It took me some time to really get into the groove and understand this story, but once I reached that point it was an enjoyable one for sure! I wish there could’ve been more of the twins relationship as a whole just to see their dynamic more as siblings.

I admire Maggie Stiefvater’s prose so much, so I was very intrigued to see how she transitions to writing graphic novels for the first time. Honestly, this is one of the better DC Ink books I’ve read; it’s still not fantastic, but the dialogue is actually good and the relationships had some meat to them. Maggie writing about plants in the way she does seems like a natural continuation of some of her previous novels, and you can tell this is something she finds fascinating. The art style wasn’t my favorite and the ending seemed way too sudden, but overall this was an interesting origin story for a character I previously knew nothing about. If you have to pick up a DC Ink book, this might be a good place to dip your feet in. 3.5/5 stars.

This was a rather bizarre graphic novel relating to DC's Swamp Thing. It took a little bit to get into the story with moving between the past and present, but overall it was an interesting take on the Swamp Thing and perhaps even the Green. While the art is a little rough, it fit with the mysterious mood and story aesthetic. Readers of Swamp Thing comics may understand and relate to this graphic novel more than those with only the barest knowledge.

The main character is diabetic, a fact that authentically adds to the story. The change of color pallet in the illustrations help bring a fantastical element that enriches the narration. That said, the pace felt off in that it felt awkwardly rapid in areas but also left me waiting (and not in a good way) for rising action. There is also a part discussing the protagonist's research and a teacher gives him a life lesson that feels completely shoehorned in. The relationship between the twin brothers feels kind of cliched.It's just not Stiefvater's best work.

I was so wanting to love this book, but it fell flat for me. I was super into it, given that Stiefvater's work is some of my favorite - but the story was difficult to get into, and eventually I was tired of trying. The color palette of the art was smart, given the botany/biology themes throughout, but it all just seemed more fantastical than needed? Not for me!

It's rare to find a novel with a diabetic character. It's rarer to find a graphic novel with one. As a type one diabetic, seeing the representation of diabetes in visual form was fantastic. Though I sometimes have issues with using diabetes as a plot point, I did not have that issue here. I loved the art of the glucometer and the port that Alec uses, as well as the fact that people sometimes do not understand what diabetes means. The port getting knocked out is a thing that happens a lot to diabetics.

I loved the dialogue of this graphic novel. It truly shone, and there were moments that I laughed out loud. I especially really loved the character of Abby, and was always happy when she showed up. The art portrayed people of varying shapes and ethnicities beautifully, which was great to see.

The ending, though I won't spoil it, made me so incredibly sad. I wish this had gone on for another hundred pages, because I wanted to spend more time in this world.

I had no prior knowledge of Swamp Thing other than that it was a DC character, so I wasn't sure what the expect going in. Thankfully, it certainly didn't matter under the deft handling of Maggie Stiefvater! Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is a must-purchase for libraries where Stiefvater is popular (which I'm guessing is every library).

Alec Walker is a plant researcher, planning his application into a top college program with his experiments about plant memory. The summer before his senior year in high school, he and his twin brother go to stay with some of their family in a small rural town. Alec brings his experiments with him, but due to others' negligence with his work, strange things start to happen with his plants as they interact with other life forms around town. The art style made the plants seem to come to life along with the story, and the abrupt ending sets up a promising series.

Great origin story for graphic novel fans. Beautiful artwork and a fresh perspective on a well told tale make this a fast read for all levels.

Swamp Thing is the perfect property for Maggie Stiefvater to adapt. Her “Shiver” series touched on these very themes. She was able to seamlessly adapt them to the Swamp Thing mythos. The art style works well with the story/text. I appreciated the diabetes representation as well.

Fans of comics and graphic novels will enjoy this title as Stiefvater brings her signature touch to the Swamp Thing origin story. The art is engaging and dynamic. Fans of the author who typically don’t read graphic novels will still greatly enjoy the story.

It's a clever take on the Swamp Thing lore! I really like the heavy botany focus. All in all, not a bad addition to the lineup.

I received this advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. At first thought, this book was strange, but in the end, it grew on me (pun intended). Although short, it was a story of friendship, family, and finding your place in the world. The story was relatable, and the illustrations were fantastic! I gave it 3.5 stars because I wish it would have done some more character building and story telling.

This is a graphic novel I will probably add to my classroom, even though it does have quite a few cuss words.

I am not at all familiar with Swamp Thing or his origins, but now my interest has been piqued! Maggie Stiefvater has created another beautiful and mysterious world where nature and humanity intertwine. Twin brothers Walker and Alec Holland move to rural Virginia for the summer after some family drama. Walker is the social butterfly who seems to live a life carefree, while quiet and mysterious Alec much prefers the company of his plants. When part of his experiment falls off the back of a truck, things begin to take a turn for the weird. A definite read for comics fans and those that love plants.

I loved the illustrations of this book and enjoyed the story line. I imagine people you really love biology might feel a little more connected to this book.

At first I didn’t like the illustration style but it works for the story which surprised me. Lovely little story! Language is rough in some parts if that’s a concern for you!

This just really wasn't for me. I don't really know much about the story of Swamp Thing but I'm familiar with Stiefvaters work. The artwork was alright, but the story didn't really hold my interest. I'm sure there will be others who love it, but for now I don't think I was the right audience for this book.

This graphic novel was short and sweet. As someone unfamiliar with the Swamp Thing mythos, it was a great gateway.

The story was a beautiful sort of chaos. (I would expect nothing less from Queen Maggie.) She could have used a penname... and somewhere between "infidelity orphans [fleeing] the 'we can work it out' regime" and "cheesedick", I would have guessed it was her. The classic Stiefvater wit and snark made this a binge-read for me.

The character art style, while beautiful, wasn't for me... It was dragging me out of the story instead of pulling me in. The lush backgrounds were absolutely gorgeous.

I generally enjoy graphic novels and love Maggie Stiefvater, but I struggled with this. The art was beautiful and the concept of becoming Swamp Thing was interesting, but the book seemed scattered. It jumped back and forth in time without a lot of background and I felt like it switched scenes quickly. I will still check it out when the paper back comes out just to see if it is easier to follow than the online version.

This is a short science fiction story about an introvert finding his place in the world — I enjoyed this but I also feel like I got kinda lost in the ending. Sometimes I feel like graphic novels fly past too many details without fully developing them, I understand that that some of this is the art form but its hard for me to be to truly love a graphic novel if it is trying to do too much in a compact space and this definitely fell into that.