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Forté
Flavia, une jeune Brésilienne de la favela de Belém, découvre le piano après la mort tragique de son père quand elle n'a que 6 ans. Extrêmement douée et passionnée, la jeune fille gagne une bourse pour étudier à la prestigieuse École Normale de Musique de Paris. Flavia est un véritable bourreau de travail, mue par la farouche volonté de s'en sortir. Mais ce qu'elle doit encore apprendre, c'est que devenir une artiste est avant tout une affaire de coeur...
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2019
3 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Manon Heugel
1 book3 followersBorn in 1981 in Paris, Manon Heugel is a writer and director. She lives and works between Paris and Berlin. After making her theater debut as an actress and director, she quickly turned to cinema and received her degree as a screenwriter at La Fémis in 2013. Following her short film La fille du gardien de prison (2015), selected by several international festivals, she is currently working on the creation of a fiction series for television adapted from her blog, Génération Berlin. Forté (Dargaud, 2019; Europe Comics 2020) is her first graphic novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
June 11, 2020
PER ASPERA AD ASTRA
Forté made me think of the Polish idiom lejesz miód na moje serce - which literally translates to 'you are pouring honey onto my heart' and means 'you make me happy'. The honey Manon Heugel and Kim Consigny gift us in their graphic novel is sweet, sometimes maybe a trifle too much, but it is also nutritious and yummy, not like the artificial type you can buy at a supermarket.
What is the forte of Forté? First of all, it does not pretend anything: it is a simple, straightforward, uplifting story which does not demand much from a reader but gives comfort. It has got the moral clarity of a fable: if you work hard, your dreams will come true. Always be yourself. Reach high. The story goes to prove that Flavia’s mother was wrong when she said, 'Only rich people become artists'.
From rags to riches – or in this case from a favela in Brazil to a concert hall in Paris - is a cliché, no doubt about it, but Manon Heugel and Kim Consigny turned it into something utterly pleasant, genuine and truly heartening. This sort of optimism smells with naivety at times but the unpretentious humour makes a difference.
Special merit to the perfectly amiable protagonist. She is quite a character, that Flavia Antunes! Music is the essence of her life. She learns to play the piano, then wins a scholarship and goes to France. Unfortunately, living in Paris and having no money is not a favourable combination. Fulfilling young musician’s ambitions requires sacrifices, eating cat food included. Forté in the title refers not only to the music term I guess – it also encapsulates Flavia’s attitude, her passion and determination. The stubborn girl from Belem in Brazil dominates the plot but other characters are also intriguing.
Forté reminded me of another graphic novel I liked, Polina , also about a girl, a future ballet dancer, who fights to pursue her dream. If I had to compare both books: Manon Heugel and Kim Consigny’s story is more heartwarming, lighter and their characters are more likeable than Bastien Vivès’.
Another enjoyable thing about Forté is its dynamics and I mean not only the plot but also a couple of other things: changes of mood: from a traumatic experience at the beginning to happiness and fulfilment, different locations (Brazil - France - Brazil), the way Flavia matures over the years, the evolution of relationships depicted in the book.
Forté is Manon Heugel's first book and it looks like a promising debut. I read it in one sitting, pleasantly surprised with its balming effect. Flavia’s story is not only movingly told but also subtly drawn. Kim Consigny’s energetic pictures complete the story ideally. I have an impression that she smiled every time she drew jaunty Flavia. You just feel it.
Forté made me think of the Polish idiom lejesz miód na moje serce - which literally translates to 'you are pouring honey onto my heart' and means 'you make me happy'. The honey Manon Heugel and Kim Consigny gift us in their graphic novel is sweet, sometimes maybe a trifle too much, but it is also nutritious and yummy, not like the artificial type you can buy at a supermarket.
What is the forte of Forté? First of all, it does not pretend anything: it is a simple, straightforward, uplifting story which does not demand much from a reader but gives comfort. It has got the moral clarity of a fable: if you work hard, your dreams will come true. Always be yourself. Reach high. The story goes to prove that Flavia’s mother was wrong when she said, 'Only rich people become artists'.
From rags to riches – or in this case from a favela in Brazil to a concert hall in Paris - is a cliché, no doubt about it, but Manon Heugel and Kim Consigny turned it into something utterly pleasant, genuine and truly heartening. This sort of optimism smells with naivety at times but the unpretentious humour makes a difference.
Special merit to the perfectly amiable protagonist. She is quite a character, that Flavia Antunes! Music is the essence of her life. She learns to play the piano, then wins a scholarship and goes to France. Unfortunately, living in Paris and having no money is not a favourable combination. Fulfilling young musician’s ambitions requires sacrifices, eating cat food included. Forté in the title refers not only to the music term I guess – it also encapsulates Flavia’s attitude, her passion and determination. The stubborn girl from Belem in Brazil dominates the plot but other characters are also intriguing.
Forté reminded me of another graphic novel I liked, Polina , also about a girl, a future ballet dancer, who fights to pursue her dream. If I had to compare both books: Manon Heugel and Kim Consigny’s story is more heartwarming, lighter and their characters are more likeable than Bastien Vivès’.
Another enjoyable thing about Forté is its dynamics and I mean not only the plot but also a couple of other things: changes of mood: from a traumatic experience at the beginning to happiness and fulfilment, different locations (Brazil - France - Brazil), the way Flavia matures over the years, the evolution of relationships depicted in the book.
