Lola

Very decent, literary graphic novel, done out in rich sepia, of a Canadian lad back at his ancestral Filipino home.  He's concerned the place is haunted by the boogie-men and monsters he's been told about, while the book is also concerned about what else haunts the family – all those that they've had to say goodbye to, both young and old.  It's a book about tradition, family legend, and whether it's always right to fill your kids' head with 'stuff' when you've long since moved country.  Light on script, but quite heavy on impact, this is certainly work a look.

I'm a really big fan of ghost stories and this one didn't disappoint! If you liked Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol or Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks,  I think you will like Lola! It gave me Coco vibes. Yes, the Disney animated film, because Lola is Jesse's grandmother who passes away. Jesse is dealing with the grief of losing a loved one at a young age and I could relate to him on that level since I lost my grandmother at the age of 11 however, I couldn't see/talk to ghosts which is what differs me from Jesse's character.  The illustrations and color scheme was interesting as all of the comic strips are black, orange and sepia. This kind of threw me off of the story and I wasn't sure why the author chose this color as opposed to purple or blue or a traditional color scheme. The story could've been more fleshed out because I felt confused until the last act. Overall, I would recommend it!

Lola is a lovely, visually appealing graphic novel that tells the story of Jesse, a Filipino-Canadian boy who travels back to the Philippines with his parents after the death of his grandmother, Lola. Jesse has strange memories of Lola, including a recollection of a time when he was a baby and she tried to drown him. Upon arriving at his extended family’s house in the Philippines, he begins to see a number of frightening things, including an apparition of his dead cousin, Jonjon. Jesse realizes that he, like his Lola, has the gift of seeing and communicating with the dead… but is he prepared to bear this responsibility?

This story says so much in the brief confines of its pages about family, faith, and grief. I’m devoutly Catholic, like Jesse’s family, but I’m Italian and they’re Filipino, so our experiences of faith take different forms, and I loved reading about that. The brand of Filipino Catholicism in this story is closely tied with traditional lore about monsters, spirits, and the afterlife, and it lends a perfect hand to the telling of Jesse’s story. It almost reminded me of the concept in The Sixth Sense?

I love how this story tackles grief in a way that’s accessible for its young audience. Jesse is afraid of the ghosts he sees, but the story takes him on a journey of understanding and connecting with his family members (both dead and alive) because of his unique ability. Though he feared Lola in life, her death brings him closer to her in a way he doesn’t anticipate.

The art style is aesthetically pleasing, and I loved the sepia coloring. There are some really nice shots of Jesse’s family, as well as various scenery and atmosphere establishment, and I liked how the artist was able to so seamlessly blur the lines between the world of the living and of the dead. Jesse was a great protagonist, caught in the middle of this intersection of faith, culture, and family.

I would for sure recommend this novel for anyone looking for a compelling story about grief, an insight into Filipino spirituality and culture, or a family story that brings it protagonist closer to finding themselves. Also, what a good ending!

This book is a soft, sad, yet mysterious read behind the death of Jesse's Lola, how the family celebrates her life, and in which the gift (or perhaps curse to Jesse) Jesse has allows for him to see creatures that no one else can with the exception of his now deceased Lola. It frightens him, what he sees and what he knows, as he can't tell others of it in fear of what they will think of him.

What a pleasure to read a book outside my own understanding that touches on some universal themes around family, grief and a child’s understanding growing up.
Returning from their new home in Canada, Jesse’s family go back to the Philippines for his Grandma (Lola is the original Tagalog word) funeral.
It is both a joyous and sound occasional with the adults, parents, and aunts and uncles and many cousins coming to terms with her passing. 
She was a special person strong in her Catholic faith but steeped in Filipina Folklore.
Jesse gets teased about the different beliefs in his late Grandma’s culture, ghosts, spirits and demons that would frighten any kid. He is more sensitive as he seems to have “inherited” some of Lola’s unusual gifts and powers.
This is a rewarding read and speaks to the heart of growing up and the importance of family. Jesse has to wrestle with his own experience and the new twist on his experiences through learning about his heritage and that Lola may have blessed or cursed him. 
In a clear two tone graphic novel presentation of a seminal moment in Jesse’s life this is a wonderful insight into another country and how we can all n afraid of the dark and the unexplained. The story is a journey to faith and renewal which will encourage while perhaps scaring you along the way.

