Blue Is the Warmest Color

After watching the movie and after feeling highly dissatisfied, I took the plunge of ordering the book anyway. This fulfilled everything. I felt a strong connection with the characters here and their actions actually made sense for the first time. The movie, with poor editing, left a lot of scenes unexplained and dragged on, leaving characters underdeveloped and viewers distracted. I didn't like the art style at first, but the graphic novel has better pacing and the plot swallows you whole, so you wouldn't care about the drawings by the time you're fully engaged with the scenes. Character wise, I love Lea Seydoux as an actress but I actually preferred the character of Emma within the graphic novel: chill, gentle and thoughtful. Not assertive and cocky. I didn't care about Adele (Clem) in the movie, but the graphic novel made me felt for them. If you enjoyed the movie and wouldn't mind reading a graphic novel, I say give this a try. Highly recommended.

Julie Maroh wrote and drew a masterpiece of literature, storytelling, romance, comics, and graphic novels. I feel so satisfied with Blue Is the Warmest Color. Julie Maroh crafts a beautiful romance love stories about modern lesbians in France growing up trying to understand themselves, each other, and the world they live in. It's so real and down to Earth that the story just flew by. I read the whole thing in a couple of hours! The illustrations are very emotive and detailed. Maroh really has her own style. Her use of blue is very well placed and thought out. It feels very indie, but relatable and heartfelt. Julie Maroh really captures adolescence into maturity and the confusion a young girl might feel as she falls in love. Blue Is the Warmest Color is so thoughtful on love, LGBT issues, and works as both a coming of age graphic novel and a romance novel. I highly recommend it to all readers especially teenagers on up. If you like this, also read The Fault in Our Stars or This One Summer.

I thought Blue was one of the best books I've read in years. Pretty recently I saw a trailer for the film version at my local arthouse theater and was intrigued. A week or so later I discovered that it was actually a graphic novel at first and that it was available on my Kindle. The art style depicted on the cover also pulled me in and so I decided to drop the money and buy it. It's been a long time since I felt so moved by a story. Half the time I was reading it (especially during the beginning and the end) I was left in tears. It's amazing to see Clementine's constantly conflicting emotions and mentalities about what is right and what is wrong and the passion of her relationship with Emma...but it's equally painful to see the consequences of such a relationship. The movie hits my local theater next week and I've rarely ever been so excited to go see a movie because the book was simply spectacular. Some minor nitpicks about this version, though: while the story is an instant 5-star in my book, the kindle version deserves probably a 3-star rating...maybe 3.5 to be a little generous. I've read other graphic novels on the Kindle before and never really had issues. However the text style plus the way they frame some of the panels makes it difficult to read at times. Likewise, there's times in it where it jumps around in panel order. Like for example, rather than starting from the first panel to the last, there's one page that opens with the last panel and then goes back to the top. This marred the experience just a tiny bit for me. That said, though, the art itself still shows itself beautifully and the story is still as good as ever.

This graphic novel by Julie Maroh brings to life Clementine, a teenager who grew up in the 1990s. She quarrels with her parents, questions her sexuality, and has a few great friends and some nasty enemies among her peers. Maroh takes this commonplace subject matter and elevates it through her words and pictures to a very high plane of tenderness and thoughtfulness. The story is told through the eyes of Clementine’s lover Emma who has come into possession of Clementine’s diary following her death. In mostly black and white flashback Emma reads the story of her life as she has a first, tentative and unfulfilling relationship with a boy she meets at school, followed by a sexually charged encounter with a female student. Then there is her fateful meeting with Emma, an Art student with blue hair. What follows is an exciting, charged love affair not acceptable to everyone in Clementine’s life, not even at first accepted by her. Their relationship ripens into something of the utmost importance to both of them though it is not without conflict. Everything is portrayed in a romantically tinged realistic light. Maroh skillfully sketches out relationships, events, and emotions using minimal text and simple drawings. Much of the book uses no colours but blue in order to mark off the events of the past in black and white The blue of Emma’s hair and Clementine’s journal clearly highlights the person and thing that were most important to Clementine. The artwork is adept at portraying everything from the joyous fun of teenaged parties to the awkwardness and beauty of sexual encounters, both happy and unhappy. Short passages quickly bring into sharp focus Clementine’s troubled relationship with her parents. There is a message subtly put forth here that we do not choose those we fall in love with and there are many types of love. But Clementine’s coming of age story depicted through her explorations of sexuality and social development doesn’t feel like a vehicle for that idea. She is a fully realized character with longings and psychology heartbreakingly portrayed by the words and art in this book. With an autumnal tone of nostalgia and deep humanity Clementine’s story is here made both fascinating and universal.

I was intrigued by this story after hearing so much about it at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie received both accolades and criticisms for its take on a lesbian couple's relationship and graphic sex scenes, respectively. While I haven't seen the movie, I read the reviews for the graphic novel and ordered it on Amazon. After a week of waiting, I managed to finish it in a couple of hours. One of the fun things about reading books and comics from other countries is that you get insight into that land's culture. I used to read a lot of manga from Japan and developed an appreciation for the country, its people, and its values. BITWC is the first French graphic novel I've ever read and while its certainly not visually stunning, the artwork is smooth, pleasing, and erotic, especially in the love-making scenes (of which there aren't that many). The story follows teenager Clementine who gradually comes to understand herself and who she is over the course of her relationship with an older girl, Emma, who has blue hair. Through conflicts with her friends and family, to her budding love for Emma, to questioning her every feeling and desire, we see Clementine develop. This is not to say that everything turns up rosy for her. "Coming out" forces Clem to lose many of her former friends and when her parents find out about her relationship...well, just because one country has more liberal views on sex doesn't mean that everyone who lives there is open-minded. Emma and Clem face numerous hardships that test their love, none more so than from each other. The love-making scenes were passionate, not at all pornographic, and beautiful to read. I was moved by Clem's outpouring of emotion to Emma, preceded by her understandable hesitancy, as not everyone would understand her decisions. It was a human story filled with introspection. I've read up on the movie online and I have to say that the ending to the graphic novel, while heart-wrenching, is far better. A 4 out of 5.

Filled with emotions, pain, happiness, and love this book gives you a story of a woman that goes through the motions of battling her sexuality when she finds a liking to someone of the same gender. I think you can learn a lot from this book because everyone fights psychology with what "love" actually is, but one things for sure even though you can't see it, taste, or hold it love is a conscious act and love is concocted from within. In Blue is the Warmest Color you will see that love has no labels or gender. THIS IS A MUST READ!

