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Notre guerre contre le sexisme ordinaire
À seize ans, Sélène est une féministe militante admirée de ses amis. Elle ne craint pas les petits caïds, ni même les professeurs, et n’hésite pas à leur tenir tête. Mais un jour la provocation va trop loin, et Sélène est humiliée publiquement. Désormais, la jeune fille n’a plus qu’une idée en tête : dénoncer les comportements sexistes, à la manière forte s’il le faut.
120 pages, Paperback
Published June 10, 2021
3 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Kev Sherry
2 booksI'm a songwriter, indie musician, comic writer and novelist.
My graphic novel Painted (originally self-released as Warpaint) was published by Humanoids Inc in 2021.
I have self-published my first novel, 'Here Be Apples' in 2025.
I've performed in the indie guitar band Attic Lights since 2005 and released three critically acclaimed albums – “Friday Night Lights” (Island/Universal Records, 2008), “Super De Luxe” (Elefant Records, 2013) and “Love In The Time of Shark Attacks” (Elefant Records, 2019).
I'm also a member of the ‘indie dance pop’ collective, ‘Disco Mary’.
In music I've collaborated with international artists like Bjorn Yttling, Cerys Matthews and La Casa Azul and my songs have been remixed by Mogwai, Camera Obscura, The Fratellis, Jim Noir and The Vaselines. My music with Attic Lights has appeared on HBO’s comedy-drama Divorce, Netflix’s Elite, MTV’s Teen Mom, BBC’s The Culture Show, The One Show, Sportscene and ITV’s Scotsport and STV News.
Very occasionally I try to surf, thus aiming to satisfy a teenage need to be in the movie Point Break. I run too. Very slowly, but quite far. Then I turn back and run home after that, while listening to music at high volumes. This will probably damage my hearing in the years to come – but I have an absurd faith in the future possibilities of medical science.
My graphic novel Painted (originally self-released as Warpaint) was published by Humanoids Inc in 2021.
I have self-published my first novel, 'Here Be Apples' in 2025.
I've performed in the indie guitar band Attic Lights since 2005 and released three critically acclaimed albums – “Friday Night Lights” (Island/Universal Records, 2008), “Super De Luxe” (Elefant Records, 2013) and “Love In The Time of Shark Attacks” (Elefant Records, 2019).
I'm also a member of the ‘indie dance pop’ collective, ‘Disco Mary’.
In music I've collaborated with international artists like Bjorn Yttling, Cerys Matthews and La Casa Azul and my songs have been remixed by Mogwai, Camera Obscura, The Fratellis, Jim Noir and The Vaselines. My music with Attic Lights has appeared on HBO’s comedy-drama Divorce, Netflix’s Elite, MTV’s Teen Mom, BBC’s The Culture Show, The One Show, Sportscene and ITV’s Scotsport and STV News.
Very occasionally I try to surf, thus aiming to satisfy a teenage need to be in the movie Point Break. I run too. Very slowly, but quite far. Then I turn back and run home after that, while listening to music at high volumes. This will probably damage my hearing in the years to come – but I have an absurd faith in the future possibilities of medical science.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 25, 2021
*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*
I already wrote a review and it didn't save, so I'm just going to say this: smearing period blood on your face is disgusting. There's no argument you could form that could possibly make it any less disgusting. Smearing period blood on your face doesn't prove you're not afraid to talk about your period in public. It proves you're not afraid of looking like an absolute maniac in public. This performative action does nothing to help the female community. If anything it'll have the opposite effect and alienate people who do want to be supportive of this issue.
The irony of a graphic novel that's supposed to be realistic ending up being entirely unrealistic is sadly exactly what I'd expected from this. Disappointing and, quite frankly, a disgusting graphic novel.
I already wrote a review and it didn't save, so I'm just going to say this: smearing period blood on your face is disgusting. There's no argument you could form that could possibly make it any less disgusting. Smearing period blood on your face doesn't prove you're not afraid to talk about your period in public. It proves you're not afraid of looking like an absolute maniac in public. This performative action does nothing to help the female community. If anything it'll have the opposite effect and alienate people who do want to be supportive of this issue.
