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mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
"Strange things happen around Glister Butterworth..."
That is the line that keeps coming up in this book at the beginning of each story (yes, there is more than one story). I was definitely surprised (and then delighted) that this one held more than one story. While the blurb mentions various things happening I thought it was all encompassed within one story.
The stories were mostly pretty good, though I didn't like the last story.
If I have to rank the stories from good to eh it would be this:
-The Haunted Teapot (4.5 stars)
-The House Hunt (4 stars, because of the annoying man who just didn't know how to shut up)
-The Faerie Host (4 stars, only because of the ending, otherwise this would have rated higher)
-The Family Tree (1 stars)
As you can see most of the stories were quite enjoyable, it is just a shame that The Family Tree story was terrible. The idea was fun, and there were some other things that I liked in the story, but the family and how they acted (terrible), the house how it acted, how the dad didn't seem to care to listen (if only he had done it there would have been less problems), it just annoyed me, and I was not enjoying myself.
I had a laugh when, with each story, we learn more about what stuff Glister did that may have caused the strange things to happen. Like clocks struck 13 when she was born, she crossed a parade of black cats (yes, really a parade), washing clothes on New Years Day.
There are also extra bonus activities (one listed at the beginning and the rest located at the end). I definitely like that those were added. I may see if I can scan them and then print them out (because no way in hell am I going to be cutting them out of my book). I need that bookmark!
I loved that the stories each had their own colour. Starting with red in the first story to purple for the third story.
I really quite liked Glister and how she seemed to have no problem will all the weird stuff happening around her. Then again, she probably has been having weird stuff happening since she was born, so I guess she is used to it. But still, it amazed me that, no matter what came on her path, she just continued on and tried to help out when needed.
The dad also seems to have settled in the weirdness of it all. He didn't even blink when his daughter told him about the haunted teapot, instead caring if it still poured tea. :P
While I am not too sure if I would live in Glister's house should I have the chance, I do want to visit it and maybe stay for a few days. If only to see the rooms change (and I want to visit the Egypt room), the house breathe (though no pieces of ceiling in my cereal, please), and to meet Glister and see her life.
I was quite disappointed in the Fairy Host story. It was a great story, and I loved it, but the ending just ruined it for me. All that effort and it ends like this. BAH! I would have liked it more if something was done in the other stories, but I guess this is just how it is going to be forever. *sighs*
So the stories come to 4 stars, but I am adding 0.5 stars for the fun and fabulous art (it really was, the style was just so fitting with the story), the bonus activities, and the magic that made this book so fun.
All in all, I would recommend this graphic novel! I definitely had fun reading it.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
That is the line that keeps coming up in this book at the beginning of each story (yes, there is more than one story). I was definitely surprised (and then delighted) that this one held more than one story. While the blurb mentions various things happening I thought it was all encompassed within one story.
The stories were mostly pretty good, though I didn't like the last story.
If I have to rank the stories from good to eh it would be this:
-The Haunted Teapot (4.5 stars)
-The House Hunt (4 stars, because of the annoying man who just didn't know how to shut up)
-The Faerie Host (4 stars, only because of the ending, otherwise this would have rated higher)
-The Family Tree (1 stars)
As you can see most of the stories were quite enjoyable, it is just a shame that The Family Tree story was terrible. The idea was fun, and there were some other things that I liked in the story, but the family and how they acted (terrible), the house how it acted, how the dad didn't seem to care to listen (if only he had done it there would have been less problems), it just annoyed me, and I was not enjoying myself.
I had a laugh when, with each story, we learn more about what stuff Glister did that may have caused the strange things to happen. Like clocks struck 13 when she was born, she crossed a parade of black cats (yes, really a parade), washing clothes on New Years Day.
There are also extra bonus activities (one listed at the beginning and the rest located at the end). I definitely like that those were added. I may see if I can scan them and then print them out (because no way in hell am I going to be cutting them out of my book). I need that bookmark!
