What do you think?
Rate this book
Le serment des lampions
Tous les ans lors d'une veillée Ben et ses copains jettent une lanterne dans la rivière et suivent son périple à vélo en longeant l'eau. Cette année, cependant, ils sont bien décidés à aller jusqu'au bout et découvrir exactement où se retrouvent ces lampions. Rapidement le petit groupe se sépare et Ben, accompagné de l'étrange Nathaniel, poursuivent seuls l'aventure. C'est alors que le voyage prend une tournure surnaturelle.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2013
165 people are currently reading
11187 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,813 reviews
March 16, 2023
Ohwowohwowohwowohwowohwow!
Studio Ghibli REALLY needs to obtain the rights to this fantastical and beautiful tale of friendship and adventure! I have a feeling those particular writers and animators would have what it takes to truly capture the magic of this story (forget Disney or Dreamworks--too mainstream). I'd watch it...and probably buy my own copy as soon as the dvd was available. So I could get lost in the journey to find the lantern's final destination among the stars. I want to encounter fisherbears and map-drawing crows and explore caves that carry all the stars in the cosmos. And I want to see it all unfold on the screen.
But for now, I was enchanted by this graphic novel. It was exactly the book I was looking for, even though I didn't know I was looking for it.
Also, this sort of reminded me of Tales from Outer Suburbia, which I loved as well. The stories have a similar vibe.
p.s. [edit 3/16/2023]: If you loved this, I recommend The Moth Keeper, another beautiful and magical story.
Studio Ghibli REALLY needs to obtain the rights to this fantastical and beautiful tale of friendship and adventure! I have a feeling those particular writers and animators would have what it takes to truly capture the magic of this story (forget Disney or Dreamworks--too mainstream). I'd watch it...and probably buy my own copy as soon as the dvd was available. So I could get lost in the journey to find the lantern's final destination among the stars. I want to encounter fisherbears and map-drawing crows and explore caves that carry all the stars in the cosmos. And I want to see it all unfold on the screen.
But for now, I was enchanted by this graphic novel. It was exactly the book I was looking for, even though I didn't know I was looking for it.
Also, this sort of reminded me of Tales from Outer Suburbia, which I loved as well. The stories have a similar vibe.
p.s. [edit 3/16/2023]: If you loved this, I recommend The Moth Keeper, another beautiful and magical story.
December 30, 2019
Muy inocente, muy tierno, muy bonito.
Estamos ante una de las obras más tiernas que he leído en mucho tiempo. Sin hablar de la amistad, hace una muy buena referencia constante a lo que esa palabra significa. Sobre todo, siento que define muy bien la amistad que se da en la época del cambio de niño a adolescente.
Y entonces nos perdimos es una historia con mucho trasfondo mostrado como una aventura repleta de fantasía, pero de la que podemos extraer muchos detalles que a nuestros corazones de adultos le harán pupitas.
Es un canto a la ingenuidad, a la aventura, a lo que podemos explorar y no exploramos por miedo a perder lo que ya conocemos sin arriesgarnos a encontrar algo mejor. Es un canto a la amistad, a la alegría y a la fantasía.
Me ha recordado a libros como El Principito, porque es una historia con escenas muy marcadas y a cada una de ellas se le añaden momentos de fantasía y enseñanzas (aunque en este caso, las enseñanzas creo que son una parte muy grande del subtexto pero nunca se mencionan directamente).
La parte de la ilustración es increíblemente acertada. El uso de colores me ha resultado muy curioso, y es que durante la historia va cambiando la paleta, utilizando mayormente un tono concreto dependiendo del momento, sensaciones de los protagonistas o los ambientes. Me ha parecido una muy buena manera de transmitir los sentimientos que la historia quería transmitir.
En fin, que recomiendo mucho la lectura de Y entonces nos perdimos porque creo que es una novela gráfica para todo tipo de público. Es bonita, es tierna y te llena de esperanza y cosas bonitas.
Estamos ante una de las obras más tiernas que he leído en mucho tiempo. Sin hablar de la amistad, hace una muy buena referencia constante a lo que esa palabra significa. Sobre todo, siento que define muy bien la amistad que se da en la época del cambio de niño a adolescente.
Y entonces nos perdimos es una historia con mucho trasfondo mostrado como una aventura repleta de fantasía, pero de la que podemos extraer muchos detalles que a nuestros corazones de adultos le harán pupitas.
Es un canto a la ingenuidad, a la aventura, a lo que podemos explorar y no exploramos por miedo a perder lo que ya conocemos sin arriesgarnos a encontrar algo mejor. Es un canto a la amistad, a la alegría y a la fantasía.
Me ha recordado a libros como El Principito, porque es una historia con escenas muy marcadas y a cada una de ellas se le añaden momentos de fantasía y enseñanzas (aunque en este caso, las enseñanzas creo que son una parte muy grande del subtexto pero nunca se mencionan directamente).
La parte de la ilustración es increíblemente acertada. El uso de colores me ha resultado muy curioso, y es que durante la historia va cambiando la paleta, utilizando mayormente un tono concreto dependiendo del momento, sensaciones de los protagonistas o los ambientes. Me ha parecido una muy buena manera de transmitir los sentimientos que la historia quería transmitir.
En fin, que recomiendo mucho la lectura de Y entonces nos perdimos porque creo que es una novela gráfica para todo tipo de público. Es bonita, es tierna y te llena de esperanza y cosas bonitas.
