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8th out of 55 books
—
95 voters
A + E 4ever
by
ilike merey (Goodreads Author)
Asher Machnik is a teenage boy cursed with a beautiful androgynous face. Guys punch him, girls slag him and by high school he's developed an intense fear of being touched. Art remains his only escape from an otherwise emotionally empty life. Eulalie Mason is the lonely, tough-talking dyke from school who befriends Ash. The only one to see and accept all of his sides as a l...more
Paperback, 214 pages
Published
September 15th 2011
by Lethe Press
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This book was amazing. I really loved it, all the way through. Eu and Ash were unbelievably real, dimensional, and flawed in all the right ways. I felt like they could be anybody. They could have been people who I went to school with, people who come into where I work. They were that real. Eu actually reminded me of one of my best friends from grade 12 in the way she talked an acted.
The book expresses very well the confusion that comes with being a teenager. Both main characters dance around the...more
The book expresses very well the confusion that comes with being a teenager. Both main characters dance around the...more
Asher Machnik is a shy, effeminate soul who just wants his junior year at his new high school to go by quickly, painlessly. Terrified of being physically touched (with a real phobia that makes him break down and sweat), Asher throws himself whole-heartedly into his sketchbook, escaping within his drawings.
Unfortunately for him, Asher’s soft features and androgynous look make him a target for the school’s ignorant bullies. But it’s this same delicacy, this fragility, that draws Eulalie to Asher...more
Unfortunately for him, Asher’s soft features and androgynous look make him a target for the school’s ignorant bullies. But it’s this same delicacy, this fragility, that draws Eulalie to Asher...more
wow, sad lovely strange, what a great book sometimes the illustrations were hard to cope with and the text difficult to read but its beautiful and weird
This book was recommended to me by a friend who I now realize is a filthy, filthy pervert. And worse I realize that she must think I'm a filthy, filthy pervert if she would think I would like this book
I'm kidding. But I know she reads my reviews. Hi Marie!
This is a very powerful book. It's a graphic novel. The art is very stark, very raw. There are definitely some Manga influences to it but you also feel like you might be looking at someone's sketchbook, or a graphic diary.
This book is about fr...more
I'm kidding. But I know she reads my reviews. Hi Marie!
This is a very powerful book. It's a graphic novel. The art is very stark, very raw. There are definitely some Manga influences to it but you also feel like you might be looking at someone's sketchbook, or a graphic diary.
This book is about fr...more
a+e 4ever, is a story about Ash gay boy with an androgynous face who just wants to be left alone, and Eu a tough talking goth dressing girl who gets called a dyke. It details their complicated friendship as Ash explores his sexuality while Eu suffers from an unrequited love for Ash. I personally relate to this novel in many ways; I associate my humor with Eu and I experienced unrequited love for a best friend and the music and art they discuss adds depth to the story. Actually I really identify...more
Nov 30, 2012
Barbara
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
bullies,
families,
friendship,
graphic-novels,
identity,
music,
romance,
school,
self-esteem,
art
Despite its flaws--some incorrectly spelled words, strange spots for some of the dialogue, confusing shifts from one scene to another, and a wrap-up it up too neatly ending--this is a moving story about the relationship between Asher Machnik, an androgynous male drawn primarily to other males, and Eulalia Mason, a Lesbian loner who becomes friends with Ash and then nurtures a not-so-secret crush on him. The two have much in common since they share musical tastes and a keen interest in art, but b...more
Character-driven, issue-oriented, bittersweet, dramatic, thought-provoking, compelling.
LGBTQS coming-of-age story. Good for adults and mature teenagers. This story follows a pair of high school students, both outsiders, that become best friends and try to figure out their sexuality and their place in the world. Very compelling characters throughout.
NOTE: this book depicts underage drinking and drug use, underage sex, rape, and some jokes about dead babies that some may find off-putting.
REcommen...more
LGBTQS coming-of-age story. Good for adults and mature teenagers. This story follows a pair of high school students, both outsiders, that become best friends and try to figure out their sexuality and their place in the world. Very compelling characters throughout.
