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howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)
I... whew. I don't even know what to make of what I just read. I don't think I've ever seen a graphic novel with so much gore, violence, rape, and dismemberment in my life, and Garth Ennis really doesn't hold back on those character deaths and shocking moments. If you enjoy extreme horror and gore, definitely pick up a copy of Crossed, but if you're squeamish at all, give it a pass.
Content warnings for murder, gratuitous violence, torture, rape, ableist and homophobic slurs, child death
Content warnings for murder, gratuitous violence, torture, rape, ableist and homophobic slurs, child death
Holy hell, this graphic novel memoir is powerful. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire thing, got choked up twice, and full-on sobbed near the end. I don't even think I can do this one justice in a review, because it honestly just hit me so hard, and even more to know that — in the author's own words — crossing the border in 1998 was nothing compared to the terror it has become in 2019.
Man. My heart hurts.
As a bonus, I adore Tony's art style — it's so unique and distinctly his own, and I highly recommend checking out anything he creates (but especially this).
Man. My heart hurts.
As a bonus, I adore Tony's art style — it's so unique and distinctly his own, and I highly recommend checking out anything he creates (but especially this).
I love Joe Hill's work in general, so when I realized there was an entire collection of graphic novel short stories that I hadn't read yet, I was pretty excited and had to get my hands on it immediately. The Graphic Novel Collection features mostly hits with a couple of misses, and since there are only a few stories, I'll break them down as such:
→ The Cape:
I thought this was a really solid introduction to the collection. It starts off by showcasing a boy who believes his "cape" (really a modified baby blanket) is magical, but he has a traumatic accident and grows up to be fairly damaged due to that. As he reaches adulthood, he becomes cynical towards everyone in his life, and upon finding that magical cape, decides to seek revenge. It's really violent and pretty sad, but an extremely intriguing and fleshed-out story.
→ The Cape: 1969:
The second story is actually a prequel to the first, in which we learn how the cape got its powers — through a freak incident occurring to the father of the boy from the first story — and, more heavily, the way trauma can break a human being and turn them into a monster. I liked this one a lot less, but I can appreciate the need for backstory that it fulfilled.
→ Thumbprint:
A US veteran, discharged for abusing soldiers and civilians in the war in Iraq, finds herself in deep paranoia when she comes home and starts seeing hints of her past pop up. I think I'd have enjoyed this a lot more in an actual short story formatting, because it just didn't translate well to the graphic novel. It doesn't help that I strongly disliked the art style, and was horribly uncomfortable with a lot of the dialogue (though I know that was part of the point, to make the reader face how awful the happenings in Abu Ghraib were).
→ Kodiak:
A couple of boys meet a scarred man who tells them the story of how he got his scars — by fighting a vicious bear while being held captive in his youth. I thought this one was fun enough, even though it didn't hold any similarity at all to what I typically expect from Joe's writing (I don't even think I'd call it horror).
→ The Wraith:
Finally, the collection ends with this graphic novel about Charlie Manx, the terrifying, vampire-esque villain from NOS4A2. Charlie is genuinely one of the most awful, worrisome, love-to-hate-him villains I've ever seen in my life, so I was excited to spend more time in Christmasland, and this graphic novel did not disappoint in the slightest. You could definitely read this without having read NOS4A2, but I wouldn't recommend it, because the full story has such a deliciously dreadful, slow buildup to the big "reveal" of Christmasland and the children therein, that I think reading The Wraith first would be robbing yourself a little bit.
→ The Cape:
I thought this was a really solid introduction to the collection. It starts off by showcasing a boy who believes his "cape" (really a modified baby blanket) is magical, but he has a traumatic accident and grows up to be fairly damaged due to that. As he reaches adulthood, he becomes cynical towards everyone in his life, and upon finding that magical cape, decides to seek revenge. It's really violent and pretty sad, but an extremely intriguing and fleshed-out story.
→ The Cape: 1969:
The second story is actually a prequel to the first, in which we learn how the cape got its powers — through a freak incident occurring to the father of the boy from the first story — and, more heavily, the way trauma can break a human being and turn them into a monster. I liked this one a lot less, but I can appreciate the need for backstory that it fulfilled.
