I was draw. To this book partly because of the gorgeous art on the cover. I was SO disappointed that most of the art inside was nothing like the cover. I couldn’t get past what I think are unpleasant, even bad drawings. I read a few pages and gave up.

"The Lost Path" is a graphic novel written by Amélie Fléchais, a french illustrator of comic books and children's books.
I already knew Fléchais for having read her "The Little Red Wolf", an absolutely adorable book that has nothing to do with... this.
I am very sorry to say it, but I didn't like "The Lost Path" and, moreover, I found that the Fléchais' illustrations were wasted for this plotless story.
Protagonists of the volume are three young boys, who are participating in a treasure hunt. In order to win the race and find the treasure, they misinterpret the map and enter a strange and threatening forest, only to get lost. Here they will meet bizarre creatures and magical beasties in conflict with each other to obtain (somehow... ?) supremacy over the forest.
And then... what? "Will the three boys find their way out of trouble?". Mmh, yeah, oh, okay.
The story, which would be sinister and spooky, has no rhyme or reason: the reader don't know who the unnamed children are, the characters of the legend presented at the beginning seem to be placed there by chance, one of the children is perhaps autistic but even this is not clear either. The end comes fast and unexpected; abruptly, the reader is brought back to reality, with a question to accompany him: WHICH WAS THE MEANING OF THIS STUFF? (Or rather, if there is a meaning...)
Two stars for the illustrations (especially coloured ones are really beautiful!), but the Fléchais-screenwriter here for me is rejected.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

***Note: I received e-ARC via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to publisher and NetGalley. ***

The Lost Path was drawn with an expert hand! I liked this sweet little story of three campers who are looking for a way through a magical forest! The cover pulled me in and I am so glad that I finished this short because the well-drawn illustrations complimented the whimsical tale! 

I laughed at the kiddo who couldn’t properly read the map and got everyone lost but things did get puzzling. There was no real explanation for the war between the creatures and the spirits. That could have been explained and developed better. What I did not like the most was the way the characters acted and how they were treated an interacted with others. There did not really seem to be a clear message with these things and actions thus the reason for the three stars.

The Lost Path has a very intricate cover and that suits the story very well. This graphic novel caught my eye and the adventure it promise was alluring. It starts out with a short tale about the lore of the forest and then dives into some boys on a trek. They soon find themselves in the woods with some very strange creatures and evils trying to get them. It was cute, but the story kind of had me lost. There were magical creatures and a queen that was angry but it didn't really explain enough for me. I was also a bit thrown off by the coloring - some pages were full of color while others were completely black and while. When it first happened I thought it was a proof thing but then it went in and out of color so it might be an artistic choice that I didn't find appealing. 

I thought this graphic novel was nice but I have been reading a lot lately and this one fell a bit short for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I was really impressed by the first colored pages – very creative and beautiful. I have to admit I was a little disappointed when I got to the black and white pages. The same goes for the storyline; In the beginning it was very mysterious and promising but somewhere halfway it got me confused and I lost interest. Maybe my expectations were too high when I started reading this book.

Three boys leave Camp Happiness on a treasure hunt activity. To reach the treasure first the boys take a detour that brings them deeper into the forest where all the magical beasts live. They find themselves trying to stay alive as they stumble in the middle of two Forest Spirits fighting for the throne.

This children’s book is a mix between illustrations and graphic novel panels. There are a mix of full color illustrations that transition to black and white panels. I do not think that the black and white panels are placeholders especially if the book is supposed to be mixed. (I could be wrong.) I found the color illustrations very beautiful and haunting. The black and white panels have a lot of detail in them that captured the eerie feeling associated with traveling deep into a forest. I was more impressed by the amount of detail in the black in white than I was by the illustrations. This was a refreshing way to read a children’s book. I felt the addition of panels added more to the story that otherwise would have to be limited with illustrations (especially when there is more action in the story).

The first few pages set up the groundwork on what kind of personality each of the three boys had as they traveled deeper in the woods. I did grow interested in the story as I grew more curious on what was happening. As the boys come across the magical beasts they don’t question their existence, but I’m assuming the boys probably think they are all in costumes. Even with the panels, I thought the story ended abruptly. I was left with questions about the magical beasts and the Forest Spirits. Was that the morale of the story though? Sometimes it’s best to have stones leaves unturned?

