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A review by litprof
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
Shockingly—I would say gratuitously—explicit, with graphic violence and death on nearly every page. Given that so many of the victims are portrayed as cute, I thought there might be an anti-meat messaging, but that didn't emerge.
The writer and illustrator clearly have a complex world in mind, but I found it difficult to follow the plot and relationships, or understand the world. My partner started reading it too, and even discussing the world didn't help clarify. The lecture excerpts from the professor cat were somewhat helpful, but I still wasn't sure what was going on. The illustrations are exquisite, but I will not be reading the subsequent volumes in the series.
The writer and illustrator clearly have a complex world in mind, but I found it difficult to follow the plot and relationships, or understand the world. My partner started reading it too, and even discussing the world didn't help clarify. The lecture excerpts from the professor cat were somewhat helpful, but I still wasn't sure what was going on. The illustrations are exquisite, but I will not be reading the subsequent volumes in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Animal cruelty, and Child abuse