→ Thumbprint:
A US veteran, discharged for abusing soldiers and civilians in the war in Iraq, finds herself in deep paranoia when she comes home and starts seeing hints of her past pop up. I think I'd have enjoyed this a lot more in an actual short story formatting, because it just didn't translate well to the graphic novel. It doesn't help that I strongly disliked the art style, and was horribly uncomfortable with a lot of the dialogue (though I know that was part of the point, to make the reader face how awful the happenings in Abu Ghraib were).
→ Kodiak:
A couple of boys meet a scarred man who tells them the story of how he got his scars — by fighting a vicious bear while being held captive in his youth. I thought this one was fun enough, even though it didn't hold any similarity at all to what I typically expect from Joe's writing (I don't even think I'd call it horror).
→ The Wraith:
Finally, the collection ends with this graphic novel about Charlie Manx, the terrifying, vampire-esque villain from NOS4A2. Charlie is genuinely one of the most awful, worrisome, love-to-hate-him villains I've ever seen in my life, so I was excited to spend more time in Christmasland, and this graphic novel did not disappoint in the slightest. You could definitely read this without having read NOS4A2, but I wouldn't recommend it, because the full story has such a deliciously dreadful, slow buildup to the big "reveal" of Christmasland and the children therein, that I think reading The Wraith first would be robbing yourself a little bit.
Vol. 1: Way Down Deep ★★★★★
Vol 2: Disciples ★★★
Judging by the average star rating of the first volume (which is currently at a 3.3 average on GR, compared to my 5-star review), I feel like I enjoyed Regression, Vol. 1 much more than most people did, which made me assume that I would love Volume 2 as well. Unfortunately, I figured out pretty quickly into this volume that the story lost some of its spark very suddenly for me, which is a total bummer.
It's not that there's anything wrong with Vol 2, I just didn't find it nearly as engaging as the first one. I'm very intrigued to see where the story goes next, so I definitely plan to continue the series, but it's not as high on my priority list as it may have been before.
Meh.
I don't really know what I expected from this, but what I got was a cross between a mystery and a very bland slice-of-life story about two teens/young adults who run away from rehab and try to make it on their own. There's a twist ending that I didn't really see coming, but at the same time, I just couldn't attach to the story enough to be invested or surprised. I also really was not a fan of the art style.
I don't really know what I expected from this, but what I got was a cross between a mystery and a very bland slice-of-life story about two teens/young adults who run away from rehab and try to make it on their own. There's a twist ending that I didn't really see coming, but at the same time, I just couldn't attach to the story enough to be invested or surprised. I also really was not a fan of the art style.
When I grabbed this from the library, I had seen the 2.44 average rating it had on Goodreads at the time, but I thought, "It can't be that bad, right? The premise sounds so interesting!" Lol, joke's on me — I flipped open the first page and realized, yeah, it's that bad. I forced myself to trudge through to the end, to see if it ever improved enough to warrant even one more star in my review, but the art is god-awful hideous (in many panels, it looks like someone took candid photos of awkward faces people pull while speaking and then traced over those digital) and the plot is boring and difficult to follow because it's so poorly fleshed out. Yikes!
“I'm not going to be raped. I'm not going to be murdered. I'm going to bring him to justice so this never happens to anyone else. I'm not going to think like a victim. I'm going to think like a winner. Because that's what I am. I'm Ruthless, by God, and I need to act like it.”
---
We'll call this one closer to 3.5 stars, but I didn't feel right rounding up.
Right from the get-go, I'll be honest, I don't like Ruth's character very much. I found her to be arrogant, rude, and I got tired of the repetition of her constant inner chattering about what a winner she is, and how good and strong and brilliant she is, and what a prodigy she's turned out to be... It got old fast. I attempted to rein myself in and not deduct too many points for her attitude, however, because the bottom line was that Ruth is, well... Ruthless. She does what needs to be done to survive, and I genuinely appreciated her steadfastness. She's a fighter to the very end, and that was a refreshing change of pace from the "damsel in distress" story arcs that were popular in my childhood.
