While the art in this graphic novel is great, the storytelling is hampered by some odd stylistic choices. The first chapter is heavy with narration, leading to a slow start that unfortunately sets the pace for the rest of the book.

However, the book's most significant problem is a disconnect with its intended Middle Grade audience. The protagonist is a grandfather, and the story is filled with adult medical terminology (prostate, astigmatism, tachycardia, etc) that will likely make the character and his concerns difficult for young readers to relate to.

This thematic dissonance continues with the book's overarching message: that you're never too old to take control of your life. While a wonderful and important theme for adults, it doesn't really resonate with the typical 8-12 year old.

Ultimately, despite its lovely art, the book feels completely miscategorized. It’s a thoughtful story for an older audience, especially if you're dealing with grief. But as a Middle Grade offering, it misses the mark.

Thank you IDW Publishing, Top Shelf Productions, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this emotionally tender story about dreams, remorse, resolution, hope, and family with an unlikely protagonist — Grandpa. Geared for a middle grade reader and beautifully illustrated, this story has a universal appeal for any adventure lover with fast moving plot, well-written characters, adventure, and a satisfying ending. Highly recommend!

this was a pleasantly surprising adventure story I enjoyed. Ned is a grouchy old grandpa that tells his dream adventure story to his grandkids before bed. he suddenly awakens stuck inside his own story but cannot remember the end. old age? fear of the unknown? scared of losing that which you love? great middle grade graphic novel. Hopefully there is more to come

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. Not sure which age group it is aimed at, but it certainly appealed to me, and would probably appeal to anyone over the age of 10 who likes graphic novels.
Ned, an elderly grandfather, tells his grandchildren a fantasy story every night as they go to bed. Unfortunately, they fall asleep before he gets to the end – and he has to start again. He can no longer remember all the little pieces of his tale, but his grandchildren soon remind him, perplexed that he can’t remember his own stories.
Then one night he goes to the attic – and steps into his own story, complete with talking fruit, planes, and animals – including his squire, a bear called Brownie, and Zelda (a fox, who is definitely NOT a dog!). There are monsters to overcome: a silver dragon; an owl huntress; a giant squid in a cave; poisoned water; … And worst of all, the dread lord of the Grim Tower. Ned has to get to the Grim Tower to rescue Princess Rose – but he is no longer quite sure why.
“Who are you Rose? I chase you … I chase you because I cannot remember your face anymore.
His quest is less to save a princess, than to save his failing memory. Flash backs to his earlier life are scattered with black blotches of forgetfulness. Eventually, Ned comes to realise that he can successfully complete his quest if he
1) Believes in himself
2) Trusts in and accepts help from his friends
The lessons he learns in his fantasy world, he then has to apply in the real world with his family, and looking forward to the future.
The illustrations are great – not overly intricate, but they suit the story perfectly. I particularly liked the use of black blotches and erased features to portray forgetfulness.
At the end are some black and white drawings to colour in.
I highly recommend this book, especially to those whose memories are fading – or who are dealing with relatives or friends, whose thoughts occasionally drift. Or those who just love a graphic fantasy novel.

This was beautifully illustrated and very well-written. I liked how he was sucked into the story he was telling his grandchildren and how he had a lesson to learn from it. It was really well done.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This book has great drawings and tells about a grandpa who has been lost in books as the years pass by and end up missing the big and little things in life. Grandpa dreams of his book characters and realizes as the dream goes on what he must do. He has to start living again and realizes what he us missing when he wakes up.

A captivating story for all ages beautifully illustrated. An entertaining and exciting tale about dreams, remorse and resolution but foremost hope. As FDR put it ‘the only thing we have to fear is fear itself’.
Whimsical, surprising and emotional with a strong message. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t appreciate it.
Thank you NetGalley and IDW publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This was lovely. The illustrations were beautiful, the world was creative, and the message was poignant. I think this is one of those stories that's applicable at just about any age--whether you're just starting your life or nearing its end. The messages about grief, fear, and community were applicable to all of them, and, in a world of age-segregation, I'm excited about the possibility this story has to bridge some of those divides and bring people together.

The only real detractor for me was a prostate comment one of the characters made at one point. It didn't seem necessary, and I think needlessly aged up the target demographic of a book that I otherwise would have recommended to elementary-aged children. I still think it's otherwise appropriate for younger children, but parents might need to "edit" that line or be prepared for the conversations that will follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve never read a book like this before, but honestly, it was pretty good!! I loved the pictures and message that was through out the book. Brownie was so cute, I loved him! Ned was grouchy and wasn’t very nice most of the time, but I loved his turn around at the end. There was some language and a character who wasn’t dressed appropriately, also some phrases that were used too much in my opinion. The only other thing is it didn’t always read smoothly, like some of the scenes jerked around in a way. But all in all, I liked it and enjoyed reading it.

A heartwarming tale for children and adults alike.

Ned is a curmudgeonly Grandpa who goes through life griping and groaning. That is unless he's telling an epic bedtime adventure story to his two grandchildren. When Ned somehow gets sucked into the story, he must grapple with both fictional and real enemies to save those he loves the most.

The Land of Unfinished Dreams is a poignant and heartfelt graphic novel that has the reader along for the adventurous ride, while also reflecting on parts of their own life. The dreamlike colourization and illustrations will draw readers into a tale that will make you smile and tear up all at the same time.

A truly masterful work of a graphic novel, this book will also be helpful as a tool for children dealing with aging grandparents while also helping adults to embrace that magic of life.

