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gellyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
joana_stormblessed's review against another edition
5.0
what an amazing story and the pictures were stunning!! so good. cannot wait to pick up the sequel
roseleaf24's review against another edition
5.0
I never thought I'd say this about a graphic novelist, but Gene Luen Yang will be on my must-read list from now on. A graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion -- oh, my does it work well. The depth of emotion that is conveyed by the pictures is amazing, and the brief text says everything it needs to say and much more than it seems. I love the idea of showing opposing sides of a war with companion volumes, each focusing on an individual involved with the conflict. I haven't read Saints yet, but I can't wait.
ponch22's review against another edition
4.0
It feels only right to review [b:Boxers|17210470|Boxers (Boxers & Saints, #1)|Gene Luen Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1359199413l/17210470._SX50_.jpg|23691809] and [b:Saints|17210471|Saints (Boxers & Saints, #2)|Gene Luen Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1359199657l/17210471._SX50_.jpg|23691810] together since they're companion pieces, each telling a similar story from two different points of view.
[a:Gene Luen Yang|68959|Gene Luen Yang|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1415919636p2/68959.jpg] tells a fictionalized version of the Boxer Rebellion from the POV of Little Bao, a young man who ends up becoming a leader of the Boxers, and from the POV of Four-Girl, a young girl from Bao's village who becomes a Christian after being visited by the spirit of Joan of Arc (not yet Saint-ed).
I read the larger Boxers first & loved Yang's illustrations and [a:Lark Pien|2679817|Lark Pien|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s colors. The slimmer Saints has a much more muted color palette (I suppose to make the ghostly Joan glow all the more?) but goes well as the second book read. (I feel like a reading of Saints before Boxers would have been wrong, especially since the epilogue of Saints negates the powerful ending of Boxers)
While I've heard of the Boxer Rebellion before, I never knew much about what it was (or even who fought in it). These two stories do a good job setting up the pros & cons for both sides—neither group is presented as fully good nor fully evil. It was interesting seeing the handful of scenes that are in both volumes. Boxers definitely feels like the stronger book (given its length, more details, and stronger ending); as I said previously, the Epilogue in Saints felt lazy when looking back at the first book's ending (although I did enjoy the quick callback to the prayer Four-Girl seemingly teaches without any text).
[a:Gene Luen Yang|68959|Gene Luen Yang|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1415919636p2/68959.jpg] tells a fictionalized version of the Boxer Rebellion from the POV of Little Bao, a young man who ends up becoming a leader of the Boxers, and from the POV of Four-Girl, a young girl from Bao's village who becomes a Christian after being visited by the spirit of Joan of Arc (not yet Saint-ed).
I read the larger Boxers first & loved Yang's illustrations and [a:Lark Pien|2679817|Lark Pien|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s colors. The slimmer Saints has a much more muted color palette (I suppose to make the ghostly Joan glow all the more?) but goes well as the second book read. (I feel like a reading of Saints before Boxers would have been wrong, especially since the epilogue of Saints negates the powerful ending of Boxers)
While I've heard of the Boxer Rebellion before, I never knew much about what it was (or even who fought in it). These two stories do a good job setting up the pros & cons for both sides—neither group is presented as fully good nor fully evil. It was interesting seeing the handful of scenes that are in both volumes. Boxers definitely feels like the stronger book (given its length, more details, and stronger ending); as I said previously, the Epilogue in Saints felt lazy when looking back at the first book's ending (although I did enjoy the quick callback to the prayer Four-Girl seemingly teaches without any text).
hannahmcclee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
megadeathvsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I've heard a lot about this and understandably so. It's a unique look at China's history, through engaging storytelling and clean art. I'm looking forward to reading the companion novel.
4saradouglas's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, that was depressing! I always like books that entertain as well as educate, and this is definitely one of them. I knew nothing about the Boxer Rebellion and wouldn't have even placed it in China. (Boxer Rebellions? Like Boxing Day, right? Apparently I suck at history...) Yang is just an amazing author. Most of the time I think graphic novels are way too short and they feel more like a chapter than a whole book. I'm not sure how Yang does it, but in a short book that is mostly pictures he managed to pack in a whole novel's-worth of history, character development, love, humor, compassion, guilt, suffering, action... it's really something. I hated the ending, but what can you do about that? It's based on true events. I definitely recommend this one, and I agree that it's even better than American Born Chinese. Looking forward to reading Saints now to get the other side of the story!
tessadehart's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a beautifully illustrated comic telling a story about the Boxer Rebellion in Peking, China in 1900. I love the author’s simple line work and use of color. It helps keep the comic clear and story easy to follow. So much happens in this story, setting up beautifully to tell the story of this rebellion. The author interweaves details about Chinese culture into this story masterfully, emphasizing the changes that are happening in China at the time.
So far, this book illustrates the difficulty of choosing the “right” side of the war, showing that even when you believe in what you are doing, people are still lost and hurt by the choices made. I am looking forward to reading the companion book!
So far, this book illustrates the difficulty of choosing the “right” side of the war, showing that even when you believe in what you are doing, people are still lost and hurt by the choices made. I am looking forward to reading the companion book!