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A review by puzzledbooks
In: A Graphic Novel by Will McPhail
4.0
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the ARC of this graphic novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“It can only be words. When bad things have happened in the past, there has always been a series of letters that, if put in the right order and said in the right way...can change everything. It’s like a spell, or the combination on a lock, if you’re not into witches. And you are into locks.”
Summary: "In" follows Nick as he navigates a life that severely lacks feeling, as he tries to make connections with others, find meaningful relationships, and come to terms with his mother's illness.
I have had this graphic novel on my TBR list since January, so I was beyond excited to get an advance review copy, and I was absolutely not let down. McPhail has a dry, witty sense of humor, and does an excellent job of shifting from that humor to the story's more serious tone in the second half.
What worked so well for me was the use of color; when Nick would make connections with others or when true moments of self-reflection would occur, the normally black-and-white color scheme would change to full-color, which was a great choice visually and as punctuation to those moments of import for Nick.
I think my favorite part of this novel was Nick's internal monologue; it was incredibly relatable (the process of connecting with another human being using only your words is the most simple yet complex thing in the world) and got me to chuckle out loud - a hard feat for a book to make me do.
Overall, this is a graphic novel that does tone right; it's funny when it needs to be, awkward as humanity so often is, and tragic without being in-your-face - just with enough heartache to feel very, very real.
4.5/5
“It can only be words. When bad things have happened in the past, there has always been a series of letters that, if put in the right order and said in the right way...can change everything. It’s like a spell, or the combination on a lock, if you’re not into witches. And you are into locks.”
Summary: "In" follows Nick as he navigates a life that severely lacks feeling, as he tries to make connections with others, find meaningful relationships, and come to terms with his mother's illness.
I have had this graphic novel on my TBR list since January, so I was beyond excited to get an advance review copy, and I was absolutely not let down. McPhail has a dry, witty sense of humor, and does an excellent job of shifting from that humor to the story's more serious tone in the second half.
What worked so well for me was the use of color; when Nick would make connections with others or when true moments of self-reflection would occur, the normally black-and-white color scheme would change to full-color, which was a great choice visually and as punctuation to those moments of import for Nick.
I think my favorite part of this novel was Nick's internal monologue; it was incredibly relatable (the process of connecting with another human being using only your words is the most simple yet complex thing in the world) and got me to chuckle out loud - a hard feat for a book to make me do.
Overall, this is a graphic novel that does tone right; it's funny when it needs to be, awkward as humanity so often is, and tragic without being in-your-face - just with enough heartache to feel very, very real.
4.5/5