thistle_and_verse's Reviews (299)

Great pacing, great fight scene with the space lubber, and a suspenseful ending that hints that we'll learn more about Muti next issue

The art style changed this issue to something a bit scratchier. I think it makes Livewire's powers and hair look cool. I really like seeing Livewire's powers in action, but I'm losing the plot. I don't know if it's just the gap in between me reading issues, but I'm having trouble keeping track of how the various plot lines are related.

Olamina starts a family and her belief/ commitment to Earthseed is tested. Olamina and her dynamics with her daughter are fascinating as is the transformation of Earthseed from the 1st book to this book.

I really enjoyed the concepts around the Dreamers and life on Trebor, but something fell flat in the execution. The writing was a bit threadbare. I would have liked for Brown to include more descriptions of Trebor's environment and the Keepers' and Resistors' dwellings. It seemed very focused on describing action sequences and thought processes, and I would have appreciated more atmospheric moments to get a feel for this alien environment. I didn't understand Lauren's commitment to Roxal, and I would have liked Brown to develop their relationship more. It seemed like when they were together it was mostly for work.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a review. Opinions are my own. This middle grade graphic novel tells the biographies of 8 African American historical figures. I especially liked that a few disabled and neurodivergent people were included because their historical contributions are often downplayed or ignored. When white characters used racist slurs, the word in the speech bubbles were replaced with a caricature that looked like a gollywog. I don't know if that was necessary or even an improvement, but I found it to be thought-provoking and an innovate use of the medium. I generally thought the historical analysis was nuanced, but when it came to Tom Wiggins and Cathay Williams, it seemed like their experiences were flattened in order to offer an uplifting story. The biography talked of Tom Wiggins' skill and renown but didn't explicitly call out the ableism and dehumanization that undergirded the praise he received, which I think leaves out a big part of his story. I think it's important to explicitly name because it may not be taught in school and young readers may not recognize it for themselves. Cathay Williams' legacy as a Buffalo soldier is of mixed merit given their role in dispossessing Native Americans of their land, and the author didn't provide details of what exactly she did during her enlistment. I thought that the author generally did a good job of balancing the difficulties and complexities of the lives of those included, but I felt it fell flat in some cases. A good, memorable start for learning some more obscure African American history.

Received an ARC in exchange for a fair review. Tore through this book. For my full review, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDpT1zTTlko