I actually finished reading this a few days ago but... well... life happened and I haven't been on the internet much. Good things, friends, furniture acquisitions, etc. So now that things are settling down, I feel I can revisit this wonderful book. Let me start with what I didn't like. The font. Though I loved the cursive feel that reflected entries in the diary of this teen, the font was just too small to read in large chunks. I think if I could have read faster and more, I would have been much more emotionally invested. The story wins five stars plus. It introduces to us the way many of our youth discover their sexuality. The pain of being called names just for attempts at love. And this during the most vulnerable time of our lives: adolescence. Hopefully parents and teachers read it to see how they might help kids go through this as graceful as possible. Hopefully, the judgement will die as folks learn that people are people and love is just love. The illustrations were marvelously done. I loved the subtlety of color gradually introduced after the blue haired sweetie. This stays in my permanent collection as I know I will want to read it again and again, just to enjoy the drawings. Because I couldn't leave the story behind, I had to find the movie on Netflix streaming. It is in French with subtitles so I have taken my time watching/reading it. Actually, I have to say I am watching a bit before sleep every night as it is the quietest time so I can pay attention; fewer distractions for me at that time of night. The actresses are well selected and ... the French can make a better movie than we Americans with all our hang-ups. I feel this may be the movie to watch over and over and teach myself French--among other things. ;-)

"Le bleu est une couleur chaude" (Blue is a Warm Colour, funnily translated as Blue is the Warmest Colour) is the first major work by French graphic artist Julie Maroh. The book narrates the sexual awakening of Clementine, her coming to terms with being a lesbian, and her relationship with Emma. This is a posthumus story, as the book starts from the ending with a flashback narration of the love story as told by Clementine herself in her blue diary. The artwork is wonderful. The use of colour is just another character in the story, if that can be said, because it gives the book its melancholic mood. Sepia tones are used in the flashback, only highlighted by Clementine's blue diary and Emma's haircut. The story told in the present is painted in a mix of pastel blues, greens and ochres. Maroh has a great eye for detail and her depiction of the city's streets, parks and skyline, as well as the beach scenes, are truly beautiful. She uses a mix of watercolour, pencil and mixed media to create precious images. I found the narrative simple, realistic and believable, but also a bit over-melodramatic at times. I think the story reflects well the hurdles that gay people find when they discover they are gay, first, and when they come out of the closet, then, having to deal with their not-always-accepting friends and families. I think the book also succeeds at depicting gay people as individuals, not as bunch of people who act or think the same, or who reacts to their own sexuality in the same way. As the character says: "For Emma, her sexuality is something that draws her to others, a social end political thing. For me, it's the most intimate thing there is". I have gay friends, and all of them fall on Clem's side. On the other hand, the book is unbalanced, because most of the story focuses in Cleme's teens years, while her adult life with Emma is barely sketched. This being the case, the ending feels hurried as we don't know why Clementine is feeling alienated from Emma, what is going on in her head for her to be deluded and act the way she acts. The book has explicit sex scenes. I read the book in my Kindle, and if you tap twice, the vignettes zoom without problem. Not the best rendering for Kindle, but not bad either.

I adored the movie, and it's really hard not to review this as a comparison between the two. I also love this, my only criticism is for it's brevity--I want more! I found this more affecting emotionally than the movie, as the resolution is more tragic (although a bit clichéd`). That tragedy is excellently laid out, in words and pictures. It is somewhat of a universal story, I don't think you need to be LBGT to appreciate this, and even Clementines struggles with her sexuality, I think can be appreciated by anyone. I love stories that have an established arc of time; I think the passage of time is the greatest tragedy of all, and one we all experience. What is lost, what might have been, what may have been different, and trying to appreciate what was, are universal tragedies we all experience. The movie seemed to postulate another kind of tragedy: the erosion and expiration of love, that theme is also explored here, but in a slighter and more oblique way. If you like love stories, I think this is an excellent one. If you don't like LGBT "culture" and think it is destroying the world, blah blah blah, don't even bother (I mean why would you anyways? Are you a masochist?)

I never imagined I could become teary-eyed from a story that is basically told in cartoon format -- but this certainly did it. From the first frame, the readers knows this is going to be a heartbreaker at some point. And knowing that at the onset takes absolutely nothing away from the story to come. This was so beautifully written, a bittersweet coming of age / coming out story. The story starts out, and most of it takes place, when the characters are adolescents, a confusing enough period in life as one tries to come to terms with who they are, but a time that gets that much more tumultuous and complicated when sexual identity is questioned. The main character wages an internal battle between who she thinks she should be and what she feels, trying to make sense of it all, in the face of judgment by family and peers. But years later when the couple has settled into an adult relationship, they find that happily ever after isn't inevitable, and the effects of the past struggles can leave long-lasting scars. The message was crystal clear -- live YOUR life, without regret, without apology. I did not know when I purchased this that it was in graphic novel format, but I thought this actually enhanced the story. The writing was more sparse, more poetic, each word carefully chosen. The drawings brought the characters to life. As such, it moved quickly, and was a very fast read, and with no chapter separations, it just contributed to the emotional impact. Unlike some other reviewers, I personally didn't find it difficult to read on my Kindle Fire -- yes, the type is small, but if you click on the panel, it enlarges so that it's readable, and then just swipe to go to the next frames.

After watching the movie and after feeling highly dissatisfied, I took the plunge of ordering the book anyway. This fulfilled everything. I felt a strong connection with the characters here and their actions actually made sense for the first time. The movie, with poor editing, left a lot of scenes unexplained and dragged on, leaving characters underdeveloped and viewers distracted. I didn't like the art style at first, but the graphic novel has better pacing and the plot swallows you whole, so you wouldn't care about the drawings by the time you're fully engaged with the scenes. Character wise, I love Lea Seydoux as an actress but I actually preferred the character of Emma within the graphic novel: chill, gentle and thoughtful. Not assertive and cocky. I didn't care about Adele (Clem) in the movie, but the graphic novel made me felt for them. If you enjoyed the movie and wouldn't mind reading a graphic novel, I say give this a try. Highly recommended.

Julie Maroh wrote and drew a masterpiece of literature, storytelling, romance, comics, and graphic novels. I feel so satisfied with Blue Is the Warmest Color. Julie Maroh crafts a beautiful romance love stories about modern lesbians in France growing up trying to understand themselves, each other, and the world they live in. It's so real and down to Earth that the story just flew by. I read the whole thing in a couple of hours! The illustrations are very emotive and detailed. Maroh really has her own style. Her use of blue is very well placed and thought out. It feels very indie, but relatable and heartfelt. Julie Maroh really captures adolescence into maturity and the confusion a young girl might feel as she falls in love. Blue Is the Warmest Color is so thoughtful on love, LGBT issues, and works as both a coming of age graphic novel and a romance novel. I highly recommend it to all readers especially teenagers on up. If you like this, also read The Fault in Our Stars or This One Summer.

I thought Blue was one of the best books I've read in years. Pretty recently I saw a trailer for the film version at my local arthouse theater and was intrigued. A week or so later I discovered that it was actually a graphic novel at first and that it was available on my Kindle. The art style depicted on the cover also pulled me in and so I decided to drop the money and buy it. It's been a long time since I felt so moved by a story. Half the time I was reading it (especially during the beginning and the end) I was left in tears. It's amazing to see Clementine's constantly conflicting emotions and mentalities about what is right and what is wrong and the passion of her relationship with Emma...but it's equally painful to see the consequences of such a relationship. The movie hits my local theater next week and I've rarely ever been so excited to go see a movie because the book was simply spectacular. Some minor nitpicks about this version, though: while the story is an instant 5-star in my book, the kindle version deserves probably a 3-star rating...maybe 3.5 to be a little generous. I've read other graphic novels on the Kindle before and never really had issues. However the text style plus the way they frame some of the panels makes it difficult to read at times. Likewise, there's times in it where it jumps around in panel order. Like for example, rather than starting from the first panel to the last, there's one page that opens with the last panel and then goes back to the top. This marred the experience just a tiny bit for me. That said, though, the art itself still shows itself beautifully and the story is still as good as ever.

