It all starts at the Fall Equinox Festival when everyone in town drops light lanterns into the river. A group of young friends go every year, and bike down the river to follow the lanterns. This year,. they're going to find out where the lanterns really end up. One by one the friends drop out - too hungry, too scared, too going-to-be-so-grounded. Eventually only two kids are left- one of the original group, and his uncool tag-a-long friend.

Things get really weird when they suddenly run into a Fisher Bear. A talking bear wearing human clothes. A realistic-whimsical story turns into a magical-whimsical story. At moments we are pulled into the moment completely with detailed images and descriptions of sounds and emotions.

The dialogue is believable and funny - very kid-like. Topics including bullying, loyalty, and independence are touched on.

The art is beautiful - almost everything is different tones of blue. The faces are very cartoony, which is interesting against the detailed line drawings.

What a beautiful haunting tale. The fairytale world these boys bike into is enchanting and each new adventure they find felt delightfully unexpected. Amidst the fantastic creatures and situations, the relationship between the boys was extremely realistic in how it handled the push and pull of the desire to fit in and the need to find a kindred spirit. The art had a flowing quality that mimicked the river and the milky way beautifully.

This Was Our Pact is an awesome combination of every TV and movie with kids on bicycles meets Studio Ghibli.

As an elementary school librarian, I understand the power and allure of graphic books. They are an entry into the world of books for reluctant readers, ESL students, and younger students who are bridging into longer books. They hold appeal for a wide-range of audiences, from young children to adults. They are great for independent and shared reading. I am a big proponent of graphic books and am always talking them up to teachers and parents. Kids don't need to be convinced; they already love them.

Because graphic novels are so popular with kids and because I think they are so great for readers, I try to get my hands on as many of them as I can. I like to read them so I can buy them for our library and recommend them to my students.

'This Was Our Pact' was fun, exciting, and unexpected in lots of ways. It starts out with a group of friends on an innocent bike ride, and spins off into a fantastical adventure. I loved the quirky characters, and the building of the magical world. The illustrations are fantastic. It has all the elements of a great novel, presented in an appealing graphic format.

I can't wait to buy this one for our library. I will be a hit with kids, I'm sure. I loved it.

I'm going to be buying this for a lot of people I know - kids, teens, and adults - the instant it hits shelves. The story of two boys who decide to follow the lanterns they put in the river each year to find out where they go, this tale slowly turns into an epic fantasy adventure in which the boys meet a variety of fascinating characters and learn valuable lessons about kindness, friendship, and sharing homemade Rice Krispie treats.

It is MAGICAL and everyone should read it.

A magical tale that follows two boys as they chase lanterns placed in the river for the autumn equinox. They are hoping to discover what happens to lanterns. Recurring themes in the book are bullying, friendship, and seizing the moment. I love the artwork and the inclusion of scientific facts.

Wow, This Was Our Pact was surely a magical ride for sure! It's so awesome that comics like this are made for kids, since This Was Our Pact is meaningful, full of heart and even the plot is great. There's a lantern festival at a town and everyone puts floating lanterns in the river. This group of friends want to see where the lanterns go, but eventually only two are left of which the other wasn't welcomed at first. These two boys end up still going and get lost, meet a bear and a magician and eventually find the lanterns, but surely it's not the end of the road! I liked the whole overcoming of not being friends at first and all, how really getting to know someone makes you see things in different light and how obstacles tighten friendship. The plot is interesting and full of surprises, it's philosophical even and the astronomy part is a great add to it. There's not too much text even though the comic is quite long, so points for that too.

The art is wonderful and cute in bluish hues. This looks a little like Oliver Jeffers actually. The rough sketchy art with a thin line art makes this detailed, but oddly aerial too and the comic is somewhat dark, but in a fluffy way. Like stars in the sky, really. This Was Our Pact is great, but perhaps I would've wanted the boys to overcome the beginning of their friendship with more thought instead of just getting over the bullying so fast. Still, totally an amazing comic that needs to be in every library.

Absolutely magical - I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was surprised with every new chapter of this gorgeous graphic novel, until by the end I was almost in tears with the majesty of the adventure-quest that Ben and Nathaniel find themselves on (if anyone likes to listen to music while they read hit me up for the PERFECT soundtrack to the last few chapters - it’ll be like watching a movie). I plan on adding this to my library's graphic novel collection as soon as it is published and promoting it during our summer reading program - it’ll go perfectly with the Universe of Stories theme!