NOTE: this book depicts underage drinking and drug use, underage sex, rape, and some jokes about dead babies that some may find off-putting.
REcommen...more
Apr 06, 2012
Karin
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
adult-ya-crossovers,
teenagers,
relationships,
relationship-problems,
bisexuality,
sexuality,
sexual-identity,
rape,
friendship,
love,
goth-girls,
high-school,
art,
artists,
arty-boys,
arty-chicks,
borrowed-from-the-library,
realistic,
absent-parents,
graphic-novel,
adult-fiction,
young-adult-fiction,
music,
clubs
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I was given a copy of this to review by Lethe Press. I am not a graphic novel reader habitually, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I read it in one sitting, and by the end of it two words came to me that described the experience.
Heartbreaking. Beautiful.
I found the art to have just the right level of impressionism to it – emotions exaggerated almost crudely, perhaps from a bit of manga influence. Asher, the boy, is androgynous and beautiful. Eulalie is tall, tough, with long hair shaved on the si...more
Heartbreaking. Beautiful.
I found the art to have just the right level of impressionism to it – emotions exaggerated almost crudely, perhaps from a bit of manga influence. Asher, the boy, is androgynous and beautiful. Eulalie is tall, tough, with long hair shaved on the si...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
1 like · like · see review
I liked this both for its authenticity and art.
The art was sketchy but on the refined side of sketchy, with moments of pure drawing, befitting the subject matter (teenagers who love to draw and their complicated friendship). There was much dialogue, inner and outer, but the book was well-designed so I always knew who was talking and if they were saying it out loud.
Eulalie in particular reminded me of a certain teen I once supervised, in her awkward use of slang to seem more cultured/different an...more
The art was sketchy but on the refined side of sketchy, with moments of pure drawing, befitting the subject matter (teenagers who love to draw and their complicated friendship). There was much dialogue, inner and outer, but the book was well-designed so I always knew who was talking and if they were saying it out loud.
Eulalie in particular reminded me of a certain teen I once supervised, in her awkward use of slang to seem more cultured/different an...more
This graphic novel had an interesting format I have not encountered in many before. The layout and the use of lettering was very unique. For example, the author does not use speech-bubbles at all. What characters are feeling and what they are saying is all derived from context and the placement of text, not bubbles, and there is sometimes very much dialogue, almost like a script or a screenplay. It was in some ways like reading a movie. The art is rough and emotional, part manga and part somethi...more
This is a sweet graphic novel about two androgynous bisexual teenagers figuring out whether they like each other or not that I would like to mail back in time to my 16 year old self who probably would have gone nuts for it. I liked that Eu and Ash were both very nuanced in their identity and not just standard bearers for gender-fuck, which is an easy way to go wrong with these sorts of characters. The ending seemed a little rushed after the leisurely pace of the rest of the story.
I do get sligh...more
I do get sligh...more
2 likes · like · see review
3.5 stars. Maybe the queerest book I've read for teens, in that so many lines and genders and sexualities are blurred and confused (not in a bad way, but a realistic way). It's partially a story of unrequited love between a tough, androgynous girl and a genderqueer bi(?) boy, and partially a story about the latter's coming of age.
This is not a book for the prudish. This book is a raw nerve, with dark scenes on drug use, rape, bullying, and loneliness. Maybe for the alienated, dark, artsy types.
I...more
This is not a book for the prudish. This book is a raw nerve, with dark scenes on drug use, rape, bullying, and loneliness. Maybe for the alienated, dark, artsy types.
