Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from IDW Publishing via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band
Author: Christian Staebler & Sonia Paoloni 
Illustrator: Thibault Balahy
Release Date: October 27, 2020


Synopsis: Experience the riveting, powerful story of the Native American civil rights movement and the resulting struggle for identity told through the high-flying career of west coast rock n' roll pioneers Redbone.

You've heard the hit song "Come and Get Your Love" in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, but the story of the band behind it is one of cultural, political, and social importance.

Brothers Pat and Lolly Vegas were talented Native American rock musicians that took the 1960s Sunset Strip by storm. They influenced The Doors and jammed with Jimmy Hendrix before he was "Jimi," and the idea of a band made up of all Native Americans soon followed. Determined to control their creative vision and maintain their cultural identity, they eventually signed a deal with Epic Records in 1969. But as the American Indian Movement gained momentum the band took a stand, choosing pride in their ancestry over continued commercial reward.

Created with the cooperation of the Vegas family, authors Christian Staebler and Sonia Paolini with artist Thibault Balahy take painstaking steps to ensure the historical accuracy of this important and often overlooked story of America's past. Part biography and part research journalism, Redbone provides a voice to a people long neglected in American history.

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Review: I was familiar with some Redbone songs, but I did not know the story of the band's origin. This is a biographical graphic novel that follows the members of the band starting in the late 1950s. There's also a paired story in the modern time within the book. These kind of stories deserve to be told. I just really wish this particular book was more captivating. 

I found the formatting of the book difficult to follow. I read a lot of graphic novel and I found myself unsure where on the page to read next. I ended up reading many sentences out of order, I think. There isn't a clear through-line to guide you through the historic events. It's awesome to see the cameos of other famous musicians during that time period, but they didn't blend well with the story. It seemed like the book followed the chain of events that happened in reality, but there wasn't a story to follow that really kept me gripped. I found myself casually flipping ahead while perusing the pages.

I give this book a 3/5. The content and historical facts were super interesting, but the artwork and the storytelling methods used did not compliment them well. I'm glad I read this book because it led to me researching more about the band and listening to their music on Spotify. 


--PAUL