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abookishreverie 's review for:
Welcome to Lovecraft
by Joe Hill
This a spoiler-free review of the entire series.
Locke & Key tells the story of a family who ends up relocating to Keyhouse, a New England mansion located on the fictional town of Lovecraft, after experiencing a terrible tragedy. While at Keyhouse, the kids (Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode) come across a variety of magical keys which open different doors and grant certain powers and abilities to those who possess them. Of course there is so much more to the story than that. Joe Hill is a masterful storyteller and he uses Locke & Key to explore themes of friendship, loss, love, and family.
I was absolutely floored by Locke & Key. It has been so long since I’ve read something that has affected me this much. The story is absolutely amazing. The horror is so well done and so effective because it feels so real. These characters feel like real people and they react to the events in a way that I would expect real people to react. I challenge anyone to read this series and not fall in love with Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode, or to not end up feeling anxiety over the fate of this family.
The secondary characters are incredibly well written as well. I loved finding out about their uncle Duncan and the role he played in the story. I thought he was a great father-figure to the kids and such a crutch for the family in their time of need. I also really appreciated Mrs. Locke and the heartbreaking portrayal of the way she dealt with the aftermath of the horrific events that began the story. Let’s not forget the antagonists either. Sam Lesser completely horrified me, and even after we get some of his back story and understand how he came to be this terrible person, the pity you feel for him ends up being mixed with disgust. Dodge was also incredibly repulsive but he was the prime example of the type of villain you love to hate. He was funny, cool, and utterly terrifying all at once and I loved him as the villain. I experienced a whole range of emotions when we find out his back story as well.
The story in this series is so complex and amazing and I’m absolutely convinced that it works so well because of these characters. The concept of magical keys that bestow different abilities to the user was also very well done. I was both fascinated and frightened by the power of the keys, and I sort of think that was the point Joe Hill was trying to make. Yes, the magical keys are amazing and I can’t deny that given the opportunity I wouldn’t jump at the chance to use the Head Key or the Anywhere Key, but you also get a clear sense of the damage these keys cause. I thought it was great that we get to see how dangerous the keys can be even in the hands of someone who has no intentions of using them to cause harm.
Finally, you absolutely cannot talk about this wonderful series without mentioning the beautiful art by Gabriel Rodriguez. Boy, does that man have talent! The characters are drawn with so much expression and the details on the panels are breathtaking. There are a few silent spreads that are incredibly well done and require no words for you to be able to tell exactly what is happening, or what a character is feeling in that scene. I sincerely hope that Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez collaborate on another project in the future because this was nothing short of amazing. If you have not yet read Locke & Key, do yourself a favor and go out and get all six volumes right now. I promise you that this series is one that will earn a permanent spot on your shelves.
Locke & Key tells the story of a family who ends up relocating to Keyhouse, a New England mansion located on the fictional town of Lovecraft, after experiencing a terrible tragedy. While at Keyhouse, the kids (Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode) come across a variety of magical keys which open different doors and grant certain powers and abilities to those who possess them. Of course there is so much more to the story than that. Joe Hill is a masterful storyteller and he uses Locke & Key to explore themes of friendship, loss, love, and family.
I was absolutely floored by Locke & Key. It has been so long since I’ve read something that has affected me this much. The story is absolutely amazing. The horror is so well done and so effective because it feels so real. These characters feel like real people and they react to the events in a way that I would expect real people to react. I challenge anyone to read this series and not fall in love with Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode, or to not end up feeling anxiety over the fate of this family.
The secondary characters are incredibly well written as well. I loved finding out about their uncle Duncan and the role he played in the story. I thought he was a great father-figure to the kids and such a crutch for the family in their time of need. I also really appreciated Mrs. Locke and the heartbreaking portrayal of the way she dealt with the aftermath of the horrific events that began the story. Let’s not forget the antagonists either. Sam Lesser completely horrified me, and even after we get some of his back story and understand how he came to be this terrible person, the pity you feel for him ends up being mixed with disgust. Dodge was also incredibly repulsive but he was the prime example of the type of villain you love to hate. He was funny, cool, and utterly terrifying all at once and I loved him as the villain. I experienced a whole range of emotions when we find out his back story as well.
The story in this series is so complex and amazing and I’m absolutely convinced that it works so well because of these characters. The concept of magical keys that bestow different abilities to the user was also very well done. I was both fascinated and frightened by the power of the keys, and I sort of think that was the point Joe Hill was trying to make. Yes, the magical keys are amazing and I can’t deny that given the opportunity I wouldn’t jump at the chance to use the Head Key or the Anywhere Key, but you also get a clear sense of the damage these keys cause. I thought it was great that we get to see how dangerous the keys can be even in the hands of someone who has no intentions of using them to cause harm.
Finally, you absolutely cannot talk about this wonderful series without mentioning the beautiful art by Gabriel Rodriguez. Boy, does that man have talent! The characters are drawn with so much expression and the details on the panels are breathtaking. There are a few silent spreads that are incredibly well done and require no words for you to be able to tell exactly what is happening, or what a character is feeling in that scene. I sincerely hope that Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez collaborate on another project in the future because this was nothing short of amazing. If you have not yet read Locke & Key, do yourself a favor and go out and get all six volumes right now. I promise you that this series is one that will earn a permanent spot on your shelves.