This graphic novel illustrates the way oil consumption has, and still is impacting our world. Primarily set in Ecuador, and follows a small selection of characters as they explore the ‘toxic tours’. Although the illustrations were not to my particular taste, I did think they were powerful and raw. I enjoyed this graphic novel overall, and believe it would be highly suited to a classroom conversation or a book club pick for younger readers.

Thank you ethnoGRAPHIC for a copy of Toxic!

"Over the past decade, people have learned about oil contamination in the Ecuadorian Amazon through "Toxic Tours" in which a guide brings participants – students, lawyers, environmental activists, journalists, or foreign tourists – to visit contaminated sites. These toxic tours combine personal experience and local knowledge to convince visitors of the immediacy of environmental issues."

Highly, highly recommend. I picked this up on a whim and learned so much. Will be reading Crude next thanks to this graphic novel!

No creo que, por la paleta de colores y el estilo del texto, sea un libro fácil de entender y seguir. Por ello, no se entendia el contexto de al historia.

This graphic novel takes us on a "toxic tour" of the Ecuadorian Amazon to show us the contamination left behind by the Oil extraction companies that operate in the area. These toxic tours are real, as well as our guide Donald.
The art style is not my favourite but it suits the story so well.
I had no idea of what has been going on the Ecuadorian Amazon and I am in shock after finding out. All that contamination, the health issues caused by it, the companies not really taking responsibility for all of it... it's just so surreal.
I would totally recommend this book to everyone who wants to learn about this problem or just anyone interested in the enviroment.

This is more of an academic text for class discussion. The graphic novel, which is the majority, is about a toxic tour, which takes visitors on a tour of lands in the Amazon and town affected by the nearby oil refineries. The tourists are an Italian man who lives in that country, a young woman from another part of the country and a Black woman from California. There is great information in the text. The art is blocky and simple in the style of Afro-Latinx artist Breena Nuñez. This is a heavy use of black ink to denote how there is oil everywhere even in scenes where isn't not mention as if it cast a shadow over everything. The discussion questions and bibliogrpahy in the back are very helpful for further study. I loved the question of what would you tell people if you gave a tour of where you grew up.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. This was a beautiful, real life representation of the Amazon and Ecuador and the state of things and the tours that happen.

This was not for me. The conversation is much needed and I appreciate the themes and values emphasised in this graphic novel, but I had high expectations which were not fully met. When there are such important topics such as the environment, contamination, health hazards, the destruction of nature and life, I would like to read something that smoothly blends the narrative and characters and with more depth and layers.
I was not a fan of the art style, though the colour schemes and the depiction of action were cool. I wanted to like this more.
Nevertheless, I am glad this graphic novel exists.

Review: Toxic: A Tour of the Ecuadorian Amazon by Amelia Fiske and Jonas Fischer

Toxic: A Tour of the Ecuadorian Amazon by Amelia Fiske and Jonas Fischer is an excellent graphic novel that brings a crucial issue to the forefront. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate the author for choosing such an important topic. Through the medium of a graphic novel, this issue will reach a much wider audience, particularly young readers who are the future of our world.

The story revolves around the "Toxic Tours," a unique way of educating people about the oil contamination in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Drawing on extensive research and fieldwork, Toxic takes readers on a visual toxic tour through the Amazon. Following the journey of three fictional participants, the graphic novel addresses various issues of concern. The novel is a reflective piece on the role of pollutants in our everyday lives, ultimately asking readers to reflect on how we are each implicated in the production, consumption, and exposure to pollution, both in the Amazon and at home.

The writing is compelling and effectively conveys the gravity of the situation. Jonas Fischer, as the illustrator, has done a commendable job, though I believe there is potential for even greater impact through the artwork. Overall, it was a good experience, and I would give it 4 stars for the story, narrative style, and overall experience.

I would recommend Toxic to readers interested in nonfiction and social issues.Thank you to the author, illustrator, and publisher for bringing this important work to light.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is one of those graphic novels that is too incredibly important that I fear will be glossed over. It NEEDS to be in every school. It really does need to be required reading. It's educational, interesting, and shows the reality of the unfortunate world we live in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Toxic: A Tour of the Ecuadorian Amazon was an absolutely heartbreaking graphic novel about the damaging effects of pollution from the oil industry in Ecuador. It follows several individuals on a “toxic tour” wherein they tour different areas of Ecuador and are educated on the effects of oil pollution. While the story in itself was a heartbreaking view of the environmental damage as well as the effects on human health, the imagery really drove this one home. Each image features dark smears of black across everything. The darkness appears on people, the water, the environment, the food, truly everything. At first I didn’t understand this artistic decision, but about halfway through I realized it’s the depiction of how the oil industry and pollution has left its mark on absolutely everything in such a damaging way.

This graphic novel is a five star read, and I will be thinking about it for a very long time

In this EthnoGraphic entry, Toxic uses a very lightly fictionalized version of real "toxic tours" to tell the story of oil exploitation in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Donald has lived in Lago Agria his whole life; he leads "toxic tours" that show people various parts of the oil production process and the havoc it's wreaked on the environment. People from a variety of backgrounds go on the tour; a Black American woman, an Ecuadorian from the coast, an Italian aid worker and more. Their reactions to what they see are depicted.

