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Curveball is a science fiction graphic novel telling the story of a waiter named Avery coping with the ending of a difficult relationship. Having spent years attempting to build something substantial with an indecisive sailor named Christophe, Avery stubbornly holds on despite the mounting evidence against him. The idea of the relationship has eclipsed it's reality and in Avery's already troubled life, the allure of something dependable is a powerful force.Curveball focuses on the duality of hope and delusion. How ignorance is integral to surviving our day to day lives but can be incredibly destructive if allowed to blossom into 'optimism'.This is the gorgeous debut of a talented young cartoonist telling the most universal of tales: a love story.Jeremy Sorese was born in Berlin, raised in Virginia, and educated in Georgia at the Savannah College of Art and Design before becoming a resident of La Maison des Auteurs in Angouleme, France. He is the creator and current writer of the Steven Universe comic series, published monthly by BOOM studios. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Paperback: 420 pages
Publisher: Nobrow Press (November 17, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 191062005X
ISBN-13: 978-1910620052
Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 1.1 x 8.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #753,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #114 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Gay & Lesbian #800 in Books > Self-Help > Relationships > Conflict Management #871 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Conflict Resolution
There is something so special about Jeremy Sorese's art. Every page of this book feels like a lush painting, with beautiful brushstrokes that swirl and suck you into the futuristic world he's created. Sorese cleverly uses color and lettering in subtle ways to help tell to the story (but no spoilers!!!!) that I was really excited to discover as I made it through the story. I love the different ways he breaks up pages or displays motion or creates moods. I don't read a lot of graphic novels but I remember thinking this whole thing felt very cinematic.Curveball captures so many elements of love and pining, there are so many small moments and bits of dialogue where I felt myself strongly agreeing, or wishing I had this during a breakup or rough patch. This isn't a self-help book, and it's not explicit, but there is a level of care and compassion imbued here that I think would be helpful during a tough time. I'm also not really a "sci-fi" person but I thought this, above all, was really a story about diverse, emotional, human people.Another reviewer mentioned this, but for a book categorized as "Gay & Lesbian," it really doesn't read like one. The characters in this book are fluid – gender identity and sexuality are less relevant than their actual emotions and what they have to say. This novel is set in the future in more ways than one. How nice to have a "queer" novel that isn't ruled by sex or blunt definitions.Also, as a graphic designer, I couldn't help noticing that the production on this thing is beautiful. The printing is gorgeous, the fluorescent orange ink feels expensive and this is a pretty hefty book! When I got my copy I couldn't help thinking that it should probably be more expensive? I mean, I'm glad it's not.I got mine at The Strand Bookstore but then I came to today to buy it as a gift. I want all my friends to read this so I have someone to talk to about it!!
Oh my, what can I say about this book? It is really charming! There's a tender meltyness to every form Sorese draws. The style is effortless and yet successful at forming a mythos and building a world around the novel's central emotional conflict. The book is categorized – on at least – as a "Gay and Lesbian Graphic Novel." You could honestly get through 70 percent of it without noticing the main character's gender identity / sexual preference: that's something special! This theme is handled with grace and nuance, only being directly addressed in one peripheral scene near the end. But the central theme is truly universal. It's a very tender, empathetic discussion of how our ambitions affect those who love us. As a fledgling twentysomething with a thousand vague ambitions, that really hit home. I really recommend this book!
I could stare at this book for hours. Jeremy Sorese is an artistic powerhouse, crafting rich and dynamic pages again and again throughout this book. He creates a sharply defined world of unrequited love, technology on the fritz, and urban 20-something life in the near future. If you don't pick this up, you're missing out.
Sorese is a gifted cartoonist who writes believable, honest, sweet, occasionally infuriating relationships. This is a really neat, smart retrofuture comic that I'd highly recommend to folks who liked emotional intimacy mixed in with weird, beautiful sci-fi design.
thank god for jeremy sorese
Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip Curveball
