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vaibhavsh2624's review
5.0
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher who provided the e-arc. I am not big into graphic novels but i have read a few and this one was a beauty for sure. I really really loved the story and the dialogues. The artwork is so so beautiful, i like how the author has attempted to imagine a world after whatever the future holds because climate change is real and we are headed in the wrong direction. The Artwork as i said before really tells the story more than the writing. Characters are pretty well sketched out and developed. I can't wait to read the next part. I give this graphic novel 4.5 stars.
gayathiri_rajendran's review
2.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for a review copy of this book. The opinions below are my own.
Odessa is set in a post apocalyptic world which has been ravaged by earthquakes. This story follows Virginia and her two brothers as they go on a journey to find their mother who left home several years ago. Virginia receives a gift on her birthday from her mother which prompts her to undertake this journey.
I like the color palette for this graphic novel. The pink background works surprisingly well with blank and white. The art style is also good and it suits the post apocalyptic era. However, the pacing is so slow and the length of the book is kind of big for a graphic novel. It would have been better if it was around 200 pages. There were too many coincidences in the story and some were quite unbelievable.
The characters were flat and irritating and pretty much nothing interesting happens for a long time except for the last part which isn't enough to salvage the book. I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this book because I was really looking forward to reading a graphic novel after a long time.
Odessa is set in a post apocalyptic world which has been ravaged by earthquakes. This story follows Virginia and her two brothers as they go on a journey to find their mother who left home several years ago. Virginia receives a gift on her birthday from her mother which prompts her to undertake this journey.
I like the color palette for this graphic novel. The pink background works surprisingly well with blank and white. The art style is also good and it suits the post apocalyptic era. However, the pacing is so slow and the length of the book is kind of big for a graphic novel. It would have been better if it was around 200 pages. There were too many coincidences in the story and some were quite unbelievable.
The characters were flat and irritating and pretty much nothing interesting happens for a long time except for the last part which isn't enough to salvage the book. I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this book because I was really looking forward to reading a graphic novel after a long time.
booklover160's review
3.0
An interesting start to graphic series. ‘Odessa’ follows three kids, Ginny, 17, Wes, 14, and Harry, 8, as they decide to set out in search of their mother 8 years after the largest earthquake ever destroyed the West Coast. This post-apocalyptic world is full of violence and gangs and challenges to the siblings.
The art is fine, but I didn’t understand the style choice to make the two boys roughly the same size. We’re told from the start that Wes is around 6 years older than Harry but they are the same size and sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between them. It made the whole dynamic weirder; especially since I was under the impression the boys were nearly the same age and that explained their constant bickering. Knowing the age difference, I’m confused as to why Wes was such a dick the whole book to Harry.
Plot was okay, but the pacing was odd. It was so slow. I can see how this set up the series, but there’s not a lot going on until the last chapter and then it all happens at once.
Overall, an interesting start and I’ll maybe read on eventually but so far it’s just okay to me.
The art is fine, but I didn’t understand the style choice to make the two boys roughly the same size. We’re told from the start that Wes is around 6 years older than Harry but they are the same size and sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between them. It made the whole dynamic weirder; especially since I was under the impression the boys were nearly the same age and that explained their constant bickering. Knowing the age difference, I’m confused as to why Wes was such a dick the whole book to Harry.
Plot was okay, but the pacing was odd. It was so slow. I can see how this set up the series, but there’s not a lot going on until the last chapter and then it all happens at once.
Overall, an interesting start and I’ll maybe read on eventually but so far it’s just okay to me.
alyssabookrecs's review
2.0
More like 2.5/5
It was okay! The art was cool at times, and I liked the post-apocalyptic setting. It felt like this graphic novel was at times trying to do too much yet not enough at the same time. That dichotomy made the pacing and the sub-plots feel strange. Still, the overall story idea itself is interesting, though I wish there was no “to be continued” and the graphic novel had ended with the kids returning home.
It was okay! The art was cool at times, and I liked the post-apocalyptic setting. It felt like this graphic novel was at times trying to do too much yet not enough at the same time. That dichotomy made the pacing and the sub-plots feel strange. Still, the overall story idea itself is interesting, though I wish there was no “to be continued” and the graphic novel had ended with the kids returning home.
erincataldi's review
3.0
The artwork is stunning and the worldbuilding is pretty developed for such a short graphic novel. In a post-apocalyptic world where an earthquake has destroyed civilization, a seventeen year old girl sets off to find her long lost mother. Eight years ago her mother abandoned Ginny, her two brothers, and her father and hasn't been seen since. When Ginny receives a package in the mail from her mother - it's the first news they've had that she's alive. She sneaks out in the night to try and find her, only to discover that her two younger brothers have tagged along for the journey. They realize how different and unsafe it is the closer they get to the coast. Rival gangs, swindlers, cannibals, and more await them. Exciting and unique. The only thing I didn't love was the ending. Is there going to be more? Is this a series? I need answers!
