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djbobthegirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'The Cloven: Book One' by Garth Stein with art by Matthew Southworth is the first graphic novel in a three part story.
James "Tuck" Tucker was born in a lab on Vashon Island in Washington State. He is a genetically modified human crossed with a goat (think faun for how he looks). He manages to escape and finds himself among the homeless population in Seattle, but he has questions about his past. Those show up in flashbacks as the story goes along. Will Tuck find others like him and can he be free?
It's a great story and I loved that it took place in the Seattle area. The story jumps around a bit, but stays interesting. The art by Matthew Southworth is exceptional with dark tones and lots of deep colors. The hardcover book from Fantagraphic has nice heavyweight paper stock making the reading experience a plus. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to see what happens to Tuck along the way.
James "Tuck" Tucker was born in a lab on Vashon Island in Washington State. He is a genetically modified human crossed with a goat (think faun for how he looks). He manages to escape and finds himself among the homeless population in Seattle, but he has questions about his past. Those show up in flashbacks as the story goes along. Will Tuck find others like him and can he be free?
It's a great story and I loved that it took place in the Seattle area. The story jumps around a bit, but stays interesting. The art by Matthew Southworth is exceptional with dark tones and lots of deep colors. The hardcover book from Fantagraphic has nice heavyweight paper stock making the reading experience a plus. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to see what happens to Tuck along the way.
saramarie08's review against another edition
4.0
The premise sounds improbably - a boy who is half human, half goat, a creature called a Cloven - but it somehow works. Tuck is a genetically engineered being whose lab "father", Dr. Langner, bred many failed experiments in a quest for what he thought was ending world hunger. Turns out, the bank-roller of the experiments was looking for a perfect warrior. Aren't they always. Tuck escapes from the lab where he is being experimented on, and finds a park full of others of his kind - ones that Dr. Langner had released from almost certain death years ago. Though alternating the narrative from present day to flash backs, the reader learns that Tuck's life isn't really what he remembers it as.
The copy I reviewed was black and white only, but there will eventually be color in the illustrations. As such, the artwork was haunting and gave a depth to the story that felt like urban fantasy meets horror. The story itself was interesting and had surprising depth for something that sounds so strange on the surface.
There are a few cuss words and one full-frontal nude shot as the Cloven prepare to run free and uninhibited, so it's more of a nature scene than a gratuitous nudity scene. These elements, coupled with the genetic experimentation storyline being treated in such a gritty matter, makes this a title I would hand to mature teens.
Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability level: Grades 11-12
This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.
The copy I reviewed was black and white only, but there will eventually be color in the illustrations. As such, the artwork was haunting and gave a depth to the story that felt like urban fantasy meets horror. The story itself was interesting and had surprising depth for something that sounds so strange on the surface.
There are a few cuss words and one full-frontal nude shot as the Cloven prepare to run free and uninhibited, so it's more of a nature scene than a gratuitous nudity scene. These elements, coupled with the genetic experimentation storyline being treated in such a gritty matter, makes this a title I would hand to mature teens.
Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability level: Grades 11-12
This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.
kandicez's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this, I really did. First, the cover seems to be referring to [b:V for Vendetta|5805|V for Vendetta|Alan Moore|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1343668985l/5805._SY75_.jpg|392838] by [a:Alan Moore|3961|Alan Moore|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1304944713p2/3961.jpg], and that simply cannot be an accident! Second, it's written by [b:The Art of Racing in the Rain|3153910|The Art of Racing in the Rain|Garth Stein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1377206302l/3153910._SY75_.jpg|3175590], who wrote [a:Garth Stein|194531|Garth Stein|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1229127424p2/194531.jpg], one of the most beautiful books I've ever read, and written exquisitely from the POV of a dog. This one is clearly about animals so I was very hopeful.
I didn't like it.
The illustrations were not to my liking, for one. They were very color saturated, which is fine in the right circumstance, but they were also splashy. Not splashy because the content demanded it, but seemingly as an excuse for two and four page splashes that served no purpose and didn't advance the story at all. They simply gave a larger canvas for art that was perfectly contained on a page level.
Then the story. It just wasn't compelling. Not only were ineffective flashbacks used, to at first build a narrative, but later to unravel it, this felt very much like the first issue of 7-9 issue arc. Certainly not the first volume of a saga.
I didn't like it.
The illustrations were not to my liking, for one. They were very color saturated, which is fine in the right circumstance, but they were also splashy. Not splashy because the content demanded it, but seemingly as an excuse for two and four page splashes that served no purpose and didn't advance the story at all. They simply gave a larger canvas for art that was perfectly contained on a page level.
Then the story. It just wasn't compelling. Not only were ineffective flashbacks used, to at first build a narrative, but later to unravel it, this felt very much like the first issue of 7-9 issue arc. Certainly not the first volume of a saga.
hidinginstacks's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting graphic novel about a young boy discovering that he is a Cloven (half-human, half-goat). Takes a bit for the story to get good pacing, but the jagged, gritty art is captivating. The ending is a proper cliffhanger & introduction to what will be chaos in Book Two. I’ll definitely read it!
esselleayy's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyable start to the series. The artwork is little messy, but sort of fits the floating timeline/fever dream quality of the storytelling.
opossumble's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
laread's review against another edition
4.0
This is a solid story told well visually and textually. It's not the most original idea and pleasantly reminds me a bit of the television series Dark Angel, but most stories have been told countless times, with original twists and voices. I especially appreciate the setting that reflects certain issues of our times as it explores timeless ethics. I will definitely read the follow-ups.
thedreaminghare's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes