I browse Kickstarter every now and then, usually in the graphic novel or comics section. I like how Kickstarter and other platforms have helped fund projects that may not have existed otherwise. In one scroll, I noticed the campaign for Fogl Line. Fog Line immediately piqued my interest. The premise of a True Crime podcast exposing a crime that a man committed 40 years ago and seemingly got away with was enough for me to officially back the campaign. Fog Line was everything I hoped for and reminded me to check Kickstarter more often.

Before I talk about the graphic novel, I wanted to comment on the way it was shipped. Fog Line was packaged in this white envelope. The packaging made it seem that the book was “evidence” that was collected at a crime scene. How neat is this?? I was surprised by the attention to detail. I’m for sure planning on keeping the package as a way to store Fog Line, versus simply throwing it away.

Fog Line focuses on Henry, a retired trucker living with his daughter and grandson. Henry wakes up from nightmares consistently. His dreams are always the same; he is on a shift and accidentally hits and kills a woman. Henry, instead of calling the police, drags her body into a cornfield and buries her. As Henry plays with his grandson, he discovers his grandson is listening to a True Crime podcast that’s investigating her disappearance. Apparently, she was the daughter of a mob boss, so her death led to additional violence during that time period. Henry is horrified and realizes that maybe he should confess after all.

I love this whole concept. Henry is experiencing major guilt; however, I was anxiously awaiting how he would be caught. The art is told entirely in black & white, which I felt fit the style of the graphic novel. The only critique I would have is that Fog Line was much shorter than I anticipated. I wanted more story! I wanted to see more of Henry and this True Crime podcast. I felt the story was skimmed over. It could be because there will be a second volume and they’re preparing the campaign now, which I will happily support.

Fog Line by Mario Candelaria had an interesting premise, and I’m happy to have helped bring the project to life. It’s an important reminder to check Kickstarter because there are a lot of creative people out there making content that’s worth investing in.

I Am Not Starfire has an average rating of 3.4 stars on Goodreads. As I read reviews, I was appalled at some of the comments. There were reviews from people who hadn’t even read the novel and were already saying it was awful. There were comments about the author and illustrator not being talented, and why DC Comics would ask them to create this. It’s upsetting that this novel received so much negative attention before it was released. I am happy to say I Am Not Starfire has a lot of heart, and I’m glad I read it.

Mandy is the daughter of Starfire, a member of the Teen Titans. Starfire is popular amongst many. Mandy is the opposite and finds that she doesn’t want to constantly live under her mother’s shadow. As Mandy balances her life at school, she’s confronted by someone from Starfire’s past. Mandy sees her mom through a new lens and decides to protect everything and everyone she holds dear.

As a reminder, this is a YA (Young Adult) graphic novel. I found that a lot of the negative reviews didn’t mention this. Many of the negative reviews criticized Mandy. Mandy, in many ways, is a typical teenager. Teenagers can be selfish, rude, and over the top at times. Everything is a big deal at that age. One of my favorite moments is when Mandy was contemplating other options besides going to college. I thought this was insightful, especially because college is emphasized after high school.

Besides Mandy, I liked the side characters. Lincoln serves as Mandy’s best friend. He relates to Mandy in many ways. Besides Lincoln, there’s Claire, Mandy’s school crush. They have a falling out towards the middle of the novel, which I felt was realistic given Mandy’s insecurities.

I Am Not Starfire is undeserving of all the hate it received. I thought this was a lovely read. I rated I Am Not Starfire five stars on Goodreads.

Content Warning: Sexual Assault (SA) I will not discuss graphic details.

Anyone of any sex or gender can be a victim of SA or a perpetrator. This book focuses specifically on cis, college women.

For one month out of the year, I do my best to read non-fiction solely. I never used to be a non-fiction reader; however, I like to learn new things, and the best way to do that is through reading. For June, I’m going to read only non-fiction. I have two more books lined up for the month, so I’m curious to see if I read them both. The first non-fiction book I read this month was Missoula Rape And The Justice System In A College Town by Jon Krakauer.

Missoula is seemingly an ordinary college town. The University of Montana is the home base for the Grizzly football team which unites college kids and the town as a whole. Missoula became the home base for a scandal when articles were published alleging that Missoula wasn’t thoroughly investigating sexual assaults. Numerous women were coming forward saying they reported their sexual assault but were told there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute. Women who came forward were asked if they had a boyfriend or other deeply personal questions, completely unrelated to their trauma. Jon Krakauer details the victims, their stories, and how Missoula came under investigation.

There are so many horrifying things in this story. In one instance, there’s a phrase that I have heard before where a rapist isn’t charged because “a victim declined to press charges.” This statement, in many ways, is false. A SA victim can report this to the police, but if the criminal justice system doesn’t want to indict someone, they have the power to not move the case forward. It’s interesting because I have heard this statement before, and it’s misleading about what is actually going on.

One way I was impressed with Missoula was the way Krakauer brought up the fear of false SA charges. There was a case specifically referenced where a man was sent to prison, and the victim came forward saying she made up that she was assaulted. This part of the book was delicate because it stated how awful false charges are and bridged that with how every case should be investigated with tenacity and diligence. I thought this was done respectfully and tactfully.

The book itself kept me engaged throughout. There was a guide in the back that listed all the individuals mentioned in the story. I found it easy to reference and follow along with all the key players in the book. I think the book was the perfect length, where it wasn’t too long or too short. This was easily one of my all-time favorite non-fiction books I have ever read, even though it was disturbing.

Missoula Rape And The Justice System In A College Town is a book I would recommend everyone to read. The survivors are the true heroes, and without them, there wouldn’t have been any change.