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akikorye's review against another edition
3.0
It reminded me a lot of the podcasts 'Welcome to Nightvale" that I'm currently listening to. Cute and strange in the best way.
kathoulhu's review against another edition
3.0
Oh wow! I'm loving this book! It's so.... weird! It really appealed to my former Literature Major self... a very intellectual children's book, but just as appropriate for adults. It's made up of very visually complex short (micro, even) stories that cover some very bizarre, yet somehow familiar, events occurring in the suburbs. My favorites so far are.... aw heck... I can't pick favorites! They're all good! Might be good for a certain kind of reluctant reader... language is a bit complex, but it's easy to pick up and put down again, and the stories are short and have the most surreal illustrations to accompany them.
bibliomich's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Shaun Tan is a creative genius, and Tales from Outer Suburbia is a masterpiece. First of all, his illustrations are undeniably exquisite; I just love Tan's fantastical, surreal style. But his writing is, incredibly, just as strong. While I often think of the target demographic for picture books as younger children, Outer Suburbia is an excellent example of a "picture book" that would be appropriate for older students, or even adults. The stories are so thematically rich that I think upper middle-grade and high school students could have dynamic conversations about them. Tan satirizes the suburban experience, and asks the reader to reckon with some of the hilarious, mundane, harmful, and ridiculous aspects of the human experience.
cadeunderbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
mehsi's review against another edition
2.0
A strange and bizarre collection of stories about a suburbia.
This is apparently marketed towards children, however I wouldn't recommend it for that age group. I think this would be better for teens/young adults.
The stories were more miss than hit. Some were really good and I enjoyed them, others were just too strange/weird/uncomfortable and I didn't enjoy them.
I liked the illustrations, they made the book weirder, but also made the stories at times more enjoyable and also made some of the stories seem more understandable.
I really liked the scrapbook parts that were between stories.
I wouldn't really recommend this book, unless you want a bizarre book that is a mix of stories and pictures.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This is apparently marketed towards children, however I wouldn't recommend it for that age group. I think this would be better for teens/young adults.
The stories were more miss than hit. Some were really good and I enjoyed them, others were just too strange/weird/uncomfortable and I didn't enjoy them.
I liked the illustrations, they made the book weirder, but also made the stories at times more enjoyable and also made some of the stories seem more understandable.
I really liked the scrapbook parts that were between stories.
I wouldn't really recommend this book, unless you want a bizarre book that is a mix of stories and pictures.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
meginsanity's review against another edition
4.0
Awesome. Shaun Tan takes something as simple, plain, and unassuming as suburbia and actually makes it special and magical. I liked it a lot.
myrymayranen's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
davechua's review against another edition
4.0
The highlight of this book is Shaun Tan's beautiful artwork done in a multitude of styles. The stories are whimsical, funny and sometimes wise, but it is his illustrations that are the main attraction.