Turtle Bread Review
Writer: Kim-Joy
Artist: Alti Firmansyah
Letterer: Joamette Gil
Cover Artists: Alti Firmansyah & Yenny Laud
Publisher: Comixology
Paperback Price: $19.99 US
Kindle Price: $6.99 US
Amazon Prime Members: Free to read
Release Date: May 2, 2023
No matter how hard she tries, Yan can't get a job. As the rejections multiply, her mother piles on the pressure. A therapist tries to help Yan navigate her problems. Still, Yan struggles during interviews. She doesn't understand why others overcome their challenges while she cannot.
Then one afternoon, after her 26th interview, Yan notices an advertisement. She can return home in disappointment. Or she can visit a place that promises applicants, “All abilities welcome.” Will Yan try her hand at something new? And can her new venture help her feel more comfortable in her own skin? Let’s leap into Turtle Bread and see!
Story
When Yan visits the Baking Club, the leader welcomes her inside. Beatrice invites Yan to join the other young people who enjoy working together. "Bea" introduces her to Amit, a former prison worker who jokes and laughs. Zara is a young woman struggling to master her baking while studying for a PhD. Yan also meets Geraint, a young man who seemed so confident and happy when she passed him on the street. Yet here, he keeps to himself.
Turtle Bread follows Yan’s inner journey as she struggles to overcome her insecurities. She knows it would be easier to slip on her headphones when she ventures outside or stay inside her room with her cat. Yet Bea's Baking Club helps her face the world on her terms. As the participants work together to craft tasty breads and cakes, Yan gains confidence in her abilities. Yet learning to be comfortable around other people remains an ongoing challenge.
In Kim-Joy's story, Yan has her ups and downs. Sometimes she slips up. At other times, she feels like she has lost everything she has gained. Through it all, Bea's warm welcome and encouragement help Yan find the strength to pick herself up and carry on.
Yan tends to think of Bea as a pillar of strength. Yet, she gradually realizes that Bea has her struggles. The older woman has endured life’s ups and downs. Yet, like the fondant turtle she gives Yan at the first class, Bea advises her young student that struggling can be a superpower. As Yan takes Bea’s counsel to heart, she keeps reminding herself that slow, steady progress is always better than hiding in her shell in Turtle Bread.
Art
After opening with an overhead view of Leeds, UK, Alti Firmansyah focuses on the people walking past glass doors along a street. Inside the building, a young man nervously bids Yan goodbye. As she joins the throng on the sidewalk, her hair obscures her features as Yan puts on her headphones and walks home.
When she sees an advertisement, Yan pictures herself surrounded by happy people. As Bea opens the front door, circles, stars, and hearts surround the smiling woman. While packing pages with black-and-white art, foreground characters may be a single shade of gray. Yet most panels feature a variety of shades that communicate the group's diversity, energy, and personalities.
Joamette Gil fills dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters. Yan's thoughts inhabit framed narrative boxes. Vehicles on the street shake Yan from her reflections, while shivering reminds her of her therapist's suggestions. Despite how the glass doors slammed behind Yan, Amit's laughter fills the air, suggesting how he keeps problems at a distance. And while filling out a worksheet gives way to doodling, writing the thing she most wants to do makes Yan smile in Turtle Bread.
Extras
As Bea and her class make their projects, a panel shows all the ingredients. Uppercase letters in narrative boxes convey preparation and baking instructions, while characters also speak directions using dialogue balloons. A final recipe brings the book to a sweet finish. Thanks to Comixology and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Yan's mother wants the best for her. But she equates success in life with status and income. While her mother's admonitions make Yan feel less secure, a woman who urges her to be vulnerable helps her feel more secure. Still, finding a role model doesn't mean Yan can readily rise above every challenge facing her in Turtle Bread.
Rating 9.4/10
To read or purchase, see Turtle Bread on Amazon.
