This was an interesting graphic novel. The art was amazing, mostly in greens since the story is based around plants. The main character was diabetic and this was included in the storyline not just about representation which was unique. I like the flashbacks to bullying but think it could have been expanded on more. I really liked the character of Abby and would like to see a graphic novel about her as well. The brother dynamic was really well done. The ending was a little abrupt and I'm not sure exactly what happened but overall I would recommend this.

I loved this book for it creative storytelling and for centering the narratives around plants and their complexities. It's also about the unbreakable bond shared by twins and I really hope there's a sequel!

I'm not one for graphic novels. I don't typically read them but I was excited for this one because I'm a fan of Maggie Stiefvater and the premise of it sounded interesting to me. I went into it with fairly high expectations but was left disappointed. The art is nice. It really fits the atmosphere and tone of the story. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the story as much as I was hoping I would. It fell quite flat for me. There were elements that kept me mildly engaged with the story such as the bond between the brothers Alec and Walker but otherwise it couldn't hold my interest and I was left feeling unfulfilled. The pacing was a big issue. It was slow, and I found myself bored often. It definitely took me longer to read it in it's entirety than it should have. I also found it difficult to connect with the characters themselves. That spark just wasn't there. I really, really wanted to like this novel but it just wasn't it for me.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvater, 208 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. DC Comics, 2020. $17.
Language: R (22 swears, 2 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Alec and Walker are going to stay with their cousins for the last summer before college, thanks to drama at home. Walker wants to party like there’s no tomorrow, but Alec just wants to continue his plant research, even if he has to start all over. Not even Alec knew how that research would change the summer -- and him -- forever.
Having just finished the book, I’m still not really sure what happened. Stiefvater gives readers things to think about, and she planted in me a desire to go sit in a garden or in the woods for a bit, just to see if I can understand plants better. The shift in how I think about plants after reading the analogies and facts throughout this book is what I like most about it, even if I’m not sure I followed the story very well. The mature content rating is for innuendo.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I went into this knowing nothing about Swamp Thing and I honestly enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I love Maggie Stiefvater and she definitely didn’t disappoint. I think my favorite part of this graphic novel is the characters. They are all well developed and I especially love the brother aspect of the story. I think the inclusion of Alec and his Diabetes is also really fascinating and unique.

The art is also amazing. I love all the plant illustrations, especially the two dogs and when everything started to take a darker turn. The only complaint I have is that it ended rather suddenly. I wish there was another page or two so we know what happens to some of the characters rather than cutting off after an intense scene. I really hope there’s a sequel!

Thank you DC Comics for the free review copy!

I read this in one go and really liked it! The illustrations were stunning and it was nice to see a rather heartfelt and emotional origin story. Super excited for this to come out into the world.

I ended up dnfing this at 26 pages in, I really liked the art style of this graphic novel. The writing though just wasn't for me, it bored me a bit to be honest. I have read other things by this author and I liked those better,

My kids love graphic novels and really enjoyed this one. The pictures are lovely and both my children read it in one day! So it's a win for my house!

I love Maggie steifvater and was excited at her writing a graphic novel, but I was sadly disappointed. I rlly disliked the pacing, and there was way to many time jumps to let the story run smoothly. This was especially an ending in the climax and final scene. It went so quickly that it left me lost. I really wish this story was longer so that as a reader I could get more involved.
I will say though, that I loved the art style and ambiance created in this book.

I’m not usually a graphic novel fan, but I really like Maggie Stiefvater. This was an OK but I liked the premise, I feel like I missed some things but I can see that it could be a very good series and I enjoyed it

I received an advanced reader's copy of this graphic novel from Netgalley for review.

I'm intrigued! I love Maggie Stiefvater's young adult titles, and this was something completely new for me!

Two twins who couldn't be more different who face many challenges. I loved the artwork and the story was interesting enough to keep me going. I wish the characters were more filled out, but the story made up for slightly flat characters.

I don't usually read graphic novels, but this one got me interested in trying others.

I received an ARC through NetGalley from DC Entertainment, DC Comics. After a parental separation two twin brothers move in with their cousins. Alec and Walker couldn’t be more different. Walker is outgoing and the life of the party. Alec is into science and his experiments with plants. Alec can relate to plants, he likes to take his time, observe and slowly come to his own. In a new place, the two brothers have a lot to come to grips with, learning to live in a new place and make new friends. Meanwhile, something biological is taking over the swamp areas of their new home.

The story was good and the art was very modern. Maggie Stiefvater is a good writer. I felt like I would have liked this more if I wasn’t comparing this to what I thought the Swamp Thing story should be. This was just a good fantastical, coming of age story about family and ones own passions. As a comic book story, this wasn’t what I was expecting. More for fans of Snapdragon or The Witch Boy.

3.5 stars! Art style reminded me of the show Doug but make it botanical! Not my favorite aesthetically but definitely fits the story. You can feel this is a Maggie Stiefvater book, her prose and aura is all over it.

Unfortunately, the plot arc leaves much to be desired and the characters aren't strong enough to make up for it as in TRC. The ending was so abrupt. The brotherhood element still pulled on my heartstrings though. The struggle of growing apart from people you were inseparable from resonated with me. As did the feeling of not knowing how to belong.

I adored this quote though: "Adulthood means you don't have to justify your passions. You don't have to justify your space in this lab. Burn that research if you want. The real experiment here is you."

I'm not a huge fan of comics or graphic novels, but I really enjoyed this one! The pacing is a little slow and it's more plot driven than character focused, but the writing was still incredibly good and the art was fantastic!