gvanos24's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
coffeedragon's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
2.0
Slowly getting through the graphic novel titles on my netgalley (backlog). Odessa was up next and I'm honestly... disappointed. I went in with no expectations because it's been so long I didn't even know what this would be about
And while I did really enjoy this story about family, especially when it reflected a part of my own family, that's also why I felt really critical about it. Like Virginia, I'm also an older sibling with (surprise!) two younger siblings, and from the beginning, I couldn't help but be upset at her decision to pack up and leave...to find a mother who had pretty much (left them and) never contacted them for years. Until her birthday this year. And even after that...there were just moments I didn't like relating to her. I thought it would get better, and it did at times, but it wasn't enough for me to grow to like her as a character
Her brothers were a bit more tolerable and really acted like the kids they were. The art was nice, the world interesting though slightly confusing at times, and as much as I eventually came to resent their mysterious mother, I also hoped they would find something worthwhile. I ended up rating this 2 ⭐, it's not a bad read, but not an especially good one either. At least not for me
Will I read v2? Probably not? At least, not now. Maybe if I come upon it one day. There just wasn't enough in the book for me to feel the need to continue this story
And while I did really enjoy this story about family, especially when it reflected a part of my own family, that's also why I felt really critical about it. Like Virginia, I'm also an older sibling with (surprise!) two younger siblings, and from the beginning, I couldn't help but be upset at her decision to pack up and leave...to find a mother who had pretty much (left them and) never contacted them for years. Until her birthday this year. And even after that...there were just moments I didn't like relating to her. I thought it would get better, and it did at times, but it wasn't enough for me to grow to like her as a character
Her brothers were a bit more tolerable and really acted like the kids they were. The art was nice, the world interesting though slightly confusing at times, and as much as I eventually came to resent their mysterious mother, I also hoped they would find something worthwhile. I ended up rating this 2 ⭐, it's not a bad read, but not an especially good one either. At least not for me
Will I read v2? Probably not? At least, not now. Maybe if I come upon it one day. There just wasn't enough in the book for me to feel the need to continue this story
rosariofacio's review
4.0
Thank you Netgalley for approving me for this arc I had enjoyed reading this graphic novel. novel so it's a bit different than the fantasy reads I'm used to. The art really went well with the story I loved the details that went into creating this world and characters. Their were cute moments between the characters especially when they argued because it reminded me how my sisters and I are with each other. It did feel a bit slow at times and it really didn't feel like the characters changed much by the end but I'm really interested in what is next for Ginny and her siblings in the next book so I'll definitely be wanting the sequel.
thenextgenlibrarian's review
3.0
Overall 3.5 stars for this graphic novel. I liked the idea, but felt like it was overly drawn out. This graphic novel didn’t need to be 382 pages. I like a good quest as much as the next person but it seemed like some wasted space on pages and it made the story drag a bit for me. Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
zilver's review
3.0
I have a huge weakness for post-apocalyptic stories and graphic novels so this one sounded right up my alley. "Odessa" tells the story of 18-year-old Ginny, who's living in a world post-enormous earthquake that ruined the World As She Knew It (or, at least, part of it, as we later find out). She's living with her two younger brothers and her dad, scavenging sites in order to get enough stuff to trade for food. Her mother has left them - or that's the thought until Ginny receives a letter from her mum and decides to set out and try to find her.
I'm at odds about whether I liked the style of this one. I don't think the art itself was entirely my thing - though I did really appreciate the land- and cityscapes. The way people think the world will change and overgrow when humans (have to) stop being involved fascinates me. I did like the use of colour - simple yet really effective.
The sibling dynamics between Ginny, Wes & Harry were great. Very accurate and funny and endearing to see. To see Ginny shift back into more of a sister-role as they go on the road, after having felt like she needed to be their mum at home.
I will say I think the story and the storytelling left me a bit unsatisfied. I didn't feel like I had a great grasp of the characters, and at times they came off a bit flat because I felt like there wasn't a lot of space to really get to know them besides their sort of core-characteristics, which we get to know pretty early on. I'd have liked to see more about their past, or get to know and understand the world they live in currently a bit better. A lot of that was left a bit too vague and distant for my liking, making it difficult to really connect.
I'm curious what the next part will bring, though, and I'm sure I'll get answers to some of my questions when that comes around!
I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
I'm at odds about whether I liked the style of this one. I don't think the art itself was entirely my thing - though I did really appreciate the land- and cityscapes. The way people think the world will change and overgrow when humans (have to) stop being involved fascinates me. I did like the use of colour - simple yet really effective.
The sibling dynamics between Ginny, Wes & Harry were great. Very accurate and funny and endearing to see. To see Ginny shift back into more of a sister-role as they go on the road, after having felt like she needed to be their mum at home.
I will say I think the story and the storytelling left me a bit unsatisfied. I didn't feel like I had a great grasp of the characters, and at times they came off a bit flat because I felt like there wasn't a lot of space to really get to know them besides their sort of core-characteristics, which we get to know pretty early on. I'd have liked to see more about their past, or get to know and understand the world they live in currently a bit better. A lot of that was left a bit too vague and distant for my liking, making it difficult to really connect.
I'm curious what the next part will bring, though, and I'm sure I'll get answers to some of my questions when that comes around!
I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!