A Glance Backward

by Pierre Paquet, Tony Sandoval (Illustrator)

Eleven-year-old Joey's world turns inside-out when he finds himself pulled inside the walls of his own home, seemingly trapped in a strange and surreal place. As he searches for a way out, he discovers a myriad of strange, intriguing, and frightening characters, who ultimately lead him to complete the greatest journey of them all: growing up.

A fantastical trip through a strange landscape that explores the changing perspective of a young boy facing adulthood. As surreal as Alice in Wonderland, with a powerful truth underneath it all. This beautifully illustrated, watercolored tale will make readers long for the simplicity of youth while embracing the wonderful complexities of adulthood: RESPONSIBILITY, LOVE, CONSEQUENCE, and ultimately the shocking, inevitable realities of LIFE and DEATH. Written by Pierre Paquet, this honest portrayal of a moment from his own life will take readers to a land of contemplation and adventure.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Adventure, Bande Dessinée, Middle Grade, Young Adult

90 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Heena Rathore Rathore-Pardeshi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before beginning this review I would like to tell you that I hate writing a negative review but at the same time I have strong beliefs about my review being honest to the core. So please don’t hate me for this review.

A Glance Backward is a dark fantasy book that I really din’t like because of it’s weird and odd story line. I hate to say this but I really don’t get why anyone would even want to read anything like this. I’m not a fan of seeing a kid get trapped in weird situations that are illustrated in equally weird and gross scenes.

Right now I can’t even imagine why I even completed this book. It really made me feel sick and hence I give the lowest possible rating of 2 stars (as 1 is only for DNF books.)

More than half of the time I really had no clue as to what the fuck was happening or why the hell did anything happen!

This book really freaked me out and if you want to give it a try and please do so at your own risk. You can understand the level of freak from the cover itself where a plants branches are going through the child’s stomach… What the fuck is that supposed to mean!?

I’ll tell you what, I had a pretty fucked up childhood too, what with my parents’ divorce, but nothing makes me feel like what the child in this book does. It was just an over-exaggerated non-sense!

I will not recommend this book to anyone for I can’t possibly imagine who will want to read about how a weird child suffers all the more weird stuff.

[Licha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I don't know what I just read. I don't know if I'm wrong or not to give this 5 stars. All I know is that this book touched something in me that I don't think I'll ever forget. This gave my heart a little jolt.

I won't even attempt to describe this book. I couldn't. When I say I don't know exactly what it is I just read, I mean that literally. It was like entering someone's dream/nightmare realm and wanting to leave it yet not leave it. I know I must sound like a blabbering fool but this book touched some deep core in me that hit me like a punch to the heart.

And that ending. I had to read the book twice just to see if I'd missed clues. I still didn't get it but I still felt like this book spoke to me on some other level that's outside of the senses I know.

The artwork: Muah! Superb. Loved just staring at the different panels. The use of color was perfect to convey the mood of each world, and frightening as Joey enters the world of carnage.

I can't give this book enough praise. Others may not feel the same way about this book but I loved, loved, loved it!!

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of nightmares that almost everyone on Goodreads seems to universally dislike, written by Pierre Paquet, drawn and colored by Tony Sandoval. In the end you get to see why he has all the hallucinations, running one into the other, some of them very disturbing, too disturbing for kids, for sure, but they are interesting nightmares, if just a few too many of them. I think, as do many others, that they could have made the point more deftly, more effectively, with half of what they have.

The artwork is also disturbing, true to the nightmares, but also really beautiful executed in the way of horror, creepy, and finally sad. There are so many happy little tales of childhood that you are in picture books that I want to at least acknowledge this story of sadness and fear and alienation as part of many kids' lives. Reminded me (just for the content) of Michael Rosen's Sad Book. This too might be described as a longish picture book, but kids, in my humble opinion, shouldn't read it. Maybe 2.5 for me.

[Sesana · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Received from Netgalley for review.)