I also have to say that I found Wolfman to be a very intriguing villain: he's disgusting, horrific, and absolutely the worst kind of man - there's no excusing any of his actions - but I appreciated the way Adams wrote in a back story for him through those fleeting changes of perspective that we received, dating all the way back to his childhood, when his mother ruined redheaded women for him forever. I also found it interesting that he had this sort of creed; he wasn't just kidnapping/raping/murdering girls for sport, but because something broken in his mind told him he was making them atone for their sins, as it were. It was an incredibly raw and fucked up view into the mind of a predator and it was much more honest than I find most authors are comfortable writing in the YA genre.
Speaking of this book being a YA thriller, the biggest reason that this book has stayed with me is because I was stunned by how far Adams was willing to take it within this genre. My experience with YA thrillers has been mostly subpar storylines with very little real action or shock, and Ruthless blew that expectation out of the water. There is some sexual content, violence, and a great deal of intensity that I think a lot of average YA readers may be uncomfortable with.
All in all, this book was one hell of a ride, with some very unpredictable (and infuriating) moments. It held my attention well enough that I read it in a day, but I can't say that I would rush to reread this one. That said, I think it bridges the gap between YA books and thrillers smoothly, so I would feel comfortable recommending this even to readers who generally pass up the YA genre entirely. If you enjoy an intense, action-packed, suspenseful thriller - and don't mind an MC with a larger-than-life ego - definitely pick up a copy of Ruthless and let me know what you think!
Trigger warnings: sexual abuse, abduction, child abuse/murder.
---
We'll call this one closer to 3.5 stars, but I didn't feel right rounding up.
Right from the get-go, I'll be honest, I don't like Ruth's character very much. I found her to be arrogant, rude, and I got tired of the repetition of her constant inner chattering about what a winner she is, and how good and strong and brilliant she is, and what a prodigy she's turned out to be... It got old fast. I attempted to rein myself in and not deduct too many points for her attitude, however, because the bottom line was that Ruth is, well... Ruthless. She does what needs to be done to survive, and I genuinely appreciated her steadfastness. She's a fighter to the very end, and that was a refreshing change of pace from the "damsel in distress" story arcs that were popular in my childhood.
I also have to say that I found Wolfman to be a very intriguing villain: he's disgusting, horrific, and absolutely the worst kind of man - there's no excusing any of his actions - but I appreciated the way Adams wrote in a back story for him through those fleeting changes of perspective that we received, dating all the way back to his childhood, when his mother ruined redheaded women for him forever. I also found it interesting that he had this sort of creed; he wasn't just kidnapping/raping/murdering girls for sport, but because something broken in his mind told him he was making them atone for their sins, as it were. It was an incredibly raw and fucked up view into the mind of a predator and it was much more honest than I find most authors are comfortable writing in the YA genre.
Speaking of this book being a YA thriller, the biggest reason that this book has stayed with me is because I was stunned by how far Adams was willing to take it within this genre. My experience with YA thrillers has been mostly subpar storylines with very little real action or shock, and Ruthless blew that expectation out of the water. There is some sexual content, violence, and a great deal of intensity that I think a lot of average YA readers may be uncomfortable with.
All in all, this book was one hell of a ride, with some very unpredictable (and infuriating) moments. It held my attention well enough that I read it in a day, but I can't say that I would rush to reread this one. That said, I think it bridges the gap between YA books and thrillers smoothly, so I would feel comfortable recommending this even to readers who generally pass up the YA genre entirely. If you enjoy an intense, action-packed, suspenseful thriller - and don't mind an MC with a larger-than-life ego - definitely pick up a copy of Ruthless and let me know what you think!
Trigger warnings: sexual abuse, abduction, child abuse/murder.
Before reading Cry Wolf, PLEASE make sure to read the novella Alpha & Omega! It functions as #0.5 in this series and is absolutely crucial to the beginning of the series.
After reading a couple of novels, a few novellas, and a graphic novel by Patricia Briggs, Cry Wolf was what sealed the deal for me: this author has earned herself a new long-time fan, because I cannot get enough of the world she's created or these characters. She is so incredible at writing characters that I can't help but adore and treasure and want to protect, and storylines that keep me on the edge of my seat, unable to put the book down until it's done.
As I mentioned before, it's crucial that you start with Alpha & Omega, which I enjoyed, but found myself struggling slightly with at times only because the whole werewolves finding their "mates" theme can throw me off at times. That said, any ounce of doubt in me was wiped out pretty quickly in Cry Wolf, because I genuinely can't imagine not rooting for Anna and Charles. They are so precious together, and even though there are some reservations (Charles worrying he'll scare Anna off or ask too much of her, Anna worrying that she's hindering Charles or unworthy of his love) and the occasional misunderstanding, watching them slowly come to trust and learn each other is so damn rewarding.
Of course, when they aren't being swoon-worthy as hell, or going off on an adventure to scare me half to death with rogue werewolves and ancient enemies, these books are so freaking funny. I don't even know where Patricia Briggs comes up with some of these one-liners, but they literally made me laugh out loud so many times. I love some of the side characters tremendously (especially Bran — I've adored him since the moment we met him and I need more of his character!), and they offer so many fun, interesting, and exciting moments.
All in all, Cry Wolf was my favorite installment in the Mercyverse thus far. Speaking of, I also loved the little nods to Mercy's side of the story, and I really recommend reading these series intertwined in the author's order listed below, because it's so much fun to get little hints as to what's going on with Mercy, Adam, and Sam, while it's happening. I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series, and I have high hopes that it's all just going to keep getting better and better from here!
———
“Tis the gift to be gentle, ’tis the gift to be fair,
’Tis the gift to wake and breathe the morning air,
To walk every day in the path that we choose,
Is the gift that we pray we will never never lose.”
After reading a couple of novels, a few novellas, and a graphic novel by Patricia Briggs, Cry Wolf was what sealed the deal for me: this author has earned herself a new long-time fan, because I cannot get enough of the world she's created or these characters. She is so incredible at writing characters that I can't help but adore and treasure and want to protect, and storylines that keep me on the edge of my seat, unable to put the book down until it's done.
She wondered that hope was so much harder then despair.
As I mentioned before, it's crucial that you start with Alpha & Omega, which I enjoyed, but found myself struggling slightly with at times only because the whole werewolves finding their "mates" theme can throw me off at times. That said, any ounce of doubt in me was wiped out pretty quickly in Cry Wolf, because I genuinely can't imagine not rooting for Anna and Charles. They are so precious together, and even though there are some reservations (Charles worrying he'll scare Anna off or ask too much of her, Anna worrying that she's hindering Charles or unworthy of his love) and the occasional misunderstanding, watching them slowly come to trust and learn each other is so damn rewarding.
“I hope this means you'll quit asking me to kill you. It gives me indigestion.”
Of course, when they aren't being swoon-worthy as hell, or going off on an adventure to scare me half to death with rogue werewolves and ancient enemies, these books are so freaking funny. I don't even know where Patricia Briggs comes up with some of these one-liners, but they literally made me laugh out loud so many times. I love some of the side characters tremendously (especially Bran — I've adored him since the moment we met him and I need more of his character!), and they offer so many fun, interesting, and exciting moments.
“Sometimes I have the urge to conquer large parts of Europe.”
All in all, Cry Wolf was my favorite installment in the Mercyverse thus far. Speaking of, I also loved the little nods to Mercy's side of the story, and I really recommend reading these series intertwined in the author's order listed below, because it's so much fun to get little hints as to what's going on with Mercy, Adam, and Sam, while it's happening. I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series, and I have high hopes that it's all just going to keep getting better and better from here!
———
MercyVerse — Author's Order (MT, A&O, novellas, etc.):
novellas: in progress
GN — Homecoming: ★★★☆☆
MT — #1 Moon Called: ★★★★☆
AO — #0.5 Alpha & Omega: ★★★★☆
AO — #1 Cry Wolf: ★★★★★
AO — #2 Hunting Ground:
MT — #2 Blood Bound:
MT — #3 Iron Kissed:
MT — #4 Bone Crossed:
MT — #5 Silver Borne:
MT — #6 River Marked:
AO — #3 Fair Game:
MT — #7 Frost Burned:
AO — #4 Dead Heat:
MT — #8 Night Broken:
MT — #9 Fire Touched:
MT — #10 Silence Fallen:
AO — #5 Burn Bright:
It took a little while to get into, but I was sold around the halfway mark and desperately needed to continue by the end. The level of imagination and creativity that went into some of this is absolutely staggering.