October 12, 2019
Do kids quest anymore? I mean in books, of course. Kids in real life don’t have a great track record on real world quests, after all. From a literary standpoint, a children’s book seems like a natural place to put a quest. Whether it’s Bilbo Baggins setting off for a dragon’s lair in The Hobbit or the two nameless heroes finding all the colored crayons in the picture book Quest by Aaron Becker, there’s nothing like a good quest to keep your spirits up, eh? Trouble is, a quest has a built in end point. Oh, you can extend it a bit, if you like. Your hero can continue on to other adventures (or even just try to make it back from where they’ve been) but at the heart of it, a quest essentially stops when the hero reaches their destination. And yes, I’ve heard the phrase “the journey is the destination” but insofar as I can tell, that only works if the quest changes en route. Take the case of This Was Our Pact. I mean, it’s right there in the title. Our hero makes a pact, the pact is the quest, and then along the way the destination changes to the journey itself. And what makes it all work is that the book isn’t bogged down with family back stories or inner motivations or even, really, logistics. What you see is what you see. What you seek is what you seek . . . until it isn’t. And as dreamlike, mesmerizing stories full of vistas and giants and magic go, there are few self-contained comics to compete with what Ryan Andrews has accomplished here. Journey. Quest. But don’t bother with the return.
Every year it’s the same. The people of Ben’s town will take their paper lanterns to the river during the Autumn Equinox Festival and drop them in. And every year Ben and his friends want to know where they’ll go. This year, they make a pact to follow the lanterns on their bikes. Follow them as far as they go, never stopping, no matter what. Only, one by one his friends drop out, till he’s the only one riding. Him and that weird kid from school Nathaniel. But a strange companion is better than none at all, and soon enough Ben realizes not just how much he needs Nathaniel’s help but also his friendship. Full of talking bears, flying fish, huge birds, dogs that can walk on water, and countless marvels, creator Ryan Andrews creates a world that is at once familiar and wholly original, where travel and escape are synonymous.
According to his biography, Ryan Andrews is “currently living in the Japanese countryside.” As such, it’s inevitable that he’d be compared with Miyazaki. Look through the online reviews of this book and I guarantee the name “Studio Ghibli” will pop up more than once. All well and good, but I think it’s prudent to remember that not all Miyazaki films are exactly the same. For example the innocence of Kiki’s Delivery Service is heads and tails different from Princess Mononoke with its occasional severed limbs. So where does This Was Our Pact fall on the sliding Ghibli scale? Gotta go with the classics on this one. Though it lacks its mild horror elements, tonally I think Spirited Away is the soul mate to This Was Our Pact. What Andrews does so well is that he makes room in his narrative for adventure, interpersonal relationships (and discussions of those relationships), and wonder. It’s the wonder part that’s the hardest, as far as I can ascertain. Miyazaki has music on his side, after all. Andrews has only ink and words on a page. Yet on multiple occasions he is able to conjure up points in the storytelling that stop the narrative cold and ask only that you feel a sense of awe. The attempt is gutsy. The follow through, gold.
I used to run a book club for 9-12 year olds and overwhelmingly the kids (and remember, this was close to a decade ago) wanted fantasy novels. Not just any fantasy novels, though. “Nothing with a number on a spine,” they said. Which is to say, they wanted standalone fantasies. Now, if you know anything about the publishing industry, fantasies published these days follow the Harry Potter model pretty closely. Why make money off of a single book when you can make gobs of money off of lots of books? And series are just easier to write anyway. You don’t have to tie up all the loose ends. You can end a book on a mysterious or creepy note and not feel bad about it. Standalones, in contrast, are wickedly hard to pull off if you want them to actually be any good. That’s probably why I respect books like This Was Our Pact as much as I do. Oh sure, it’s possible that Andrews has a sequel somewhere up his sleeve. The ending to this book certainly leaves itself open to further adventures, after all. But I take heart when I look at its spine and I don’t see that telltale number. No loose ends. A satisfying finish. I’d say that’s the hallmark of the standalone genre and I like it!
I want to double back and think a little bit more about something I mentioned about quests and how they can change in the course of a story. At the beginning of this book the quest is crystal clear. Ben makes a promise and then is the only one to follow through, though he’s joined by Nathaniel. As the story progresses, this pact bears the bulk of the narrative drive. Without that goal in the distance, the boys could just give up and go home. Then a bear joins them and its quest merges with their own. It’s difficult to pinpoint the moment when the boys realize that the journey is what they’ve actually been pursuing all along. Is it when the bear has left them? Is it earlier in the process when they’re floating in the sea under the stars? The last sentences in the book are “Never turning for home. Never looking back.” So often, a children’s book ends when the hero returns home, for good or for ill. Dorothy and Alice and Wendy. Even Harry Potter (though “home” is not a happy place for him). The idea of just going, with a never ending supply of Rice Krispie treats to support you along the way, there’s something really engaging about that. A freedom to it that a lot of children’s books don’t even attempt. And to a generation of kids hounded by helicopter parents, it may just be a clarion call.
Oh. And he can draw.
Hm? You would like me to elaborate on that a little? Sure. He can draw real good. Purdy like. His style, for the record, isn’t manga. I’m no expert but I know my way around a Ranma 1 ½ so I tried to see if there was any kind of influence at work here. That’s a big old nope. The man may live in Japan but he was born in California and it’s tricky tracking down his influences. He harbors a lot of love for Eleanor Davis (so consider pairing this book with her Secret Science Alliance if you feel a yen). But for the most part the man seems to exist in his own little world. Lots of ink washes and delicate pen-lined details. When I place the book down and don’t look at it, I remember his style as being somewhat sketchy and free flowing. Then I pick it up again and marvel at the intricacy of his line. Look at that page where a large black bird named Margaret draws a map for our heroes. A two-page spread opens, displaying hills, valleys, craters, and what is probably the most accurate rendering of our heroes’ journey you could hope for. I can already picture a certain kind of kid poring over this map, lining up each twist in the river or bridge or canyon with what happens in the story. The colors are digital, which makes sense when you think about it. The hues don’t have the gut punch beauty you’ll find in fellow 2019 graphic novel Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis, but they get the job done and don’t detract. All told, it’s a visual feast. As good a match for the writing as any you could hope for.
