cyanide_latte's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Edit 10/1/2023: upon further reflection, this is really brilliant. It says a lot without putting everything into words. (Read: my good friend and I are fascinated by the implications in CLAMP choosing to include Chinese culture the way they did in a story like this one.) We also have a lot of paradoxical relationships occurring within this story, which is wild for the time in which CLAMP decided to pen this story, especially given it's a retrofuturistic setting. Ahead of its time, really. There's something to be said on that note that while we see in the first act one particular character claim to love the other, the additional chapters imply that those feelings of love are inherited or carryover, as she seems to have actually fallen in love with someone she never met in-person.
And as if that's not already fascinating on its own, consider the way in which this story is told, the order in which the reader receives information, because it's very deliberate. CLAMP didn't open with the ending and spend the rest of the book backtracking over the past for nothing. Yes, this can feel disjointed, I will grant you that, but one of the most driving forces and central themes of Clover is freedom. And when you examine the other of the story as it's presented? It's bittersweet, as we begin by being shown who has the least amount of freedom, and we end, ultimately, with the one who has the most, such as it can be claimed.
This story is beautiful and heartbreaking, and I wish more people could see that and appreciate it as it truly deserves to be.
The last time I remember reading this series was in early high school, and I don't recall appreciating it in nearly the way it deserved back then. Re-reading it now at last, I forgot how experimental and up-for-interpretation the story is, but I think I appreciate that more as an adult. This is the kind of story you really need to sit with for a while and mull over, because there's a lot here and I think it deserves to have more thought and analysis put into interacting with this story in order to fully appreciate what it's doing.
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And as if that's not already fascinating on its own, consider the way in which this story is told, the order in which the reader receives information, because it's very deliberate. CLAMP didn't open with the ending and spend the rest of the book backtracking over the past for nothing. Yes, this can feel disjointed, I will grant you that, but one of the most driving forces and central themes of Clover is freedom. And when you examine the other of the story as it's presented? It's bittersweet, as we begin by being shown who has the least amount of freedom, and we end, ultimately, with the one who has the most, such as it can be claimed.
This story is beautiful and heartbreaking, and I wish more people could see that and appreciate it as it truly deserves to be.
The last time I remember reading this series was in early high school, and I don't recall appreciating it in nearly the way it deserved back then. Re-reading it now at last, I forgot how experimental and up-for-interpretation the story is, but I think I appreciate that more as an adult. This is the kind of story you really need to sit with for a while and mull over, because there's a lot here and I think it deserves to have more thought and analysis put into interacting with this story in order to fully appreciate what it's doing.
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ande13's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This was quite a different read for me. It was set up very interestingly, which makes me wonder if it was ever a serialized manga, or if it was just released as tankobon. I think it could have easily been drawn out more - I see so many plot lines with different clovers - and I think it deserved a real ending, especially for Su. I think I’m still digesting this and not sure how I ultimately feel about it
zestyt's review
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
anime917's review
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
skittytales's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.0
lyrafay12's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
morningstar1993's review
1.0
I haven't read everything by Clamp, but I'm not new to Clamp either. This was obviously not finished or something. The art that was in there was gorgeous. A lot of the pages were just empty. I get the main character is lonely but it made the story feel confusing and it was hard to get invested. I'm thankful my library had this vs me purchasing it.
francesjanviers's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
icameheretoread's review
4.0
Read for She-Geeks. Loved the art and the tone, not crazy about the lack of story.
kimmicat_bookstack's review
3.0
The artwork was nice and the story was sweet but sad. It felt a bit hollow though with all of the lovely pictures and not a lot of depth.