I should mention that there is a scene that depicts the almost death of one boy who get swallowed by a magical beast. The boy does get saved and the scene is not graphic. I felt this scene added a more “spooky” feeling for kids who are reading it, and added a dire situation that is often associated with adventures.

This title features hauntingly beautiful art with lush landscapes and mythical details that are unfortunately overshadowed by a disconnected and bizarre plot. A niche story for those who appreciate modern twists on darker fairy tales, or for fans of the darker undertones of Where the Wild Things Are and the randomness of the adventures in Over the Garden Wall.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

At first, this book felt a bit biblical, then the pace and style changes so much it's more middle grade than children's or adult graphic novel. Then the themes pick up and again metaphors come in.

I read in in about 20 minutes, startled by probably how many hours had been put in to create those fantastic drawings while it only takes the reader a few seconds gazing at each. The story is relatively fast-paced, so unless you stop and dwell on each scene there really isn't much time to appreciate every little detail.

But the artwork is really amazing. With so many different styles to keep you surprised and intrigued at the same time.

A definite fun read for all graphic novel lovers.

The cover art for The Lost Path is what interested me. I hadn't realized the book was a graphic novel which meant an abundance of quirky illustrations to explore throughout the story!

The story is an odd sort of mystery involving three friends who wander off into a forest of enchantment. They encounter an interesting variety of talking creatures. The story has some mythological elements as well.  One advantage of the digital version was being able to enlarge portions of the page to get a really close look at the elaborate panels.

Not sure if the tale is purposely open ended or whether this is the first in a series. The reader is left with quite a few unanswered questions and not a whole lot of character development. I definitely give the author credit for a visually engaging and imaginative story. An interesting addition to the graphic novel genre that even young audiences can enjoy.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The Lost Path from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

first of all...this story was fantastic and the art work was just outstanding. what i like about this book is the its simple and light and its kind of god feel book.
wonderful book

The Lost Path is a strange story of three boys lost in the wood. The tale follows them as they try to figure a way home while encountering monsters and strange creatures who are engaged in a long-running conflict that seems to be running into its climax.

WHO WOULD ENJOY READING IT?
Kids with a love of fantasy and adventure will take to this.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT
The art is unique, however, the story itself seems to be going nowhere. It begins well but lacks coherence from the middle to the end.


The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais and Jonathan Garnier is available to buy on all major online bookstores. Many thanks to Lion Forge for review copy.

My favorite part of the book was no doubt the beautiful graphics and their own peculiar storytelling. The lovely art style that keeps your eyes on the pages, the aesthetic appeal of the forest and most of all the perception of each character. The characters are very distinct in their voices. 

I adore the sudden splash of color, how pleasing to look at, how it shifted and built the mood of the book. The book remained very atmospheric and whimsical from the beginning to the end and we knew just as much as little as the characters in the book too. The part was a little frustrating for me, I had wished for a little more world-building, a little more peeks at the secretive forest and its inhabitants, and just a bit more of danger hence the 3 stars as I felt the forest had more to tell than was told. 

‘’Once something is in the forest’s clutches, it doesn’t easily let go…’’ 

How very true, the questions and allure of the forest and its spirits will remain with you even after the book has ended. Overall it was a quick and enjoyable read. I finished it in between my study breaks. 

My many thanks to Net Galley and the Publisher for allowing me ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The art style is amazing, visually I was in awe. The story starts out colored and then falls into black and white and then random color panels/pages in between.
The story starts out intriguing, fairy tale like, a dark forest that holds secrets where bad things happened. Then we meet our 3 young MCs who are on a treasure hunt and take a wrong turn somewhere and end up in the dark forest where they have a crazy adventure.
Visually this story is amazing, it starts out strong, and then about half way through it just seems to fall apart. There are hints of a long history, of things in the forest and relationships between those there, but we know none of it. Then the ending just happens. It feels very abrupt and not a very strong conclusion. I’d recommend it as a fun light read for young readers but it’s not a strong recommend from me.

The illustrations were beautiful, weird, and super imaginative. 

The storyline though was a bit hard for me to understand. With dialogue boxes left blank, and the mini paragraphs being full of spelling mistakes, I had a hard time understanding what was going on.

I am pretty sure that all of those would be fixed in the final, published copy. But for now, I will give it 3 stars. 

I received an eARC in exchange with an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this illustrated novel.

