A review by juushika
The Ghost-Eye Tree by John Archambault, Bill Martin

2.0

You know those vintage advertisements featuring photorealistic illustrations of cherubic, uncannily over-expressive kids in full color? Like that, only darker watercolors, and at the heart of the narrative is an eerie tree watching the kids with its branch-framed moon, its nighttime critters, its drifting leaves. It could be an interesting tonal contrast if it felt intentional, but it doesn't, really--this leans hard into a nostalgia I just don't share or care about, and it overshadows the promising spooky elements.