The story started as intriguing and interesting but as it progressed it became very choppy and didn’t seem to hold the attention. I liked the overall idea but it just did not seem grasping

This is going to be a really quick review, so I’m just going to be straight to it and let you what I liked and what I didn’t!

The art in this book is just stunning, the cover gives you a glimpse at what’s inside and my goodness it’s beautiful. I loved reading through and looking at all the little details on each page, I also loved the way that all the characters were drawn. They all had such a distinct personality and it made it so much fun to read. I also really enjoyed the story, it was cute and fast paced and seriously so much fun to read.

The only problem I had with this book was that I got a bit confused at time, but I really do think that it was my own fault. I definitely want to pick up a physical copy of this one because I think that it will help me to slow down a bit and get even more immersed in the story. If you get a chance I’d definitely recommend picking this one up! It’s beautiful and so much fun to read.

It’s challenging to pinpoint exactly why I didn’t like The Lost Path. There was nothing especially bad about it, but certainly nothing specifically great either. Half the art was beautiful, half of it was bland, and the story was, unfortunately, particularly unoriginal. Amélie Fléchaisis definitely a talented artist, but I felt, overall, that her style was inconsistent.

Stylistically I think that The Lost Path was written in the wrong format. It began with a gorgeously illustrated introductory story but quickly became a graphic novel. Because of that, the beautiful, artistic illustrations that you saw on the cover and the beginning of the book gave way to black and white line drawings that did absolutely nothing to keep my interest (although I do hold out hope that this was simply due to the fact that I had an ARC and not a finished product). I feel like it would have been served better had it been an illustrated story rather than a graphic novel. There would have been more scope for magic and description, which could have been accentuated by a full illustration in Amélie Fléchais’ inimitable style. As it was, the first quarter of The Lost Path was clichéd imagery and dialogue. The whole book is only 103 pages long, and yet it took me nearly two weeks to get through. I kept opening it up, getting immediately bored and wandering away to do something else for a few days.

The characters aren’t very well developed. Amélie Fléchais has tried to write a world of mystery and magic, focusing on the feeling evoked through her art, rather than giving any real life to her characters. The plot is simple, so the characters really needed some depth to be able to carry it. The creatures that they meet in the forest didn’t feel developed either, and I really just got the impression that Fléchais shoehorned them in to have the opportunity to draw a neat monster. They feature in a series of events that have been and gone before the reader has even turned the page.

The prose is messy and didn’t tie together in any coherent fashion. This was not helped by the fact that the art style changes from page to page. Most of the time this makes sense, as the art mirrors the theme of the boys’ fantasies, but on other pages, there wasn’t any real reason that I could see for the change. For a graphic novel, this was a poor stylistic choice, as the reader relies so heavily on visual cues to help move along the plotline. Again, there is a possibility that this is due to the fact that I was reading an ARC. The finished product may do away with some of these inconsistencies; however, I can only review what I had. And what I had made very little sense.

As an artist, Amélie Fléchais is five stars, but unfortunately, The Lost Path is not an art book. It’s a children’s story. If you want to buy a book for the pretty pictures, then this one is definitely worth your while. If you want a story that combines with art to create a magical world that children and adults alike will love? I think you might be out of luck with this one.

I loved the idea and some of the illustrations and the start of the story with the lore of the woman taken by the woods - the rest of the story where it begins after that original story gets choppy and hard to follow.

This started off with intricate, haunting drawings and a creepy fairy tale beginning. However, the story itself follows through the woods on a ghostly trail, but it just didn't really fill out as a compelling story for me.

Really fun to look at with a story had just the right amount of childlike wonder and charm.

I was left very confused by this book, I don’t know if something was lost in translation but it didn’t work. The artwork was superb especially the coloured pages.

I loved The Little Red Wolf. I was super excited when I found this book on Netgalley. I have read other reviews that mention the variations in the coloring and art styles so I will not dwell on it too much. I will just say that the different styles didn’t bother me as the younger brother seems to be in a world all his own and that I hope there is less of the black and white when it is officially out. For the most part though if you are a fan of the author you will not be disappointed. The pages that are done in color are gorgeous. Unfortunately, the story is a bit muddled and leaves you guessing in the end. If you are interested in the journey then there is a little more to enjoy but you will still be left wanting in my opinion. Currently I would give this 2.5 stars, which I rounded up because I can definitely see how I would like this book more. I may revisit it once it is officially out.

The Lost Path is a whimsical graphic novel from French writer/illustrator Amélie Fléchais. The story is about three boys who set off from their camp troop on a treasure hunt, determined to find it before the others. But the map is misread, and the boys find themselves lost deep in the forest, amidst a power struggle between two ancient forest spirits.

My top favorite aspect of this book was how wonderfully atmospheric it is. The author has this light and playful drawing style, and she aptly applies color in scenes where she wants emphasis. So often in graphic novels I feel like there is a disconnect between the art and the story, but in this case, the art and the story are directly intertwined. The whole thing feels so cozy and magical – I loved exploring this world.