Forté is Manon Heugel's first book and it looks like a promising debut. I read it in one sitting, pleasantly surprised with its balming effect. Flavia’s story is not only movingly told but also subtly drawn. Kim Consigny’s energetic pictures complete the story ideally. I have an impression that she smiled every time she drew jaunty Flavia. You just feel it.
January 20, 2021
I had such high expectations from this graphic novel memoir that I feel it influenced my review for this book in a way I don't want it to.
I read this book weeks ago just after I got the ARC from NetGalley.
Sadly, I couldn't like anything much about this one. The artstyle didn't appeal to me. The art sequence made it really confusing for me. The dialogue bubbles were haphazard and the lines were difficult for me to read.
I do hope it's better in the physical format.
As for the representation of the romance and living dreams, I loved the concept but it felt like I was missing the most important parts. Much focus was given on the 'happy' 'lucky' times I guess.
The story seemed disconnected as a whole and it didn't feel new.
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC.
I read this book weeks ago just after I got the ARC from NetGalley.
Sadly, I couldn't like anything much about this one. The artstyle didn't appeal to me. The art sequence made it really confusing for me. The dialogue bubbles were haphazard and the lines were difficult for me to read.
I do hope it's better in the physical format.
As for the representation of the romance and living dreams, I loved the concept but it felt like I was missing the most important parts. Much focus was given on the 'happy' 'lucky' times I guess.
The story seemed disconnected as a whole and it didn't feel new.
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC.
January 13, 2020
Je ne joue d'aucun instrument et j'ai trouvé très intéressant de voir comment le rapport à la musique (et à l'art en général) peut influer sur une vie. En plus, les personnages sont attachants et le graphisme très agréable ! Mais j'aurais aimé quelques pages de plus, même si la fin se tient très bien ainsi :)
June 9, 2020
Flavia is a Brazilian girl that loses her father at an early age and who is raised by a single mother. They live in the favelas and whilst her mother is working to pay the bills, she learns how to play the piano thanks to her mom’s boss. She grows into a woman that wants to change her life by becoming a great pianist, and so, she makes everything in her power to achieve her dreams.
This is a coming-to-age story that reminded me that music is different for everybody: there are people that see it as a mountain that only a few can climb, for others it’s the reason they express their feelings, but it certainly is a universal thing we all get to share whether we’re young or old, female or male, rich or poor.
As a pianist, Flavia has to learn a lot. She wins a scholarship in France and there, she will experience true hardship. She has several jobs to pay her rent and food while she’s studying classical music in one of the most prestigious places. She will meet people that will praise her work and who will become her friends, but also, she will face a couple of people that belittle her in every change they’ve got.
Flavia loves music, that much I can tell and I admire her for that –she makes a lot of sacrifices in order to achieve her dreams. But I also see that she has these walls, even around her friends, perhaps because she doesn’t want to be seen as the underdog, or as the poor girl who lived in the favelas.
I wish she was a little more open to other people’s feelings because there were several times when she misunderstood things and that lead to drama that could have been avoided. But, at the end of the day, I think nobody knows how to deal with life, so we only learn by experiencing tough times and by making mistakes.
I really liked the group of friends she made, since they were all into music and also the relationship with her boyfriend seemed cute and realistic at the same time. I’m truly glad that she had these amazing people in her life ‘cause it can get pretty lonely when studying abroad.
Anyway, I’m always drawn to music-themed stories because that’s the only thing that I cannot live without so, this graphic novel was a refreshing reading. The art style is quite simple and easy to follow, so I’m sure it can be read in one sitting. Also, I’m grateful that we got to see diverse characters from different countries!
I would totally recommend you to read this if you have the chance!
I received an e-book copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a coming-to-age story that reminded me that music is different for everybody: there are people that see it as a mountain that only a few can climb, for others it’s the reason they express their feelings, but it certainly is a universal thing we all get to share whether we’re young or old, female or male, rich or poor.
As a pianist, Flavia has to learn a lot. She wins a scholarship in France and there, she will experience true hardship. She has several jobs to pay her rent and food while she’s studying classical music in one of the most prestigious places. She will meet people that will praise her work and who will become her friends, but also, she will face a couple of people that belittle her in every change they’ve got.
Flavia loves music, that much I can tell and I admire her for that –she makes a lot of sacrifices in order to achieve her dreams. But I also see that she has these walls, even around her friends, perhaps because she doesn’t want to be seen as the underdog, or as the poor girl who lived in the favelas.
I wish she was a little more open to other people’s feelings because there were several times when she misunderstood things and that lead to drama that could have been avoided. But, at the end of the day, I think nobody knows how to deal with life, so we only learn by experiencing tough times and by making mistakes.
I really liked the group of friends she made, since they were all into music and also the relationship with her boyfriend seemed cute and realistic at the same time. I’m truly glad that she had these amazing people in her life ‘cause it can get pretty lonely when studying abroad.
Anyway, I’m always drawn to music-themed stories because that’s the only thing that I cannot live without so, this graphic novel was a refreshing reading. The art style is quite simple and easy to follow, so I’m sure it can be read in one sitting. Also, I’m grateful that we got to see diverse characters from different countries!
I would totally recommend you to read this if you have the chance!
I received an e-book copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 14, 2020
Very likable characters and I loved the stick-like vaguely cubist art style. But while I'm a sucker for an overcoming adversity story, the plot was pretty cliched (this could have been any sports movie from the past 40 years) and I didn't feel like I got much more than a surface insight into what training a concert pianist goes through or why certain terms and techniques (rounded wrists?) were important.