I'm (almost) always up for an Alice in Wonderland-esque jaunt through strange, enchanted lands. This time, however, didn't quite work out for me. I liked the art, at first, but the wide, gaping mouths started to bother me after awhile. And it just went on far too long for my taste. After awhile, I got bored of going from one unpleasant place to the next, and I was no longer happy reading Pepe beg to go home.

The ending did try to give some meaning to it all, but it was both too little, too late and came out of nowhere. Pepe's father has died, apparently suddenly, and he's hallucinating his journey. Maybe I just wasn't reading closely enough because I was getting bored, but the ending didn't really seem to put the action of the story into context enough for the whole to be a meaningful statement.

[Blu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Questo volume dovrebbe aiutare ad elaborare un lutto, ma è di un pessimismo tale che non mi meraviglierei se a fine lettura qualcuno venisse colto da un impulso suicida. Faccio un esempio riportando delle citazioni:

"Ti senti solo, abbandonato anche dalle tue lacrime che si allontanano verso i riflessi di libertà formati dalle giunture del muro. Devi arrenderti all'evidenza, sei solo al mondo."
E siamo solo a pagina 13!

"Puoi anche avere in mano le redini della tua vita, ma quelle del tempo ti sfuggiranno sempre."
Allegria!

Da notare che il volume fa parte della collana dei Tipitondi, ovvero quella rivolta ai bambini... ma dico, siamo pazzi? Io non glielo farei leggere nemmeno sotto tortura. Piuttosto consiglio il libro illustrato Ho Lasciato la Mia Anima al Vento di Eric Puybaret e Roxane M. Galliez; mentre per i più grandicelli I Kill Giants di Joe Kelly e J.M. Ken Niimura.

Recensione sul mio blog: https://chateau-ambulant.blogspot.it/...

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the creepy kind of disturbing comic art that I just adore. Sandoval reminds me somewhat of Renee French in style though his execution is more detailed. This is not a book for kids even though the main character is 11 years old and the theme is one of coming of age abruptly after a death. I found the story poignant while the violence and blood were shocking. The first read through is surreal as we drift through this dreamland with its odd and nightmarish moments but upon completion I found myself returning to the start and reading again with a fuller understanding and having a more grounded experience within the dream. Just begs to be read more than once! Brilliant! But do note: Not for children.

[Theresa Marsala · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hesitant to read this looking at the reviews, but I was intrigued by the art style & premise because I usually enjoy strange storytelling. It was a little long considering where I think the intentions were going with each individual new world he "traveled" to- & could have been edited a bit, but in all honesty I think something may have been lost in translation seeing as how this was originally published in French. When you get to the end you can reflect on how each part related to the boys emotions & inner turmoil. I enjoyed the strange journey the boy took in this beautifully haunting story.

[Melissa Chung · Rating 2 out of 5]

What did I just read? It was like a spiritual/philosophical journey through a child's eyes and then the ending didn't make any sense.

Joseph a.k.a. Joey, has to ride the bus home for an hour each day and during that time he imagines things. Day dreams up all sorts of stuff. He's 11 and that's what kids do. One day after school Joey decides he is going to stop at a joke shop and buy some bottle rockets. He doesn't want his mom to know he has them so he tries to sneak into his room.

While on his way to his room he sees something and decides to investigate. All of a sudden he is in the wall of his house. But he is trapped. Then he goes on this weird adventure trying to help others whilst trying to find his way home. But he does bad things. Danger is all around him.

At first I thought oh, this is a fantasy. Then I thought is it a religious preachy book? Then the ending happened and I don't know what the hell I just read. The ending made me super sad though.

Over all the illustrations are superb and the plot of the book is a bizarre emotional journey that made no sense to me.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

This was such a weird book. And although I normally really like weird books, this one wasn't weird in a good way. Okay, even the covers looks a bit weird, I admit, but it still was completely different from what I expected.

After Joey gets trapped in the walls of his basement, he tries to find the way back home and in the mean times has some kind of adventures (my best guess of what's happening).

