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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
marissarosee's review
3.0
This was super interesting. It seems very much like a creepier version of Sword Art Online and I'm definitely interested in reading more.
readthesparrow's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The pitch for Cemetary Kids Don't Die reminded me a bit of the anime Goodnight World, which is why I initially picked it up. Both are about kids that escape their fraught family lives into a VR MMO that hides a dark secret, and I hoped that Cemetary Kids Don't Die would bring what I was missing from Goodnight World (namely, likeable characters and a good plot [because, look, while Goodnight World is fun garbage, I wouldn't call its plot particularly engaging or unique]).
Cemetary Kids Don't Die did, for the most part, deliver on that! Although sometimes shitty to one another in the way that teens are, the main characters were really quite likable, especially the main character Birdie. After a car crash that killed her mother, Birdie is disabled, and uses a wheelchair--my favorite moment comes when one of her friends accuses her of being obsessed with the game Nightmare Cemetary because it allows her the full mobility that she no longer has in her waking life, which Birdie shuts down immediately.
The setting was also really interesting. A la eXistenZ, there is a splash of bio-tech horror with the eerily fleshy Dreamwave, the gaming console that the kids put on at night. The game's visuals are delightfully busy, with gorgeous art and lush colors that really make it pop. I love the kid's avatars--they feel very accurate to what edgy teens would make for themselves--and while the mechanics of Nightmare Cemetary are a bit up in the air (is it an MMO or a multi-player game? How do the levels work?), the fact it doesn't really quite read like a functioning video game doesn't really matter much.
Ultimately, reading this novel really brought me back to books I loved as a teen: Discordia (which absolutely no one else has ever read or remembers) and Malice.
The main issue stopping me from giving this a full five stars is the end. It felt rushed, unfulfilling, and a little rote. I'm not going to knock the creators for it, since the vibe it gave me was that the series was suddenly canceled and they had to wrap the story up quick, but it still left me feeling disappointed.
Cemetary Kids Don't Die did, for the most part, deliver on that! Although sometimes shitty to one another in the way that teens are, the main characters were really quite likable, especially the main character Birdie. After a car crash that killed her mother, Birdie is disabled, and uses a wheelchair--my favorite moment comes when one of her friends accuses her of being obsessed with the game Nightmare Cemetary because it allows her the full mobility that she no longer has in her waking life, which Birdie shuts down immediately.
The setting was also really interesting. A la eXistenZ, there is a splash of bio-tech horror with the eerily fleshy Dreamwave, the gaming console that the kids put on at night. The game's visuals are delightfully busy, with gorgeous art and lush colors that really make it pop. I love the kid's avatars--they feel very accurate to what edgy teens would make for themselves--and while the mechanics of Nightmare Cemetary are a bit up in the air (is it an MMO or a multi-player game? How do the levels work?), the fact it doesn't really quite read like a functioning video game doesn't really matter much.
Ultimately, reading this novel really brought me back to books I loved as a teen: Discordia (which absolutely no one else has ever read or remembers) and Malice.
The main issue stopping me from giving this a full five stars is the end. It felt rushed, unfulfilling, and a little rote. I'm not going to knock the creators for it, since the vibe it gave me was that the series was suddenly canceled and they had to wrap the story up quick, but it still left me feeling disappointed.
jerichajade's review
3.0
Cemetery Kids Don't Die is about a video game where people get stuck in the game. This is not a new concept. I have seen it in Are You Afraid of the Dark, Sword Art online, and Dot Hack. The thing that puts people in the game is very weird looking. It has tentacles and looks like a descendant of a face hugger. I found it strange that no one talked about how weird this device was and how creepy it looked.
We follow four teenagers as they lay the game. The dialogue is a bit cringe to me and sometimes it felt like they were younger than teenagers by the way they talked. Their moments where they say mean things to other and are very self-centered which again they are teenagers, but I feel like if they were trying to save a friend, they would try to talk things out. I know how logical of me to think that teens could do something like that. The story starts out after two of the characters have lost their mother and they use the game to get over that trauma. There is a lot of darkness and trauma used for the story. This is not a light hearted read.
Now to the art. Daniel's art is crazy. When in the game the art is gross but beautiful. I was terrified of the puppets and loved that part the comic. I am definitely on the lookout for more of their work.
Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for the ARC.
We follow four teenagers as they lay the game. The dialogue is a bit cringe to me and sometimes it felt like they were younger than teenagers by the way they talked. Their moments where they say mean things to other and are very self-centered which again they are teenagers, but I feel like if they were trying to save a friend, they would try to talk things out. I know how logical of me to think that teens could do something like that. The story starts out after two of the characters have lost their mother and they use the game to get over that trauma. There is a lot of darkness and trauma used for the story. This is not a light hearted read.
Now to the art. Daniel's art is crazy. When in the game the art is gross but beautiful. I was terrified of the puppets and loved that part the comic. I am definitely on the lookout for more of their work.
Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for the ARC.
thespookylibrary's review against another edition
4.0
This was a interesting graphic novel. I thought that the game system that they were using was a very interesting concept. I am honestly surprised that I liked this as much as I did. When I saw that is was a video game concept I wasn't expecting to like it as much. But I could definitely see myself reading a second volume if they release one. I loved the horror vibe it had which was the whole reason I picked this book up. I will be looking to see if the author has any other books because I did enjoy the writing style.
librarianryan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? Complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated
4.0
In a world where you play video games while you sleep, sometimes if you die in the game, you die in life. This book was interesting and I’m not 100% sure I understood the end of volume one. So I would be interested in checking out volume two. We start with the brother and his sister and who they are in this game. You wear this game at night while you sleep. The older brother is withdrawn and kind of going crazy and gets stuck in the game, but his sister is like no you’re not stuck in the game even though you’re at the hospital and still playing the game and I’m going to save you. They enlist their friends to see if they can’t win and figure out why they fall asleep then wake up with injuries. The storytelling this is quite interesting, and the illustrations are beautiful. Volume one leaves one questioning and wanting volume two to figure out if what they thought was the end is the end.
m560's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Four teenagers play the videogame Nightmare Cemetery in their sleep every night. A great escape from their not-always-so-great reality. Until one of them gets stuck in the game, and reality and game seem to blend together more and more.
"Nothing scares me anymore. My worst nightmare has already happened."
This comic surprised me in the best way possible. The story starts off very strong and keeps evolving throughout by constantly raising the stakes. It's amazing how the authors take you on an incredible journey in just 112 pages.
They've taken a premise we've seen before, and still created a wholly original story. This comic made me feel a range of emotions. It handles among other things: friendship, family, grief, trauma, disability, escapism, addiction, and substance abuse. All with the gravitas and sensitivity these topics deserve.
Besides this Cemetery Kids Don't Die instills a genuine sense of terror in its reader through a wonderful combination of story and art. The art style is visceral and perfectly fits the horror and gore.
I adore so many aspects of this comic, but I especially love the characters. The characters are unique, diverse and memorable. As a disabled person it's rare to see this aspect of myself represented in media, and it is even rarer to see it done with the sensitivity the topic demands. The authors absolutely nail true to life representation.
"Contrary to what you may think, my chair is my body! It is my life!"
Cemetery Kids Don't Die is perfect for fans of horror and gore, who love layered storylines and diverse characters.
Thank you Oni Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
dont_tell_mom69's review
4.0
I was not ready for the chaos of this. I love a complex sibling relationship and disability representation is also a big win in my eyes.
Seeing a wheel chair user be a prominent part of the story and not have her disability be a focal point was an amazing factor.
The art was phenomenal!
Seeing a wheel chair user be a prominent part of the story and not have her disability be a focal point was an amazing factor.
The art was phenomenal!
neonmime's review against another edition
5.0
...Why have I never ever heard of 'Cemetery Kids Don't Die'?! This volume was awesome and I really had a fantastic time of this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for this fabulous ARC.
A solid kudos to Zac Thompson and Daniel Irizarri for their hard work.
Since this is my first time reading a graphic novel like this one and I really want to talk about my experience with it. I was caught up from the very first page, the idea of a horror/scifi fantasy exciting and the art all encompassing. Beautiful. There is so much detail going on in every part of the strip, each window holdings a vast amount of hard work and possibly hours of it. The colours were perfectly well picked and the font was a great choice.
If there does end up being a kindle version do not forget about the ability to select a window to zoom into so that people on smaller devices can see.
Five stars and I cannot wait to recommend this to others.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for this fabulous ARC.
A solid kudos to Zac Thompson and Daniel Irizarri for their hard work.
Since this is my first time reading a graphic novel like this one and I really want to talk about my experience with it. I was caught up from the very first page, the idea of a horror/scifi fantasy exciting and the art all encompassing. Beautiful. There is so much detail going on in every part of the strip, each window holdings a vast amount of hard work and possibly hours of it. The colours were perfectly well picked and the font was a great choice.
If there does end up being a kindle version do not forget about the ability to select a window to zoom into so that people on smaller devices can see.
Five stars and I cannot wait to recommend this to others.
justinekorson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
This was a very interesting graphic novel. I enjoyed the art inside of it and the overall plot but it didn't sit right with me that the POC characters (Wilson and then and young asian girl I can't remember her name but she was very minimal to the plot) were the ones who were shown like being killed or viciously changed. It also happened to Eri too but nothing as bad as what happened with Wilson. The ambiguous ending was very chilling though so I enjoyed that part of it. I wonder if there will be more to this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
This was a very interesting graphic novel. I enjoyed the art inside of it and the overall plot but it didn't sit right with me that the POC characters (Wilson and then and young asian girl I can't remember her name but she was very minimal to the plot) were the ones who were shown like being killed or viciously changed. It also happened to Eri too but nothing as bad as what happened with Wilson. The ambiguous ending was very chilling though so I enjoyed that part of it. I wonder if there will be more to this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
bobsandtheirbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated
4.0
[ARC Review]
I really enjoyed Cemetery Kids. The art style was so vibrant and interesting and the story had me hooked from the get go.
The art could tell the story itself with how detailed it is drawn, it is so terrifying and the body horror is done spectacularly that I thought I might throw up at one point 😂
I really loved how relatable the characters felt and they were compelling to watch as they experience a horrific virtual reality game and its real life consequences.
Overall it was grotesque and cool at the same time and I can't wait to see more volumes produced.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the e-arc in exchange for a free, voluntary review.
I really enjoyed Cemetery Kids. The art style was so vibrant and interesting and the story had me hooked from the get go.
The art could tell the story itself with how detailed it is drawn, it is so terrifying and the body horror is done spectacularly that I thought I might throw up at one point 😂
I really loved how relatable the characters felt and they were compelling to watch as they experience a horrific virtual reality game and its real life consequences.
Overall it was grotesque and cool at the same time and I can't wait to see more volumes produced.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the e-arc in exchange for a free, voluntary review.