**Thanks to the author, artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free review in exchange for an honest review.
**Thanks to the author, artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free review in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2020
This was a quiet little surprise of a graphic novel. I was so drawn to the storyline, but I think the best thing about it was the beautiful art style by Kim Consigny that lent itself to the story so perfectly. This is a graphic novel that questions class and social standing within the world of classical music. It questions the difference between "high" and "low" culture, and whether they can be judged from the same pedestal and from the perspective of different cultures with the inclusion of minor characters from different racial upbringings. I adored it, and easily devoured it in a couple of hours.
Disclaimer - I received a free copy via NetGalley from Script and Manon Heugel in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer - I received a free copy via NetGalley from Script and Manon Heugel in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2020
This was a really lovely story of commitment to your craft, staying true to yourself, and overcoming adversity.
I don't think the subject matter would have grabbed me had it been a novel rather than a graphic novel. Something about that gorgeously brooding yet hopeful cover caught my attention, however, and I'm glad it did.
Flavia's story isn't completely original in terms of the bare bones of it - it's a fairly straightforward "escape your circumstances and make something of yourself" kind of tale - but I felt the author's love for her own character over each page. The almost unfinished and slightly scribbly style of the illustrations also worked for me - it added a kind of whimsy to what is, essentially, quite a serious story.
I especially appreciated the author's interplay between Flavia and her roommates - I think their interactions and lives are faithful representations of students like them in real life, and I would have loved to see even more of them. Another little plus was the nudity. I kind of felt the romantic tension coming on, and as I had wondered how it would be portrayed (I was expecting but not hoping for a movie-like "they fall on the bed kissing, and now you need to use your own imagination"), I was pleasantly surprised by the author and illustrator's choice to portray some skin. To me, this was fitting within the context of the story, and I'm glad for it.
Overall, I felt pretty swept up by the story, and I even got a little weepy during the Nocturne, but the kind of abrupt ending threw me off completely. This might be something that is unavoidable due to the medium (it would have worked perfectly if it were described in detail in a novel, for instance), but I think my lasting impression of the story would have been cemented a bit more had the ending been written with a little bit more finesse.
A huge thank you to the publisher and authors for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I don't think the subject matter would have grabbed me had it been a novel rather than a graphic novel. Something about that gorgeously brooding yet hopeful cover caught my attention, however, and I'm glad it did.
Flavia's story isn't completely original in terms of the bare bones of it - it's a fairly straightforward "escape your circumstances and make something of yourself" kind of tale - but I felt the author's love for her own character over each page. The almost unfinished and slightly scribbly style of the illustrations also worked for me - it added a kind of whimsy to what is, essentially, quite a serious story.
I especially appreciated the author's interplay between Flavia and her roommates - I think their interactions and lives are faithful representations of students like them in real life, and I would have loved to see even more of them. Another little plus was the nudity. I kind of felt the romantic tension coming on, and as I had wondered how it would be portrayed (I was expecting but not hoping for a movie-like "they fall on the bed kissing, and now you need to use your own imagination"), I was pleasantly surprised by the author and illustrator's choice to portray some skin. To me, this was fitting within the context of the story, and I'm glad for it.
Overall, I felt pretty swept up by the story, and I even got a little weepy during the Nocturne, but the kind of abrupt ending threw me off completely. This might be something that is unavoidable due to the medium (it would have worked perfectly if it were described in detail in a novel, for instance), but I think my lasting impression of the story would have been cemented a bit more had the ending been written with a little bit more finesse.
A huge thank you to the publisher and authors for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 4, 2020
Forté follows the story of a young brazilian girl and her carreer as a pianist. I love the latin rep and how real is. Flavia lives on the favela and her mother works as maid. One day, the owner of the house, where her mom works, offer to give her piano classes and then it where this story starts.
There where moments when Flavia was annoying but i understand her because she has to work more harder than the rest to get what she wants. The story is very realistic and Flavia's passion for the piano its beautiful. Like i said the latin rep it's great, it talks about favelas, the reality of the people who live there, dengue disease and also this graphic novel has a lot diversity characters.
Thank you to netgalley for let me read it!
There where moments when Flavia was annoying but i understand her because she has to work more harder than the rest to get what she wants. The story is very realistic and Flavia's passion for the piano its beautiful. Like i said the latin rep it's great, it talks about favelas, the reality of the people who live there, dengue disease and also this graphic novel has a lot diversity characters.
Thank you to netgalley for let me read it!
July 14, 2020
Piano playing, according to this at least, is split between technique and interpretation. Well, I would argue that it's the same with graphic novels. The technique here is reasonable – we certainly get a great dramatic drive as we watch a young girl from the slums of Brazil fluke her way to scholarship in Paris and a degree course in being a concert pianist. Where the technique lets the side down is it's too much an A-B story, with few hindrances in the way. Our heroine is supposed to be a bit too self-destructive, always hurting what and whom she loves, but she also seems to be able to bounce back too readily, and drama is a little lacking as a result. Good characters are always too good, bad characters never allowed to be bad long enough. So we come to interpretation, and this is more my personal thing than the factual observations above. I did enjoy this, as it really did seem to know the music school inside and out, and seemed to be sincere in its approach to the music and to its study. But at the same time it seemed to be an entirely fictional story, and as a result I found something lacking. I would have enjoyed it so much more knowing it were autobiographical, or based somewhat on life. As it is it's a fantasy of the slum girl making it big, and with the world of fiction open to it, it makes more than a few peculiar decisions along the way. And it certainly doesn't earn the ending we get.
