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mehsi's review against another edition
2.0
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
+The art was absolutely gorgeous and I just love the style. Then again, that is also one of the reasons why I requested the book. Good characters designs, many gorgeous panels with action scenes.
+The idea of a factory with scary things happening to kids and people who come near was an interesting one.
-However the plot was just hard to follow and at times I had to re-read parts just to see what was happening. It just went from one thing to the next, sometimes just hopping along, and while I did get the gist of things, not all was very clear. At times we hopped between characters (like Indira to the twins (???) who work under Kathleen to the guy who knows Kathleen). OK, correction, I am just freaking confused. XD
Too bad, this sounded really good, but it was just messy and all over the place. :( But good art. So that is at least why its got that 1.5 stars.
+The art was absolutely gorgeous and I just love the style. Then again, that is also one of the reasons why I requested the book. Good characters designs, many gorgeous panels with action scenes.
+The idea of a factory with scary things happening to kids and people who come near was an interesting one.
-However the plot was just hard to follow and at times I had to re-read parts just to see what was happening. It just went from one thing to the next, sometimes just hopping along, and while I did get the gist of things, not all was very clear. At times we hopped between characters (like Indira to the twins (???) who work under Kathleen to the guy who knows Kathleen). OK, correction, I am just freaking confused. XD
Too bad, this sounded really good, but it was just messy and all over the place. :( But good art. So that is at least why its got that 1.5 stars.
kitsuneheart's review
4.0
Indira will do anything for her little brother. And that's what the Dreams Factory is counting on.
Drawn into the mysterious, deadly factory in search of little brother Eliott, Indira must make allies with accomplished liars and...no one else, really. She can't navigate this strange world on her own, but must also be constantly on her guard for the moment that an ally no longer has use for her.
The ending is strange, a bit ambiguous to me. Hopefully happy? But perhaps even open for a sequel.
I immediately clocked the artwork as done by someone on the team for Netflix's "Klaus," and it is in fact Suheb Zako, a character designer for the film! Klaus was impressive for the detail it achieved even with a full team, and now THIS book is impressive for what a single artist can do! Not an inch of any page is flat, every corner has detail. Phenomenal stuff.
Remarkably bloody for being marked as middle grade! No gaping wounds, but there's a few instances of blood gushing onto floors. If you're being selective with your child's reading, peek towards the back of the book and see how you feel.
Drawn into the mysterious, deadly factory in search of little brother Eliott, Indira must make allies with accomplished liars and...no one else, really. She can't navigate this strange world on her own, but must also be constantly on her guard for the moment that an ally no longer has use for her.
The ending is strange, a bit ambiguous to me. Hopefully happy? But perhaps even open for a sequel.
I immediately clocked the artwork as done by someone on the team for Netflix's "Klaus," and it is in fact Suheb Zako, a character designer for the film! Klaus was impressive for the detail it achieved even with a full team, and now THIS book is impressive for what a single artist can do! Not an inch of any page is flat, every corner has detail. Phenomenal stuff.
Remarkably bloody for being marked as middle grade! No gaping wounds, but there's a few instances of blood gushing onto floors. If you're being selective with your child's reading, peek towards the back of the book and see how you feel.
mahaliathenerd's review against another edition
5.0
This graphic novel reminds me of a mixture of The anime Made in Abyss, a Studio Ghibli movie, and the Promised Neverland anime. The various sibling dynamics within the graphic novel were done well, along with the artwork. The story was engaging from beginning to end. The report of the story had tearing up at the sacrifices they would make for their s safety. Definitely a book that many people should be reading.
milkshakevoid's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I have no idea what just happened but it was amazing! The art style was gorgeous. Dark and fluid with pops of brutal whimsy. It was a lot more violent and bloody than I was expecting to be honest, but I loved it.
It was very fast paced, so most of the time, I feel like I didn’t get time or space to get to know the characters but I don’t think it impacted the mood much. It felt more like an experience than a story and even though it was hard to follow at times, the epic composition of the pages and paneling made everything so elegant and shocking that I don’t mind.
