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A review by jecoats
Through the Woods by E.M. Carroll
5.0
My wife owns this graphic novel, and I started paging through it while I was looking for Little Red Riding Hood texts to read. This book has won several awards, including the Milwaukee County Teen Book Award (2015) and the British Fantasy Award for Best Comic/Graphic Novel (2015).
This graphic novel is comprised of five distinct tales of terror. While none of them are an exact retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, the first tale and the conclusion bear some similarity to the classic story.
The first story tells the tale of three girls abandoned in a cabin, holding out hope their father will return. At night, a mysterious figure visits each girl, and the following night the girl disappears. The final sister sets out in search of her missing siblings, only to finally encounter the creature that has kidnapped her sisters. While the remaining sibling is not taking a basket of goodies to her grandmother, she does wear a red cloak and go off in search of her family. And while there is no wolf awaiting her, when she finally meets the creature that kidnapped her siblings, she comments that "he is no man," which reminded me of the way the wolf disguises himself in human clothes.
The final story is more reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood in that a young girl is going to stay with her mother and brings with her a basket (which I think is filled with books). Of course, the young girl is not only cloaked in red, but must traverse the woods at night to reach her mother. Once the girl arrives and is tucked in bed, a wolf appears at her window, reminding her it only takes one unlucky moment for the wolf to claim its prey. Again, this is only loosely connected to the classic tale, but the resemblance is undeniable.
I thought this graphic novel would be worth reviewing since two of the tales do have similarities (some stronger than others) to Little Red Riding Hood. I also thought it would be worth reviewing because this is a fantastic graphic novel. I think older students (7th to 12th grade) would probably appreciate these macabre and grotesque tales. The artwork is exquisite, and somehow, I found it more upsetting to behold than if it we're depicted using more realistic illustrations. I strongly recommend Through the Woods.
This graphic novel is comprised of five distinct tales of terror. While none of them are an exact retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, the first tale and the conclusion bear some similarity to the classic story.
The first story tells the tale of three girls abandoned in a cabin, holding out hope their father will return. At night, a mysterious figure visits each girl, and the following night the girl disappears. The final sister sets out in search of her missing siblings, only to finally encounter the creature that has kidnapped her sisters. While the remaining sibling is not taking a basket of goodies to her grandmother, she does wear a red cloak and go off in search of her family. And while there is no wolf awaiting her, when she finally meets the creature that kidnapped her siblings, she comments that "he is no man," which reminded me of the way the wolf disguises himself in human clothes.
The final story is more reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood in that a young girl is going to stay with her mother and brings with her a basket (which I think is filled with books). Of course, the young girl is not only cloaked in red, but must traverse the woods at night to reach her mother. Once the girl arrives and is tucked in bed, a wolf appears at her window, reminding her it only takes one unlucky moment for the wolf to claim its prey. Again, this is only loosely connected to the classic tale, but the resemblance is undeniable.
I thought this graphic novel would be worth reviewing since two of the tales do have similarities (some stronger than others) to Little Red Riding Hood. I also thought it would be worth reviewing because this is a fantastic graphic novel. I think older students (7th to 12th grade) would probably appreciate these macabre and grotesque tales. The artwork is exquisite, and somehow, I found it more upsetting to behold than if it we're depicted using more realistic illustrations. I strongly recommend Through the Woods.