librarycobwebs's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I picked this up having been a fan of McCloskey's Free Money which I would find around Pittsbuurgh. So I went in to this completely blind other than my love of his writing and art style. I could not believe when it turned out to be a mecha anime style story of young people forced to pilot giant robots, which is a guilty pleasure of mine. Like the best Gundam series this book is rooted in the emotions of the characters. McCloskey also fills his world and each page with interesting new ideas that capture the imagination.
twiinklex's review against another edition
2.0
Speculative fiction with an interesting premise and rich setting, but unfortunately this didn't do it for me. The story was very chaotic and hard to follow. Even though I liked the artwork and minimal colour palette, they only added to the messiness of the book.
The upside is I appreciated how this graphic novel handles themes of bullying and loved seeing the main characters stand up to their bullies. Overall, I got the gist of the story but can't say I fully enjoyed it as the reading experience was lacking.
The upside is I appreciated how this graphic novel handles themes of bullying and loved seeing the main characters stand up to their bullies. Overall, I got the gist of the story but can't say I fully enjoyed it as the reading experience was lacking.
jamieschecter's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved Cloud Town. I read this fast paced graphic novel in one sitting and was immediately sucked into Olive and Pen's adventures in saving their town and navigating life as teenage girls. I loved that both characters felt realistic. They experienced fear and anger, but they were also brave and not afraid to say sorry when they hurt someone. There are a lot of layers to the plot, but the art blends the story seamlessly and lets the story come to life visually. Five stars, would highly recommend.
destdest's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
This is CHAOTIC! Kaiju/monster fights + mean girls bullying + mechas + threats of child protection services, etc. There’s a lot going on here.
Sometimes, panels feel a bit cluttered, but you can still figure out what’s going on. The humor’s supremely quirky and fun but gross (get a vomit bucket; it's everywhere). One highlight is when a character shoots literal daggers from her eyes haha. Pretty charming. Another thing I enjoyed was a twist that happened early on in the story.
I loved Pen(elope)’s confidence and brashness though I hated how she felt she had to always be the strong one. And her dad depended on her the most almost to a fault. I was also surprised to see she was black-ish(?) if the sleeping bonnet indicated anything.
Olive goes through the most character growth in this story. From a spineless wimp to a young girl just trying to figure things out. She doesn’t get it all right, but she tries. Their friendship was a bunch of fun to read.
The dolphin-brained boys were so stupid. So much fun. Just gold.
The climax had actual tension. When Olive’s parents were crying, I was about to cry too lol. Everything about the ending came together very well with all the loose ends.
I could see this working better as a cartoon. But I would read a sequel to this or another story set in this universe in a heartbeat.
Sometimes, panels feel a bit cluttered, but you can still figure out what’s going on. The humor’s supremely quirky and fun but gross (get a vomit bucket; it's everywhere). One highlight is when a character shoots literal daggers from her eyes haha. Pretty charming. Another thing I enjoyed was a twist that happened early on in the story.
Spoiler
I was completely expecting Pen to command the mecha because she was overqualified, but NAH, son. Olive is the true main character. Nice, didn't see it coming.I loved Pen(elope)’s confidence and brashness though I hated how she felt she had to always be the strong one. And her dad depended on her the most almost to a fault. I was also surprised to see she was black-ish(?) if the sleeping bonnet indicated anything.
Olive goes through the most character growth in this story. From a spineless wimp to a young girl just trying to figure things out. She doesn’t get it all right, but she tries.
Spoiler
she had annoyed me by getting mad at Pen for not protecting her better, and I’m not going to say Pen didn’t antagonize the mean girls right back with no care to how it would negatively affect Olive, but like Pen’s not your mama. You have to stand up for yourself, okay baby.The dolphin-brained boys were so stupid. So much fun. Just gold.
The climax had actual tension. When Olive’s parents were crying, I was about to cry too lol. Everything about the ending came together very well with all the loose ends.
I could see this working better as a cartoon. But I would read a sequel to this or another story set in this universe in a heartbeat.
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