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nj_14's review
4.0
I know the target age group for Lumberjanes is, like, tweens... but I unabashedly love this series and the characters
shipwrecksteph's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy of this at NYCC 2019. Many thanks to Amulet Books/ABRAMS.
Where was the Lumberjanes franchise when I was a kid?
The characters are wonderfully realized. Each child is so specifically drawn, they could be no one else. You can tell who is speaking the dialog before the narration tells you. They are that distinct. They are also very representative of so many types of people. Each Lumberjane has different interests, energy levels, home lives, strengths, weakness...you name it.
The story is good but not great. Typical tween hijinks with weird happenings and freaky encounters. It's all made enjoyable if you like the characters.
My one gripe is that the narration has a habit of telling the reader how things are. "She decided to do X because people should be like Y. It's just better that way. Obvi." I don't know if that's standard in middle grade books, but to me it's annoying. The girls and their kind, generous actions speak for themselves. The examples they set seems more than powerful enough to get kids thinking about healthy ways to interact with the world. The narration telling me afterward how to think just seems like a pile-on. Then again, I'm not the target audience, so YMMV.
Overall I wish things like this had existed when I was a kid. Girls of all types getting to wacky adventures was not a thing in media 30 year ago. Glad to see today's kids will have better reading options.
-S
Where was the Lumberjanes franchise when I was a kid?
The characters are wonderfully realized. Each child is so specifically drawn, they could be no one else. You can tell who is speaking the dialog before the narration tells you. They are that distinct. They are also very representative of so many types of people. Each Lumberjane has different interests, energy levels, home lives, strengths, weakness...you name it.
The story is good but not great. Typical tween hijinks with weird happenings and freaky encounters. It's all made enjoyable if you like the characters.
My one gripe is that the narration has a habit of telling the reader how things are. "She decided to do X because people should be like Y. It's just better that way. Obvi." I don't know if that's standard in middle grade books, but to me it's annoying. The girls and their kind, generous actions speak for themselves. The examples they set seems more than powerful enough to get kids thinking about healthy ways to interact with the world. The narration telling me afterward how to think just seems like a pile-on. Then again, I'm not the target audience, so YMMV.
Overall I wish things like this had existed when I was a kid. Girls of all types getting to wacky adventures was not a thing in media 30 year ago. Glad to see today's kids will have better reading options.
-S
deborahplace's review
3.0
3.5 Stars
If I wasn't already a mega fan of the comic books, I don't think I would like this as much. Granted, I'm not in this age demographic and casual, silly writing is not my usual preference. I love these characters and the Lumberjanes philosophy. I love how feminist and inclusive it is. I recommend the comics to all my younger library patrons and I would recommend the comics over this book. It read like a cartoon. I wish there was more description and character development. It also references the comics a little too much which is understandable since the books are a spin off, but it also banks on the reader reading them already. Which I imagine can be a bit alienating for a person new to the series. I'm definitely reading the next book though!
Read for NEWTs Readathon 2018, Herbology
P.S. I read this for my Herbology "A" level and the first chapter was about plants and even had plant illustrations (mosses AND vines, my favorite!). This coincidence made me very happy.
If I wasn't already a mega fan of the comic books, I don't think I would like this as much. Granted, I'm not in this age demographic and casual, silly writing is not my usual preference. I love these characters and the Lumberjanes philosophy. I love how feminist and inclusive it is. I recommend the comics to all my younger library patrons and I would recommend the comics over this book. It read like a cartoon. I wish there was more description and character development. It also references the comics a little too much which is understandable since the books are a spin off, but it also banks on the reader reading them already. Which I imagine can be a bit alienating for a person new to the series. I'm definitely reading the next book though!
Read for NEWTs Readathon 2018, Herbology
P.S. I read this for my Herbology "A" level and the first chapter was about plants and even had plant illustrations (mosses AND vines, my favorite!). This coincidence made me very happy.
ellieroth's review
2.0
Original de: El Blog del Gato - El Extraño Gato del Cuento
La gran pregunta que quizás algunos se están haciendo: ¿tienes que haber leído los cómics para poder leer este libro? Lumberjanes: Unicorn Power continúa la historia alrededor del cómic #30 (o desde el #40, me atrevería a decir) de Lumberjanes, se menciona varias de las cosas que han pasado, pero solo de pasada, lo suficiente para dejarte con la curiosidad de saber cómo es que ciertas cosas llegaron a ser. Conclusión: hay spoilers, solo que ligeros.
