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geekwayne's review against another edition
3.0
Mallory Grennan returns from Iraq and tries to pick up the pieces of her broken life. Someone from her past starts sending her thumbprints and she needs to find out who. The truth she finds is gruesome and revealing of who she really might be.
This is based on a short story by Joe Hill, and, while it's not as horrific as some of his other work, it has an inward darkness to it. From Mallory's confession of her past in Iraq, which she seems to have no qualms about, to the constant pressure from her boss John Petty at the VFW bar she works at, there is not a lot of hope or happiness here. The characters exist in a sort of moral ambiguity that they have justified for themselves, so the progression of the story seems like a natural finale.
Story by Joe Hill and Jason Ciaramella is dark and only gets darker. Art by Vic Malhotra is simple with vague shapes that fit the ambiguous moral nature of the story being told. I enjoyed it.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this graphic novel.
This is based on a short story by Joe Hill, and, while it's not as horrific as some of his other work, it has an inward darkness to it. From Mallory's confession of her past in Iraq, which she seems to have no qualms about, to the constant pressure from her boss John Petty at the VFW bar she works at, there is not a lot of hope or happiness here. The characters exist in a sort of moral ambiguity that they have justified for themselves, so the progression of the story seems like a natural finale.
Story by Joe Hill and Jason Ciaramella is dark and only gets darker. Art by Vic Malhotra is simple with vague shapes that fit the ambiguous moral nature of the story being told. I enjoyed it.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this graphic novel.
theseventhl's review
4.0
A hell of a read for ninety nine cents. It was dark, brutal, and effective. I had initially wished there was more, but now I think it was the perfect length. Hill tackles the Iraqi prisoner torture issue with unflinching detail; certainty not for those who get squeamish reading details of torture and violence. There was also a sample of his newest book which I'll certainly be checking out before too long.
P.S. Hey self, why did you wait so bloody long to read Joe Hill? Honestly!
P.S. Hey self, why did you wait so bloody long to read Joe Hill? Honestly!
megadeathvsbooks's review
4.0
This was more intense than most of his writings, mostly due to the fact that it's realistic - there was real fear in it.
duparker's review
3.0
Pretty good, better than Heart Shaped Box, but clearly an early novella that was resurfaced after fame. Kinda bold in someways and kinda just there in others. I liked the focus on the war and ways it impacts people, but it didn't do too much to make me more of a Joe Hill fan.
beingshort's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
kandicez's review against another edition
5.0
That was...wow, just wow! The original short story was very, very good, but this just took it up a notch.
A woman comes back from the military (without honor) where she was an interpreter who helps with interrogation. She was not only good at it, but enjoyed it a bit much.
In just over a hundred pages, the writer and illustrator managed to invest you in this woman you simply cannot like and also make you feel fear on her behalf. Fear for her. That's quite a feat when you don't care for someone.
The illustrations were spot on. I'm so glad I picked this up.
A woman comes back from the military (without honor) where she was an interpreter who helps with interrogation. She was not only good at it, but enjoyed it a bit much.
In just over a hundred pages, the writer and illustrator managed to invest you in this woman you simply cannot like and also make you feel fear on her behalf. Fear for her. That's quite a feat when you don't care for someone.
The illustrations were spot on. I'm so glad I picked this up.
jefffrane's review against another edition
2.0
An interesting package, containing a graphic adaptation of a Joe Hill novella, then the novella itself and finally an unrelated graphic story--which I liked quite a bit more than the primary story. The Thumbprint comic is an echo of classic Creepy stories and not very imaginative. Plus count me not a fan of Vic Malhotra's art.