Toxic is strongest when it is showing either facts or indvidual narratives like that of Yola, a teacher with chronic health issues due to water contamination. The reflections of the tourists are not handled in a particularly nuanced way and don't read as authentic; possibly, this is the result of archetyping/condensing some commonly seen types of visitors into individuals represented here. The art style is interesting - it uses bright colors with black splotches all over. The splotches mimic spilled oil.

Overall, this is....fine. It's an important story but lacking a compelling overall narrative.

Covering important knowledge from environmental science to colonialism, this graphic novel would do well in a school curriculum.

The art style was really cool - particularly the blocked shadows and the inky quality to them evoked oil and its inescapable presence. Another reviewer mentioned it's great for research if you're looking to break up the monotony of large blocks of text, and I agree with that and would add I could see it being used in a school curriculum for that reason. It's not really a graphic novel to just pick up and read.

I enjoyed reading this graphic novel. I think it would made a great addition to anyone's graphic novel collection.

Thank you Netgally for providing this ARC in exchange for honest and review.

This graphic novel is packed with vital information regarding the effects of oil-drilling, and reads like an article paired with some cool illustrations to make it a bit more interesting. Great for research if you are looking to break the monotony of standard educational text. The characters feel like filler, no real depth to any of them. Quick read.

#toxic

Toxic is an accessible, creative and raw account of oil extraction in Ecuador.

Fiske does a great job to incorporate multiple vantage points when looking at the impact of oil in Ecuador. The incorporation of a development worker, someone from a neighbouring town, a tourist (with exposure to oil at home), and a local guide create a diverse dialogue around the impact of oil beyond a locationally specific context. Especially relevant is how Fiske tackles the conversation of working for the oil industry despite the impact it has had on local livelihoods.

The art in this novel is incredible. Evidently, a graphic novel conveys much of its emotion and storytelling from the visual components present. Fischer does not miss on the emotion and symbolism of the oil and the lives it touches.

As someone with an educational background related to the topic, it is difficult to gauge the audience that this book should be marketed towards. Although I think it would be well received by young adults (11-18), I do think this book is marketable to university level students (particularly those studying environment and development related topics). Assuming that the book was written with the intent for wide scale accessibility and readership, the dialogue reads very surface level. I personally would have liked to see critical dialogue and greater depth to the conversations had in the book. Overall, Toxic is a creative project with a powerful message.

This was a very education and enlightening book on oil operations in Amazon region of Ecuador. The art creates the atmosphere like you’re in the toxic tour yourself, you feel so immersed. I learned so much information about destructive and dangerous practices of Texaco that are killing the population. It was crazy to know that a class action was won against the company and still the company hasn’t paid a cent to the victims. I really liked how all the aspects of toxic tour and the stories were portrayed and how you start feeling a personal connection to the inhabitants of Lago Argo. Would recommend to everyone!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher University of Toronto Press for allowing me to read this graphic novel!

Publishing date: 19.03.2024

Thank you to NetGalley and University of Toronto Press for the ARC- My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: A wake-up-call kind of food. It wasn't tasty, but the message came across
The book left me: Thinking of how lucky I am to live where I live, and sad for others who aren't

Negatives:
A lot of dialogue
Some panels had a lot of "noise" that got distracting

Positives:
The oil like details in the art fit very well
Cool artstyle
Informative

Features:
Colorful panels, an insight into the culture and daily life in Lago Agrio, a different perspective around oil extraction, informative of pollution

Why did I choose this one?
The artstyle of the comic called me right in. I love a stylistic read, and this served it right up. I also felt like reading something a little more informative and educational.

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Mostly pick-up-able. It had a few "lows" where the dialogue was at an all time high, but nothing was really being said. This is where I struggled a little to continue reading the story. Otherwise, it moves fast and lets you read it in mostly a single sitting.

What was the vibe and mood?
Surprisingly positive, considering the circumstances. It did have a certain "darkness" to it, delivered by the choice of shading in the panels. Even so, the characters had a hopeful outlook to the future.
Sadly, when the characters started talking more formally, I felt like I sat in a classroom again. It lost my attention a little bit then.

Final ranking and star rating?
A tier. Great artstyle and very informative. Will be thinking about this for a while longer.

“They came and polluted your land, and gave you some cheese in return?”

I absolutely loved reading this. The artwork was striking. The way the black spots signified the pollution of oil really gave me pause for thought. The way it was presented, I felt like I was on a tour with the characters. I have learnt so much about the oil and in particular, the effects it has had on the Amazon and Ecuador. I appreciated how the dialogue was at a level you’d use to help a child understand something. It helped me learn in an easy way and encouraged me to do my own research. It really is worth a read.

A really informative and beautifully illustrated graphic novel, it was fantastic to hear the first-hand testimony of those impacted by pollution from the oil industry. Stories like these are so important to realise the personal behind environmental issues that can too often seem like sweeping statements or politically-motivated arguments. At the end of the day, companies should take accountability for the damage caused by the way they make money, and corners shouldn't be cut at the expense of people's health. I'm really glad to have read this book - it's challenging and uncomfortable, as it should be.