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jwinchell's review against another edition
3.0
I suppose it's a good thing to have titles on rarely fictionalized but very relevant subjects like having a parent deployed/in the military. And this one portrayed young men using violence and destruction as emotional outlets. I'm just not sure how well this GN accomplished its goal; it's choppy and awkward.
rileyhow's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
4.25
I read this for a class and I honestly really enjoyed it.
readwithpassion's review against another edition
4.0
A disturbing graphic novel that tells of three boys whose fathers are in Iraq. They get wrapped up in violence and are constantly hitting "refresh, refresh" on their computers in hopes of hearing from their fathers. I'd only recommend this one to mature audience, as there are some pretty graphic scenes, both violent and sexual.
saidtheraina's review against another edition
3.0
When I read that this was a graphic novelization of a screenplay adapted from a short story, I got worried. I'd read some good reviews of this, but could it really be that great?
But I sped right through it and really felt for the characters. My library serves many military families stationed at Fort Lewis so I felt a special connection with these boy's stories. The plot didn't have as much to do with their backyard boxing ring as I expected. All three boys have very different experiences with their fathers' deployments and the small-town Oregon setting made it that much closer to home.
My main concern, though, is I can't figure out how I can get this in the hands of my local teen readers. The cover is this muted green color that I don't think has very high guy appeal. And the illustration style is a little inaccessible. Most of the book are short scenes and character sketches of the three guys. The hook-potential action doesn't happen until the climax, so I'd hate to give that away in a booktalk.
But I sped right through it and really felt for the characters. My library serves many military families stationed at Fort Lewis so I felt a special connection with these boy's stories. The plot didn't have as much to do with their backyard boxing ring as I expected. All three boys have very different experiences with their fathers' deployments and the small-town Oregon setting made it that much closer to home.
My main concern, though, is I can't figure out how I can get this in the hands of my local teen readers. The cover is this muted green color that I don't think has very high guy appeal. And the illustration style is a little inaccessible. Most of the book are short scenes and character sketches of the three guys. The hook-potential action doesn't happen until the climax, so I'd hate to give that away in a booktalk.
ntembeast's review against another edition
2.0
This sounded like it was going to be a lot more interesting and deep than it turned out to be. Very few words throughout the entire thing. It was one of those reads that was mostly pictures, and that had just enough conversation to fill in the blanks and make some impact.
Overall, I don't have much to say about this book. It was so swift and without anything really of consequence that I read the entire thing, front to back, in less than half an hour. I took no breaks, and whatever thoughts I had weren't notable enough that I felt I even had to put up status updates to comment on them. It was one of those reads that... I just... read. And then when it was done, it was done. '_' Comments? No, don't really have any. Feelings, emotions, thoughts? ...well. I get what they were trying to portray through it, and in some senses, I felt like I was getting a little bit of the message. But for whatever reason, I couldn't empathize with these characters. It had nothing to do with the fact that they were high school boys, or that they did crazy things, or that their fathers were in the war. I just felt there was not enough content to... warrant any reaction. It ended up leaving me really "Blaaaahhhhh" to the whole thing. *Shakes her head* I don't even know what to say to this. I didn't like it, and I didn't hate it. It gets no emotions out of me, and I even have to question whether or not there's anything worth more than a few pictures here.
It seems like they wasted an awful lot of ink and paper to give us a message that could have been conveyed on a couple of pages at the most. '_' Shameful.
In the end, would I read it again? Probably not. Would I recommend it? Eh~ It was alright. If you want to check it out, don't buy it. Please. Save your money. It's not worth it. Get it from your library or read it in the comic book store if you have to. It'll only take 30mins at the most, if not even less. It's that easy of a "read."
Overall, I don't have much to say about this book. It was so swift and without anything really of consequence that I read the entire thing, front to back, in less than half an hour. I took no breaks, and whatever thoughts I had weren't notable enough that I felt I even had to put up status updates to comment on them. It was one of those reads that... I just... read. And then when it was done, it was done. '_' Comments? No, don't really have any. Feelings, emotions, thoughts? ...well. I get what they were trying to portray through it, and in some senses, I felt like I was getting a little bit of the message. But for whatever reason, I couldn't empathize with these characters. It had nothing to do with the fact that they were high school boys, or that they did crazy things, or that their fathers were in the war. I just felt there was not enough content to... warrant any reaction. It ended up leaving me really "Blaaaahhhhh" to the whole thing. *Shakes her head* I don't even know what to say to this. I didn't like it, and I didn't hate it. It gets no emotions out of me, and I even have to question whether or not there's anything worth more than a few pictures here.
It seems like they wasted an awful lot of ink and paper to give us a message that could have been conveyed on a couple of pages at the most. '_' Shameful.
