Reviews

The Woman in the Woods and Other North American Stories, by Kel McDonald, Kate Ashwin, Mercedes Acosta, Rhael McGregor, Maija Ambrose Plamondon, Alina Pete, Milo Applejohn, Jordaan Arledge, Elijah Forbes, Alice Rl, Izzy Roberts

byn's review

fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

dreamreader's review

informative reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Pretty good! This is a collection of short comics meant for kids, and I think that it serves the intended audience well. I'm a bit older than the target demographic, so I found some of the stories to be lacking in areas, but as a collection this is well done, and I love that it brings together so many wonderful tales from different Indigenous tribes and nations. My two favorites were "The Rougarou" and "Agonjin in the Water." I liked both the stories and art styles best in those two. But everything here was enjoyable, and I would especially recommend this for kids. 

clarabooksit's review

adventurous funny relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Gun violence and Violence

boopointeshoes's review

adventurous challenging informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

slimikin's review

adventurous informative mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

overhillunderhill's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

eyelit's review

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

3.0

qrschulte's review

adventurous dark emotional informative 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

4.0

The stories in the collection are really good, I just didn’t necessarily love all the art styles in it. So many of the stories were so tragic. 

book_nut's review

3.0

More important than engaging.

ljrinaldi's review

5.0

To say that everything that Iron Circus Comics does is gold doesn’t quite explain why I love their anthologies so much. This is the fifth of their Cautionary Fables and Fairy Tales, and in this volume the stories are written by North American First Nations, Metis and Native Peoples based on stories they have heard, and want to pass down, or variations therein.

The Woman in the Woods has lovely stories, and scary stories, and stories that are so wonderful, with illustrations so fluid, such as the picture of the octopus woman dancing in the sunlight drifting down to her cave or the creator deciding to create life on earth, even though it will be good mixed with evil, or a mishipeshu, the guardian of lakes and rivers, or of a horse that was once human that gave it up for power.

Some are stories that are firmly in the past, some are contemporary, but all have elements of the stories passed down.

There are trickster rabbit stories. There are monsters that were once human, and there are tales of a ghost horse that along with the bride that bonded with it, helps those in need.
Wonderful collection. Highly recommend it, as I would all the other books in the series.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.