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yourmainelibrarian's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
el_wheel's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Grief, Blood, Gore, Child death, Death, and Homophobia
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
A graphic novel featuring several spooky, creepy, WTF, NOPE stories that will have you stay awake long past midnight.
I am a big big fan of Abby Howard. Her normal work, her horror/mystery work, I love it all. She has a really great art style. So when I saw the tweet regarding the Kickstarter for this book I knew I had to support and get this book! I have had this book on my PC for some time now, with lockdown and all that I just didn’t get to it, but I have been in a horror/spooky mode so I decided now was the right time.
I wrote a short review per story!
Girl in the Fields: Star rating, 5 stars: A story about a girl with very strict and old-fashioned parents. I was pretty horrified by the parents, especially the mom, she was just horrendous. You don’t do that crap and if your kid is gay that is totally fine you don’t send her to Christian therapy. WTF. Then comes the moment she hears a voice on the other side of the fence and sees and eye, the girls start talking and I was very happy for Frankie to have found someone… though I had my suspicions on who that was… The last few pages had me go NOPE NOPE NOPE and WOW what just happened? It felt a bit short, I don’t know, I would have loved some more information on certain things, certain things fleshed out more. But in overall, this was both a sad and a creepy story and a great start to this book.
Mattress used: Star rating, 4.5 stars: Um, eww girl why did you pick that up from the streets? I get being desperate, but there is a giant stain in there. YUCK. The rest of the story is pretty disgusting and really if something visited me at night? I would definitely BURNED that mattress so FAST. Also, so American at times (because really the first thing I would do when I wake up in a hospital isn’t wondering if I can afford being here). 4.5 stars, and that is just because the girl was an idiot and should NOT have done the things she did. Plus, my stomach is turning so badly now it is a whirlpool. There is so much disgustingness. Oh, and for some reason I thought the woman in her apartment was her mom. Don’t ask me why, probably because of how she acted and totally was more responsible she just seemed like a mom.
The Boy From the Sea: Star rating, 4.5 stars: and that is really mostly because Nia was a selfish freaking brat. Really, I get that things aren’t as fun as they used to, I get that your sister is different. I get moving can’t be fun. But your sister loves you and instead of understanding you just act like a first-grade brat. I get that Nia is quite young, and this is how kids often act, but sorry it did ruin the story for me at points. Even when Ayanna showed some love and interest Nia stayed bratty. Gregory, NOPE. And he got even more NOPE as the story unfolded, I mean, seriously, seeing him just stand there in front of the window/door was just so creepy. I loved Ayanna and my heart broke for her and the father of the girls. The ending, HOLY WOW. That is one way to end things. I am happy with the extra part after that, though it broke my heart even further.
Our Lake Monster: Star rating, 5 stars:WELL FUCK. I wasn’t a fan of the MC because of how dumb she was in believing the monster was just a sweet little thing, wtf, given the drawings and what we learn I knew it was a NOPE. I didn’t want to get a closer look to it. No sirree. The drawings were enough for me. I did feel for the family given they were pretty much stuck with a monster so close to their home. A lot of things happen around the mid/ending of this that made me go NOPE NOPE NOPE. The ending was so WHAT THE FUCK, I love it but also want to puke because oh boy disgusting.
Kindred Spirits: Star rating, 5 stars: HOLY FREAKING WHUUUUTT. I would never opened my door for that, no sirree, no thank you, nope nope nope. I would just have rolled down a curtain or something and turned away and the next day I would have sought for a new home. Haha, bye bye, NOPE. This was a strangely sad and weird story, I really liked it though it seriously creeped me out. The ending just broke my heart.
So as you can see I am very positive about this delightful, and maybe a tad too much for my stomach at times, graphic novel. It is gruesome, it is horrifying, and I love it. The art is just perfect and make things even more creepy. The title fits the book perfectly. I hope Abby Howard will make more graphic novels/books like this. I need more! I would highly recommend this book to all!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I am a big big fan of Abby Howard. Her normal work, her horror/mystery work, I love it all. She has a really great art style. So when I saw the tweet regarding the Kickstarter for this book I knew I had to support and get this book! I have had this book on my PC for some time now, with lockdown and all that I just didn’t get to it, but I have been in a horror/spooky mode so I decided now was the right time.
I wrote a short review per story!
