A review by lawbooks600
Compass South: A Graphic Novel (Four Points, Book 1) by Hope Larson

adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Representation: Black and Native American characters
Score: Seven out of ten.

I haven't heard of Compass South, a historical novel composed of illustrations until a few days ago when I picked it up at a public library while I tried to search for other books that sadly I missed and and now weren't available. The blurb made it seem intriguing and when I closed the final page, the novel was enjoyable.

It starts with a prologue set in 1848 spanning a few pages before cutting to 1860 where the central story begins with Alex and Cleo who join a gang to try to find their father who disappeared, but that doesn't go to plan. Alex has to work on a ship while Cleo goes on another ship to look for him, all while a pair of twin brothers have gone missing but are still alive somewhere. Compass South shines in its action scenes and fast pacing, but sometimes the plot can get disjointed and do too much with the multiple POVs. Prose novels handle multiple POVs better than illustrated ones most of the time so that could've been a better choice and the characters are likable and ones I could root for but they're not the most relatable. Other characters were in the background, but I'd loved to have seen more of them like the other pair and that one Native American character or that Black captain (who only got a brief appearance.) 

I thought Compass South ended too quickly since it was barely over 200 pages, but at least there's a sequel but it's unclear if any library has it yet. Compass South has a theme of questionable moral choices, especially the ones Alex and Cleo make, implying that morals can go out the window when times get desperate. The conclusion can work fine by itself as all the characters achieve their goals as Alex and Cleo reunite and the other pair aren't missing anymore, but I question why the series needs a second instalment.
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