The irony of a graphic novel that's supposed to be realistic ending up being entirely unrealistic is sadly exactly what I'd expected from this. Disappointing and, quite frankly, a disgusting graphic novel.
June 16, 2019
When I received free PDFs of this indie comic miniseries in exchange for an honest review I had no idea what to expect. I mean based on the title and cover of issue 4 I expected some sort of fantasy action series. What I got was very different but interesting.
What’s it about?
A woman in the fashion business (as a model) looks back at her life from high school. Back then she was with her group of friends that had to deal with some bullies and sexist bullshit. It turns out, they aren’t the only ones being bullied. As this female group of friends makes friends with a male group of friends into fantasy role-play games they end up in a pretty crazy situation as they have to stand up for themselves.
Pros:
The story is interesting. I recently reviewed another slice of life kinda book and like I said there, it’s not the kind of thing I usually read but I enjoyed it (except I like this a bit more than the other slice of life story I recently reviewed). I also found the storytelling interesting in the way it’s not a fantasy story but mixes some fantasy imagery to help tell the story.
The art is interesting and I like it. It definitely gives a cartoony indie feel to it and the mixing of art in the difference between the normal panels and the fantasy panels is interesting.
I cared about the characters throughout, they were interesting.
This story is pretty unpredictable. Really surprising twists throughout the story.
This comic is sometimes humorous. There are some great comic relief moments.
Cons:
The dialogue is iffy. While I get that teenagers swear (hell, I swear myself as an adult) it felt like it was trying a tad too hard to be edgy with it.
Mixed thoughts:
The commentary. At first I thought it was a bit heavy-handed but then again it’s also a big part of the story so I get why. I particularly like that unlike many stories about feminism it doesn’t just go the hypocritically sexist “fuck men” route (in fact it talks about how men and women should team up and make change happen together) and it also sorta works as an anti-bullying story in general. Then there’s the “warpaint” which is period blood... yeah. So I agree that women shouldn’t feel ashamed of periods as it is natural and it shouldn’t be considered a taboo topic in society but rubbing it on your face and that kinda thing just makes yourself look crazy and does more to fuck with your cause than help. No, not because periods are disgusting but because you shouldn’t walk around with blood all over yourself. The only time I’d even consider using real blood on myself in a public display (my own blood BTW, not someone’s period) would be in an artistic horror context and even then that’s EXTREMELY iffy. Painting yourself with period blood would be like the way I often see various rallies for things (esp. feminism, pro-choice and LGBT rights) that I agree with but see the way they act and am like “I would support you but y’all motherfuckers just crazy.”
Overall:
I mostly like this story but there are some very iffy elements. I’m not sure if there’s gonna be a trade release but all 4 issues are on Comixology and well worth checking out. It’s an interesting story with great characters, very cool artwork and unpredictable twists.
To be honest I normally wouldn’t go for this kind of story as feminist high school drama isn’t something that sounds even a bit like the kind of thing I’m usually into but this shows that it’s sometimes good to venture outside of what you may usually read.
I would say if you’re like me and don’t typically read this kind of story but want to try something different this is certainly a good pick.
4/5
I received free PDFs of this miniseries in exchange for an honest review.
What’s it about?
A woman in the fashion business (as a model) looks back at her life from high school. Back then she was with her group of friends that had to deal with some bullies and sexist bullshit. It turns out, they aren’t the only ones being bullied. As this female group of friends makes friends with a male group of friends into fantasy role-play games they end up in a pretty crazy situation as they have to stand up for themselves.
Pros:
The story is interesting. I recently reviewed another slice of life kinda book and like I said there, it’s not the kind of thing I usually read but I enjoyed it (except I like this a bit more than the other slice of life story I recently reviewed). I also found the storytelling interesting in the way it’s not a fantasy story but mixes some fantasy imagery to help tell the story.
