A review by jessdlibrarian
Bayou, Vol. 1 by Jeremy Love

1.0

I was impressed and scared by Bayou. The illustrations are breathtaking and at time horrifying. The story really fit the setting of the bayou, a beautiful, mysterious, and dangerous place...as was Mississippi in 1933. The story was a mix of history and fantasy. I really enjoyed the historical part, but the fantasy part was a little too scary for me. I couldn't imagine a child reading this and seeing pictures of dead Billy, the hanged men, the table of skulls, or Lee shooting Cotton Eyed Joe. It honestly gave me nightmares, and I still shudder thinking about it. Yet, there are some loveable characters as well. Lee's father is strong and sweet. He does a good job of raising his brave daughter and defending her when he must. Yet, he will not admit to a wrong he didn't commit. Bayou is an interesting character, but pretty gross with his decaying body and five year old mind. But soon he becomes brave and decides to help Lee on her journey to save Lily. The story had both positive and negative points, but I don't think I would recommend it for anyone under the age of 12.