I think this one has a lot of potential but maybe it didn't fully live up to that potential.  The illustrations were really great for the most part.  They had a real unique and fantasy feel about them that I enjoyed.  I do wish the whole book was colorful instead of some color with mostly black & white.  The story felt a little unfinished to me, maybe also not fully realized.  The story started out great, interesting, a story about a trio of boys setting off on a treasure hunt that leads them astray into this amazing forest.  They do get lost and eventually find they're way out but it's the other bits and pieces that the author added in that confused me as to how they played into when the boys got lost.  

I think I'd still be interested in reading other works by this author though.  I'm just not sure how well kids would enjoy it or be able to follow along with some of the story.

‘’Once something is in the forest’s clutches, it doesn’t easily let go…’’

After the highly enjoyable experience with The Ghost, the Owl, my current mood for interesting Gothic comic books brought me to The Lost Path.While not as poignant and thoughtful as The Ghost, the Owl, The Lost Path was very interesting and rich in beautiful illustrations.

The story starts with a mysterious curse that falls on a young couple who chose to live in a strange forest. The young woman feels that something is amiss but her husband can’t see a thing in front of his nose and this leads to a spiral of events. In our times, the children that decide to venture into this mystical habitat find themselves in an adventure beyond their wildest dreams.

The Lost Path is like a fairytale. Actually, ‘’like’’ isn’t correct. It IS a modern fairytale inspired by traditional narratives and fables. Every country has an extensive collection of forest myths, with lost children, mystical creatures and forces in disarray, from The Little Red Riding Hood to the haunting Russian tales. This story by Amélie Fléchais is rich in beautiful imagery, the illustrations being the major force of the comic. I loved the wide variety of the techniques, the change of colours and style. I think they’re a beautiful mixture of realistic drawings and Gothic colours, enriched with a Chinese influence evident in the depictions of the faces. The dialogue is very entertaining and I think that this is a comic book appropriate for younger audiences regarding the subject matter and the illustrations.

Many thanks to Lion Forge, NetGalley  for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/

This is a beautiful, beautiful graphic novel by French author/illustrator Amélie Fléchais. The story tells the tale of an enchanted forest, filled with magical creatures and towering roots and spidery queens. Three boys get lost in this forest after deciding to go on an adventure, hunting for lost treasure. They encounter all sorts of strange beasts and interesting places on their journey.

Not only is this story amazing, but Fléchais' illustrations are absolutely gorgeous! Each page is a treasure filled with interesting, unique images that immediately pull you into this wonderful world she's created. I often found myself not wanting to turn the page because I was so entranced with the illustrations. The style also changes throughout the book, with some pages being filled with color and some overflowing with blacks and whites, which works to add to the feel of the story even more.

Many of the creatures remind me of Hayao Miyazaki's characters in anime films such as Totoro, Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke. They're strange and otherworldly and at times, even terrifying. They makes for such a great, fun read, and it leaves you wondering what sort of creature will pop up next.

Though I adored the illustrations and the characters and the use of color, I will say that the actual story did feel lacking at times, which is why I'm giving this graphic novel 4 stars instead of 5. It was visually stunning, but I felt like there could have been so much more to it. I am interested in checking out more works by this author, though, if only for the delightful images.

Amélie's art and illustrations are really gorgeous, magical, and so intricately created that I could stare and marvel at it the whole day. The illustrations vary in style and color from full-colored pages to black and white. The original characters are very interesting and have their own charm. However, the plot is where I'm really disappointed about. It is somewhat disorganized and seems rushed. Some scenes had weird transitions which had me confused at first, especially when the kid pretended to be a robot, but I guess that's how the author interprets the kid's imagination. I wish there was more elaboration to the story because it started with a very solid introduction, but as I read towards the end, everything becomes very disjointed and rushed and a little confusing.

Wow, this was interesting. As a reader who is visually impaired, I'm not normally one to read graphic novels, but when I saw this one available on NetGalley I decided to give it a try since I can zoom into the panels on my computer. I enjoyed the way the story started out, but then everything sort of went all over the place, both with the story and the art. Most of the panels were in black and white, but when we got colored pictures, they were beautiful. There was a different artistic style used when we were reading from the younger boy's imaginative perspective, but there didn't seem to be any reasoning for switching between black and white and color during the rest of the story. There were parts that were a little unclear, but some of it came together at the end. Overall, it was a very cute story.