I feel like I just need to accept that graphic novels aren't for me. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this. But it didn't grab me and hold my interest. The artwork is beautiful. The story is solid and it's written by an author I have deeply enjoyed in the past. . It reads so fast; it took me about an hour and a half. But despite all that I just didn't care. While I feel like I understand the characters I don't feel like I go the chance to know them and root for them (pun intended). I just don't feel fully satisfied after I finished. And that likely has to do with the nature of graphic novels but understanding that still doesn't change my enjoyment or lack thereof. If you like graphic novels, or DC comics, I would definitely recommend checking this out..

I received an ARC of this graphic novel from NetGalley for an honest review.

This graphic novel is an interesting take on Swamp Thing. I liked the origin story because it is different. The story emphasizes on the importance of family. It also educates the reader on how plants act. That's a plus.
It's an origin story where Swamp Thing doesn't show up until the end. I'm hoping there will be a sequel. I want to see where the story goes.
Fans of Swamp Thing will like this origin story. And the art enhances the story.

This was an interesting story about two twins who love each other, but who want very different things out of life. While Alec wants nothing more than to focus on his science experiments, Walker works to climb social ladders. Both brothers would do anything for one another, even if they don't understand what drives the other. This was an interesting story with interesting characters, though I found myself not very engaged with a lot of the story.

I love anything Maggie writes so I was incredibly excited for Swamp Thing! What a good book! Thank you so much NetGalley for this.

This graphic novel follows twin brothers, one of whom is a huge science nerd and has been conducting experiments on a variety of plants.

After an unexpected revelation he brother's are shipped off to live with their cousin for the summer, where the experiments continue....only to have one go awry and create Swamp Thing.

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say I was more invested in the dynamic and relationship between the brothers than I was with Thing.

The illustrations were wild, vibrant, and vividly detailed. I truly appreciated the artist's work!

Overall, I think that this title would appeal to a younger audience, or perhaps a graphic novel lover with a fondness for obscure superheroes.


* Thank you to DC Entertainment and NetGalley for providing me this ARC. All opinions are my own.

If I had to use only one word to describe Swamp Thing: Twin Branches, I’d definitely go with ‘stunning’. Superhero origin stories are obviously the best things ever, so of course I had sky high expectations of this book, and I’m very happy to tell you all that it was fantastic!

Now, I’m not someone who’s very familiar with the DC Universe, and I’ll admit I only heard about Swamp Thing for the first time when this book was announced. What initially drew me to this book was the fact that it’s written by Maggie Stiefvater, one of my insta-buy authors; but the first look at the interior artwork immediately made Swamp Thing: Twin Branches one of my most anticipated books for 2020, because holy wow, would you look at that gorgeous art style?

Before I get into the review, here’s something I think you should know before picking this up, especially if you’re unfamiliar with Swamp Thing like I had been: this book is seriously creepy. Illustrator Morgan Beem does a crazy good job of capturing the animal/human to plant transformations, and those illustrations really are the stuff of nightmares. So, if you think seeing deformed animals/humans might be triggering for you, you probably want to avoid this book.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is the story of Alec and Walker, twin brothers who are the polar opposites of each other. Alec is the quiet and shy botany nerd, while Walker is the extrovert. The summer before the two begin college, they get sent to live with their cousins in the country. Walker just wants to spend the whole summer partying hard, but Alec would like nothing but to hide away at the summer school laboratory and conduct his experiment on accessing the memory of plants and making it possible for humans to understand their language. Little do they know that Alec’s project does it work a little too well, and their summer is about to get a whole lot weirder and spookier than any of them could possibly have imagined…

I’m very much in awe of the way both creators have managed to pack so much detailed characterisation within only a couple hundred pages. Alec is a character I think most readers would relate to. For those of you who know DC’s Swamp Thing aka Alec Holland as the monstrous, grotesque, supernatural being, this book should come as a surprise to you, because the Alec we see here is just a teenage boy, who prefers the company of plants over humans and is always doing his absolute best to avoid any form of socialisation (which, in all honesty, is #relatable). He has always lived in his charming and charismatic brother’s shadow, desperate to escape people’s judgement, and his constant struggle to fit in deeply resonated with me.

As for Walker, I came to adore him so much more than I had expected to! I loved how supportive he was of Alec even when he couldn’t understand what was going on with his brother, and I do wish we had gotten to see a little more of him. At the heart of the story is, of course, the heartwarming relationship the twins share; I definitely cried a little every time I found them showing up and being there for each other despite having their differences and each of them carrying heavy emotional baggage of his own. There’s also a romance in this book that, while being only a subplot, worked out surprisingly well.

Maggie’s storytelling is, as always, mystical, beautiful, and just a little on the bizarre side. Morgan Beem’s art is alluring and atmospheric, and I loved the colour palettes that went with the story so well; you wouldn’t be able to stop turning the pages. When it comes to the pacing of the story, Swamp Thing: Twin Branches isn’t as swift as most graphic novels; instead it allows you time to soak in the words and savour the illustrations thoroughly, and the relatively slow pace was something that I felt suited Alec’s story perfectly, who himself says at one point: “The world goes too fast. I want time to watch and think about what everything means,…”

With all of that said, I did have one issue with Swamp Thing: Twin Branches: the ending seemed very abrupt; it’s bound to leave you dissatisfied and wanting more. I was wrapped up in the story enough for the ending to seem jarring, and I felt incredibly betrayed when I found out that the book does not, in fact, go on forever. So rude.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is a very bittersweet story; it’s dark and heavy and sad, but it’s also hopeful in a really sweet manner. If you are a fan of superhero stories, I’m pretty sure it’s already on your TBR, and if you are someone who loves graphic novels and fantasy stories in general, I’d urge you to pick this up too; because I can assure you the book is wild, arresting and unpredictable in ways you’d never see coming.