Ms. Marvel: No Normal | G. Willow Wilson / Adrian Alphona

✴ ✴ ✴ ✴

I loved! 

I'm supposed to be revising for chemistry but catalytic cracking can wait. 

Can we all just slow clap it out for Marvel. *clap clap*

So we have another well represented female character in a comic.

She is I guess a rendition on Captain Marvel but it was fab.

She is a person of colour.

A Muslim girl. 

A teenager. 

Like just well done for coming up with something diverse and can we have more of this?  Also we want a Black Widow movie....

I really enjoyed reading this, I think I may have finished this in one sitting. I mean comics are read quite fast if they are written well and jam packed with action. This was filled with AMAZINGNESS. I adored the graphics, it's basically the same as any other Marvel comic if you have read others. Nonetheless I really loved this. 

I know this is a comic and specifically a Marvel comic but let me just put it out there but these characters did feel really realistic considering the situations they were in and in some parts I'm sure people could relate. I can already see so many little kids looking up to the main character in this, as well as grown ups. This comic has fantastic reviews and if you don't believe me (for whatever reason) google it!

Ms. Marvel: No Normal is a comic/graphic novel and this is the first in a series, I believe. It follows a main called Kamala Khan: an ordinary girl from Jersey City until she suddenly gets these superpowers and has to on one hand learn how to control them as well on the other hand be a normal teenager. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman?  

My synopsis of this book is so bad I think I'm going to go and re-evaluate my life for a bit; it doesn't do the novel any justice so just read the proper synopsis here. 

The second instalment (Volume 2) in this series is out and I'll go into that a bit more later. I highly recommend you pick this up if you're a Marvel fan or if you just want a good comic/graphic novel to read. 

The heroine in this - Kamala Khan - I love her very much. Like I said before I believe she will relate to so many different types of people, not necessarily Muslim girls. I mean there are a few things that are debatable and I could go on about but I'm not into ruining this review because of a few minor details. As a protagonist she is developing as a character which is wonderful to see and read. She isn't the only character in this but in my opinion the only one to discuss wholly would be her. The other characters were alright but I wanted more and I think we will get that in the next volume. 

Now for the illustrations. As an art student I'm not blown away and by no means do I focus in the medium of comics, graphics and cartoons nor am I a professional or critic but visually considering, it was alright. I did really enjoy it but it didn't actually blow me away like the Saga series which I have a review of that here. The illustrations are very lovely by no means are they bad because I really enjoyed my experience reading this. It's new, fresh, WELL DONE MARVEL and tops to the author and illustrator as well as anyone else who was involved in creating this. 

The plot that this novel follows is not generic by any means as there is a whole lot going on that kept me on my toes at least but I can see where it can waver from original. I feel as though some of this book has some unnecessary stereotypes that just kinda made me go 'it would have been so amazing if..' and that it probably a reason I gave this 4/5 stars.  

I really enjoyed reading this. Kamala isn't my favourite superhero, I think I have a few: Wonder Woman (my all time favourite) who is in DC Comics but come on! She is bloody badass. I also really love, Black Widow, Gamora and Catwoman. I can't forget Captain America, Deadpool, Spiderman and Batman. 

Volume 2 in this series is called Ms. Marvel: Generation Why and it came out earlier this year in April. I am 100% going to read that so I'll probably review that depending on whether I can keep it spoiler free and if there is anything significant that I want to bring out. Nevertheless I'm sure it's going to amazing and I can't wait to read it once I get my hands on it!

This might not be super 'upbeat' but I can see the potential in this storyline. I would recommend this to literally anyone that is interested. I don't think you have to be a Marvel fan to read this at all. I mean if you like comic/graphic novels with a good female character that is represented well, alongside it being diverse then woohoo...read it. 

p.s

follow me on twitter for my reading and life escapades

follow me on goodreads to find out what I'm reading next! 

p.p.s. we really want a Black Widow movie......

Being Happy.

some of my faves

tess's birthday

art basel

my love for ed sheeran and his music grows everyday

I know I've been gone for quite a bit but it's only because I'm on exam leave and I need to obviously attend these exams as well as still be revising. I will definitely be updating more coming into summer however after summer I'm not too sure how much I'll be updating as the two years ahead of me are going to be a roller coaster. 

I've been meaning to post this. This post has been in my drafts for months now and I just keep adding to it and never actually posting it. 

I think everyone goes through a time, whether it's a mid-life crisis or you feel like the world in ending and no one is on your side. Some people get this a lot and some people get it once in a while but I'm here to tell you that it'll be okay. Sometimes I think about our world and it makes me sad to see some horrific things happening and I can literally do nothing about it. I have like 5+ close friends (give or take) that actually care about me but know barely anything about me at the same time. I have one close friend that I tell everything to but she's half way across the world. 

You need to be positive. Now I'm assuming all of you reading this are privileged as you're able to read this and for that reason I say try and be happy when things go bad. 

I started 2014 differently and as the year progressed I progressed and learnt so much and became someone I needed when I was younger but never had. I changed the way I perceived things and I read more books. I loved 2014! So much tragedy happened in that year but that year was a personal year for me, I left a mark on that year. 2015 isn't my year and maybe the whole 'my year' thing only happens once in your lifetime, who knows but although 2015 may not be my year it may be someone else's. 

2015 however is weird. It's different. It's not my 2014 but it's a new year and things are bound to happen. I learnt a lot and it's only May. I'm not reading as much but I'm still content with myself and the person I am. I drink lots of water. DRINK WATER! People always told me to but I didn't care but lemme tell you drinking water has so many benefits you'd be amazed. 

I moulded my lifestyle the way I wanted it to be and ate foods that nourished me better. I'm a somewhat vegetarian somewhat vegan. I'm not quite sure but I'm having fun with it. A good way to start off something new or to have some change in your life is to alter your lifestyle for the better. Whether that be drinking less vodka and more water or eating more plant based foods (or more meat based foods?). Getting a haircut and making your hair blue, wearing new clothes, reading more books and cleaning around your room, apartment, house. Listen to good music and now is my time to recommend you some fantastic stuff. Now I'm going to recommend a bunch of different genres and artists:

(the bolded are my new faves or all time faves) 

All Time Low 

Arctic Monkeys 

Ariana Grande

Halsey 

Banks 

Bastille 

Birdy

BORNS

Drake 

Ed Sheeran 

Ellie Goulding 

Fall Out Boy

Fifth Harmony 

Frank Ocean 

Hozier 

Imagine Dragons 

Indila 

James Arthur 

James Bay 

Kodaline

Krewella

Lorde

Marina and the Diamonds 

Nicki Minaj

One Direction

OneRepublic 

Sam Smith

Sia

Skylar Grey 

Taylor Swift

Tove Lo

Years & Years 

Youth Lagoon 

The 1975

As well as this I recommend finding new music on Spotify or 8tracks. 

As this is the awareness week of Anxiety and Depression from the 3rd to the 9th of May. Green and Blue ribbons. I wanna say from someone who suffers from social anxiety I want to say you're not alone, we can do this. 

Help others out! Take care of yourself whether you interpret that as your health, mind, body whatever. Just be content with the person you are! 

Drink water!