This story is visually beautiful. If you're going to take anything away from my review, let it be that. I'm stunned and awed at how the story pulled me in by visuals alone (and of course, later with the words. Those are important too!).

About the story:
Our lead, Jesse's Lola (Grandmother) scares them - she's quite odd yet everyone seemed to love her. The family travels back to the Phillipines and things seem different and scarier. After a scary story, a rumour is spread that Lola had visions... And Jesse might too.

My positives:
1. I did not know Lola meant Grandmother in Tagalog. I love learning new things, so that was a bonus for me.

2. The visuals and illustrations are just magical. They're soft in colour but so fulfilling. Honestly, that was one of my favourite parts of this book. I think the pictures suited the story very well.

3. This is a story of loss and grief but also supernatural ties. I think it had a very good mix of showing emotion and weaving in a narrative. I applaud J. Torres. I was truly hooked to this story.

My negative:
1. I really enjoyed this little story, but it was just too short. I wanted more! It's not short in a bad way - the narrative finishes and feels final. I just truly wanted more. This story was magical. 

All of that being said, I definitely want to read more by J. Torres. I'm truly intrigued with this story and art style. With such a lovely story behind it, this graphic novel is sure to be a smash.

Five out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for giving me access to this book.

This was spooky, creepy and fun, but also such an important story. I love how it highlights Filipino culture and how it deals with a difficult subject like grief. It’s a bold, brave and necessary book.

Now here’s the deal: I LOVE all the lore and cultural references to Philippines. The ghost stories were superb. The art is beautiful. My only issue? The whole graphic novel reads like a prologue to the real story. There’s so much potential that’ll be wasted if there’s no follow up and I feel like I NEED to know what happens next. 

If this ends up being just the first volume of a series, I’ll probably go back and bump my rating to five stars (because it’s an AMAZING way to set up a new story). If there’s no sequel, I’ll most likely lower my rating to three stars (because it feels incomplete). As for now, I’ll just go with 4/5 stars and we’ll see what happens.

This book is interesting because it about Filipino folklore. Kids are always fascinated about that that are creepy or scary so this will definitely be a book they will enjoy. The artwork is simple but effective.

I kept wanting for more when I finished up reading this amazing graphic novel. It seems like a memoir somehow. It only talks about a particular holiday kind of visit that was happening in the story. I love how innocent the whole story was! It is told from a child's perspective regarding urban folklore kind of stories especially the main character's grandmother, Lola (it means grandmother in Tagalog) based in the Philippines. It's an interesting narration with sight pleasing vivid illustrations in neutral hues of brown-grey white shades (first of its kind for me and I don't think I will read something like this in the same colour hues ever again!). 
I love how alive the characters were and I came to know a bit about the way families are in the Philippines alongwith some of their traditions. I wish it was a bit more detailed in either the art or the dialogues.

It was a pretty good read.

Thanks #NetGalley for the copy of the book #Lola

Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of this graphic novel exploring Filipino folklore and grief, this edition of Lola: A Ghost Story ("Lola" meaning "grandmother" in Tagalog) releases March 24th and is the story of a young boy named Jesse whose only memory of his grandmother - a woman who, supposedly, saw visions and even fought off demons and monsters while she was alive - is of when she tried to drown him as a baby. With his family as they gather together at Lola's old home, Jesse finds himself now seeing visions, only he can't figure out whether they are good ones or monsters in disguise, and more than ever he wishes Lola were around to guide him. While the artwork and writing both take on a dreamlike, hazy quality that perfectly embodies the spirit (no pun intended) of this simple yet effective story, ultimately Lola is a tale of grief and being able to move forward beyond it; of family, and of learning that in helping others we often also help ourselves. Charming and sweet.  4/5 stars