I loved that the stories each had their own colour. Starting with red in the first story to purple for the third story.
I really quite liked Glister and how she seemed to have no problem will all the weird stuff happening around her. Then again, she probably has been having weird stuff happening since she was born, so I guess she is used to it. But still, it amazed me that, no matter what came on her path, she just continued on and tried to help out when needed.
The dad also seems to have settled in the weirdness of it all. He didn't even blink when his daughter told him about the haunted teapot, instead caring if it still poured tea. :P
While I am not too sure if I would live in Glister's house should I have the chance, I do want to visit it and maybe stay for a few days. If only to see the rooms change (and I want to visit the Egypt room), the house breathe (though no pieces of ceiling in my cereal, please), and to meet Glister and see her life.
I was quite disappointed in the Fairy Host story. It was a great story, and I loved it, but the ending just ruined it for me. All that effort and it ends like this. BAH! I would have liked it more if something was done in the other stories, but I guess this is just how it is going to be forever. *sighs*
So the stories come to 4 stars, but I am adding 0.5 stars for the fun and fabulous art (it really was, the style was just so fitting with the story), the bonus activities, and the magic that made this book so fun.
All in all, I would recommend this graphic novel! I definitely had fun reading it.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
rdyourbookcase's review against another edition
1.0
I didn’t get Glister. It wasn’t bad, and I’m sure it has its audience, but I wasn’t that audience. I liked the use of color in the art, but the story didn’t grab me. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish it.
readingwithstardust's review against another edition
4.0
Very cute! Intended for a younger audience, but was still a lovely read. I love a monochrome color scheme.
mschlat's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a pretty big Andi Watson fan, but I'd never read of this children's series until now. I typically love Watson's pencils (an amazing combination of cartoony caricature and scratchy detail) and his coloring (if you can call using one pastel shade per story coloring, but still he uses it sooooo effectively).
This is in the same neighborhood as [a:Jill Thompson|9931|Jill Thompson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1254585081p2/9931.jpg]'s [b:Scary Godmother|1278448|Scary Godmother|Jill Thompson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1182454083s/1278448.jpg|1267435] series or [a:Mark Crilley|36452|Mark Crilley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1298693170p2/36452.jpg]'s Akiko works --- you have a young girl (Glister Butterworth) who is a strangeness magnet living in Chilblain Hall, a probably-sentient English mansion that consistently struggles with self-esteem issues and falling plaster. Each of the four stories is kinda like a paranormal cosy; ghosts appear, Chilblain Hall gets frustrated with the local Best Village contest, or Glister causes her relatives to appear by feeding the family tree (which is an actual tree on the property). Nothing is ever too dire, but it is quite funny, and almost always architecturally interesting (in that Chilblain Hall will warp itself about depending on its mood).
There's one story that has a greater bit of peril and one of the more terrifying visions (for a children's book) of Faerie than I've seen in awhile. It's an excellent example of Watson's imagination and graphic design and on its own makes the volume worth buying. But, really, if you like children's fantasy in graphic novel form with a cosy, familiar feel, this is a must read.
This is in the same neighborhood as [a:Jill Thompson|9931|Jill Thompson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1254585081p2/9931.jpg]'s [b:Scary Godmother|1278448|Scary Godmother|Jill Thompson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1182454083s/1278448.jpg|1267435] series or [a:Mark Crilley|36452|Mark Crilley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1298693170p2/36452.jpg]'s Akiko works --- you have a young girl (Glister Butterworth) who is a strangeness magnet living in Chilblain Hall, a probably-sentient English mansion that consistently struggles with self-esteem issues and falling plaster. Each of the four stories is kinda like a paranormal cosy; ghosts appear, Chilblain Hall gets frustrated with the local Best Village contest, or Glister causes her relatives to appear by feeding the family tree (which is an actual tree on the property). Nothing is ever too dire, but it is quite funny, and almost always architecturally interesting (in that Chilblain Hall will warp itself about depending on its mood).