If kids yearn for quests of their own, little wonder. We, the parents, watch them like hawks, desperate to avert even the slightest sign of danger or pain. They can’t walk around the block. They can’t dash off on an adventure. But they still have their bicycles. They still have the ability to whiz down the streets, albeit for short, safe distances. For them, a book like This Was Our Pact might have a special significance it wouldn’t have had even twenty or thirty years ago. Here you have kids making the decision not just to quest but also to keep on going. They’re not going home to family and safety. Family will be there. Safety is inconsequential. There’s more out there to see and to do. Ben and Nathaniel are going to circumnavigate the globe. Don’t be surprised then if you detect a note of longing in the eyes of the kids that read this book. Thick with adventure, chock full of awe and beauty, this is what they mean when they say comics are an art unto themselves. The finest of the fine. Questing done right.
On shelves now.
Every year it’s the same. The people of Ben’s town will take their paper lanterns to the river during the Autumn Equinox Festival and drop them in. And every year Ben and his friends want to know where they’ll go. This year, they make a pact to follow the lanterns on their bikes. Follow them as far as they go, never stopping, no matter what. Only, one by one his friends drop out, till he’s the only one riding. Him and that weird kid from school Nathaniel. But a strange companion is better than none at all, and soon enough Ben realizes not just how much he needs Nathaniel’s help but also his friendship. Full of talking bears, flying fish, huge birds, dogs that can walk on water, and countless marvels, creator Ryan Andrews creates a world that is at once familiar and wholly original, where travel and escape are synonymous.
According to his biography, Ryan Andrews is “currently living in the Japanese countryside.” As such, it’s inevitable that he’d be compared with Miyazaki. Look through the online reviews of this book and I guarantee the name “Studio Ghibli” will pop up more than once. All well and good, but I think it’s prudent to remember that not all Miyazaki films are exactly the same. For example the innocence of Kiki’s Delivery Service is heads and tails different from Princess Mononoke with its occasional severed limbs. So where does This Was Our Pact fall on the sliding Ghibli scale? Gotta go with the classics on this one. Though it lacks its mild horror elements, tonally I think Spirited Away is the soul mate to This Was Our Pact. What Andrews does so well is that he makes room in his narrative for adventure, interpersonal relationships (and discussions of those relationships), and wonder. It’s the wonder part that’s the hardest, as far as I can ascertain. Miyazaki has music on his side, after all. Andrews has only ink and words on a page. Yet on multiple occasions he is able to conjure up points in the storytelling that stop the narrative cold and ask only that you feel a sense of awe. The attempt is gutsy. The follow through, gold.
I used to run a book club for 9-12 year olds and overwhelmingly the kids (and remember, this was close to a decade ago) wanted fantasy novels. Not just any fantasy novels, though. “Nothing with a number on a spine,” they said. Which is to say, they wanted standalone fantasies. Now, if you know anything about the publishing industry, fantasies published these days follow the Harry Potter model pretty closely. Why make money off of a single book when you can make gobs of money off of lots of books? And series are just easier to write anyway. You don’t have to tie up all the loose ends. You can end a book on a mysterious or creepy note and not feel bad about it. Standalones, in contrast, are wickedly hard to pull off if you want them to actually be any good. That’s probably why I respect books like This Was Our Pact as much as I do. Oh sure, it’s possible that Andrews has a sequel somewhere up his sleeve. The ending to this book certainly leaves itself open to further adventures, after all. But I take heart when I look at its spine and I don’t see that telltale number. No loose ends. A satisfying finish. I’d say that’s the hallmark of the standalone genre and I like it!
I want to double back and think a little bit more about something I mentioned about quests and how they can change in the course of a story. At the beginning of this book the quest is crystal clear. Ben makes a promise and then is the only one to follow through, though he’s joined by Nathaniel. As the story progresses, this pact bears the bulk of the narrative drive. Without that goal in the distance, the boys could just give up and go home. Then a bear joins them and its quest merges with their own. It’s difficult to pinpoint the moment when the boys realize that the journey is what they’ve actually been pursuing all along. Is it when the bear has left them? Is it earlier in the process when they’re floating in the sea under the stars? The last sentences in the book are “Never turning for home. Never looking back.” So often, a children’s book ends when the hero returns home, for good or for ill. Dorothy and Alice and Wendy. Even Harry Potter (though “home” is not a happy place for him). The idea of just going, with a never ending supply of Rice Krispie treats to support you along the way, there’s something really engaging about that. A freedom to it that a lot of children’s books don’t even attempt. And to a generation of kids hounded by helicopter parents, it may just be a clarion call.
Oh. And he can draw.
Hm? You would like me to elaborate on that a little? Sure. He can draw real good. Purdy like. His style, for the record, isn’t manga. I’m no expert but I know my way around a Ranma 1 ½ so I tried to see if there was any kind of influence at work here. That’s a big old nope. The man may live in Japan but he was born in California and it’s tricky tracking down his influences. He harbors a lot of love for Eleanor Davis (so consider pairing this book with her Secret Science Alliance if you feel a yen). But for the most part the man seems to exist in his own little world. Lots of ink washes and delicate pen-lined details. When I place the book down and don’t look at it, I remember his style as being somewhat sketchy and free flowing. Then I pick it up again and marvel at the intricacy of his line. Look at that page where a large black bird named Margaret draws a map for our heroes. A two-page spread opens, displaying hills, valleys, craters, and what is probably the most accurate rendering of our heroes’ journey you could hope for. I can already picture a certain kind of kid poring over this map, lining up each twist in the river or bridge or canyon with what happens in the story. The colors are digital, which makes sense when you think about it. The hues don’t have the gut punch beauty you’ll find in fellow 2019 graphic novel Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis, but they get the job done and don’t detract. All told, it’s a visual feast. As good a match for the writing as any you could hope for.
