their friendship for the company of the popular kids in school hurts her enough to stop trying to reason with Willow.
While the story itself is great, and some of the effects of Willow's tampering are mostly explored in this book, there were a few things that were left untouched, like the parents angle. I would have wanted Willow's parents to notice something. There's an interesting moment that shows the limitations of the book, but it wasn't completely explored. I am hoping that there's a volume 2 in the works, because the ending was a bit too abrupt. While I do remember how fights between friends resolved at that age (God knows I've had some of the most "epic" fights with my BFFs that ended in tears 5 minutes afterwards and promises to never fight again), I feel like Willow needs to face the school crowd without the help of the book, she needs to be exposed to the same popular kids after she returned her book. I'd love to see how she's going to do that.
Aside from that, there's a wonderful moment of someone having a crush on somebody, and it turns out that somebody is a gay character, and it's a beautiful conversation between friends that warmed my heart, really.
The artwork is pretty simple. It wasn't the best I've seen, but it's cute and it's in line with the story. The drawings are black-and-white, which is a nice change for me. The panels were easy to follow, and they weren't too crowded by dialogue. I liked the fact that the author shares, at the end of the book, a little bit of this book's history, with the changes in artwork that went on over the years. I've said this before, but I really enjoy seeing this behind-the-scenes type of segment in comic books.
Overall, this was a pretty good book, but I would have wanted a bit more. I hope the story will be continued in the future, and I'll definitely read the next volume if and when it comes out.
January 16, 2018
I really enjoyed this graphic novel about a girl who discovers a magic book that will change her life! Willow is a nerd being bullied by the popular girls at school, but she has friends and a great job working in a library. The book gives her the power to rewrite her life, but of course, magic comes with a price. Willow uses the book to become one of the popular girls, and her life at school seems to be better, but at a cost. If only, Willow can realize the truth before it's too late, she might be able to salvage her friendships with the people who truly care about her.
I loved the struggle that Willow goes through! She has some really good character development, and I loved the complex relationships she has with her friends. It was really interesting to see Willow's perspective change throughout the book as she learns and grows.
I appreciated how the writing is concise but forceful, saying a lot in a few words, and delivering an emotional connection to each scene.
The artwork is wonderful, and really pulls you into the story. I like the muted colorscheme with gray and blue.
Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
I loved the struggle that Willow goes through! She has some really good character development, and I loved the complex relationships she has with her friends. It was really interesting to see Willow's perspective change throughout the book as she learns and grows.
I appreciated how the writing is concise but forceful, saying a lot in a few words, and delivering an emotional connection to each scene.
The artwork is wonderful, and really pulls you into the story. I like the muted colorscheme with gray and blue.
Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
March 7, 2018
“What if you had the power to rewrite your life?”
Who wouldn’t be hooked by that tag line? Of course we’d want to alter our lives if we had the choice. That’s exactly what happened in this graphic novel.. except of course it went terribly wrong. Overall, I enjoyed this and I don’t regret reading it. It was just very short, and I feel like it could have had so much to it. It had potential with an interesting concept, but I don’t feel like it lived up to it. The plot was also predictable for me, there were small things that I didn’t expect.. but overall I wasn’t surprised with how the story unfolded. I liked the art, the characters got reactions from me, and I still love the concept. I just wish it could have been longer, and therefore not so rushed.
Released March 6, 2018 | Huge THANK YOU to Netgalley and Oni Press for this copy |
Who wouldn’t be hooked by that tag line? Of course we’d want to alter our lives if we had the choice. That’s exactly what happened in this graphic novel.. except of course it went terribly wrong. Overall, I enjoyed this and I don’t regret reading it. It was just very short, and I feel like it could have had so much to it. It had potential with an interesting concept, but I don’t feel like it lived up to it. The plot was also predictable for me, there were small things that I didn’t expect.. but overall I wasn’t surprised with how the story unfolded. I liked the art, the characters got reactions from me, and I still love the concept. I just wish it could have been longer, and therefore not so rushed.
