The Hazards of Love really surprised me. Twice.

At first, I was surprised when, at around mark 2 of the 11 collected issues, I was NOT feeling it. I was surprised by this because I'd been looking forward to it for ages, and the artwork and storyline looked absolutely perfect for me, but neither was working out at all once I actually started reading. At that point, I honestly couldn't tell you why this was happening.

Then surprise #2 came when I suddenly and violently got sucked straight into this gem of a graphic novel, out of nowhere! I don't know exactly at which point this change occurred, but before I knew it, I was lost in Bright World and Amparo's (both of them) adventures and travails, and I had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

The Hazards of Love is richly populated with weirdness and intrigue and depth and slyness, and I love it. Fake cat-Amparo's story arc was my least favourite of the two, because come on, get to the super strange deer-guy already! but it didn't detract from the story in any way. I'm just glad Stan Stanley's imagination birthed something as creepy-fun as this, fake-Amparo storyline and all.

After finishing this volume, which collects the first 11 issues and spans the full first arc of this story, I looked up the author, finding that The Hazards of Love is actually a webcomic that's released weekly. Yay me! I get to continue the story! But what this information also provided was a possible explanation for my initial disappointment with the comic - I think it might have been a case of the author finding her way throughout her own story and art style a bit before really settling into it and producing some great content. Or it could totally have been a me-problem - I'll own that too - but I'm glad I could move past it, either way.

A beautiful graphic novel, featuring a diverse cast of characters. I loved the artwork throughout, with its vivid colors and engaging flow. The story itself was beautiful.

Weird, creepy, bizzare, unique and incredible!

I loved this graphic novel! We have a queer MC, a hint of romance, a strangely beautiful but messed up world where humans are either eaten or used as slaves. What more could you possibly want?

I have so many questions about so many things and I cannot wait for the next installment!

Massive thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the review copy!

I was given this book as an uncorrected proof/ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb on the back of the book accurately sets the stage for what to expect in this graphic novel as does the cover match the art within. During the story our MC who loses their name to aforementioned magic cat (cover blurb) goes on a slow quest of adjusting to their new life in Bright World, and while trying to find their way back to the human world they begin to go through a sort of transformation - where exactly this transformation leads is unknown as of this ARC, but I have been sufficiently enticed to very impatiently await the next story to find out more.

Since this is an uncorrected copy, I’m not sure if the typos are fixed in the final (there were several, though that is presumably fixed by now). There is also a discrepancy with some curse words being scratched out while others are fully included - which again I’m presuming will be fixed in the final copy. The only panel I’m completely unsure of is the last one on page 10. We meet a new character that doesn’t seem significant to the story who makes a remark, “Okay, but remember that my dad’s had a ‘no lesbians in my home’ rule after what happened with my mom.” While the people saying these lines do attend an all girls school, I don’t feel like this line really serves the story well. Also I’m rather confused as to why it’s there since one of the people in this relationship being referenced is non-binary which then would not make it a lesbian relationship??? Nothing else like this comes up again, and I’m really glad to see a non-binary main character talking about their journey throughout the book.

Overall, I would be totally happy to pick up a finished copy for my collection, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in this story.

It is better than I could have imagined. I got it because it said queer. That was it. I am also a big fantasy person and really not a cat person (don't mind i am a dog person).

I will pet cats and spoil them, but I don’t generally seek them out. So the idea of a cat character that is big enough to make front and back cover kind of made me wary'

This is the coolest graphic novel from a new author I have read in a long, long time.

the graphics and imagination with the depiction is enough to want to go that world.

There is enough spooky and enough mystery to keep me coming back for more. There were enough set rules that I was able to enjoy the fantasy without feeling like everything was just super easy or cheating me out of plots. I adored this world. I am terrified by this world.