So yes, I liked the thrust of the story, however implausible and undramatic it was at times. But there was a lot here that also made me feel a little short-changed, and as a result I think three and a half stars would be too generous.
So yes, I liked the thrust of the story, however implausible and undramatic it was at times. But there was a lot here that also made me feel a little short-changed, and as a result I think three and a half stars would be too generous.
May 23, 2020
3/5 ⭐️ for Forte by Manon Heugel and Kim Consigny
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for early access to the e-galley of this graphic novel!
As someone who comes from a very musical family and has two Grandmas who play the piano very well, this graphic novel drew me in. It tells the story of Flavia who grows up in the slums of Brazil, and how she discovers her love of the piano after her father passes away. Her mother takes a housekeeping job for an older gentleman, and Flavia is soon learning the piano under his tutoring. A dream has now awoken inside her, to be one of the best concert pianists the world has ever know so she can build a new life for her and her mother. The book continues to tell the story of her journey across the world to pursue her musical education - with all its highs and lows.
I thought the strongest parts of this book were storyline and characterization. I personally really enjoy books that tell the story of a person's life over an extended period of time! From the beginning, it laid the foundation for us to know Flavia - who she is as a person, and how she came to be so. We are taken along as she explores her home country, and then beyond to France. Her experience growing up in poverty and losing her Dad to violence, I believe, carries forward into her music. As readers, we want to root for her as she chases and works incredibly hard to realize her dream. Other characters support the book very well, from the professors Flavia meets, to her mother, roommates, and the pianist who inspired her from the beginning. There was definitely some dimensionality to these side characters, and I appreciate it can be difficult to do well in a shorter graphic novel. A good example is a young composer Flavia meets soon after joining one of her music schools.
Finally, since this is a graphic novel, it is important that I address the art style. Personally, it was not to my taste. I tend to be drawn to graphic novels with crisper art and more colours (maybe more modern? idk). However, I felt that the artwork did suit the genre, theme, and story of this book. It is more hand-drawn, sketched, with muted colours, but from what I can tell it is very consistent and is done well.
If you're looking for a graphic novel centred around music, and a girl who fights to chase her dream definitely check out Forte. It feels refined, and will have you hearning Flavia's music and feeling all her emotions!
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for early access to the e-galley of this graphic novel!
As someone who comes from a very musical family and has two Grandmas who play the piano very well, this graphic novel drew me in. It tells the story of Flavia who grows up in the slums of Brazil, and how she discovers her love of the piano after her father passes away. Her mother takes a housekeeping job for an older gentleman, and Flavia is soon learning the piano under his tutoring. A dream has now awoken inside her, to be one of the best concert pianists the world has ever know so she can build a new life for her and her mother. The book continues to tell the story of her journey across the world to pursue her musical education - with all its highs and lows.
I thought the strongest parts of this book were storyline and characterization. I personally really enjoy books that tell the story of a person's life over an extended period of time! From the beginning, it laid the foundation for us to know Flavia - who she is as a person, and how she came to be so. We are taken along as she explores her home country, and then beyond to France. Her experience growing up in poverty and losing her Dad to violence, I believe, carries forward into her music. As readers, we want to root for her as she chases and works incredibly hard to realize her dream. Other characters support the book very well, from the professors Flavia meets, to her mother, roommates, and the pianist who inspired her from the beginning. There was definitely some dimensionality to these side characters, and I appreciate it can be difficult to do well in a shorter graphic novel. A good example is a young composer Flavia meets soon after joining one of her music schools.
Finally, since this is a graphic novel, it is important that I address the art style. Personally, it was not to my taste. I tend to be drawn to graphic novels with crisper art and more colours (maybe more modern? idk). However, I felt that the artwork did suit the genre, theme, and story of this book. It is more hand-drawn, sketched, with muted colours, but from what I can tell it is very consistent and is done well.
If you're looking for a graphic novel centred around music, and a girl who fights to chase her dream definitely check out Forte. It feels refined, and will have you hearning Flavia's music and feeling all her emotions!
May 10, 2020
This was a gentle, hopeful graphic novel about a girl who grows up in the favela of Belem in Brazil and gets introduced to the piano by the guy her mum housekeeps for. Through hard work and talent she gets a scholarship to a prestigious music school in Paris.
The characters she meets are diverse in their backgrounds, but all have the same passion for music. Flavia works hard and has to sacrifice a lot and make difficult decisions to keep going with her studies.
I liked Flavia a lot - her determination was impressive and her temper made her more human. the art work was lovely too -- very clean lines which brought the characters to the fore ground.
I found the story really quite lovely. The only thing I would say is that it does paint Flavia's journey as quite simple. She does work hard, but she doesn't seem to come up against many obstacles. I really doubt that this is the kind of future that many kids from the favela can hope for.
I was given a copy of Forte in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley.
The characters she meets are diverse in their backgrounds, but all have the same passion for music. Flavia works hard and has to sacrifice a lot and make difficult decisions to keep going with her studies.
I liked Flavia a lot - her determination was impressive and her temper made her more human. the art work was lovely too -- very clean lines which brought the characters to the fore ground.
I found the story really quite lovely. The only thing I would say is that it does paint Flavia's journey as quite simple. She does work hard, but she doesn't seem to come up against many obstacles. I really doubt that this is the kind of future that many kids from the favela can hope for.