If kids yearn for quests of their own, little wonder. We, the parents, watch them like hawks, desperate to avert even the slightest sign of danger or pain. They can’t walk around the block. They can’t dash off on an adventure. But they still have their bicycles. They still have the ability to whiz down the streets, albeit for short, safe distances. For them, a book like This Was Our Pact might have a special significance it wouldn’t have had even twenty or thirty years ago. Here you have kids making the decision not just to quest but also to keep on going. They’re not going home to family and safety. Family will be there. Safety is inconsequential. There’s more out there to see and to do. Ben and Nathaniel are going to circumnavigate the globe. Don’t be surprised then if you detect a note of longing in the eyes of the kids that read this book. Thick with adventure, chock full of awe and beauty, this is what they mean when they say comics are an art unto themselves. The finest of the fine. Questing done right.
On shelves now.
September 12, 2019
This is a story suited perfectly for me. I very much enjoyed the fantasy of this. The colors and the mood set a magical tone and it delighted me.
Each year a village will send lighted lanterns down the river on the autumn equinox. A group of boys wants to follow the lanterns down the river and see where it goes. There are 4 of them that have made a pact not to stop and then a 5th boy tagging along the others don't really like. As the night begins, 3 of the boys in the original pack bail. The last boy won't give up and he actually does like the 5th boy. So the 2 of them strike out on a quest to see what happens to the lanterns.
Well, along the way, they meet interesting characters like a bear, who talks and many other odd people. I could say more, but I don't want to spoil this lovely story.
If you enjoy a bright fantastical story that brings hope to this world and pure joy of living, then you might enjoy this story too. It's done by the fantastic First Second press. It is almost 300 pages, and it reads quickly. I love when the world feels like it's filled with endless possibilities. Anything is possible.
Each year a village will send lighted lanterns down the river on the autumn equinox. A group of boys wants to follow the lanterns down the river and see where it goes. There are 4 of them that have made a pact not to stop and then a 5th boy tagging along the others don't really like. As the night begins, 3 of the boys in the original pack bail. The last boy won't give up and he actually does like the 5th boy. So the 2 of them strike out on a quest to see what happens to the lanterns.
Well, along the way, they meet interesting characters like a bear, who talks and many other odd people. I could say more, but I don't want to spoil this lovely story.
If you enjoy a bright fantastical story that brings hope to this world and pure joy of living, then you might enjoy this story too. It's done by the fantastic First Second press. It is almost 300 pages, and it reads quickly. I love when the world feels like it's filled with endless possibilities. Anything is possible.
March 8, 2021
Actual rating: 4.5
A little bit The Goonies.
A little bit Stranger Things.
A little bit Miyazaki.
A lotta bit magical, heartwarming, and beautiful.
Through some of the most imaginative and gorgeously illustrated pages I’ve seen, Ryan Andrews takes us on a journey of friendship and belonging. The magical realism really gave me Spirited Away vibes, and I’m left in awe. (Side-note: Fisherbear is the freakin’ BEST!)
A little bit The Goonies.
A little bit Stranger Things.
A little bit Miyazaki.
A lotta bit magical, heartwarming, and beautiful.
Through some of the most imaginative and gorgeously illustrated pages I’ve seen, Ryan Andrews takes us on a journey of friendship and belonging. The magical realism really gave me Spirited Away vibes, and I’m left in awe. (Side-note: Fisherbear is the freakin’ BEST!)
Read
November 20, 2022❤️‼️
June 30, 2019
This book knocked my socks off. The starting scene, of a group of kids on bikes setting off down a dark road might suggest Stranger Things but a closer emotional match is probably Spirited Away. Ben is one of five boys from his school who decide that this year, after the autumn festival, they will follow the paper lanterns released into the river below their town to see where they go. An old folk song says they turn into stars and rise into the sky, but that can't be true, can it? Tagging after the group is Nathaniel, a nerd and an outsider. Ben's friends tease him and Ben is too uncomfortable to speak up in his defense. But one by one the others drop out until only Ben and Nathaniel are left on the mission to follow the river and the lights. The things they discover are weirder, scarier, more beautiful and more wonderful than either could have imagined- or what I, as the reader, had imagined. This book really went places I wasn't expecting and I loved that. The art is gorgeous- an energetic pencil line with digital colors heavy on blues and purples, except for a few warm yellow or active magenta scenes. I think I will end up buying this book because I want to keep looking at it!
September 16, 2021
One of the most beautifully illustrated and penned middle grade graphic novels I would ever read, this one tells the story of a group of friends who wanted to bike their way until they discover where a certain river ende planning to follow floating paper lanterns without the knowledge of their families.
Of course, it's an adventure which wasn't planned well because they thought it would be easy and they would make it before anyone else finds out about it.
But yes, not everyone sticks with you when they sense trouble and the one who you didn't expect to believe in you actually sticks with you through thick and thin, and well that's the concept of this story I take!
It's an amazing fantastical story with lots of nerdiness going on in there. Yes, actually Ben is one of my most favourite amazing nerdiest characters now.
Nathaniel is unlikeable and so are the other side characters. There's this witch you're going to come across in the later half. Damn, she's trouble!
But my most favourite character turned out to be the bear (yes! A bear!) they met on the way and with whom they started the actual journey with, get lost together and yes, ultimately making their mission successful in the end.
It's the art that stands out. It feels like a beautiful dream! I can keep staring at it the whole day.
A fun, adventurous read!
Of course, it's an adventure which wasn't planned well because they thought it would be easy and they would make it before anyone else finds out about it.
But yes, not everyone sticks with you when they sense trouble and the one who you didn't expect to believe in you actually sticks with you through thick and thin, and well that's the concept of this story I take!
