We Called Them Giants
A teenage girl encounters huge, mysterious aliens in the engrossing graphic novel We Called Them Giants.
Lori, who is used to being moved between foster families, feels hardened to the world. When she wakes to find that most of the population has disappeared, she reasons that “The rapture is when all the good people disappear. I don’t believe in good people,” so this can’t be that. She and schoolmate Annette team up to navigate their strange new circumstances. On the run from a gang, they witness a pair of giant aliens fall from the sky. Annette is taken by the red giant; later, it saves Lori’s life. Suspicious of the red giant and unable to understand its language or motivations, Lori comes to realize that, despite her initial doubts, the giant is her best hope for survival.
The story is fueled by bold narrative decisions. The mass disappearance of humans and arrival of the aliens are kept mysterious, creating tension and intrigue as people gather information through guesswork and experience. Lori’s emotional breakthroughs and rediscoveries of how to trust are a satisfying second thread. And the illustrations are sleek and dynamic, with invigorating depictions of movement throughout. Their expert showcase of colors emphasizes the contrasts between the bleak, barren environment and the potent, powerful “otherness” of the aliens.
We Called Them Giants is a thrilling graphic novel about alien contact on a postapocalyptic Earth.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
