From a village in Nepal to the streets of Calcutta

"It is a woman's fate to suffer...simply to endure is to triumph."

In Patricia McCormick's Sold, Lakshmi knows how to take pleasure in the simple things in life. Her pet goat, Tali. The way the sun rises over the mountains surrounding the village. The tinkle of gold in her mother's ears. 

Even though her stepfather spends his days at the teahouse gambling rather than working. Even though the old thatch on their roof lets in as much rain as it keeps out.

But after a terrible drought, followed by terrible rains, the family is left with nothing but debts.

Nothing, that is, except Lakshmi.

Lakshmi's best friend Gita left the village to be a maid to a wealthy household in the city. Lakshmi sees the tin roof that her friend's natal house now has. She sees the 'electric sun' hanging from a cord inside. She sees the weariness of her mother, and her tiny baby brother. So when the crops fail and even her mother's earrings are sold, Lakshmi can easily see what a great help it would be for her to go to work. And with a heavy heart, but a hopeful gaze, Lakshmi leaves with the beautiful stranger, and her stepfathers leaves with a handful of money.

As Lakshmi travels to the city, she sees many things she's never seen before. She sees the landscape race by her as she rides the train. She sees men in uniform, and is frightened of them. She sees a girl, in the gutter, with her head freshly shaven and with men throwing cigarette butts at her. She sees what happens to women her age who disobey the men in their lives.

Even after all these sights, Lakshmi still arrives in Calcutta with the hope that she'll be a help to her family. She walks into Happiness House with a straight back, hoping to show her new bosses that she is a hard worker. She sees girls in beautiful dresses, and she starts to wonder if working in this place might not be so bad after all.

Then Mumtaz gives Lakshmi her first 'job,' putting her in a room with a man who had paid for her.

Written in free verse, Patricia McCormick does an amazing job transporting the reader to Central Asia, contrasting the remote, idyllic village in Nepal where Lakshmi was born and raised to the dirty, bustling city of Calcutta. Written in free verse, the chapters flow together with the reader not realizing how quickly the story is passing until the final climactic pages.

Painstakingly researched, Sold is a beautifully written young adult book that keeps its readers in mind regarding content, and is a wonderful introduction for young people to the realities that girls face other parts of the world.

Highs: The wonderful stories of contentment taking place in the village give a sharp contrast to the bleakness of life at the Happiness House.

Lows:  Being a young adult book, it wraps up just a bit too neatly for my adult taste, but that's expected in the genre.

Verdict: A great book for a classroom, or a cross-generational reading group, with beautiful prose and a tactful manner of handling difficult subject matters.

Further Reading: The Good Women of China, Escape from Camp 14, The Boy who Harnessed the Wind

Manga Monday: What in heaven is the monstrosity on the cover?

Our intrepid Survey Corps members encounter what are by the most abnormal Titans yet in Attack on Titan Volume 9.

Note: Attack on Titan Volume 9 is part of an ongoing series. Check out the review for Volume 1 here, and Volume 8 here.  Otherwise, read on!

Redemption, loyalty, and a terrible choice

Doctor Stephen Strange is one of those oddball superheroes that the mainstream moviegoer might not have heard of. Trained as a doctor, and once one of the most skilled surgeons in the world, a car accident stole the steadiness of his hands from him. As he searched for a cure for himself, he met Earth's Sorcerer Supreme and apprenticed under him. Now, a slightly more humble man, he uses his new found skills to aid the Avengers in their mission to protect the Earth.

In Doctor Strange: The Oath, we meet Strange in Night Nurse's waiting room. Someone's shot him, but that's not Strange's biggest worry. His assistant, partner and friend Wong is dying, and even Strange is wondering whether he'll be able to save him.

The story goes backwards and forwards in time, showing the reader his arrogance and disregard for the suffering of those around him, the accident that sent Strange down his new path towards sorcery, and more recent events as he's searched for a cure for Wong.

And Strange is so very close to a cure. The elixir that he traveled to another dimension to find is said to 'erase what troubles the mind of man." But what if this doesn't simply cure Wong's tumor? What if it is the cure for everything?

And what if some people don't want everything cured?

Brian K Vaughan is one of the most popular comic writers in recent years, and with good reason. After wrapping up an amazing run with Y: The Last Man, he started his award-winning series Saga. With The Oath, Vaughan brings his amazing characterization and storytelling to a character who has quite a bit of depth to him. The Oath is a wonderful introduction to a character who is Earth's greatest defender against all that the other dimensions can throw at us.

Highs: Night Nurse deserves her own comic, hands down.

Lows: I'm glad how the story eventually resolved, but I wish Strange would eventually grow out of a bit more of his selfishness.

Verdict: The Oath is a great place for new fans to start, especially those wanting to get a feeling for the character before the movie comes out.

