A review by coralinejonesss
Fly by Night by Tara O'Connor

1.0

Art: 5/5
Story/writing: 1/5
The art is gorgeous and atmospheric, exactly what this topic needed.
The writing on the other hand....what the heck is going on here?? Did the editor totally not read this or something? This author has no idea how law enforcement works in the most basic sense....Cop Dad: We have no evidence to go on and the case is inactive. We found your missing sister's car yesterday and there were "no forensics" found in it.
Next baffling example: Cop dad says missing sister's bandana was found to have "no FINGERPRINTS" and "no forensics." Like??? They would not be looking for fingerprints on a textile??? And no forensics is not what would be said, it would be like no DNA or evidence was found....
Very strange parental relationship too....so separated but temporarily living together so their daughter can....attend her...for some reason separated twin sister's school and....look for her....when her dad is a cop, and is working on her case with the local cops (never shown except for in an environmental protest scene)....Mom and dad fight violently when together, yet they are staying together and even have a relationship where her dad's new partner (pregnant with his baby), knows her and allows her to meet her child after the book ends.....What in tarnation? Never explained further.
Also baffling: the text on the book jacket, which explains that the author lives in the U.K. and the About the author page in the book which says the author and colorist live in "Northern Ireland"and that the author formerly lived in New Jersey, where the book is set. The copyright page says the cover design, art, and text were by the author. So...was this a case of an American author living abroad and not even realizing basic stuff like that Ireland is not in the U.K.???
Finally, spoilers ahead....



so you're telling me, everyone totally accepted that the evil oil man was a supernatural creature instantaneously because friend 1 livestreamed his evil monologue ....
and what killed me too was when his henchman says all the necessary permits are secured. what would you like us to do with the forest?....like???? Permits are building permits....with building PLANS that are approved giving Permission in the form of a permit...to build....???? And he goes...Flatten it. Raze it all to the ground. ?????
And to top it all off - the whole Lucas/sister thing had zero relation to the oil pipeline story....it reads like the author just wanted to put in activist stuff "because it was 2020" without any depth of understanding about being an activist, the topic, (nor basic life stuff itself like that you can't get fingerprints off a handkerchief) So somehow we end up with a confused garbled story that is bafflingly strange at times.

In sum, great art - but holy crap am I confused and baffled at the writing!