Joey's story feels like a combination of a lot of short stories that don't really have that much to do with each other. The world is weird, I got the feeling it was supposed to be a little bit like Alice in Wonderland or The Little Prince, but it wasn't working for me. I didn't enjoy reading it.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Eric Novello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muito, muito bonita. Com um toque de non sense, como Alice. Sem uma história propriamente dita. Apenas um rito de passagem, que coloca a vida real como apenas mais uma vida possível entre tantas outras imagináveis.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mother recently passed away and the most phenomenal experience for me has been watching my daughters deal with her death. They had a big cry when we told them she was dying, but after that, they have been content. They accepted it and had no qualms about seeing her on her deathbed, hugging her, and reading her one last story.

I've seen some reviews here that question how this dark fantasy tale of a boy slipping into his imagination to deal with the struggles of life and death and growing up could possibly be for children. Frankly, I believe we don't give children enough credit for what they can and will deal with in their own way, whether it be with rainbow unicorns and angels, or something dark like this.

The art is beautiful. Soft and intense, with exaggerated features that capture a child's vision. My disappointment in the book is that it didn't let the art take us where the story needed to go, relying instead on over-explanation of how a child sees the world, both real and fantastical. In spite of this abundance of explanation, the connection to the book's deeper meaning comes as a bit of a surprise at the end, though again, I think it would have been better served with more emphasis on letting the imagery tell the story, rather than the words.

With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

www.BiblioSanctum.com

[Siina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Glance Backward is a beautiful comic about loss, the need to come in terms with it and eventually grow up. The art of Sandoval is amazing, really. The colors are vivid and watery at the same time. I love the naivety and how the characters have big heads and small faces at the same time. The style is very picture book like and works amazingly. The whole imagery is solemn and magical at the same time. Basically art-wise this is totally a five star comic.

First I must say that I thought this was an Alice in Wonderland type of adventure until the end revelation of the death and sorrow. I wish there had been hints about the true course of events as well as a better setting for this. This magnificent story would've needed the right set of mind to unleash the full potential. Also, who was David? What was the point of revelation to Joey in specific? For me then ending came a bit too early and it would've needed more space and air to it as was the case with the rest was the story.

The philosophical aspect works wonderfully and even the blood parts of the story work nicely, since this isn't a cute story and it shouldn't be that. I do like the balance between looking light and having heavy content. This was surely a great comic book and could've been even more awesome with hints of its true meaning. A good read indeed, still.

[Frannie Pan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Io non so cosa sia questa cosa.
Non ho idea di cosa abbia letto.

Ma l'unica cosa che ho da dire a riguardo è semplicemente NO. NO, MA NEANCHE PER IDEA, MA PROPRIO NO, NON CI SIAMO, ENNE O, NO!

Questa storia è assolutamente priva di senso. Non c'é un filo logico da seguire, è un'accozzaglia senza senso di massime e insegnamenti astratti e talvolta estremamente infantili, azioni prive di responsabilità e ragione.

Si, i disegni sono molto particolari e nelle prime pagine avevano senza dubbio catturato la mia attenzione.
Ma più si va avanti, più la storia perde senso e sensibilità ed anche le immagini hanno cominciato a diventare offensive, fastidiose, insopportabili.

Il tutto per arrivare ad un'ulteriore conclusione senza senso che se n'é uscita dall'uovo di pasqua e che è stata affrontata nel peggior modo possibile.

Morale della favola: NO. SEMPLICEMENTE NO, state alla larga.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a strange and surreal graphic novel, and reminds me of what nightmares might look like if captured with watercolors.

The premise of the story is that Joey, who is 11 years old, finds himself trapped inside the walls of his home. The entire book then follows along as Joey tries to find his way out. Do not be fooled by that premise into thinking this is book for kids. I think it's too dark for little ones; older teens maybe.