I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this. It’s a bit hard to read a graphic novel and still appreciate all the beautiful detail on a phone screen and this still managed to be stunning so I can only imagine how beautiful it will be on the page.
I have no idea what just happened but it was amazing! The art style was gorgeous. Dark and fluid with pops of brutal whimsy. It was a lot more violent and bloody than I was expecting to be honest, but I loved it.
It was very fast paced, so most of the time, I feel like I didn’t get time or space to get to know the characters but I don’t think it impacted the mood much. It felt more like an experience than a story and even though it was hard to follow at times, the epic composition of the pages and paneling made everything so elegant and shocking that I don’t mind.
I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this. It’s a bit hard to read a graphic novel and still appreciate all the beautiful detail on a phone screen and this still managed to be stunning so I can only imagine how beautiful it will be on the page.
kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
A young girl works in a mine, but when she is sick her little brother tries to take her place. He is too young to work down in the mines, but he is offered a job in the Dreams Factory. He disappears and his sister tries desperately to find him. She sneaks into the Dreams Factory to look for him, and discovers that the factory hides a deadly secret.
The artwork in this graphic novel is really beautiful. The colors and delicate art style are absolutely gorgeous. The designs for the factory are really imaginative.
However, the entire story is chaotic. Nothing is explained. The plot meanders around. The action is difficult to follow from panel to panel. The characters have no backstory to explain their actions. They just go around doing unexplained things, and we never know why they betrayed that guy, or why they want to get into the factory, or why anything is happening. We never find out exactly why the factory needs children to work there. We don't know how the factory works or what its ultimate purpose is. Who first created the factory and how does it function?
The last scenes are a complete jumble of random stuff that makes no sense. Half the time I couldn't even tell who the characters were at the end. They change appearance, and one kid gets stabbed, but then he comes back as an older kid, but he is still stabbed, and gunk is growing out of his face for no apparent reason. Then he disappears. Was he a mirage? I have no idea.
It's a shame that this story is completely unreadable, because the ideas are interesting and the artwork is lovely. If only the plot would explain something every once in a while!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
banana83854's review against another edition
3.0
**ARC provided by NetGalley for Honest Review**
Dreams Factory by Jerome Hamon was a really interesting and mysterious graphic novel with fairy tale steampunk vibes. It follows a sickly young girl who sneaks into a factory to rescue her brother and the story goes crazy from there.
Honestly, I liked this one. The art was beautifully done and the story was very intriguing, I just wish it had a bit more time to get to know the supporting characters better, maybe as a series instead of a standalone to really build up this world, which is fascinating in its complexity. Could definitely see this being adapted into other mediums as well.
Dreams Factory by Jerome Hamon was a really interesting and mysterious graphic novel with fairy tale steampunk vibes. It follows a sickly young girl who sneaks into a factory to rescue her brother and the story goes crazy from there.
Honestly, I liked this one. The art was beautifully done and the story was very intriguing, I just wish it had a bit more time to get to know the supporting characters better, maybe as a series instead of a standalone to really build up this world, which is fascinating in its complexity. Could definitely see this being adapted into other mediums as well.
driedfrogpills's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. The art is stellar but the plot is a mess.
vivienned's review against another edition
4.0
Gorgeously illustrated steam-punk style graphic novel. The illustrations are action-packed and feel like an animation for the greater portion of the story. This is such a moving & emotional tale depicting the love between siblings — more specifically with brothers and sisters. Little Elliot was so cute, and my heart was broken for most of the story.
This isn’t for the faint-of-heart, as some of the art panels portray gore and are pretty graphic. With that said, I wouldn’t say that this is for younger audiences. Though I can see how it’s misinterpreted with the factory run by kids. There are some unclear parts, but I get the feeling that this is just a prequel to an epic larger picture. I’m sure that the story will unfold with more details in future novels. My favorite panels were the last few — with the beautiful, more mature Indira. I’ll miss little toothless Elliot and although my heart is shattered, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Special thanks to NetGalley & Diamond Book Distributors for providing me with an advanced copy.
