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nnebeluk's review against another edition
4.0
The artwork in this book leaves a lot to be desired but the story being told is fairly engaging and minimalist. There's not a lot of exposition or dialogue but every panel seems to have a purpose in expressing the emotions in play. It's a quick read but the story is gripping and really reveals a certain style of life that these boys occupy.
calistareads's review against another edition
1.0
I am the wrong audience for this story. Not only that, but this story did not make a whole lot of sense to me as to what is going on.
The story starts out with the boys beating the crap out of each other to toughen themselves up while their dads are fighting in Iraq. There little town is gutted by all the men leaving. They are looking for futures in college, something different from their dads, but for some reason after being accepted to college, they join the army anyway.
The story is brutal and it shows people in desperate situations. I don't know the point of this little story and I don't know that the violence shows or leads anywhere accept to say some people lead violent lives. I really don't understand this. I would think anyone interested in war and army themes might make something of this and it could speak to them.
The story starts out with the boys beating the crap out of each other to toughen themselves up while their dads are fighting in Iraq. There little town is gutted by all the men leaving. They are looking for futures in college, something different from their dads, but for some reason after being accepted to college, they join the army anyway.
The story is brutal and it shows people in desperate situations. I don't know the point of this little story and I don't know that the violence shows or leads anywhere accept to say some people lead violent lives. I really don't understand this. I would think anyone interested in war and army themes might make something of this and it could speak to them.
vickybuka's review against another edition
2.0
This is a quick read, but one that will stay with you. Three boys, Cody, Josh, and Gordon live in Oregon. Their fathers are away at war. Their families are struggling to survive the wait. The boys are faced with situations permeated with violence, at home, at school, in bars where they drink. Sometimes they are the targets of the violence. Mostly they are the ones who cause it.
The brightest colors in this book are the flames during funeral pyre for the snowman. The bright red blood of a deer killed in a hunt was rendered brown in the next panel. The rest of the art was created with a muted palate largely made with secondary colors. Even the stripes of the flag in the recruiting office were dull. The rusty browns and oranges evoked a town that was stagnant with the life blood of its community removed.
The art was well done, but the story left too many threads unfinished. I worry about the little brother. I worry about the grandfather. The mother. The sister. The sudden tragedy that closes this book left these stories untold.
The brightest colors in this book are the flames during funeral pyre for the snowman. The bright red blood of a deer killed in a hunt was rendered brown in the next panel. The rest of the art was created with a muted palate largely made with secondary colors. Even the stripes of the flag in the recruiting office were dull. The rusty browns and oranges evoked a town that was stagnant with the life blood of its community removed.
The art was well done, but the story left too many threads unfinished. I worry about the little brother. I worry about the grandfather. The mother. The sister. The sudden tragedy that closes this book left these stories untold.
cneywendleton's review
3.0
Choppy and jarring, not just in the story line, but the paragraphs don't seem to flow together in some places. It also jumps tense, one minute they are in the present and then in the same section of story they are in the past. It goes from "We were doing..." to "We all did..." to explain what they were doing now. It reads as if it takes place in the 70's instead of 2000's, we can't get a good read on the boys' ages because one minute they are in high school, then they are out back smoking cigarettes, then playing in the snow, riding dirt bikes and drinking beer.
Some technical research errors, for instance when the boys go hunting and forego wearing orange vests. That is a big no-no unless you want to get shot. Also I don't think it is realistic to butcher the deer in the field. I know they field dress them, to make them easier to carry, but to full out butcher and make the steaks, roasts...etc, that isn't plausible.
Some technical research errors, for instance when the boys go hunting and forego wearing orange vests. That is a big no-no unless you want to get shot. Also I don't think it is realistic to butcher the deer in the field. I know they field dress them, to make them easier to carry, but to full out butcher and make the steaks, roasts...etc, that isn't plausible.
drewjameson's review
4.0
Only three of these stories really impressed me, but, those three are excellent. "Refresh, Refresh" and "The Caves in Oregon" are really impressive, nuanced stories that begin with an interesting idea and build to something truly cohesive and moving. And then there's "The Killing." To my mind, this is an astonishing, wonderful, gruesomely fascinating story.
sarahbowman101's review against another edition
3.0
I think that this graphic novel would have had a much more powerful narrative and focus if it had been strictly from the point of view of Josh, who is the strongest and most interesting character. Josh's story arc was the most emotional and the punch at the end could have been even more wrenching had his development been more realized. That said, the watercolors at the end were amazing and I knew the twist was coming, but still wasn't fully prepared.
This is about three friends who watch their fathers leave for the war in Iraq. The blue collar town offers no outlet and no support for them as they struggle with their broken families and their dreams of the future. Their easy express is violence and fight each other for release. I liked the art, it was all in tones of camouflage and the illustrated contrast between nature and their aggression and drinking/carousing was well done. This was short, fast paced and easy to get into. Red flags for illustrated violence and hunting scenes.
This is about three friends who watch their fathers leave for the war in Iraq. The blue collar town offers no outlet and no support for them as they struggle with their broken families and their dreams of the future. Their easy express is violence and fight each other for release. I liked the art, it was all in tones of camouflage and the illustrated contrast between nature and their aggression and drinking/carousing was well done. This was short, fast paced and easy to get into. Red flags for illustrated violence and hunting scenes.
merer's review against another edition
2.0
I wasn't terribly impressed with the story in this one, and I felt like I really didn't know the characters at all. If it had been about three times as long, I think I would have enjoyed it.
patrick_114's review
4.0
Very solid stories. I was engaged the entire time for each one. Decidedly male writing, which I needed at this point. Visceral, murky logic that I was really able to relate to. I will look for more of his works in the future.
wealhtheow's review
3.0
A disturbing tale of three high school boys living in a small town. Their fathers, like many people in the town, have been shipped off to the Iraq war. Left to take on responsibilities and face realities about violence and adulthood, the boys flounder but maintain a tight friendship. The art is not great (I was surprised to learn the artist had used models for the characters, as I had a hard time telling them apart), but there are a few scenes of beauty or well-conveyed emotion.