The characters are so alive. I didn’t even mean that joke, but I will take it. There are so many interesting characters. Who actually is this dear dude? What about the orange man? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. I am so mad right now. Why did this book have to end before I had my answers?

i need the sequel right now

The queer content is just wonderful. A character who may or may not have a label, is something i relate to, just living their life. The characters are all an intense mixture of good and bad. Some of the characters think they are worse than they are. Some think they are better than they are. There is just so much raw pain and emotions. I was really surprised that this book was that intense with emotions.

I really could gush about this book all afternoon. From the art to the story, I loved this story. I need book two immediately.

•Character development- 4☆
• Story Plot- 4☆
• Side characters- 4.5☆
• Flow of the story- 4☆
• Overall - 4.5☆

The Hazards of Love, Book 1: Bright World is a delightfully strange, relentlessly dark graphic novel from Stan Stanley. Amparo, who has just begun a (very adorable) relationship with Iolanthe, accidentally relinquishes their soul to a hairless cat who banishes them to Bright World. This is a place of fantastical creatures and grim tolls, where humans are valued for their labor, memories, and edible properties. When those are gone, well ... Amparo would rather not find out, sending them on a quest to return home before it’s too late. Stanley’s incredible, Day of the Dead-inspired artwork makes it impossible to look away from the pages of this suspenseful, unsettling, unexpectedly comical story. Although the “Book 1” should have been a clue, I was disappointed that this installment ends on a cliffhanger, with the introduction of a couple of very intriguing new characters. I will have to wait for Book 2 (or beyond) for a resolution! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This graphic about the perils of feeding hairless cats (just kidding, maybe?) sends the main character to a garden fantasyland (Bright Land) where humans are edible and indentured servitude is the only way to not be eaten.

Before this turn of events, our main character (who was named Amparo Uribe before losing their name) was constantly getting in trouble at school, disappointing their family and fell for a girl who rejects them, not certain about trusting her heart to such a scofflaw.

The art is bright and fun, the blocky lines are not distracting but make the story feel urgent and personal. I adored it!

REALLY spooky story but was otherwise an amazing read! I can't wait for the next book! The art was fantastic too!

The Hazards of Love, Vol. 1: Bright World
Written and illustrated by Stan Stanley
Published by Oni Press
Available March 30, 2021
Ages 14+

Amparo knows they have to be a better person if they’re going to make their mother and abuela proud—and have a chance with their rule-following crush, Iolanthe. But where to start? They’ve already wound up with another suspension after pulling the fire alarm at school. When a smooth-talking, magical cat appears in Amparo’s window, it seems to be the key to figuring it out: all the cat needs is Amparo’s name and a drop of their blood. But then the cat steals Amparo’s body and name, and Amparo find themselves transported from Queens to a new terrifying, dizzy land called Bright World. This new world is treacherous: its economy is built on memories, and the world is full of magical creatures, all who want a taste of human flesh. When Amparo finds themselves nameless and ensnared in an indentured servitude scheme, they have to use their wiles to escape—even if it means seeking refuge with a menacing deer, El Ciervo, and taking on a new name, Fawn. The Hazards of Love is a fast-paced, delectable, creepy read. Stan Stanley’s Amparo-turned-Fawn is a wonderfully complex character, and the supporting cast are fully realized and intriguing. Stanley’s imagery, which splits its time between Queens and Bright World, is critical to the storytelling; Bright World is exactly that: filled with bright colors, as well as cars equipped with praying mantis legs rather than tires. But those bright colors are just at first glance. As Fawn gets closer to the truth of their new master El Ciervo, the images get more shadowy and steeped in noir. The panel storytelling divides The Hazards of Love into chapters, each chapter uncovering a new development in this long form mystery. The Hazards of Love is a collection of the first twelve installments of Stan Stanley’s black-and-white web comic; fans of Volume 1 can check out her website for regular updates.

This was such a fun ride, from the colorful illustrations to the fantastical storyline and queer rep we all need in our lives! Amporo is a nonbinary latinx teen living their life with some mischief, but they want to make things better for those around them and end up making a deal with a magical cat, which did not work out how they expected. Amporo finds themselves in Bright World, a magical place that is hazardous to humans in many ways. As they learn how Bright World works and try to find a way back to their human life, Iolanthe, Amporo's girlfriend, is realizing something's fishy about the new and improved Amporo in their life.

The diversity of the cast was so refreshing and showed queer love and queer existence in many forms. The world-building in Bright World is so much fun! It's a little whacky, a little sinister, a lot colorful, and I can't wait for the next volumes of the series to find out what happens next.

Okay, this was an interesting graphic novel. The artwork itself is absolutely beautiful! Future prints of the artwork will be amazing. I do have a slight complaint that at times some of the text was difficult to make out on the first look of the words, so maybe there should be a consideration for ensuring the font of the text is clearly shown. Now the plot is super interesting where our main character of Amparo makes a deal with a cat that gets Amparo sent to Bright World. There Amparo finds a much different world with a different culture than the human world. They attempt to figure out a way back to the human world, as the cat that tricks them takes Amparo’s place in the human world. This graphic novel overviews the cat taking over Amparo’s life in the human world and Amparo navigating Bright World. Content warnings include swear words, gore, blood, body horror, death, and more. Bright World includes having these creatures that are in power and the humans are second-class citizens that are manipulated physically (like body parts could be cut off or modified) and mentally (memories is a form of currency), so be aware of that before you read this graphic novel.
I gave this graphic novel 4 out of 5 stars because of my critiques on the text and that there is something missing in the plot for me. I liked the author’s choices, but I felt like I needed something more. I thought the ending was a tad abrupt for me and while I am extremely curious how this story will progress, I am not overly obsessing over it.

This vibrant, queer graphic novel follows a nonbinary teen who gets dragged into an alternate world after making a bad deal. I really enjoyed the unique, surreal art style, which really immerses you into Ampado's adventures in the Bright World. The mystery of what the Bright World is, how to escape, and what characters like Juliana and El Ciervo are up to are weaved into a confusing but intriguing setting. I liked the moments where Ampado and Iolanthe's timelines ended up colliding, like the moment where they yelled "what was that?" together, and the occasional humorous fourth wall breaks added to my enjoyment. Overall, this was a gorgeous deep dive, and I'm looking forward to seeing where Ampado and Iolanthe's stories go from the ending.

4,5 stars.

This graphic novel is just magnificent.

The story starts when Amparo, who is a little bit of a troublemaker, trusts a talking cat and ends up losing their name and being sent to Bright World. This world is vibrant, nonsensical, with an Alice in Wonderland vibe, but I would say way darker. There are lots of creepy creatures that treat humans as meat and drain their memories, just for fun. The rules of Bright World are always changing, and time is all messed up. Amparo longs for their family and friends, but they are trapped in this world and they will have to fight to find their way back home.

The beautiful illustration style brings the story to life, and I love the contrast between the intriguing and wonderfully dark world, and the bright colors used to depict the place.

Besides Bright World itself, the best part of this graphic novel is Amparo. They are a great main character; not exactly a hero, but good-hearted. They’re witty and impulsive, and cunning enough to get by in a world that sees humans as either slaves or a tasty meal. They had me laughing from the first pages with their dialogue and then I was worried about their safety for the rest of the story. The side characters are also well-developed and I’m hoping to learn more about them, especially El Ciervo.

The storyline in the human world wasn’t my favourite part, but besides that, I can’t find any flaws in this graphic novel. I was thinking about rereading it even before I finished it, and that’s a sign of a really good book. I’ll be impatiently waiting for the next volume.

I can't belive that this graphic novel was able to keep me glued to the screen to finish reading it.

People know Amparo as a little delinquent. But Amparo likes Iolanthe, she didn't likes them the same way... after a bad "date" Amparo came back home and a talking cat offers to grant one wish. They have to offer up a drop of blood. Suddenly the cat muted his aspect an became Amparo. He stole the their life and future.

