If you’re in need of a queer graphic novel, The Hazards of Love should be added to your TBR pile immediately! Following Amparo, a queer teen who has always been seen as a delinquent, The Hazards of Love invites readers into a fast-paced adventure. We follow Amparo as they are granted one wish by a talking cat that goes horribly, horribly wrong and that lands them banished to a place called The Bright World. Nameless and confused, Amaro must fight their way back to the real world, while trying not to be maimed on the way.
The Bright World reminded me a lot of Wonderland in its ways as the main rule of the Bright World is that there are no rules and yet there are always new ones that keep changing which makes it almost impossible for humans to break out again without landing themselves in (even more) hot waters. Things keep getting curiouser and curiouser and that definitely kept me on my toes as I was flipping through this graphic novel.
There’s also a tiny hint at a romance in the works as we get to meet Iolanthe, Amparo’s real-world crush and someone who is straight-laced, rule following and overall very, very serious. That personality worked so well in comparison to Amparo because they tend to be the exact opposite to that in most situations. Fine, so Iolanthe isn’t exactly talking to the real Amparo in the human world since Amparo is stuck in the Bright World and instead is mostly communicating with a cat-possessed Amparo, but no relationship is perfect, right? No, really, this adds a lot of humour and ingenuity to the graphic novel that will have readers clutch their faces and groan, desperate for Iolanthe to realise she’s not talking to the real Amparo.
The art style of Hazards of Love was right up my alley with the vibrant colours, the attention to little details that fleshed out characters like Amparo and Iolanthe, not to mention the drawings themselves! The style fit really well with this juxtaposition of the real world and the Bright World Amparo’s spirit is banished to.
I admit, though, that I sometimes ended up a bit confused at the placing of panels, such as there’s this one sequence where the human world was shown side to side with the Bright World and my brain had a hard time jumping back and forth so quickly. I ended up reading the human panel side and then jumped to the Bright World side and that worked way better for me. But that’s a minor issue from someone who isn’t that versed in reading graphic novels, so just as a heads-up to not let that confuse you.
Fast-paced, vibrant and with a mean cliffhanger, The Hazards of Love Vol. 1: Bright World is a great first instalment in what looks to be a promising queer graphic novel series!
The Hazards of Love Vol. 1: Bright World is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of March 30th 2021.
Will you be picking up The Hazards of Love Vol. 1: Bright World? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
The Hazards of Love follows the story of a queer teen from Queens who makes some mistakes, gets dragged into a fantastical place, and tries to hustle their way back home.
Amparo’s deal with the talking cat was simple: a drop of blood and Amparo’s name to become a better person. Their mother and abuela would never worry about them again, and they’d finally be worthy of dating straight-A student Iolanthe. But when the cat steals their body, becoming the better person they were promised, Amparo’s spirit is imprisoned in a land of terrifying, flesh-hungry creatures known as Bright World.
With cruel and manipulative masters and a society that feeds on memories, Amparo must use their cleverness to escape, without turning into a monster like the rest. On “the other side,” Iolanthe begins to suspect the new Amparo has a secret, and after the cat in disguise vanishes, she’s left searching for answers with a no-nonsense medium from the lesbian mafia and the only person who might know the truth about Bright World.
I found the book delightful, art is great and so beautifully done! I read it and can hardly wait to see what happens in the next book. I am not gay, but I did enjoy the story very much and will recommend this book to anyone who likes to read.