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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.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
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.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Abandonment
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.
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…
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Animal death
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