On the other hand, Amparo are banished to some place called the Bright World. A strange world without rules, where there is animals' domination and humans are treated as "servants". Here, Amparo can survive due to the work at Mimi's local.
A fashinating - and kinda creepy - character is Amparo’s patron, El Ciervo. EL CIERVO! I could dream about it and see the blue eyes creeping me out.

On Heart Iolanthe - that in the meantimes dates the "fake" Amparo - started noticing that something is not quite right with Amparo... and suddenly Amparo disappeared?

I loved the palette of this GN. The vivid colors used for Bright World, the illustrations are amazing.

You can certainly see Amparo as a nonbinary teen. The LGBTQ+ representation in this graphic novel is actually soft and I liked it so much.

The book ended on a very bad cliffhanger and I really cannot wait to the read the next book.

I honestly did not know what to expect from this book based on the blurb, but I requested it because it was about queer characters and looked weird, and that's right up my alley.

I ended up reading it all in almost a single sitting, and I'm obsessed! Amparo is a fantastic character: tough, snarky, deeply caring, and flawed but definitely still someone you root for. I love their vibrant character, and how they fight to maintain their sense of self throughout all the fantastical things that happen to them.

I don't really want to spoil things, so I'll speak more generally. From a worldbuilding standpoint, Bright World is incredibly creepy, and absolutely fascinating. Every detail intrigues me more and more, and the art makes it even more stunning. Another review compared it to Spirited Away, and I totally agree; while the art style and story are different, the themes (losing one's name and identity but finding oneself, fighting to escape an other world to return to those one loves) and the vibe (beautiful, atmospheric, super creepy) are similar, and in a way that I love.

The characters are all fantastic; everyone is interesting, if not always likeable, and most characters, even the cat who steals Amparo's name and life, have enough depth that you can at least sympathize with them a little. The romance is charming, but not the focus; rather, it's enjoyable to see a story where queer identity is a part without being the focus, normalized but not glossed over.

The incorporation of Spanish words and references to (I'm assuming, because I read it in another review) Mexican culture are also really cool, and definitely contribute to the overall mood.

All in all, this is the kind of book that queer kids need, and that queer kids deserve. I didn't start seeking out queer lit until college, and before then I didn't even know it existed because you had to look to find it. This hits both my love of weird fantasy and my love of positive LGBTQ+ representation, and it makes me incredibly happy to know that more and more books like this are being published.

I'll end this review by saying that I don't often track down Netgalley books to buy, but I'm already so excited to buy and read Volume 2 when it comes out!

The hairless cat on the cover of this graphic novel is what initially drew me in and omg did I get more than I bargained for. First, the colors and illustrations are so beautiful. Second, wtf did I just read?! This was creepy, dark, and mysterious. I can’t wait to read more!

Amparo is suspended from school as he pulled the fire alarm. He wants to not be a prankster but he is. He’s fallen for Iolanthe who is interested in getting good grades. A cat appears on Amparo’s windowsill and offers him a chance to be “good.” He. Agreees but finds himself in Bright World which is a terrifying land in between earth and what lies beyond. Bright World has creatures that live on humans and uses their memories as currency. Amparo is indentured to a cafe owner who gives him the name “Paola.” But then he finds a new master, El Ciervo who is a creepy doctor that specializes in medical procedures on humans. His new master names him Fawn. The cat who took over Amparo’s body and life is enjoying living on earth. Amparo knows he must figure out how to escape Bright World but will he? Can he?

Amparo appears to me as a nonbinary person — not just queer and Latix, while Iolanthe is Black. Bright World is very well developed making it seem like a real place. My summary of this book only “scratches the story of this graphic novel. There are two stories. It shows what is happening on earth as well as Bright World. There are many panels in Spanish. The pacing of the novel is well done. The colors are bright. I enjoyed the creepiness of this story that is filled with adventure, mysteries and romance. The ending is a cliffhanger making me want to read the next book.

