Publication Date: November 20th, 2018
Pages: 144
Genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Goodreads Blurb:
"Mila is a solitary teenager ready to put another boring summer vacation behind her until she meets Agnes, an adventurous girl who turns out to be a ghost. And not just a regular ghost, but one carrying the essence of an ancient fallen king and a mouth full of teeth that used to be his guardian warriors. Three-time Eisner Award–nominated writer/artist Tony Sandoval presents a wondrous world of secret places and dreamlike magic hidden in the everyday corners of our sleeping imagination."
I got this book from Netgally in exchange for an honest review.
The artwork in this book is amazing. It's beautiful, surreal and gothic, with just the right amount of creepiness. This book has octopuses, lesbians, bad ass females, foxes and family relationships. Oh and an obsession with teeth. The story has a sense of melancholy to it and quirkiness.
There wasn't a lot of world building or character development, which is my complaint with the book. It didn't wow me, and based off of the blurb I was excited for it. Gnlsts and an ancient king? Adventurous friend that shows the way to more excitement? Things I typically love. I also do enjoy graphic novels, and wasn't expecting a ton of character development or world development due to the method of presentation. Even still, it didn't reach that for me. This could very likely be a me, not you moment but it wasn't for me. After I read this I learned that it was middle grade, which surprised me with the artwork, but makes sense with the character development and simplicity of the story.
2 wineglasses out of 5.
I honestly think this was just me. The story just didn't work for me, because lack of world building and character development are deal breakers for me. It felt a little too simple of a story for me. For a middle grade novel, it is good. The artwork is great and the story is on par for MG books. I'd recommend it to that age group, but I wouldn't recommend it to adults.
Cheers,
Jen!