I...more
1 like · like · see review
Asher and Eulalie are cast out by their peers because they look different. Asher is a bit androgynous and Eulalie is tall and looks a bit like a dyke. Luckily they meet each other. They hang our listening to music and drawing. Life is good until Eu realizes that she wants more than friendship with Asher. At first she doesn't mind, because he is into guys. When he mentions that he might be into girls too though, Eu is devastated. She just wants him to feel comfortable with her and care about her...more
Shocking, anxiety-ridden, graphic. All the things I feel a riveting graphic novel should be, correct? This graphic novel, truly revolutionary and detached from the norm, does have moments where as a "adult", I feel pushed into a corner and pressured for a reaction. I think this feeling of helplessness and being lost, a victim to bullying is felt by many people, so that feeling is a by-product of the bullying and situation many feel in the same or different situations. Evenso, moments where the g...more
I just finished this book, by that I mean i just finished it all of thirty seconds ago and had to put my review up here eve it will absolutely no sense because I am currently to astonished by what I just read to be coherent enough to write a good review. This was one of the most amazing graphic novels I have read. This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. this is one of the most amazing written work I have read in the longest time. I just couldn't put it down even when my mom calle...more
I'm not sure entirely what to think about this book. It does some things very well, does some things very poorly, and touches on topics that are frustratingly absent in 95% of most media.
The story is about a couple of high school kids who are androgynous. The female character, Eu, is sometimes boyish looking but straight. The male character, Ash, is feminine looking and bi-sexual. They meet as outcasts in the same typical high school and form a bond that lasts for...a little bit.
The story focu...more
The story is about a couple of high school kids who are androgynous. The female character, Eu, is sometimes boyish looking but straight. The male character, Ash, is feminine looking and bi-sexual. They meet as outcasts in the same typical high school and form a bond that lasts for...a little bit.
The story focu...more
3 likes · like · see review
"Asher Machnik is a teenage boy cursed with a beautiful androgynous face. Guys punch him, girls slag him and by high school he's developed an intense fear of being touched. Art remains his only escape from an otherwise emotionally empty life. Eulalie Mason is the lonely, tough-talking dyke from school who befriends Ash. The only one to see and accept all of his sides as a loner, a fellow artist and a best friend, she's starting to wonder if ash is ever going to see all of her.... a + e 4EVER is...more
Feb 11, 2013
Elizabeth
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
american,
comic-graphic-novel,
teen,
romance,
coming-of-age,
goth,
setting-2000s,
lesbian,
lesbian-major-character,
bisexual,
bisexual-major-character,
gay,
gay-major-character,
transvestite,
transvestite-major-character,
transphobia,
bullying,
homophobia,
jewish,
antisemitism,
substance-abuse,
rape,
sexual-assault,
sex,
nudity
Just beautiful. The artwork is stunning. Gorgeous melting lines, curves and shades. And I loved the story. Really accurately conveys how blurred everything is in teenage (and beyond) relationships. The blurred boundaries of gender, sexuality, and friendship are done with such deftness and truth. Nothing is just any one thing. No experience purely good, purely bad. The world of Ash and Eulalie is one where the obvious truth is all is confusion, from the adult world to the high school microcosm, f...more
GRAPHIC NOVEL
This is the story of a teenager named Asher and a girl he meets at school named Eu. They form a relationship together and experience a lot of difficult things together one of which is their own relationship. This graphic novel can be difficult to read at times and some of the drawing may be inappropriate for certain ages. There are a lot of curse words and some inappropriate language for younger kids. I found the novel difficult to relate to solely because of my own upbringing but t...more
This is the story of a teenager named Asher and a girl he meets at school named Eu. They form a relationship together and experience a lot of difficult things together one of which is their own relationship. This graphic novel can be difficult to read at times and some of the drawing may be inappropriate for certain ages. There are a lot of curse words and some inappropriate language for younger kids. I found the novel difficult to relate to solely because of my own upbringing but t...more
Having a hard time rating this. I'm going with 3.5 stars. I've heard some authors think 3/5 is a 'failing grade' but it means 'I liked it'. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish.
It's a unique sort of GN, but in the vein of Alison Bechdel (IMO).
Equal parts angst, confusion, sexuality, friendship and love, (view spoiler) acceptance, bullying, poverty, self-image issues...it kinda hits on everything.
I don't usual...more
It's a unique sort of GN, but in the vein of Alison Bechdel (IMO).
Equal parts angst, confusion, sexuality, friendship and love, (view spoiler) acceptance, bullying, poverty, self-image issues...it kinda hits on everything.
I don't usual...more
1 like · like · see review
A sweet, painful, true, wishful and hopeful, horrifying, and insightfully exploratory snapshot of adolescence, with an especial take on gender exploration. It is done in a deliberately messy style that seems to me to perfectly fit the messiness of teenhood.