It's an amazing fantastical story with lots of nerdiness going on in there. Yes, actually Ben is one of my most favourite amazing nerdiest characters now.
Nathaniel is unlikeable and so are the other side characters. There's this witch you're going to come across in the later half. Damn, she's trouble!
But my most favourite character turned out to be the bear (yes! A bear!) they met on the way and with whom they started the actual journey with, get lost together and yes, ultimately making their mission successful in the end.
It's the art that stands out. It feels like a beautiful dream! I can keep staring at it the whole day.
A fun, adventurous read!
June 24, 2025
Miúdos que montam nas suas bicicletas e vão procurar o destino final das lanternas que são lançadas no rio durante o festival do equinócio de outono. Na sua busca, cruzam-se com outras criaturas, escalam montanhas, são presos por uma feiticeira, navegam numa gruta e têm muitas aventuras que reforçam a sua amizade.
Pode parecer uma aventura infantil muito fixe mas, a mim, pareceu tudo um pouco confuso e até demasiado extenso.
Pode parecer uma aventura infantil muito fixe mas, a mim, pareceu tudo um pouco confuso e até demasiado extenso.
June 25, 2020
Todo ano, no Equinócio de Outono, os moradores dessa cidade acendem lanternas e as colocam no rio. Diz a lenda que essas lanternas seguem pela água até que chegam na Via Láctea e viram estrelas. Só com essa premissa, já fiquei encantada com a história e pensei que isso combinaria demais com os filmes do Estúdio Ghibli.
A história começa com um grupo de garotos colocando as lanternas na água e decididos a irem descobrir o que realmente acontece com elas enquanto seguem pelo rio. Cada um em sua bicicleta sabe que as regras são claras 1. Ninguém volta pra casa e 2. Ninguém olha pra trás. Enquanto eles pedalam, um garoto da escola chamado Nathaniel está logo atrás tentando se enturmar, mas, como sempre, é zoado pelo grupo.
Quanto mais se afastam, mais os integrantes do grupo acabam desistindo e, no final das contas, Ben acaba sendo o único que permanece (frustrado e desanimado com os amigos). Nathaniel, que está logo atrás, o alcança e juntos eles seguem nessa aventura.
Amei acompanhar essa aventura que me fez ficar nostálgica, sonhadora e com o coração quentinho. Nathaniel é um personagem incrível e fiquei com muita vontade de entrar no livro e me tornar amiga dele.
Ah, as ilustrações do livro são lindas. Principalmente aquelas cenas cheias de estrelas. Me fizeram ficar mais encantada ainda e desejando poder estar em um lugar como aquele.
Com certeza vou reler de tempos em tempos ♡
Livro da minha TBR da Maratona Literária de Inverno 2020.
A história começa com um grupo de garotos colocando as lanternas na água e decididos a irem descobrir o que realmente acontece com elas enquanto seguem pelo rio. Cada um em sua bicicleta sabe que as regras são claras 1. Ninguém volta pra casa e 2. Ninguém olha pra trás. Enquanto eles pedalam, um garoto da escola chamado Nathaniel está logo atrás tentando se enturmar, mas, como sempre, é zoado pelo grupo.
Quanto mais se afastam, mais os integrantes do grupo acabam desistindo e, no final das contas, Ben acaba sendo o único que permanece (frustrado e desanimado com os amigos). Nathaniel, que está logo atrás, o alcança e juntos eles seguem nessa aventura.
Amei acompanhar essa aventura que me fez ficar nostálgica, sonhadora e com o coração quentinho. Nathaniel é um personagem incrível e fiquei com muita vontade de entrar no livro e me tornar amiga dele.
Ah, as ilustrações do livro são lindas. Principalmente aquelas cenas cheias de estrelas. Me fizeram ficar mais encantada ainda e desejando poder estar em um lugar como aquele.
Com certeza vou reler de tempos em tempos ♡
Livro da minha TBR da Maratona Literária de Inverno 2020.
January 2, 2020
I don't get it. Like, I really don't get it.
Give me the kids on bikes trying to find the end where the lanterns settle after sending them down the river. Give me the dares and don't look backs, but talking bears and fish that might be stars was too much. And I like magic and magical realism. I just didn't get this one.
I could legitimately stare at some of the pages, so beautifully drawn, but the story I could leave.
Give me the kids on bikes trying to find the end where the lanterns settle after sending them down the river. Give me the dares and don't look backs, but talking bears and fish that might be stars was too much. And I like magic and magical realism. I just didn't get this one.
I could legitimately stare at some of the pages, so beautifully drawn, but the story I could leave.
Read
May 3, 2019This is a fairly lovely graphic novel with a sweet, interesting story, but it's way longer than I feel like it ought to be, and I actually put it down at the halfway mark when I realized I hadn't cared about anything that had happened in a while. It doesn't help that the artwork is all pretty monochrome, so things start to blur together after a time.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
October 6, 2021
I loved this graphic novel that follows two friends as they attempt to solve the mystery of where the lanterns they set out on the river once a year end up. The friends promise not to turn back no matter what happens.
This introduces wondeful characters and interesting adventures. I loved the illustrations that bring color and expression vividly. I'm so glad I finally picked this one up.
This introduces wondeful characters and interesting adventures. I loved the illustrations that bring color and expression vividly. I'm so glad I finally picked this one up.
April 27, 2021
Завжди цікаво, коли ти уявляєш собі одну історію, а вона розгортається у зовсім іншому русі. Так і в цьому випадку: гадав, що це буде таке собі юнацьке роуд-муві на велосипедах із гарними пейзажами та розмовами біля багаття. Усе наче так, але в абсолютно несподіваному, оригінальному магічному антуражі. Історія про те, що декілька друзів вирішили слідувати за ліхтарями, яких щороку пускають річкою. Легенда каже, що ці ліхтарі пливуть вздовж річки доти, доки не перетворяться на зірки. От хлопаки й слідують за ними на велосипедах, щоб перевірити правду чи ні говорить місцева історія.