This graphic novel by Julie Maroh brings to life Clementine, a teenager who grew up in the 1990s. She quarrels with her parents, questions her sexuality, and has a few great friends and some nasty enemies among her peers. Maroh takes this commonplace subject matter and elevates it through her words and pictures to a very high plane of tenderness and thoughtfulness. The story is told through the eyes of Clementine’s lover Emma who has come into possession of Clementine’s diary following her death. In mostly black and white flashback Emma reads the story of her life as she has a first, tentative and unfulfilling relationship with a boy she meets at school, followed by a sexually charged encounter with a female student. Then there is her fateful meeting with Emma, an Art student with blue hair. What follows is an exciting, charged love affair not acceptable to everyone in Clementine’s life, not even at first accepted by her. Their relationship ripens into something of the utmost importance to both of them though it is not without conflict. Everything is portrayed in a romantically tinged realistic light. Maroh skillfully sketches out relationships, events, and emotions using minimal text and simple drawings. Much of the book uses no colours but blue in order to mark off the events of the past in black and white The blue of Emma’s hair and Clementine’s journal clearly highlights the person and thing that were most important to Clementine. The artwork is adept at portraying everything from the joyous fun of teenaged parties to the awkwardness and beauty of sexual encounters, both happy and unhappy. Short passages quickly bring into sharp focus Clementine’s troubled relationship with her parents. There is a message subtly put forth here that we do not choose those we fall in love with and there are many types of love. But Clementine’s coming of age story depicted through her explorations of sexuality and social development doesn’t feel like a vehicle for that idea. She is a fully realized character with longings and psychology heartbreakingly portrayed by the words and art in this book. With an autumnal tone of nostalgia and deep humanity Clementine’s story is here made both fascinating and universal.

I was intrigued by this story after hearing so much about it at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie received both accolades and criticisms for its take on a lesbian couple's relationship and graphic sex scenes, respectively. While I haven't seen the movie, I read the reviews for the graphic novel and ordered it on Amazon. After a week of waiting, I managed to finish it in a couple of hours. One of the fun things about reading books and comics from other countries is that you get insight into that land's culture. I used to read a lot of manga from Japan and developed an appreciation for the country, its people, and its values. BITWC is the first French graphic novel I've ever read and while its certainly not visually stunning, the artwork is smooth, pleasing, and erotic, especially in the love-making scenes (of which there aren't that many). The story follows teenager Clementine who gradually comes to understand herself and who she is over the course of her relationship with an older girl, Emma, who has blue hair. Through conflicts with her friends and family, to her budding love for Emma, to questioning her every feeling and desire, we see Clementine develop. This is not to say that everything turns up rosy for her. "Coming out" forces Clem to lose many of her former friends and when her parents find out about her relationship...well, just because one country has more liberal views on sex doesn't mean that everyone who lives there is open-minded. Emma and Clem face numerous hardships that test their love, none more so than from each other. The love-making scenes were passionate, not at all pornographic, and beautiful to read. I was moved by Clem's outpouring of emotion to Emma, preceded by her understandable hesitancy, as not everyone would understand her decisions. It was a human story filled with introspection. I've read up on the movie online and I have to say that the ending to the graphic novel, while heart-wrenching, is far better. A 4 out of 5.

Filled with emotions, pain, happiness, and love this book gives you a story of a woman that goes through the motions of battling her sexuality when she finds a liking to someone of the same gender. I think you can learn a lot from this book because everyone fights psychology with what "love" actually is, but one things for sure even though you can't see it, taste, or hold it love is a conscious act and love is concocted from within. In Blue is the Warmest Color you will see that love has no labels or gender. THIS IS A MUST READ!

I actually finished reading this a few days ago but... well... life happened and I haven't been on the internet much. Good things, friends, furniture acquisitions, etc. So now that things are settling down, I feel I can revisit this wonderful book. Let me start with what I didn't like. The font. Though I loved the cursive feel that reflected entries in the diary of this teen, the font was just too small to read in large chunks. I think if I could have read faster and more, I would have been much more emotionally invested. The story wins five stars plus. It introduces to us the way many of our youth discover their sexuality. The pain of being called names just for attempts at love. And this during the most vulnerable time of our lives: adolescence. Hopefully parents and teachers read it to see how they might help kids go through this as graceful as possible. Hopefully, the judgement will die as folks learn that people are people and love is just love. The illustrations were marvelously done. I loved the subtlety of color gradually introduced after the blue haired sweetie. This stays in my permanent collection as I know I will want to read it again and again, just to enjoy the drawings. Because I couldn't leave the story behind, I had to find the movie on Netflix streaming. It is in French with subtitles so I have taken my time watching/reading it. Actually, I have to say I am watching a bit before sleep every night as it is the quietest time so I can pay attention; fewer distractions for me at that time of night. The actresses are well selected and ... the French can make a better movie than we Americans with all our hang-ups. I feel this may be the movie to watch over and over and teach myself French--among other things. ;-)

"Le bleu est une couleur chaude" (Blue is a Warm Colour, funnily translated as Blue is the Warmest Colour) is the first major work by French graphic artist Julie Maroh. The book narrates the sexual awakening of Clementine, her coming to terms with being a lesbian, and her relationship with Emma. This is a posthumus story, as the book starts from the ending with a flashback narration of the love story as told by Clementine herself in her blue diary. The artwork is wonderful. The use of colour is just another character in the story, if that can be said, because it gives the book its melancholic mood. Sepia tones are used in the flashback, only highlighted by Clementine's blue diary and Emma's haircut. The story told in the present is painted in a mix of pastel blues, greens and ochres. Maroh has a great eye for detail and her depiction of the city's streets, parks and skyline, as well as the beach scenes, are truly beautiful. She uses a mix of watercolour, pencil and mixed media to create precious images. I found the narrative simple, realistic and believable, but also a bit over-melodramatic at times. I think the story reflects well the hurdles that gay people find when they discover they are gay, first, and when they come out of the closet, then, having to deal with their not-always-accepting friends and families. I think the book also succeeds at depicting gay people as individuals, not as bunch of people who act or think the same, or who reacts to their own sexuality in the same way. As the character says: "For Emma, her sexuality is something that draws her to others, a social end political thing. For me, it's the most intimate thing there is". I have gay friends, and all of them fall on Clem's side. On the other hand, the book is unbalanced, because most of the story focuses in Cleme's teens years, while her adult life with Emma is barely sketched. This being the case, the ending feels hurried as we don't know why Clementine is feeling alienated from Emma, what is going on in her head for her to be deluded and act the way she acts. The book has explicit sex scenes. I read the book in my Kindle, and if you tap twice, the vignettes zoom without problem. Not the best rendering for Kindle, but not bad either.

I adored the movie, and it's really hard not to review this as a comparison between the two. I also love this, my only criticism is for it's brevity--I want more! I found this more affecting emotionally than the movie, as the resolution is more tragic (although a bit clichéd`). That tragedy is excellently laid out, in words and pictures. It is somewhat of a universal story, I don't think you need to be LBGT to appreciate this, and even Clementines struggles with her sexuality, I think can be appreciated by anyone. I love stories that have an established arc of time; I think the passage of time is the greatest tragedy of all, and one we all experience. What is lost, what might have been, what may have been different, and trying to appreciate what was, are universal tragedies we all experience. The movie seemed to postulate another kind of tragedy: the erosion and expiration of love, that theme is also explored here, but in a slighter and more oblique way. If you like love stories, I think this is an excellent one. If you don't like LGBT "culture" and think it is destroying the world, blah blah blah, don't even bother (I mean why would you anyways? Are you a masochist?)