The art is interesting and I like it. It definitely gives a cartoony indie feel to it and the mixing of art in the difference between the normal panels and the fantasy panels is interesting.
I cared about the characters throughout, they were interesting.
This story is pretty unpredictable. Really surprising twists throughout the story.
This comic is sometimes humorous. There are some great comic relief moments.
Cons:
The dialogue is iffy. While I get that teenagers swear (hell, I swear myself as an adult) it felt like it was trying a tad too hard to be edgy with it.
Mixed thoughts:
The commentary. At first I thought it was a bit heavy-handed but then again it’s also a big part of the story so I get why. I particularly like that unlike many stories about feminism it doesn’t just go the hypocritically sexist “fuck men” route (in fact it talks about how men and women should team up and make change happen together) and it also sorta works as an anti-bullying story in general. Then there’s the “warpaint” which is period blood... yeah. So I agree that women shouldn’t feel ashamed of periods as it is natural and it shouldn’t be considered a taboo topic in society but rubbing it on your face and that kinda thing just makes yourself look crazy and does more to fuck with your cause than help. No, not because periods are disgusting but because you shouldn’t walk around with blood all over yourself. The only time I’d even consider using real blood on myself in a public display (my own blood BTW, not someone’s period) would be in an artistic horror context and even then that’s EXTREMELY iffy. Painting yourself with period blood would be like the way I often see various rallies for things (esp. feminism, pro-choice and LGBT rights) that I agree with but see the way they act and am like “I would support you but y’all motherfuckers just crazy.”
Overall:
I mostly like this story but there are some very iffy elements. I’m not sure if there’s gonna be a trade release but all 4 issues are on Comixology and well worth checking out. It’s an interesting story with great characters, very cool artwork and unpredictable twists.
To be honest I normally wouldn’t go for this kind of story as feminist high school drama isn’t something that sounds even a bit like the kind of thing I’m usually into but this shows that it’s sometimes good to venture outside of what you may usually read.
I would say if you’re like me and don’t typically read this kind of story but want to try something different this is certainly a good pick.
4/5
I received free PDFs of this miniseries in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2021
A depressing tale about bullying that tells us right up front that something bad is going to happen to one of the main characters, so the whole time is spent wondering how awful it is going to be. Well not the whole time, because the menstrual blood repeatedly spread on faces is pretty distracting.
Anyhow, the bullying gets very harrowing and misogynistic and the response from adults is sexist, unhelpful, or outright harmful. And for animal lovers, .
I had mixed feelings about the story, and I wonder if part of that is due to its origin story. Painted is a 2021 revised edition of a digital comic originally published as Warpaint in 2019 by male writer Kev Sherry and female artist Katia Vecchio. For the Humanoids release, according to Vecchio, writer Helen Mullane "joined us as a partner to help us with script changes and have a strong female perspective on the project."* And thus Sherry's name gets sandwiched between those of a couple of women on the cover for marketing purposes.
If you want a good book about menstruation and school protests, I suggest you instead check out Go with the Flow by Karen Schneemann and Lily Williams.
* https://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/202...
Anyhow, the bullying gets very harrowing and misogynistic and the response from adults is sexist, unhelpful, or outright harmful. And for animal lovers, .
I had mixed feelings about the story, and I wonder if part of that is due to its origin story. Painted is a 2021 revised edition of a digital comic originally published as Warpaint in 2019 by male writer Kev Sherry and female artist Katia Vecchio. For the Humanoids release, according to Vecchio, writer Helen Mullane "joined us as a partner to help us with script changes and have a strong female perspective on the project."* And thus Sherry's name gets sandwiched between those of a couple of women on the cover for marketing purposes.
If you want a good book about menstruation and school protests, I suggest you instead check out Go with the Flow by Karen Schneemann and Lily Williams.
* https://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/202...
