Christine505 reviewed On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
None
5 stars
Recommend if you want an immersive magical universe.
Graphic novel, 533 pages
English language
Published 2018 by First Second.
Throughout the deepest reaches of space, a crew rebuilds beautiful and broken-down structures, painstakingly putting the past together. As new member Mia gets to know her team, the story flashes back to her pivotal year in boarding school, where she fell in love with a mysterious new student. Soon, though, Mia reveals her true purpose for joining their ship—to track down her long-lost love.
An inventive world, a breathtaking love story, and stunning art come together in this new work by award-winning artist Tillie Walden.
Recommend if you want an immersive magical universe.
A masterpiece
Is it too early to call this as the best book I'm going to read on 2024? It's just stunningly, jawdroppingly gorgeous at every turn. The amount of creativity and visual storytelling crammed into every panel and combination of panels blew my mind, page after page. And as though that weren't enough, the storytelling brought me to tears more than once. This is a masterpiece of the form, there's no other way to put it.
Is it too early to call this as the best book I'm going to read on 2024? It's just stunningly, jawdroppingly gorgeous at every turn. The amount of creativity and visual storytelling crammed into every panel and combination of panels blew my mind, page after page. And as though that weren't enough, the storytelling brought me to tears more than once. This is a masterpiece of the form, there's no other way to put it.
A beautiful graphic novel with stunning art about a crew fixing old decrepit structures out in the depths of space with a focus on Mia, a new crew member. Through her flashbacks to her boarding school and her love for Grace. Slowly it becomes clear she is trying to track down her long-lost love, pitting her against the expectations of her new found family on the ship.
Probably more to say once I've thought about it more, but: beautiful, touching - really enjoyed it
Probably more to say once I've thought about it more, but: beautiful, touching - really enjoyed it
I swear I at least started this at some previous point, because I REMEMBERED the first part of the story, but I don't know if I didn't finish it before the library wanted it back, or if I just forgot the second half of the book. But it's a sweet found family story set in space. Told in Two Timelines. Do recommend if you have time for a 500+ page comic
I swear I at least started this at some previous point, because I REMEMBERED the first part of the story, but I don't know if I didn't finish it before the library wanted it back, or if I just forgot the second half of the book. But it's a sweet found family story set in space. Told in Two Timelines. Do recommend if you have time for a 500+ page comic
« On a Sunbeam » fait partie de ces monuments inconnus, œuvres poignantes à découvrir sur les sentiers des Internets. Le premier chapitre t'éclabousse et se joue de toi. Tu aperçois le ciel nacré, l'odeur d'une de ces histoires spatiales – hé, pourquoi un poisson dans le ciel ? – et la fragilité de la plume. Puis tout s'accélère et t'entraîne plus profondément.
Il est deux heures et je laisse les images défiler sur l'écran, encore et encore. Chapitre 2, 3, 4, 5. Passé et présent, anachronismes et traditions, tout s'emmêle de plus en plus. Une pépite. Le style graphique est rafraîchissant, les couleurs travaillées et le jeu d'ombres et de lumières éclabousse les cases. Cases qui s'affolent parfois et explosent l'une dans l'autre. Magnifique.
Il est cinq heures du matin quand je clos le dernier chapitre. J'émerge brutalement. Bam ! À la manière d'un poème qui se …
« On a Sunbeam » fait partie de ces monuments inconnus, œuvres poignantes à découvrir sur les sentiers des Internets. Le premier chapitre t'éclabousse et se joue de toi. Tu aperçois le ciel nacré, l'odeur d'une de ces histoires spatiales – hé, pourquoi un poisson dans le ciel ? – et la fragilité de la plume. Puis tout s'accélère et t'entraîne plus profondément.
Il est deux heures et je laisse les images défiler sur l'écran, encore et encore. Chapitre 2, 3, 4, 5. Passé et présent, anachronismes et traditions, tout s'emmêle de plus en plus. Une pépite. Le style graphique est rafraîchissant, les couleurs travaillées et le jeu d'ombres et de lumières éclabousse les cases. Cases qui s'affolent parfois et explosent l'une dans l'autre. Magnifique.
Il est cinq heures du matin quand je clos le dernier chapitre. J'émerge brutalement. Bam ! À la manière d'un poème qui se déploie, je n'ai rien vu venir. Survolté ou survolé peut-être. Bien plus complexe qu'elle n'en paraissait, « On a Sunbeam » réussit le pari de faire d'une histoire foisonnante et d'un tracé fin, une œuvre flottante et vaporeuse. Une belle réussite.
Enfin, je ne peux que saluer cette BD qui s'éloigne enfin de l'univers particulièrement masculin – et des schémas souvent hétéronormatifs – de la science-fiction. Les personnages sont décrits avec finesse et s'ouvrent aux lecteurs·trices au fur et à mesure de la lecture. À lire et relire !
I read it on kindle from the library, but I think I will have to get a hardcopy sometime to view the bewitching images.
I loved every inch of this. It was sweet, and sad, and cute, and beautiful, and wonderful, and I need to go hold onto my girlfriend now after reading that.
One of the best graphic novels I've read in a long time.
One of the best graphic novels I've read in a long time.
One of the best graphic novels I've read in a long time.
One of the best graphic novels I've read in a long time.
I found this incredibly hard to follow. Perhaps it was my fault, but I blame the character art. I read it in 3 or 4 sessions. Each one harder to follow and more frustrating than the last. The overall story is clear, but the characters are important and near-indistinguishable from one another.
This is so pretty. And very moving.
On a Sunbeam started out as a web comic by Tillie Walden and has recently been published in a single volume. I love how Tillie uses colour and this is wonderful story about friendship, love and families, in space. It follows Mia, young woman who has joined a crew who restore damaged buildings. In flashbacks she recalls her time at school and the friend she never got to say goodbye too. Maybe her new job will provide the chance to find her again.