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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
So stunningly beautiful and unexpected. Emily Carroll is without peer.
The art is lovely and the story is neat, but it felt truncated
Carroll has such a compelling approach to story telling. She's great at achieving a sense of suspense and mystery both through dialog and imagery and this story is no exception.
I don't know exactly how to categorize it, but it is a thrilling mix or horror and sensuality.
I don't know exactly how to categorize it, but it is a thrilling mix or horror and sensuality.
I'm an easy sell for "short graphic novel about violence, identity, magic, and lesbians," but this gave me all I wanted and more. Its brevity allows for experimentation and excess that might be overwhelming at length. The narrative coils and layers on itself in 3+ recontextualizations; I read it twice in succession, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it's perfectly cogent on reread and richer for that density. Not all elements of the style work for me, but the cumulative effect--of strong black/white/red, of thick and curving female bodies, of panels that contrast fluid structure with sharp negative space, of a stylized and visceral script ("lies slid their way from my stomach to my tongue")--is delightful. It's exactly the sort of indulgence and erotic tension and self-reflection I want from a gothic fairy tale. (4.5 stars, bumped up because this is my jam.)
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood
dark
tense
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The art was absolutely stunning, the story, not so much. It’s sapphic Dracula-esque with a cat-human hybrid, very dreamlike, but just doesn’t make much sense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot