allie_fawn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Just be warned and do not be deceived by the cover. This is not for kids and gets graphic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Child death, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Blood, Animal death, Torture, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Gore, and Death
robinks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The illustrations were so colorful and flowy, it was so easy to just keep flipping pages. It was also cool to read about a culture’s creation myth. Poor poorling…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, and Violence
vigil's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this could be confusing to anyone not familiar with finnish mythology like myself, but i was able to keep up adeptly enough. the art is obviously beautiful, continuing the story on in place where other graphic novel’s would’ve used words. i think oksi reached its most impressive moment when it combined the two, sliding seamlessly between art, and the written word. there are some awkward moments in the narrative, but that is often a given. all translations fail, but this one, all in all, seemed pretty solid.
the art style is really the shining star here, and i think i would’ve been completely fine having a book with no text, just the illustrations. it totally set the atmosphere and the tone for the setting of oksi, one that is grounded heavily in a darkly whimsical forest.
take note of “darkly whimsical” for your own sake. this book took a 180 on me when i least expected it.
the art style is really the shining star here, and i think i would’ve been completely fine having a book with no text, just the illustrations. it totally set the atmosphere and the tone for the setting of oksi, one that is grounded heavily in a darkly whimsical forest.
take note of “darkly whimsical” for your own sake. this book took a 180 on me when i least expected it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
rachelwierick's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
This book is beautiful but also really disturbing. The art is incredible. The story is beautiful. I didn’t understand the Epilogue, so I’ll definitely be doing more research. Overall I really liked this but there were definitely some upsetting elements to it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
leigh9's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, and Violence
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The art is absolutely gorgeous in this book. The watercolor like style, with pops of color throughout, work really well for the folklore aspect of the story. As for the story itself, I think it would be more effective if you knew the folklore that it's based on. On its own, the story seems a bit sporadic. It's interesting, but now I'm definitely going to go look at Finnish folklore to better understand what was going on.
I would 100% recommend this for the artwork, though. Each page is a work of art on its own.
I would 100% recommend this for the artwork, though. Each page is a work of art on its own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Abandonment
Moderate: Death and Violence
destdest's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
There’s a lot going on here, and it gets dark despite the cute art style. I was confused at Poorling’s origin, but, if I have this right, Emuu, the mother of creation and the bear's momma went through an elaborate scheme to get her daughter to cut her ties to Earth and her cubs, so she could be with her again on the other side/afterlife. Poorling, the main character, is unnatural but an innocent child, so many plot points come with emotional implications.
The artwork is lovely and the way scenes are framed, like trees being the actual borders or no borders at all, was an interesting design choice. I liked the touches of gold but the golden font was a bit unreadable. Whenever there’s a splash of color, it makes an impact. 5 stars for the artwork!
I liked seeing Finnish folklore, especially the shadow creatures, but I think knowing the actual story is essential for maximum enjoyment. Without having that background, the story felt erratic. I'm sure those familiar with the folklore will appreciate the story in this form.
What I think some of the themes were… being tricked by the “devil?”/deity/moral-less entity, the strong bond of motherhood, turbulent mother-daughter relationships, not fitting in, God’s creations rebelling, should a God give his creation free will, death, etc
The artwork is lovely and the way scenes are framed, like trees being the actual borders or no borders at all, was an interesting design choice. I liked the touches of gold but the golden font was a bit unreadable. Whenever there’s a splash of color, it makes an impact. 5 stars for the artwork!
I liked seeing Finnish folklore, especially the shadow creatures, but I think knowing the actual story is essential for maximum enjoyment. Without having that background, the story felt erratic. I'm sure those familiar with the folklore will appreciate the story in this form.
What I think some of the themes were…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Animal death
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