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A review by hobbitfreddie
Compass South: A Graphic Novel (Four Points, Book 1) by Hope Larson
5.0
While it takes a while to get invested in, this is a really fun historical fiction adventure with really good characters.
Art: I'd give the art a 7-8/10. The style works pretty well for the overall mood of the story. The well drawn and detailed backgrounds emphasize the setting, so it feels like you're actually there (which is vital to an adventure story where the characters are always moving). The panels are action packed and every shot feels unique. The sense of color and value is great, also gives a good feel to the mood. I like the overall style as well. Sometimes the character designs can be a bit limited (because there are 2 sets of twins) but they do the job. The villains also seemed to be drawn in accordance to proper character design principles. With one look you can tell who's good and who's bad.
Story: The story took me a while to get hooked on, but the last few chapters are very much worth the wait. A big chunk of the story is setting up everything, the characters, the plot points, how the characters get to their destination. But by the last half, I grew attached to the characters and wanted to see what happens next. The story itself pretty simple, the characters are trying to get from point a to point b, but conflict happens throughout the journey. It's more about the characters, the bonds they slowly form and the changes they go through. It's all in a nice historical fiction read, with pirates, treasure, mysteries, and sailing.
Characters: The main characters really grow on you. They're well written and very likable, especially Cleo/Patrick. The characters that accompany the heroes also are just as well written. While there are 4 twins, they're all unique- personality wise. It's also a nice change of pace to see siblings that actually get along.
Spoilers ahead:
I really like Cleo/Patrick because I picked up on them being genderqueer. I was pleasently surprised to see some representation. There doesn't seem to be enough genderqueer representation, especially with male presenting ones. It's handled really well I think also. I love when Patrick tells Silas their gender problems. They easily became my favorite character. I do think the romance aspect between them was kinda forced or too quick.
Art: I'd give the art a 7-8/10. The style works pretty well for the overall mood of the story. The well drawn and detailed backgrounds emphasize the setting, so it feels like you're actually there (which is vital to an adventure story where the characters are always moving). The panels are action packed and every shot feels unique. The sense of color and value is great, also gives a good feel to the mood. I like the overall style as well. Sometimes the character designs can be a bit limited (because there are 2 sets of twins) but they do the job. The villains also seemed to be drawn in accordance to proper character design principles. With one look you can tell who's good and who's bad.
Story: The story took me a while to get hooked on, but the last few chapters are very much worth the wait. A big chunk of the story is setting up everything, the characters, the plot points, how the characters get to their destination. But by the last half, I grew attached to the characters and wanted to see what happens next. The story itself pretty simple, the characters are trying to get from point a to point b, but conflict happens throughout the journey. It's more about the characters, the bonds they slowly form and the changes they go through. It's all in a nice historical fiction read, with pirates, treasure, mysteries, and sailing.
Characters: The main characters really grow on you. They're well written and very likable, especially Cleo/Patrick. The characters that accompany the heroes also are just as well written. While there are 4 twins, they're all unique- personality wise. It's also a nice change of pace to see siblings that actually get along.
Spoilers ahead:
I really like Cleo/Patrick because I picked up on them being genderqueer. I was pleasently surprised to see some representation. There doesn't seem to be enough genderqueer representation, especially with male presenting ones. It's handled really well I think also. I love when Patrick tells Silas their gender problems. They easily became my favorite character. I do think the romance aspect between them was kinda forced or too quick.