This isn’t for the faint-of-heart, as some of the art panels portray gore and are pretty graphic. With that said, I wouldn’t say that this is for younger audiences. Though I can see how it’s misinterpreted with the factory run by kids. There are some unclear parts, but I get the feeling that this is just a prequel to an epic larger picture. I’m sure that the story will unfold with more details in future novels. My favorite panels were the last few — with the beautiful, more mature Indira. I’ll miss little toothless Elliot and although my heart is shattered, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Special thanks to NetGalley & Diamond Book Distributors for providing me with an advanced copy.
fawnsbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Dreams Factory by Jerome Hammon - ⭐️⭐️
Read the digital ARC on June 17th. Special thanks to NetGalley and Magnetic Press for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.
Writing/drawing - 7/10 ⭐️
The art in this graphic novel is stunning. The art style is amazing, the characters are detailed and unique. Both the scenery and actual scenes were gorgeously drawn.
Pace - 4/10 ⭐️
I found it hard to follow the story itself, as there were jumps between characters, locations and time. At some point I had to reread pages several times and eventually gave up.
Plot - 3/10⭐️
The concept? Amazing. The execution? No. There was very little worldbuilding, very little character background, I am not sure about most motives and I am not quite sure what happened by the end.
Characters - 4/10 ⭐️
Although their design is stunning, the reader is given very little information about the characters. I found none of them to be quite likable and without knowing their motives, I felt very much detached from the story. Despite the story literally being about children getting kidnapped, I did not root for anybody.
Enjoyability - 5/10⭐️
Despite the story not making a lot of sense, I felt compelled to keep on reading. However, if it hadn't been so stunningly designed, I'm not sure I could have reached the ending.
#DreamsFactory #NetGalley #ARCbook #DigitalARC #graphicnovel #manga #middlegrade #scifi #sciencefiction #fantasy #comic
Read the digital ARC on June 17th. Special thanks to NetGalley and Magnetic Press for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.
Writing/drawing - 7/10 ⭐️
The art in this graphic novel is stunning. The art style is amazing, the characters are detailed and unique. Both the scenery and actual scenes were gorgeously drawn.
Pace - 4/10 ⭐️
I found it hard to follow the story itself, as there were jumps between characters, locations and time. At some point I had to reread pages several times and eventually gave up.
Plot - 3/10⭐️
The concept? Amazing. The execution? No. There was very little worldbuilding, very little character background, I am not sure about most motives and I am not quite sure what happened by the end.
Characters - 4/10 ⭐️
Although their design is stunning, the reader is given very little information about the characters. I found none of them to be quite likable and without knowing their motives, I felt very much detached from the story. Despite the story literally being about children getting kidnapped, I did not root for anybody.
Enjoyability - 5/10⭐️
Despite the story not making a lot of sense, I felt compelled to keep on reading. However, if it hadn't been so stunningly designed, I'm not sure I could have reached the ending.
#DreamsFactory #NetGalley #ARCbook #DigitalARC #graphicnovel #manga #middlegrade #scifi #sciencefiction #fantasy #comic
strange_fish's review against another edition
3.0
The art in this was gorgeous. You could really tell that the artist has a good sense of film making as the key shots were really cinematic.
However this book felt like reading a sequel. There were alot of characters, all with their own arcs and it was hard to connect with them as they weren't really given much time to grow. I think at times it relied a bit too heavily on the artwork which made it a bit confusing as to what was happening especially at the end.
Overall a very pretty book that will look amazing in print but I feel should have spent more time developing its characters so that their big character moments would have had a bit more impact.
However this book felt like reading a sequel. There were alot of characters, all with their own arcs and it was hard to connect with them as they weren't really given much time to grow. I think at times it relied a bit too heavily on the artwork which made it a bit confusing as to what was happening especially at the end.
Overall a very pretty book that will look amazing in print but I feel should have spent more time developing its characters so that their big character moments would have had a bit more impact.