No sé si es porque estoy acostumbrada a leerlo solo en versión cómic, pero Lumberjanes: Unicorn Power no me convenció, en cada nuevo capítulo no dejaba de pensar que esta historia habría estado mucho mejor en versión gráfica.
El gran problema de este libro ha sido la narración, o quizás los personajes que simplemente no funcionan en este formato. Cuando leo los cómics, me divierto, logro empatizar con mis Lumberjanes, solo que leyendo Unicorn Power me llegaron a caer algo antipáticas varias veces. April y Ripley son de mis personajes favoritos (bueno, todas las Lumberjanes lo son), pero en Unicorn Power quise estrangularlas.
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La gran pregunta que quizás algunos se están haciendo: ¿tienes que haber leído los cómics para poder leer este libro? Lumberjanes: Unicorn Power continúa la historia alrededor del cómic #30 (o desde el #40, me atrevería a decir) de Lumberjanes, se menciona varias de las cosas que han pasado, pero solo de pasada, lo suficiente para dejarte con la curiosidad de saber cómo es que ciertas cosas llegaron a ser. Conclusión: hay spoilers, solo que ligeros.
No sé si es porque estoy acostumbrada a leerlo solo en versión cómic, pero Lumberjanes: Unicorn Power no me convenció, en cada nuevo capítulo no dejaba de pensar que esta historia habría estado mucho mejor en versión gráfica.
El gran problema de este libro ha sido la narración, o quizás los personajes que simplemente no funcionan en este formato. Cuando leo los cómics, me divierto, logro empatizar con mis Lumberjanes, solo que leyendo Unicorn Power me llegaron a caer algo antipáticas varias veces. April y Ripley son de mis personajes favoritos (bueno, todas las Lumberjanes lo son), pero en Unicorn Power quise estrangularlas.
Twitter • Tumblr • Tvtime • Goodreads • Instagram • Blog
littleelfman's review
5.0
I love the Lumberjanes! They're awsome! And their first foray into prose-fiction is just as much fun as the graphic novels!
bluenicorn's review
I'm doing this new thing, where if I didn't finish the book, I'm just not doing stars. (It's not that I'm giving zero...) But I need to put this on the list so I remember that I wasn't into this. I just love the graphic novels and wondered how this would translate. For me, personally, it just didn't. I got to page 60 before I realized it was feeling like a struggle and I was forcing myself to finish and I have too many other books to attend to. What it also really did for me was show how well the graphic novels work- how they manage to do character development subtly and with imagery; how they really allow everyone to shine at once. How much the art really does to make the story! I am sure there are people who love Lumberjanes so much they will take everything they can get, and that's awesome- I'm glad this is there for them! I think they will really enjoy this. But it just wasn't what I was looking for.
markma's review
4.0
I really love the Lumberjanes graphic novels and so when I saw that there was going to be a Lumberjane book I was super excited. Lumberjanes Novel Unicorn Power by Mariko Tamaki is great. It has the same feel of the graphic novel with April, Jo, Mal, Molly, and Ripley going on adventures together. It also easily explains and includes non-binary people. I did not enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the graphic novels because I felt like it didn’t show the characters in the same way as the graphic novel did. But it was overall great and I would recommend it to anyone who loves friendship and scouting. This book is just a feel good read.
meredithmc's review
3.0
My hopes were high for this book, probably too high. It is a fun read that many middle graders will devour; I'd recommend it to one going off to sleepaway camp without hesitation. What let me down was, like others have said, it didn't feel like a #1. It's written thinking every reader's read all the Lumberjanes comics and are familiar with the characters. That was disappointing. I felt like the story was rushed, almost like reading a single issue that's written in prose instead.
Still, I'd recommend it to the voracious Lumberjanes readers in my library; they're the intended audience and I'm sure they will love it much more.
Still, I'd recommend it to the voracious Lumberjanes readers in my library; they're the intended audience and I'm sure they will love it much more.
bog_elfin's review
4.0
Cute and sweet, but also powerful and exemplary of the kind of book I want my kids (When I have kids) to read.