September 15, 2021
This book had a wonderful opportunity to both normalize periods and empower youth. It failed miserably. The book utilizes numerous stereotypes and tropes. The character fighting against the patriarchy and shame young girls are made to feel about periods is represented as an angry girl, a troublemaker, a rebellious teen, mentally ill, and more. It's almost as if the authors brainstormed ways to discount the character. Are these views expressed by the patriarchy? Definitely. Does this book work to dispute those views? No. I had hoped to read this graphic novel with my younger daughters. I won't be. This is not the message of empowerment I want to give them.
Disclaimer: An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
Disclaimer: An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
June 30, 2022
Good concept, extremely BAD execution!!!
April 1, 2022
Une bd coup de poing.
Plus d'émotions et plus forte que certains romans.
Plus d'émotions et plus forte que certains romans.
September 9, 2021
I received a free eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I think, in one way or another, we all know a girl like Selene - the one that seems fearless and so knowledgable, but when you grow up, you realise she was simply loud. She was just as scared and confused as the rest of you, only she hid it behind bold proclamations and even bolder actions.
This graphic novel, aside from being beautifully drawn and laid out, manages to touch on what growing up with buried guilt is like, and how trauma can be inflicted, even by the people we never imagine to be capable of hurting us. It talks about what being in a co-dependent relationship can look like, and how no one sees the signs if it's platonic.
The storyline was clear and cohesive, building in tension and slowly bringing the reader into the characters' world.
Unfortunately, while the end is definitely bold, and something that in the real world would shine a light on what abuse can do to a girl's psyche, it falls a little flat. I wish it would have dealt more with Sophie's guilt and trauma instead of playing it off for shock value.
Sometimes, the less shocking course of action can have a long-lasting effect.
I think, in one way or another, we all know a girl like Selene - the one that seems fearless and so knowledgable, but when you grow up, you realise she was simply loud. She was just as scared and confused as the rest of you, only she hid it behind bold proclamations and even bolder actions.
This graphic novel, aside from being beautifully drawn and laid out, manages to touch on what growing up with buried guilt is like, and how trauma can be inflicted, even by the people we never imagine to be capable of hurting us. It talks about what being in a co-dependent relationship can look like, and how no one sees the signs if it's platonic.
The storyline was clear and cohesive, building in tension and slowly bringing the reader into the characters' world.
Unfortunately, while the end is definitely bold, and something that in the real world would shine a light on what abuse can do to a girl's psyche, it falls a little flat. I wish it would have dealt more with Sophie's guilt and trauma instead of playing it off for shock value.
Sometimes, the less shocking course of action can have a long-lasting effect.
Read
September 14, 2021Content warning relating to an animal, put behind spoiler due to plot point:
Emotionally, Painted was a tough read. It’s narrated by Sophie, a model, who is looking back on a specific time in her teenage years after finding out her friend Selene has recently died. While we’re seeing the story through Sophie’s eyes, Selene is the main focus. Selene was raised by her extremely strict grandparents after her mother ran off shortly after having her. She feels stifled by them as well as by her school, where she regularly deals with bullying and being looked down upon and ignored by her teachers. She wants to fight back against this abuse and lashes out against the harshness in her life as her anger increases. She also paints her face with the blood from her period to stand up to the idea that periods are wrong or shameful. Sophie wants to support Selene but often feels as though she is failing to do so.
The bullying and abuse Selene faces from her classmates, teachers, and grandparents felt very real, and it was clear to see why she reacted in the way she did. It was hard to watch her struggle against a society that was so against her and the way she wanted to live. Sophie, too, struggles with how best to be there for her friend. The rest of the characters were very one dimensional; I can hardly remember anyone else’s name, let alone their personalities.
The story did seem to end very abruptly. We don’t see the time between the past (high school) and present day (Sophie as a model) so it’s hard to track her character development. She doesn’t change much over the course of the story we do see, and she seems to suddenly change on a dime when she receives the news of Selene’s death, although the idea is that it is due to her looking back on the events of her past. Parts of this section felt really unrealistic.