Further Reading: Ms. Marvel, Loki: Agent of Asaguard, Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers

Manga Monday: Some kids just can't sit still

Every classroom has one. The student who will do absolutely anything to avoid paying attention in class. Generally that student's repertoire is limited to staring out the window, reading comics, or perhaps playing with his phone. Occasionally, such a student creates a distraction, or annoys the students adjacent to them, but this usually draws enough attention that the teacher puts an end to it.

Unfortunately, not only are Seki's distractions fascinating, but he's a master of stealth in My Neighbor Seki Volume 1.

Poor Yokoi. Poor, poor Yokoi. At this rate, she'll never be able to pay attention in class again. But who could blame her? Seki simply refuses to sit still and do his work. And what he actually is doing is much more interesting than what the teacher's trying to get across.

For example, in 2nd Period, Seki starts a game of Shogi. Sort of. He's turned Shogi into a drama about loyalty and betrayal and possibly a resurrected king?

5th Period doesn't go much better. He's switched over to Go this time...but Yokoi's not sure about the rules of Go. Are...are there teddy bears and bunnies involved? Is that normal?

Wait...a cat? Why is there a cat in 6th Period? Multiple cats? Is this normal?

Ouija boards, robot toys, crocheting...there's a lot going on in the back row here. Unfortunately, there's not much note-taking. Will Yokoi ever be able to concentrate again?

Probably not.

The premise of My Neighbor Seki is fantastic. The chapters are short enough that they don't begin to get tired, and the ideas are so far-out that there's plenty of room for the author to play around. The art's not always amazing, but it's completely serviceable for the type of story that it tells, and it's clear who's who and what's going on .Overall, it's a hilarious manga that's a great way to spend a few minutes here and there.

Highs: To be honest, Seki really did take the disaster drill as seriously as he could

Lows: I wish Seki got called out more than poor Yokoi did, but I suppose that's part of the fun

Verdict: A step up from a simple 4-koma comic, My Neighbor Seki is still best read in small bites, but it's fun and reminiscent of middle school antics that most people either participated in or watched

Further Reading: Crayon Shin-Chan, Yotsuba&!, Neko Ramen

Manga Monday: Does Hina's goodness prevent her from seeing others clearly?

Hina's sweet nature and love of those around her may make her blind to the dangers around her in Suki: A Like Story Volume 2.

Note: Suki: A Like Story Volume 2 is part of a series. For the review of Volume 1 click here. Otherwise, read on.

Manga Monday: A very special kind of cat

There once was a cat who traveled. Her back was black light the night, with spots scattered across it like the Milky Way Galaxy. She had a bit of magic about her, and she touched lives along the way. This is the tale of Sirial's Milkyway Hitchhiking Volume 1.

In 'The Black Cat's Wish,' Milkyway comes across a black cat named Sarah. He was rescued by his owner, and all he wants to do is thank him somehow. So he asks Milkyway to become human, if only for a day, or a few hours. Just long enough to thank the person who saved his life. If a cat was given the abilities of a human, how would he choose to thank his savior?

'Cat-Food Burglar' is the story of a strange little girl. Whenever anyone puts food out for the neighborhood cats, she steals it and eats it herself. Milkyway misses a few meals like that, before she begins to investigate. She's hardly starving, she's got a little bit of a tummy on her, so why in the world would this girl be so selfish?

'Mechanical Cat in the Gray City' leads into 'But There Is Only One.' A robot cat named Sandy has wandered out of its home. As Milkyway and Sandy wander the city, the nature of happiness, and of cathood, are explored. All the while, Sandy's young owner cries for her. Is a robot cat just as important, and irreplaceable, as a flesh and blood one?

Sirial has created a gorgeous and pensive manhua. Each page is rich with watercolor-style artwork and broad vistas. While some pages might not be the most detailed, the sheer beauty of the composition simply blows the reader away. This is far and away the most beautiful art I've seen in a comic in years, on par with the great Kaoru Mori, but completely different as well.

Milkyway Hitchhiking is a wonderful, introspective book that takes the time to explore the world, one story at a time.

Highs: The longer, connected chapters bring a welcome sense of fullness amid the one-shots.

Lows: Occasionally, the layering of art, English text bubbles, and Korean sound effects can be hard to read.

Verdict: Milkyway Hitchhiking is a surprising breath of fresh air in the busy, action-packed world of manga.

Further Reading: A Bride's Story, Kino no Tabi, Chi's Sweet Home

Manga Monday: How deep does the conspiracy go?

The identity of the Female Titan is discovered, and the mystery of the Walls deepens in Attack on Titan Volume 8.

Note: Attack on Titan Volume 8 is part of an ongoing series. Check out the review for Volume 1 here, and Volume 7 here.  Otherwise, read on!