I never imagined I could become teary-eyed from a story that is basically told in cartoon format -- but this certainly did it. From the first frame, the readers knows this is going to be a heartbreaker at some point. And knowing that at the onset takes absolutely nothing away from the story to come. This was so beautifully written, a bittersweet coming of age / coming out story. The story starts out, and most of it takes place, when the characters are adolescents, a confusing enough period in life as one tries to come to terms with who they are, but a time that gets that much more tumultuous and complicated when sexual identity is questioned. The main character wages an internal battle between who she thinks she should be and what she feels, trying to make sense of it all, in the face of judgment by family and peers. But years later when the couple has settled into an adult relationship, they find that happily ever after isn't inevitable, and the effects of the past struggles can leave long-lasting scars. The message was crystal clear -- live YOUR life, without regret, without apology. I did not know when I purchased this that it was in graphic novel format, but I thought this actually enhanced the story. The writing was more sparse, more poetic, each word carefully chosen. The drawings brought the characters to life. As such, it moved quickly, and was a very fast read, and with no chapter separations, it just contributed to the emotional impact. Unlike some other reviewers, I personally didn't find it difficult to read on my Kindle Fire -- yes, the type is small, but if you click on the panel, it enlarges so that it's readable, and then just swipe to go to the next frames.

I loved the film, and though there are significant differences between both works, I still consider them both equals. I'm personally attracted to all facets that can be associated with love; with both the ugly and the beautiful. The sex scenes portrayed are brief and innocent, the art is quaint and charming, the flashbacks make your heart cringe and mind reel. The story, though brief, appropriately weaves the tale of one young woman's life cut tragically short by her inability to cope with one of life's many cruel, debilitating lessons. Was she truly a lesbian? Or did she just happen to indiscrimanently fall in love with someone she happened to truly be compelled towards? Why couldn't she cope, be happy? To me, the direction the film took concerning the aspect of her 'cheating' was more apparently conveyed; and while there are plenty who bitch about the film being 'pornographic', all I can say is that they are puritanical hypocrites (I thought the sex scenes were actually realistic and adequately portrayed two people finally being able to be physically united after such a period of longing) who really just shouldn't deal with sexual material to begin with; let's face it, not all of it is "pretty" people. Love certainly isn't, it can be exciting and wonderful one moment, harsh and unforgiving the next. The original version of the story is clearly the 'tragic' tale, while the film ends on an unfinished note. The expressions Maroh gives to her characters, brief dialouge, and placed settings/time all contribute nicely to the overall affect of the story. But for some, there may be some dissatisfaction with 'reading in between the lines' at times and the rapid progression of the story at various parts. Would recommend! For once, there's a poignant, realistic take on romance, with all that can progress and flourish, and all that can wither and haunt. Ultimately, the theme concerns the everlasting connection that can take place between two people, as rare and trying as it can be.

I wanted to see this movie as soon as I heard about it. I missed the quick run it had in Chicago and resigned myself to wait for the home video version. I then learned that Criterion was unusually releasing the Blu-ray as the original home release (usually they do special editions of classic films already out in the world). I got it and then something said to wait. That something also said to read the source material first - this graphic novel. I'm a long-time comic book fan so had no issue with the source being this format. I just finished reading it on my Kindle and as I write these words I'm overcome with emotion about this heart-breaking love story set within a bigoted world that we sadly still face in the 21st century. I can't wait to watch the film now and am bracing myself. My only complaints about this book were the font choice (mostly a cursive reflecting the journal entries by the main character Clementine. I get why the font was used and perhaps in the print version it wasn't bad, but even on the new Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" screen it was hard to read a bit. Also some of the passages of time happened so quickly it sometimes caught me off guard that a shift in both location and time had occurred. Minor quibbles - I highly recommend this story of two female star-crossed lovers. Have some tissues near by! Once I watch the movie I'll post a review on my blog and Amazon at that time.

I was looking for a book to distract me from the monotony that is reading The Chronicles of Narnia (three more books to go!). Don't get me wrong, it's a great series, but if you're like me and want to keep the story fresh in your mind, you don't take breaks. Evidently I needed a change, so I got this. Sadly, it didn't distract me for long - I read it in one sitting. I first saw the movie adaptation about a year ago and loved it. As is usually the case, there are some stark differences between that and the book. I'm not sure which I enjoyed more as they both end tragically (how typically French). Still, I think everyone should either see the film or read the graphic novel. They are essential.

I watched the movie first and honestly wasn't too excited. I just thought I'd give it a chance to be better than the movie and I was pleasently surprised. First of all my problem with the movie wasn't the quality of the movie itself I think it was a fairly good one in fact but it was also a lot like Kissing Jessica Stien in which girl meets girl, decides to be gay then later realizes she isn't then falls in love with the guy. After reading this I think the movie people took the easy way instead of facing the heart wrenching ending to this angsty and beautiful story. I loved the coloring too; the fade to color when past caught up with present was interesting. The art wasn't top notch but it didn't need to be.

Remember that movie from 2013 that should have been annoying you with its score during the 2014 Oscars? Yeah, this is the book its all based on. Fortunately, where the movie lost its way with trying too hard to end with some kind irreconcilable difference nonsense, the book goes straight for the gut with a unique take on the tragic romance. Clementine, our narrator, is confused, scared and introverted. Emma is outgoing, confident, and kind of scary. Mixed together, they form a tumultuous relationship that feels genuine without relying on silly conventions to sell it. There's hope, sadness, redemption, love, hatred, and about fifty other emotions. What else do you need in a graphic novel?

I saw the film version before I read this, and I really didn't like the film, so I had low expectations about the book. This book was leagues better than the movie. It was beautiful and heartbreaking, and the illustrations were gorgeous and well done. I highly recommend this book, even if you've seen the movie and hated the movie.

The book is a great read. Bought the book after watching the movie adaptation. Loved the movie and the book but felt this was one of the rare times where the movie is better than the book/graphic novel. The book is a good hour read whereas the movie is 3, but the movie (despite the sex scenes) really shows the love Adele (Clem) feels for Emma that I feel the book lacks. There is no real meat behind Emma and Clem's relationship. One pane she is 17 and feeling emotions to Emma, next pane, she's 30 and living with her and in love. I feel that the way the movie ends is more heartbreaking and real than the books ending and overall premise. Either way, I would recommend this book, and the film, to anyone. Great read, fantastic movie. Kudos.