Released March 6, 2018 | Huge THANK YOU to Netgalley and Oni Press for this copy |
June 24, 2018
Enjoyable and a quick read, but it felt like the book skimmed over some important topics by treating them rather generically rather than taking the time to elaborate and make the issues more individual and original. This mainly had to do with the themes of bullying and friendship. I wanted more time seeing our MCs as friends, how they saw themselves compared to the school’s ire, and how they dealt with the change. Instead too much focus was put on our magical book, which in itself also needed more detail.
The drawing style reminded me of Faith Erin Hicks and fit the tone of the book perfectly! Very expressive eyes, wonderful shading and just the right amount of detail in the clothing.
A quick middle-grade graphic novel read rather than a deep introspective one for older teens, but still it was fun!
The drawing style reminded me of Faith Erin Hicks and fit the tone of the book perfectly! Very expressive eyes, wonderful shading and just the right amount of detail in the clothing.
A quick middle-grade graphic novel read rather than a deep introspective one for older teens, but still it was fun!
June 19, 2018
I thought this was a good moral about what if you could rewrite your own life. Willow finds a book in the library she works at and is able to write out how her days should happen. She isn't very popular, at all, but has one good friend. She desperately wants to be with the In crowd, aka mean girls, but she's just doesn't have what it takes. So when she finds the book with the empty pages about her life, she takes full advantage, but to the detriment of what she already has that is good in her life. This graphic novel shows us what joy verses happiness is, and how to be thankful for what we have in our life.
February 10, 2018
This was a fun take on the be-careful-what-you-wish-for trope, touching also on bullying, beauty and gender standards, and friendship. In the end, though, I did want more detail to the story. (And, as a librarian of over 10 years and a former shelver in high school, I would like to ask: who leaves a teenager in charge of a library? Ever?)
Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
March 19, 2018
A majority of this book went as expected, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment. While O'Connor's major idea wasn't original, there were a few twists (or developments) that did diverge from the typical path. The drawings were simple and clean, which I appreciated. I wish there was more world building towards the end, because once the book because unique, I wanted to know more. Overall, it was a good story.
February 14, 2018
3.5 stars.
I am so amazed with author’s drawing. She has been working on this book for 9 years, and with a lot of revision, she managed to create something beautiful :)
I think the story is pretty simple. It’s not those type of book that have sudden plot twists. But if you know me, sometimes I like books like that.
This is a book about friendship, about learning from our mistake, and about being responsible with our own choices.
It’s an enjoyable read!
*I read this book digitally through Netgalley :)
I am so amazed with author’s drawing. She has been working on this book for 9 years, and with a lot of revision, she managed to create something beautiful :)
I think the story is pretty simple. It’s not those type of book that have sudden plot twists. But if you know me, sometimes I like books like that.
This is a book about friendship, about learning from our mistake, and about being responsible with our own choices.
It’s an enjoyable read!
*I read this book digitally through Netgalley :)
February 10, 2018
O'Connor's art in this graphic novel is the star of the show as she really uses the monotone blue and white to great effect. Her shading is awesome and the line work is crisp and fluid.
Unfortunately, the story (typical 'loner nerd' girl misusing the magical book of her life) is tired and predictable, and at several points nonsensical.
Unfortunately, the story (typical 'loner nerd' girl misusing the magical book of her life) is tired and predictable, and at several points nonsensical.
April 10, 2019
This was way better then I expected. I was intrigued about books that can be altered and literally change people's lives. I am glad realized sonething was wrong, and went to get help because she made a lame "popular" kid.
September 13, 2019
The Altered History of Willow Sparks was intensely reminiscent of me as a teenager. A lot of it is spread between characters, but I haven't read many books that are so reflective of my teen years. The magical elements were super cool, fun, and interesting, although I do wish it had gone more in-depth with them. The art is fabulous.
Recommended, especially to my fellow outcast book nerds.
Recommended, especially to my fellow outcast book nerds.
January 31, 2023
Très déçue, cette histoire est trop courte pour se développer correctement ! C'est dommage car l'idée est chouette et j'ai bien aimé le trait de l'illustratrice... Mais le scénario n'est pas à la hauteur.
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