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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
So here's the thing about this graphic novel. The cute, cartoony art makes you think that this is going be a heartwarming story of this boy in a small Chinese community and that is not what this is. This is a brutal story. Horrible stuff happens to the main character (and his family) and he does truly monstrous things as a result. Without really drawing direct attention to it, Yang shows how war can dehumanize the enemy in a way that's damaging to both sides and shows how even simple ideals can corrode as fighting grows more desperate. I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in the Boxer Rebellion (or in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms) but don't be thrown off by the artwork. This deals with some intense ideas.
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Second time reading through this and I LOVED it even more. I never had time to learn much of the Boxer Rebellion in school so this was a great insight into it for me, I am going to be looking into more info about this time period as it is one that has always interested me a great deal.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, War
Boxers and Saints are hard to review for me. In some ways, Gene Luen Yang's art and dialog seems so boiled down that I felt that some of the nuances of an incredibly culturally, religiously, and historically important series of events might lost, but somehow it wasn't. It was so refreshing for me to read Boxers and Saints, because unlike many creators several comic books and graphic novels that have been released recently with the growing popularity and acceptance of these media as legitimate art forms, Gene Luen Yang is a consummate visual storyteller. Also, I'm not a huge fan of magical realism, but Yang makes it not only work, but enhance the storytelling and and communicate the essence of events, rather than just seeming like a gimmick to explain inconsistencies and impossibilities, which I feel often happens with stories containing magical realism.
My biggest complaints for Boxers and Saints are the following:
1) I think that it should've been issued as two parts of one book rather than in separate volumes, since reading them together better communicates the complexity of events, emotions and character decisions, and might help prevent some readers from feeling like Yang sometimes favors one "side" over another.
2) I wish that Yang had included some sort of foreword or afterword highlighting the importance of the historical events, or at the very least encouraging readers to investigate the "additional reading" material cited at the end of each volume.
3) I wish there were more so that I wouldn't have to dig into the "additional reading" for more information! :)
My biggest complaints for Boxers and Saints are the following:
1) I think that it should've been issued as two parts of one book rather than in separate volumes, since reading them together better communicates the complexity of events, emotions and character decisions, and might help prevent some readers from feeling like Yang sometimes favors one "side" over another.
2) I wish that Yang had included some sort of foreword or afterword highlighting the importance of the historical events, or at the very least encouraging readers to investigate the "additional reading" material cited at the end of each volume.
3) I wish there were more so that I wouldn't have to dig into the "additional reading" for more information! :)
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No