Now that Julie Maron's BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR is coming to theatres in a feature film that not only won the very prestigious Palme D'or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and that it was smacked by the MPAA with the dreaded NC-17 rating for its explicit sexual content, and that there is an ongoing war of words between the film's two leads and its director, it should generate enough publicity for not only people to see the film, but to also hopefully discover this remarkable graphic novel. Simply enough, the novel, written and drawn by Maron, is about a fifteen-year-old girl Clementine who is doing her best to be a "normal" young girl. She dates a senior at her high school, she studies for her exams, and she has the "right" friends. Until one moment of one day, as she's walking down the street, she passes a beautiful older girl with dyed blue hair, and she cannot get this girl out of her mind. The blue-haired beauty invades her dreams with shocking sensual and sexual imagery, and Clementine can't understand what these feelings mean. She just CAN'T be gay. She refuses it, and in that refusal, her passion for this mystery girl grows. As she sneaks out one night to be with her best friend, Valentin, who is a young gay man, they go to a gay bar, and Clementine meets the mystery girl. Her name is Emma. And from then on, Clementine, no matter how hard she tries, she can no longer deny the feelings of love and lust she has for Emma. But once they finally realize who they are to each other, all the other parts of Clem's life start to spiral out of control. Her parents refuse to accept their daughter's deviant lifestyle, as do her straight friends. Soon, all she really has is Emma, and for a even a short time, that's more than she ever thought possible. But time catches up to all, and it catches up to Clem in a tragic way that is certain to leave everyone in tears. Maron gives Clementine such a realistic voice that any adolescent or someone who survived adolescence and the awakening of desire for love and sexuality can immediately relate. You feel your heart lift when hers does, and even more so, you feel your heart break when hers does. The art and particularly her use of color is excellent. The writing is so strong that you really feel that you're with these characters, and even though you may find some of them despicable, you understand them. Maron never makes the mistake of painting stereotypes of any of the characters, so that even when they do or say something terrible, you understand where they're coming from. And this is the only other graphic novel, aside from Art Spiegelman's MAUS, that has ever made me cry. Again, though, we must go to the place that I hate to go to, which is the argument of Art Versus Pornography. This book, which I'm sure is probably banned in more than a few libraries, has a sequence of graphic sex between Clementine and Emma. This will be objectionable to many parents of adolescents who may receive comfort from the emotional realism of the book, but it is NOT pornography. Pornography is meant for the sole purpose of sexual stimulation, and is not intended to show realistic portrayals of sex. And believe me when I state that there is nothing resembling that in the least in this book. Is it erotic? Yes. Is it art? Yes. Is it pornography? Absolutely not. BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR is an extraordinary graphic achievement, and it's something that I would recommend to anyone with a love for great storytelling and an open mind.

An interesting description of 2 young girls who fall in love. The trials and tribulations that make up any relationship. Well written and kept my interest. It helped me learn more about feelings in relationships of a sexual orientation other than my own. I not only learned but was transported into their world of feelings and how society looked at them. Enjoyed the read. I would love to see a movie with this story.

I decided to pick up this book after seeing (and loving) the movie. I'm an ally but I am neither gay nor female but I consider this story a great sounding bell for gay rights in the world and an affirmation of gay love. Beyond those things it's simply a beautiful story with a beautiful color scheme. The fact that most of the books color is non-existent except for blue (go figure) may be a turn off for some readers but for me it accentuated the importance of the color and helped evoke a somber tone for a somber story. About the only critique I have of this story is that some of it's plot points seemed a bit unnaturally contrived in order to create conflict and tug at heart strings, although not as in depth I think in a way the flow of the movie version was more natural. That being said this story still flows well and is overall very satisfying. I recommend it to any one interested in gag rights, coming out or even just a good love story.

Hats off to Ms. Maroh. Such a big project, and from the bio at the end of the book, she has done so much on her own. Brava. There are moments within where she skillfully reveals a lot with only a few words or drawings. I fear the story telling gets a but heavy handed at the end; from the plot devices to the moralizing. I would have enjoyed, too, seeing more of the explanation of the fracas with Clem's family. This book and the movie have their own story to tell about development, how a book can be the germ that is only and rarely fully developed in the film.

What a great love story of an all-consuming, life-altering love that ends tragically. The greatest love stories that exist are the ones you remember, the ones that didn't quite work out. Brought tears to my eyes. Structured really well. Wonderful juxtaposition of images and text. The pacing of this story works really well. The sex scenes in the film adaptation are by comparison, a disgrace! Lacking the insight of its original source material, the sex scenes in the film version, with the exception of Adele's first orgasm that is emphasized, are rendered meaningless -- mechanical, forced, and downright gratuitous (and an editing flop!). What a pity that the original source material wasn't given full and complete attention. Both lead actresses' breathtaking performances salvaged the film from complete ruin.

There isn't much that I can add that hasn't been posted and so all I'm just going to say is that if you're a fan of the movie than you must get this graphic novel. I would add that it's better to read the kindle version on a tablet than on your phone because it's much easier to read. For some reason, the words doesn't expand on the phone and so it's much harder to read.

Plot moves back and forth across the years of a romantic relationship between two women. Art is good and story is complete in a single book.

Love catches fire, it trespasses, it breaks, we break, it comes back to life... we come back to life. Love may not be eternal but, it can make us eternal. So graphic novels aren't usually my thing, I'm so glad I didn't realize this was a graphic novel or I wouldn't have read it. It's beautiful. The story is incredibly heartfelt and unbelievable but absolutely real. The artwork is amazing, better than watching a movie. Like going somewhere you never been before and your eyes can't open wide enough to take it all in.

I watched the movie before reading the book but the two are quite different. That said, I appreciate the unique and touching story line as well as the accompanying images throughout. Definitely recommended for your personal collection! I hope to see more English translations of this author's works! [Pen included in image for reference of size]

A friend recommended this graphic novel. Having not read a graphic novel since Maus was published I was hesitant to purchase one, especially on kindle. I was wrong to hesitate. The graph format translated well to kindle and though a fast read it is excellent writing and thought provoking. This is something I will read again and again. I highly recommend this to not only those who love to read, but also to those people who are trying to come to grips with understanding their sexuality or that of a child, sibling or friend. A true gem from Ms. March.

Blue is the Warmest Color is one of my favorite movies, and now it's one of my favorite novels. I know that movies will always differ from the books they are based on to an extent, and I think that the movie kept true to the theme of love, discovery and loss that this novel embodies, but the delivery is different. It shocked and moved me in ways that the movie did not. I've read many books that have resonated with me in different ways, but very few of them have affected me so that they stick with me for years. This is one unique story that will remain with me for a lifetime.

"Blue is the Warmest Color" by Julie Maroh is the first, and only, graphic novel I've read. As a lover of some cartoon strips--Doonesbury, Calvin and Hobbes, For Better and For Worse, and Stone Soup--I was not averse to reading my first graphic novel. I just hadn't found one with a story that attracted me. "Blue" has that, and it did. It relates the poignant story of a 15 year old girl who, upon dying--We learn this in the first pages, so I'm not really spoiling anything!--leaves her diary for her life's love, a girl named Emma, to read after her death. This book is the tale Clementine's diary tells over the years of their relationship. Oh my God, how beautiful and poetic and REAL are the thoughts and words written by "Clem" about her deep love for Emma, her lover who had blue hair when they first met. (Thus the title!) The artwork is beautiful and adorable, the words those of a teenager in angst and in pure joy, as she traverses the ups and downs of a lesbian relationship. I can't recommend this wonderful little novel (156 pages) too much!! It is simply one of the best romance or relationship novels I've ever read, whether graphic or plain prose!

I enjoyed this very much. A basic but engaging story, great lead characters. This centers more on the struggle of two lesbian trying to love themselves and each other in a late 90s culture that as still overwhelmingly homophobic. The movie focused more on the nuances of first love and the difficulty of sustaining it over time. Both great in their own ways.

I picked this up after reading a great review and hearing that it won an award. Great story and art. Deserving of all its praise. Occasionally it feels a bit rushed but I am sure that this is just a side effect of the endearing characters she has created. Clean represents teenage angst at its best and anybody going through a similar experience will feel some kinship. It's a story about growing up (though the actual growing up is a tad rushed) and finding your place in the world. While the ideas aren't world shattering they a solid enough to keep you occupied. Definitely a recommended read.

My only complaint is that it's too short, but only because I burned through those pages incredibly quickly. The artwork is so well done, and the simple techniques Julie Maroh uses to carry the emotion and the unfold of the story keeps you glued to the pages. The romance between the two main characters is so palpable. Recommended for anyone seeking an LGBTQ read, or an amazing story about the ups and downs of coming of age love and passion.

