Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exciting graphic-novel set is powerful historical fiction.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In Boxers, set in China in 1898, Little Bao wants to protect himself, his family and his village from the thugs, soldiers, and missionaries who harass them. He learns kung-fu, recruits an army of Boxers -- peasants trained in the martial arts -- and with the aid of the ancient gods, leads a grassroots rebellion that threatens the entire empire. Meanwhile in Saints, Four-Girl, feeling unwanted and unwelcome in her family, revels in being bad, until she begins to learn about Christianity. In the church, she's given a new name, Vibiana, and experiences visions of Joan of Arc that confirm her belief in her own righteousness. The paths of Bao and Vibiana eventually intersect, with harrowing results.
Is It Any Good?
BOXERS & SAINTS is an extremely well-crafted and exciting set of graphic novels, focused on a historical period not well known in the United States. Through the parallel stories of two teens caught up on opposite sides of China's Boxer Rebellion of 1899-1900, writer/illustrator Gene Luen Yang incisively explores questions of faith, extremism, patriotism, and self-reliance, without offering any simplistic answers.
The cast of each volume is well defined, with each character recognizable not only by how they are drawn but also by how they act and speak. Boxers & Saints is powerful historical fiction, full of compelling incidents and multidimensional characters, and Yang treats his subject with clarity, conviction, and style.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the challenges of presenting history in a graphic novel. Are there things words and pictures can do together that words alone cannot? What other graphic novels have you read?
Is violence the best method of resisting oppression? Are there others way to stand up for your rights without bloodshed?
How can religion enrich people's lives? How can it be used to oppress them?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Gene Luen Yang
- Genre : History
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : First Second
- Publication date : September 10, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 512
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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