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geekwayne's review
4.0
'Colored: The unsung life of Claudette Colvin with art and text by Emilie Plateau is a graphic novel adaptation of the book "Noire" by Tania de Montagne.
Told in a sort of second person narrative, the reader is put in to a story about a young woman living in a town under Jim Crow laws. When she is thrown off a bus and thrown in jail, she wants to start a bus boycott. This is not Rosa Parks. This is Claudette Colvin and this happened a few months before Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott.
Why is one person famous and not another? Why is it Rosa Parks we remember and not Cladette or possible other people? History can be picky that way and this story tells that along with a little known story.
The art is good with a limited color palette used to good effect. I liked the subtle signs in the shop windows showing the shops that were friendly and not friendly.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Told in a sort of second person narrative, the reader is put in to a story about a young woman living in a town under Jim Crow laws. When she is thrown off a bus and thrown in jail, she wants to start a bus boycott. This is not Rosa Parks. This is Claudette Colvin and this happened a few months before Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott.
Why is one person famous and not another? Why is it Rosa Parks we remember and not Cladette or possible other people? History can be picky that way and this story tells that along with a little known story.
The art is good with a limited color palette used to good effect. I liked the subtle signs in the shop windows showing the shops that were friendly and not friendly.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
hellocookie's review
5.0
An insightful and educational graphic novel shedding light on a figure from history that has mostly been brushed aside. Claudette Colvin had an almost identical experience to the one Rosa Parks had…and before Rosa too. But due to finding herself pregnant as a young teen, the desegregation movement chose Rosa to be the face of what they were doing.
Rosa Parks remains brave and iconic and helped to change the world for the better. But this sheds the light on the other women who stood alongside her and whose part was deeply understated, including Claudette.
Absolutely worth reading and learning more about.
Rosa Parks remains brave and iconic and helped to change the world for the better. But this sheds the light on the other women who stood alongside her and whose part was deeply understated, including Claudette.
Absolutely worth reading and learning more about.
lattelibrarian's review
4.0
Told largely in the second person, Colored: The Unsung Life of Claudette Colvin gives a personal account of Colvin's life as she rose to become a symbol of the civil rights movement and fell to be forgotten after a white man rapes her. Though largely about the civil rights movement, what happened before Rosa Parks, and how segregation was fought, Colored also discusses plenty of other issues such as rape, gender, innocence, and violence. After all, Claudette was the perfect symbol--a young girl--until she wasn't--a pregnant and unwed young woman.
The form of this graphic novel was also so aesthetically pleasing. Using only limited tones and shades of brown and choosing not to adhere to the panel-gutter style so typically found in graphic novels, Plateau offers enough room on the page that allows for both weight and significance to be paired with rest and understanding. Additionally, it makes sense for this graphic novel to be illustrated in such a way--the topic of the civil rights movement and segregation is long, difficult, complex, and emotional.
Overall, I find this graphic novel to be both illuminating, informative, and rather under-acknowledged. This is a great read, especially as we're approaching towards Black History Month!
Review cross-listed here!
The form of this graphic novel was also so aesthetically pleasing. Using only limited tones and shades of brown and choosing not to adhere to the panel-gutter style so typically found in graphic novels, Plateau offers enough room on the page that allows for both weight and significance to be paired with rest and understanding. Additionally, it makes sense for this graphic novel to be illustrated in such a way--the topic of the civil rights movement and segregation is long, difficult, complex, and emotional.
Overall, I find this graphic novel to be both illuminating, informative, and rather under-acknowledged. This is a great read, especially as we're approaching towards Black History Month!
Review cross-listed here!
fireth's review
3.0
Prior to reading Colored, I’ve never heard about Claudette Colvin. My American history is very limited and knew only basic points of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King. Being of a minority race in my country, I would never had survived if I were to live like Claudette. Made me feel that I take racial (and religious) harmony for granted.
jkenna1990's review
4.0
This was such a great graphic novel. I had never heard about Claudette Colvin and what she went through until I read this book. I thought that it was well researched and well put together. The story flows very well and I think the author did a great job of keeping all of the events straight. Overall a great read that I think everyone should read.
marayrr's review against another edition
4.0
A comic book that stands out. A drawing style that has its charm and remains simple
The characters look like small sketches. The illustrations of the city of Montgomery are beautiful. Everything about this book is perfect.
I didn't expect anything from this comic, which a co-worker lent me, but I must say : it was heartbreaking, as it is often the case with true stories. This one is only a few decades old...
The fact that the story of Claudette Colvin, a young black teenager, has been forgotten in favor of Rosa Parks' story, which we have been learning at school for years, revolts me. I hope this book will find its readership and that it will be read and read again. It really deserves it.
The characters look like small sketches. The illustrations of the city of Montgomery are beautiful. Everything about this book is perfect.
I didn't expect anything from this comic, which a co-worker lent me, but I must say : it was heartbreaking, as it is often the case with true stories. This one is only a few decades old...
The fact that the story of Claudette Colvin, a young black teenager, has been forgotten in favor of Rosa Parks' story, which we have been learning at school for years, revolts me. I hope this book will find its readership and that it will be read and read again. It really deserves it.
lutalica25's review against another edition
5.0
Tania de Montaigne est une pépite ! Et ce que son livre là m'a appris le confirme tout simplement ! Étant une “fan” de Rosa Parks, cette histoire m'a montrée une autre facette de l'histoire des militantes afro-américaines, entre autres celle de Claudette Colvin.
Seul petit bémol : IL EST TROP COURT ! POURQUOI ?
Seul petit bémol : IL EST TROP COURT ! POURQUOI ?
mckinseyf's review
2.0
Interesting and informative but absolutely did not need to be a graphic novel. The art was unremarkable and did not aid or elevate the narrative. The choice to have each page contain a handful of drawings and narrative/dialogue also made this longer than it needed to be.