Okay so there’s no real way of talks by about it without giving spoilers but let’s just say this, the book is better and way more different than the movie. I can across the movie a couple years back and wasn’t very fond of it. Thankfully while searching for some graphic novels I found this beauty. It is really worth the read and may even make you cry a lil’ bit.

No joke. The movie had almost nothing to do with this lovely (aaaaand pretty steamy) graphic novel, aside from the two girls (one with blue hair), some hot girl-on-girl action, and...wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah. Buy the book. Better plot, believable & understandable relationship between the main characters, excellent artwork. Totally worth it.

Blue is the Warmest Color is a story about discrimination and romance. While the story is pretty decent, it suffers from the major problem I have with most romance novels, not being long enough. While the build up of the relationship between Clementine and Emma was good, they skipped a massive amount of it that I would have like to see. That said, the story was well written, and I loved the artwork.

The story was wonderful. However, when I tried to download kindle onto my Windows 8 laptop, I could not read it. It was too small and I ended up checking it out from the library. I had to jump through hoops to find the book and eventually it came from an interlibrary loan. This book was hard to find, thus the reason I originally downloaded the kindle app onto my computer. The story was wonderful, it was the kindle app that I have a problem with.

I purchased this for my comic book group's LBGT month. This book is a quick read, and a good starting point for talking about what is love and how it is peseived by the individual, and the community (other kids in school, and her family). I'm looking forward to discussing this book with my group!

It's a magnificent work of art. The penciling and coloring is wonderfully thought out and adds an incredibly amount to the story, emotions and tone through fine detail. It's a brilliant coming of age story that made this reader ache with empathy for the main characters. I think that the title of a review from conservative in the American south might read, "Ms. Maroh makes lesbians seems human. Even French ones."

So I have read that this is more geared towards teens/young adults but I don't fit in those categories and I really enjoyed the book. Using this format on a kindle was a little challenging for me because I am technologically challenged, but otherwise it was a great experience. The graphic novel was such a powerful way to portray this story. I felt with the characters and liked that it wasn't such a cookie cutter type romance. I recommend it for sure.

Virtually impossible to read. Frames are tiny and you have to zoom on every single one to follow the story, which takes an age. Should have taken the advice of the reviewers I read saying to buy the book instead - the kindle version is just awful. I'm sure the book is great but I wouldn't know...

Blue Is The Warmest Color is one of the most innovative adaptations I have read in a long time. The use of spot color to represent gender and emotion is just sensational. It is a stunningly beautiful graphic novel with an unexpected twist, and I highly recommend this book (especially, for older teens struggling with gender identity issues).

This was an excellent graphic novel and very different than the movie version, which I saw first. Not for children or anyone under 18, but mature adults who have open minds, like myself, would like this very much. Best viewed in full color, no pun intended, and not on a kindle that has everything in black and white

Nothing I can say can describe this novel. But I can say that I truly enjoyed reading it and wish that others understood love as well as the author does.

I like how memories as told from Adele's diary are devoid of colour in this book except for Emma's hair, and slowly colour is added to the panels until current scenes are in full colour. This story tells us of love, rejection, betrayal, trust and why we should not ever punish the ones we love. Highly recommended.

When I saw the movie I felt like a lot was missing.. Blurred by the cirque the soleil sex scenes that were implemented by the director. I felt the undertone in there and now I have read this I feel I know the whole story.. I recommend if the movie spoke to you but like me felt a lot was left out you also read this to get the details a little more. Its beautifully drawn and it actually made me cry...( the movie did not!) emotionally tense and I didnt feel it was stereotypical but a real personal story..

Well written with expressive illustrations. It reveals the struggles too many young lgbtq people have to go through in a way that is relatable. There is such honesty and pureness in the earnest way the protagonist grapples with her discoveries about herself.

Much better than the movie the movie was so different than the book

I don't hate this book, I bought it first for my Kindle and could not magage to read it on any of my devices because it is a Manga format. I then bought the book and am amazed on how different the book is from the movie....glad that I read it but think I liked the movie better for the first time ever.

I really did want to see what the difference between the book and the movie were.. Very interesting! Makes me appreciate the movie so much more. The director and actors really did an outstanding job!

It's not life changing, but it's nice. It's different from the movie, but moving nonetheless. Unless you collect graphic novels, just buy the kindle version.

I didn't know book was in caricature form. This should have been made known in description.

I love this story, and the graphic novel itself is beautiful! So worth it!

Beautifully tragic. Wonderfully drawn and well worth the read. Some of the more intimate moments are graphic, but not in a shocking gratuitous way. Don’t let this stop you from enjoying this very human and topical drama.

Different from the movie, but still good. I prefer the movie. I love that it comes in so many different languages as well.

The story was good, read it in a few hours, but I should have listened to other reviews. If you're going to get this, do yourself a favor and get a hard copy. The kindle version will put some of the pictures out of order if you focus up on each individual comic box. I have 20/20 vision and reading it without the focus was a bit of a challenging since the text is tiny. Will probably get a hard copy of this when I get more money though (: READ IT!!!

It is SUCH an amazing book. Really good story and makes you consider your own views.

It's a complex coming of age story about a high school junior who discovers a love that she cannot understand, and it shows how freaking difficult it is to understand your emotions when you're teenager. So as a teenager myself I could really relate to it. Regardless of your orientation, you will find this book interesting. It makes a point about love, relationships, and society, without being preachy since its a graphic novel. Great read!

Loved the movie, and now I love the graphic novel just as much. If you've seen both then you know they differ but neither took away from the story. This was my first graphic novel & the story sucked me just like the movie did.

If you liked the movie definitely don't be afraid to pick this up.

Very graphic sex scenes

soooo glad I bought this! I read it all within two days.

Superb in every detail and will not disappoint. Ranks amount the top graphic novels. English as a second language in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas this could be an avenue for graphic novels to excel.

As is often the case, the book was better than the movie. I won't tell why. You have to read it.

I bought this after I watched the film. Jeez this was a depressing story!! Anyway I still think it was a pretty good story, but if you are going to buy this book make sure you buy the actual paper copy. Good story.

This is an absolutely fantastic story with wonderful themes about love, and loss. If you've seen the movie, it's got a LOT of differences, so go into it fresh. If you're looking to buy this for your kid, or someone who you don't really want to expose to pornography, then don't get this for them. It's not a lot of the book, but it's definitely there.

As usual, movie depictions leave out some key elements. Which I wouldn't have known if I hadn't bought the novel AFTER watching the movie. Now I can't imagine watching it again, but I could read this several more times. Beautiful, emotional illustrations so accurately show the gutwrenching, heart concaving experience that is being young, closeted, and your first love that totally warps your world but finally makes you feel your place in it. Just brilliant. A++

Evocative, profound and captivating. Haunting and ethereal. So much more than the film. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Watched The Movie And Had To Get The Book On Hardcover. Read In One Sitting

I got the print version because so many reviewers panned the Kindle version. The print is often small, and it's hand-written in cursive, so it can be difficult at times to read it in the print version. That said, the digital version is not optimized like most graphic novels for the Kindle, meaning you can’t click a panel and have it zoom in. You’re stuck with fitting the size of an 7x10 page onto your Kindle. If you have an 8.9" Kindle, the experience is pretty similar to the print version. If you have a smaller Kindle, don’t bother. As for the book itself, it was a good-not-great story of a French girl in love. It's beautifully drawn, the final statement about eternal love is quite poetic, but if you’ve read 10 teenager-obsessed-with-one-person love stories, you’ve read this one.

