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miss_majuu's review against another edition
4.0
The concept (half comic, half book) was great and unusual. I was quite surprised by how dark the book is, considering it's a middle grade book. My only complaint is that one story line at the end existed for like 1 chapter and felt either too rushed or too unnecessary... I don't know I just didn't enjoy that last part. But the end itself was great and I can't wait to read the next one!
abaugher's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome book, story! gotta get the next one! comic book world that kids get stuck in, and usually dont get out of.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
3.0
I read the first few chapters of this several years ago, and found them absolutely terrifying (in a good way), so it's somewhat disappointing to read the whole thing now and find it not even mildly scary. It's not a bad book, it's quite exciting and somewhat more original than a lot of YA writing, but scary it isn't.
kidclamp's review against another edition
4.0
For a book that tries to incorporate a comic into its plot, you think they would have found a better illustrator. Chris Wooding actually does a nice job as a writer, the story is plotted well and fairly gripping, but the illustrations just fall so flat I wish they weren't integral to the plot.
The plot, in summary, is that a kids have begun disappearing without a trace across Britain. There are rumors of a secret dark comic book called 'Malice' that features the missing kids, and a mysterious figure named 'Tall Jake' who steals the children and toys with them in the comic world. When one teen goes missing his friends find the comic and perform the secret ritual to pull themselves into the world and try to discover what has happened.
Malice the comic, for all it's built up in the text is disappointing when shown. The panels are unclear, filled with giant sound effects like an old Batman episode and the action is difficult to follow.
Despite the issues with the graphics, I am hooked and in for the next installment.
The plot, in summary, is that a kids have begun disappearing without a trace across Britain. There are rumors of a secret dark comic book called 'Malice' that features the missing kids, and a mysterious figure named 'Tall Jake' who steals the children and toys with them in the comic world. When one teen goes missing his friends find the comic and perform the secret ritual to pull themselves into the world and try to discover what has happened.
Malice the comic, for all it's built up in the text is disappointing when shown. The panels are unclear, filled with giant sound effects like an old Batman episode and the action is difficult to follow.
Despite the issues with the graphics, I am hooked and in for the next installment.
dorotyrizzo's review against another edition
5.0
Omg I loved this book so much! The story is very simple but deep and it kept me glued to it for hours! I read in just 2 days because it's and easy reading and the story line actually keeps you interested on it.
tasharobinson's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting concept—a kids' horror adventure about an evil comic book that draws kids in, traps them, and often kills them—and the book itself is part novel, part comic, with much of the buildup written out in prose, and the action scenes more often illustrated via comics panels. The problem is that both halves feel a little amateurish—the comics are sketchy, and it can be hard to tell what's going on, or to tell the generic-looking characters apart, while the prose is pretty basic. The villains are much more distinctive and interesting than the generic protagonists. The whole idea is creative and playful, though, and the concept of the comics' world—a horrific Clive Barker-y carnival of a world, full of lethal traps and plenty of weirdness—is incredibly imaginative. Fun read, fun idea. I'm curious to read the sequel, which apparently wraps up the series, though this first book feels like more like a setup for half a dozen sequels detailing the characters' adventures.
oubrae's review against another edition
4.0
No clue how I made it through this as a ten year old. Book's low-key terrifying. Took me two months to reread.
madkatrob's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25