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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
I am not a big fan of graphic novels, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I liked the style of the artwork, the historical detail, and how it wasn't afraid to shy away from the gruesome realities of the Boxer Rebellion. The more fantasy-like elements were a little hard to take seriously at times, but it was a clever device to tell an otherwise difficult story.
A funny but poignant look at the Boxer Rebellion. Love the artwork and his way of drawing the ancient Chinese gods. Loved the whole mix of mythology in general. Can't wait to read Saints.
Amazing, amazing, amazing. This is joining the ranks of [b:The Complete Persepolis|991197|The Complete Persepolis (Persepolis, #1-4)|Marjane Satrapi|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327876995s/991197.jpg|13344769] on my list of favorite graphic novels ever. This book is everything I look for in a favorite graphic novel, great art, great narrative, a link to history, and a story that changes the way you think about a time or subject. I can't wait to break into [b:Saints|17210471|Saints (Boxers & Saints, #2)|Gene Luen Yang|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359199657s/17210471.jpg|23691810]!
The fantastical elements were amazing and helped show the passion the Chinese had for their country toward the turn of the 20th century.
Grades 8 and up.
Grades 8 and up.
This was great! I think it is the first graphic novel that I have ever read, and I really enjoyed it. It depicted a dark time in Chinese history, and it was definitely not light reading. It was gory and gruesome, yet I appreciated how there was a little bit of humor incorporated into the story to prevent it from being completely depressing. I could have done without the little "romance" that developed, but I'm just splitting hairs. Overall, I loved this graphic novel and I liked that it taught me a lot about a time in history that I knew little about. I will definitely be picking up the sequel soon.
Oh my gosh, you guys, this was so amazing. I don't normally read a lot of graphic novels but, because of the Young Adult Lit class I'm taking this quarter at college, I've been expanding what I read. Not only was this an awesomely illustrated and designed graphic novel, it was a depiction of a war that took place in 1898 in China. I enjoyed myself immensely while reading and really felt like I was learning a lot at the same time.
Generally, I don't pick up books with the goal to learn or expand my knowledge. More often, I decide to read for the sake of enjoyment. With this book, while I did enjoy it, felt a lot more like I was learning something. If you're anything like me and attended public high school, you'll know that the history taught is most often just repeated American history. Because of that, I had almost no previous information regarding this struggle that happened in China. This graphic novel really opened my eyes to the struggles people faced and the controversy surrounding religion there. And it did it in such a creative way. The images and characters in the novel were so vivid and well depicted. Despite the magical quality of the story and the fact that it takes places years and years ago, I connected with it so easily.
This illustrations you guys . . . they were so wonderful. The colors and the way the characters were drawn were so amazing. I think it's so important for books like this to be accessible to all readers. History is so often something that can be a bit dense, particularly to teens and young adults (at least in my experience). Yang really flipped that idea around for me. I found myself so immersed in this story and the history that spurred it.
Not only was this novel accessible to all readers . . . it didn't sugar coat things. History is not often pretty. There's a lot of hard times and really gruesome situations that are too often swept under the rug. This book did an amazing job of presenting what actually happened without censoring it. I appreciated that aspect so much.
This graphic novel was absolutely amazing. It cast light on a historical event I didn't know much about and did it in a way that was accessible and uncensored. The characters were relatable, the illustrations were beautiful, and the story line was engaging and interesting. I'm excited to read more from this author!
For more reviews, check out Wonderland's Reader!
Generally, I don't pick up books with the goal to learn or expand my knowledge. More often, I decide to read for the sake of enjoyment. With this book, while I did enjoy it, felt a lot more like I was learning something. If you're anything like me and attended public high school, you'll know that the history taught is most often just repeated American history. Because of that, I had almost no previous information regarding this struggle that happened in China. This graphic novel really opened my eyes to the struggles people faced and the controversy surrounding religion there. And it did it in such a creative way. The images and characters in the novel were so vivid and well depicted. Despite the magical quality of the story and the fact that it takes places years and years ago, I connected with it so easily.
This illustrations you guys . . . they were so wonderful. The colors and the way the characters were drawn were so amazing. I think it's so important for books like this to be accessible to all readers. History is so often something that can be a bit dense, particularly to teens and young adults (at least in my experience). Yang really flipped that idea around for me. I found myself so immersed in this story and the history that spurred it.
Not only was this novel accessible to all readers . . . it didn't sugar coat things. History is not often pretty. There's a lot of hard times and really gruesome situations that are too often swept under the rug. This book did an amazing job of presenting what actually happened without censoring it. I appreciated that aspect so much.
This graphic novel was absolutely amazing. It cast light on a historical event I didn't know much about and did it in a way that was accessible and uncensored. The characters were relatable, the illustrations were beautiful, and the story line was engaging and interesting. I'm excited to read more from this author!
For more reviews, check out Wonderland's Reader!
I really enjoyed American Born Chinese and was therefore intrigued by Gene Luen Yang’s other work. Boxers is a compelling historical narrative about the boxer rebellion in China, an incident I knew little about. The art and writing are simplistic but effective and the use of magical realism helps to convey this story in an engaging way.
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated