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114th out of 256 books
—
100 voters
Sorcerers & Secretaries, Volume 1 (Sorcerers & Secretaries #1)
by
Amy Kim Kibuishi (Goodreads Author)
Nicole Hayes sure likes to daydream and who can blame her? She studies a subject she has no interest in so she can satisfy her mother, and she works part time as a receptionist to satisfy her growing debt. But when she's alone with her notebook, she crafts a fantastic story and lets her imagination go-go-go! Meanwhile, her old neighbor Josh pines after Nicole's every step...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
February 7th 2006
by TokyoPop
(first published February 1st 2006)
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I was first introduced to this graphic novel after talking to the author, Amy Kim Ganter at the Teen Book Festival last Saturday. She’s grew up in Irodequoit, a suburb of Rochester NY, and left for NYC when she was sixteen. After talking to her I knew that I needed to get her book, Sorcerers & Secretaries. Of course I had her immediately sign it! After getting home, the first thing I did was read the book. There were only a couple of things that disappointed me: one was that I would have to...more
Sorcerers & Secretaries, volume 1, is a sweet romance that puts a surprising amount of depth in a small space. The pace is quick, but the story never feels rushed. I think part of this is due to the fact that this reads more like a novel than other shojo I've read, which, because of being serialized in magazines with a bottom line for their first publication, often has more of a cliffhanger feel at the end of each chapter so they can survive to completion. The chapters, even when they're obv...more
As someone who went to school as a business major who had no idea what I wanted to do but knew I had no interest in business I can relate to Nicole. She's taking business classes to make her mother happy and although my mother never asked me or told me to be a business person I knew being a business major would guarantee me to help out my family back home, still, it didn't make me happy and it certainly does not make Nicole happy. The only thing that makes her happy is her writing and it along w...more
Quick rundown-
Light, fluffy left-to-right manga about a writer/college student, her former neighbor, and the story she's writing and dreaming.
Likes:
- EVERYTHING. It was adorable. Utterly adorable.
- Particularly Josh's 'NICOLE!' face. So cute. I loved his little-kid enthusiasm.
- Artz be pretty.
Random comparison: This duet is to manga/graphic novels as Owl City is to music: Light, fun, and sometimes a guilty pleasure.
Dislike:
- Only two volumes? Very sad, this.
Longer version-
After reading FMA 1-14...more
Light, fluffy left-to-right manga about a writer/college student, her former neighbor, and the story she's writing and dreaming.
Likes:
- EVERYTHING. It was adorable. Utterly adorable.
- Particularly Josh's 'NICOLE!' face. So cute. I loved his little-kid enthusiasm.
- Artz be pretty.
Random comparison: This duet is to manga/graphic novels as Owl City is to music: Light, fun, and sometimes a guilty pleasure.
Dislike:
- Only two volumes? Very sad, this.
Longer version-
After reading FMA 1-14...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Disappointing. The art style was clear and vivid, but combining a blandly written fantasy story with a blandly written "Boohoo, no one understands me" protagonist really didn't work for me. And I really wanted to like this book; the art design was great, I liked the premise, and I like secretaries as protagonists.
The constant stream of "You must not admit to liking fantasy literature!" companions made the protagonist look like a doormat, and seemed implausible at that. This isn't set in the 1850...more
The constant stream of "You must not admit to liking fantasy literature!" companions made the protagonist look like a doormat, and seemed implausible at that. This isn't set in the 1850...more
Age: 4th grade-high school
Style: Left-to-right manga
Relatively unique storyline about Nicole, a business major who takes her dreams and turns them into fantasy stories. She runs into Josh, her ex-neighbor, and his crush is immediately renewed. While he gets plenty of attention from other, random girls, he wants the one who continually brushes him off. Nicole finally gives in to a "get-together," where Josh reads her dream journal and vows to encourage her to finish it for a contest.
A delightful...more
Style: Left-to-right manga
Relatively unique storyline about Nicole, a business major who takes her dreams and turns them into fantasy stories. She runs into Josh, her ex-neighbor, and his crush is immediately renewed. While he gets plenty of attention from other, random girls, he wants the one who continually brushes him off. Nicole finally gives in to a "get-together," where Josh reads her dream journal and vows to encourage her to finish it for a contest.
A delightful...more
Not a fan.
Maybe reading so many English translated mangas has spoiled me, but this just seemed to fall flat. Nicole is not endearing, her friend Sarah has no depth and Josh is just a desperate weirdo. The only real interesting thing is the dream that Nicole has and continues to write about. I thought there would be more to that, but the whole story dragged on about Josh trying to get Nicole to go out with him.
I know this is part one of a two part series, but I wasn't left with a feeling of need...more
Maybe reading so many English translated mangas has spoiled me, but this just seemed to fall flat. Nicole is not endearing, her friend Sarah has no depth and Josh is just a desperate weirdo. The only real interesting thing is the dream that Nicole has and continues to write about. I thought there would be more to that, but the whole story dragged on about Josh trying to get Nicole to go out with him.
I know this is part one of a two part series, but I wasn't left with a feeling of need...more
I was first introduced to this graphic novel after talking to the author, Amy Kim Ganter at the Teen Book Festival last Saturday. She’s grew up in Irodequoit, a suburb of Rochester NY, and left for NYC when she was sixteen. After talking to her I knew that I needed to get her book, Sorcerers & Secretaries. Of course I had her immediately sign it! After getting home, the first thing I did was read the book. There were only a couple of things that disappointed me: one was that I would have to...more
I just re-read this (first read about a year ago) and was surprised and delighted at the whimsy and magic in the story.
Nicole's just a little bit obsessed with fancy, particularly a story she's dreaming and writing. She doesn't have time for or interest in anything else; it's all just noise that distracts her from the real story. Josh is a collector of girls' phone numbers who can't quite get Nicole out of his head even though she never sought his company, and he's moved out of her building. It'...more
Nicole's just a little bit obsessed with fancy, particularly a story she's dreaming and writing. She doesn't have time for or interest in anything else; it's all just noise that distracts her from the real story. Josh is a collector of girls' phone numbers who can't quite get Nicole out of his head even though she never sought his company, and he's moved out of her building. It'...more
This title was an enjoyable and humorous read. The parallels between Nicole Hayes’ fantasy and reality are depicted in a fun and light-hearted manner. There is truth in the strained relationship between Nicole and Josh, and their romance may appeal to young teens that are beginning to notice the opposite sex. There was strength in developing the relationship between Nicole and her fictional character Ellon and the importance of her withdrawal in order to create this fantasy world.
Nicole is a university student and part-time secretary who often drifts into a fantasy life with a sorcerer named Ellon. Josh was a neighbor who seems to have a crush on her, yet also is attempting to conquer as many female hearts as he can. Nicole doesn't seem too keen on Josh, but is kind of interested despite herself.
This was an okay book, pretty evenly paced, but I have not yet decided if it was interesting enough to get the next in the series.
This was an okay book, pretty evenly paced, but I have not yet decided if it was interesting enough to get the next in the series.
I'm not one to go for graphic novels but i was fascinated by the pretty cover. It's meant to be a comedy/romance book but to be honest i think the humour is to cliche. It's about a young women who has a very big admirer. Throughout the story she dreams/daydreams about an imaginary sorcerer that in a weird way relates to her day to day life. Liked the art and i really want to get the second one :)
I wish I could give another star to this manga, but there are two fatal flaws. The romance and plot pacing, which are far too fast, and the art, which sometimes has instances where I cannot take it seriously.
It's good, don't get me wrong, but the manga is... amateurish. And I can tell. I have read many better OEL manga, but I will admit this is rather cute in it's won right.
It's good, don't get me wrong, but the manga is... amateurish. And I can tell. I have read many better OEL manga, but I will admit this is rather cute in it's won right.
Tokyopop's OEL line got rather a lot of flack but this was a good solid book and I'll be hunting up the second book to finish it. I liked the more westernised art and story, it seemed more like josei than shojo and I wonder how many more good solid books got missed because of random hating on comics created by women from the fanboys.
I should have read the cover blurb because this really wasn't what I was expecting. The sorcerer part is all in Nicole's head and her writing. Also, I think she reminds me too much of myself which makes me uncomfortable. There's no sex, language or violence, but there is a creepy dude that follows her once.
This was given to me as a gift. It's the first graphic novel I've read, and while the story wasn't great, it helped me to get interested in another form of storytelling.
This is a really fun book. Really smart too -- hit a little TOO close to home sometimes with the story of a young woman who is more attached to her fantasy world than to her real life.
A bit elementary maybe, I think I liked it because our main character looks & acts a little like myself. Whimsical, but not exactly a thought provoking piece.
I really enjoyed reading this series. I thought that the story was well done, and the graphics were great. My only complaint is that it is only a two book series!
Sweet and plan girl has head stuck in book and a hard time seeing what is all around her.
Nicole Hayes is a daydreamer who secretly writes fantasy stories; Josh Kim, her former neighbor, is doing his best to woo her despite her general distraction. The story is sweet and slight, but the art is very cute. Her characters have wonderfully expressive faces, and I love how Nicole's daydreams weave in and out of her perceptions of everyday life. I only wish that the art had a bit more texture; Ganter tends to use a lot of fairly flat grays to shade her drawings, and reading too much manga...more
re-read: 9/1/2006
re-read for fun
OK this is not exactly my cup of tea, but I will acknowledge that this was exceptionally cute for its genre. I can see teenage romantics eating this stuff up like candy.
Normally, “exceptionally cute for its genre” would hardly qualify as a compliment coming from me. I need to rephrase: otherworldly cute. The characters are not shallow, the settings fun and innovative, the art adorable… this stuff tastes like bubble gum. Never mind teenage romantics—give me more!
Normally, “exceptionally cute for its genre” would hardly qualify as a compliment coming from me. I need to rephrase: otherworldly cute. The characters are not shallow, the settings fun and innovative, the art adorable… this stuff tastes like bubble gum. Never mind teenage romantics—give me more!
cute
This story was SO CUTE! About a girl who works as a secretary while attending business school and what she really wants to do is write fairy stories. It was very well done, especially the parts with her mother, who is so happy that her daughter has given up all the fairy stories and is becoming a useful young woman.
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I expected this book to be very very good, but it wasn't. It was kind of stupid and cliche. The art was so-so. It was about a girl who draws some medieval thing and doesn't want to go out with the guy who likes her when you know she will in the end.
It was cute and fun. Good art.
Fun read and fun art.
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Amy Kim Kibuishi (nee Ganter) is best known as the author and artist of the graphic novel series “Sorcerers & Secretaries” published by Tokyopop, as well as the webcomic "Reman Mythology." She has also contributed to the acclaimed Flight anthology and was the lead character designer and comic artist for Gamelab and Playfirst’s blockbuster game “Diner Dash.” Her latest project is an illustrated...more
More about Amy Kim Kibuishi...
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