Technological advancements have made it extremely easy for people to get their hands on brand new reading material. Ebooks, online magazines, fanfiction, and so much more are distributed across the web for millions of users to explore and enjoy. Sites like Wattpad and Fanfiction.net give viewers an opportunity not only to read others work but to share their own written pieces as well. Being a bookworm myself, I’ve never really been a big online reader, save for my boyband fanfiction phase in middle school and my werewolf fanfiction phase in high school. A screen could never take the place of an actual book. The feel of the pages shifting in your hands, the smell of a newly crafted spine, creases and marks on the pages from dog ears and tears could never be simulated with a phone or computer.
However, despite my normal views, I have found my latest reading app obsession. After weeks of ads for this app appearing on Facebook, I finally gave in and downloaded it. Now I can’t seem to stop using it.
The app is called WebToon, and it’s a unique reading experience. Sort of like an online comic book, the app gives artists an opportunity to craft their own stories, combining fantastic artwork with unique and original stories. Most stories are updated weekly and they even can have sound added into the story. Often music will be placed into the story to provide more emotion to the part of the story the reader is viewing.
Using the app is extremely easy. Stories are viewed by scrolling through. Once the ‘episode’ for the story is over, simply click the next button to continue. All of the episodes can be viewed in a list on the homepage of the story, in order from oldest to newest. The story will even bookmark which episode you left off on. The app has a ton of categories to choose stories from as well. Romance, comedy, action, fantasy, horror, and more are all available at the swipe of a finger.
All of the stories I’ve read so far have been crafted in an amazing fashion, with breathtaking art and an intriguing storyline. I find myself having a hard time to stop reading in my spare time. My particular favorite has been “Lore Olympus” by Rachel Smythe. Full of beautiful colors and impressive artwork, the romance depicts the myth of Persephone and Hades, only placing it in a much more modern setting, with Olympus and the Underworld as cities. Persephone, a 19-year-old naive college students winds up first as friends then crushing hard for the cutthroat businessman Hades, who must deal with his growing feelings for Persephone as well as his commitment to his secretary/nymph Minthe. A brilliant retelling of the classic tale, the story was so addictive I finished all 78 episodes in a day. Now I can’t wait for Sunday when the new update will be available.
If you are someone who struggles to read a regular book but are longing for something to read, I highly recommend this app. It will intrigue you with the artwork and suck you in with the writing. Both are woven in a way that will appeal to all types of readers. You’re only regret will be how much the app occupies you in your spare time.