"American Terrorist" ventures into the intense world of eco-terrorism, challenging readers with a narrative that explores complex themes of activism, justice, and the consequences of standing up against the status quo. While the book's subject matter is undeniably relevant and thought-provoking, my personal reading experience left me with a sense of unease, making it difficult to wholeheartedly endorse.

The synopsis introduces us to Owen Graham, an investigative journalist embedded with an eco-terrorist group. The story takes a bold stance, delving into the lives of individuals frustrated by inequality and driven to disrupt the established order. The events unfold rapidly, propelled by escalating misunderstandings that lead to drastic consequences. The addition of an idealistic teacher caught in a hostage situation injects urgency into the narrative.

The illustrations, handled by Andy MacDonald, are gritty and atmospheric, effectively capturing the tension and chaos inherent in the storyline. The visual narrative complements the themes of the graphic novel, offering a visceral experience that enhances the reader's engagement.

Despite the gripping premise and relevant subject matter, my hesitation with "American Terrorist" lies in a vague sense of something feeling off during my read. It could be attributed to the pacing, which occasionally felt rushed, making it challenging to fully connect with the characters. Additionally, the graphic novel navigates a delicate balance between portraying activists as heroes or antiheroes, leaving me torn between sympathizing with their cause and grappling with the methods employed.

The exploration of individuals from different walks of life, each convinced they are doing the right thing, adds layers to the narrative, sparking critical reflection on the nature of activism and its consequences. However, the book's presentation of these characters often felt one-dimensional, hindering a deeper emotional connection.

"American Terrorist" presents a bold narrative on a pertinent and contemporary issue, prompting readers to consider the complexities of activism and its potential consequences.

While my personal experience left me with reservations, I acknowledge that the graphic novel might resonate more strongly with others seeking a thought-provoking exploration of justice, resistance, and the blurred lines between right and wrong. 🌐📚✨

The book had an interesting premise and that attracted me to this book. It did raise some interesting questions, but overall I was not the biggest fan of it.

'American Terrorist' by Tyler Chin-Tanner and Wendy Chin-Tanner with art by Andy MacDonald is a graphic novel written about 10 years ago that still feels pretty current.

The story follows four Americans from different walks of life who end up together. One is a reporter, one is a teacher, one is a civil rights lawyer and one is an EPA scientist. Through an accident, they find themselves on the run with the US government chasing them. Along the way, they meet other disaffected folks that help them with shelter and escapes.

I get where this graphic novel is going, but it does feel a bit overly one-sided and blunt. It does still pretty current though, so maybe it was on to something. The art was just ok. Nothing really stood out.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from A Wave Blue World, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

The book makes some solid points and I agree with quite a bit of it but it all feels very contrived and one-sided. This was written during the George W. Bush administration and a lot of this was the authors getting out their frustrations with a repressive government. (Who knew it'd get even worse a decade later, doing their best to subvert Democracy and venture into full-on fascism?) There are a lot of logic leaps and asinine decisions made by the "bad" guys to tell the story the Chin-Tanners want to tell.

As a social justice activist, this touched my heart. Lots going on in this graphic novel - which is why it held my interest so well - while still being super easy to follow and very engaging. I found myself reading frantically wanting to know what would happen next. The ending was not what I expected but exactly how it should have ended.

The illustrations were complementary to the story and fit perfectly!

Still so timely ten years after its original release which makes me sad but the fact that people are writing work like this and reading it gives me hope.


Thank you to Tyler Chin-Tanner, Wendy Chin-Tanner, Andy McDonald, Matt Wilson, Diamond Book Distributors, and #NetGallery for an ARC of #American Terrorist in return for an honest review. Review will be posted on NetGallery, Goodreads (goodreads.com/radicalrachelreads), Facebook, and online retailers.

I was provided with an advance copy of this graphic novel through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a re-release of the 2010 graphic novel American Terrorist.


The plot of this book touches on several themes that were especially relevant between 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis that are in some instances even more relevant today. Themes such as the effect of the modern surveillance state on individual liberty, the point at which activism may be considered terrorism, and the overeagerness of some of those charged with protecting society from terrorism all play major parts in the story.

The plot touching on so many themes makes this a difficult story to summarize. When circumstances band four characters together to flee from the law and from accusations that they are terrorists, they accept help from groups of individuals who may legitimately be considered as terrorists.

I gave American Terrorist four stars. It raised a lot of interesting questions about the world we live in, but I thought some of the characters' choices were irrational and over-the-top.

I really liked the idea behind this story, I do feel that the storyline itself could be worked on. Was not a fan of the artwork.

The art was disappointing and the story wasn't strong enough. The graphic-narrative aspect of the book felt disjointed.

Great concept, but I found the story kind of disjointed and the graphics were disappointing. I thought the graphics seemed blurry or unfinished.

Terrorist or true American? This graphic novel explores good vs evil and how lines are blurred when a false narrative is the accepted norm. Whose reality is the truth? What is the difference between acts of accidental heroes and the real enemy? It may be a little contrived, but it shows how situations and 'reality' can cause action to snowball in to a whole new realm. The illustrations worked well, but the jumping around of the story POV was hard to get used to at first.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting failure, I think we can call this one. It starts with disjointed stories, and the idea that any thing could make you an enemy of the state – environmental ruin, grass-roots activists with a handy recipe for explosive fresh from the Internet, being an over-medicated school teacher, or more. Once it strings all its diverse characters together, though, it seems to go up a step too far too quickly, into the not-quite plausible. That's nothing to the final act, which is far too OTT for what wants to be a political piece with strong characters. What it is, however, is a book seemingly dating from 2011 that (bar some dodgy, unconvincing hardware and uses of technology) could have been written last week. Never before has a book demanded so strongly that the us-versus-them way our society is going should be dialled back. Never before has a book with that moral actually contained the exact opposite in its very DNA, however, for on the whole this is a tale of renegades against the system, and it's expecting us to cheer every rage against every machine. So yes, it's trying to have its cake and eat it, which is a problem. But the hawkish sensibilities of the investigators seeking these home-grown terrorists definitely make real characters of them for all that.