I was given a copy of Forte in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley.
June 1, 2020
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in order for an honest review.
I got to be honest this wasn't really my thing. The Art style wasn't my style at all and it made reading it a bit difficult due to the way the text bubbles were added. I like the overal story and I think it can be a very impactful story to some but I thought the execution was just not that good.
I appreciate the character development that was shown in the comic though. It was very clear that Flavia grew into an independent woman and went for her dream which is amazing.
I found the moment where her mother runs ill is quite weird though. Like it literally looked like she changed race to a white person and that's not quite the look for me when it comes to comics. You may look a bit pale but that was full on white.
Anyways in general I think I'l give this one a 2 to 2.5 stars.
I got to be honest this wasn't really my thing. The Art style wasn't my style at all and it made reading it a bit difficult due to the way the text bubbles were added. I like the overal story and I think it can be a very impactful story to some but I thought the execution was just not that good.
I appreciate the character development that was shown in the comic though. It was very clear that Flavia grew into an independent woman and went for her dream which is amazing.
I found the moment where her mother runs ill is quite weird though. Like it literally looked like she changed race to a white person and that's not quite the look for me when it comes to comics. You may look a bit pale but that was full on white.
Anyways in general I think I'l give this one a 2 to 2.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2020
3 Stars!
Forte follows the story of Flavia who works her way through a music conservatory in France. She comes from a poor neighborhood in Brazil after her father is murdered in a gang shooting. Forte finds friends and challenges while attending the school. Her passion for music started when an elderly man introduced her to the piano and the composer Chopin and from there, she is determined to be a famous pianist.
I really enjoyed the friends and roommates Flavia met while in school. I also really like her relationship with Paul. These were my favorite moments in the story. I also enjoyed the message of working hard for your dreams and to not give up when facing challenges and low moments in life.
I found the artwork to be good, but I wish we would have seen more variety of facial expressions with Flavia. She always looked angry to me. I really enjoyed the moments when she was with her roommates and Paul, but everything else seemed like she was forcing her way through her passion (with her eyebrows always pointed downward.) I couldn’t tell if she actually loved what she was doing or if she was forcing herself to continue on.
I think this story captured the life of a musician very well. I really liked the end….I’m glad she was able to make it home to see her family, and the open ending with the phone call to Paul was very cute!
Forte follows the story of Flavia who works her way through a music conservatory in France. She comes from a poor neighborhood in Brazil after her father is murdered in a gang shooting. Forte finds friends and challenges while attending the school. Her passion for music started when an elderly man introduced her to the piano and the composer Chopin and from there, she is determined to be a famous pianist.
I really enjoyed the friends and roommates Flavia met while in school. I also really like her relationship with Paul. These were my favorite moments in the story. I also enjoyed the message of working hard for your dreams and to not give up when facing challenges and low moments in life.
I found the artwork to be good, but I wish we would have seen more variety of facial expressions with Flavia. She always looked angry to me. I really enjoyed the moments when she was with her roommates and Paul, but everything else seemed like she was forcing her way through her passion (with her eyebrows always pointed downward.) I couldn’t tell if she actually loved what she was doing or if she was forcing herself to continue on.
I think this story captured the life of a musician very well. I really liked the end….I’m glad she was able to make it home to see her family, and the open ending with the phone call to Paul was very cute!
May 18, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book.
Flavia Antunes grows up in a favela. Her father was a casualty of gang warfare after which her mother begins working as a cleaning lady to make ends meet. One day her mother takes her along to the house of her employer, Mr. Lima, a wealthy old man who introduces Flavia to her future: the piano. She then earns a prestigious music scholarship to study in France.
The story then follows her journey in France - struggle, love, friendship, and undreamt-of opportunities.
I really enjoyed reading this book and the message that it reiterates that talent, determination and hard work will ensure that you achieve success irrespective of your background. I however feel that it came to an abrupt end and wished that the ending was a little bit more better.
Flavia Antunes grows up in a favela. Her father was a casualty of gang warfare after which her mother begins working as a cleaning lady to make ends meet. One day her mother takes her along to the house of her employer, Mr. Lima, a wealthy old man who introduces Flavia to her future: the piano. She then earns a prestigious music scholarship to study in France.
The story then follows her journey in France - struggle, love, friendship, and undreamt-of opportunities.
I really enjoyed reading this book and the message that it reiterates that talent, determination and hard work will ensure that you achieve success irrespective of your background. I however feel that it came to an abrupt end and wished that the ending was a little bit more better.
May 30, 2020
Thank you Netgalley for providing me an advanced reader copy.
I absolutely loved this masterpiece.
Let me begin by saying that the art in this book is so so beautiful.
The meaning behind the whole story makes the whole thing so beautiful for me. It is down to earth and shows the difficulties that people of different backgrounds encounter.
I absolutely loved this masterpiece.
Let me begin by saying that the art in this book is so so beautiful.
The meaning behind the whole story makes the whole thing so beautiful for me. It is down to earth and shows the difficulties that people of different backgrounds encounter.
May 19, 2020
I absolutely loved the art style in this book! Although I'm a sucker for a dark blue + yellow combo so it was probably inevitable.
This told a very sweet, sometimes frustrating, and oft-predictable tale of a girl from a slum who has an extraordinary piano talent - and her coming-of-age while juggling her life and her musical dreams.
It was lovely to read. Gorgeous art. Definitely an emotional little journey.
