River Readers

Darius was named after Darius the Great but he doesn't feel great. He is bullied at school and medicated for depression. He feels less than his little sister because mom taught Lelah Farsi to communicate with their grandparents in Iran but he was never taught. He thinks he is a disappointment to his father because he is not sporty and is depressed even though his dad is also on depression medication. When they find out that grandpa is sick the family heads to Iran to visit him.

Dear Sister is a heartwarming telling of a brother's "love" for his baby sister. It is told by letters and pictures he writes/draws for her. I loved it so much and it perfectly describes the sibling dynamic as they grow older.

Jimmy likes his friend Sara and is saddened when she follows her dreams of moving from Oakland to New York. He writes her a letter expressing her feelings and asks her to meet him at the top of the Empire State Building a la Sleepless in Seattle. Turns out Sara never got the letter, isn't interested in Jimmy and has a boyfriend. 

This was pretty much a dud for me. I didn't find the story nor the characters appealing and couldn't even remember their names when I went to write this review. The art did nothing to elevate the lackluster story.

Dennis loves video games but struggles with his parents' expectations of him. They want him to go to medical school and specialize in proctology. When his dad dies angels appear to him and try to guide him on that path. 

This was a bit of a miss for me. I liked Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese but this one was weird and didn't work.