Another thing I loved about the art, was how she had secondary narratives going on in the backgrounds or margins. In one scene, the boys end up in a den with a talking badger, mole and mouse, (very Wind in the Willows). I loved this scene, because reminisces to classic fairytales. But also in this scene were little vignettes of other creatures who lived underground alongside the badger, mole and mouse. I couldn't stop exploring this scene and finding little hidden narratives.

The art was definitely the strong point for me. Unfortunately, I found the plot to be a bit weak. While the boys go deeper into the forest and try to find the treasure, a secondary narrative unfolds that tells about the two forest spirits. I loved where both narratives were going, but the story ends very abruptly. It felt unfinished to me, and there really wasn't any kind of resolve. As this seems to be a standalone story, I find this to be a problem. It has such a strong start, but the reader is left hanging.

Despite that, I already feel like I want to go back and re-read the story, just because the world and art is so lush and fun. I think if one wants to read a beautifully illustrated story involving childlike adventure, I would recommend it. But I still find myself feeling disappointed that there wasn't more to the plot. Because of that, I can't give a rating higher than three stars.

What?

What did I just read?

I’m sorry, but this was a bit hard to follow. I know; I probably shouldn’t apologize. But I really wanted to like this book.

The art was pretty cool - Amélie Fléchais is a fantastic artist. The pages that were in color were gorgeous.

But it was difficult to follow the story. I don’t know if there was something lost in translation - some of the dialogue seemed a bit off. But then, I really couldn’t figure out what was going on.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Lion Forge for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

The publisher's comparison of The Lost Path to Over the Garden Wall is apt in regards to tone and setting, but fails to live up to Garden Wall's charm. The background story is not deeply constructed, which makes it hard to follow why things are happening, the characters are mostly unpleasant, and the all the wild-haired beasts are hard to differentiate. The soft beauty of the full-color pages makes me wish this were a better overall book, but I definitely would like to see other work by this artist.

The Lost Path is a lovely and weird little adventure story from the author of the Little Red Wolf. It begins with a brief framing tale about a doomed couple and their doomed home in the forest. We then are introduced to 3 young boys on a treasure hunt through the doomed enchanted forest. Along the way they meet several odd creatures who are concerned about a lost crown. The story is not as strong as the Little Red Wolf but this book is just as beautiful and that is worth an extra star for me. I think this story is just not quite cohesive enough. It also didn't leave me with the same feeling as Little Red Wolf. It was enjoyable but not life changing.

this isn’t nearly as good as [book:The Little Red Wolf|35905318], but i read a digital arc through netgalley, and it’s possible that some of the things i didn’t love about it are just placeholder pages that are going to change between now and the release of the physical copy, so i’ll come back here in march with the answer to that puzzle.

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley003/IMG_6606_zpsbftgnv3f.jpg?t=1516988257"/>

if i’m judging this book on story or cohesion, it’s probably a 3. but in a book this pretty, i don’t always mind if the story's weak. and this one isn't terrible, it's just a little all over the place - there’s a framing tale,

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley002/IMG_6589_zpsffjh19lx.jpg"/>

and then the story of the boys entering the woods and getting lost during a treasure hunt

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley003/IMG_6602_zpsmcnphpw0.jpg?t=1516988050"/>

where they meet strange creatures who are in the middle of their own drama

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley003/IMG_6594_zpsll5iemof.jpg?t=1516970641"/>

it sounds pretty standard, but there’s a lot going on, and it’s not terribly well-explained. add to that the fact that the style of the artwork changes from fantasy

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley003/IMG_6596_zps1j5x3k96.jpg?t=1516970557"/>

to a more realistic style

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley003/IMG_6607_zps7vqhi1a2.jpg?t=1516988277"/>

to this other slick-but-shallow style when the youngest boy is fantasizing that is by far the least interesting, visually.

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley003/IMG_6604_zps6ltk7tkk.jpg?t=1516988144"/>

but the biggest problem is that there are a lot of pages in black-and-white. and it’s not a case where the visual transitions are mirroring narrative transitions; there are some scenes that switch between color and black-and-white without a clear reason, which is what makes me think that this is an arc-only phenomenon. at least, i hope it is, because on some of the black-and-white pages it’s hard to tell what’s even going on

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley003/IMG_6593_zpssb4ntqt9.jpg?t=1516970347"/>

and when you get the treat of color pages like this

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley003/IMG_6597_zpsbkw56uq4.jpg?t=1516970514"/>

it’s hard to be as pleased with this bloodless image

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley003/IMG_6592_zpsn0mw61hx.jpg?t=1516970255"/>

so, we’ll see in march. and maybe, even if the colorless pages remain so, they will be more appealing in a book than on a computer screen. either way, i’m going to have this in my hands, because pretty pages are <i>very</i> pretty, and worth shelling out for.

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley003/IMG_6605_zpsx68xpsu0.jpg?t=1516988200"/>

plus, adorable porg-cousins!

<img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/kettincat/flat%20stanley/flat%20stanley003/IMG_6595_zpsxnilt7mv.jpg?t=1516970589"/>

oh, and i didn't notice the <i>Over the Garden Wall</i> namedrop in the synopsis until after i'd read it, but i definitely noted the similarities <i>while</i> i was reading it, and that little kid is very greglike. so fun.

