Sanpaku by Kate Gavino

Sanpaku Reviews

• 
  Dave Schaafsma

  This is a bit of information about the Japanese belief/superstition called sanpaku:
  
  
  https://www.tofugu.com/japan/sanpaku/
  
  The girl in this story, Marcine, is highly influenced by her worries about sanpaku, and she follows this macrobiotic guru to try and make sure she is not cursed by it:
  
  
  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
  
  It’s a more-dark-than-light pen-and-ink drawn comic, a coming-of-age story that touches on Catholicism, superstition, Filipino culture, shoplifting, macrobiotics/health, family. Quirky. I didn’t love it, but it is interesting, about the vulnerability of youth and being led to act on strange ideas one encounters. I thought of that book The Girls (Cline) and how one can be led down strange roads, drinking that kool-aid of the moment.
• 
  Rod Brown

  Well, what a jumbled mess.
  
  In this coming of age graphic novel, Marcine is a twelve-year-old Catholic Filipino American whose grandmother has told her about a goofy Japanese superstition based on how visible the whites of your eyes are around your iris. Realizing she has the bad amount of sclera showing, Marcine starts a macrobiotic diet recommended by a weird but real book called
  You Are All Sanpaku by George Ohsawa. (BTW, is anyone else having trouble using the Goodreads "Insert book/author" option?)
  
  Gavino starts delving into Catholicism, the Philippines, and shoplifting, which was okay, but then the narrative takes a turn as it introduces the murder of pop star Selena and starts detailing a weird rivalry between Mexican Americans pushing for Selena's elevation to sainthood over the beatification of a fictional Filipino woman named Vilma Vielique de Santa Barbara. Vilma backers out Selena as a Jehovah's Witness, falsely claiming her death was due to her refusal of medical treatment. Then homophobia rears its head as Vilma is denounced as a lesbian by the Selena backers. And then the whole vile thing just kind of fizzles out.
  
  Finally there is a school trip that doesn't go particularly well and the book ends. I think the protagonist has some revelations about her own sexuality and the pointlessness of superstitions and religion, but, then again, I'm not really sure and certainly don't care.
• 
  Jon Nakapalau

  The internal logic of youthful gossip - we can all remember that story that was 'fact' and that everyone took a stance on. May offend some because of youthful interpretations of adult subject matter - a very original work.
• 
  Sachi Argabright

  This graphic novel tells the story of a girl named Marcine who is fascinated with the Japanese concept of Sanpaku: seeing the whites of someone’s eyes is a bad omen. She takes this concept so seriously that she undergoes a strict diet, and is constantly evaluating people’s eyes. With a wide cast of characters, SANPAKU follows Marcine as she navigates her teenage life.
  
  This book was so quirky, and was so different than what I expected! I really liked the diverse mix of cultures in this book, and was surprised by all the religious themes layered in as well. Marcine is a quiet and contemplative protagonist, and her observant nature really allows the reader to take in what’s really happening around her. Overall, the only thing I struggled with was that I thought Marcine’s devotion to Sanpaku was a little strange (since it’s such an outlandish theory). But with Marcine being in her impressionable teen years, I can see how she could become absorbed in it so much. 3.5/5!
• 
  Bored to Death book club

  The first thing I did after reading the first pages of Sanpaku, was check my own eyes. I'd never heard of the term, but it means that the white of your eyes shows on three sides. Made notorious by George Oshawa,
  Sanpaku is thought to be a symptom of a mental imbalance in a person, something that marks you for living a doomed life.
  
  Kate Gavino's graphic novel titled Sanpaku is about a young girl called Marcine who finds out she has Sanpaku as well. She has it, her grandma has it and so many other people around her. The only way to battle Sanpaku is by following a macrobiotic diet, which Marcine and her grandmother both do. But when her grandmother dies regardless of all their hard work, Marcine starts to doubt whether her whole Sanpaku worldview.
  