Раптом десь із другої глави усе міняється, переломлюється і перетворюється у гіпнотичне авторське фентезі. Замість команди друзів лишаються лише двоє, Бен та дивакуватий Натаніель, які однаково продовжують крутити педалі. Далі з ними починають траплятись неймовірні речі, перетворюючи основне завдання у низку підзавдань, розкриваючи й промальовуючи світ рибоголових ведмедів, дивних створінь, бабок-шаманок, які живуть у кам'яних вежах, а також ліхтарів, що рано чи пізно потрапляють на небо. Додайте сюди гарні пейзажі й живі емоційні діалоги, які десь та й видавлять із вас ностальгійну сльозу.
Поступово історія Раяна Ендрюса затягує, створює коловорот із міксу Міядзакі, інді коміксів для підлітків і чогось виняткового, притаманного лише авторській фантазії. Мені завжди імпонує, коли авторам коміксів є що сказати, а тут відчувається чудово продуманість історії і чіткість її реалізації завдяки блискучому малюнку й відчуттю кольору. Ендрюс не боїться експериментувати із бульками, шрифтом, переходами між панелями, що справді підкуповує. Любов до глибинки, провінції відчувається на кожній сторінці, автоматично даруючи ауру затишку й комфорту. Так, це дуже лампове чтиво, ідеальне для теплих осінніх вечорів (не випадково події відбуваються під час осіннього фестивалю), до якого захочеться повертатись у часи хандри й меланхолії.
Раптом десь із другої глави усе міняється, переломлюється і перетворюється у гіпнотичне авторське фентезі. Замість команди друзів лишаються лише двоє, Бен та дивакуватий Натаніель, які однаково продовжують крутити педалі. Далі з ними починають траплятись неймовірні речі, перетворюючи основне завдання у низку підзавдань, розкриваючи й промальовуючи світ рибоголових ведмедів, дивних створінь, бабок-шаманок, які живуть у кам'яних вежах, а також ліхтарів, що рано чи пізно потрапляють на небо. Додайте сюди гарні пейзажі й живі емоційні діалоги, які десь та й видавлять із вас ностальгійну сльозу.
Поступово історія Раяна Ендрюса затягує, створює коловорот із міксу Міядзакі, інді коміксів для підлітків і чогось виняткового, притаманного лише авторській фантазії. Мені завжди імпонує, коли авторам коміксів є що сказати, а тут відчувається чудово продуманість історії і чіткість її реалізації завдяки блискучому малюнку й відчуттю кольору. Ендрюс не боїться експериментувати із бульками, шрифтом, переходами між панелями, що справді підкуповує. Любов до глибинки, провінції відчувається на кожній сторінці, автоматично даруючи ауру затишку й комфорту. Так, це дуже лампове чтиво, ідеальне для теплих осінніх вечорів (не випадково події відбуваються під час осіннього фестивалю), до якого захочеться повертатись у часи хандри й меланхолії.
September 5, 2019
This is a fantastical, joyous ode to little weirdo's having wild adventures that made me get all teary like the big weirdo I am. Ryan Andrews is a marvelous story teller with a gift for capturing young boys in all their glory, wit, and occasional cruelty. His artistic style is just as kinetic and just a little choatic as his heroes who are determined to learn the fate of the paper lanterns they let lose every year at their autumn festival. What begins as a quick bike ride down the road swiftly becomes an utterly epic journey with talking bears, magic potions, monsters and the best thing of all, new friendships.
I loved every single page of this. It is a complete and total treasure of a story.
I loved every single page of this. It is a complete and total treasure of a story.
January 15, 2026
دبٌ متكلم، سيدة عبقرية مجنونة، قليلٌ من الأسماك الطائرة، وصداقة تعيد كل هذه الظواهر الغريبة إحياءها— هذا، وأكثر، ما يصنع هذا الكتاب. سحرٌ عجيب لا يحاول أن يفسّر وجوده، ولا أن يعتذر عن ما يسببه من حيرة. هو موجود، وما عليك إلّا الاستمتاع.
وإن كان هنالك من شيءٍ أكثر سحرًا، فسيكون الرسومات. لم أستمتع في حياتي بخطوطٍ وألوان كما استمتعت ها هنا. أسلوبٌ جميلٌ ومناسب للقصة.
هذا الكتاب يذكرني بأنّ عليّ قراءة المزيد من القصص المصوّرة التي استمتع بتجميعها، يذكرني بأنّ في قراءتها متعةً تفوق متعة تكدّيسها. حتمًا سأفعل، بإذن الله.
September 20, 2020
Para amantes de El viaje de Chihiro y Hilda, con un encanto desbordante en sus ilustraciones y una aventura de fantasías muy bonita
July 4, 2022
✨10/10✨ Çizgi roman okumaya yeni başlayan kişilerin keyifle okuyacağını düşünüyorum. Hem eğlenceli hem heyecan dolu bir macerayı anlatıyor. Karakterler birbirinden tatlı ve sonu çok güzel. ⭐️
January 20, 2020
There have been few times in my entire life when I’ve felt the need to hold a book to my chest after reading it and simply contemplate what just happened. That just happened with this book.
The story was so freaking beautiful, it’s impossible to explain. Sometimes times I lose hope in kid’s books, frowning at the fact that there seem to be no modern stories for young kids that have any depth to them, no new stories to take kids on magical journeys. Thank you for restoring my hope in good fiction for children, Ryan Andrews, and in good fiction in general.
