This Was Our Pact = Stunning and Dreamy Graphic Novel [MG Review]

This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews

It’s the night of the annual Autumn Equinox Festival, when the town gathers to float paper lanterns down the river. Legend has it that after drifting out of sight, they’ll soar off to the Milky Way and turn into brilliant stars, but could that actually be true? This year, Ben and his classmates are determined to find out where those lanterns really go. […] The plan is to follow the river on their bikes for as long as it takes to learn the truth, but it isn’t long before the pact is broken by all except for Ben and (much to Ben’s disappointment) Nathaniel, the one kid who just doesn’t seem to fit in. Together, Nathaniel and Ben will travel farther than anyone has ever gone, down a winding road full of magic, wonder, and unexpected friendship.

Goodreads

Review

Back in another age (February), I read some contemporary graphic novels to booktalk at a middle school. I can blaze through such titles in about 30 minutes. They focus on the challenges of middle school rather than artistic expression. I understand the importance and kid appeal of such books; I’m not knocking that. But I feel the possibilities of the graphic novel form are often underutilized. This Was Our Pact stands out in stark contrast to most middle grade graphic novels. Many times, I found myself lingering over the art. This Was Our Pact reads as a fully realized fantasy novel.

Storytelling

Ben and Nathaniel’s journey is also well-structured. It’s slightly episodic, but not really: Each action taken impacts the next, and some events come back around to have impact later in the story. The story feels dreamy (because of the art style and fantastic encounters) yet grounded (because of the realistic main characters). This Was Our Pact integrates sensitive moments between friends with a great adventure story.

Art Style

The defining style characteristic of This Was Our Pact is its strong colour palettes. The majority of the story features beautiful deep blues for scenes set in the dark starlit night time, as depicted on the cover. The colouring does shift with lighting changes, such as to grey when fog settles in or to pinky purple in the witch’s hut. Andrews’ use of watercolours (see link above) gives a pleasing texture to his illustrations. I also love the expressive faces and animated limbs of his characters. They in particular stood out in contrast to their counterparts in contemporary middle grade graphic novels. It makes me wish for a little more diversity of graphic novel illustration styles…

Japanese Influence

While reading This Was Our Pact, I wondered if I sensed Japanese influence à la folk stories and Spirited Away. When I finished the book, I read the author description: “Ryan Andrews is an illustrator and cartoonist currently living in the Japanese countryside”. 👌 Further Googling led me to discover This Was Our Pact originally began as an adaptation of a Japanese novel (Paste Magazine). That being said, I didn’t get any sense of cultural appropriation while reading. As I’m not Japanese, I can’t say there is none at all, but I think this book is an example of how you can embrace your influences without stealing from them.

The Bottom Line

This Was Our Pact differs from most middle grade novels, and that’s a good thing. This Was Our Pact has lots to offer with its stunning illustrations, creative fantasy elements, and realistic characters undertaking an engaging journey.

Further Reading

• Author website
• Illustration process
• Review @ Fuse8
• Review @ AVClub