Overall, it’s hard for me to say how exactly I feel about this book. This is not a “good things happen to good people, bad things happen to bad people” kind of book, and while there’s a lot of realism and importance to that, I really didn’t enjoy reading it. The sudden ending also brought it down for me. I think there’s definitely an audience for this book, but it may be a somewhat niche audience. I could see why someone could really appreciate and need this story, and there were a lot of interesting and worthwhile aspects to it, but it wasn’t really for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Humanoids, Inc for the eARC.
Emotionally, Painted was a tough read. It’s narrated by Sophie, a model, who is looking back on a specific time in her teenage years after finding out her friend Selene has recently died. While we’re seeing the story through Sophie’s eyes, Selene is the main focus. Selene was raised by her extremely strict grandparents after her mother ran off shortly after having her. She feels stifled by them as well as by her school, where she regularly deals with bullying and being looked down upon and ignored by her teachers. She wants to fight back against this abuse and lashes out against the harshness in her life as her anger increases. She also paints her face with the blood from her period to stand up to the idea that periods are wrong or shameful. Sophie wants to support Selene but often feels as though she is failing to do so.
The bullying and abuse Selene faces from her classmates, teachers, and grandparents felt very real, and it was clear to see why she reacted in the way she did. It was hard to watch her struggle against a society that was so against her and the way she wanted to live. Sophie, too, struggles with how best to be there for her friend. The rest of the characters were very one dimensional; I can hardly remember anyone else’s name, let alone their personalities.
The story did seem to end very abruptly. We don’t see the time between the past (high school) and present day (Sophie as a model) so it’s hard to track her character development. She doesn’t change much over the course of the story we do see, and she seems to suddenly change on a dime when she receives the news of Selene’s death, although the idea is that it is due to her looking back on the events of her past. Parts of this section felt really unrealistic.
Overall, it’s hard for me to say how exactly I feel about this book. This is not a “good things happen to good people, bad things happen to bad people” kind of book, and while there’s a lot of realism and importance to that, I really didn’t enjoy reading it. The sudden ending also brought it down for me. I think there’s definitely an audience for this book, but it may be a somewhat niche audience. I could see why someone could really appreciate and need this story, and there were a lot of interesting and worthwhile aspects to it, but it wasn’t really for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Humanoids, Inc for the eARC.
September 30, 2021
The novel is narrated by Sophie who is a model. She is reflecting on a series of events involving her and her two best friends, Michelle, and Selene. The events occurred when they were sixteen and ended in tragedy. Selene and Sophie are typical high-school girls. The drama really begins when Selene’s menstrual period is used to make her the target of schoolwide humiliation. This prompts her to retialiate. Inspired by the Celtic face-painted warriors of her ancestry, Selene sets out with her friends to challenge the school powers or bullies. And the bullies aren’t just her peers.
This story and illustrations are graphic if not disturbing. There is so much anger and hate portrayed in the facial expressions. It left this reader with bad feelings for all characters. The story deals unabashedly with bullying, violence, language, drug use, death, and the bonds of sisterhood.
I was not a fan of the story or illustrations.
This story and illustrations are graphic if not disturbing. There is so much anger and hate portrayed in the facial expressions. It left this reader with bad feelings for all characters. The story deals unabashedly with bullying, violence, language, drug use, death, and the bonds of sisterhood.
I was not a fan of the story or illustrations.
October 14, 2021
Tengo opiniones encontradas acerca de esta corta novela.
El tema de la mestruacion me parecio muy interesante y ame ver un personaje , luchando contra el estigma del mismo. Una chica tan fuerte pero en efecto , cae sobre algunos tropos negativos que se asocian al feminismo, como la angry girl y los problemas mentales. Pero la protagonista estaba lidiand o con otras dificultades y la adolescencia en si que la orillan a decisiones cuestionables, por las cuales la comprendo.
La historia es dura de leer, por la gravedad de los actos de bullying dentro de ella. Esten prevenidos de eso. La reflexion final me parece muy buena incluso si el acto final en si es algo fantasioso.