This told a very sweet, sometimes frustrating, and oft-predictable tale of a girl from a slum who has an extraordinary piano talent - and her coming-of-age while juggling her life and her musical dreams.
It was lovely to read. Gorgeous art. Definitely an emotional little journey.
June 13, 2022
A coming-of-age story of a girl who finds solace in piano after her father's death, she then travels to France from Brazil to start a lifetime love story with piano and music.
The art style wasn't my favorite but I liked the story.
The art style wasn't my favorite but I liked the story.
January 18, 2021
3.5 stars
December 18, 2025
histoire très sympathique mais qui manque un peu de relief
on sent que c'est très réaliste sur les conditions matérielles de ce type d'étude / d'intégration à ce milieu et en même temps le happy ending sonne un peu trop facile et presque mievre
joli dessin, beaux décors
on sent que c'est très réaliste sur les conditions matérielles de ce type d'étude / d'intégration à ce milieu et en même temps le happy ending sonne un peu trop facile et presque mievre
joli dessin, beaux décors
October 29, 2020
Nice story about the dreams in life and the hard work that it`s needed to get there. Overall I liked the art style and the characters we`re interesting also.
July 1, 2020
The graphic novel is a story of the rise of a Brazilian musician from the slums to International fame (of a sort, but that is in effect the implication of the narrative)
It depicts a combination of factors, hard work and lucky interactions that lead to something more. It is a short piece with pretty decent illustrations that do capture the different emotions our leading lady feels through her journey. Some scenes depict the circle of life quite effectively. Overall, it is a simple and quick read that does a good job in narrating an interesting tale. There is not much more that I can acknowledge in a review of a work of this length, but it does pack a lot in, especially the different types of relationships people have. Flavia’s rise is something that might intrigue even those who have never trained or been interested in music. I actually would have liked more in terms of content, to know more about the events that might have taken place in the world shown to us.
It depicts a combination of factors, hard work and lucky interactions that lead to something more. It is a short piece with pretty decent illustrations that do capture the different emotions our leading lady feels through her journey. Some scenes depict the circle of life quite effectively. Overall, it is a simple and quick read that does a good job in narrating an interesting tale. There is not much more that I can acknowledge in a review of a work of this length, but it does pack a lot in, especially the different types of relationships people have. Flavia’s rise is something that might intrigue even those who have never trained or been interested in music. I actually would have liked more in terms of content, to know more about the events that might have taken place in the world shown to us.
March 19, 2025
I would like to thank Europe Comics and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!
This comic takes on the tale of Flavia, a young woman who finds her passion in music through her childhood mentor, Mr. Lima. As she tries to pursue her musical career, she encounters numerous problems during her scholarship in France. In this moving tale, Flavia tries to make ends meet but quickly finds out that things were not as easy as she expected them to be.
I personally liked the art style of this graphic novel as well as the character depth of not only the main but the supporting cast as well. It was interesting to see the lives of Flavia and her friends unfold as the reader is taken on a journey in this short but charming world.
This comic takes on the tale of Flavia, a young woman who finds her passion in music through her childhood mentor, Mr. Lima. As she tries to pursue her musical career, she encounters numerous problems during her scholarship in France. In this moving tale, Flavia tries to make ends meet but quickly finds out that things were not as easy as she expected them to be.
I personally liked the art style of this graphic novel as well as the character depth of not only the main but the supporting cast as well. It was interesting to see the lives of Flavia and her friends unfold as the reader is taken on a journey in this short but charming world.
June 15, 2021
Forte follows the life of Flavia working her way through a music conservatory in Paris. She comes from a favela and is still dealing with the death of her father who was murdered in a gang shooting.
I really liked the character development throughout which can sometimes be difficult to capture in a graphic novel. There were moments were I became frustrated with her because she would argue about pointless things and be too stubborn to see the other person's perspective.
I also liked that the overall message - hard work, determination, and talent will reap success no matter the background in which you come from - was reiterated time and time again throughout the storyline.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I really liked the character development throughout which can sometimes be difficult to capture in a graphic novel. There were moments were I became frustrated with her because she would argue about pointless things and be too stubborn to see the other person's perspective.
I also liked that the overall message - hard work, determination, and talent will reap success no matter the background in which you come from - was reiterated time and time again throughout the storyline.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
June 22, 2022
obviously i couldn't read it due to the language barrier. i was checking this out at alliance française de dhaka's library section. visual treat.
June 3, 2020
Forte is a beautifully illustrated coming of age story about a Brazilian girl – Flavia, who overcomes her adversities and works extremely hard to earn her degree as a concert Pianist from the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot.
Flavia grew up in a favela – a Brazilian word for slum - and lost her father when she was a small child. To support the household, her mother took up a cleaning job at a rich old man’s house, who showed keen interest in teaching little Flavia how to play the piano.
The story fast forwards from here to Mr. Liam - her mother's employer - hiring a private tutor for Flavia. She trains to apply for a scholarship to the prestigious music institute - Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot. Once Flavia moves to Paris to get her degree as a Concert Pianist, she faces new adversities. She has to find a job to sustain herself while working hard to perfect her techniques. Making new friends in a new place is also a challenge nonetheless.
Flavia's journey has a relatable but predictably linear narrative and the ways she overcomes her adversities are also predictable. Her revelations surrounding music on her journey to attain the degree are many in number and she also goes through an emotional rollercoaster when it came to matters of the heart.
