annieb123
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Official Boyfriends. Coloring Book is an appealing coloring book based on the popular webtoon with 46 double page illustrations to color. Due out 9th April 2024 from Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 96 pages and will be available in paperback format.
Each of the 46 coloring pages is faced by a pastel 4 color print of the same illustration colored as it was in the webtoon. The pictures are fun and show the 4 different characters in various activities like playing video games, skating, eating, and interacting. The illustrations are appropriate for all ages (there are a few kissing illustrations, but not many, and they're quite chaste).
It should be noted for readers who aren't familiar with the webcomic, that the characters are all boyfriends with one another in a polycule. None of the illustrations are titillating or inappropriate. They're just cute and colorful. The author/publisher have included some QR codes with weblinks to the comic for readers' convenience.
This is a refreshingly open and happy representation of nonconformity and gender expression. For older/conservative readers who are willing to read with an open mind, it could be a good basic explanation with an appealing and entertaining plot.
Four and a half stars. Sweetly romantic, innocent, and with an appealing almost retro vibe (although one of the characters is goth (and trans, and ace), and it's set in the modern day).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.