Member Reviews

Okay so I will start with this: I have not read Slaughterhouse-Five, the novel. I did, however, read Slaughterhouse-Five, the graphic novel. What you are about to read is not a review on how accurate the translation is between the two mediums, or how faithful the artist/editor was at depicting the story in a new format. What you are about to read is a review of the graphic novel, and the graphic novel alone.

wHICH I LOVED?????!!!

Slaughterhouse-Five (the novel) has always been on my TBR list, but only because it's considered one of the greatest books of all time. Even though I have recently done many cullings of said list, SH5 has always remained, because I just had a feeling it was one I wanted to read, but didn't feel in any rush or hurry to do so. I've been on a bit of a graphic novel binge lately, so when I saw this was available on Netgalley, I snapped it up, hoping it would bridge the gap between me and Kurt Vonnegut and maybe make me want to read the novel more. I'm so surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The story is perfect for the graphic novel medium. With classics such as SH5, especially sci-fi-ish ones like this, I often struggle with the description and content since it's not a genre I typically delve into. But the graphic novel version does an amazing job at making things accessible to the reader (maybe the novel does too, I don't know). I think almost anyone would enjoy this version, even if they didn't like the original. I really felt like I could connect and feel compassion for Billy Pilgrim, which shocked me as someone who normally doesn't feel that kind of emotion with male protagonists. I feel like this book has opened up a whole new world for me, and I immediately want to go out and buy Kurt Vonnegut's whole bibliography.

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I have not read the novel and everyone keeps recommending it so I thought I'd give it a try. I liked the story and illustrations, and recommend this book to everyone.

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Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, a science fiction classic, is now a bold creative graphic novel.!

This graphic version not only retells the story in brilliantly drawn illustrations but also provides readers with charts about characters, timelines, and equipment worn into battle by Billy Pilgrim’s wartime buddy.

Love having the option of providing my students text in different genres and will definitely be adding this to my classroom and school libraries.

Thank you BOOM studios and Net Galley for the e-ARC.

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I volunteered to read this book, through netgalley in exchange, for an honest review. The artwork is very good. This is a classic work of art. It was written well. The characters are described well. I did like this book and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

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Having read the original novel I thought this was going to an impossible conversion into comic. However, the way the transitions between timelines and places are so good that you never feel lost. That is an absolute masterclass on how to do this without making the reading impossible.
Albert Monteys, well known from his excellent Universe comic, changes quite significantly his style, much more realistic and it reminds me to a mix between Jason Lutes and Paco Roca. It was quite nice as well to see him drawing the Tralfamadore planet and its habitants, what reminded me to the aliens he draw in Universe.
Absolutely recomend it. Even if you have not read the novel I sincerely think you will not feel lost at any time.

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Rating 3.5: Turning a classic such as Slaughterhouse-Five into a graphic novel is no easy feat though I do feel that Ryan North has truly done it justice. I will say the unique structure and time skips of the classic are something that I was concerned about within a graphic novel as the lengthy descriptions present in a novel aren't really an option in the form of a graphic novel. However this graphic novel does the novel justice by creating visual guides to help the reader throughout the story and to follow the timeline of the plot. I will say that there were times where I got lost in terms of the plot which was bound to happen in a novel as complicated as Slaughterhouse-Five but was made even more confusing in a medium such as graphic novels. That being said, while I won't say that reading Slaughterhouse-Five in a graphic novel format makes it any easier a pill to swallow, Ryan North does do a fantastic job of translating a difficult novel into a new literary format where it may reach readers and fans who never would have touched the novel otherwise.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ryan North and Kurt Vonnegut for the advanced read of Slaughterhouse-Five: The Graphic Novel in exchange for this honest review.

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***eArc provided by Netgalley & BOOM! Studios in exchange for an honest review***

Slaughterhouse-Five is my favorite novel. It has been since I read it in high school and every single time I've re-read it since, I've always had this reaffirmed. It's a great story. It's rich. It's colorful. It's beyond emotional.

Ryan North and Albert Monteys have done a properly great job at adapting the novel into a comic and making it come to life, visually. North doesn't change anything in the adaptation process, not really, but it's amazing to see what things he found important and worthy of being the anchor points to tell the story. Adaptation is a hard thing, and they've done it marvelously.

The art is gorgeous, the Tralfamadorians are wonderfully realized, and the spare (but deeply interesting) use of Vonnegut as a character (something lightly used in the novel) is realized with such authorial intent you'd think that's how it was written in 1969.

This is a version of Vonnegut's work that is worthy of being in any fan's collection - I know it's going in mine the second it's published.

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This is a cleverly made adaptation of Slaughterhouse-Five, the time shifts are handled really well and the graphic novel stays true to the tone and plot of the book. You can tell that those involved really cared about the original story and wanted to do it justice. I'd highly reccomed this to fans of the original, even if you're not this is a great way to experience a classic in a contemporary way.

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I received an ARC of the graphic novel version of SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE written by Kurt Vonnegut and adapted by Ryan North thanks to the publisher through NetGalley.

SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE is one of those classic books that needs to be read at some point in life. It's Kurt Vonnegut (CAT'S CRADLE is fantastic), but I have never been able to get into SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE. I don't know what it was about the story (although it's probably the dislodged in time part) that wouldn't let me connect with the characters or plot. If you feel the same way, I highly recommend reading this version instead. The images made a HUGE difference. The time jumps were easy to follow and the war plot was easily recognizable, although at times difficult to look at (it is a war).

This story tackles some of the worst aspects of WWII without fully diving into the history or focusing solely on the Holocaust. The main plot follows the events leading up to, during, and after Dresden, which I hate to admit I did not know much about.