When I got to the end of the book, I realized that it was about an allegorical journey that we all make, namely that of growing up. The journey is full of danger and wrong turns, and thankfully, a little kindness, and while I think the watercolor art is creepily good, this was not a story that pulled me in.

[Elia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Holy CRAP what the heck did I just read?
I thought this was going to be a cute book about a child's imagination, and then all of a sudden this gets REALLY dark and REALLY gory REALLY fast!
The worst part is, I know this is going to end up marketed to kids and end up in the Juvenile section of the library or book store and BOY does it just not belong there at all! It's just too weird and sad and nasty for anyone other than teens and adults.

[Peter Damien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surreal, beautiful, powerful, and gutting. Amazing comic. Gorgeous art.

[Will Tung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply moving look at coping with the sudden news of death and grief as a child. The inner turmoil, the feeling of loss, confusion, hope, and fear all jump out of the page in this journey that reminds me of stories like Alice in Wonderland, The Phantom Tollbooth, Labyrinth, etc.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful metaphor for how you can feel in a split second

[Chris Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an E-Copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review*

There are some very mixed reviews going around for this book, and having read it I can certainly see why it receieves such a wide range of responses. A Glance Backward by Tony Sandoval is a fantasy graphic novel, but don't be fooled by it's blurb or it's cute cover, it is a very dark tale indeed. I think many readers may walk into this book with the impression of something akin to Alice in Wonderland, but this is not like that, though it has some similarities.

A Glance Backward is the story of a young boy approaching adulthood. His imagination telling a dream-like story of him coming of age, coming to terms with various things. It has it's moment of fantastical vibrance, with fairies and flowers and odd characters, but there is gore here too, and heavy, dark subjects that almost knock you out of your haze with a thump to the temple, shocking and sudden like a slap. These moments made this a very unique experience for me, and the obscure and weird story along with the wonderful illustration work, made for a graphic novel that I feel will be a love or hate release.

Daydreaming, a child's imagination, the limitless potential of the human mind, and the quirky weirdness of dreams is explored here. It's heartwarming at times, as it discusses love and family, while being horrific and gloomy too, as it opens up panels about death, loss, destruction. It certainly isn't for kids, and it isn't for every reader either. But I enjoyed this a lot. It's beautiful to look at, and the odd story took me by surprise in a good way.

3.75 out of 5

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a powerful book with an emotional gut-punch at the end that lingers long after the last page is read. The illustrations are beautiful and the story telling is strong. This is the story of an elven year old who finds himself trapped in an alternative world on the other side of the walls of his home. It speaks of that delicate age where imagination, bravery, fear and so much more all intermingle not far from the surface. I found this by chance at a library sale and I strongly recommend folks pick this up. It is a quick, powerful, and should read.

[Wordsworn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book really didn't make any sense. That sometimes happens with graphic novels, I know--the art and images depicted are focused on to the detriment of the story being told--and that's certainly the case here. The theme of the book is apparently supposed to be "growing up", but it's hard for me to see that, really. It started as a "kids have crazy imaginations, and this is an 'adventure' this one boy goes on" kind of thing. I'd be fine with that, but it just gets progressively weirder and darker, until suddenly we're ripped out of the 'imagination' storyline, and...the boy's dad is dead? What? There's no indication at the beginning that he boy was diving into his imagination as a coping mechanism or some sort of denial over this. He's all in a dither about OMG I JUST BOUGHT BOTTLE ROCKETS, I DID SOMETHING DUMB AND I KNOW IT'S DUMB BUT I CAN'T LET MOM CATCH ME! without any sort of clue or even subtle mention of a dead parent. Maybe this book lost something in translation, I don't know, but as it is, the English version just isn't good.

TL;DR, I found this book completely unsatisfying. The art style is unique, at least, but it's not worth suffering through the pointless storyline.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Read as an eARC from NetGalley

For me, between two and three stars. For the most part, I really enjoyed the expressive artwork, the colorful landscapes, and the creativity that these showed (except for when people's mouths were drawn so wide open that you could completely see their gums, inside lip flaps, and yellowed teeth, which was unfortunately not infrequently). This graphic novel, especially through the art, evoked a similar feel to me as other popular weird/creepy/dark works, especially magical realism, that are kind of for children but not (e.g. Neil Gaiman and Tim Burton work, yet not as masterful).

