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A review by mat_tobin
Glister by Andi Watson
5.0
Anyone who has a lovely of books that sit between those liminal spaces of reality and fantasy that is similar to the work of Aiken and Wynne Jones will love spending time with Watson's 'Glister' and to think that it's too high-brow for younger readers then misunderstands how clever and adept young, independent readers can be.
Collating together four stories which focus on Glister Butterworth and her life at Chilblain Hall, this series sees our eponymous hero as she seeks to understand, relate to and then save her family home which is very much like Hogwarts with regards to its ever-changing architecture and residents but, perhaps, with a touch more Trollope to it.
From teapots haunted by frustrated writers, to a literal family tree that blooms past members, to a wonderfully folkloric encounter with the fey-folk in which Glister fights for the return of her missing mother, Watson has created a rich and complex narrative, presented in clear lines and muted tones (each book is coloured in a single colour).
This graphic novel thrums with layers of meaning and it's clear that Watson is catering here to many readers who will arrive at Chilblain Hall with different levels of understanding and life experience. I think he knows that, when they return with each new read, they will find something new and exciting to catch their imagination. The sign of a very fine book.
Collating together four stories which focus on Glister Butterworth and her life at Chilblain Hall, this series sees our eponymous hero as she seeks to understand, relate to and then save her family home which is very much like Hogwarts with regards to its ever-changing architecture and residents but, perhaps, with a touch more Trollope to it.
From teapots haunted by frustrated writers, to a literal family tree that blooms past members, to a wonderfully folkloric encounter with the fey-folk in which Glister fights for the return of her missing mother, Watson has created a rich and complex narrative, presented in clear lines and muted tones (each book is coloured in a single colour).
This graphic novel thrums with layers of meaning and it's clear that Watson is catering here to many readers who will arrive at Chilblain Hall with different levels of understanding and life experience. I think he knows that, when they return with each new read, they will find something new and exciting to catch their imagination. The sign of a very fine book.