Name: Ally's review of Crushing by Sophie Burrows
Item: Crushing
Rating: 5
Author: Ally

Sophie Burrows

She’s lonely and searching for connection. He’s lonely and afraid to reach out. Life in the big city means being surrounded by connections—making them, missing them, and longing for them. But is finding someone else really the answer to their problems? Crushing, the stunning debut graphic novel from Sophie Burrows, is a story told in silence; a story without words but bursting with meaning; a story about loneliness and love. Achingly beautiful, quietly defiant, and full of subtle wit and wisdom, Crushing is a unique meditation on the human condition in the twenty-first century, and a timely examination of young adult life in an age of isolation.

Crushing

Jude Moon

Ally

Every moment is a fresh beginning. 

Crushing perfectly captures the enticing excitement of making eye contact in a crowd, feeling so brutally alone around a group of friends, and the embarrassment of being an individual. There is always hope.

renee badenoch

I loved Sophie Burrow's Crushing. It's a silent comic following two characters navigating a loud, chaotic world, trying hard to survive the crushing grind of capitalism, and omnipresent loneliness they both feel, despite being surrounded by people. I was impressed by how much author Sophie Burrows was able to convey an emotionally complex story without any words, and heartened by the character's hopeful and sweet meeting at the end of the book. I related a lot to Burrow's depictions of ennui brought about by the sameness of a dull, repetitive job, the scariness of being alone in a city, and the general nastiness of men on Tinder. Also enjoyed the use of colors, especially the bright, friendly red worn by the main characters to help them stand out against the backdrop of blues and grays. A solid read!

Simply illustrated and told and made me feel feelings.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Crushing

Author: Sophie Burrows

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: romance, graphic novel, sequential art

Publication Date: January 11, 2021

Genre: Graphic Novel Romance

Recommended Age: 14+ (romance, some sexual content)

Explanation of CWs: The book is about love and finding someone. There is some small sexual content, but not a lot (throwaway jokes mostly).

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Pages: 160

Synopsis: She’s lonely and searching for connection. He’s lonely and afraid to reach out.

Life in the big city means being surrounded by connections—making them, missing them, and longing for them. But is finding someone else really the answer to their problems?

Crushing, the stunning debut graphic novel from Sophie Burrows, is a story told in silence; a story without words but bursting with meaning; a story about loneliness and love.

Achingly beautiful, quietly defiant, and full of subtle wit and wisdom, Crushing is a unique meditation on the human condition in the twenty-first century, and a timely examination of young adult life in an age of isolation.

Review: I absolutely loved this book so much! It’s a cute introverted love story about two people who are down on their luck in different ways and who are slowly trying to find love. The story is almost completely told without words and the illustrations are so beautiful and translate the story well. The character development is amazing as is the world building. The book is gorgeous inside and out and I’d love to see a second story of these lovable characters.

The only issue I had is that I wish that some of the stuff was a bit more explained, like their backstories.

Verdict: It’s amazing and it’s going to forever be on my graphic reads shelf. Highly recommend!


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