However, I didn't find this enjoyable to read; rather, it was creepy and preachy about the "lessons" of life. At the end, there is the "big reveal" that the main character's dad has died, which is supposed to explain why everything that happens in the story is so bizarre, since it's a representation of the emotional and mental turmoil of a child. This doesn't change the fact that, throughout the story, whenever Joey would say, "I just want to go home!", I would think "I just want this weird trippy story to go somewhere or be over." :/

[Vittorio Rainone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Belli, molto belli i disegni di Sandoval. Davvero nulla da dire sulle sue fisionomie acquerellate e cangianti. La storia è simpatica, ma non trascendentale, e risente un po' del difetto di certa narrativa per ragazzi: il protagonista è troppo adulto per come parla, troppo meditativo, e di fanciullesco c'è solo il tracciato delle sue esperienze, che sono tutte troppo veloci, in un caleidoscopio che porta per mano, di corsa, il lettore, fino alla rivelazione finale che ricontestualizza tutto (lasciando forse anche un po' l'amaro in bocca). Insomma, esperienza discreta, nel suo complesso.

[VAle · Rating 3 out of 5]

preso in biblioteca

Suggestivo e visionario, un viaggio attraverso un muro, quello del lutto, che porta dall'infanzia all'età adulta.
Alcuni passaggi li ho trovato un po' troppo "ermetici", ma forse è proprio questo "sospeso" che rende il tutto così suggestivo.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't you hate it when you lean in to peer a little closer at something on the wall and you get sucked into a strange and disorienting alternate world? As 11-year-old Joey is about to find out, it's actually pretty terrifying and not at all enchanting. As Joey stumbles headlong into a nightmarish wonderland, he finds that it all seems to lead back to a truth that terrifies him more than anything else.
So, I have mixed feelings here. On the one hand, the artwork is wonderful and the story allows for some particularly creative art. On the other hand, the overall theme and impact of story itself is nearly eclipsed by the foray through the creepy looking glass, which dominates this brief graphic novel.

[Natalie Pietro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Glance Backward had a Alice in Wonderland type of vibe. Boy trapped inside he's childhood home walls. Searching for the home he left behind and encountering strange degenerate among the way. Some help while finding themselves other help less by demonstrating hate towards the youngster. Due in part they try to help him become the man he's inquiring to be.
I wish each journey lasted longer giving more depth into their hyenas worlds. I loved the girl with the red hair and wish I could learn more about her story.
I loved the artwork and the unpleasantness of the beings. This book should be read twice so you can really concentrate on the deep message.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eleven-year-old Joey gets sucked into the interior of his home's walls and has some bizarre adventures.

I read this because I enjoyed "Watersnakes" by this artist and the library had this one in stock. I appreciate what he was trying to do here with hallucination/weird encounters, and the artwork is very striking, but this one wasn't for me. It just didn't make the connection that was needed for the last few pages to have an impact. My advice - try "Watersnakes" instead.

[José Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It´s difficult not to cry at the end.

It was feeling like my least favorite book from Tony Sandoval. A bunch of common places, references to "Neverending story", the kind of things you see on a LSD trip... but then you get to the ending. And everything turns beautiful and acquires meaning.

This book is a treasure. Like all the books from Tony Sandoval.

[Charlotte Northeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and haunting art wrapped around the story of an 11-year old boy going through the journey of growing up. Extreme and violent at times, with a somewhat abrupt ending but it's a different glance at the world of grown-ups through the eyes of someone on the cusp.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Glance Backward was a tricky read. Part nightmare and part personal journey for a little a boy. I tried so hard to enjoy this and loved the ideas behind some of the illustrative pieces, but the execution was a long shot.