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

A charming and imaginative graphic novel that celebrates storytelling, family, and courage. Grandpa Ned’s adventures are both funny and heartfelt, brought vividly to life by stunning, colorful illustrations. A beautiful and uplifting read for all ages.

This was such a heartfelt and warming story. I loved it and emotionally became invested in Ned and his story. To anyone that has ever felt grief and the things that come along with it this will be perfect for you!

The Graphic Novel “The Land of Unfinished Dreams” by Marco Ventura follows the retired teacher Ned as he is one night thrust into his own fantasy world that seems exactly like the bedtime stories he tells his grandkids. Having his quiet life disrupted by the visit of his grandchildren Ned starts to reignite his own spark and imagination on his heroic quest.

This was phenomenal! I loved every second of it. The story is captivating for readers of every age range in my opinion.
The younger readers will love the action and whimsy of the fantasy world while older readers might connect more with the deeper themes of this novel. While this is on the surface a very lighthearted adventure it does tackle the topic of loneliness, resignation, aging and fading memories/ Alzheimer's disease. Through these topics it finds a very hopeful message and might even be a way to start a conversation with younger children about their grandparents' fading capacities.

Furthermore the story is really entertaining and exciting till the very end. The characters are very memorable and fun. My absolute favorite part of the graphic novel however is the illustration style. It brought the characters to life and has such wonderful locations and colors that I always wanted to see more!

I can wholeheartedly recommend this book for everyone that would like to go on an amazing adventure!

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Top Shelf Productions for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This is a tricky one, and at the end of the day I think it trickles down to just not being for me. I think the harder part is that I cant quite nail down who it is written for. The tags list it as children's/middle grade fiction but the story tackles topics that are decidedly more grown up in nature ex. loss of a spouse, checking out of human interactions, mental decline (no condition given but alludes to dementia or Alzheimer's).
The art is beautifully illustrated but also in a very cartoony childish style that's bright and inviting, this matches the tone and story beats we see early on. As the story moves on and we see Ned struggle more and more it seems almost discordant or at odds with the story. Maybe this was an intentional story element but i found it very distracting.
My other critique is the dialogue which I found to be very clunky and awkward especially again, as it was billed as a children's/middle grade read. Again this may have been intentional to make the world feel "old timey" but it was so unnatural and unintuitive in flow that it also pulled me out of the story frequently. This could also possibly be due to poor translation, or the Italian author writing his own English dialogue. I couldn't find any translator credits so I am leaning more to the latter.

Again this book is gorgeously illustrated, and the story beats near the end are moving, but it was a struggle for me to finish.

This is a wonderful adventurous graphic novel with some amazing illustrations! I loved the setting and the messages that were woven into the story. However, it did feel a little disjointed at times which took me out of the story.

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A beautifully illustrated graphic novel that is geared towards younger readers, though I will say older readers can also get so much from this wonderful story.

It follows an older man named Ned who has been having problems with his memory. He is a retired literature teacher who lacks excitement in his life other than when his grandchildren come to visit. Each night he loves to tell them bedtime stories, but they always fall asleep before he can finish them. On the night of the story, he goes to sleep and wakes up in his own fantasy world. Adventures ensue.

The illustrations are stunning and bring this imaginative story to life. Ned reminded me quite a bit of Carl from Up. This is as story filled with a lot of emotions and I love how they are reflected in the fantasy world Ned has created. Really shows how an author can reflect so much of what they are feeling in their writing. I love how it shows the importance of imagination and how adults can keep the joys of it in their lives. Such a beautiful message for younger and older readers alike.

I highly recommend this book.

I received an electronic ARC from IDW Publishing through NetGalley.
Tender adventure told from a grandfather's perspective. Readers see that he closed off himself after his wife's death and raised his daughter alone. He now has his grandchildren with him for part of the summer. He shares adventures from his imagination but never finishes the knight's quest. Ventura adds all the elements of a good fantasy - hero, sidekick, supporters, villain, beast, impossible quest. I appreciate that the beast comes from within him as Ned faces health issues and aging. The artwork captures the joy and fears as the story unfolds. Though readers hope for a positive conclusion, it's not certain until Ned makes some choices to heal.

Read: May 23rd - May 28th
Format: E-book
Rating: 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a cute graphic novel while also being heartbreaking. It tackles hard topics that you wouldn't expect to see, and makes it very accessible for, say, a grandparent reading this with their grandchildren. Having an elderly protagonist really opens up for a lot of themes to tackle, and they're tackled in a way that'll make you cry and feel warm.

Sometimes I felt like big events just sorta zoomed by/were rushed, but it is a middle grade comic, and the focus was more on Ned's growth than the fantasy elements.

Overall, a very good MG graphic novel 😁

This was a really sweet story of a grandpa loosing his memory who just wants to tell his grandkids the end of his story. Then he wakes up in the world of his story and has to save the princess.

I loved the art and the storytelling was a great touch.

This is a magical tale with a very unusual hero: granddad. When his grandchildren come to visit, he tells them fantastic stories about a knight on his quest saving the princess. But before he reaches the happy end, the grandchildren have already fallen asleep. So when granddad himself goes to bed, he suddenly finds himself in his own fairy tale, armored and on his way to the princess tower. But this is different from his storytelling, he meets unknown creatures and struggles to remember something - or someone. It is heartbreaking to see how he desperately tries to recover old memories, tearing down his grumpy shield and finding happiness in being with his loved ones. While some scenes seemed disjointed and sudden, it also perfectly reflected the confusion of the old man. And I so loved the detailed full color illustrations!