Thanks to NetGalley & Clarkson Potter/ Ten Speed Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This is a graphic novel adaptation of Richard Adams' 1972 novel of the same name. "Watership Down" follows the story of a small group of rabbits as they journey to find a new home and meet new friends (and enemies) along the way.

I've never read the original novel, but I have watched the (rather traumatic) film and the (adorable) 90s TV spin-off, so I knew who the characters were going in. The characters were well-drawn, I loved the lore and the language they used - of course it makes sense that the rabbits don't know the word "car" and come up with their own words. This graphic novel is beautifully drawn and brings the story of "Watership Down" to life. It might still be a little hard going for younger kids with the amount of violence shown, but it belongs in any family library.

A charming, compelling, and occasionally horrifying graphic novel - just like the original it's based on. In truth, this is quite a worthy adaptation, rendering Richard Adams's lapin epic into a new form with a surprising degree of faithfulness to the original as well as comprehensibility in a different mode. The art is the real star, managing to evoke by turns the bucolic loveliness of the English countryside and the nightmarish horrors of certain plotlines the rabbits encounter during their odyssey. The rabbits are all entirely distinguishable from one another and immediately recognizable as individuals (which, I have to say, I'm no expert on either character illustration or rabbits, but it seems like no mean feat to me), and deeply expressive without ever compromising...rabbitiness.

It's a beautiful adaptation, and I can imagine a lovely introduction to this epic story for many, and particularly younger, readers.

Thank you to the publisher, Ten Speed Graphic, for the advance review copy!

Beautiful but SO bummed I can’t read this on my scribe to get the full beauty of the photos. Really impacted my reading experience and ability to recommend.

So, Watership Down is a book that I adore, despite the fact that it was mandatory reading in high school. The story of these rabbits who fight for their ideal home and essentially triumph even when everything seem so bleak was such a beautiful story for me. I enjoyed Animal Farm for different reasons, but I have always found Watership Down just a stronger story by far. This graphic novel, which I was skeptical of because, well a lot to cover, did a decent job of capturing the main elements of the story and creating some of the character depth that is critical to the story. Maybe not as much as in the actual book, because some of the main rabbits are pretty much side characters here, but still a good job all around.

The artwork has a touch of watercolour to it that is consistent with the cover and many of the illustrated editions of Watership Down. I felt was the right fit.

And overall the story is tied together well. I think that someone coming to this without the book would be ok to follow the story and care about the rabbits. But it is truly set up to complement the book so that you can fill in the gaps for the rabbits you may not get as much exposure to here.

A beautiful adaptation of one of my favorite novels of all time. The art was lovely and it captured the spirit of the source material incredibly well. It's, of course, rather abridged but it is a great taste of the awesomeness that is the novel. I'll definitely be buying this one when it comes out.

A favorite from childhood, so I was excited to see this has been turned into a more consumable format by kids. And adults!

This is a story about rabbits, adventure and community.
The art in the graphics sets the tone for the words in the best way.

Recommend for anyone!

Watership Down has been my favorite book for close to 20 years now - there was very little chance I would not like this adaptation, and I adored it. The art style is beautiful and suits the story well; and it is very easy to tell our main rabbits apart. The pacing is a lot quicker on the whole than the novel in a way that really draws you into the story - I found it very hard to put down!

My main complaints are with what was cut. A lot of the strange, off-kilter atmosphere of Cowslip's warren is lost, and less time is spent on Efrafa than I'd have liked. We also see tragically little of the does. I don't think these cuts would be felt much by newcomers to the story, however, and should still satisfy long-time fans of the novel as well.

I never read Watership Down before, but I'm going to buy a copy of the origin book and this graphic novel when it releases. So where do I begin?

Watership Down is a cozy story about rabbits trying to find a home after their Warren was destroyed by land development companies. These brave rabbits go on an adventure to find a safe spot to raise their community. There is a strong sense of found family, because throughout their adventures they bring on any rabbits in need of safety.

The art style gave the perfect cottage core vibes necessary for a story about a clan of rabbits struggling to find a home. The illustrations conveyed the emotions of the different character so well I felt that I was often on the edge of my seat, sometimes even gasping or letting out a tear.

Despite the very youthful concept, I believe this was masterfully told in a way that would melt even the grumpiest of souls.

I highly recommend this graphic novel. 5 stars.