grimondgalgmod's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. One of those books that makes you rethink all the other five-star ratings you've given recently. A complicatedly unique and rewarding reading experience.
erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
4.0
I'm not sure if it's more foolhardy to pick up a book and realise part way in that it's books #3, or to stick it out and complete the book just because you can. At no point did I assume that this graphic novel was weird because I had missed the previous 2, but more because it's really absurd.
The art is evocative and stark. The characters are British, and of diverse ethnicity. As a book about a book that is being written, we get to see its contents peppered through the story as it unfolds. There is no question that the mind of the character/author is chaotic. There are some brilliant puns. As a dystopian future reality there are remnants of modern society that have evolved or been misconstrued (in a similar was to some of the relics in Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines books). Terms like "summery executions", and opposites to modern clichés like "death days" are explored and unfold into completely new meanings.
The main character is pathologised for having a brain that works differently, for not being passive, and for thinking deeply and coming up with explanations to things. Although he is seemingly quite mad, he also uses his unfettered observations of the world to comprehend things that other people don't even question.
The art is evocative and stark. The characters are British, and of diverse ethnicity. As a book about a book that is being written, we get to see its contents peppered through the story as it unfolds. There is no question that the mind of the character/author is chaotic. There are some brilliant puns. As a dystopian future reality there are remnants of modern society that have evolved or been misconstrued (in a similar was to some of the relics in Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines books). Terms like "summery executions", and opposites to modern clichés like "death days" are explored and unfold into completely new meanings.
The main character is pathologised for having a brain that works differently, for not being passive, and for thinking deeply and coming up with explanations to things. Although he is seemingly quite mad, he also uses his unfettered observations of the world to comprehend things that other people don't even question.
People accept whatever absurdity surrounds them as reality.
And yet, to question that absurdity is to become absurd. As was my fate...
This book is chaotic and absurd. Perhaps I would have made more sense of it if I had read the previous two books, but I didn't find them, and I was on holiday for a limited time so I wasn't at liberty to wait around for the library to order them in. I feel like this book has just enough of a thread of continuity to keep the plot coherent. It's hard work making sense of the chaos, but it's more of an emotional journey than a plot. Quite cool though, and had me rolling my eyes and giggling like a twit at some of the humour.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Trafficking, Violence, War, Ableism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, and Cannibalism
Minor: Self harm
vanillafire's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kayymwil's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
eiriee's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Self harm
candycain's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
2.5
atlas_cannot_read's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Yes yes yes yes yes. I loved this series so much. The art style, the weird sci-fi elements, the nonlinear exposition, the unanswered questions. It was so good I can over look the fact that all the characters are supposed to be “British”.
daneekasghost's review
4.0
I like this world, and this was a pretty good conclusion to a pretty good trilogy.
wendleness's review
4.0
This book has as much weird and wonderfulness as the first two. With the main characters venturing out beyond the boarders of The Bear Park, where (almost) all of them have lived for their entire lives, we get to see new places and new ways in which these worlds are strange, bizarre, and fascinating. Guerilla postmen, exploding people, diseases as gods, and rotting corpses on the street. And of course we see more of Castro’s book (can you guess what it’s called?), which explores the history and nature of this world in all its peculiarness.
The art, as ever, is beautiful. Simple, but with such amazing detail. The faces are definitely my favourite, varying from plain and unobtrusive in wider panels, slightly more detailed in more medium panels, to perfectly detailed with amazing subtleties in expression and character in the really close panels. I could look at the faces alone for quite a while. Pages from Castro’s book are presented as a kind of divide between chapters and two alternating storylines, which worked well, and I loved the layout and illustrations, as well as the contrasting white-on-black of those pages.
A slightly longer review can be read at my blog: Marvel at Words
The art, as ever, is beautiful. Simple, but with such amazing detail. The faces are definitely my favourite, varying from plain and unobtrusive in wider panels, slightly more detailed in more medium panels, to perfectly detailed with amazing subtleties in expression and character in the really close panels. I could look at the faces alone for quite a while. Pages from Castro’s book are presented as a kind of divide between chapters and two alternating storylines, which worked well, and I loved the layout and illustrations, as well as the contrasting white-on-black of those pages.
A slightly longer review can be read at my blog: Marvel at Words
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