This is a graphic novel, so I’ve got to discuss the art. Lemme say right off the bat - mind-bendingly detailed, incredibly emotive, inventively expressive, revolutionarily attention-grabbing are a few of the things I could say. Instead, I think a simple “comfortingly familiar while also being dwarfingly vast” will suffice.
This Was Our Pact was perfect for now and will be perfect forever, a story about two very real children discovering the scope of their universe, something I wish could be as easy as riding a bike, helping a bear, calling a witch, harvesting a star and eating Rice Krispie Treats.
The story was so freaking beautiful, it’s impossible to explain. Sometimes times I lose hope in kid’s books, frowning at the fact that there seem to be no modern stories for young kids that have any depth to them, no new stories to take kids on magical journeys. Thank you for restoring my hope in good fiction for children, Ryan Andrews, and in good fiction in general.
This is a graphic novel, so I’ve got to discuss the art. Lemme say right off the bat - mind-bendingly detailed, incredibly emotive, inventively expressive, revolutionarily attention-grabbing are a few of the things I could say. Instead, I think a simple “comfortingly familiar while also being dwarfingly vast” will suffice.
This Was Our Pact was perfect for now and will be perfect forever, a story about two very real children discovering the scope of their universe, something I wish could be as easy as riding a bike, helping a bear, calling a witch, harvesting a star and eating Rice Krispie Treats.
January 11, 2020
3.5 stars, because I really enjoyed the beautiful artwork and unique storyline.
My only gripe is that I wish Madam Majestic had made another appearance, she was my favorite character next to Nathaniel :(
My only gripe is that I wish Madam Majestic had made another appearance, she was my favorite character next to Nathaniel :(
July 13, 2019
Two boys ride their bicycles down a road filled with increasingly fantastical characters and situations. What seemed a pretty standard story won me over with its charm, humor and simplicity.
December 3, 2021
★ 4.0 Stars ★
This was a fun and magical time, bursting with beautiful art and colours!
May 12, 2025
Studio Ghibli, not Disney or Pixar, remains the gold standard of modern fantasy storytelling. Its films possess a quality that transcends genre—slow-burning, deeply felt, rich in wonder. So when a graphic novel is described as “Stand By Me” meets “My Neighbor Totoro”, the bar is set impossibly high. That This Was Our Pact not only meets but surpasses those expectations is, frankly, a small miracle.
The story opens on the night of the Autumn Equinox Festival, where the townspeople release paper lanterns into the river, following the local legend that they drift into the sky and become stars. Ten-year-old Ben and his group of friends make a pact: follow the lanterns, no turning back, no looking homeward. Predictably, one by one the boys drop out—except Ben and, surprisingly, Nathaniel, a classmate he barely tolerates. What follows is an odyssey into the surreal and the sublime, where the two boys encounter talking animals, magical potions, and a universe as mysterious as it is inviting.
What makes This Was Our Pact so special is not just the magic, but how patiently it unfolds. Roger Ebert once said the brilliance of Ghibli films lies in their quiet pace, their obsessive attention to detail, and their ability to show the world not as it is, but as it should be. Andrews embraces this ethos. His world reveals itself slowly—through gentle turns, whispered secrets, and starlit silences. The art is stunning in its restraint, like a dream remembered in full color.
But Andrews adds something more. His world feels impossibly vast. There are unexplained elements—enigmatic characters, half-revealed subplots, open-ended questions. Who are the mysterious Enlightened Ones? Why does the potion-making witch live alone in the woods? What happened to the bear’s family? These mysteries are never fully answered, and that’s precisely the point. Like Miyazaki before him, Andrews trusts the intelligence of his audience. He knows that wonder is born not from explanation, but from suggestion.
This is not just a children’s book. It is a parable for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, a meditation on friendship, curiosity, and the quiet heroism of continuing on when others turn back. I read it once with delight. I read it again with awe. I will return to it many times.
And now, as if the stars aligned themselves, Peter Dinklage has acquired the rights to adapt This Was Our Pact into a film, lending his voice to the Bear. If the adaptation captures even a fraction of the book’s soul, we’re in for something truly extraordinary.
STYLING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ORIGINALITY: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
CHARACTER DEV.: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PLOT DEV: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
IMPORTANCE: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The story opens on the night of the Autumn Equinox Festival, where the townspeople release paper lanterns into the river, following the local legend that they drift into the sky and become stars. Ten-year-old Ben and his group of friends make a pact: follow the lanterns, no turning back, no looking homeward. Predictably, one by one the boys drop out—except Ben and, surprisingly, Nathaniel, a classmate he barely tolerates. What follows is an odyssey into the surreal and the sublime, where the two boys encounter talking animals, magical potions, and a universe as mysterious as it is inviting.
What makes This Was Our Pact so special is not just the magic, but how patiently it unfolds. Roger Ebert once said the brilliance of Ghibli films lies in their quiet pace, their obsessive attention to detail, and their ability to show the world not as it is, but as it should be. Andrews embraces this ethos. His world reveals itself slowly—through gentle turns, whispered secrets, and starlit silences. The art is stunning in its restraint, like a dream remembered in full color.
But Andrews adds something more. His world feels impossibly vast. There are unexplained elements—enigmatic characters, half-revealed subplots, open-ended questions. Who are the mysterious Enlightened Ones? Why does the potion-making witch live alone in the woods? What happened to the bear’s family? These mysteries are never fully answered, and that’s precisely the point. Like Miyazaki before him, Andrews trusts the intelligence of his audience. He knows that wonder is born not from explanation, but from suggestion.
This is not just a children’s book. It is a parable for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, a meditation on friendship, curiosity, and the quiet heroism of continuing on when others turn back. I read it once with delight. I read it again with awe. I will return to it many times.