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<img src="https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/disp/d6928b24554459.563362b6a749e.jpg"/>

3.5 rounded up because the parts i liked i <i>really</i> liked. full review with specific pros and cons coming asap.

The Lost Path is a dark, foresty fable with talking animals and children wandering far off the beaten path. The illustrations are definitely what make the book shine, though. Fléchais' artwork is sketchy and intricate and leaps off the page--by far my favorite part of the story.

I enjoyed this, and I think the artwork would definitely appeal to a lot of kids. I feel like we could've used more backstory on what exactly was going on with the forest-- particularly with the animals and creatures who I found far more interesting than the humans fighting over the "crown." Still a fun read, and the illustrations alone make it worth reading.

Absolutely gorgeously illustrated but I feel like it would be been so much better, structurally, without the words. It would serve it's purpose more as a silent book.

After having read Amélie Fléchais's The Little Red Wolf back in September, I was very excited seeing another of her books being available. The artwork, like in her previous work, was absolutely stunning - I just adore watercolour illustrations and Amélie seems to be making a wonderful use of them. What was different in this book, though, was that the art style alternated between the beautiful watercolour illustrations I so admire and black-and-white drawings which resembled the Japanese manga aesthetic.

The story was quite simple - three boys get lost in a forest in which various magical creatures lurk (some of them very reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's magical creatures and definitely folklore-inspired). The book begins with the story of a couple which aids in somehow understanding the events that unfold a little later on, but overall the story was a little confusing and needed a bit more polishing in my opinion. The ending seemed very rushed and the story of the couple was never resolved. In the end the reader is left wondering whether those adventures the three boys embarked upon were real or a mere spark of their imagination.

While the story left some loose ends, the true star of the book for me is definitely the art. I could stay and stare at those illustrations for the longest time and I would still be in awe. I think I'm starting to find a new favourite illustrator and I will certainly be on the lookout for more of Amélie's work.

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Lion Forge for providing me a copy of “The Lost Path” by Amélie Fléchais in exchange for my honest review.

This book started out great! We got a backstory of a cursed forest, and saw three adventurers accidentally set into the forest while playing treasure hunt. I was hooked to the plot after reading the first few pages, and felt it had so much potential. Each of the 3 main characters have their own charm and personality, and I kept wondering how they are going to get involved in whatever was happening in the forest. Although the story got strange and vague at times, I felt the weirdness added to the charm of the plot. However, after finishing the book, I was disappointed. I had high expectations for this to be something great, but there are a lot of things unexplained, and just left me hanging in the end. The three characters also turned out to be just onlookers and weren’t much involved in what was happening in the forest.

The illustrations on the other hand were a wonderful treat. I really liked the idea of the images being colored when the atmosphere shifts in the story. While the colored illustrations are breathtaking, the black and white ones are rough around the edges. I especially found the black and white ones to be confusing towards the climax of the book, as a lot of things happened suddenly, and some of the characters started looking alike, so it is hard to follow what is happening. However, the details drawn in each frame is definitely something to stop and admire. It is obvious that Amélie has spent a lot of time trying to put her style in each page, and I am definitely curious to pick up one of her other works to see how good it is.

I am giving “the Lost Path” a 3.5 star rating, 2 for the surreal images, and 1 for the story. I would have given this book a higher rating if I knew it was a first in the series, hoping to come back to find out the continuation to the characters in the forest. However, from what I can see online, I don’t think it is the case, as the book was released in French in 2013 itself and doesn’t have any sequels to it. I do hope the author changes her mind in the future and decides to have a sequel published with these characters.

Beautiful artwork and a great storyline. A lot of fun.

The Lost Path surely had potential! I really enjoy comics where kids go wandering in a spooky environment and in this one we have three boys. They are on Camp Happiness and have a map that supposedly leads them to treasure and the comic is basically their journey. It would help if they knew how to read the map though and the forest is a magical and ghostly place where monsters live and follow everything. The whole camp part isn't well explained and it takes time to understand why the boys are in the forest even. The beginning could've been smoother. The story about the couple in the forest was awesome though and lay the basis for the spookiness well, but our boys's story now lacks. It was awesome how the art varies at times, like when the boys enter the black forest, suddenly the art is black-and-white too. I didn't really get the hat though. Was it the crown or not and why was a dead moose wearing it?

The art is beautiful and the colors are magnificent. The whole thing is very artsy, but in a good way and it doesn't feel superimposed. The structure is also good, although the plot is lacking and the end could've taken more pages, since now it's cut short. The kids look wonderful and the wonky art works so well and reminds me of Cyril Pedrosa. The atmosphere is surely magical! Thus the lacking plot feels heavier than it perhaps is, since otherwise The Lost Path is wonderful and it could've been so much better if the story was balanced.

ARC copy WIP with BW illustrations for about 1/2 of the book...Extremely beautiful-surreal illustrations with a out worldly adventure although wished the conflict between the two spirits involved the child protagonists. It felt like they were bystanders in the general conflict narrative.