The art style fit this story perfectly. It gave it that older feel that I'm not typically a fan of, but loved for this. There is also wonderful color usage throughout that drew my attention or varying panel sizes that emphasized a point.

Highly recommended for Vonnegut fans and those who enjoy the classics.

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A wonderfully brilliant graphic novel adaptation of an unadaptable novel. Art and text are used masterfully to recreate Vonnegut's masterpiece for a new medium

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I received an ARC through NetGalley from BOOM! Studios. This graphic novel adaptation of a classic is well done. This disjointed story is made clearer through dynamic imagery that helps the reader see the horror and tragedy of war. Condensed for the graphic novel format, but still very true to the original story. This is a must read as either a re-read or a first time read of Kurt Vonnegut’s great anti-war book. Highly recommended.

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History is written by the victors. Whether be it in ancient history or World War II. Dresden, the ‘Florence of the Elbe’ was raised to dust by the Allied Forces and was not even recorded in the Air Force history?

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five has been on 'to be read’ list since forever…since the time I didn’t even know it’s about the Dresden bombing. I started reading the graphic novel since I thought it’s the best way to decide whether I would land up reading the actual book or not. The above introduction was enough for me to rush through the novel only to turn back and pause on pages, again and again, to see its richness in detail.

Illustrated by Spanish graphic novelist and illustrator, Albert Monteys and written by Ryan North for the graphic adaptation, this book is a keeper for World War II readers. The Dresden illustrated before and post the bombing were the two stark images I kept going back to and the one in which Billy Pilgrim is sitting on the horse carriage while going through the ruins. Hauntingly beautiful, it just makes me want to read the novel all that more.

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A skillfully introduced and told adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel. The illustrations reflect the dominant time period--1940s-60s--as well as the ordinariness of the characters, the starkness of the story, and Vonnegut's realistic, pessimistic tone. Recommended for Vonnegut fans and adults who like realistic, non-heroic World War II stories.

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Great graphic adaptation! I have preorder this title for my library! Ryan North and Albert Monteys do a great job transferring the humor, horror and insanity of the novel..

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I had many misgivings about Slaughterhouse -Five. Should I or should I not. Is it my cup of tea? Is it too far reaching? With this lovely graphic novel, I found my answer.

I dove right in. Granted, I did go back to re-read a few spots. However, I enjoyed. I consumed. The artwork was superb. This was my cup of tea. This was not too far reaching. And!!!!! I have purchased the book!

A great big thank you to NetGalley, Ryan North/ Kurt Vonnegut, and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

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“I am a Tralfamadorian, seeing all time as you might see a stretch of the Rocky Mountains. All time is all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, Mr. Pilgrim, and you will find that we are all, as I’ve said before, bugs in amber.”

Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children’s Crusade, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is undoubtedly a classic American novel and anti-war piece that has now been adapted by Ryan North and illustrated by Albert Monteys. Slaughterhouse-Five follows Billy Pilgrim’s journey unstuck in time - reading Kilgore Trout, opening an optometry practice, building a family, witnessing the firebombing of Dresden, going to the planet Tralfamadore, and meeting Kurt Vonnegut.

Many of the pages felt cinematic - especially the full-page spreads of Dresden both before and after the bombing. I loved being able to see Billy “read” the comics of Kilgore Trout and get to read along with him. The dark humor as well as the horror of the original piece are captured very well in this adaptation and I really didn’t see anything missing from the plot of the original text. My favorite parts were the “understanding a character in 3 panels” asides, the Ronald Weary “paper dolls, and the “interview” with Vonnegut at the end. I don’t think that you would have to have much prior knowledge of the original novel to understand what is happening in the graphic adaptation, it is very readable.

I was impressed by how this story was “show” as it can be a difficult read based on the inclusion of time travel. The timeline at the beginning is definitely something I will use the next time I teach this novel with my Seniors. This will be a great resource for teachers and librarians as well as those wanting to read this classic novel in a more visual format.

[CW: war and violence, blood, death, animal cruelty, racial slurs]

Thank you to BOOM! Studios, NetGalley, and Ryan North, Albert Monteys, and of course the late Kurt Vonnegut Jr. for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel.

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I found Slaughterhouse-Fie an out-there story. I like the idea Kurt Vonnegut did with the "time travel", it was a great metaphor for PTSD and how war messes with people's head for the last of their lives. Teh inclusions of aliens lost me.
Knowing the basic story helps to understand why the graphic novel version by Ryan Noth et al is so good. The design of a graphic novel makes it easy to let teh reader really see teh time slips without confusion. They blend sections together like a movie. The art is lovely and uses a few different techniques and color schemes based on what part of teh timeline the character is in.
Overall, I am glad I started here before I read the actual novel.

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Well done! I read this with my teen, as she has yet to read the novel. We enjoyed the back and forth, as well as looking up the literary elements from the novel (she was confused by the Tralfamadorians - which has a lot of excellent explanations online). This was her first high-level look at a novel that is a bit above her reading level, so being able to have literary discussions through the graphic novel was invaluable.

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Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" is not only one of the most important novels ever written, in my humble opinion, but also one of my favourites; the artwork and overall pacing of this graphic novel is absolutely effective in presenting the story and definitely does Vonnegut's work justice as it succeeds in capturing the theme and atmosphere.

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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This was a great adaptation of a notoriously difficult-to-show story. I was pretty impressed. Shouldn't have been, I love Ryan North. But this story just worked well in this format. This will be a great introduction to a modern classic; I think it will be great for libraries.

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