This book was a shell shock. Reading this book for a survey in children's literature class I was not expecting a Homosexual/transsexual/bisexual etc. book. This graphic novel should be kept for older ages and for now should stay out of the schools because the topics may bring up concern from parents, teachers, etc. But I found myself wanting to learn more and read more. I wanted to see where the friendship of the two main characters would lead to. I was disappointed in the end because it just so...more
Art was great, story was unique, and it included a playlist. I almost gave it three stars because of the ending, but then I realized it was appropriate for a love story. I have to admit that some of the sexual images made me feel like I shouldn't be reading it in public. But again, I realized, how much more sexual is this then Fifty Shades of Grey and carried on unfettered. I will say that due to the abnormally large size of this graphic novel, it felt more personal and raw. I'm not quite sure w...more
I really enjoyed this book on so many levels. The art is simply fantastic with a strange mix of manga influences. The story is interesting and confusing and yet incredibly beautiful. This is not a happy tale filled with sunshine and unicorn farts. It is depressing, joyful, disturbing, and unrelenting. As a book that deals heavily with confused sexuality and what defines "love", it is a gem and a valid look into a subculture that most people try to ignore or ridicule. This book perfectly illustra...more
1 like · like · see review
My biggest problem is with the art. It's more an art book than a graphic novel. The typography othered me and was hard to read in some instances. The art is supposed to reflect the gritty and rough world of the characters, but it made it hard for me to follow and I sort of got people mixed up. I don't thin kthe faces were well drawn either.
The story is a bout a friendship between two androgynous teens, a tough straight girl (Eu) and a bisexual boy (Ash). Lot sof genderqueer issues and themes are...more
The story is a bout a friendship between two androgynous teens, a tough straight girl (Eu) and a bisexual boy (Ash). Lot sof genderqueer issues and themes are...more
This book was amazing.
I rarely write reviews, and one just could not do it justice, but... well, I want to try, if only to speak about the impact of the book, not the specifics.
I read it all in one sitting, mainly because I couldn't stop, except to cry or when exasperated.
It's a brilliant exploration of love, friendship, gender, being an outcast, sexuality, and youth.
The longing was tearing at my heart, and the humor always worked.
I cried so much out of pure sympathizing with the characters. I'...more
I rarely write reviews, and one just could not do it justice, but... well, I want to try, if only to speak about the impact of the book, not the specifics.
I read it all in one sitting, mainly because I couldn't stop, except to cry or when exasperated.
It's a brilliant exploration of love, friendship, gender, being an outcast, sexuality, and youth.
The longing was tearing at my heart, and the humor always worked.
I cried so much out of pure sympathizing with the characters. I'...more
I know I entered a giveaway for this, but I couldn't wait to read it. I know some readers find the back-of-the-book description to be misleading - Eu is NOT actually a lesbian. Though neither character really ever labels themselves, the only sexual relationships Eu has are with men, and Ash goes both ways.
Anyway. Just wanted to clarify.
I love the style of this book, how there aren't really panels and everything is kind of messy and raw. It seems both limiting and freeing at the same time, for th...more
Anyway. Just wanted to clarify.
I love the style of this book, how there aren't really panels and everything is kind of messy and raw. It seems both limiting and freeing at the same time, for th...more
2 likes · like · see review
A+E 4Ever is a graphic novel that follows the journey of a boy Ash who has an androgynous face and girl Eu who is the tough guy at school. The two meet and become friends but sometimes one of the sides wants more. Throughout the book the two experience risky situations that are potentially harmful but they are able to work them and grow as people. A+E 4Ever begins when the two characters meet and there is an attraction to each other largely due to the fact that the two are very different from ma...more
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Will read/write for bacon.
But seriously, I love talking about books, reading, writing and the creative process.
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More about ilike merey...
But seriously, I love talking about books, reading, writing and the creative process.
Pictures!/Ruminations!:
http://moof06.wordpress.com/
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Jun 27, 2012 01:52am
Jun 27, 2012 06:32am