A few things which bothered me about the plot was about how abruptly her father – who was initially shown to be a man liked by all – was killed and was never mentioned from there on. I felt like there was a void within Flavia which wasn’t addressed towards the end of the story or at any point at all. Her impulsive nature and her temperament also made the character harder to like and to root for.
Overall it was a beautiful short read for me albeit a little too predictable and simple. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the simplicity of things, but this level of simple just didn’t seem to cut it for me. With that in mind, I’d rate this book with 3.5 bookmarks out of 5 and would recommend it to anyone looking for a read during a short journey (not that any of you should be travelling right now).
I'd like to thank Netgalley and Dargaud for providing me with a copy in lieu of an honest review. I'd also like to congratulate the author – Manon Heugel and illustrator Kim Consigny for creating a whimsical story about hard work and success!
Flavia grew up in a favela – a Brazilian word for slum - and lost her father when she was a small child. To support the household, her mother took up a cleaning job at a rich old man’s house, who showed keen interest in teaching little Flavia how to play the piano.
The story fast forwards from here to Mr. Liam - her mother's employer - hiring a private tutor for Flavia. She trains to apply for a scholarship to the prestigious music institute - Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot. Once Flavia moves to Paris to get her degree as a Concert Pianist, she faces new adversities. She has to find a job to sustain herself while working hard to perfect her techniques. Making new friends in a new place is also a challenge nonetheless.
Flavia's journey has a relatable but predictably linear narrative and the ways she overcomes her adversities are also predictable. Her revelations surrounding music on her journey to attain the degree are many in number and she also goes through an emotional rollercoaster when it came to matters of the heart.
A few things which bothered me about the plot was about how abruptly her father – who was initially shown to be a man liked by all – was killed and was never mentioned from there on. I felt like there was a void within Flavia which wasn’t addressed towards the end of the story or at any point at all. Her impulsive nature and her temperament also made the character harder to like and to root for.
Overall it was a beautiful short read for me albeit a little too predictable and simple. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the simplicity of things, but this level of simple just didn’t seem to cut it for me. With that in mind, I’d rate this book with 3.5 bookmarks out of 5 and would recommend it to anyone looking for a read during a short journey (not that any of you should be travelling right now).
I'd like to thank Netgalley and Dargaud for providing me with a copy in lieu of an honest review. I'd also like to congratulate the author – Manon Heugel and illustrator Kim Consigny for creating a whimsical story about hard work and success!
May 9, 2020
*A digital copy of Forte was provided to me through NetGalley. Thank you to Europe Comics and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Forte tells the story of Flavia, a young women from a favela in Brazil who earns a prestigious music scholarship to study in France. This story mostly follows her schooling in France - the challenges, the friendships, and the opportunities.
I found the story itself really lovely. I believed Flavia's character and her experience, and was happy to take this journey with her. There were moments where I thought she acted a little sternly for the situation, but her characterization was so strong that I ultimately believed her intent. Her relationships with the other characters were believable, as was her relationship with herself. Throughout the story, Flavia wrestles with her own voice and finding her place within this high-brow art world, which is communicated well both in the text and the illustrations. The story also ended in a deeply satisfying way, allowing the reader to speculate what comes next! There were so many times during this story where I was smiling!
I was originally drawn to this book because of the cover. It's deep purple and handwritten title were enough to pull me in. The beautiful art and style by Kim Cosigny featured on the cover continues throughout the book. The panels were easy to comprehend and detailed enough to effectively build the world Flavia lives in.
This is definitely a book I'd recommend. Despite its focus on classical music, the book is accessible for readers of all music knowledge levels. It's a great quick read!
Forte tells the story of Flavia, a young women from a favela in Brazil who earns a prestigious music scholarship to study in France. This story mostly follows her schooling in France - the challenges, the friendships, and the opportunities.
I found the story itself really lovely. I believed Flavia's character and her experience, and was happy to take this journey with her. There were moments where I thought she acted a little sternly for the situation, but her characterization was so strong that I ultimately believed her intent. Her relationships with the other characters were believable, as was her relationship with herself. Throughout the story, Flavia wrestles with her own voice and finding her place within this high-brow art world, which is communicated well both in the text and the illustrations. The story also ended in a deeply satisfying way, allowing the reader to speculate what comes next! There were so many times during this story where I was smiling!
I was originally drawn to this book because of the cover. It's deep purple and handwritten title were enough to pull me in. The beautiful art and style by Kim Cosigny featured on the cover continues throughout the book. The panels were easy to comprehend and detailed enough to effectively build the world Flavia lives in.
This is definitely a book I'd recommend. Despite its focus on classical music, the book is accessible for readers of all music knowledge levels. It's a great quick read!
May 14, 2020
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this graphic novel. I am writing this review after reading it via NetGalley.
Preface: I have a musical background, having been involved with music since an early age. I am totally a sucker for musical stories like this and this surpassed my expectations, even if it was like other music stories that I have read in the past.
The story follows Flavia Antunes who wants to be a pianist but lives in a favela in Brazil. She is very poor but when she was a child, an elderly man introduced Chopin to her. She fell in love with Chopin and has an opportunity to study music in a real life music college in France. There she meets a vivacious cast of people.
The actual plot itself is wonderful, like so many of these music stories that I read and love, but what set this one apart is the supporting characters and how they all interact with each other. I found the ending very open ended and I think there may be a sequel in the works, I hope so!
