June BotM Discussion - Nimona

[Mike, Host & Producer of IRCB!]

Happy Pride Month IRCBers! What did you think of Nimona? Any inspiration to check out Noelle Stevenson's other work?

Reminder: This discussion thread is FULL SPOILERS for Nimona!

Tune in to the IRCB Podcast on Wednesday, June 27th, 2018, to hear our discussion of this book. If it's ok to read your comments on the show, please post them by June 24th, 2018, and include "OK TO AIR" in your post!

[Chad]

Doh! You've got last month's book in the thread title.

[Mike, Host & Producer of IRCB!]

Chad wrote: "Doh! You've got last month's book in the thread title."

DOH INDEED, MY GOOD FELLOW!



(fixed it)

[Christopher]

Isn't that J. Jonah Jameson?

[Daniel]

OK TO AIR

I went into this book very hesitant as I knew nothing about it.
It was someone's recommendation on last year's reading challenge.
I gotta say this book was so ridiculously charming. Such a simple yet complex concept.
The art in the book appears not to be very intricate but it perfectly serves the story. (I mean all of that as a compliment btw)

great choice for this. i look forward to learning what other people thougt and maybe a bit more about the author or the backstory behind this book if any one has any insight

[Chad]

My review

I liked everything about it but the art.

OK TO AIR

[Francis]

Ok to air.

I really loved this book, as a big fan of the musical Wicked, and having just been with my family, to the theatre to see it this month, I noted this shared similar themes about friendship, stigma and the conflict between science and magic.

The characters of Lord Ballister and Sir Goldenloin where cool, the way their love for one another was undermined by a manufactured rivalry gave them strong motivations. The way events were manipulated by The Institution and how that was slowly revealed over the course of the story built sufficient tension to keep things moving.

The character of Nimona was fun, the contrast between the precocious but pleasant girl Ballister knows, and the evil monster which Goldenloin and the Institution portray her to be, made her really intriguing for me as the reader. It was really satisfying when her secret origin was revealed and she took her revenge against the corrupt Institution, and in doing so enabled Ballister and Goldenloin to resume their relationship now the truth of how they were manipulated was laid bare.

I will recommend this book to my wife and daughter who are fanatical about Wicked, but are not comic book readers, my wife struggles to enjoy reading sequential art and is much more comortable with prose, but I think the simplicity of the art panels combined with reading digitally in guided view will make it really palatable to her.

[kaitlphere]

Okay to air.

Francis, I love the phrase "manufactured rivalry."

I have to say that I went into this already loving Noelle Stevenson. I'm a big fan of Lumberjanes (even though I am very behind). She's very good at writing spunky young female characters.

The first time I read this, I went into this book completely blind. I had no idea what it was about. I had no idea where it was going at first, and didn't pick up for me until the townspeople started getting sick from the apples. Now that I've read it again, I really picked up on the foreshadowing and the slow build of tension and outcome.

I love the head of the institute as an accidental villain. At first she was just excited about her super destructive weapons "just in case," then got excessive with the potential of Nimona's powers. I loved the little moment about her being a goblin, and the peek we saw a little earlier on of her bald head and pointed ears, suggesting not everything is as it seems with her. I think her character progression was very real and human, even though the character wasn't.

I wish we got a little more about Nimona's backstory. The book never really confirmed if she was a little girl we happened to get her powers out of the blue, or if she was an ancient shapeshifting beast. Although, it might have taken some of the magic out of the story and the character to know for sure.

I loved Blackheart and Goldenloin, and I loved the little moment at the end where they're in each others lives, both a little broken, but together. I liked that throughout the story they were never truly out to get one another, and defended one another from actual hurt from the beginning. It really laid the groundwork for a happy ending and a believable traggic backstory.

Of course, I loved Nimona's character. She reminds me a lot of Ripley from Lumberjanes--always excited and climbing on all sorts of stuff (and people) all the time. I liked they she was ultimately quite complex, culminating in a literal split in the sides of her personality.

[Francis]

Kait wrote: "Okay to air.

Francis, I love the phrase "manufactured rivalry."

I have to say that I went into this already loving Noelle Stevenson. I'm a big fan of Lumberjanes (even though I am very behind). S..."

Thanks Kait,

I keep thinking about the Institute and how it's behind all of the events of the story, how they created an enemy in Blackheart, and how Goldenloin was always inevitably a patsy. I'm also curious about Nimona's backstory, was she the beast of legend, or I wondered if she was in fact created by the Institute as part of an experiment. I agree it's better not to have a specific answer though.

I've been more aware of the parallels to Orwell's 1984, and how in that the "Party" uses propaganda to create an enemy and endless war so as to spread fear, and use that fear as a means of control.

This book has kept me thinking about it since I finished it and that's testiment to what a well written story it is.

Ok to air.

[Kate]

Francis wrote: "...I've been more aware of the parallels to Orwell's 1984, and how in that the "Party" uses propaganda to create an enemy and endless war so as to spread fear, and use that fear as a means of control..."

This is a great point! The stories' tones are very different, but I see the parallels.

If you could, would you guys want a sequel to this book? Why or why not?