UTown by Caroline Breault

UTown

by Caroline Breault

Utown is the story of a seedy neighborhood that a cast of misfits call home. Samuel is a 24 year-old self-described aspiring artist (but mostly a video store clerk) who’s doing his best to avoid adulthood. When gentrification shows up at his doorstep, he must face the fact that the town he grew up in is no longer his safe haven–and that he’s not ready to leave just yet. With no money and little options, it’s time for him to either step up and prove his worth as a serious artist or keep on repeating old, toxic behaviors.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

Share

Summary:

Misfits have a way of finding one another. For this group of misfits, their home is Utown. It's not the cleanest or nicest neighborhood around, but it's theirs, and that's something! Or is it? Gentrification has a way of ruining everything, especially for those that have the least.

Samuel had always thought that this was a safe haven. Right up until it wasn't. Now he will have to find a new path as an artist. It's his best chance at fighting back. It's either that or a return to his old toxic cycle of bad behaviors.

Review:

To say that the story of Utown was so wholly human would be an understatement. This story has a way of getting under your skin, and I believe that had a lot to do with the characters. Samuel's story is not unique, which makes it resonate. This is something that could happen to anyone.

There is a perfect balance of tension, emotional turmoil, and drama to keep readers invested here. And there's certainly more than enough to keep them rooting for our protagonist. Rooting for the underdog is always fun, right?

I adore the artwork in Utown. I can see why it has been favorably compared to Scott Pilgrim. As a fan of that series, I can safely tell you to check out Utown.

Highlights:
Graphic Novel
Scott Pilgrim vibes

Thanks to Oni Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 3 July, 2023: Finished reading
  • 3 July, 2023: Reviewed