When I saw the cover of The Boy From Clearwater, I got immediately curious about the books' premise. The story sounded quite intriguing as well. However, I ended up with mixed feelings.

The art style is rather simplistic without any vibrant colours. This fit the overall mood of the story, which is undeniably depressing, and enhanced the gloomy atmosphere.

What let me down was the characters. Despite the horrible situation the main character was in, I could not connect with him or even the side characters. The characters all seemed to lack personality and depth, so it was hard for me to truly get invested in their lives and emotions.

Another aspect that bothered me was the length of the novel. At times, the story felt too long and too repetitive and I was looking forward to the end of the story.

I do believe that The Boy From Clearwater had great potential due to its premise, but the novel failed to deliver.

In conclusion, this could have been a great story, but due to the repetitive and dragged out plot and the bland characters I didn't end up enjoying the book as much as I had hoped I would.

Putting in jail just for joining a book club?!

Read about the life a man called Thai who has lived a decade of his life in prison because of an “unjust charge”. You will grit your teeth like I did as you go on reading the book.

Omg! This graphic novel has so much to offer!
Starting from the introduction to the distinct first and second parts, the illustrations in subtle grey & pink tones to the unique tone illustrations in the second half the book tells vividly the tragic history of Taiwan through the life of a boy to his adulthood.

The first part is about the boy through his perspective as it was in Taiwan of the 1930s while the second half is his story telling about the country during the 1950s.

I would suggest you to read this book patiently not just because it comes in the format of a graphic novel. Things get tense and more intense as you go on reading.

This book is precious. Just grab it when it comes out in May, 2024.

Thank you, Levine Querido, for the advance reading copy.