Girl in the Fields: Star rating, 5 stars: A story about a girl with very strict and old-fashioned parents. I was pretty horrified by the parents, especially the mom, she was just horrendous. You don’t do that crap and if your kid is gay that is totally fine you don’t send her to Christian therapy. WTF. Then comes the moment she hears a voice on the other side of the fence and sees and eye, the girls start talking and I was very happy for Frankie to have found someone… though I had my suspicions on who that was… The last few pages had me go NOPE NOPE NOPE and WOW what just happened? It felt a bit short, I don’t know, I would have loved some more information on certain things, certain things fleshed out more. But in overall, this was both a sad and a creepy story and a great start to this book.
Mattress used: Star rating, 4.5 stars: Um, eww girl why did you pick that up from the streets? I get being desperate, but there is a giant stain in there. YUCK. The rest of the story is pretty disgusting and really if something visited me at night? I would definitely BURNED that mattress so FAST. Also, so American at times (because really the first thing I would do when I wake up in a hospital isn’t wondering if I can afford being here). 4.5 stars, and that is just because the girl was an idiot and should NOT have done the things she did. Plus, my stomach is turning so badly now it is a whirlpool. There is so much disgustingness. Oh, and for some reason I thought the woman in her apartment was her mom. Don’t ask me why, probably because of how she acted and totally was more responsible she just seemed like a mom.
The Boy From the Sea: Star rating, 4.5 stars: and that is really mostly because Nia was a selfish freaking brat. Really, I get that things aren’t as fun as they used to, I get that your sister is different. I get moving can’t be fun. But your sister loves you and instead of understanding you just act like a first-grade brat. I get that Nia is quite young, and this is how kids often act, but sorry it did ruin the story for me at points. Even when Ayanna showed some love and interest Nia stayed bratty. Gregory, NOPE. And he got even more NOPE as the story unfolded, I mean, seriously, seeing him just stand there in front of the window/door was just so creepy. I loved Ayanna and my heart broke for her and the father of the girls. The ending, HOLY WOW. That is one way to end things. I am happy with the extra part after that, though it broke my heart even further.
Our Lake Monster: Star rating, 5 stars:WELL FUCK. I wasn’t a fan of the MC because of how dumb she was in believing the monster was just a sweet little thing, wtf, given the drawings and what we learn I knew it was a NOPE. I didn’t want to get a closer look to it. No sirree. The drawings were enough for me. I did feel for the family given they were pretty much stuck with a monster so close to their home. A lot of things happen around the mid/ending of this that made me go NOPE NOPE NOPE. The ending was so WHAT THE FUCK, I love it but also want to puke because oh boy disgusting.
Kindred Spirits: Star rating, 5 stars: HOLY FREAKING WHUUUUTT. I would never opened my door for that, no sirree, no thank you, nope nope nope. I would just have rolled down a curtain or something and turned away and the next day I would have sought for a new home. Haha, bye bye, NOPE. This was a strangely sad and weird story, I really liked it though it seriously creeped me out. The ending just broke my heart.
So as you can see I am very positive about this delightful, and maybe a tad too much for my stomach at times, graphic novel. It is gruesome, it is horrifying, and I love it. The art is just perfect and make things even more creepy. The title fits the book perfectly. I hope Abby Howard will make more graphic novels/books like this. I need more! I would highly recommend this book to all!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
geekwayne's review
5.0
'The Crossroads at Midnight' with story and art by Abby Howard is a graphic novel with five gruesome stories, and some really great art.
A girl meets a strange neighbor next door where the stranger farmer lives. A poor student finds a mattress on the street and encounters a creature who wants to collect something. The five stories in this collection are all about encounters with strange beings, but the similarities end there. Each one has it's own emotional tone.
I liked the stories in this collection. I liked the varied stories and the creepy nature of all of them. The art is black and white and I loved it! The line work is really intricate and just so good. I loved Abby Howard's work on The Last Halloween and it continues to shine here.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
A girl meets a strange neighbor next door where the stranger farmer lives. A poor student finds a mattress on the street and encounters a creature who wants to collect something. The five stories in this collection are all about encounters with strange beings, but the similarities end there. Each one has it's own emotional tone.
I liked the stories in this collection. I liked the varied stories and the creepy nature of all of them. The art is black and white and I loved it! The line work is really intricate and just so good. I loved Abby Howard's work on The Last Halloween and it continues to shine here.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
aeclinger's review
4.0
Wow this was so so well done! Creepy as hell with a variety of themes (some gore, some melancholy), loved the format and the illustrations
Not my usual cup of tea but the library kids are super into horror and I’m trying up up my readers advisory game
Not my usual cup of tea but the library kids are super into horror and I’m trying up up my readers advisory game
jessareader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
theangrystackrat's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
peyjturner's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tacita's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
4.75