I thought the movie was great so I got the book. The book was so much better and answered many questions the movie left me asking. This version was saddening also more beautiful.

Very touching love story with fantastic illustrations. The attention to detail throughout was wonderful. I purchased the Kindle version of this book, but I wouldn't mind owning the physical book so I can display it on a book shelf.

Sad. But way more real than the film. I so loved the performances in the film that I wanted to learn more. This is a simpler story about conning to terms with who and what you are. With a love story thrown in.

The book was in great quality with vivid color. The graphics are captivating, deplicting emotions where words sometimes can't. This was my first graphic novel and certainly won't be the last.

Not for the faint of heart

Its a book that shows a different perspective of things. I read it in two hours. Easy to read. I would recommend to a teenager.

I have seen the film version and now I have read the graphic novel, so beautifully written :) I love it ! It was so amazing !

Read this graphic novel AFTER I saw the movie. Cried just as much as I did from the movie.

Great book with a beautiful lesbian love story ❤️

I bought this because I absolutely love the movie. The comic is flawless and it arrived in perfect shape. Definitely recommend!

I saw the movie and ordered the graphic novel. I kinda regret buying it, only because it's not really my thing. But it is very high quality.

Saw the movie & wanted to read the actual graphic novel. Different but I love them both. Buying the hard copy as well!

Touching, thoughtful and absolutely beautiful. A true story of identity and finding your place. Read this, you wont be disappointed.

Great graphic novel that the movie is based on. It gets more intimate and is slightly different from the movie version but is entertaining and personal

I first heard of this graphic novel from the movie based on it. After seeing the movie, I knew I had to read the source material. I was not disappointed in the least.

I loved the movie and I just wanted to have the book the movie was based on.

I really liked this book. The illustrations are great, and help to lead the story. Te story is well written. The subject matter is tangible. I loved it. All of it.

This graphic novel has captured my heart and was a wonderful read. There are moments of joy, anger and sadness that captivate the reader and make us yearn for more. Regardless of who you love, this story is a great experience about what it means to love without boundaries and to know yourself more and more with through love. I would recommend this to anyone. Enjoy it, it goes by quickly. Side note: I read this on the kindle version, and it was frustrating, as some have already mentioned. The tile zoom feature did not work on my laptop nor on my iPhone. Sometimes technology is not the better way.

I loved the pacing and the artwork. It wasn't abrasively political or preachy considering the story's subject matter. The characters carried the story along very naturally. The flawless storytelling sucked me in immediately. Get ready to cry.

I had to purchase this book for a class, but it was not at all what I expected. We were told that there would be some graphic images and that it was a lesbian, tragic love story. However, I didn't expect it to be such an in depth graphic novel.

This graphic novel is quite a bit different from the movie. I watched the movie first, enjoyed it but felt something was missing. When I read the graphic novel however, I didn't find what was missing, but found something alternatively touching and absolutely heartbreaking. A fantastic read.

well drawn

This is the best graphic novel I have ever read. No other stories exist, to my knowledge, in this genre that will immerse you so deeply and tangle your emotions so irrevocably. If you're looking for a book to cherish forever, you've come to the right author.

Heartbreaking, but beautiful.

For anyone who has experienced a love that challenges your expectations and the expectations of others, this story will resonate.

Story about internal battle over what is right and wrong, love not yet fully recognized by society because of prejudice and stereotyping,fighting for love, love lost,love gained and moving on. It may seem so common,but what made it catchy is that it is not romanticized, and everybody who has experienced love can definitely relate. It doesn't matter who you love,it's a matter of choice and the sense of fulfillment when you follow what your heart says. Looking back with no regrets.

Incredible story, very human and sensible. It also shows how kids, who have a sexual orientation thats not heterosexual, feel about being discriminated by friends and family in a very realistic way that you can relate to.

Awesome! Gave me a whole new means of understanding the story on which Kechiche based his movie.

Must read! Very sad. Best graphic novel I've read. Saw the movie and couldn't wait to read the novel. You won't be disappointed

Cannot wait to see the movie!!! Love doesn't involve anything but love, gender doesn't even matter! A wonderful story about true love

Amazing, heartbreaking and truly a tribute to loss and young love. Never mind the film, read this comic! So good.

Great story about love, the courage to love and the passion to continue loving. I truly enjoyed the book as much as the movie if not more!

Beautiful art combined with a touching and tender coming of age story made this one terrific read. I highly recommend.

One of the best love stories I have read in a long long time. Emma & Clem will live with you for a long time after finishing this book. Don't read it as lesbian literature or whatever else cliche people tend to put it in. It's a simple live story that is so well written it will have you think, choke up, grin and go through a maelstrom of emotions. Go on buy the book.

Great book. A sad love story

Love it!

With the exception of the last 25 percent of it, I really enjoyed "Blue is the Warmest Color." The characters were very well-written, and I absolutely loved the artwork. I felt like it kind of fell apart at the end a little bit, but I didn't think that aspect detracted too heavily from the overall experience. Thumbs up.

Absolutely incredible and an excellent example of comics being art and literature.

Really awesome

It was a very warm story! Was an unusual format...drawings were extremely graphic and showed the emotion of the subject very well.

I really like this book. There are a few plot points that aren't so great, but despite those, I still loved it.

I bought this in digital copy and soon enough I'll buy it in physical form. SO good!

Sad but truly lovely.

AMAZING! And even better than the movie! It had me crying and sitting "in my feels" for awhile. I want to keep rereading it. Also, the graphics are awesome!

This is beautiful. So much better than the movie.

This graphic novel is sad but thats what i get as the tittle is "Blue is the warmest color" but is is a really beautiful story.

very professional

Love it amazing read. Good for LGBTQ people.

Great condition!

I was intrigued by this novel from start to finish. I only wished it could have ended in a cliche happy ending. I am not insinuating the end is not happy but it certainly pulls at your heart strings. I recommend it to everyone interested in knowing about love .The good side of it and the bad side of it.

Refreshing story. Have not seen the film, but thought the graphic novel was mostly well done. Nevertheless I found the ending rather cliche and a bit of letdown. Spoiler ahead... to have the protagonist die just as the lovers reconcile seemed like a easy way out to end what is otherwise a good story.

I had put off reading this as I thought it would not appeal to me but I see now I was being closed minded. One of the greatest stories of love and acceptance I have ever read. I highly recommend it.

A great graphic novel.

Read, would highly recommend if you want to have your heart ripped into tiny pieces and then thrown in the sea for a bunch of animals to digest.

Beautiful, moving graphic novel.

This is a beautiful perspective that everyone would benefit from reading, but especially if you're gay. It's a story I would have loved to have written myself, only I didn't know how, until I found this graphic novel. This touched on so many feelings I've had in my own life, and I'm really stoked that I found this graphic novel to help me put my story into some sort of framework. As opposed to being confused by heteronormative, mainstream perspectives that could never touch up on the bullying, marginalizing that gays experience. As well as exposing the beauty in our love! "The only way to save the world is with love." .... This is a phenomenal story about love. And the love between androgynous queer women. I hope this becomes a mandatory reading in schools all over. The erotic nature of this graphic novel gives the story more of a real life perspective.... sex is very much so apart of the relationship just as much as the conversation.... physical attraction and how you are sexually... the liberating factor that comes along with letting yourself fall in love... letting yourself feel safe in someone else's arms.... is of course captured in the story... I am thrilled that someone has written and captured those moments in such an elegant and passionate way. I can tell that the author and illustrated has found love and is letting everyone else know what it looks like.