And now, as if the stars aligned themselves, Peter Dinklage has acquired the rights to adapt This Was Our Pact into a film, lending his voice to the Bear. If the adaptation captures even a fraction of the book’s soul, we’re in for something truly extraordinary.
STYLING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ORIGINALITY: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
CHARACTER DEV.: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PLOT DEV: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
IMPORTANCE: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
June 30, 2019
Another excellent middle-grade/coming-of-age comic about friendship. I had no idea there was a fantasy element involved in this book, because I didn't bother to read the blurb. I really love when modern-day books have a splash of magic in them - it makes me think that maybe someday I'll meet a talking bear or come upon a barge full of magical creatures or a friendly troll living under a bridge. The themes of friendship, self-acceptance, accepting others and bullying seem to be big for me this month. Very much enjoying that! I highly recommend this one, especially if you love selective color palettes in your graphic novels.
August 13, 2019
Two boys share a magical adventure when they attempt to follow some paper lanterns on a trip down the river. Andrews packs this graphic novel with all sorts of sciency tidbits about astronomy, but there's also a wonderful message about daring to take chances.
"Ben, no one is going to force you to, but if you don't jump in, you'll always think back on this moment and wish that you had."
As you can probably tell by the cover, the artwork is gorgeous.
"Ben, no one is going to force you to, but if you don't jump in, you'll always think back on this moment and wish that you had."
As you can probably tell by the cover, the artwork is gorgeous.
February 5, 2020
Ayer leí Nuestro pacto de Ryan Andrews, lo leí en español, acá en Goodreads no lo encontré en la edición que yo leí, solo en inglés.
Es novela gráfica, se Lee muy rápido y es súper linda la historia.
El libro nos cuenta sobre un chico llamado Ben que junto a sus amigos deciden perseguir las linternas que todos los otoños se sueltan al río. La leyenda dice que las linternas suben al cielo y se transforman en estrellas y eso es precisamente lo que Ben y sus amigos planean corroborar.
Pero no todo sale como lo esperado, Ben se queda solo cuando sus amigos rompen el pacto y deciden volver a casa, tendrá un acompañante, Nathaniel, un chico al que todos ignoran y no quieren como amigos.
Juntos van a vivir aventuras, conocer a un oso del que se harán amigos y averiguar a dónde van las linternas.
La historia es linda, podría haber sido mejor, pero igual es linda. Los dibujos son hermosos!! Tiene unas imágenes preciosísimas y es el motivo principal por el que me encantó el libro.
Recomedo si quieren leer algo ligero, entretenido y que te saque una sonrisa. Muy recomendado para chicos de todas las edades.
.
Yo leyendo nuestro pacto: 😊☺️😆🤪😌
Es novela gráfica, se Lee muy rápido y es súper linda la historia.
El libro nos cuenta sobre un chico llamado Ben que junto a sus amigos deciden perseguir las linternas que todos los otoños se sueltan al río. La leyenda dice que las linternas suben al cielo y se transforman en estrellas y eso es precisamente lo que Ben y sus amigos planean corroborar.
Pero no todo sale como lo esperado, Ben se queda solo cuando sus amigos rompen el pacto y deciden volver a casa, tendrá un acompañante, Nathaniel, un chico al que todos ignoran y no quieren como amigos.
Juntos van a vivir aventuras, conocer a un oso del que se harán amigos y averiguar a dónde van las linternas.
La historia es linda, podría haber sido mejor, pero igual es linda. Los dibujos son hermosos!! Tiene unas imágenes preciosísimas y es el motivo principal por el que me encantó el libro.
Recomedo si quieren leer algo ligero, entretenido y que te saque una sonrisa. Muy recomendado para chicos de todas las edades.
.
Yo leyendo nuestro pacto: 😊☺️😆🤪😌
February 9, 2020
No he leído muchas historias gráficas pero "Nuestro Pacto" de Ryan Andrews ha logrado escalar rápidamente a ser una de las mejores que leí, con unas ilustraciones dignas de disfrutar doblemente y con una trama muy compleja.
La pequeña historia con giros mágicos me mantuvo al pendiente de toda la Corriente del río con sus linternas.
La fábula que nos encontramos me gustó muchísimo y la unión de los mundos fue bien encaminada.
Los personajes me gustaron mucho en su desarrollo siendo el oso mi favoritooooooo (y su bufanda jajajaj). Una historia cargada del significado de la verdadera amistad y con pequeños aprendizajes regados en todo el libro.
PD: Mi vida está tan planeada como el gran mapa familiar del oso.
La pequeña historia con giros mágicos me mantuvo al pendiente de toda la Corriente del río con sus linternas.
La fábula que nos encontramos me gustó muchísimo y la unión de los mundos fue bien encaminada.
Los personajes me gustaron mucho en su desarrollo siendo el oso mi favoritooooooo (y su bufanda jajajaj). Una historia cargada del significado de la verdadera amistad y con pequeños aprendizajes regados en todo el libro.
PD: Mi vida está tan planeada como el gran mapa familiar del oso.
June 16, 2019
The must read graphic novel of the summer starts off like with a realistic premise of a group of boys out to see whether a fantastical story they've heard all their lives is true or not and then veers off into Miyazaki/ Studio Ghibli territory! What I also liked is that this was pretty substantial text-wise.
January 2, 2021
Эта обложка давно не давала мне покоя, и на новый год я всё-таки заказала этот комикс себе под ёлку. Оказалось, всё так, как я и ожидала. Настоящее приключение, говорящий медведь и всё такое. Мальчишки замечательные.
Единственный минус: МАЛО, и я хочу узнать, что было дальше.
Единственный минус: МАЛО, и я хочу узнать, что было дальше.
March 11, 2020
Ehkä ennemmin 3.75 kuin 3.5🤔 saattaa pienen sulattelun jälkeen nousta myös 4 tähteen. Ihana tarina<3
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,813 reviews