There's one story that has a greater bit of peril and one of the more terrifying visions (for a children's book) of Faerie than I've seen in awhile. It's an excellent example of Watson's imagination and graphic design and on its own makes the volume worth buying. But, really, if you like children's fantasy in graphic novel form with a cosy, familiar feel, this is a must read.
angstyp's review against another edition
4.0
Strange things happen to Glister Butterworth. Like the time a ghost came out of her teapot to finish his book or the time her house was insulted by a realtor and went on an adventure without her.
What a strange kid.
Andi Watson’s childish humor and innocent fun make for a fantastic little graphic novel that had me giggling the whole way through. Though this is technically a younger age novel, anyone who likes a little fun will enjoy these quick witted adventures. The drawing style is not exactly refined, which also gives more fun to it. It’s as if Glister herself was just so excited to draw her adventures that she decided to do so too quickly. I am totally in love with Glister and her friends. It’s like Alice and Wonderland meets Craig Thompson. Just a great big book of YES
What a strange kid.
Andi Watson’s childish humor and innocent fun make for a fantastic little graphic novel that had me giggling the whole way through. Though this is technically a younger age novel, anyone who likes a little fun will enjoy these quick witted adventures. The drawing style is not exactly refined, which also gives more fun to it. It’s as if Glister herself was just so excited to draw her adventures that she decided to do so too quickly. I am totally in love with Glister and her friends. It’s like Alice and Wonderland meets Craig Thompson. Just a great big book of YES
mat_tobin's review against another edition
5.0
Anyone who has a lovely of books that sit between those liminal spaces of reality and fantasy that is similar to the work of Aiken and Wynne Jones will love spending time with Watson's 'Glister' and to think that it's too high-brow for younger readers then misunderstands how clever and adept young, independent readers can be.
Collating together four stories which focus on Glister Butterworth and her life at Chilblain Hall, this series sees our eponymous hero as she seeks to understand, relate to and then save her family home which is very much like Hogwarts with regards to its ever-changing architecture and residents but, perhaps, with a touch more Trollope to it.
From teapots haunted by frustrated writers, to a literal family tree that blooms past members, to a wonderfully folkloric encounter with the fey-folk in which Glister fights for the return of her missing mother, Watson has created a rich and complex narrative, presented in clear lines and muted tones (each book is coloured in a single colour).
This graphic novel thrums with layers of meaning and it's clear that Watson is catering here to many readers who will arrive at Chilblain Hall with different levels of understanding and life experience. I think he knows that, when they return with each new read, they will find something new and exciting to catch their imagination. The sign of a very fine book.
Collating together four stories which focus on Glister Butterworth and her life at Chilblain Hall, this series sees our eponymous hero as she seeks to understand, relate to and then save her family home which is very much like Hogwarts with regards to its ever-changing architecture and residents but, perhaps, with a touch more Trollope to it.
From teapots haunted by frustrated writers, to a literal family tree that blooms past members, to a wonderfully folkloric encounter with the fey-folk in which Glister fights for the return of her missing mother, Watson has created a rich and complex narrative, presented in clear lines and muted tones (each book is coloured in a single colour).
This graphic novel thrums with layers of meaning and it's clear that Watson is catering here to many readers who will arrive at Chilblain Hall with different levels of understanding and life experience. I think he knows that, when they return with each new read, they will find something new and exciting to catch their imagination. The sign of a very fine book.
emeraldreverie's review against another edition
4.0
Quirkily delightful adventures with a vibrant cast of characters. Love the art, especially the spare and effective use of color.
milointhewoods's review against another edition
3.0
it’s good! it’s just definitely for a much younger audience than me, it’s a refreshing light, paced read with four short graphic novels after having read some more intense fantasy. i really like the graphics and i’ll probably revisit it (this is my first reread) and i love love love the cover. it’s not perfect and the stories aren’t all on the same level but it’s for sure a fun, lighthearted read!