A review by nolansmock
CLOVER: Collector's Edition by CLAMP

4.0

A breezy read for being 450+ pages. Its stylized, minimal art is intoxicating and feels like you're inside a pop song, which you literally are for a large chunk of it. The use of music in a silent medium is interesting, if not a little redundant in its execution here, but also it feels like when an earworm is stuck in your head or imbues times in your life with meaning. You're stuck with having to imagine your own music, which asks you to access a part of your brain not typically lit up while reading. It's heavily poetic, a noir mixed with steampunk and cyberpunk elements, and a lot of romanticism. A unique read if not a little confusing because the story is unfinished (didn't know this going in, thought it was complete) and because its told in a loop kind of, where the end of the story the beginning? The climax hits around the middle and makes it obvious this was intended to be a longer story, which makes it tough to not wish for a little more and feel a little let down by the ending. Even this goodreads listing says Vol. 1 but as far as I know the rest of this will never be written since its been twenty years. Still, I had been wanting to read something by CLAMP for a while (because a LOT of their series are unfinished and I was trying to avoid that lol) and the storytelling and art direction was worth the cost of entry. I may read this again before selling just to soak in that mood some more. This been going on sale for less than half the sticker price, so if you want to check it out I'd wait for that or see if your library has it. Unfortunately, I don't think there's enough in the book to justify full price, although it is big and beautiful, not unlike an art book, which I can appreciate.