Home » Posts tagged "young adult horror fiction" (Page 5)

Book Review: Graveyard Quest by KC Green

Graveyard Quest by KC Green

Oni Press, 2016

ISBN: 9781620102893

Available: Kindle edition and comiXology ebook, print

Graveyard Quest follows, well, the Gravedigger, who keeps the bones of his dead mother in a cabinet, and talks to them every moment he can. He is tormented by the ghost of his dead father, the previous Gravedigger, who is frustrated with his son’s inability to get over his mother’s death. One morning, the Gravedigger wakes to find his mother’s bones missing. He ventures to the underworld to try to reclaim them. Along the way, he encounters an unusually helpful mole, a town of worms, and a team of ghost bandits, among others. The Gravedigger’s father follows him, demanding he turn back and do his job, as the bodies are piling up in the graveyard back home.

Will the Gravedigger help the government break into Hell? Will he reclaim the bones of his dead mother? Will his father ever be happy with him? Why is this mole always helping him? And what’s the deal with the ghost bandits wanting to break into Heaven? All of these questions are answered within the pages of this graphic novel, which is hilarious, heart wrenching, and full of adventure. While the language may not be suitable for some children, it may be enjoyable for some young adults, depending on their reading taste. I would be fine with my oldest nephew, who is also a horror fan, reading this.  The artwork is simple, but pretty great. I think my favorite panels involve the worm community. The “reverend” worm is fantastic. Recommended for those who like a little humor in their graphic novels.

Note: Graveyard Quest began as a story arc on Green’s web comic, Gunshow.

Contains: some strong language

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker


Book Review: The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel, Volume One by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell


 The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel, Volume 1, by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell

Harper Collins, 2014

ISBN13: 9780062312556

Available: Hardback

 

So let’s say a beautiful story, the kind you never forget, isn’t good enough for you. So someone decides to translate it into a visual medium. but one artist isn’t enough. Here Russell decides to give artist teams each a chapter to create.

The Graveyard Book is awesome, and in Russell’s graphic novel adaptation of  Neil Gaiman’s Newbery Award-winning novel, other artists have distilled that exquisiteness into a new form. Sometimes the tale is exceedingly grim (it begins with a blood covered knife and a crime scene) but at its heart, it’s about choosing how to live. Not recommended for young children, but highly reommended for teens and adults.

 

Contains: Graphic violence, dark themes

Reviewed by Michele Lee

 

Editor’s Note: I think the illustrations in the original book are more shocking and leave more to the imagination than the graphic novel, which is, well, much more graphic. Either way, it’s a compelling story, with impressive artwork, and it’s pretty neat to see it adapted into another format– fans of Gaiman’s who love his comic books and graphic novels but have never encountered The Graveyard Book are being given an incredible opportunity. I do want to emphasize that, as Michele notes, because it is much more graphic and detailed, the graphic novel is not child-appropriate. Handle with care– and enjoy!

Book Review: Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Viking Penguin, 2013

ISBN-13: 978-0670786206

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

I don’t read a lot of YA fiction, as I tend to enjoy a harder, darker horror in general, but I have enjoyed it from time to time, and the concept of Man Made Boy intrigued me.

It is indeed an interesting book filled with fun ideas. Man Made Boy is the story of Boy, the son of the Frankenstein monster and his Bride. Boy and his parents live in a New York City refuge for monsters; hidden in plain sight from the public as a part of a freak show, the monsters live in a labyrinth behind and underneath a theater in the city. I LOVED this concept. The set-up is beautifully done and creates a wonderful environment that is both gothic and surreal.

Boy is a teenager and this for sure is a road trip coming-of-age novel. Boy decides he wants to leave the show and live in the outside world, which is not the easiest thing to do when you are made up of re-animated body parts, but he gets out there and gets a job. As he travels, he meets other monsters, falls in love and has adventures. Where the story gets muddied is in a secondary plot about Boy’s love for hacking; he creates a villain named Vi, a sentient computer virus, in effect making Boy like Doctor Frankenstein.

The theme is not subtle, it is about responsibility. I thought the novel was fun overall and would be perfect for young teens. There is some strong language and suggestion of sexuality, entirely off camera. The book is targeted to ages 12 and up, and I think that is fair n terms of age-appropriateness. YA collections should have this book– kids looking for a light-hearted fantasy will enjoy it. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by David Agranoff