First, this book shouldn’t have to exist. My country should have stuck up for Ukraine in 2014, instead of doing nothing.

This book is about a group in Sweden teaching out to Ukraine when attacked in 2022 by Dictator Putin. The illustrations are beautiful and it takes your mind off the hell the Ukraines must be experiencing. It’s just heartbreaking to know they are going through it.

The book itself is quick read with wonderful illustrations of what the Ukraines during war time, responded to question if anyone needed to retreat to Sweden. Most are angry and want to stay and help at home.

5 stars.

This powerful Graphic Novel shows the lives of Ukrainians during the first few months of Russia's invasion. A Swedish man reaches out to offer shelter and food, free of cost when the war began. This shows their responses to him to detail what is happening to them at that time. At a time when governments talk about refugees as numbers, this graphic novel creates a small intimacy between you and these very real people. Though this book mainly highlights any Ukrainian who replied to his message, it also details a timeline of the beginning of the war as well as an interview with the author. This is a quick and important Graphic Novel that everyone should read at some point.

This graphic novel was an excellent reminder that the War on Ukraine by Russia isn’t just some far off thing, there are real people who are continuing to live through it.

These messages come from those first weeks, and now here we are months later and the Ukrainian people still continue to endure.

Joonas Sildre’s graphic style is pleasing to look at and captures a lot of emotions and atmosphere with simple design.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

A person in Sweden, having to do with a Baltic Sea regional organization of young professionals, reached out to other alumni of that group that were from Ukraine during the 1st 4 weeks of the Russian invasion in Feb 2022.....offering to help them find safety out of that country. This short graphic novel type book....explains those short texts/messages, & the accompanying simple, yet compelling drawings represent what the author was imagining was happening ..... as he received those messages. At the end is a timeline of events occurring corresponding to the messages, & also an explanation as to how the book was made/put together. A study guide is also included. This book is well done, & offers a bit of a window into what was happening to people & how they were feeling.... in a war torn area of the world in Feb/Mar '22.
I received a complimentary e-ARC from University of Toronto Press via NetGalley, in exchange for reading it & providing my own fair & honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and University of Toronto Press (UTP) for accepting my request to read and review Messages from Ukraine.

Authors: Gregg Bucken-Knapp and Joonas Sildre
Published: 10/11/22
Genre: Comics, Graphic Novels, Manga -- Politics

Quite different than anything else I've read. Is this a graphic novel or Manga? I don't know. On first glance I saw a comic book and my heart dropped. Sometimes I pick up a book because I'm drawn to it, and that is what happened with Messages. Sometimes I shake my head and contemplate will I ever learn. The answer is a resounding no, like today I find more gems than rocks.

Quickly I went from please no, a comic book, to I'm done. There isn't a lot to be said. This is a compilation of conversations regarding safety, food, and emergent needs.The book is beautifully illustrated and like the conversations limited but effective.

Next, there is the appendix making up: A timeline, conversation with the authors, and a study guide. I would use this as a means to explain the effects of war on people, pets, and businesses. This woukd be a good family learning tool. While simple, the impact is huge.

This isn't exactly what I expected. But I do like that it gives a clear vision of what is happening to people in Ukraine.

I am not from Europe. Thus I am not as emotionally invested in Ukraine as others. So I find it hard to care for the events in the book, especially as I have read similar things in newspapers, which provide much more details.

In summary, the book is a narrative about the Ukranians' reactions to the war. But they are no ordinary Ukrainians, they are alumni of some Swedish organization programme. Thus I don't think this reflects the ordinary Ukrainian perspective.

I admit the drawings are nice and clean. But yet due to how clean they are, they feel... commercial in a sense. They would be memorable if the drawings were rawer, and if there were more imperfections. Perhaps the sketches from the draft. as mentioned in the closing notes would be more memorable.

I though the idea behind this book was really interesting and I was excited to read something like this. However, I was just a little disappointed with this book as far as the content goes.

Pros:
The graphics were fantastic.
I liked the varying perspectives and that you got some people who chose to stay in the Ukraine and those who chose to leave and why. It was nice to see those differing perspectives and I think it was done in a way where neither side seemed like they were making the wrong decision.

Cons:
This book was super short and I was expecting there to be more story to it. We got all these people and their perspectives at the start of the war and then the book just ends. I know this is an ongoing conflict, but the book itself felt unfinished.

Overall, I liked the idea behind this book and I want to continue to see more graphic novels like this to help explain the situation in the Ukraine and provide support. However, it felt like there was no message or finale to this book and like it just ended after making it seem like there would be more information from these people who have found themselves in the middle of a war.

This book was not quite what I expected. At first, I was surprised anything involving the war in Ukraine was coming out in the same year it began, but after reading, I understood how it's coming out so quickly. This is a very short book (like, 60ish pages) that shows the text responses the author received from those in Ukraine. Knapp reached out to members of a group that put him on contact with a lot of people living in the area, so he reached out to offer help. The book shows the bold responses, many of which were from those electing to stay. Each page focuses on a different person, with an image accompanying their response. There is no other plot or narrative other than showing these messages to the world, so the human element of these real people living through terrible times is at the heart of this book. While I was expecting more substance, this book was an interesting and well done reminder of the humanity behind war, and the bravery of those facing the war in Ukraine.

Set in the early days of the Ukraine invasion, we learn more about the people who have bravely endured this horrible assault. Citizens, who you would not have thought capable of doing so, stood up to protect their country and their neighbors. Wonderful book that I hope will keep attention on what continues to happen today.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-ARC in exchange for me honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is an honest, humble and quite powerful account of early days of the Russian invasion on Ukraine, where the voice is passed to Ukrainians. The art is simple but meaningful and there is a calendar of events in the end. If it brings awareness to people and make this tragedy louder, then it's great. For a person who is following the news from the war closely and the whole situation of 'ordinary people' is these days a part of our life to some extent, it might feel... underdeveloped could be the right word. Not enough. Not deep enough. Still, it's good that such books are created, even if maybe too soon... I appreciate the fact and I believe that if it can help any Ukrainian it's worth it.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange of honest opinion!

It's shocking how a book can be equally heartbreaking and empowering. The idea itself is brilliant and I thought it was perfectly executed. The replies contained raw emotions that touched my heart and imagining the situation they were facing shook me to my core. Highly recommended! There are also several questions and study guide at the end of the book. I loved the questions and reading about how this book came into existence. I hope you'll give it a read too.

Simple and understated, this collection of texts from inside Ukraine during the war displays the tenacity of the human spirit and the frustrations of everyday people during difficult times. The editor has wisely chosen to have the texts illustrated to bring the text to life for the reader. Often the texts are simple, to the point, and not meant to mean more than what they are.... but they do mean more. I did appreciate this effort. If I can say any negative thing, it is that I feel that the history of what was going on during the texts should have been, maybe interspersed throughout the texts rather than at the back of the book in an appendix. I think we reading through the timeline might have given the texts even more power.

A beautifully illustrated memoir about how the ongoing war has affected millions of innocent people. Powerful art.

This book was a short impactful read. It was really eye opening to see the variety of responses Ukrainians had to the war as well as their fears and needs. The stories felt very personal, likely due to the way the messages were collected. The art is deeply emotional.