  I found Marcine a very interesting character. Growing up and thinking that you are destined for a tragic life does something to a young mind and we see her anxiousness and uncomfortableness throughout the story. The other characters around her are very different. They are much more self-assured and open to the world, really contrasting Marcine's small world.  I enjoyed reading about Marcine's transformation as it slowly dawns on her that Sanpaku might not be real - or at least not something she can do anything about - and how this makes room in her life for other people and ideas. The added second storyline of a possibly lesbian Catholic Saint and the death of Selena becomes a red thread through Marcine's life and her discovery of herself.
  
  There is a lot to like about Sanpaku, but my favorite thing has to be the artwork. Gavino draws everything on a background of black and white geometric shapes, creating small scenes where the characters really get to stand out. I already knew I would enjoy her drawing style from her series
  Last Night's Reading, but this book gave me a new appreciation for it. Every page is a panel of its own and can be read as a standalone image, while also telling a continuous story. The whole book - including all these intricate patterns - is hand-drawn, which makes the whole thing even more impressive.
  
  Gavino comes from a Catholic Filipino background and weaves her own culture into the story. Marcine is Catholic Filipino and the stories about her Lolo and Lola and how the community is trying to get a sainthood for their heroes were fun and interesting to read about. My favorite story aspect were the older women in Marcine's life. They shoplift at the macrobiotic shop just because they can and even after Marcine's grandmother dies, they visit her house, just so they can use her massage chair. Their devil-may-care attitude is perfectly captured in the drawings of their faces and the panels of the women being caught shoplifting Durian's underneath their skirts made me laugh. Gavino does a great job blending culture, history and times together which really gave me a sense of the world Marcine lives in.
  
  The book has a great eye for detail and an interesting and rich story to boot. If you enjoy graphic novels that are lighthearted about difficult subjects or just love looking at beautiful drawings, then I'd definitely recommend you'd give Sanpaku a try.
• 
  Dakota Morgan

  Kate Gavino's slice-of-life memoir is interesting, but it leaves a lot unexplored. Sanpaku is, naturally, focused on the concept of sanpaku: if you can see the whites on all four sides of a person's pupils, that person is doomed. Gavino returns to this idea numerous times because she was, apparently, obsessed with the concept in her teenage years. Sanpaku also prominently features Vilma, a potential patron saint, Selena, the Tejano superstar, and shoplifting. As you can see, these are pretty disparate concepts, so Sanpaku often feels like a grab-bag of stories rather than a cohesive narrative. I would have liked more about Gavino's family or her Filipino roots, something to ground the narrative in the author herself, rather than just the random things floating through her teenage world.
  
  (I'm just now realizing as I read other Goodreads reviews that Sanpaku was not a memoir but rather an entirely fictional graphic novel. Just goes to show that the story was a bit jumbled! Or that I'm a terrible reader. Pick your poison there, I suppose.)
• 
  Beck

  Well this was weird!
  
  I don't really know what to rate this, I wouldn't really recommend it because it seemed quite jumbled. I was enjoying it towards the beginning (I liked the wall of shame of old shoplifting ladies, that was great, and the story of how the main character and her friend are friends basically because she saw her do a poo in a sandpit when they were young and that kind of means they have to stay friends or something? The logic of that just made me laugh) but as the book went on it seemed to lose its purpose... Whatever that was to begin with.
  
  I didn't really like the art style, and the main character looked a lot like Edna Mode from The Incredibles so that was weird. Overall, an interesting reading experience but not for me.
• 
  dejah_thoris

  This is an odd graphic novel that ranges across a variety of topics as observed from a Catholic Filipino teenage perspective. I'm not sure why our public library bought it nor do I know what I'm supposed to take away from it. (People outgrow strange superstitions? Fighting over sainthood candidates illuminates the underhandedness of those involved?) The black and white art, especially the background patterns, was rather compelling though. So, if you don't mind being taken on a short but strange journey, give this one a shot.
• 
  Benjamin Korman

  I absolutely loved this book. It borrows so many disparate elements from life in Houston in the 90s (Asian immigrant culture, catholic school, Selena) and assembles them into a beautiful, offbeat, coming of age story. The origami paper-inspired background art on each page is stunning, too.
• 
  Kristin

  A graphic memoir in vignettes that reminded me of Lynda Barry. Each page is a panel, which doesn't leave a lot of room for story detail and some of the overly busy background patterns bothered my eyes, but the stories are still from a unique and interesting perspective.
• 
  Pearl Grace

  This was interesting. Funny tidbits on Filipino culture, and it read as dark and impressionable. Found it strange, but I should've read more backstory on Sanpaku to understand fully.
• 
  Eli Poteet

  this was genuinely interesting and i appreciate its cultural significance. but some of the background designs made me feel a little sick to my stomach. i also struggled a little bit with timeline.
• 
  Salty Swift

  While I comprehend the Japanese notion of sanpaku, I'm not sure drawing this notion out through 300 pages makes much sense in terms of humour or thinly veiled plot.
• 
  Adrian Shirk

  I LOVED this book. Masterful storytelling. Totally original aesthetic. It's the gorgeously illustrated tale of 12-year-old Marcine after she stumbles upon the writings of a new age health cult. Navigating her own Filipino-American Catholic milieu and the enormous cultural and religious diversity of 1995 Houston, Texas -- which crests around the death of beloved popstar, Selena -- the book also reads also as a textured love letter to the landscapes and Lolas that form us.
• 
  Samantha

  The story was interesting - I didn't know about Sanpaku before reading this. The art is all black and white, each page has beautiful geometric background behind the main storyline art. I loved the style design of this book.
• 
  T.

  I was eager to read Kate Gavino's Sanpaku after getting her more well-known book, Last Night's Reading. That was such a beautiful tribute to the literary world - I loved seeing those authors, reading their words, all through her gorgeous brushstrokes and colorful panels.
  
  This was a much more personal story, giving us a picture of a teenager's life (Marcine) in Texas, in the 90s, and through the concept of Sanpaku and superstition, we get to know her grandparents, Catholic school-life, etc.
  
  As with LNR, Gavino's style and illustrations are very expresive and evocative. I don't know for sure, but I suspect she differs from most other sequential artists in that her work doesn't have a lot of action or movement. Instead, we get these black-and-white single panels, each one taking up an entire page like polaroids.
  
  As far as story goes, it's all tied together by Marcine's obsession with the superstition surrounding Sanpaku - a Japanese term meaning "three whites." You learn that this means the white space above or below your iris is visible, and that the people who have it are cursed.
  
  This device worked for me, even though there wasn't a big story arc or conclusion. There are a few moments of irony and insight, mostly to do with the people in Marcine's life and their realtionship to faith, morality, and the truth. Again, these insights aren't broadcast loudly. We might guess how Marcine sees things, but it's done in a sort of understated way.
  
  If you like graphic novels that offer quirky, impressionistic musings on life, culture, religion, and don't mind unresolved slice-of-life stories, I'd recommend this book.
• 
  Emilia P

  Yo! This one was a pleasant surprise -- a brief-ish and sort of light-heartedish memoir of growing up in 90sish Houston with a super-superstitious/religious Filipino grandma, trying to figure out what to believe in the world and what just makes you look like a sucker. I learned more about Selena than I ever have before! Apparently I did not know very much. Shared some weirdo-DNA with Lynda Barry, but not a ton, and really fun/precise illustrations. I thought it was a great book mostly because I picked it up wondering "why do I care?" and in the end, I knew exactly why. Work well done, young memoirist. But my favorite part was the HEB shoutout. More comic books should feature my amazing Texas grocery store chain. That's right, it's mine now. :P
• 
  Jennifer Sundt

  I relate to this story; I've been there, been that random kid in the background who believed something kind of weird or did something compulsive in some attempt to establish autonomy over reality and all of its frustrations and tragedies. Maybe I was drawn in for that reason. While the plot winds around somewhat, observing Marcine's life in the Philippines is fun, and the conclusion does ultimately offer some subtle hints for young people (or anyone, really) lost in vague internal chaos: you'll find yourself someplace else from where you are now, someplace hopefully better where things make more sense to you, just as long as you keep going. The fog lifts, at least a little bit, eventually. I find comfort in this reflection that I've gleaned from Marcine's confusion, an oddly private set of moments of hers, here for me to witness.
• 
  Jessica Haider

  3.5 stars-- Sanpaku is a graphic novel about Marcine, a 12-year old Filipino American growing up in the mid-90's in Texas. Her family is Catholic and Marcine attends church, retreats, etc. with her family and peers. Marcine and her mother become interested in sanpaku, a condition where the white of the eyes shows on 3 sides of the iris for some people. Supposedly, people with sanpaku are doomed. Marcine goes on a special diet to try to rid herself of her sanpaku.
  
  This book was an interesting look into the mind of a pre-teen going through typical pre-teen stuff with the added flavor of her catholic, Filipino upbringing.
• 
  David Thomas

  Coming of age graphic novel centered around a girl in Catholic school and the condition "sanpaku," where the iris of the eye is completely showing. It's supposed to bring doom, and the proper way to combat it is to eat a macrobiotic diet and chew every mouthful 50 times. It's kind of silly to think that eating brown rice and chewing a lot is going to do much, but at least it's not going to cause any harm like eating ground up rhino horns to cure impotence.
• 
  yosann

  reading this made me feel like a gooner the number of times i was edged 😂😂🤣🤣🤣
  
  it felt ALMOST good, and like it ALMOST made a point, but nothing really clicked. i liked the different parts of marcines life that was shown, but by the end, it didnt all come together for me :/ i finished the book thinking there was a moral that i missed bc it felt like there was supposed to be one?? very confusing... the art was very unique and fun, and it was quite nice to look at 🫶
• 
  Esmée

  A cute story about a young, anxious girl growing up thinking she is doomed. The artwork is especially great. Gavino captures the characters really well and gives every single page panel a patterned background. All of these pages look amazing on their own, and as a whole, it makes a good coming-of-age story.
• 
  Abby

  Marcine is a Filipino American teen who becomes obsessed with the theory of Sanpaku, a Japanese conspiracy theory that if you can see the whites around someone's irises, they're doomed. This quirky semi-autobiographical story reminded me of Lynda Barry's comix, and her knack for perfectly capturing oddball adolescents and their social awkwardness.
• 
  Lily

  As someone versed in all things Sampaku, I liked this awkward and strange coming of age story about dealing with grief through the lens of this urban legend of sorts. For being a sharp and particular story, it covers a lot, shoplifting and sainthood, and cultural differences in a diverse community, and Selena's death placing us in a particular time and place.
• 
  ThatOneCornerReader

  I have absolutely no idea what I just read... but I kind of liked it?
  Gavino's art is unusual in it's comic strip feel but not jarring. In fact, it fits the book very well. The story is hard to grasp. While it's present, it's a touch bonkers. Yet I like it for it's insanity. I was thoroughly entertained but at a loss for words.
  Read at your own risk of broken braincells.
• 
  Courtney

  3.5 stars A really quirky coming-of-age story. Sanpaku, and the superstitions surrounding it, were brand new to me, but it was still very easy to relate to the protagonist's anxieties and struggles to make sense of the adult world. Gavino's visual style has matured since this volume, but I think the background geometric patterns and strong lines suit the story she's telling here.
• 
  Lauren Rochford

  This book made me miss my grandma and took me back to the days when I checked VH1 constantly to see if they were replaying JLo's (perfect) Selena movie. Also, the illustrations are incredibly cool and add a lot to the story. A funny, heartfelt, quick read for pre-teens to adults!
• 
  Nick Klagge

  Quirky and fun graphic novel by a friend of a friend. The eponymous "sanpaku" is really a bizarre idea. Some good coming-of-age stuff, plus grandmas shoplifting mangoes by tucking them inside their skirts!