Reviews

The Shadows by Vincent Zabus

sarahkathleenbest's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

2.75

geekwayne's review

4.0

'The Shadows' by Zabus with art by Hippolyte is a graphic novel about a terrible journey and an interrogation, but it could be about a lot more.

Refugee 214 has a story to tell and gets to tell it during an interrogation or maybe an interview. The story is how 214 and his sister made a long journey. Along the way, they meet strange creatures who want to help and abuse them. They also find the shadow of their parents, and learn what that means for them.

This was a rather bizarre and engaging graphic novel. It tells the story of a refugee in a beautiful and elegant way. The art is strange, but works very well for the story.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

niknaz's review

5.0

i’m so happy that i stuck with this book.
the last chapter made me sob so hard. this was one of the most heartbreaking things i’ve ever read. 

i can’t imagine how dehumanizing it must be to sit in front of a stranger and share your most traumatic life experiences to them in order to seek asylum. to prove yourself worthy of life and protection. my head hurts

elias123's review

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

dame_samara's review

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this book, the art style was intriguing but I had a very difficult time following the story. But it left me with feeling I had just been sucked into a fairy tale similar Hansel and Gretel.

*I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own*

endemictoearth's review

challenging dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

amrawinter's review

5.0

"At the end of an arduous journey, refugee 214 finally gets his chance to enter the Other World. But to see his wish granted, the boy must first tell the story of how he and his sister were forced to flee their homeland. Frightened and helpless, they crossed forests, deserts, and seas, encountering creatures each more mysterious and frightening than the last: the capitalist ogre, the smuggler-snake, and the ever-present shadows from the great beyond… The boy’s story must be told in every detail—but will the truth save him, or condemn him?"

. . .

This broke my heart. It's sad and whimsical, moody and emotional. The story is told from the point of view of the boy, refugee 214, as he tells a customs officer his story to attempt to gain entry to the Other World. I don't want to give anything away, but if you're interested in learning more about modern day exile and asylum seekers, this is a good, allegorical way to start.

midnight_roses's review

reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

chilling and tragic 
and such an interesting choice to give no specific details about place but only focus on the person and their journey 

the art style is distinct and had me reading the characters in different voices 

etc85's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

scubacat's review

2.0

The message is important and powerful but I personally didn't like the drawing style and disliked the characters. It took me way too long to finish because I just didn't want to read it. The drawings of the characters made it hard to understand who was an adult and who was a child. It really didn't connect for me.