Heavy Vinyl + The Sand Warrior | Graphic Novel Reviews

When Chris joins the staff at her local record store, she’s surprised to find out that her co-workers share a secret: they’re all members of a secret fight club that take on the patriarchy and fight crime!

Starry-eyed Chris has just started the dream job every outcast kid in town wants: working at Vinyl Mayhem. It's as rad as she imagined; her boss is BOSS, her co-workers spend their time arguing over music, pushing against the patriarchy, and endlessly trying to form a band. When Rosie Riot, the staff's favorite singer, mysteriously vanishes the night before her band’s show, Chris discovers her co-workers are doing more than just sorting vinyl . . . Her local indie record store is also a front for a teen girl vigilante fight club! 

I was lured in by the very cute cover. I could tell I would like this group. The music store setting was cool and all the characters were likable. It felt like a Nancy Drew mystery with plucky characters on the case.

However, when the love interest said something about fighting the patriarchy I had to roll my eyes. And then a supposedly klutzy girl is able to beat up three men without even a scratch.

Really now?

Come on. This book was all about girl power but made the men look incompetent. That annoyed the
crap out of me. Sorry you are girls. I don't care how strong you think you are. You can't single-handedly take on three men without getting hurt. I know this isn't reality but it's not like they are superheroes. They are portrayed as everyday teenagers.

It also got a little cheesy and almost everyone was over-represented as gay. There's nothing wrong with representation but it seemed convenient like it would have been so much more interesting if one of the character's wasn't gay because it could have added a whole new dimension to the story line. There could have been another character introduced later on or another twist. It seemed like a missed opportunity. I might be saying this because I liked another character better for the MC but it also could have been so much more interesting if the romance or love interest would have dragged on to the next volumes. And that ending was wrapped up in a little bow wasn't it?

Even after all that, I do want to see how the story continues on. The artwork is brilliant as well which I didn't mention before. I really love it and it's very "my aesthetic." I don't know. I have hope that Heavy Vinyl will get better.

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The Five Worlds are on the brink of extinction unless five ancient and mysterious beacons are lit. When war erupts, three unlikely heroes will discover there's more to themselves and more to their worlds than meets the eye. . .

The clumsiest student at the Sand Dancer Academy, Oona Lee is a fighter with a destiny bigger than she could ever imagine.

A boy from the poorest slums, An Tzu has a surprising gift and a knack for getting out of sticky situations.

Star athlete Jax Amboy is beloved by an entire galaxy, but what good is that when he has no real friends?

When these three kids are forced to team up on an epic quest, it will take not one, not two, but 5 WORLDS to contain all the magic and adventure!

I felt like I was dropped in a world without too much information to go on. I learned things along the way but I rather have had more of an understanding before things kicked off. The Sand Warrior was very ambitious with world building and character dynamics. It is really well thought out with each character having their own story line that leads them together. The thing is I really only liked Oona. I just didn't particularity care about the other two characters although they did have interesting back story's and motives to go on the adventure of saving these worlds. I think I prefer Oona because she is the main character, or at least the first main character we are introduced to, as well as the one with the power and burden to save the five worlds. An Tzu and Jax can obviously help, but Oona is the real star in my eyes.

I loved being surprised by this story and I'm curious enough to see how the story continues in the next graphic novel to an extent. I like the story line but I'm still contemplating since I only like one character out of the three. My mind might be changed in the next volume. As far as who I would recommend this to, I think sci-fi lovers will really enjoy The Sand Warrior. It has magic plus sci-fi elements which are a great draw to those who really love that mix of genres.

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If you could work at a music store, what would be the first thing you'd recommend?

What is your favorite sci-fi fantasy read?