El tema de la mestruacion me parecio muy interesante y ame ver un personaje , luchando contra el estigma del mismo. Una chica tan fuerte pero en efecto , cae sobre algunos tropos negativos que se asocian al feminismo, como la angry girl y los problemas mentales. Pero la protagonista estaba lidiand o con otras dificultades y la adolescencia en si que la orillan a decisiones cuestionables, por las cuales la comprendo.
La historia es dura de leer, por la gravedad de los actos de bullying dentro de ella. Esten prevenidos de eso. La reflexion final me parece muy buena incluso si el acto final en si es algo fantasioso.
December 2, 2021
(I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)
This graphic novel touches on topics like standing up against bullying, fighting menstrual taboo and the importance of female friendship. Although I agree with the message, the execution wasn't the best.
The story felt kind of messy, mixing the present with the past with no clear structure. I also didn't really sympathize with the characters nor did I agree with their actions, which I think is one of the main reasons why I didn't enjoy reading this. Besides, I wasn't the biggest fan of the illustrations...
This graphic novel touches on topics like standing up against bullying, fighting menstrual taboo and the importance of female friendship. Although I agree with the message, the execution wasn't the best.
The story felt kind of messy, mixing the present with the past with no clear structure. I also didn't really sympathize with the characters nor did I agree with their actions, which I think is one of the main reasons why I didn't enjoy reading this. Besides, I wasn't the biggest fan of the illustrations...
October 15, 2021
I really liked this graphic novel! Even though bullying is a subject that is more talked about now, there are things that still are taboo, like PMS. The story is about overcoming daily life and the frustration of not being heard. Even the bullys have reasons to be so awful and they are part of the system as well.
I loved how they talked in their fictional world and the real one, like making themselves the warriors they wanted to be. I especially liked the comparison that adults are like scared kids too sometimes. 4 stars!
I loved how they talked in their fictional world and the real one, like making themselves the warriors they wanted to be. I especially liked the comparison that adults are like scared kids too sometimes. 4 stars!
October 5, 2022
In this book, a model looks back on her time at school with her friends and how everything went wrong and led to a tragedy. One of her friends gets her period at school and is ridiculed by her classmates. The girl wants her friends to stage a protest with her because the teachers and principal won't do anything about the bullying. Overall, this was a great book and I really enjoyed reading it.
January 4, 2026
Le sujet est important mais l'écriture pas au niveau espéré. J'ai trouvé le scénario trop simpliste et les évènements clichés, dommage, un scénario plus réaliste aurait permis de donner plus de puissance au propos.
Want to read
March 25, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
November 21, 2021
This graphic novel is just bizarre, and not in a good way. The whole story felt disjointed and forced. If you want a graphic novel that addresses period stigma positively, read Go with the Flow.
April 17, 2022
Nope, not for me. Bullies to the extreme. Just a depressing feel overall.
May 14, 2024
No idea how to rate this. Pretty dark and depressing
October 22, 2024
Franchement décevant avec une morale archi bancale
November 5, 2021
"A young supermodel reflects on a series of events that, as a teenager, brought power...then tragedy."
Painted is an important graphic novel that really comes down to Women standing up for Women and being who we are. I was torn up by the shame each of the ladies in the novel feels and are forced to endure. The novel is an unflinching look at bullying, humiliation, helplessness, friendship, and how relationships can stay with us our whole lives. Painted is about being brave when the odds are stacked against us and how we may not always win, but standing up for ourselves and creating change has never been easy.
A great graphic novel that teens need to see.
Painted is an important graphic novel that really comes down to Women standing up for Women and being who we are. I was torn up by the shame each of the ladies in the novel feels and are forced to endure. The novel is an unflinching look at bullying, humiliation, helplessness, friendship, and how relationships can stay with us our whole lives. Painted is about being brave when the odds are stacked against us and how we may not always win, but standing up for ourselves and creating change has never been easy.
A great graphic novel that teens need to see.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews