notanenglishprof's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
a_manning11's review against another edition
4.0
An important story well told through clear illustrations.
I wish the note explaining the historical background of the story had come at the beginning of the book, to make the story's significance clear from the start and to serve as an introduction to the book.
I wish the note explaining the historical background of the story had come at the beginning of the book, to make the story's significance clear from the start and to serve as an introduction to the book.
crookedtreehouse's review against another edition
4.0
History has taught me not to believe in happy endings or memoirs. Both are involved in [a:Mark Long|286614|Mark Long|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], [a:Jim Demonakos|4836266|Jim Demonakos|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], and [a:Nate Powell|51924|Nate Powell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1360540007p2/51924.jpg]'s graphic novel about late 1960s American racism.
I didn't do any research about the story or the authors (I was only familiar with Powell's work) before reading it, and was surprised by how much of the first portion of the story focused on how a white family was affected by violence against black students and protesters. But that shifts as the story goes on, and becomes an uncomfortable but not difficult look at every character in the book.
And they are characters. Like many modern memoirs, this story has been highly fictionalized "for storytelling purposes" to find "a balance between factual accuracy and emotional authenticity." Which the author addresses in the afterword.
There is an unsatisfying pacing in the narrative, as it doesn't give a proper sense of time passing. The ending (not the trite, paint-by-numbers epilogue, but the actual ending to the main story) seems implausible given the history of the American Justice System, race relations in the 20th and 21st centuries, and the events that lead up to it. It bothered me enough that I did some research on the events the story is based on. If the story had been less compelling, I might not have spared the effort but I needed to know that the ending (and, again, I don't mean the epilogue) was historically true. The answer is: sort of. The end result is true but there are years that take place between page 158 and 159, but the story and the lack of characters aging makes it seem like only weeks or months.
Powell's art is excellent, as always. And while Long and Demonakos's pacing had me questioning the historical accuracy of their narrative, I never doubted their emotional authenticity.
I didn't do any research about the story or the authors (I was only familiar with Powell's work) before reading it, and was surprised by how much of the first portion of the story focused on how a white family was affected by violence against black students and protesters. But that shifts as the story goes on, and becomes an uncomfortable but not difficult look at every character in the book.
And they are characters. Like many modern memoirs, this story has been highly fictionalized "for storytelling purposes" to find "a balance between factual accuracy and emotional authenticity." Which the author addresses in the afterword.
There is an unsatisfying pacing in the narrative, as it doesn't give a proper sense of time passing. The ending (not the trite, paint-by-numbers epilogue, but the actual ending to the main story) seems implausible given the history of the American Justice System, race relations in the 20th and 21st centuries, and the events that lead up to it. It bothered me enough that I did some research on the events the story is based on. If the story had been less compelling, I might not have spared the effort but I needed to know that the ending (and, again, I don't mean the epilogue) was historically true. The answer is: sort of. The end result is true but there are years that take place between page 158 and 159, but the story and the lack of characters aging makes it seem like only weeks or months.
Powell's art is excellent, as always. And while Long and Demonakos's pacing had me questioning the historical accuracy of their narrative, I never doubted their emotional authenticity.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhat fictionalized account of an incident that happened in the writer's childhood. The art and writing captured a time and a place. I would have preferred if the story was fully non-fiction. Sure there was more drama involving the writer's dad in the book version. And the afterword came clean. But the part I liked best in this book were the smaller bits. Of life. And not the incident with the police.
zoes_human's review against another edition
2.0
This came across as flat and unemotional. It felt more like a recap of the story than a fully developed story.
caitemunch's review against another edition
4.0
Very well done! I loved the political commentary, and I loved how non-biased it felt; it didn't favor any side and just wanted equality for all. The characters were well developed and the illustrations were gorgeous and at points eerie to match the tone of particular scenes.
potatomcgee's review against another edition
4.0
The Silence of Our Friends tells the story of two families whose lives are touched by the Houston TSU protest, which was escalated by police into a riot. The artwork is both beautiful and gritty, which complements the story well. It shows examples of the best and the worst of humanity. The story is fascinating and one that hasn't been told before. My only issue was that it felt like a snapshot of these people's lives,rather than a fully fleshed out story. For example, details about one daughter's blindness are mentioned briefly, but never fully explored. I would have liked to read more about these families.