Lovely art, beautiful story. A very good read.

Hot, sexy... and great.

Favorite comics ever! very sad but love it

This can not compare to the movie, they are two separate beings. It shows how love it really is, not all good and not all bad. A treasured favorite.

The illustrations were spot on, compelling, and are the reason that I gave the graphic novel three stars. I would have given Blue Is the Warmest Color five stars, but the plot was more like a non-plot (a very cliched lesbian love trope). The characters are not fully developed by the end, and the novel is too short to support and real narrative. I had heard great things about this famed graphic novel, and was hoping that Maroh would have taken this underwhelming LGBT plot line further. Despite the lack of an interesting plot arc, I enjoyed reading Blue as the hard copy has a loose and flexible spine and the pages are large. Really, the images really steal the show here and because of that, I would recommend maybe borrowing the book from a friend or library if possible.

Beautifully told coming of age story. The text and graphic elements are used exquisitely to render the story. Highly recommended.

Fun book..

C'est magnifique. Émouvant!😢

Perfect story.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! The drawings were beautiful and the story was touching; I think many gay teens or just teens in general could relate the the scenes in this story.

Buy. The. Hard. Copy. You're going to want this for your bookshelf, and as others have said the Kindle version is wonky. I don't write reviews for my purchases often, but I had to make an exception for this one. Far too short of a story, but every panel is just masterful - you'll be hanging on to every word and carefully-drawn gesture by the first couple pages. Julie Maroh takes you on an emotional, heart-rending journey like no other graphic novel I've read ever has, and when you close the cover you'll be wondering when it was exactly that you got sucker-punched in the gut. This book brought emotions - both painful and wonderful - to the surface for me that I haven't felt in years, and for that I'm both astounded and eternally grateful to the author. Regardless of how you identify yourself, you will feel this story in your bones. I already know the new movie won't live up to the book (because when do they ever, really?), but it's reassuring to know that Maroh's work is getting proper respect and recognition internationally. Outstanding.

Amazing, stunning, beautiful love story. Great book. Gorgeous illustration burning off the page. Recommended for anyone in need of a cry.

Beautiful and sad. Catches you within the first few pages. Thought provoking

It is really good

Very interesting, I am sad the movie didn't follow the end

After watching the film I decided to purchase a copy of the book as a comparison. I have to say the book is far better than the film, and also a good read. I'm very glad to have bought the book.

A beautiful and heartwarming story. I loved every word. It is amazing how love can live on forever. This story has changed me for the better.

Real and true love beyond the gender is expressed in the message that I received from Julie Maroh. The movie is great but in another intense perspective.

I couldn't put the graphic novel down. The art was admirable and the story was satisfying although depressing. I ordered the French edition as well.

Saw the movie first, which is fantastic so check it out. The book goes down a different (much sadder) track but both are great stories that stand alone.

Great story! I read the entire novel the day my package arrived. Much better than the movie!

Just beautiful

This is such a wonderful work. Just great characters and brilliant artwork. The film they made, which won at Cannes, is engaging but is a different experience to the graphic novel.

Wasn't aware this was a graphic novel when I ordered it but it came on time and is a good book.

Great read, good production, absolutely worth it.

This was an incredible book. I loved it so much, it had me in tears by the end and I would love to read more.

Blue is the warmest color is a beautiful coming out story. Truly identifying love at first sight and the pressure gay youth face in admitting who they are. Loved it and anybody who accepts love for what it is will love it to.

Excellent book, I loved the story and the ilustrations. Totally recommended, it's a great graphic novel.

movie is way superior

The bittersweet love story that draws you in from the first page.

this is the best book i have ever read,ever.

Really good i love the history

I'm reading on my phone so it was quite difficult since it wouldn't zoom properly. Great novel, though. However, I did like the movie better.

Beautifully exhausting!

I saw the movie before I got the book It's good in print I hope a lot of people get into them both

I have never been so in love yet so heartbroken by the same story. It really is a poetic story about a girl accepting herself. And the hopes of an eternal love. Perfection. Really I recommend it to anyone, lesbian or not. It helps you realize love is not something defined by gender, but by what is in your heart.

A beautiful graphic novel.

this is a beautiful story but hard to read on kindle. it parallels a lot of coming out/ self discovery experiences.

Fantastic concepts and morals. Try to read the book before the movie, it makes much more sense then!

Beautifully drawn, Blue is the Warmest Color hits you the gut while caressing your hand. Martin's illustrations with few words give better life to a complex story than prose could.

It was a really good comic and i enjoyed it alot. Detailed and easy too Get theire feelings and stufff

Beautiful artwork!

This is the first graphic novel I've read and absolutely loved it! Only regret is not reading it before watching the movie.. I can read it over and over as well as the movie.

Changed my perspective of serial art! Vivid but Lovely.

A truly beautiful book.

Incredibly heart warming, satisfying, and emotional all in a few words and pictures. It is brilliant in its approach and dynamic

I love that this is something I have never read before. It was different and perfect. I loved it. I've seen the movie also and I loved it.

This book managed to touch me on so many levels. It did not take long for this to become my favorite graphic novel of all time (easily top 5 of all books, graphic novel or not). It is the type of book that will invade your thoughts for weeks after you have finished it. It is a beautiful and heart wrenching depiction of a teenager coming to terms with, among so many other things, a love that she does not understand. If the story does not do it for you then the art will; it both acts as the perfect compliment to the overall tone and message of the book, and is gorgeous from cover to cover. A book has not left me this thoroughly satisfied in a long time.

Great novel

He was patient and honest. I would do work with Jonathan again.

one of the best, touching graphic novels i've ever written

beautiful story

This is a wonderful story and artwork totally worth reading. I loved the way it showed many of the fears and desires Clem had.

Such an amazing read !!!

I loved the book and started and finished reading it the day I got it... I couldn't put it down.. :D

Great read loved it.

I cried

My first graphic novel. Love it!

Simple enough. I. Loved. It.

I can't wait to see the movie! I read a critique of the book from the Atlantic and decided to read the book myself.

Simply beautiful! So very truthful to young lesbian love and emotions. I honestly can not recommend it highly enough... Brava!

Way better than the movie.

I like the story very much. It moved me and represent the world (love between female) sharply with tears and love.

very beautiful story

It is a good book.

A great romantic story.

This is not based on the content whatsoever, only meant to provide a warning to Kindle users that it is very difficult to read in the Kindle format. I have begun reading it on my computer in "the cloud" due to the inability to read the font of each cartoon block(sorry, don't know the correct terminology for comics) without zooming in, then out to go to the next, zoom in, out, for each page. Maybe I'm lazy but it really did interrupt the flow of what I have heard is a beautiful story. The artwork is beautiful and I'm looking forward to reading it on my my computer.

the movie by filmmaker Abdellatif Kechiche is just as good. recommend them both. a story as timeless as love itself.

it's okay to read for fun but the story is weak and the ending is just so horrible that I almost laughed.

This book arrived on time and in perfect condition. The contents of the book are also good, with an incredible story complemented by incredible illustrations.

One of the most romantic and sadistic love story I've ever read. The graphic is awesome, full of cinematic potential. I'm dying to watch the movie.

'Love may not be eternal but love makes us eternal' ---beautiful thought and rings true......interesting too how graphic novels reach you thru a different path.

:)

I reed this for a book club & we were all in agreement that it was terrible. The characters didn't develope & I didn't see this as any kind of encouragement for a young adult who wants to be openly gay.