*Thank you to NetGalley and OniPress for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

!!!SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

Wow. I honestly didn’t know what to expect going into this graphic novel, but I was pleasantly surprised, if not slightly weirded out. In a good way. This story is only just beginning, but I can see the potential. The 250ish pages of this graphic novel were over really quickly, and I look forward to the next installment.

I gave it four stars because I haven’t formed any emotional connection to the characters, but that’s not reflective of the author in any way, that’s on me. However, I always found myself rooting for Amaparo and Iolanthe, and was constantly wondering what would happen to Amaparo/Fawn/whatever their name is currently. I hope they are able to return home and that evil deer man El Ciervo leaves them ALONE. LET THEM LIVE IN PEACE. Iolanthe, the ‘sapphically inclined person’ as described in the graphic novel, is an awesome character, who goes through so much development in such a short arc and I am looking forward to seeing where author takes her.

The strange, alternative timeline of Bright World is very intriguing. In future volumes, I am excited to see where the author take us readers, because the vibrant colours and real life influences make for a dark, seedy world where humans are subservient to the animal/monster hybrids who are the first-class citizens. It’s differentiated from ‘our’ reality by a green tinge, which is a fab addition by the artist that I think really draws home the contrast between the two worlds. The currency of Bright World is memories, names and experiences of the humans that the animals barter to control and take ownership of the humans. As you do. The fact that it runs alongside the real life world and time works differently made the intrigue and mystery of the situation so much more thrilling. Honestly, I was wondering what would happen next. The plotting, therefore, was a tad confusing in small places, but on the whole, pretty solid and consistent.

Please check the trigger warnings I will list below, because this graphic novel isn’t overly violent, but does contain some aspects that might be upsetting to some readers. Recommendation: Author maybe putting a content warning at the start of the graphic novel, considering the things that happen during the course of the graphic novel. Only so their readers are aware of the potentially triggering content for them. Just a thought.

The art style is vibrant, colourful, and the text is just the right size to be readable. Well done author for creating such an aesthetically pleasing book that adds to the creepiness of the whole story.

There was a slight case of insta-love that kinda threw me off and the fact that Iolanthe was seduced by the cat form of Amparo…yeah. That was something if not hilarious and slightly concerning. Also, the generously gifted necklace of fingers was something I did not expect, but it got Amparo out of a sticky situation, so that was advantageous.

Concluding thoughts: I WANT MORE OF THE LESBIAN MAFIA. The evil cat is not in my good books. El Ciervo is a scary animal. Genuinely terrifying. Love the introduction of diversity and representation. Pretty colours. Great start to the story, excited to see where it continues in the next volumes.

Did I mention this book has representation? Things that are canon: non-binary, queer MC, black sapphic female side character/LI, gay character and a whole bunch of introduced LESBIANS. Gimme more of that please.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Misgendering, violence/deliberate body mutilation, swearing and mentions of alcohol.

A great, enjoyable, creepy read that anyone who is a fan of morally grey animals (and just morally grey humans, because let’s face it, everyone apart from Amparo’s aunt is a bad person in some way), unreliable narrators, burgeoning friendships and scary adventures, will enjoy. Onto the next one, when it releases. Thank you for reading and I’ll see you soon with my next review :)

I loved the artwork in this comic so much. The vibrant colors are amazing. The story starts out a little cheesy and I did not expect to enjoy it, but I ended up falling in love with this comic and I hope to read more soon.

I wanted to like this so much! I always love love love WLW stories, especially comics and graphic novels. This one just fell flat for me though, I guess. I think it was more so the artwork than the story itself? The artwork felt harsh and hard on the eyes, and it just wasn't something that I enjoyed. Other than that, the story itself was enjoyable and cute, but not memorable or standout. I'd more so give it 2.5 stars than 3, but I don't wanna go as low as 2 stars. It was just very average and almost meh.