In the end, would I read it again? Probably not. Would I recommend it? Eh~ It was alright. If you want to check it out, don't buy it. Please. Save your money. It's not worth it. Get it from your library or read it in the comic book store if you have to. It'll only take 30mins at the most, if not even less. It's that easy of a "read."
blearywitch's review against another edition
4.0
Birthday book #2/13 in 2019; "Boyhood" theme
Refresh, refresh
Some boys pass time by fighting each other to get strong, and to prepare themselves against bullies especially after being a victim of bullying at school. They really hurt each other too - hit the kidney and peed blood, hit the arm and can't lift it all week. I thought this admirable - find a solution to your problem. Their description of incapable men - "men who rarely shave and watched daytime tv in their once-white underpants. Men who lived in trailers and filled their shopping carts with Busch Light, summer sausage, Oreo cookies." I like these boys! These two boys are still in school but they go hunting with rifles, just the two of them. I find that impressive. I wonder if I'll feel comfortable letting my boy go hunting with a friend when he is high school? I suppose it depends on how he turns out - if he is trustworthy, careful, and is well-practiced in handling weapons. Anger consumes them both at the news of their Marine fathers' death and the way they took out their anger seems more violent than how I imagine girls would. Maybe in a sense it's better to be like a boy because girls tend to internalize things and drive ourselves crazy, while boys let the steam off and get it out of their system. Immediately afterwards some are able to function and make decisions again like wanting to make their dead fathers proud.
The Caves of Oregon
Kevin is a good man, and a good husband. He works hard, he tries really hard to understand his wife and keep the peace, and he understands her grief. Men get over sadness and disappointment so differently, and a good man will always be the rock for the woman to hold on to in her grief. I hope my boy will grow up to be good in all ways.
The Woods
Twelve: old enough to shoot a gunn young enough to fear the dark.
"Don't be a pantywaist." said his dad. - I'm going to use this phrase when I get the chance.
Sometimes you think you're teaching them a lesson, a skill, to take opportunity of a situation, or to be brave but it turns out traumatizing them and they end up hating the very thing you desired them to excel at, and they also hate you. Parenting is such a precarious position!
The Killing
"A boy ought to go fishing."
Yes, I think my girls and boy ought to go!
The rest of the stories are interesting. Some borderline horror, some just thrilling, while some are just stories and didn't really hit me with anything. All the stories were vividly descriptive, and I'm impressed with Percy's ability to detail everything especially the characters featured in each story, as they are very different from each other, as well as the seasons, or surroundings. No story is predictable, and no storyline is similar to the other. Great storyteller!
Refresh, refresh
Some boys pass time by fighting each other to get strong, and to prepare themselves against bullies especially after being a victim of bullying at school. They really hurt each other too - hit the kidney and peed blood, hit the arm and can't lift it all week. I thought this admirable - find a solution to your problem. Their description of incapable men - "men who rarely shave and watched daytime tv in their once-white underpants. Men who lived in trailers and filled their shopping carts with Busch Light, summer sausage, Oreo cookies." I like these boys! These two boys are still in school but they go hunting with rifles, just the two of them. I find that impressive. I wonder if I'll feel comfortable letting my boy go hunting with a friend when he is high school? I suppose it depends on how he turns out - if he is trustworthy, careful, and is well-practiced in handling weapons. Anger consumes them both at the news of their Marine fathers' death and the way they took out their anger seems more violent than how I imagine girls would. Maybe in a sense it's better to be like a boy because girls tend to internalize things and drive ourselves crazy, while boys let the steam off and get it out of their system. Immediately afterwards some are able to function and make decisions again like wanting to make their dead fathers proud.
The Caves of Oregon
Kevin is a good man, and a good husband. He works hard, he tries really hard to understand his wife and keep the peace, and he understands her grief. Men get over sadness and disappointment so differently, and a good man will always be the rock for the woman to hold on to in her grief. I hope my boy will grow up to be good in all ways.
The Woods
Twelve: old enough to shoot a gunn young enough to fear the dark.
"Don't be a pantywaist." said his dad. - I'm going to use this phrase when I get the chance.
Sometimes you think you're teaching them a lesson, a skill, to take opportunity of a situation, or to be brave but it turns out traumatizing them and they end up hating the very thing you desired them to excel at, and they also hate you. Parenting is such a precarious position!
The Killing
"A boy ought to go fishing."
Yes, I think my girls and boy ought to go!
The rest of the stories are interesting. Some borderline horror, some just thrilling, while some are just stories and didn't really hit me with anything. All the stories were vividly descriptive, and I'm impressed with Percy's ability to detail everything especially the characters featured in each story, as they are very different from each other, as well as the seasons, or surroundings. No story is predictable, and no storyline is similar to the other. Great storyteller!
gabieowleyess's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 stars. Short, sweet, and painful. I really enjoyed this book. The art was perfect for the story and everything fit into place wonderfully.
lumbermouth's review against another edition
4.0
Grim, but good; based on a short story. Might remind me of Pride of Baghdad if I had read Pride of Baghdad. Kids in Oregon whose dads are deployed to Iraq.
trdinkle's review against another edition
4.0
Refresh, Refresh shows growth from The Language of Elk. As a bonus, I enjoyed seeing how much of "Meltdown" became the later part of Red Moon.
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.