If I had only one thing to say, is that certain plot developments happened a bit too fast, most especially the relationship between her and Paul. I love their relationship and them as a pair but I didn't really see the nuances that could make their relationship believable and I think it may be because it's a graphic novel that things went a bit faster. They tend to. But it didn't hamper my enjoyment of the story at all. It was a wonderful graphic novel and I loved every page! I highly recommend to anyone who loves quirky-style artwork with a great musical plot with themes of family and friendships.
Preface: I have a musical background, having been involved with music since an early age. I am totally a sucker for musical stories like this and this surpassed my expectations, even if it was like other music stories that I have read in the past.
The story follows Flavia Antunes who wants to be a pianist but lives in a favela in Brazil. She is very poor but when she was a child, an elderly man introduced Chopin to her. She fell in love with Chopin and has an opportunity to study music in a real life music college in France. There she meets a vivacious cast of people.
The actual plot itself is wonderful, like so many of these music stories that I read and love, but what set this one apart is the supporting characters and how they all interact with each other. I found the ending very open ended and I think there may be a sequel in the works, I hope so!
If I had only one thing to say, is that certain plot developments happened a bit too fast, most especially the relationship between her and Paul. I love their relationship and them as a pair but I didn't really see the nuances that could make their relationship believable and I think it may be because it's a graphic novel that things went a bit faster. They tend to. But it didn't hamper my enjoyment of the story at all. It was a wonderful graphic novel and I loved every page! I highly recommend to anyone who loves quirky-style artwork with a great musical plot with themes of family and friendships.
May 23, 2020
3.5 stars
I love stories that have music as a focus, and was naturally drawn to this pensive cover and title. The artwork style is not my favourite and at first hindered my enjoyment a little, though it did grow on me throughout. Surprisingly to me, I found parts of this graphic novel deeply emotional as it touches on the conflict between familial love, and dedication to your craft. Flavia, the protagonist is appropriately flawed, approaching her new life in a Paris conservatory with a chip on her shoulder; it is lovely to see her grow from her mistakes and work on her relationships as well as her music. The side characters in this were equally, and perhaps even more compelling than Flavia - in particular, quiet Chae-Rin with her love of home made instruments and crazy costumes and trust-fund kid Bao who just wants to play jazz all day. This graphic novel really successfully shows a spectrum of music and demonstrates that as long as you feel passion and joy for your art, nothing can be wrong.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy, which I received in exchange for an honest review.
I love stories that have music as a focus, and was naturally drawn to this pensive cover and title. The artwork style is not my favourite and at first hindered my enjoyment a little, though it did grow on me throughout. Surprisingly to me, I found parts of this graphic novel deeply emotional as it touches on the conflict between familial love, and dedication to your craft. Flavia, the protagonist is appropriately flawed, approaching her new life in a Paris conservatory with a chip on her shoulder; it is lovely to see her grow from her mistakes and work on her relationships as well as her music. The side characters in this were equally, and perhaps even more compelling than Flavia - in particular, quiet Chae-Rin with her love of home made instruments and crazy costumes and trust-fund kid Bao who just wants to play jazz all day. This graphic novel really successfully shows a spectrum of music and demonstrates that as long as you feel passion and joy for your art, nothing can be wrong.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy, which I received in exchange for an honest review.
May 13, 2020
Yesterday I read this amazing Comic about Flavia Antunes, who grew up in a Favela. Her father dies because of some gang activity that is unfortunately very common where she lives.
Her mother is the only family she has left, so she goes with her to her new cleaning job at a nice old rich guy's house. She sees a piano there and plays on it. The old man is amazed and offers her lessons.
This is the beginning of a whole journey for Flavia, because she practises a lot and tries to get a scholarship for a prestigious music school in Paris.
This was amazing! The art style is nice.
It made me feel all the feels!
I got annoyed, happy, sad, everything.
I was really rooting for Flavia to get her scholarship and a nice degree so she can spend her life doing what she loves most.
The friendships that were portrayed in here were absolutely fantastic!
The min character had also some anger management issues I would say, they were totally understandable, but sometimes also a little bit annoying.
Definitely going to reread this!
Her mother is the only family she has left, so she goes with her to her new cleaning job at a nice old rich guy's house. She sees a piano there and plays on it. The old man is amazed and offers her lessons.
This is the beginning of a whole journey for Flavia, because she practises a lot and tries to get a scholarship for a prestigious music school in Paris.
This was amazing! The art style is nice.
It made me feel all the feels!
I got annoyed, happy, sad, everything.
I was really rooting for Flavia to get her scholarship and a nice degree so she can spend her life doing what she loves most.
The friendships that were portrayed in here were absolutely fantastic!
The min character had also some anger management issues I would say, they were totally understandable, but sometimes also a little bit annoying.
Definitely going to reread this!
May 21, 2020
A beautiful graphic novel about a young woman called Favia Antunes who grows up in the favela of Belem in Brazil. Flavia's father is killed when she is young and so her mother takes up cleaning to keep herself and Flavia.
Falvia's life changes when she meets the man her mother cleans for. Mr Lima is a lonely and wealthy man and when his cleaning lady's daughter (Flavia) shows an interest in the piano he decides to teach her. Her love of piano and Chopin, and her desire to be concert pianist take her from Brazil to Paris.
This is a lovely story about hard work and sacrifice, but also courage. As she learns piano, Flavia also learns about love, life and friendship. The artwork is ok, but it was the story content that really captured my attention.
A great story and a good graphic novel.
Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
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